Judith

by Zack Budryk

Katherine Kinneavy is an NYPD homicide detective with a drinking problem, an Irish temper and an unflagging commitment to any case she's assigned.

Wendell Roane is an ambitious reporter specializing in stories about violence against women.

Joe Cataldo is an overworked Mafia underboss desperate to keep things on an even keel, lest New York's underworld regress into the wars and bloodbaths of the '30s and '70s.

When a mob lieutenant and a bar owner, both with a history of unspeakable crimes against women, turn up dead on the same cold autumn morning, a vigilante group styling itself "Judith" takes credit for both killings and promises more. These three vastly different people crash into each other's orbit in search of the group, and no matter how the search ends, it may leave everything they think they know about themselves and the worlds they live in shaken to the very core.

364 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Zack Budryk is a journalist by trade and training but has also loved making up stories for as far back as he can remember, so his options were either to get a job at Breitbart or write fiction on the side. Avoid his work if you are not a fan of strong women, bad men, twisty-turny plots and urban noir, which would make you a weiner. He lives in the Washington DC area with his wife Raychel, their cats and a betta fish named Tyrion.

Reviews

[Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I began writing this in 2012 but it's set in 2011, so at one point a character refers to Kesha as having released 2 studio albums. I can't give myself more than three stars for that.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aside from my slavish devotion to the Nikki Heat series of books (which just kept getting better even as Castle, the TV series that spawned them, started to blow super hard), I'm not really into crime/mystery novels. I came across this one because I randomly followed the author on the Twitter earlier this year and when he said his book "passes the Bechdel test", I was like "You're on, motherfucker!" and I pre-ordered it via Inkshares.

Ah...it's really good. Page-turning plot, well-drawn characters, pretty gritty, very funny. I laughed out loud several times and also gasped so loudly in two specific spots that I woke up the dog.

If there is a sequel, I would read it. I might read this one again. And if you're at all into crime novels, I highly recommend it.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I heard about this first novel and purchased it because it was written by the son of a colleague of mine. It was not at all my cup of tea, although I appreciated the author's strong female characters and general feminist bent. Sorry, Zack, I just couldn't finish it, but keep writing!

[Michael Haase · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark, fast-paced novel that will keep you engaged the entire time. Well written.

[Robyn Hartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down! well written and captures what it's like for a woman in a male dominated field. Looking forward to more from him.