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Carney
In this newest entry in A.F. Carter’s Edgar-nominated Delia Mariola series, a group of corrupt cops infiltrates the Baxter P.D. and an undercover agent must work to disarm them.
Baxter’s a city on the move. You can’t drive along a single street without running into a construction project. The smell of money and opportunity is equally pervasive, with new restaurants, boutiques, and hotels quickly replacing the old motels, corner stores, and dive bars. And this influx of money and people creates new opportunities not only for the workers and entrepreneurs of Baxter, but for career criminals as well…
Captain Delia Mariola understands all of this, and the Baxter Police Department is prepared to battle against the drug dealers, pimps, and stick-up artists constantly streaming into town. Or, it should be. The department began recruiting shortly after the Nissan contract was awarded, which began the city’s rapid transformation, but the commission vetting new hires rushed to bring in almost anyone with a law enforcement background. Men and women were added as fast as they applied, creating a vortex that perfectly suited a group of ex-cops from Missouri as corrupt as they are brutal. Championed by Bute Stafford, candidate for mayor, they aim to run the Baxter P.D. and, through it, the entire city.
Delia’s not afraid—not of these crooked cops nor of the higher-ups who protect them. But she surely needs help and finds it in the form of Tom Carney. An experienced undercover from faraway Philadelphia, his status is known only by Delia and the commissioner. That secret proves invaluable as Carney weaves unsuspected through Baxter’s underworld. But to what end? Does Carney serve the people of Baxter? Or is the supremely charismatic man playing a game of his own? Delia isn’t sure and won’t be until the endgame lays everyone’s cards on the table.
Baxter’s a city on the move. You can’t drive along a single street without running into a construction project. The smell of money and opportunity is equally pervasive, with new restaurants, boutiques, and hotels quickly replacing the old motels, corner stores, and dive bars. And this influx of money and people creates new opportunities not only for the workers and entrepreneurs of Baxter, but for career criminals as well…
Captain Delia Mariola understands all of this, and the Baxter Police Department is prepared to battle against the drug dealers, pimps, and stick-up artists constantly streaming into town. Or, it should be. The department began recruiting shortly after the Nissan contract was awarded, which began the city’s rapid transformation, but the commission vetting new hires rushed to bring in almost anyone with a law enforcement background. Men and women were added as fast as they applied, creating a vortex that perfectly suited a group of ex-cops from Missouri as corrupt as they are brutal. Championed by Bute Stafford, candidate for mayor, they aim to run the Baxter P.D. and, through it, the entire city.
Delia’s not afraid—not of these crooked cops nor of the higher-ups who protect them. But she surely needs help and finds it in the form of Tom Carney. An experienced undercover from faraway Philadelphia, his status is known only by Delia and the commissioner. That secret proves invaluable as Carney weaves unsuspected through Baxter’s underworld. But to what end? Does Carney serve the people of Baxter? Or is the supremely charismatic man playing a game of his own? Delia isn’t sure and won’t be until the endgame lays everyone’s cards on the table.
416 pages, Paperback
Published February 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 20, 2026
An undercover cop may have his own agenda
In the Rust Belt city of Baxter things have changed quickly ever since a major manufacturer decided to build a new assembly plant there, bringing with it several thousand workers who need places to live, eat and let off steam. A mixture of quick-to-put-up housing, from tents to single wides, sprang up in short order in an area now known as Boomtown. New businesses also cropped up, often overshadowing the existing ones, and plenty of people who want a piece of the action and aren't concerned about obeying the law have shown up too. The Baxter Police Department and its chief of detectives Delia Mariola have their hands full dealing with drug dealers, prostitutes and their pimps, and other career criminal types. Worse still, in the rush to quickly hire more officers to cope with the expanding city population, corners were cut when it came to background checks and they have ended up with a group of corrupt cops. To find out which ones are bent Delia knew she needed outside help and got it in the form of Tom Carney. He's an experienced undercover cop and he is from far enough away that he is unlikely to be recognized, and only Delia and her boss Vern the police commissioner know his true identity. Carney has infiltrated the underside of town when a fellow cop, one Delia is sure was not one of the crooked ones, is found shot to death in his car in Boomtown. Will Carney be able to get Delia the information she needs to root out the rotten crew as she deals with the corruption and intrigue within the department before other cops meet the same grisly fate? And does Carney have his own reasons for being in Baxter?
Carney is the fifth entry in author A. F. Carter's police procedural series featuring Delia Mariola and the gritty city she calls home. It is strong on atmosphere and fully fleshed out characters, and uses both Carney and Delia as narrators as the plot unfurls and the tension builds. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and the juxtaposition of solid cops trying to make a difference and corrupt ones trying to take over the force keeps the reader turning the pages. I found it an intriguing read, a solid work in the canon of noir. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest installment, and readers of Dennis Lehane, John Sandford and Michael Connelly should give the series a spin as well. My thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press for allowing me access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.
In the Rust Belt city of Baxter things have changed quickly ever since a major manufacturer decided to build a new assembly plant there, bringing with it several thousand workers who need places to live, eat and let off steam. A mixture of quick-to-put-up housing, from tents to single wides, sprang up in short order in an area now known as Boomtown. New businesses also cropped up, often overshadowing the existing ones, and plenty of people who want a piece of the action and aren't concerned about obeying the law have shown up too. The Baxter Police Department and its chief of detectives Delia Mariola have their hands full dealing with drug dealers, prostitutes and their pimps, and other career criminal types. Worse still, in the rush to quickly hire more officers to cope with the expanding city population, corners were cut when it came to background checks and they have ended up with a group of corrupt cops. To find out which ones are bent Delia knew she needed outside help and got it in the form of Tom Carney. He's an experienced undercover cop and he is from far enough away that he is unlikely to be recognized, and only Delia and her boss Vern the police commissioner know his true identity. Carney has infiltrated the underside of town when a fellow cop, one Delia is sure was not one of the crooked ones, is found shot to death in his car in Boomtown. Will Carney be able to get Delia the information she needs to root out the rotten crew as she deals with the corruption and intrigue within the department before other cops meet the same grisly fate? And does Carney have his own reasons for being in Baxter?
Carney is the fifth entry in author A. F. Carter's police procedural series featuring Delia Mariola and the gritty city she calls home. It is strong on atmosphere and fully fleshed out characters, and uses both Carney and Delia as narrators as the plot unfurls and the tension builds. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and the juxtaposition of solid cops trying to make a difference and corrupt ones trying to take over the force keeps the reader turning the pages. I found it an intriguing read, a solid work in the canon of noir. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest installment, and readers of Dennis Lehane, John Sandford and Michael Connelly should give the series a spin as well. My thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press for allowing me access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.
February 21, 2026
Next chapter in the life of the city of Baxter. The construction of the Nissan plant has brought in many people, including drug dealers, prostitutes, etc. And corrupt cops. Captain Mariola continues her good fight while balancing work with family. This book is good entry in the saga leaving enough open and unresolved issues to make ready for, maybe, another entry.
March 18, 2026
multiple simultaneous views
Excellent combination of people and crimes
Looking forward to his next book.
Many crooked cops against some very good ones
Excellent combination of people and crimes
Looking forward to his next book.
Many crooked cops against some very good ones
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews