Gravesend - Hardcover

Boyle, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1681778491 ISBN 13: 9781681778495

Publisher: Pegasus Crime, 2018

Synopsis

Meanwhile, Alessandra, a failed actress, returns to her native Gravesend after the death of her cancer-stricken mother, torn between the desperate need to escape back to Los Angeles as quickly as possible and the ease with which she could sink back into neighborhood life. Alessandra and Conway are walking eerily similar paths--staring down the rest of their lives, caring for their aging fathers, lost in the youths they squandered--and each must decide what comes next.

In the tradition of American noir authors like Dennis Lehane and James Ellroy, William Boyle's Gravesend brings the titular neighborhood to life in this story of revenge, desperation, and escape.

About this title

Review:

A bruiser and a heartbreaker of a debut. With echoes of Lehane and Pelecanos but with a rhythm and poignancy all its own, it's a gripping tale of family, revenge, the strains of the past and the losses that never leave us.--Megan Abbott, author of 'You Will Know Me' and 'The Fever'

A moving debut. The characters are swept into a downward spiral of desperation as they grapple with the weight of the past and the pull that the neighborhood has on them. Fans of classic noir will find a lot to like.

Boyle chews the local dialect like a Nathan's hot dog, biting into the juices of pure Brooklynese and savoring the mustardy aftertaste.

This a powerful novel, with realistic, complex characters. In fact, I would say (if this isn't self-contradictory) they are 'complex' in their 'simplicity.' If that is a puzzling statement, I should mention that Boyle (in an interview that appends the novel) expresses admiration for Flannery O'Connor, and I would describe many of her characters the same way.

Gravesend is a taut exploration of the ways we hurt and save (or try to save) one another. With unforgettable characters, a fist for a plot and a deeply evocative setting, Boyle navigates alleys and streets with the best of them, Lehane, Price, and Pelecanos.--Tom Franklin, author of 'Poachers' and 'Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter'

Gravesend kicks ass! An irresistible combo of an insider's tour of Brooklyn and true and authentic 21st Century Noir. Boyle is one to watch.--Ace Atkins, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Fallen' and 'Robert B. Parker's Little White Lies'

Gravesend is a book that hits you in the guts the same way David Goodis or Charles Willeford's books do. Boyle's mining that dark edge of America where no one is safe, not even from themselves. A dark ride but a seriously great ride.--Willy Vlautin, author of 'The Motel Life' and 'The Free'

About the Author:

William Boyle is from Brooklyn, New York. His books include: Gravesend, which was nominated for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France and shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger in the UK; The Lonely Witness, which is nominated for the Hammett Prize; and, most recently, A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself. He lives in Oxford, Mississippi.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pegasus Crime
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1681778491
• ISBN 13: 9781681778495
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272