Saints of New York

Starred review from April 21, 2014
NYPD homicide detective Frank Parrish, the hero of this meaty, beautifully written crime novel from British author Ellory (City of Lies), has screwed up every aspect of his life. In a recent attempt to play hostage negotiator, Parrish was unable to stop a 24-year-old thug from cutting his girlfriend’s throat, and then his own. Parrish has a bitter ex-wife, a married son he seldom sees, and a nursing student daughter with whom he frequently argues. He drinks too much, can’t follow police procedures, and resents his work-mandated psychotherapist. But he still knows how to penetrate a mystery. When someone puts a bullet in the head of petty thief Danny Lange and the strangled body of his 16-year-old sister, Rebecca, is later found in Danny’s apartment, Parrish gets on the case. Frustrated by a failure to unearth probative evidence, Parrish does what he has to do. Equally compelling is the story of Parrish’s father, legendary cop John Parrish, and the Saints of New York, the corrupt cops who helped the mob in the 1960s and ’70s. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell Management.

Atense psychological thriller about an emotionally damaged New York Cityhomicide cop.Frank Parrish is consumed with resentment toward his late father, a celebratedofficer who was secretly in league with organized crime. Add in the recentdeath of his partner in the line of duty and a strained relationship with hisex-wife and estranged children, and it's no wonder Parrish is prone to drinkingtoo much whiskey and playing too much Tom Waits. His dark worldview isreinforced by the case he's investigating. A series of young, attractive womenare found dumped around the city after being drugged and murdered. They allcame from broken homes and their cases were handled by Child Services. Thoughhe has no real evidence, Parrish suspects that someone there is selling thewomen's case files to pornographers who abduct and kill them on camera. When helearns that Child Services staffer Richard McKee was caught with pornography,he becomes convinced McKee is the culprit and is obsessed with implicating him,through legal channels or otherwise. Since there's only one suspect, the onlymystery is whether Parrish is being brilliantly intuitive or coming unhinged.Much of the action is internal as he works on his family issues in therapy andbottoms out after a confrontation with his daughter.Ellory (City of Lies, 2013, etc.) tells a compelling story with awell-drawn hero who's admirable if not always likable-even if the ending wrapsall the loose ends a little too tidily. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2014
NYPD Homicide Detective Frank Parrish is wrestling with his partner's death, his father's police-department legacy, and foundering relationships with his kids. But between booze, a dazzling array of self-destructive defense mechanisms, and a nifty department-issued shrink, he has it all covered. When Frank is assigned the murders of petty criminal Danny Lange and his teenage sister, he's immediately certain the case isn't the usual petty-crime fallout. Rebecca Lange never fell into the traps that ensnared her brother. So why was she found half-naked and strangled in his apartment? A chance aside from one of Rebecca's friends leads Frank to four other murders similarly linked to child-welfare cases, and he's on a mission to redeem his life's mistakes by finding justice for these girls. Frank Parrish's pathos is familiar, but he's the sharp-minded, likable wreck genre fans love, and he's a great vehicle for investigative details. Discussion-worthy parallels between underworld and official predators should tempt book groups, and Ellory solidly plants his literary flare in a gritty foundation that hard-boiled fans of Lehane and Lippman will appreciate.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)