Synopses & Reviews
How far would you go to protect everything you love? On the South Side of Chicago, you're only as strong as your reputation. Danny Carter and his best friend, Evan, earned theirs knocking over pawnshops and liquor stores, living from score to score, never thinking of tomorrow.
Then a job went desperately wrong, and in the roar of a gun blast, everything changed. Years later, Danny doesn't think about his past. He's built a new world for himself: a legitimate career, a long-term girlfriend, and a clean conscience. He's just like anyone else. Normal. Successful. Happy. Until he spots his old partner staring him down in a smoky barroom mirror. The prison-hardened Evan is barely recognizable. Having served his time without dropping Danny's name, his old friend believes he's owed major payback---and he's willing to do anything to get it. With all he loves on the line and nowhere to turn, Danny realizes his new life hinges on a terrible choice: How far will he go to protect his future from his past? A debut novel that's drawn comparison to Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, and Quentin Tarantino, The Blade Itself is the story of a good man held hostage by circumstance; a riveting exploration of class, identity, and the demons that shape us, where every effort to do the right thing leads to terrifying consequences and one inevitable conclusion:
The more you have, the more you have to lose.
Review
"Taut, involving, and memorable, Marcus Sakey is an authentic, original new voice in crime fiction." George Pelecanos
Review
"[W]hat a thrilling ride debut author Sakey has concocted." Library Journal
Review
"A promising start from a writer willing to get deep into a city's grit." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The Blade Itself does keep this subject suspenseful: not until the very end of the story is it clear who Danny is or where he stands. His ability to churn these questions so vigorously will bring Mr. Sakey attention and give him a toehold among the crime writers he admires." Janet Maslin, New York Times
Review
"With the publication of Chicago writer Marcus Sakey's first novel, we have the chance to make an entry in our notebooks or our journals and say, 'Hey, I just read a really engrossing first novel about crime and punishment in Chicago.'" Dallas Morning News
Review
"Sakey...delivers a pitch-perfect novel that puts him squarely in league with authors such as Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos, Elmore Leonard and T. Jefferson Parker....The Blade Itself is one of two nearly flawless debuts of 2007." South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Synopsis
Leaving his past as a professional thief behind after his best friend and partner Evan is sent to prison after shooting a man during a robbery, Danny Carter feels safe in his new life, until Evan returns, out on early parole and determined to draw Danny back into a criminal career. 75,000 first printing.
Synopsis
In an explosive debut thriller reminiscent of the best of Dennis Lehane and Harlan Coben, a young Chicago professional learns that the more he has, the more he has to lose.
Synopsis
How far would you go to protect everything you love? On the South Side of Chicago, you're only as strong as your reputation. Danny Carter and his best friend, Evan, earned theirs knocking over pawnshops and liquor stores, living from score to score, never thinking of tomorrow.
Then a job went desperately wrong, and in the roar of a gun blast, everything changed. Years later, Danny doesn't think about his past. He's built a new world for himself: a legitimate career, a long-term girlfriend, and a clean conscience. He's just like anyone else. Normal. Successful. Happy. Until he spots his old partner staring him down in a smoky barroom mirror. The prison-hardened Evan is barely recognizable. Having served his time without dropping Danny's name, his old friend believes he's owed major payback and he's willing to do anything to get it. With all he loves on the line and nowhere to turn, Danny realizes his new life hinges on a terrible choice: How far will he go to protect his future from his past? A debut novel that's drawn comparison to Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, and Quentin Tarantino, The Blade Itself is the story of a good man held hostage by circumstance; a riveting exploration of class, identity, and the demons that shape us, where every effort to do the right thing leads to terrifying consequences and one inevitable conclusion:
The more you have, the more you have to lose.
Synopsis
Marcus Sakey's wildly praised debut thriller is an explosive, thrill-a-minute read...
"Delivers a kick and leaves no loose ends."-- The New York Times
On the South Side of Chicago, you're only as strong as your reputation. Danny Carter and his best friend Evan earned theirs knocking over pawnshops and liquor stores, living from score to score, never thinking of tomorrow...until, in the roar of a gun blast, everything changed.
"ONE OF THIS YEAR'S BEST...LITERATE, COMPLEX, AND WONDERFULLY SUSPENSEFUL." --SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNEYears later, Danny has built a new life: a legitimate career, a long-term girlfriend, and a clean conscience. He's just like anyone else. Normal. Successful. Happy. Until then he spots his old partner staring him down in a smoky barroom mirror...
"Even better than they say." --Chicago Tribune
Now, with all he loves on the line and nowhere to turn, Danny realizes his new life hinges on a terrible choice: How far will he go to protect his future from his past?
Synopsis
On the South Side of Chicago, you're only as strong as your reputation. Danny Carter and his best friend Evan earned theirs knocking over pawnshops and liquor stores, living from score to score, never thinking of tomorrow...until, in the roar of a gun blast, everything changed.
Years later, Danny has built a new life: a legitimate career, a long-term girlfriend, and a clean conscience. He's just like anyone else. Normal. Successful. Happy. Until then he spots his old partner staring him down in a smoky barroom mirror...
Now, with all he loves on the line and nowhere to turn, Danny realizes his new life hinges on a terrible choice: How far will he go to protect his future from his past?
About the Author
Marcus Sakey is an award-winning advertising writer. While researching The Blade Itself he shadowed homicide detectives, toured the morgue, and learned to pick a deadbolt in sixty seconds. Born in Flint, Michigan, he now lives in Chicago with his wife. Visit his website at: www.MarcusSakey.com for contests, behind-the-scenes info, and an excerpt of his upcoming novel.