First published 2010
Eddie Coyle moves guns through Boston's criminal underworld, but a felony conviction puts him three years away from prison. The DA offers him a way out: inform on one of his big-fish clients. Eddie knows thieves, mobsters, gunmen, and executioners who trust him with their business. Now he must choose which of these men he calls friends to sacrifice for his freedom. The decision weighs on him as he navigates the mean streets where loyalty and survival clash. George V. Higgins tells this story through the voices of cops, criminals, and everyone in between, capturing their world in sharp dialogue. Eddie's dilemma cuts to the bone of criminal life, where friendship and betrayal dance together and every choice carries consequences.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: betrayal, consequences, dilemma
Setting: Boston
Period: 20th-century
182 pages · Paperback · Picador
Content warnings: violence