The sights, sounds and energy of Philadelphia have always run through Marc Avery's work. That’s apparent with his latest City of Brotherly Love-set novel, ‘Discipline’, and even early on at the very beginnings of his career.
“I had a class project in 7th grade where we had to create our own fake city. I named mine Filadelphia after a sneaker promo campaign I saw in a magazine. It was for former Philadelphia 76ers guard Jerry Stackhouse,” says Avery when recalling what initially drew him into writing. “It wasn’t until years later that the seeds would really be planted. That’s when I saw ‘Bad Boys’ with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for the first time. My imagination had to go somewhere. The rest is history. “
With ‘Discipline’ (which Avery released in 2025), the author drew inspiration from the police dramas he grew up watching, and as the story developed, another key element quickly became clear — it had to be set in Philadelphia.
“I entertained Miami and Los Angeles for potential settings… it never felt authentic to me because I didn’t know those cities like I know Philadelphia. I’m from Philadelphia and I’ve walked the streets that I’m talking about," he said. "I wanted people to use all five of their senses. [As] soon as I described the first scene, it felt like the right choice.
“The bones of the idea would mirror some of my favorite cop dramas. The villain idea came from watching Anton Chigurh from ‘No Country For Old Men’. I wanted an antagonist who wasn’t overtly menacing. At first, 'Discipline' was a side character until he demanded more scenes. I humbly obliged.”
While 'Discipline' leans heavily into crime, Avery's debut novel, 'Redemption Lost', leans towards a more intimate and psychological plot. And where 'Redemption Lost' relied on a first-person perspective and the weight of a single protagonist, 'Discipline' expands its story through multiple viewpoints. However, both novels are driven by flawed characters forced to navigate difficult choices and the consequences that follow—a creative compass that Avery likes to use.
“I think crime fiction comes naturally because I’m such a student of television cop dramas. I know the tropes and readers’ expectations. Not that I have to hit every note, but I know my way around that world,” continues Avery.
“Funny story about ‘Redemption Lost.’ I just got the rights back and for a long time, I didn’t know what genre it fit into. As I sat with it for a while, I realized it was a thriller, too. I guess the difference in writing the two was the POV. ‘Redemption Lost’ was first-person, and I spent a lot of time in the main character’s head. I kept thinking, ‘I really hope readers find him interesting.’ With ‘Discipline’, I wrote it in third person, so I got to head hop with various characters and that was a little less challenging.”
Rather than building stories around plot twists or action sequences, Avery focuses on creating complex, believable people whose decisions drive the narrative forward. In 'Discipline', that’s what he hopes readers cling to overall as well.
“[With] characters, once I have an idea of them, the bones of the story start to form. I don’t think a plot idea has preceded a character idea for me yet,” adds Avery. “I want [readers] emotionally damaged and conflicted by these morally grey characters they’re reading about [in ‘Discipline’]. I want to force them into a decision. So far, my readers have let me know the decision is hard and the lines are blurred between good and evil. That lets me know I’ve done my job.”
Avery’s publishing journey recently brought him back to Philadelphia for the Philly Book Crawl in 2025, where he had the opportunity to connect with readers in the city that helped inspire his story.
“It was the perfect experience. Imagine you’re from Philly and you wrote a book set in Philly. Then, you did a signing in Philly. I couldn’t have scripted that moment any better. Philly showed me a lot of love, and I sold out of books. Last year I did 26 book events, and my goal is to meet or exceed that number. Along the way, I hope to expand my readership every year and expand my literary footprint as well.”
The author also has a few stops left on his book tour in 2026 in Texas, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Tennessee. For Avery, the journey is still unfolding—city by city, reader by reader. And for those hoping to begin a similar path, he offers some insight on what’s helped him along the way.
“Stay the course. Publishing can be brutal to navigate, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Befriend authors if you can. When times get tough, they’ll understand explicitly. Most importantly, have fun and never forget why you do this. For the love of the written word. Everything else that comes with this is a bonus. “
To learn more about ‘Discipline’ and Marc Avery, visit iammarcavery.com
MORE: One Book, One Philadelphia: ‘Our Missing Hearts’ to anchor citywide celebration of reading
