Synopses & Reviews
“Third Rail gets off to a ripping start and never lets off the gas. Rory Flynn is a suspense writer to watch.”—Jess Walter, author of the best-selling Beautiful Ruins
Harvard-educated Eddy Harkness was a rising star in an elite Boston Police Department narcotics unit—until he was blamed for the death of a Red Sox fan in the chaotic aftermath of a World Series win. Scapegoated and exiled, Harkness now empties parking meters in the sleepy town of Nagog while struggling to clear his name.
Then one night his police-issued Glock disappears. Unable to report the theft, he starts a secret search—just as a string of fatal accidents leads him to uncover a dangerous new smart drug, Third Rail. With only a plastic gun to protect him, Harkness begins a high-stakes investigation that leads him into the top levels of Boston’s power base, where politicians and criminals intertwine to deadly effect.
“Glows with the kind of sawdust-dry humor regarding Beantown, cops, and the darkest of urban underbellies that you might find at 3 a.m. in the back booth of a backstreet bar . . . With its gaggle of crazy-yet-riveting characters, its spare approach, and its unflagging action, Third Rail, the first in a promised series of Eddy Harkness novels, adds yet another striking feather to [Flynn’s] impressively crowded cap.” —Boston Globe
“Terrific debut . . . impressive economy and stylish, sophisticated prose . . . Readers will want to see more of Flynn’s gritty Boston—and Eddy Harkness.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
Review
"Already compelling plot-wise,
Third Rail also glows with the kind of sawdust-dry humor regarding Beantown, cops, and the darkest of urban underbellies that you might find at 3 a.m. in the back booth of a backstreet bar…With its gaggle of crazy-yet-riveting characters, its spare approach and its unflagging action,
Third Rail, the first in a promised series of Eddy Harkness novels, adds yet another striking feather to [Rory Flynn]s impressively-crowded cap." —
Boston Globe "Third Rail gets off to a ripping start and never lets off the gas. Rory Flynn is a suspense writer to watch." —Jess Walter, author of the bestselling Beautiful Ruins
“Third Rail is an adrenaline-soaked tale of political corruption and personal redemption that never lets up. Eddy Harkness, the self-destructive Massachusetts narcotics detective at the novels center, is a worthy successor to Robert B. Parkers Jesse Stone.” —Sean Chercover, author of the bestselling The Trinity Game
"Third Rail is driven equally by character and plot. Harkness's Nagog is faintly reminiscent ofFargo (the film or television series, take your pick). It is populated by quirky characters, some of whom are dangerous to others, others who are dangerous only to themselves." —Book Reporter
"Terrific debut...impressive economy and stylish, sophisticated prose...Readers will want to see more of Flynns gritty Boston—and Eddy Harkness." —Publishers Weekly, boxed and starred
"The start to a successful crime writing career." —Library Journal
Synopsis
A Boston narcotic detective's search for his lost gun reveals a network of corruption and cover-up that reaches the highest levels of the city in this propulsive debut, first in an exciting new series in the tradition of Dennis Lehane and Robert Parker.
Synopsis
"Third Rail gets off to a ripping start and never lets off the gas." --Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins
At crime scenes, Eddy Harkness, the "Harvard Cop," is a human Ouija board, a brilliant young detective with a knack for finding the hidden something--cash, drugs, guns, bodies. Harkness's swift rise in an elite narcotics unit is derailed by the death of a young Red Sox fan in the chaos after a World Series win, a death some camera-phone-wielding witnesses believe he could have prevented. Scapegoated, Eddy is exiled to his hometown, Nagog, just outside Boston, where he empties parking meters and struggles to redeem his disgraced family name.
But one night Harkness's police-issued Glock disappears. Harkness starts a search--just as a string of fatal accidents in Nagog lead him to uncover a dangerous new smart drug, Third Rail. With only a plastic gun to protect him, Harkness begins a high-stakes investigation that sends him into the darkest corners of the city.
One of the most electrifying thrillers you'll read this year, Third Rail takes you deep into a gritty world of wronged heroes, corrupt politicians, and sinister kingpins, where your friends can't be trusted, a sleepy town breeds deadly crimes, and nothing ever happens by accident.
Synopsis
At crime scenes, Eddy Harkness is a human Ouija board, a brilliant young detective with a knack for finding the hidden
something—cash, drugs, guns, bodies. But Eddys swift rise in an elite narcotics unit is derailed by the death of a Red Sox fan in the chaos of a World Series win, a death some camera-phone-wielding witnesses believe he could have prevented. Scapegoated, Eddy is exiled to his hometown just outside Boston, where he empties parking meters and struggles to redeem his disgraced family name.
Then one night Harknesss police-issue Glock disappears. Unable to report the theft, Harkness starts a secret search—just as a string of fatal accidents lead him to uncover a new, dangerous smart drug, Third Rail. With only a plastic disc gun to protect him, Harkness begins a high-stakes investigation that leads him into the darkest corners of the city, where politicians and criminals intertwine to deadly effect.
With a textured sense of place, a nuanced protagonist, and a story that takes off from page one and culminates in a startling finale, Third Rail has all the elements of a breakout mystery success.
Synopsis
"Third Rail gets off to a ripping start and never lets off the gas." —Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins At crime scenes, Eddy Harkness, the "Harvard Cop," is a human Ouija board, a brilliant young detective with a knack for finding the hidden something—cash, drugs, guns, bodies. Harkness's swift rise in an elite narcotics unit is derailed by the death of a young Red Sox fan in the chaos after a World Series win, a death some camera-phone-wielding witnesses believe he could have prevented. Scapegoated, Eddy is exiled to his hometown, Nagog, just outside Boston, where he empties parking meters and struggles to redeem his disgraced family name.
But one night Harkness’s police-issued Glock disappears. Harkness starts a search—just as a string of fatal accidents in Nagog lead him to uncover a dangerous new smart drug, Third Rail. With only a plastic gun to protect him, Harkness begins a high-stakes investigation that sends him into the darkest corners of the city.
One of the most electrifying thrillers you'll read this year, Third Rail takes you deep into a gritty world of wronged heroes, corrupt politicians, and sinister kingpins, where your friends can't be trusted, a sleepy town breeds deadly crimes, and nothing ever happens by accident.
About the Author
RORY FLYNN lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Third Rail is his first crime novel.