“ Superior noirish PI mystery, deftly blending action, sleuthing, and prewar New York“

Booklife Reviews ( Editor’s Pick )

The Story

It is 1936, and the world, still in the grip of the Depression, is preparing for another war. But for Jack Kerrigan, a down-at-heel New York private investigator, things look up when Lola Deshaines walks unannounced into his office. She wants him to track down the consignment in a cargo manifest. Her story doesn’t quite add up, but Kerrigan is too broke to be choosy—he takes the case.

Going from the glamour of Gatsby territory to the slums of the Bowery, Kerrigan follows the leads while attempting to avoid perforation with his preferred ammunition: “Forty-five is a purely American caliber, our lingua franca, the ammunition of the OK Corral and the St. Valentine’s Day massacre. It’s big, honest, and straightforward. It’ll penetrate anything thinner than an engine block and is cheaper than a lawyer for settling disputes.”

““Brace demonstrates a superior ability…in this accomplished mystery…compelling enough to power a long-running series…[and] gets every key element of the genre right: the world-weary mindset of his less-than-scrupulous lead…a mystery with broader implications than are first apparent…and tantalizing, accurate historical detail. While the storyline features familiar tropes…Brace makes them feel fresh, even for readers who’ve already walked down many mean city streets in the pleasurably disreputable company of a good private eye“”

BOOKLIFE REVIEWS ()

“[P]rivate investigator takes on a complicated case in 1930s Manhattan…cinematic thriller…wry humor, delivered by a roll-with-the-punches narrator whose breezy tone persists even amid the worst scenarios…[d]escriptions of Depression-era New York City provide rich immersion…ample room for future installments.
An intricately constructed hardboiled caper with credible action scenes and a vividly drawn setting.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

_{Excerpts from reviews of previous works by Robert Brace:}

“Brace…excellently weaves many threads…to form a compelling narrative…and therein lies the heart of this captivating novel”

BOOKLIFE REVIEWS on Journal of the Supernova

“…beautifully restrained and cerebral…conceptually brilliant novel from the start…subtle and psychologically rich…an engrossing story that lingers long after the final page”

INDIES TODAY on Journal of the Supernova

“Brace…displays such eloquence and such a firm control of pacing…artful coup de grace…an intriguing and multilayered supernatural thriller.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS on Floreat Lux

“…a wild, complex novel that blurs the line between the real and the supernatural…a psychedelic trip through literature, history and art.”

BLUE INK REVIEWS on Floreat Lux

“…a cosmological search…literary and rhetorical…a theatrical celebration of what like minds can accomplish.”

FOREWORD CLARION REVIEWS on Floreat Lux

“The author’s canny prose finds sharp, inchoate conflict…atmospheric and psychologically rich tale of erotic and philosophical enigmas”

KIRKUS REVIEWS on Andromeda Graphika

“Stylish and polished, Brace’s literary thriller abounds in evocative description, crisp and engaging dialogue…A sense of playful unease suffuses the novel, as Brace toys with expectations”

BOOKLIFE REVIEWS on Andromeda Graphika

“…deserve a wide readership”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Iron Butterfly

“Beautifully written—proves that Robert Brace is a talent to watch”

KYLE MILLS, New York Times bestselling author of Smoke Screen, on BlackTiger

_{Hardcover, Paperback & eBook, 280 pages}

Available globally at good bookstores & online retailers