Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride: A Novel

📚 Why We Recommend It

Lloyd McNeil, a beat cop in Atlanta, gets two gut-wrenching news: he has months to live, and his 20-year career hasn’t left enough savings to care for his teen son, Bishop, after he’s gone. Then a reckless plan takes root: if he dies in the line of duty, his police benefits will skyrocket—enough to secure Bishop’s future.

So Lloyd starts chasing death like a man on a mission: charging alone after armed robbers, storming drug dens in a downpour, facing rioters with nothing but a badge. But fate keeps playing a twisted joke—he survives every suicide mission, accidentally becoming a local legend. Cameras flash, crowds cheer, but Lloyd’s counting the days: How to teach Bishop integrity before time runs out? How to trade his life for his son’s safety, and call it a “hero’s end”?

Will Leitch blends sharp humor with raw emotion, laying bare a father’s messy, fierce love. This isn’t a story of noble sacrifice—it’s a man stumbling through despair, bruising his knuckles to fix a world he won’t live in, lying through his teeth to make his son proud. You’ll laugh till it hurts, then catch your breath at the truth: the bravest thing a parent can do is keep going, even when the finish line is in sight. Dive in—this ride will stay with you long after the last page.