by Dick Lehr
First published 2015
John Connolly walks back into Whitey Bulger's world in mid-1970s Boston with a proposal that will change both their lives forever. The FBI agent sees an opportunity to flip his childhood friend from the rough streets of South Boston. Bulger now runs the Irish Mob as its undisputed godfather. Connolly believes he can use this connection to advance his career in the Bureau's big leagues. But Bulger operates by his own rules. What begins as Connolly's calculated scheme to create a valuable informant quickly transforms into something far more dangerous. The supposed partnership becomes a corrupt alliance that enables drug dealing, racketeering, and murder. As the dark arrangement spirals beyond anyone's control, both men discover that their childhood bond has become a trap that will destroy everything they thought they could protect.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, moral-ambiguity
Setting: Boston, South Boston
Period: 1970s
448 pages · Paperback · PublicAffairs
Content warnings: violence