by Ed Lacy
First published 2005
Two men die in shootings outside the Grand Cafe on Amsterdam Avenue. The victims share no apparent connection, but their deaths launch mechanic Barney Harris into a dangerous investigation. Harris weighs 250 pounds and fixes cars for a living, but when one widow approaches him with suspicions about police corruption, he agrees to hunt for her husband's killer. The case pulls Harris into what the source calls the most profitable criminal enterprise in the city. Harris must navigate corrupt cops and violent criminals while trying to uncover the truth behind the seemingly random murders. His search reveals that the deaths may not be as disconnected as they first appeared. The widow's faith in Harris drives him forward, even as the investigation threatens his safety and forces him to confront a system where law enforcement itself cannot be trusted.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, corruption, uncovering-the-truth
Setting: Amsterdam Avenue, Grand Cafe
Period: 20th-century
Paperback · Disruptive Pub
Content warnings: violence