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Harry Rane #1
The Barbed-Wire Kiss
Long Branch, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove. The Jersey Shore ain't what it used to be, but ex-state trooper Harry Rane still calls it home. After his wife's death, Harry got careless, got shot, and he left the force. He's a changed man, leads a quiet life, except when it comes to helping his friends...
Now an old buddy of Harry's wants a big favor. He owes $50,000 to a Jersey crime boss and needs Harry to get him more time to repay the loan. That sounds like a plan...except for the green-eyed, redheaded complication. The mobster's married to a gorgeous lady who once fell hard for Harry. And history is about to repeat itself.
Trying to help his friend pay off his debt but inexorably drawn to the girl, soon Harry is between a rock and a hard place. His chances of getting up and staying alive look to be about a million to one....
Now an old buddy of Harry's wants a big favor. He owes $50,000 to a Jersey crime boss and needs Harry to get him more time to repay the loan. That sounds like a plan...except for the green-eyed, redheaded complication. The mobster's married to a gorgeous lady who once fell hard for Harry. And history is about to repeat itself.
Trying to help his friend pay off his debt but inexorably drawn to the girl, soon Harry is between a rock and a hard place. His chances of getting up and staying alive look to be about a million to one....
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
10 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Wallace Stroby
27 books108 followersWallace Stroby is an award-winning journalist and the author of the novels
Cold Shot to the Heart, Gone 'Til November, The Heartbreak Lounge and The Barbed-Wire Kiss..
A Long Branch, N.J., native, he's a lifelong resident of the Jersey Shore. "The Barbed-Wire Kiss," which The Washington Post called "a scorching first novel ...full of attention to character and memory and, even more, to the neighborhoods of New Jersey," was a finalist for the 2004 Barry Award for Best First Novel.
A graduate of Rutgers University, Stroby was an editor at the Star-Ledger of Newark, Tony Soprano's hometown newspaper, for 13 years.
Cold Shot to the Heart, Gone 'Til November, The Heartbreak Lounge and The Barbed-Wire Kiss..
A Long Branch, N.J., native, he's a lifelong resident of the Jersey Shore. "The Barbed-Wire Kiss," which The Washington Post called "a scorching first novel ...full of attention to character and memory and, even more, to the neighborhoods of New Jersey," was a finalist for the 2004 Barry Award for Best First Novel.
A graduate of Rutgers University, Stroby was an editor at the Star-Ledger of Newark, Tony Soprano's hometown newspaper, for 13 years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 6, 2015
Harry Rane is an ex-State Trooper, New Jersey based. He’s committed himself to helping out an old friend who’s got himself into a difficult situation with a mobster. - and the mobster’s wife is Harry’s long lost love. A tangled web.
This is Stroby’s first novel and, if truth be told, it’s not as sure footed as his later work, and certainly not as finely crafted as his Crissa Stone books, or the excellent Gone til November. But it’s fast paced and tough talking, with Harry scuttling around the coastal areas of NJ, trying to stay on top of the game, trying to right a wrong. Trying to stay alive.
This book begat a second title featuring Harry Rane book, The Heartbreak Lounge and that's worth catching too.
If you like your crime fiction hardboiled this is an author you should seek out. But be warned, once you’ve been bitten by the Wallace Stroby bug there’s no known cure.
This is Stroby’s first novel and, if truth be told, it’s not as sure footed as his later work, and certainly not as finely crafted as his Crissa Stone books, or the excellent Gone til November. But it’s fast paced and tough talking, with Harry scuttling around the coastal areas of NJ, trying to stay on top of the game, trying to right a wrong. Trying to stay alive.
This book begat a second title featuring Harry Rane book, The Heartbreak Lounge and that's worth catching too.
If you like your crime fiction hardboiled this is an author you should seek out. But be warned, once you’ve been bitten by the Wallace Stroby bug there’s no known cure.
November 17, 2019
A solid start for Wallace Stroby, chock full of action, great dialogue, truly bad people, a working man who gets on the wrong side of the bad folk, and a good guy who makes a few bad decisions. It all combines to make a hard boiled debut for a guy who’s now at the top of his game. A few too many twists and turns near the end but otherwise an auspicious beginning.
February 25, 2020
I want to say thanks to James, for reminding me of Wallace Stroby, when he re-read The Heartbreak Lounge. This is an incredible crime fiction debut. with ex-state trooper Harry. This hooks you on the first page, like the hopeful fisherman off the New Jersey shore hoping to hook a Blue Marlin. I even thought I heard Springsteen songs in the background, while reading this. And an added bonus, Harry drives a '67 Mustang coupe....my second car right after high school was a '67 Fastback GT. :)
April 18, 2017
Harry Rane is an ex-State Trooper, who two years ago lost his wife to Cancer. Shortly after this, he was shot in the stomach when he pulled over a speeding car. He's at a loose end, with no real plans for his future. When his buddy asks for his help, Harry jumps at the opportunity like a drowning man.
A life long buddy enlists Harrys' help after an ill advised drug deal goes disastrously awry & Ranes' friend not only loses his stake in the deal, but ends up owing the money ripped off to a loan shark, seemingly with mob connections.
There's some fine writing in this debut from Stroby, one of two featuring the exploits of Harry Kane. The second to feature the Rane character is
.
Quote:
"He went back to the Mustang and drove north along the beach, past bandstands and boardwalks and amusement piers, one town fading into the next. He felt as if he were driving toward the moon, following its path in the sky. The night filled the car, bringing with it the smell or creosote from the piers, the tang of salt air. He wanted to drive forever, until there was nothing left but the road beneath him and the moon on the water."
Quote:
"Getting involved with this, it made me feel... younger, i guess. Thing is, after what's happened, i feel older than ever."
"You made a mistake. Put it behind you."
"Is it that easy? It's funny, almost. It's like you stumble along, never knowing just where it is you're going. Like you're ignorant of yourself, of what you're doing, of the life you're leading. Then suddenly you get this moment of clarity. The whole thing-your life, your past, everything-comes into focus. And you know something? It's those moments of clarity that put a gun in your hand."
An entertaining example of Contemporary Noir. Recommended. 4 stars.
A life long buddy enlists Harrys' help after an ill advised drug deal goes disastrously awry & Ranes' friend not only loses his stake in the deal, but ends up owing the money ripped off to a loan shark, seemingly with mob connections.
There's some fine writing in this debut from Stroby, one of two featuring the exploits of Harry Kane. The second to feature the Rane character is
.Quote:
"He went back to the Mustang and drove north along the beach, past bandstands and boardwalks and amusement piers, one town fading into the next. He felt as if he were driving toward the moon, following its path in the sky. The night filled the car, bringing with it the smell or creosote from the piers, the tang of salt air. He wanted to drive forever, until there was nothing left but the road beneath him and the moon on the water."
Quote:
"Getting involved with this, it made me feel... younger, i guess. Thing is, after what's happened, i feel older than ever."
"You made a mistake. Put it behind you."
"Is it that easy? It's funny, almost. It's like you stumble along, never knowing just where it is you're going. Like you're ignorant of yourself, of what you're doing, of the life you're leading. Then suddenly you get this moment of clarity. The whole thing-your life, your past, everything-comes into focus. And you know something? It's those moments of clarity that put a gun in your hand."
An entertaining example of Contemporary Noir. Recommended. 4 stars.
April 5, 2021
The plot is almost beside the point of THE BARBED-WIRE KISS, and so are many of the things we recognize more easily as crime-fiction tropes bordering on cliché today than perhaps we did twenty years ago when this novel was written: ridiculous throwback tough-guy names (Harry Rane, really?); the warning beating that really should have been a killing; the mobster wife who turns out to be the long-lost love of the hero's life, etc. That's just what occupies the pages.
What really makes the pages turn, however, are Wallace Stroby's true gifts: setting and sustaining a deliciously dark, bleak, spare atmosphere; and an enviably rare sense of what I call glide, that secret sauce that makes one sentence flow seamlessly into the next with a great deal of talent and skill that seems effortless. Each line, even when it's conveying simple information, does something to deepen the color of the story and make the air crackle with heat lightning. You can teach that, but it'll always feel like work, and read like it too, unless you've got talent and discipline to an equal degree.
THE BARBED-WIRE KISS is truly a journey-is-the-destination kind of thriller. What happens to its characters is much less important than the fact that you're standing there alongside, every nerve ending crackling and darkly alive. And that you want to feel it again and again. And that, folks, is how an author develops a devoted following.
What really makes the pages turn, however, are Wallace Stroby's true gifts: setting and sustaining a deliciously dark, bleak, spare atmosphere; and an enviably rare sense of what I call glide, that secret sauce that makes one sentence flow seamlessly into the next with a great deal of talent and skill that seems effortless. Each line, even when it's conveying simple information, does something to deepen the color of the story and make the air crackle with heat lightning. You can teach that, but it'll always feel like work, and read like it too, unless you've got talent and discipline to an equal degree.
THE BARBED-WIRE KISS is truly a journey-is-the-destination kind of thriller. What happens to its characters is much less important than the fact that you're standing there alongside, every nerve ending crackling and darkly alive. And that you want to feel it again and again. And that, folks, is how an author develops a devoted following.
December 3, 2014
This is my second Wallace Stroby book and Wallace Stroby's first book.
And frankly, I didn't like it because the protag who was a retired from service as a state trooper (he had gotten shot) was just stupid. And I have this problem with stupid cops.
Apparently he left his decision making tool kit in the blood that was left on the ground where he was shot by a woman on a traffic stop. Unfortunately, he didn't follow procedures on the traffic stop itself which is one reason he was shot.
Can't deal with stupid in real life or in books so putting this one down and doubtful I'll pick back up. However, I can say that I did enjoy Stroby's writing. And I enjoyed his second book giving it four stars, so it wasn't his writing this time around, it was his storyline. It was so unbelievably stupid I could not deal with it since there are so many good books that want to be read.
His second book, Cold Shot to the Heart is very much worth a read.
And frankly, I didn't like it because the protag who was a retired from service as a state trooper (he had gotten shot) was just stupid. And I have this problem with stupid cops.
Apparently he left his decision making tool kit in the blood that was left on the ground where he was shot by a woman on a traffic stop. Unfortunately, he didn't follow procedures on the traffic stop itself which is one reason he was shot.
Can't deal with stupid in real life or in books so putting this one down and doubtful I'll pick back up. However, I can say that I did enjoy Stroby's writing. And I enjoyed his second book giving it four stars, so it wasn't his writing this time around, it was his storyline. It was so unbelievably stupid I could not deal with it since there are so many good books that want to be read.
His second book, Cold Shot to the Heart is very much worth a read.
June 13, 2021
Pretty good crime thriller.
Harry the ex cop tried helps out Bobby (an old mate) who, stupidly, got involved with a mob of mobsters.
Lots of intrigue, killing, mayhem etc.
Only complaint was the smarmy, kissy love interest bits with Harry and his ex flame...I found it a tad cringe worthy) and cannot figure out a jug turn or a K- Turn are.
I know what a U turn is but no idea about those other traffic manoeuvres.
Otherwise it’s good reading.
Harry the ex cop tried helps out Bobby (an old mate) who, stupidly, got involved with a mob of mobsters.
Lots of intrigue, killing, mayhem etc.
Only complaint was the smarmy, kissy love interest bits with Harry and his ex flame...I found it a tad cringe worthy) and cannot figure out a jug turn or a K- Turn are.
I know what a U turn is but no idea about those other traffic manoeuvres.
Otherwise it’s good reading.
November 19, 2021
Hmmmmm.
I really liked this book. It’s a great first novel and I promise to read more Wallace Stroby.
Thing is, I wanted to like this book more. But it leans one some of my least favorite tropes in male-written crime fiction.
The first chapter is one of the best first chapters I’ve read in a crime novel. It does a great job of introducing setting, protagonist and problem. Right away, I was pulled into its bleak, lower-class Jersey shore atmosphere. The dialogue was finely tuned and I was ready to fall in.
And the story kept building and building until…
Sigh. White Knight-ism.
Look, there’s frequently a certain degree of white knight-ism in male written fiction when a woman is romantically involved. Especially if she’s romantically involved with the Bad Guy.
But ugh, it sidetracked what I thought was about to be a firecracker of a crime novel.
And once it focused on that angle, it didn’t let go. Not only that, but it revealed some of the books bigger weaknesses: stock characters, predictable plot, recycled tropes (though he sidesteps making the protagonist an alcoholic).
So it’s still good, it just had the chance to be so much more.
Nevertheless, for a first novel, Wallace Stroby knows what he’s doing. A former journalist in Jersey, he has his turf down cold. I’m glad he branched out to other things besides just publishing this series over and over again (there’s only one other Harry Rane novel). So I’ll definitely read more. I just hope he takes a broader view of his plots in future books.
I really liked this book. It’s a great first novel and I promise to read more Wallace Stroby.
Thing is, I wanted to like this book more. But it leans one some of my least favorite tropes in male-written crime fiction.
The first chapter is one of the best first chapters I’ve read in a crime novel. It does a great job of introducing setting, protagonist and problem. Right away, I was pulled into its bleak, lower-class Jersey shore atmosphere. The dialogue was finely tuned and I was ready to fall in.
And the story kept building and building until…
Sigh. White Knight-ism.
Look, there’s frequently a certain degree of white knight-ism in male written fiction when a woman is romantically involved. Especially if she’s romantically involved with the Bad Guy.
But ugh, it sidetracked what I thought was about to be a firecracker of a crime novel.
And once it focused on that angle, it didn’t let go. Not only that, but it revealed some of the books bigger weaknesses: stock characters, predictable plot, recycled tropes (though he sidesteps making the protagonist an alcoholic).
So it’s still good, it just had the chance to be so much more.
Nevertheless, for a first novel, Wallace Stroby knows what he’s doing. A former journalist in Jersey, he has his turf down cold. I’m glad he branched out to other things besides just publishing this series over and over again (there’s only one other Harry Rane novel). So I’ll definitely read more. I just hope he takes a broader view of his plots in future books.
July 7, 2017
I went back to Stroby's first character after reading the Crissa Stone books. It's fairly standard noir stuff: injured ex-cop, withdrawn from society, gets re-energized by involving himself with criminals for what seem like noble reasons and ends up in over his head. As usual with these kinds of things there are a whole lot more dead bodies by the end than there probably would have been if he'd just minded his own business. Still, it was perfectly engaging and entertaining and I have the next Harry Rane already lined up.
January 31, 2019
Nice -- action-packed and noirish, with a lot of gang-related wishes for upward mobility that are really a bit funny. Very enjoyable.
April 10, 2020
Harry Rane is easy to root for. He's a good man and his heart is in the right place. Sensible decision making is not always his strength. Solid story and loved the Jersey Shore setting. I'll gladly move forward with Harry to book #2 of the series.
May 22, 2016
I've read a few Wallace Stroby novels and he is fast becoming one of my favourite crime writers, my only problem being is their limited availablity and high price on Kindle here in Britain.
This is the first of a series of two Harry Rane novels and I also think this was Stroby's debut but you'd hardly think it due to the high quality of the writing. Harry is an ex-cop, living in New Jersey, who retired early after being shot and also due in part to the loss of his wife to cancer. He is approached by his ex High School buddy Bobby, who has got himself in hock to the tune of $50 grand, to local crime boss Eddy Fallon, after a deal he invested in turned bad. Harry agrees to help Bobby and act as his go between but things soon turn bad when Harry gets involved with his one time girlfriend, Cristina, who now just happens to be Fallon's wife. Fallon is also in tow with the Brooklyn mob and an ex-cop colleague of Harry's is now an enforcer with them and is also on Harry's case.
Another great read and a real page turner of a novel. The story starts out quite low key but with each new layer of plot the tension just builds and builds until the final showdown. Harry is also a real cool customer and you never really know what he's thinking behind that poker face of his until he shows his hand. The story keeps you guessing right up to the end too as I wasn't sure if Harry was being played by Cristina too ?
I've managed to get a hold of a paperback edition of 'The Heartbreak Lounge' and can't wait to see where Harry goes next.
This is the first of a series of two Harry Rane novels and I also think this was Stroby's debut but you'd hardly think it due to the high quality of the writing. Harry is an ex-cop, living in New Jersey, who retired early after being shot and also due in part to the loss of his wife to cancer. He is approached by his ex High School buddy Bobby, who has got himself in hock to the tune of $50 grand, to local crime boss Eddy Fallon, after a deal he invested in turned bad. Harry agrees to help Bobby and act as his go between but things soon turn bad when Harry gets involved with his one time girlfriend, Cristina, who now just happens to be Fallon's wife. Fallon is also in tow with the Brooklyn mob and an ex-cop colleague of Harry's is now an enforcer with them and is also on Harry's case.
Another great read and a real page turner of a novel. The story starts out quite low key but with each new layer of plot the tension just builds and builds until the final showdown. Harry is also a real cool customer and you never really know what he's thinking behind that poker face of his until he shows his hand. The story keeps you guessing right up to the end too as I wasn't sure if Harry was being played by Cristina too ?
I've managed to get a hold of a paperback edition of 'The Heartbreak Lounge' and can't wait to see where Harry goes next.
December 3, 2013
Harry Rane is in deep shit. His friend Bobby is in debt to the mob and Harry, former ex-state-cop, widower and old friend decides to help him get out of the obligation. Unfortunately things begin to go bad when Harry meets Catherine, Nick Fallon's wife, and former girl friend of Harry's. (It's a small NJ world, apparently.) The guy that Bobby had made the drug deal with turns up dead in the trunk of a car at the airport, and Fallon discovers Harry is making it with his wife. Whew.
Some bizarre reviews out there. One, on Amazon, said he liked the way Rane took several beatings, and another compared the book unfavorably to the Sopranos (a TV series) and a Bruce Springsteen song. I mean, WTF?
Compelling story even if Harry does occasionally act dumber than a post.
Some bizarre reviews out there. One, on Amazon, said he liked the way Rane took several beatings, and another compared the book unfavorably to the Sopranos (a TV series) and a Bruce Springsteen song. I mean, WTF?
Compelling story even if Harry does occasionally act dumber than a post.
February 3, 2014
Great read. Loved the characters and the story. I had predicted a couple of twists that did not materialize as in maybe his friend Bobby wasn't who he thought he was or the female interest had a hidden agenda. But the story remained straight forward and I liked it a great deal. Highly recommend it.
October 31, 2020
Good, solid story - excellent for first in a series. Rane’s back story didn’t take up too much of the book. Ex-police detective helping an old friend in trouble with drug dealers and crooks. It’s familiar but in a good way. Well paced. I’ll read more of the series.
March 12, 2012
An okay book. Truthfully, I would have given it 2-1/2 stars if it had been possible. It's just not particularly well-plotted and the ending doesn't ring true.
May 6, 2025
The one where the ex-cop helps a friend out of jam and gets wrapped up in a whole lot of jams. That means a lot of people die and a couple lucky ladies get to give hero a good time. Naturally, hero still has connections on the force who kind of shake their heads as the body count spikes up, but indulgently don’t put hero in jail, because he’s likely good bait for the real villain.
It’s likely hero will survive all the beatings and drive off with the old flame who happens to be the wife of one of the principal villains. Because that’s the way these stories go, right?
Good atmosphere, decent New Jersey setting. The plot never strays from cliche. Fun to read. Easy to forget.
It’s likely hero will survive all the beatings and drive off with the old flame who happens to be the wife of one of the principal villains. Because that’s the way these stories go, right?
Good atmosphere, decent New Jersey setting. The plot never strays from cliche. Fun to read. Easy to forget.
February 17, 2022
Несколько книг назад я жаловалась, что мне очень нужен современный оммаж на условного Чендлера, но без сексизма и расизма, and here it is. Крепкий жанровый роман про одного крутого чувака, вписавшегося за друга в ситуацию, много плохих парней, честные полицейские vs коррумпированные прихвостни мафии, все, что я так люблю.
Женщины, правда, все равно декоративно ходят туда-сюда, но их хоть никто не унижает.
Женщины, правда, все равно декоративно ходят туда-сюда, но их хоть никто не унижает.
January 27, 2020
This is the first Wallace Stroby book originally published in 2003. I read it long ago and could only remember that I liked it enough to want to read it again. I think this is great edgy crime noir and is reminiscent of a more modern day James M. Cain story. Great stuff for hard-boiled fans looking for something that will keep them up reading all night.
February 20, 2022
Harry Rane is a likeable character. He has his faults, is realistic to a point (this is fiction after-all). The writing is direct, no long descriptive paragraphs, the sky is bright blue, the water flat grey, just enough to give you a sense but not to paint a full picture. The characters are flawed and gritty. Will definitely read the next installment.
September 5, 2020
Very good hard-boiled novel. I’ve read a few other Wallace Stroby books, and I’ve enjoyed them all. Glad there are more to look for. He tells a good story, and there is believable dialogue and character development.
April 20, 2023
Decent read and love that it’s set in south Jersey but avoids the NJ/Mob cliches but the writing is a little too self consciously writerly and the protagonist is kind of a Superman figure who gets away with murder (metaphorically) because he’s an ex-cop.
September 11, 2020
Great mob book that is part The Sopranos mixed with George Pelecanos but completely original.
October 2, 2022
Solid debut novel that hooked me from the beginning. One of my favorite authors.
February 26, 2015
When Harry walked in the door, Bobby was sitting at the end of the bar, watching a redhead take off her clothes.
Harry Rane is an ex-cop living at the Jersey Shore. His old buddy, Bobby, is in deep to a local crime boss to the tune of fifty large. Bobby asks Harry to get him more time to repay the loan. Harry helps out and gets more than he bargained for; especially when he finds out the boss's wife is an ex-flame he hasn't seen in over a decade.
The Barbed-Wire Kiss is the first novel of Wallace Stroby. It had been on my to-read list for a while, but I didn't pick it up until I saw Stroby on an MWA panel in Chatham, NJ. Before becoming a novelist, Stroby was an editor at The Star-Ledger. His deep knowledge of New Jersey comes through. He captures the feel of the real Shore; the desperation of an area of the state whose survival rests on a few summer months, not the glitzy partytimes of the eponymous MTV show.
There are many scenes whose sights and sounds (and smells) jump right off the page. You'll hear seagulls overhead and feel the sand between your toes, but this ain't no summer picnic. The Barbed-Wire Kiss is hard-boiled to its core, full of the kind of down-on-their-luck losers and sleazy schemers that these stories were made for.
I'm definitely going to check out some more of Wallace Stroby's books.
Harry Rane is an ex-cop living at the Jersey Shore. His old buddy, Bobby, is in deep to a local crime boss to the tune of fifty large. Bobby asks Harry to get him more time to repay the loan. Harry helps out and gets more than he bargained for; especially when he finds out the boss's wife is an ex-flame he hasn't seen in over a decade.
The Barbed-Wire Kiss is the first novel of Wallace Stroby. It had been on my to-read list for a while, but I didn't pick it up until I saw Stroby on an MWA panel in Chatham, NJ. Before becoming a novelist, Stroby was an editor at The Star-Ledger. His deep knowledge of New Jersey comes through. He captures the feel of the real Shore; the desperation of an area of the state whose survival rests on a few summer months, not the glitzy partytimes of the eponymous MTV show.
There are many scenes whose sights and sounds (and smells) jump right off the page. You'll hear seagulls overhead and feel the sand between your toes, but this ain't no summer picnic. The Barbed-Wire Kiss is hard-boiled to its core, full of the kind of down-on-their-luck losers and sleazy schemers that these stories were made for.
I'm definitely going to check out some more of Wallace Stroby's books.
January 6, 2013
This book was recommended to me on goodreads when I asked for recommendations of thrillers that weren't murder mysteries (not that I don't enjoy murder mysteries). This didn't really fit that description, since there are more than enough murders in this book, but the story line wasn't really about finding the murderer(s). It was an atmosphere-filled high tension drama set in less-than-savory New Jersey. The lead character, Harry Rane, is a rather burnt out ex-cop trying to help a friend get out from under a debt to a gangster. The dialog and atmosphere were excellent and the plot stayed mostly within the bounds of credibility, although that got strained a bit toward the end. The tension comes from wondering whether Harry and Bobby are going to get the debt squared away without suffering lethal payback. The plot was a tad on the trite side but I enjoyed reading it.
December 22, 2011
A book that grows on you and pulls you in deeper as you progress. Lead character Harry Rane is a widow and ex-cop that is not doing much until an old friend gets mixed up in a drug deal gone bad and needs to find 50 grand fast to stay alive. All straightforward until Harry bumps into the wife of the guy holding the debt and she's an ex- girlfriend that skipped town 20 years earlier. Things have a habit of spiralling out of control as the body count rises and harry's ex-colleagues are none too happy with him. recommended.
July 14, 2012
No frills thiller, picked it up from the lending library in work cafeteria. The writing is not remarkable, but it gets the job done. Basically a former cop reaches out to help out a friend in need, said friend having invested his money unwisely with unsavory types. Just when it seems they are clear of trouble, the trouble starts. These are recognizable character types, not as well drawn as in Mystic River, but no sudden unbelievable character transformations either. The writer generated just enough interest in them for me to make it to the end of this book.
August 4, 2015
#1 in the Harry Rane series. Finalist 2004 Barry Award for Best First Novel.
Ex-NJ Trooper Harry Rane tries to help childhood friend, Bobby Fox. Fox, trying to turn a quick buck is suddenly $50K in debt to Eddie Fallon, a local shady character, who might also be in over his head with his organized crime associates. When Harry gets involved he realizes Fallon's wife is his old girlfriend who he hasn't seen since she was 18 and pregnant with his child.
Ex-NJ Trooper Harry Rane tries to help childhood friend, Bobby Fox. Fox, trying to turn a quick buck is suddenly $50K in debt to Eddie Fallon, a local shady character, who might also be in over his head with his organized crime associates. When Harry gets involved he realizes Fallon's wife is his old girlfriend who he hasn't seen since she was 18 and pregnant with his child.
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