The Killing Yards - by Jason Allison (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This gritty crime novel set in 1990s New York City will appeal to fans of Dennis Lehane.

New York, 1993. Jimmy Lettner, a convicted drug-trafficker who once lost a daughter in a narco-fueled car wreck, runs Manhattan's hottest nightspot, Abattoir. Reformed by his time in prison, all he wants is to run a clean club. But that's not possible in a city rife with corruption.

Jimmy doesn't know it, but his right-hand man, Serge Thanakis, is operating an ecstasy ring that's drawing the wrong kind of attention. Jealous industry rivals will do anything to shut Abattoir down, and the new mayor presses the NYPD to clean up the city's darkest corners. As Jimmy's troubles mount, temptations from his past call to him.

Meanwhile, Ben Hopkins, a straight-edge rookie cop on the hunt for a fast-track ticket to detective, turns his attention to Abattoir. He has something to prove--to his father and to himself. But he's not prepared for undercover work. The club scene devours Ben, along with his ability to tell right from wrong.

As the war for Abattoir escalates, bodies drop, drawing more heat from city officials. The competition threatens Jimmy's only surviving daughter, a revelation about his past threatens his future, and he questions how long his reign as NYC's nightclub king can last. But through it all, the dance floor stays packed--and Jimmy will do anything to keep his crown.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Killing Yards
"The Killing Yards is a gloriously gritty and dazzling novel. Jason Allison brings to blazing life the raucous, ruthless, riveting nightclub world of New York City in the early 1990s and populates it with flawed and fascinating characters. This is time travel at its best. This is crime fiction at its best."
--Lou Berney, USA Today bestseller and Edgar Award-winning author of CROOKS

"Jason Allison's debut crime novel, The Killing Yards, hits like a high-octane James Ellroy/Michael Mann cocktail. Allison's sure hand guides us through a claustrophobic Gotham on the brink of massive change. Sin, corruption, bad choices--all the dirty, divine terrain is well-covered. The Killing Yards is blunt, forceful, and explosive. Get your top-shelf noir fix here."
--William Boyle, author of Saint of the Narrows Street and Heavy Sugar

"A blistering tour de force debut from the sure hands of an author who knows the turf. I will read everything Allison writes."
--Adam Plantinga, Edgar Award nominee and USA Today bestselling author of The Ascent

"Behold a fresh new voice in noir fiction. In the vein of Don Winslow and Abel Ferrara . . . Like great cinema, it's sprawling and vivid, so real you can taste it. What an electrifying debut."
--I.S. Berry, Edgar award winning author of The Peacock and the Sparrow

"A pulse-pounding portrait of New York City club culture . . . each chapter raising stakes like an igniter ticking, ready for explosion."
--Chris Harding Thornton, author of Pickard County Atlas and Little Underworld

"A finely crafted narrative of interconnecting characters, with a concise and rapid style reminiscent of the best Ellroy."
--John Woods, author of Lady Chevy

"One of the most stunning debut novels I have ever read . . . You can feel the sweat on the dance floor, the sexual charge between the patrons, and the ever-present threat of violence as the characters negotiate between the cops and criminals who run the system."
--Steven Powell, author of Love Me Fierce In Danger: The Life of James Ellroy

"A story of desperation, denial, and betrayal, it's a hell of a read from beginning to end."
--J. Todd Scott, author of The Flock, The Far Empty, High White Sun

"Former NYPD Detective, Jason Allison, has secured his place in the crime fiction genre with this outstanding and beautifully written novel. An absolute treasure to read and a must for any reading list."
--David Swinson, author of The Second Girl, City on the Edge, Sweet Thing

About the Author

A native New Yorker, Jason Allison spent two decades with the NYPD, mostly as a detective. He now resides in Massachusetts with his wife and their Golden Retriever. The Killing Yards is his first novel.