Infamous - by Ace Atkins (Paperback)

About the Book

From one of the best crime writers at work today (Michael Connelly) comes a fast, funny, violent new noir classic. Blending historical novel and crime story, "Infamous" is a mesmerizing tale set in the first days of the modern FBI.

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Quinn Colson series comes a fast, funny, violent noir novel based on the crimes of George "Machine Gun" Kelly.

In July 1933, a gangster staged the kidnapping-for-ransom of an Oklahoma oilman. He would live to regret it. What started clean soon turns messy as two of "Machine Gun" Kelly's partners cut themselves into the action, a determined former Texas Ranger makes tracking Kelly his mission, and his wife, ever alert to her own self-interest, starts playing both sides...

Set in the first days of the modern FBI, Infamous is a passionate blend of historical novel and crime story featuring an unexpected hero, some of the most colorful supporting characters in recent crime fiction, and unforgettable femme fatale Kathryn Kelly--the Lady Macbeth of Depression-era crime.

Review Quotes

Praise for Infamous

"In his compulsively readable latest, Atkins takes a revisionist look at the life and times of Machine Gun Kelly and the very bad woman who stood behind him....Bullets fly, gore puddles and, as the denouement approaches, oh how those pages turn. Atkins, who loves his characters colorful, makes readers love them too, and it doesn't much matter whether they're naughty or nice."--Kirkus Reviews

"Atkins brings to vivid life the henpecked George and the bloodthirsty Kathryn as he convincingly conjures up a past era. Not just for crime fans, this should appeal to a wide readership."--Publishers Weekly

"It's Atkins' prodigious research that makes this novel a compelling road trip through Depression-era America. He vividly portrays the Dust Bowl, foreclosures, the grinding poverty, gnawing hunger, desperation, and the rage at bankers (most of which resonate in today's America); and he captures the imminent end of the gangsters' heyday. Like many fine historical crime novels, Infamous offers a window on society, then and now."--Booklist

About the Author

Ace Atkins is the New York Times bestselling author of the Quinn Colson novels, the first two of which--The Ranger and The Lost Ones--were nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel (he also has a third Edgar nomination for his short story, "Last Fair Deal Gone Down"). In addition, he is the author of several New York Times bestselling novels in the continuation of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. Before turning to fiction, he was a correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times, a crime reporter for the Tampa Tribune, and, in college, played defensive end for the undefeated Auburn University football team (for which he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated). He lives in Oxford, Mississippi.