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The Ones in the Corner
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2026
About the author
C. Matthew Smith
4 books185 followersC. Matthew Smith is the author of the crime novels Twentymile and The Ones in the Corner, the novelette Third-Year Practice, and numerous short stories appearing in anthologies and mystery magazines. A practicing attorney, Matt lives in Newnan, Georgia with his wife, son, and father-in-law.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 3, 2026
About mid-way through The Ones in the Corner, a character named Mr. Friendly is explaining to our struggling hero Ben Duffy what happened the previous night when the car he was driving—and this is all happening during the early days of the ride-share craze--was attacked and why a passenger in the back seat, a guy named Emilio, was, well, eliminated enroute.
The resulting accident led Duffy snorting enough heroin “to kill a seasoned junky.”
And then Mr. Friendly explains why Duffy’s passenger was taken out.
“The problem with most ecosystems,” he tells me, “is that at some point, some element of the system inevitably will try to take over. Every organism thrives at the expense of others, and the trick is to keep things in balance. Sometimes one most cull to maintain order. Pull the vines off the trees.”
At this point, Ben Duffy is deep inside the ecosystem. He is one of those organisms. And he knows to be very, very careful.
Before all of this, Ben Duffy was just a down-on-his luck and quite broke Atlanta bartender trying to survive the recession. But when his sister Andi shows up in his struggling Atlanta bar, trouble is right behind. She’s in debt. Big debt. And our guy Duffy is soon trying to lend a hand and I’m jumping ahead here but Duffy finds himself driving for Ryde. It’s the early days of ordering a ride via an app. Do you remember your first? This book will take you back to that strange time. And soon Duffy is assisting the “logistical needs” of a shady organization that needs his help moving … stuff. Things. You know.
Ben’s job is “to fly under the radar,” as Mr. Friendly tells him. “You guys and your cars with Ryde stickers in the window—nobody’s paying any attention to you. It’s just Average Joes being driven to work or the grocery store by other Average Joes. An unchecked stream of commerce, and we intend to float along.”
The floating lasts about a minute. Our guy Duffy knows that what he’ll be doing isn’t “strictly legal.” But, there’s Andi. And there are all sorts of threats about what will happen to Andi or to Ben if he doesn’t come up with the money. So Duffy dives in, even if he imagines playing a small role—“a character in the background with no lines.”
Nice try, Ben Duffy. Soon he’s involved in a scene, taking center stage, and on one run sees a man shot to death, “his final expression smashed against my car window like a pressed flower.”
The jeopardy in The Ones in the Corner is delicious. The tone shifts from wise cracks to sheer dread. The blast of white powder from the heroin bomb isn’t the last powdery substance our hero will inhale. You might think the story should end when Ben Duffy settles the financial score but there are bigger issues to deal with and C. Matthew Smith takes us from snarky Robert Crais territory to heavy S.A. Cosby stuff, from jaunty-but-tense ride to breakneck white-knuckler. Ben Duffy is one of the ones in the corner, now that he sees the much bigger picture of what’s going on. He might wonder how he got there, and whether vanity played a role, but he’s got to find a way out.
Who knew that setting a book fifteen years ago could feel nostalgic? Boldly, Smith even references another mystery novel and a fellow protagonist named Duffy who begins the novel digging his own grave. Ben Duffy doesn’t know it when The Ones in the Corner starts, but that’s also a good image here.
The resulting accident led Duffy snorting enough heroin “to kill a seasoned junky.”
And then Mr. Friendly explains why Duffy’s passenger was taken out.
“The problem with most ecosystems,” he tells me, “is that at some point, some element of the system inevitably will try to take over. Every organism thrives at the expense of others, and the trick is to keep things in balance. Sometimes one most cull to maintain order. Pull the vines off the trees.”
At this point, Ben Duffy is deep inside the ecosystem. He is one of those organisms. And he knows to be very, very careful.
Before all of this, Ben Duffy was just a down-on-his luck and quite broke Atlanta bartender trying to survive the recession. But when his sister Andi shows up in his struggling Atlanta bar, trouble is right behind. She’s in debt. Big debt. And our guy Duffy is soon trying to lend a hand and I’m jumping ahead here but Duffy finds himself driving for Ryde. It’s the early days of ordering a ride via an app. Do you remember your first? This book will take you back to that strange time. And soon Duffy is assisting the “logistical needs” of a shady organization that needs his help moving … stuff. Things. You know.
Ben’s job is “to fly under the radar,” as Mr. Friendly tells him. “You guys and your cars with Ryde stickers in the window—nobody’s paying any attention to you. It’s just Average Joes being driven to work or the grocery store by other Average Joes. An unchecked stream of commerce, and we intend to float along.”
The floating lasts about a minute. Our guy Duffy knows that what he’ll be doing isn’t “strictly legal.” But, there’s Andi. And there are all sorts of threats about what will happen to Andi or to Ben if he doesn’t come up with the money. So Duffy dives in, even if he imagines playing a small role—“a character in the background with no lines.”
Nice try, Ben Duffy. Soon he’s involved in a scene, taking center stage, and on one run sees a man shot to death, “his final expression smashed against my car window like a pressed flower.”
The jeopardy in The Ones in the Corner is delicious. The tone shifts from wise cracks to sheer dread. The blast of white powder from the heroin bomb isn’t the last powdery substance our hero will inhale. You might think the story should end when Ben Duffy settles the financial score but there are bigger issues to deal with and C. Matthew Smith takes us from snarky Robert Crais territory to heavy S.A. Cosby stuff, from jaunty-but-tense ride to breakneck white-knuckler. Ben Duffy is one of the ones in the corner, now that he sees the much bigger picture of what’s going on. He might wonder how he got there, and whether vanity played a role, but he’s got to find a way out.
Who knew that setting a book fifteen years ago could feel nostalgic? Boldly, Smith even references another mystery novel and a fellow protagonist named Duffy who begins the novel digging his own grave. Ben Duffy doesn’t know it when The Ones in the Corner starts, but that’s also a good image here.
July 9, 2026
The kind of tight, sinewy crime writing we don’t get enough of these days. Smith nails the post-Great Recession vibes and local Atlanta flavor, centering his story with a compelling MC that, in classic noir fashion, gets himself over his head fast. This hustles from jump to an explosive climax. Evokes Lehane’s Kenzie and Gennaro series in style and tone.
Pick this one up now.
Pick this one up now.
July 4, 2026
Packed full of action and heart. Smith doesn’t let up one bit in these pages. I’m a big fan of all of his work, and this one really delivered. Can’t wait for the next!
July 25, 2026
Haven’t read a book of this genre in a while but it was SO GOOD. Highly recommend.
July 3, 2026
Smith’s writing is outstanding. Fast-paced, engaging, great character development, and unexpected twists and turns. I highly recommend this book!
June 16, 2026
A great novel. Part crime, part family drama, this is what I'd call "rideshare noir". And Atlanta is the perfect setting for this story. Get yourself a copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a page turning, exceedingly well-written, crime novel.
I loved the setting/local flavor, (finally something gritty and urban not set in the northeast), and the stakes were really well done.
All in all, this is a great book and I suspect it will raise the profile of both the author and the publisher.
I loved this novel.
I loved the setting/local flavor, (finally something gritty and urban not set in the northeast), and the stakes were really well done.
All in all, this is a great book and I suspect it will raise the profile of both the author and the publisher.
I loved this novel.
July 21, 2026
C. Matthew Smith tells a compelling story set in Atlanta, but a side of Atlanta, most of us never see and seldom hear any details about. Smith opens it all up through the eyes of an out-of-work bartender forced into the shadow world in order to save his sister. A great read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews