Atlanta-based author Thomas Fellows returns with a book based on the penitent thief who asked Jesus to remember him during their crucifixion.

“The Criminal: The Power of an Apology” is more religious/spiritual than Fellows’ previous books but it is also part self-improvement/memoir similar to his past books – “Forget Self-Help: Re-Examining the Golden Rule” and “He Spoke with Authority: Get, Then Give the Advantage of Confidence.” “The Criminal” is his third book since 2018.

Like his previous books, “The Criminal” is a mix of literary references – here, Daniel Keyes’ “Flowers for Algernon” and Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club,” quotes from sources as varied as Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee and plenty of Fellows’ philosophical reflections on his experiences in technology sales, as an author and as a person. He ties all of these elements together to make his points.

“The Criminal” looks at the empowerment behind well-known concepts: It takes a big person to apologize. There is power in humility. Less is more. 

People who have read Fellows’ previous books will find a welcome familiarity in returning to “The Criminal” – sort of like visiting with a friend at this point. But readers can pick up “The Criminal” without having read the other books and possibly find out something about themselves in Fellows’ shared life lessons.