Red On Red

Conlon, Edward

3.39

890 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 0307876098 ISBN 13: 9780307876096

Publisher: Random House, 2011

A gripping debut work of crime fiction, from the author of the bestselling memoir about life as a New York City cop, Blue Blood. (“May be the best account ever written of life behind the badge.” —Time)

In Red on Red, Edward Conlon tells the electrifying and suspenseful story of two NYPD detectives, Meehan and Esposito: one damaged and introspective, the other ambitious and unscrupulous. Meehan is compelled by haunting and elusive stories that defy easy resolution, while Esposito is drawn to cases of rough and ordinary combat. A fierce and unlikely friendship develops between them and plays out against a tangle of mysteries: a lonely immigrant who hangs herself in Inwood Hill Park, a serial rapist preying on upper Manhattan, a troubled Catholic schoolgirl who appears in the wrong place with uncanny regularity, and a savage gang war that erupts over a case of mistaken identity.

A literary thriller about the twisted dynamic of a successful police partnership—the tests of loyalty, the necessary betrayals, the intersections of life and work—Red on Red tells an unrelenting and exciting story that captures the grittiness, complexity, ironies, and compromises of life on the job.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Review:

"A first novel sure to make the bestseller lists."--"Kirkus," starred review
..".this expertly crafted novel will appeal to readers of literary crime masters such as George Pelecanos, Dennis Lehane, and Richard Price."--"Publishers Weekly," starred review
"Conlon brings his full knowledge of police work to bear in this gritty chronicle..[He] captures the herky-jerky nature of a policeman's daily routine as it swings between farce and tragedy, all the while detailing the way cops talk, joke, and stress. This realistic take on police work, relayed in cinematic prose, has all the earmarks of a hit."-- "Booklist," starred review
"A big, daring, psychologically complex story--passionate and poignant, pulsating with authenticity and street smarts yet lyrical and literary--this is the cop novel for everyone who reads books."--Joseph Wambaugh
""Red on Red" is often brutal and often brutally funny, reaching into the depths of human malice and rising to the level ofg

"Wise, wry, and intelligent . . . possibly the best cop novel ever."--Lee Child

"A big, daring, psychologically complex story--passionate and poignant, pulsating with authenticity and street smarts, yet lyrical and literary--this is the cop novel for everyone who reads books."--Joseph Wambaugh

"Extraordinary . . . Mr. Conlon, already showing a mature novelist's skill, has produced an accomplished work full of wisdom and adrenaline, contemplation and action, pride and regret."--The Wall Street Journal

"Riveting . . . Conlon has used all-too-humane detectives, biting wit and the rhythmic slang of the streets to create a brilliant police novel."--The Star-Ledger

"Conlon is a gifted writer, surefooted on this terrain, drawing on personal NYPD experience to immerse the reader in the job. . . . [Nick] Meehan is a powerful character, realistic in his wry, existentialist approach and deeply sympathetic."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Named One the Best Novels of the Year by Kirkus Reviews

About the Author:

Edward Conlon is a detective with the New York City Police Department. A graduate of Harvard, he has published articles in The New Yorker and Harper’s and his work has been included in The Best American Essays. He is the author of a memoir, Blue Blood, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, a New York Times Notable Book, and a New York Times bestseller.
From the Hardcover edition.

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