Synopses & Reviews
An Otto Penzler Book
John Shannon is a petty thief on the run. A three-time loser framed for a murder he didnt commit, he knows the cops are closing in on him and that hes facing life in prison—or death by lethal injection. Then, as if out of nowhere, a bizarre text message draws him to a meeting in the dark of night. A foreigner who calls himself the Identity Man offers Shannon an incredible chance to start again: a new face, a new home, a new beginning.
Soon, to his amazement, Shannon finds himself living a life he never dreamed possible. In a ruined city that is trying to rebuild, he finds work as a carpenter and a wood carver. He meets the beautiful Teresa Grey and for the first time falls in love with the sort of woman who could make him a better man.
It seems too good to be true—and it is. Just as Shannon feels within sight of redemption, all hell breaks loose. It turns out this ruined city is crawling with corruption. There are crooked politicians, gangsters, dirty cops everywhere—and, for some reason he doesnt understand, all of them seem to want Shannon dead.
John Shannon has run out of second chances, and now hes running out of time. Moving through the darkness in the burnt-out shambles of a dirty town, hes got to ferret out the secret of his new life—and fast—if he wants to be left with any life at all.
Review
"Edgar-winner Klavan's compelling thriller focuses on smalltime criminal John Shannon, who commits petty crimes, usually burglary, out of boredom as much as any need for financial gain. When a job spins out of control and a man gets killed, Shannon goes on the run. After receiving an enigmatic text message, Shannon is captured and taken to a laboratory where he's given a new face, a new name, and a new life, courtesy of the mysterious "identity man." Shannon moves to an unnamed city that resembles New Orleans, where he finds work as a carpenter. In a parallel plot, Lt. Brick Ramsey, a good cop gone bad, finds himself drawn deep into a local political struggle with fatal consequences. How Klavan (Empire of Lies) merges the two plots and saves Shannon may confound some readers, but the inexorable pace and superior quality of the writing lift the story onto a level that feels almost mythic." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
John Shannon is a petty crook on the run from a possible death sentence. Then he's rescued by an anonymous benefactor and transported to a new life in a nameless city, one coping with the Katrina-like aftereffects of flood and fire, lawlessness and corruption.
Shannon assumes the agent-of-change has offered no-strings help because Shannon stopped his own partner-in-crime from raping an innocent person during a high-profile burglary. Arrested, the partner revenged himself by accusing Shannon of a multiple murder. Thus, when Shannon receives a text message—"You've made a friend. I can help you."—while eluding capture, he doesn't hesitate. Drugged and confused, Shannon undergoes plastic surgery and is given a new identity. He finds work as a carpenter in the ravaged city, and even finds an opportunity to employ his artistic talent for wood carving. Too late he discovers that he is an unwitting tool in a shadowy attempt to dismantle a criminal enterprise under the control of the city's popular mayor and overseen by a corrupt police lieutenant. As the sting collapses, Shannon finds himself too involved in the life of a young war widow and her family to simply run. He resolves to save them, but Shannon still must cope with the machinations of the Feds’ attempt to undermine the corrupt administration. Shannon becomes a likable hero as the story unfolds, and the villains are nicely drawn, particularly Lt. Brick Ramsey. The author also handles the difficult subject of racial tension deftly.
Twice winner of the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, Klavan hits his target once again with this crime caper.--Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A great new thriller."--Glenn Beck "Edgar-winner Klavan delivers a wickedly satiric thriller with political overtones... The action builds to an explosive climax."--Publishers Weekly
Review
PRAISE FOR
DAMNATION STREET"Klavan crafts a taut, tense noir leavened with rollicking mayhem and romantic yearning. A-."Entertainment Weekly
"Klavans writing is masterful, and his characters superbly drawn."Forbes
Review
PRAISE FOR ANDREW KLAVAN
"Andrew Klavan is doing something that is rarely done . . . a unique angle on the private-eye novel."--Michael Connelly "Klavan does tough-guy heroes and sexual tension better than anyone writing today."--Janet Evanovich
Review
"A taut, tense noir leavened with rollicking mayhem and romantic yearning. A-"
Review
"Klavans writing is masterful, and his characters superbly drawn."
Review
"A hardboiled noir mystery that will please old-style mystery lovers and modern crime novel fans alike."
Review
"
Damnation Street reminds me again why Klavan is one of my drop-everything-and-read authors."
Review
"If having this much fun with a tale of assassination and romantic melancholy is wrong, who wants to be right?"
Synopsis
Sustained by a deep religious faith, Jason Harrow has built a stable family and become a pillar of principle and patriotism in the Midwest. Then the phone rings, and his past is on the other end of the line. A woman with whom he once shared a life of violence and desire claims her daughter is missingand Jason is the one man who can find her.
Returning to New York City, Jason finds himself entangled in a murderous conspiracy only he can see and only he can stopa plot that bizarrely links his private passions to the turmoil of a world at war. Hunted by terrorists and by the police, Jason has only hours to unravel an ex-lovers lies and face the unbearable truth: In order to prevent a savage attack on his country, hes going to have to risk his decency, his sanity, and his life.
Synopsis
The latest from right-wing mystery writer Klavan
Synopsis
“A compelling moral fable in the shape of a gritty, twist-filled thriller.”—
Wall Street JournalJohn Shannon is a petty thief on the run. A three-time loser framed for murder, he knows that hes facing life in prison—or death by lethal injection. Then, a bizarre text message draws him to a meeting in the dark of night. A foreigner who calls himself the Identity Man offers Shannon an incredible chance to start again: a new face, a new home, a new beginning. In a ruined city trying to rebuild, he gets work as a carpenter, and falls in love. It seems too good to be true—and it is. It turns out this city is crawling with crooked politicians, gangsters, and dirty cops—all of whom seem to want Shannon dead.
Moving through the shambles of a town, hes got to ferret out the secret of his new life—and fast—if he wants to be left with any life at all.
“A gripping thriller.”—Entertainment Weekly
“A work of intense realism pervaded by sorrow, mercy, hope—and ultimately, transcendence.”—Washington Times
Synopsis
They are two sworn enemies with a single obsession: a woman on the run from them both. Scott Weiss is a private detective. John Foy is a professional killer. The woman is Julie Wyant, a hooker with the face of an angel.
Julie spent one night with Foya night of psychopathic cruelty that Foy called love. Desperate to get away from him, she vanished without a trace. And Foy wants her back.
Theres only one man who can find her: Weiss, the best locate operative in the business. Shes begged him not to look for her, fearing hell bring the killer in his wake. But Weiss cant stay away.
Now, from a town called Paradise, through a wilderness that feels like hell, Weiss searches for Julieand the killer follows, waiting for his chance.
They are two expert hunters matching move for moveuntil it ends on Damnation Street.
About the Author
ANDREW KLAVAN is the author of the best-selling novels True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Dont Say a Word, a film starring Michael Douglas. His work has been nominated for the Edgar Award five times and has won twice. He is a contributing editor at City Journal and his articles have appeared, among other places, in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Southern California with his wife Ellen. They have a daughter, Faith, and a son, Spencer.