The Accidental Benefactor

George Cravets is an accountant for a Las Vegas casino who has quietly stolen gold bars from his employer for years and then secretly stashes them in the wall of a bed and breakfast. He’s ready to cash out his golden retirement plan, but, as you can imagine, none of it goes quite according to his plan.

With this cover, I wanted to take the audacious glamour of Las Vegas and cast it in a dark and haunting shadow. The focal point of the cover, much like the story, is the aging man who has made some poor life choices and now must live with the consequences of what he’s done.

With gold bars playing such a key role, I subtly gilded the background, suggeting the glitz without allowing it to overwhelm the mystery and danger. The double-exposure approach was inspired by True Detective, but its also evocative of the double life the main character has been living and seemed like the perfect way to tie George and Vegas together.