"A smart, well-crafted debut that jumps time and space between the Midwest in the late-70s and contemporary San Francisco, Francis Verlaine's "Priors" combines the heft of a literary novel with the page-turning drama of a hard-boiled detective story." - Randall Roberts, arts and culture writer, Los Angeles Times

"A rare novel, set partially in St. Louis, full of toasted ravioli, unforgettable characters, a ton of heart, humor, and a wild ending in Mexico, Missouri. A MUST read. Two giant thumbs up!" - Tony Patrico, Radio Co-Host, KPNT 105.7 FM, St. Louis, Missouri.

"Finally a novel that shows the real San Francisco, my hometown: a hardboiled city that the world seems to think is stuck in the Summer of Love. It captures the gritty, fast-paced nastiness of the city by the bay, while exposing the love that is deep in its heart, albeit with a thick-ass skin. Francis wrote the screenplay for a film I acted in several years back, and "Priors" proves the author still possesses those darkly humorous chops." - Dewey Weber, writer, musician and actor, The Doom Generation, Ulee's Gold, Melrose Place, and Showgirls.