Once again, Bruen proves his prowess as a contemporary noir author with this chilling look at how easy it could be for basically good cops to go bad and worse, what happens when a certifiable whacko carries a badge. Matthew Patrick O’Shea grew up in Galway, Ireland to follow his father into the Guards but aspired to be more, he wanted an assignment in America where cops could carry guns. When the opportunity arose to connive his way into an exchange program with the NYPD, Shea jumped at the chance.
Kurt Browski liked to think of himself as a good cop, he was known for using more force then was strictly necessary which earned him the nickname, K-bar. With a mentally handicapped sister to take care of, K-bar had to resort to taking payments from known crime bosses in return for “tips” regarding the NYPD. Resentment grows as Shea works at making a name for himself yet Shea has a dark side, he periodically zones out and strangles women with a set of rosary beads. Tension escalates as Shea and K-bar’s lives spin further out of control while forces begin working behind the scenes to bring a psycho to justice.
Told in the first person, this excellent, edgy thriller holds your interest to the final page with a credible storyline and sinister undertones that will send goosebumps up your spine the next time a police officer appears in your rear view mirror.
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