by Ken Bruen
First published 2025
Max considers himself a business legend, though the reality falls short of his self-image. When he devises a scheme with Angela, his attractive secretary, to eliminate his wife and secure their future together, Max expects smooth sailing ahead. The plan seems foolproof until their first misstep triggers a cascade of disasters. Poor choices compound into worse fortune as Max and Angela tumble deeper into a criminal underworld populated by IRA assassins, a wannabe serial killer, a blackmailer confined to a wheelchair, and volatile drug traffickers. Their journey ultimately leads them into the violent hierarchy of a maximum security prison, where rival gangs wage brutal wars for control. What began as a simple murder plot transforms into a wild descent through layers of crime and corruption, testing whether Max and Angela can survive the chaos they unleashed.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: IRA, Supermax
Period: 21st-century
608 pages · Paperback · Hard Case Crime
Content warnings: violence