In 2020, David published his first novel, Counterclockwise, and I jumped at the chance to help my friend realize his vision. Briefly, Counterclockwise is a suspenseful, character-driven historical mystery that follows Richard Warren, a man who wakes up in a blind alley two decades before his birth. He inadvertently meets a Sicilian woman who propels him into a wartime intrigue that affects American and Nazi efforts to win the war. Their fates intricately mesh over three days in 1942, which impacts lives not just during World War II, but others nearing the turn of the 21st century.

Because the story crosses time and addresses a number of different themes, a single representational image did not adequately capture the entirety of the novel. Looking at the work of prolific designers from that period, like Saul Bass, Paul Rand and Alvin Lustig, I worked up a number of ideas of a more abstract nature, giving us a sense of the mysteries of traveling back in time.

David continues to write other stories and Ratcliff Creative is proud to help bring his stories to the world.