Dirty Old Town - (A Shane Cleary Mystery) by Gabriel Valjan (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Shane Cleary, a PI in a city where the cops want him dead, is tough, honest and broke. When he's asked to look into a case of blackmail, the money is too good for him to refuse, even though the client is a snake and his wife is the woman who stomped on Shane's heart years before. When a fellow vet and Boston cop with a secret asks Shane to find a missing person, the paying gig and the favor for a friend lead Shane to an arsonist, mobsters, a shady sports agent, and Boston's deadliest hitman, the Barbarian. With both criminals and cops out to get him, the pressure is on for Shane to put all the pieces together before time runs out.

Review Quotes

"Robert B. Parker would stand and cheer, and George V. Higgins would join the ovation. This is a terrific book--tough, smart, spare, and authentic. Gabriel Valjan is a true talent--impressive and skilled--providing knock-out prose, a fine-tuned sense of place and sleekly wry style." - Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally bestselling author of The Murder List

"Valjan paints the town, and all the colors are noir." Tom Straw, NYT Bestselling author, as Richard Castle

"Say hello to Shane Cleary, a down-on-his luck private detective walking the streets of dirty old Boston, circa 1975. He's smart, sarcastic, and tough, despite a few cuts and bruises. And he's got a gift for describing everything he sees like a painter with a brush dipped in acid. So come for the twisting plot and suspense, stay for the style. Author Gabriel Valjan has done a terrific job bringing Shane and his world to life. You'll read it in one sitting." - William Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author of Back Bay and Bound for Gold

"Fans of Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Dennis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie will love Shane Cleary. Gabriel Valjan has created a fascinating new PI character who prowls the tough streets of '70s Boston in this compelling hard-boiled mystery. Dirty Old Townis fast, fun and first-rate!" - R.G. Belsky, author of the award-winning Clare Carlson mystery series.

"Dirty Old Town hits every pitch out of the park: it's smart, funny and consistently surprising. A great read!" - Dennis Palumbo, author of the Daniel Rinaldi Mysteries