Publication Date: September 1, 2026
Detective Theo Barnes thinks he has the world figured out, though he knows it’s a fixed game. Do your job well. Protect your family. Steer clear of the system.
Until his sting operation brings down a powerful state Senator. Doing the right thing thrusts him over a line that can’t be crossed, and the system bites back, hard.
His career… over. Reputation… obliterated. The truth… beyond reach.
Amidst the rubble, a clandestine cabal of conspiracy fanatics hellbent on annihilating the “true power” behind America anoints Barnes as a symbol of their own plight. They think Barnes is one of them, abused by society and martyred by the Deep State.
The FBI is incapable of infiltrating these zealots and they turn to Barnes for help. Desperate for answers and redemption, he reluctantly agrees to go undercover, using the most dangerous identity possible… his own.
As real life and the investigation blur, Barnes’ impossible choices drag his family into the crosshairs. Every move, every word, contains unspeakable danger. As the cabal’s atrocities collide with the conspiracy that destroyed him, he must separate lies from truth, or he won’t survive.
His quest for salvation rests on one question. Is there enough of his soul left intact to save not only his family, but the country?
Detective Theo Barnes possesses a dogged determination when it comes to investigating the dark world of sex crimes.
Along the way, however, he makes plenty of enemies while refusing to play politics. It all comes to a head in Main Street Fringe, when author Matthew Lavoie puts Barnes in the crosshairs of danger.
Going undercover for the FBI—as himself—to root out a conspiracy puts him shoulder to shoulder with fanatics willing to do anything for their cause. One of the most compelling lines is “Money doesn’t buy loyalty, it rents a greedy person willing to sell their soul.”
Not only are the themes timely and mirror today’s culture, but the idea of a man wading into a fight for justice offers inspiration. In the middle of the darkness, he picks himself up for a new battle.
As for the evil portrayed within the story, it, too, mirrors reality. Corruption exists within politics and law enforcement, but no one plays by the same set of rules. Barnes has no qualms about calling others out, even if it means making enemies of his superiors.
Main Street Fringe delivers surprise twists for an action-packed thriller featuring dynamic characters.
A policy expert and political operative for some of Washington’s most influential power brokers, Matthew Lavoie has spent his career evaluating the how and why of American political and cultural movements and observing some of the biggest shifts in American and geopolitical history. MAIN STREET FRINGE is his debut novel. He is a member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.
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