Synopses & Reviews
The electrifying noir thriller from a major new talent, in which a young Irish ex-cop travels half a world away to investigate the murder of a beautiful girl he once loved, and whose peculiar sexual banter he will later have urgent reason to recall -- if he is to survive.
Hard on the heels of Dead I Well May Be -- which Booklist named "one of the top ten crime fiction debuts of the year," and which established Adrian McKinty as the perfect new find for fans of Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly -- McKinty's tightly paced Hidden River displays his unerring gift for crafting powerhouse literary thrillers.
Alexander Lawson is a former detective for Northern Ireland's police force and a rising star at cracking difficult cases. After he is assigned to the force's dangerous, corruption-ridden drug squad, he becomes addicted to heroin -- under unusual circumstances. Forced to resign in disgrace, Alex is twenty-four and still entrapped by the needle when he learns that his high school love, beautiful Victoria Patawasti, has been murdered in drought-scorched Denver, Colorado.
Victoria's family begs Alex to investigate the case, and he seizes the opportunity to fly to America for a chance at redemption.
Soon the bodies begin to pile up, and Alex is forced to go on the run after the only credible lead to Victoria's murderer is accidentally killed. Wanted by both the Colorado cops and the British police, who believe he has information about a corruption scandal, and with the murderer closing in all the time, Alex will have to fight just to stay alive, never mind solving the terrifying case.
Critics have called Adrian McKinty's work "explosive," "violent yet virtuous," and "always enthralling." Hidden River is a riveting novel of characters, including a sadistic English cop who puts out cigarettes on other people's eyebrows, a billionaire's son with political aspirations, and a sexy Ethiopian girl living illegally in a squat. All manner of sinners converge on Denver's notoriously seedy Colfax Avenue against the breathtaking backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.
Gritty, with spot-on dialogue and black humor, Hidden River is a dynamic thriller from a storyteller who writes "in prose that is a kind of poetry" (The Washington Post), and confirms his reputation as a dazzling literary voice in crime fiction.
Review
Frank McCourt If you're a writer, embarking on a new work, beware of reading anything by Adrian McKinty. His prose is so hard, so tough, so New York-honest, you'll find yourself taking the knife to your work. He is a cross between Mickey Spillane and Damon Runyon -- the toughest, the best. Beware of McKinty.
Synopsis
After Alexander Lawson -- a rising star on Northern Ireland's police force at twenty-four -- is assigned to the corruption-ridden drug squad, he becomes addicted to heroin under unusual circumstances. Forced to resign in disgrace, he is still an addict when he learns that his high school girlfriend, Victoria, has been murdered in drought-scorched Denver, Colorado. Victoria's family begs Alex to investigate.
Against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, bodies begin to pile up, and soon Alex is wanted both by Colorado cops and the British police. On the run and with the murderer closing in, Alex must fight not only to solve the terrifying case and seize his last chance at redemption...but also to stay alive.
Synopsis
An electrifying noir thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Chain, in which a young Irish ex-cop travels half a world away to investigate the murder of a beautiful girl he once loved, and whose peculiar sexual banter he will later have urgent reason to recall--
if he is to survive. Hard on the heels of Dead I Well May Be--which Booklist named one of the top ten crime fiction debuts of the year, and which established Adrian McKinty as the perfect new find for fans of Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly--McKinty's tightly paced Hidden River displays his unerring gift for crafting powerhouse literary thrillers.
Alexander Lawson is a former detective for Northern Ireland's police force and a rising star at cracking difficult cases. After he is assigned to the force's dangerous, corruption-ridden drug squad, he becomes addicted to heroin--under unusual circumstances. Forced to resign in disgrace, Alex is twenty-four and still entrapped by the needle when he learns that his high school love, beautiful Victoria Patawasti, has been murdered in drought-scorched Denver, Colorado.
Victoria's family begs Alex to investigate the case, and he seizes the opportunity to fly to America for a chance at redemption.
Soon the bodies begin to pile up, and Alex is forced to go on the run after the only credible lead to Victoria's murderer is accidentally killed. Wanted by both the Colorado cops and the British police, who believe he has information about a corruption scandal, and with the murderer closing in all the time, Alex will have to fight just to stay alive, never mind solving the terrifying case.
Critics have called Adrian McKinty's work explosive, violent yet virtuous, and always enthralling. Hidden River is a riveting novel of characters, including a sadistic English cop who puts out cigarettes on other people's eyebrows, a billionaire's son with political aspirations, and a sexy Ethiopian girl living illegally in a squat. All manner of sinners converge on Denver's notoriously seedy Colfax Avenue against the breathtaking backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.
Gritty, with spot-on dialogue and black humor, Hidden River is a dynamic thriller from a storyteller who writes in prose that is a kind of poetry (The Washington Post), and confirms his reputation as a dazzling literary voice in crime fiction.
About the Author
Adrian McKinty was born and grew up in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, when terrorism in Ulster was at its height. Educated at Oxford University, he then immigrated to New York City, where he lived in Harlem for five years, working in bars and on construction crews, as well as a stint as a bookseller. He is the author of Hidden River and Dead I Well May Be, which was short-listed for the Crime Writers' Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award. He lives in Denver, Colorado.