Third Rail - (Eddy Harkness Novels) by Rory Flynn (Paperback)

About the Book

A Boston narcotic detective's search for his lost gun reveals a network of corruption and cover-up that reaches the highest levels of the city in this propulsive debut, first in an exciting new series in the tradition of Dennis Lehane and Robert Parker.

Book Synopsis

"Third Rail gets off to a ripping start and never lets off the gas. Rory Flynn is a suspense writer to watch."--Jess Walter, author of the best-selling Beautiful Ruins

Harvard-educated Eddy Harkness was a rising star in an elite Boston Police Department narcotics unit--until he was blamed for the death of a Red Sox fan in the chaotic aftermath of a World Series win. Scapegoated and exiled, Harkness now empties parking meters in the sleepy town of Nagog while struggling to clear his name.

Then one night his police-issued Glock disappears. Unable to report the theft, he starts a secret search--just as a string of fatal accidents leads him to uncover a dangerous new smart drug, Third Rail. With only a plastic gun to protect him, Harkness begins a high-stakes investigation that leads him into the top levels of Boston's power base, where politicians and criminals intertwine to deadly effect.

"Glows with the kind of sawdust-dry humor regarding Beantown, cops, and the darkest of urban underbellies that you might find at 3 a.m. in the back booth of a backstreet bar . . . With its gaggle of crazy-yet-riveting characters, its spare approach, and its unflagging action, Third Rail, the first in a promised series of Eddy Harkness novels, adds yet another striking feather to [Flynn's] impressively crowded cap." --Boston Globe

"Terrific debut . . . impressive economy and stylish, sophisticated prose . . . Readers will want to see more of Flynn's gritty Boston--and Eddy Harkness."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Back Cover

Third Rail gets off to a ripping start and never lets off the gas. Rory Flynn is a suspense writer to watch. Jess Walter, author of the best-selling Beautiful Ruins

Harvard-educated Eddy Harkness was a rising star in an elite Boston Police Department narcotics unit until he was blamed for the death of a Red Sox fan in the chaotic aftermath of a World Series win. Scapegoated and exiled, Harkness now empties parking meters in the sleepy town of Nagog while struggling to clear his name.

Then one night his police-issued Glock disappears. Unable to report the theft, he starts a secret search just as a string of fatal accidents leads him to uncover a dangerous new smart drug, Third Rail. With only a plastic gun to protect him, Harkness begins a high-stakes investigation that leads him into the top levels of Boston s power base, where politicians and criminals intertwine to deadly effect.

Glows with the kind of sawdust-dry humor regarding Beantown, cops, and the darkest of urban underbellies that you might find at 3 a.m. in the back booth of a backstreet bar ... With its gaggle of crazy-yet-riveting characters, its spare approach, and its unflagging action, Third Rail, the first in a promised series of Eddy Harkness novels, adds yet another striking feather to [Flynn s] impressively crowded cap. Boston Globe

Terrific debut ... impressive economy and stylish, sophisticated prose ... Readers will want to see more of Flynn s gritty Boston and Eddy Harkness. Publishers Weekly, starred review

[AU PHOTO] RORY FLYNN lives with his family in Concord, Massachusetts. Third Rail is his first crime novel."

Review Quotes

"Already compelling plot-wise, Third Rail also glows with the kind of sawdust-dry humor regarding Beantown, cops, and the darkest of urban underbellies that you might find at 3 a.m. in the back booth of a backstreet bar...With its gaggle of crazy-yet-riveting characters, its spare approach and its unflagging action, Third Rail, the first in a promised series of Eddy Harkness novels, adds yet another striking feather to [Rory Flynn]'s impressively-crowded cap." --Boston Globe "Third Rail gets off to a ripping start and never lets off the gas. Rory Flynn is a suspense writer to watch." --Jess Walter, author of the bestselling Beautiful Ruins "Third Rail is an adrenaline-soaked tale of political corruption and personal redemption that never lets up. Eddy Harkness, the self-destructive Massachusetts narcotics detective at the novel's center, is a worthy successor to Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone." --Sean Chercover, author of the bestselling The Trinity Game "Third Rail is driven equally by character and plot. Harkness's Nagog is faintly reminiscent ofFargo (the film or television series, take your pick). It is populated by quirky characters, some of whom are dangerous to others, others who are dangerous only to themselves." --Book Reporter "Terrific debut...impressive economy and stylish, sophisticated prose...Readers will want to see more of Flynn's gritty Boston--and Eddy Harkness." --Publishers Weekly, boxed and starred "The start to a successful crime writing career." --Library Journal --

About the Author

RORY FLYNN lives with his family in Concord, Massachusetts. Third Rail is his first crime novel.