Former Suffolk County cop Gus Murphy returns to prowl the meaner streets of Long Island’s darkest precincts with a Russian mercenary at his back in the stunning second installment of Reed Farrel Coleman’s critically acclaimed series.
Gus Murphy and his girlfriend, Magdalena, are put in harm’s way when Gus is caught up in the distant aftershocks of heinous crimes committed decades ago in Vietnam and Russia. Gus’ ex-priest pal, Bill Kilkenny, introduces him to a wealthy businessman anxious to have someone look more deeply into the brutal murder of his granddaughter. Though the police already have the girl’s murderer in custody, they have been unable to provide a reason for the killing. The businessman, Spears, offers big incentives if Gus can supply him with what the cops cannot—a motive.
Later that same day, Gus witnesses the execution of a man who has just met with his friend Slava. As Gus looks into the girl’s murder and tries to protect Slava from the executioner’s bullet, he must navigate a minefield populated by hostile cops, street gangs, and a Russian mercenary who will stop at nothing to do his master’s bidding. But in trying to solve the girl’s murder and save his friend, Gus may be opening a door into a past that was best left forgotten. Can he fix the damage done, or is it true that what you break you forever own?
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“A gripping and beautifully crafted novel about a fascinating character whose complexities and observations about life elevate the novel beyond its genre.”
— Huffington Post
“I hereby crown Reed Farrel Coleman the king of Long Island noir for his wonderfully raw novels featuring Gus Murphy.”
— New York Times Book Review“Gracefully gritty…impressive…Coleman is a talented writer.”
— Washington Post“Coleman doesn’t pull any punches or settle for pat character arcs in presenting a realistically flawed Gus.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Coleman’s second series outing is part police procedural, part human interest story, part philosophical monolog, and totally fun reading.”
— Library Journal“Coleman writes some of the best prose in modern crime fiction.”
— Booklist“Soulful.”
— Kirkus ReviewsBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Reed Farrel Coleman, called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan, is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three novels including six in Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series. He is a four-time recipient of the Shamus Award and a four-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories. He has also won the Audie, Scribe, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards. Reed lives with his wife on Long Island.
Keith Szarabajka has appeared in many films, including The Dark Knight, Missing, and A Perfect World, and on such television shows as The Equalizer, Angel, Cold Case, Golden Years, and Profit. Szarabajka has also appeared in several episodes of Selected Shorts for National Public Radio. He won the 2001 Audie Award for Unabridged Fiction for his reading of Tom Robbins’s Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates and has won several Earphones Awards.