First published 2012
Joe Coughlin robs banks across 1920s Boston until he meets a teller who transforms his world. Their love affair becomes his gateway into Prohibition's sprawling criminal empire. Joe navigates networks of bootleggers smuggling illegal alcohol and underground clubs serving desperate patrons. Police take payoffs while gang wars explode across the city. Trust becomes a luxury Joe cannot afford as betrayal strikes from those closest to him. He climbs the ranks of organized crime, each promotion demanding increasingly harsh choices. Joe clings to his dream of American success even as the underworld threatens to consume his soul. Power comes at a price that forces him to question how much of himself he can sacrifice. In a realm where disloyalty equals death and weakness invites destruction, Joe must decide whether his ambitions are worth losing his humanity.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, power-dynamics, redemption
Setting: Boston (Mass.), Cuba, United States
Period: 1919-1933, 20th century
402 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence