First published 1984
This marks one of George V. Higgins' later works, published in 1984 during his prolific period of character-driven crime fiction. Higgins built his reputation on dialogue-heavy narratives that captured the authentic voices of Boston's underworld and working-class neighborhoods. His protagonists typically navigate the complex relationships between loyalty, survival, and moral compromise in urban settings where everyone knows everyone else's business. The title suggests a story rooted in New England's coastal culture, where pulling lobster traps represents both honest work and the kind of dangerous routine that can turn fatal without warning. Higgins excelled at showing how ordinary people get caught between competing loyalties and economic pressures, often finding themselves making choices that seemed reasonable at the time but carry unexpected consequences.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: competing-loyalties, economic-pressures, ordinary-people, unexpected-consequences
Setting: Boston, New England
Period: 1984
Hardcover · Bruccoli Clark