Boystown

by John Shannon

Introduction by George Easter, Editor and Publisher of Deadly Pleasures Magazine 

Legendary LA sleuth Jack Liffey is back, and facing down a changing world, when his brazen daughter Maeve enlists him to help find Benjy—a gay social justice activist gone missing. Meanwhile, a needless act of violence sets off an urban range war between a group of gun-happy poachers and former Soviet paramilitary soldiers in an unlikely West Hollywood. Jack, still recovering from heart surgery and grappling with Maeve’s aspirations to follow in his footsteps, must save the day before the entire community goes up in flames. 

In this latest installment of the Jack Liffey series, John Shannon picks up where he left off, taking readers deep into the many, unexplored communities, enclaves and cultures of Los Angeles that sometimes co-exist, sometimes clash, but always surprise. Fans of Vince Flynn will fall deep into the fast-paced, unpredictable, and dangerous world John Shannon creates. 

Widely recognized by mystery authors and critics as one of America’s most acclaimed crime fiction writers, John Shannon has authored twenty novels beginning in 1972. His revered Jack Liffey books earned praise from every major publication including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Library Journal.

Genres: Crime, Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published February 25, 2025

About the author

John Shannon is a contemporary American author, lately of detective fiction. He began his career with four well-reviewed novels in the 1970s and 1980s, then in 1996 launched the Jack Liffey mystery series. He cites as his literary influences Raymond Chandler, Graham Greene, Robert Stone and Jim Harrison.

Reviews

[Eva Edge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boystown by John Shannon is a complex, heavily layered detective mystery that showcases experienced, lyrical prose, even as its dense web of storylines creates a challenging entry point for newcomers.

The narrative setup dives into a chaotic, multi-faceted investigation that can feel almost surreal in its overwhelming scope, particularly for readers stepping into Jack Liffey’s world for the first time in a long-running series. Narrated on audio by David Lee Garver—who delivers a solid vocal performance with distinct, well-executed character accents—the pacing nevertheless struggles to maintain momentum. The sheer volume of competing subplots and character dynamics makes it difficult to forge a deep connection with the protagonist or remain fully grounded in the escalating mystery.

Despite the disconnect in narrative focus and character engagement, the author’s veteran craft shines through in several beautifully written, evocative passages. While the intricate plotting and sheer density may leave casual listeners drifting in and out, readers familiar with the long-standing series lore will likely appreciate the ambitiously layered storytelling. Recognising the author’s polished writing style while acknowledging its overstuffed feel, it earns 3 respectable, atmospheric stars.

[Marcie Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

🦋 𝗔 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆... 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.

This worked surprisingly well as a standalone, and I really appreciated how naturally it represented so many different communities without ever feeling forced. Petro, Balkan and Gloria completely stole the show for me, and Balkan's relationship with Cat was easily the heart of the book.

Unfortunately, the dialogue never felt natural to me, and the audiobook narration distracted me throughout, particularly Maeve's voice, which never matched how I pictured her. The mystery itself was compelling enough to keep me listening, but I never connected with Jack Liffey enough to want to continue the series.

Thank you to John Shannon, Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

🎉 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗻! 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲! 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲.

[Eursella Hayes-Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boystown by John Shannon was a good, gritty mystery that kept me interested. One thing I really liked was the realism of the location where the crime took place. The setting felt authentic and added another layer to the story, making it easy to picture everything as it unfolded.

The characters were interesting, the mystery kept me guessing, and I enjoyed how everything came together. There were a few slower moments, but overall, this was an entertaining read with a realistic edge that I appreciated.

#Boystown #JohnShannon #BookReview #FourStarRead #MysteryReads

[Priyanka (ReadwithBanner ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an Advanced Audiobook Copy from Netgalley!!

Author has build a beautiful world with the every setting stone leads to another clue or direction towards the finale. A well written and narrated audiobook. Enjoyed it and glad I chose and got approved for this one. Thanks Netgalley. It was a splendid experience. I gasped and took moments to accept the plot twist and sometimes rewind to confirm if I am not missing anything.

[Koen Spinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

as this does well as a standalone it was a decent listen but sadly i could'nt get into the story
the narrator did well with telling the story
thank you netgalley for the chance to listen to this