Bronx Bound

by John Roche

The year is 1988 and reporter Matt Brady of The Bronx Ledger is trying hard to get out of both his native borough and the dead-end job he’s stuck in, writing for a weekly newspaper. When he’s sent to cover what he thinks will be just another fatal shooting in the murder-plagued city, he’s as surprised as the detectives on the scene to find out he knows the Danny McDuff, an enigmatic local legend turned career criminal.

Desperately looking for a story that will be his ticket out and help him break free from the clutches of his family, friends, and neighborhood ties, Matt reaches out to the people he grew up with—many of whom chose the path of either cop or criminal—forever bound by their shared pasts. As Matt digs beyond what the police are telling him about the murder, he discovers that what seemed like the story that could finally get him out of the Bronx only sucks him in deeper and deeper…until his own life is on the line.

Genres: Fiction

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 2, 2015

About the author

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Laurie Galioto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, fast, suspenseful read. Love the depth and development of the "I know him/her" sense of the characters. Easily relatable outer-borough, neighborhood feel to the totality of the characters and situations. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to be quickly drawn into a book until its completion.

[Ian Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page-turning crime reporting novel with local flair, this novel goes beyond more generic crime fiction by heavily grounding its subject in the Bronx circa late 1980s, a setting Roche captures with pointed realism. So too are the stress, politics, fraught relationships, and uncertainty of newspaper reporting captured quite well as the protagonist navigates solving the mystery with doing the right thing and keeping his job.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story that keeps moving. Depiction of the old Bronx neighborhood during the time period is spot on and brought back a lot of memories.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Roche’s Bronx Bound delivers a home town boy, “Matty Boy” Brady, warily returning to an ailing, recalcitrant father and a byline at The Bronx Ledger. Matt seems a reluctant hero and is instantly likeable as a muddled guy just trying to get from one day to the next. Soon enough, he is thrown into an investigative piece for his paper; he knows more about a murder victim—a kid he grew up with—than the police do, and the account of the crime simply doesn’t jive.

Back to old pals, his former girlfriend, the nightlife, and the bars, Bronx is as much of a character in Roche’s fast-paced debut as any of his other well-crafted and believable characters. Edgy players, political liaisons, and a fragile community all come together is a story that is both endearing and a commentary on American life. The writing is crisp, tender, and introspective in a narrative that breathes authenticity and hope.

A great read from a new thriller writer bound to go far beyond the Bronx.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

My star rating is my personal opinion. I rarely read outside fantasy, but I made an exception for this one because I know the person in real life. I don't watch NCIS, Castle, CSI, etc. I have no interest in solving crimes, so if you're an avid mystery reader, please disregard my rating/review.

Roche is a very talented writer. He steadily builds the story and tightens the tension screw as the story progresses. The characters are great, well developed, and fun to spend pages upon pages with. The thing is, I correctly guessed "who done it" just 11% into the book. I also found the main character's romantic interest in the photographer awkward. Instead of rooting for them to hook up, I found myself telling the protagonist to just let her go.

[Michael Giuliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great first novel from a local author.

I was assigned by my editor to do an interview with Mr. Roche, and, in the interim, I figured it would be a good idea to read the book that has been causing so much buzz. The book is a nice, quick and gritty crime noir piece set in the late 80's, but feels strangely refreshing and not outdated. If anything, the ending is a bit abrupt and it leaves a few things left to be answered (to me, at least) but overall a very strong book filled with unique, relatable, and somewhat familiar characters.

[Anne Witkavitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down! John Roche's debut novel is a page turner. He brings us back to the days when young reporters aspired to climb the journalism ladder through the dailies by grinding out the "nice" stories in hopes of the big break. The characters, the setting all put the reader smack in the middle of the 1980s Bronx and makes you stay put to find out what happens. I love a story where I'm always trying to guess what happens next...this delivers.

[Michael Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taut crime novel with a great sense of place, as the title suggests. Bronx Bound is also a revealing look at how journalists' stories come together, and how they work their sources, both sketchy and stand-up, while covering their beats. It being 1988, that means no cellphones or emails, though pagers do figure in frequently. BB is written lean, like a newspaper article, but with a colorful cast of characters, it's hardly black and white.

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story that I couldn't put down. There were twists, turns and characters that were complex and so well defined that I cared very much for them. I really enjoyed all the detail about the locations in the Bronx that I am familiar with from trips to visit family. When will we see another Matt Brady story?

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a mix of journalism, crime drama, suspense and local color. What is there not to like? I got caught up in the characters and writing and found it hard to put down even when I had to. I read this on my Kindle, but I plan to buy a hard copy for my dad will definitely "know" the neighborhood and the people in this first book by author John Roche.

[Ali - My Calendar is Booked · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Once I started I couldn't put it down - I had to know what was going to happen next. I felt like I knew the characters and was sad to see the book end. Hope there will be another Matt Brady story!

[John Maes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good detective story.

Want a good read? This is a page-turner. The reporter is an interesting character with the usual suspects he hangs with at the local bar. I like the love interest and hoped he’d get her in the end.

[Kelly Riker · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Novel

I thought this novel was entertaining and fun. I liked going back to relive the 1980's. I hope to see more from John Roche.

[Crissa Skarimbas-Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the vivid depictions of the Bronx neighborhoods and the gritty ‘reporter’ life.