Boystown - (Jack Liffey) by John Shannon (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Introduction by George Easter, Editor and Publisher of Deadly Pleasures Magazine

Legendary LA sleuth Jack Liffey is back, and facing down a changing world, when his brazen daughter Maeve enlists him to help find Benjy--a gay social justice activist gone missing. Meanwhile, a needless act of violence sets off an urban range war between a group of gun-happy poachers and former Soviet paramilitary soldiers in an unlikely location: West Hollywood. Jack, still recovering from heart surgery and grappling with Maeve's aspirations to follow in his footsteps, must save the day before the entire community goes up in flames.

In this latest installment of the Jack Liffey series, John Shannon picks up where he left off, taking readers deep into the many, unexplored communities, enclaves and cultures of Los Angeles that sometimes co-exist, sometimes clash, but always surprise. Fans of Vince Flynn will fall deep into the fast-paced, unpredictable, and dangerous world John Shannon creates.

Widely recognized by mystery authors and critics as one of America's most acclaimed crime fiction writers, John Shannon has authored twenty novels beginning in 1972. His revered Jack Liffey books earned praise from every major publication including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Library Journal.

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR THE CONCRETE RIVER (#1 in the Jack Liffey Mystery Series)

"Noir master... Shannon tackles a tough social issue with intelligence and a clear moral compass. His spare, noir style and articulate dialog strike just the right balance between thriller and social consciousness. His growing audience will love this. Recommended." --Library Journal

PRAISE FOR THE CRACKED EARTH

"Jack Liffey is an extraordinary creation... Shannon is the philosopher king of the mystery forum. And long may he reign." --Charlotte Vale Allen, CT USA

"Liffey is a most unlikely action hero whose feats of intuition, verbosity, and personal empathy make an interesting contrast to the exploits of his hard-boiled peers." --Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

"Shannon has mastered the most essential element of the genre, giving us a guy we want to stand shoulder to shoulder with while we try to make sense out of a senseless universe." --Booklist [Starred]

"Shannon has written an intelligent, surprising book, found the heart of his working-class characters, and delivered a first-rate thriller in the bargain." --George Pelecanos

"Shannon matches the master, Raymond Chandler, in several key areas, notably location, characterization and dialogue." --Dick Lochte, Los Angeles Times

"Southern California has always been fertile ground for crime writers and one of the very best of them has to be John Shannon." --Denver Post

"The hands-down winner in the long-running 'Where is the Next Raymond Chandler Coming From?' sweepstakes... Jack Liffey is the most interesting new private detective since Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins." --Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune

"The landscape of Los Angeles... has been deconstructed by writers from Chandler to Didion, but never quite as artfully as does John Shannon." --James Crumley

"The real rewards of this novel are the wounded and searching souls caught up in the madness... and his appealingly thoughtful hero." --John Koch, Boston Globe

"Witty, alert, energetic, talented way above the ordinary." --New York Times Book Review