The Commissary
“the story will draw readers in and keep them guessing” – Kirkus Reviews
Tech guru Conrad Abbott has an innovative solution to the problem of homelessness. His phone app—Porchlight—solicits sponsors to help unhoused people find homes. The pitch is simple: for just $19 per month, you can help end homelessness!
By pooling donations, Porchlight matches unhoused people with homeowners struggling to pay their bills. But there’s a catch: Porchlight clients must wear GPS bracelets so their sponsors can track their movements.
Porchlight also solicits huge sums of money that clients can use to purchase items in its in-app store, the Commissary. Sure, the cupcakes, socks, and headphones are ridiculously overpriced, but Conrad Abbott was always more interested in making money than helping people.
Mike Walpole, a former phone app developer, has fallen on hard times. He’s now the shot caller at a homeless camp in Sacramento. He does what he can to take care of his people, but alcoholism, drug addiction, and mental illness are constant companions. When local Porchlight clients start dying, Mike must revive long-dormant skills to get inside the Porchlight app to discover what’s really being sold in the Commissary.
“The issue of homelessness is handled with sensitivity; Doonan neither lingers on nor glosses over the hardships of life on the street.” – Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
William Doonan is an archaeologist and professor of anthropology in Sacramento, California, where he lives with his wife and two sons. His latest novel - The Commissary - explores a novel approach to the issue of homelessness (see link above).
Doonan is also the author of the Henry Grave mystery series. Henry Grave is a senior investigator for the Association of Cruising Vessel Operators. A World War II P.O.W., Henry is as cunning as he is charming, and at 84 years of age, he fits right in with his fellow passengers.
12 million people take a cruise each year.
Most have fun.
Some die.
Henry Grave investigates.
If you are interested in short stories, you are in good company.
On the other hand, if you're really interested in demons of antiquity who still walk the earth, you might be interested in this tale of ambulant mummies.