books and short stories
Winner Best LGBTQ Fiction NYCBigBookAward 2021
Winner Best LGBTQ Fiction Indpendent Press Award 2022
Nominated for a Lefty Award for Best Debut 2021
Strait-laced forty-something Franco picked the wrong night to get freaky. A hook-up with a hot guy on his Manhattan rooftop, and a joint he's unaware is laced, leaves him dazed. And —if memory serves him— the sole witness to a murder across the street.
Except, the cops can’t find a crime scene or a body, and Franco’s perforated recollections and conflicting testimony leave the detectives unimpressed. When days later the mutilated body of a philanthropic millionaire is discovered, he’s not only shocked to learn he knew him, but with Franco’s fingerprints all over the crime scene, he quickly graduates from unreliable witness to prime suspect.
Unsettled, and confronted with forty year old memories, when Franco’s father was murdered in front of him during Manhattan’s infamous blackout, a shocking revelation finally unmasks the man who pulled the trigger that night. And painting Franco the perfect suspect. With a target on his back and time running out, the truth will set Franco free, or earn him a toe tag at the morgue…
“Genre fans will find certain themes familiar...but the author gives them a freshness that makes them feel new. A fine whodunit with detailed, engaging prose.”
“New York’s crime world and gay scene converge in this compulsively plotted mystery, where long-held secrets refuse to stay buried. Carocari delivers a strong debut that’s equal parts thrilling and heart-felt.”
“BLACKOUT is a gripping debut from an exciting new author to watch. Carocari had me turning pages long into the night — prepare for an electric read.”
“If I had to summarize this book in only a couple of words, I’d say: it’s stupendously good.”
“In his debut novel, Blackout, Marco Carocari takes a number of familiar crime fiction tropes and skews them ever so slightly, thereby breathing new life into each of these familiar constructs, and ultimately leading readers to a fresh and unique conclusion. This is an author to keep your eye on.”
“Tried and true crime narratives sing when offered to the reader from the perspectives of traditionally underrepresented characters. Blackout, Marco Carocari’s debut, serves as further proof of this thesis. A loving homage to American crime dramas, Carocari refreshes well-worn tropes by placing a resourceful and empathetic gay character at the center of a gripping story.”
“Blackout is Rear Window meets the dating app. Marco Carocari’s impressive debut gives readers an unrelenting thriller, with twists and turns you won’t see. A fearless and unflinching portrait of corruption, past and present, and a poignant journey of a son trying to understand the father he never knew. Turn on the lights and read Blackout into the night.”
“A captivating language, pointed dialogue and fine humor - Marco Carocari’s debut novel is convincing on all levels.”
“A gripping, well-plotted, page turning read. Highly recommended.”
“What a terrific debut! I highly recommend Blackout for anyone who loves a good mystery, delightful characters, and bustling New York in the background.”
COMING SOON from Wildside Press:
Malice Domestic 16: Mystery Most Diabolical featuring 34 authors with new short stories, including yours truly.
An hour past midnight, Roy barreled down the cold, deserted highway, two-thirds of a bottle of Hendricks mollifying his senses, his blood-crusted hands clenching the steering wheel of his not-so-dearly departed wife’s Thunderbird. Brenda had absolutely forbidden him to get behind the wheel of the bronze-colored Anniversary Edition, her pride and joy, unless she was present. And though he was pretty sure the trunk wasn’t what she’d had in mind at the time, he assumed, technically, he was still in the clear. With his Range Rover at the shop, he didn’t exactly have options.
Welcome to All In The Planning.