Nicetown

Matt Bell used to be a respected reporter in Philadelphia until he got too close to a story involving the wrong people. These days he's a podcaster with a dubious reputation who tells stories about the back alleys and dark corners of his home town, spinning tales about true crime, political misdeeds, and as he calls it, weirdness.

When an old friend tells Matt about a monster stalking the rooftops and dangerous streets of Philly's Nicetown neighborhood, Matt thinks it's just what he needs to boost his listener numbers. People are starting to listen, because as he says, "People need the hard news, but weird stuff pays the bills."

There's a killer out there in the dark who knows Matt's looking for it, and now it has his scent. Will a centuries old African legend be Matt Bell's last, unfinished podcast?

Called by readers, "a flashlight in the pitch black alleys," a "great mix of horror and noir" and "a nostalgic nod to the 1970s series, 'Kolchak: The Night Stalker'," Nicetown is Tom Bates' debut novella and the first in the Matt Bell Mysteries series.