Dooley's Back: A Novel of Crime (Otto Penzler Books) - Hardcover

Reaves, Sam

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786710942 ISBN 13: 9780786710942

Publisher: Carroll & Graf, 2002

Synopsis

Dooley is not back even a day, and already he’s helped a gangland punk with a switchblade in his hand and rape on his mind to a deadly fall. And throughout this gritty, hard-boiled crime novel by a master of the new noir, fists work fast, the talk comes tough, and pages turn as swiftly as the rip of a hitman’s bullet. Frank Dooley used to be a Chicago cop, but eight years ago a case of homicide prompted him to take the law into his own hands—the victim was his wife—and then head south, to Mexico. Dooley’s return is met by everyone with surprise, and by a few with pleasure. Like his old partner Roy Ferguson. Roy has had some weighty problems of his own. His seven-year-old son has drowned, he’s gone through a nasty divorce, and a serious gambling habit has buried him deep in debt. Dangerously deep; for an over-ambitious loan shark with the mob, John Spanos, is taking the juice on Roy’s $15,000 score in favors. Dooley convinces Roy he should own up to what he’s done, set up a sting on Spanos, and maybe get back his integrity as a cop. It’s a good plan, but it goes very bad, and Dooley soon finds himself caught perilously between the police force he deserted on one side and the Outfit Roy betrayed on the other. This is a tough-edged urban novel of crime and suspense. “The hard-boiled fraternity has a new member, and he’s a good one.”—Booklist “Gritty, fast-paced, satisfying.”—Publishers Weekly

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Not even a day is Dooley back, and already he's helped a Chicago gangland punk with a switchblade in his hand and rape on his mind to a deadly fall. It's instinct; Frank Dooley used to be a cop.
Things went bad for Dooley eight years ago, when a case of homicide prompted him to take the law into his own hands and then head south, to Mexico. His return to Chicago is met with surprise, among others by his older brother Kevin, now a police lieutenant, and by his old partner, Roy Ferguson.
Roy has had some problems of his own. He's gone through a nasty divorce, and a serious gambling habit has buried him deep in debt. Dangerously deep, for an ambitious loan shark with the mob, John Spanos, is taking the juice on Roy's fifteen-thousand-dollar score in police favors.
Dooley convinces Roy he should own up to what he's done and try to get back his integrity as a cop. Internal Affairs has a plan, but it goes very bad very fast. And this gritty, hard-boiled crime novel by a master of the new noir soon finds Dooley walking a perilous line between the police force he deserted on one side and the Outfit that Roy betrayed on the other.

About the Author:

Sam Reaves has written seven Chicago-based crime novels, including the Cooper MacLeish series, the Dooley series and the stand-alone Mean Town Blues. As Dominic Martell he has penned a European-based suspense trilogy.  Reaves has traveled widely in Europe and the Middle East but has lived in the Chicago area most of his life.  He has worked as a teacher and a translator.

About this edition

• Publisher: Carroll & Graf
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0786710942
• ISBN 13: 9780786710942
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256