The Devil's Half Mile

Description

New York, 1799. Justy Flanagan returns to his native city after five years in Ireland fighting the English. Bloodied and battered, Justy is no stranger to violence. Now he must use all his resources to uncover the truth behind his father's murder. But while he looks so intently at the past, it is the present that threatens to trip him up. When the body of a young woman appears in the docklands, brutally murdered, Justy must venture into the dark underbelly of the nascent city, where the labyrinthine streets hold danger at every turn. And, as the conspiracy deepens, it becomes clear that those involved will stop at nothing to keep their secrets ...

Paddy Hirsch was educated in Dublin and Belfast, and the University of Warwick, where he founded the University's Irish Society. He started his journalism career in Hong Kong after a short stint in the military, and spent the next few years working in East and Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. From there to America, where he covered various aspects of Wall Street for a variety of American and European news outlets. He lives in Los Angeles.

A tense, violent and atmospheric crime thriller set in 1799 when the white-collar criminals carried switchblades and human lives were traded like sacks of grain. * Michael Robotham, award-winning author of LIFE OR DEATH * A page-turning historical thriller... A perfect holiday read. * Irish Independent * A meticulously researched historical thriller... with strong, multifaceted [characters] and tight plotting. I will impatiently await the sequel. -- Patrick Taylor Fascinating and well drawn. * The Times * The Devil's Half-Mile terrified me. Paddy Hirsch's vivid story of New York in 1799 shows just how vulnerable our newborn nation was to greedy men with no moral centers. Young Irish-American Justice Flanagan manages to expose the corruption of Wall Street and misdeeds of government officials but it's a close thing. Impossible not to think of parallels to today and hope there are some contemporary Justice Flanagans at work. Powerful. * Mary Pat Kelly, filmmaker and best-selling author of Galway Bay and Of Irish Blood *