by Ace Atkins
Part of Spenser, book 41
First published 2013
Henry Cimoli has trained boxers for decades without asking his private detective friend Spenser for help. That changes when a developer wants Henry's Revere Beach condo building and sends muscle to persuade reluctant sellers. Spenser takes the case as a simple favor, but he and his partner Zebulon Sixkill quickly discover the intimidation connects to something much larger. Their investigation leads them to an enigmatic woman, a powerful Las Vegas casino mogul, and an ambitious scheme to build a gambling complex on prime Boston area real estate. The proposed site sits where the old Wonderland dog track once operated, adjacent to the former amusement park that drew crowds to the oceanfront. As Spenser digs deeper, he faces opposition from Boston's political establishment and discovers that business rivals will use any means to advance their competing interests. What began as helping an old friend becomes a dangerous confrontation that threatens both Spenser and Sixkill's survival.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Boston, Las Vegas, Revere Beach
Period: 21st-century
306 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons