Franklin's Bennies
Available May 1, 2026

In a world where right and wrong are rarely clear, Franklin’s Bennies follows Peter Cleary, a prison mental-health counselor whose days are spent helping incarcerated men manage anxiety, delusion, and the quiet strain of confinement. Careful, professional, and deeply aware of institutional boundaries, Peter has built his life on restraint—both inside the prison and at home with his wife, Nora.

That restraint is tested when one of his inmates, Lenox Franklin, begins asking for more than counseling. What starts as a series of guarded conversations slowly reveals a problem that exists far beyond the prison walls—one that places Peter in the uneasy space between professional ethics and personal responsibility.

As prison guards begin paying closer attention to his interactions with Franklin, Peter’s situation becomes harder to contain. A cryptic message passed through someone he knows, the involvement of federal authorities, and Franklin’s transfer to another facility all deepen the pressure. As Peter becomes more personally invested in Franklin’s fears and the risks surrounding the hidden money, he must decide whether remaining within the rules is still enough.

Measured, tense, and deeply human, Franklin’s Bennies is a novel about moral judgment, institutional limits, and the quiet consequences of crossing a line that cannot be undone.