Synopses & Reviews
"From first line to last, Speak of the Devil moves with a rare combination of intrigue and intensity. Its engine runs on high octane adrenalin. Richard Hawke delivers a winner."
--Michael Connelly
Its a beautiful Thanksgiving morning in New York City. Perfect day for a parade, and Fritz Malone just happens to have drifted up Central Park West to take a look at the floats. Across the crowd-filled street he sees a gunman on a low wall, taking aim with a shiny black Beretta. Seconds later, the air is filled with bullets and blood.
Fritz isnt one to stand around and watch. A child of Hells Kitchen and the bastard son of a beloved former police commissioner, Fritz is all too familiar with the citys rougher side. As the gunman flees into the park, Fritz runs after him. What he doesnt know is that he is also running into one of the most shocking and treacherous episodes of his life.
Though Fritz assumed that chasing down bad guys is perfectly legal, the cops hustle him from the scene and deliver him to the office of the current commissioner, who informs Fritz that someone dubbed “Nightmare” has been taunting the citys leaders for weeks, warning of an imminent attack on the citizenry. Whats worse, Nightmare has already let the officials know that the parade gunman was a mere foot soldier and that theres more carnage to come unless the city meets his impossible demands. The pols dont dare share this information with anyone-not even the NYPD. What they need for this job is an outside man. And in Fritz they think theyve got one.
Racing against the tightest of clocks, Fritz finds himself confounded by Nightmares multiple masks and messengers. The killer is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere. But as Fritzs frantic investigation takes him from a convent in the Bronx to a hookers haven in central Brooklyn, the story behind the story-complete with wicked secrets on both sides of the law-begins to emerge. As Fritz zeroes in on the terrible, gruesome truth, the killer retaliates by making things personal, forcing Fritz to grapple with his deepest fear: sometimes nightmares really do come true.
In his brilliantly paced and stunningly original debut, Richard Hawke delivers a tale of flawed and unforgettable people operating at the ends of their ropes. Its literary suspense that doesnt let go until the last page.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
" An] amazing thriller . . . Richard] Hawke's dialogue is sharp and snappy and the plot moves with all the energy of New York City."--Cleveland Plain Dealer
A child of Hell's Kitchen and the bastard son of a beloved former police commissioner, Fritz Malone is all too familiar with New York City's rougher side. So when a gunman opens fire at the crowded Thanksgiving Day parade, Fritz steps into action, giving chase. He then learns that someone dubbed "Nightmare" has been taunting the city's leaders for weeks--and there's more carnage to come, unless the city meets the madman's impossible demands. The nervous police need an outside man, and Fritz fits the bill. Racing furiously against time, Fritz finds himself confounded by Nightmare's multiple masks and messengers. But the dark story behind the story soon begins to emerge, and when Fritz zeroes in on the terrible truth, the killer retaliates by making things personal. Now Fritz must grapple with his deepest fear: Sometimes nightmares really do come true.
Praise for Speak of the Devil
"Hawke razzle-dazzles us with . . . bada-bing narration and quirky, well-drawn characters."--The Boston Globe
" Packed] with a breathless pace and hairpin turns."--South Florida Sun Sentinel
"Fast-moving, first-rate . . . Hawke's plot grabs us by the throat. . . . He keeps the suspense mounting."--The Washington Post Book World
"Solidly entertaining . . . Hawke makes a big splash on the thriller scene with his debut novel."--The Philadelphia Inquirer
" Speak of the Devil] tours the city with unusual streetwise panache . . . but this isn't a book that coasts on its urban geography. It lives by its wits, and its wits would work anywhere."--The New York Times
"A bang-bang thriller . . . We are absolutely powerless to stop reading."--Chicago Tribune
" A] deftly paced debut that crackles and pops from page 1."--Booklist (starred review)
"Thrill-a-minute pacing and inspired plot twists."--Newsday
"A rare combination of intrigue and intensity."--Michael Connelly
About the Author
Richard Hawke lives in New York City. This is his first novel. Visit his website at www.RHawke.com.
From the Hardcover edition.