April 1, 2015
A former boxer, Joe deserted the army after getting shot in the Falklands. He returns to London and takes off-the-books work where he can get it. His large build, military training, and ability to take a punch make him ideal for security jobsfrom working as a bouncer to providing muscle for the city's crime bosses. One night, a casino robbery pulls him into something much bigger. And now, everyone associated with the job is turning up dead, with the evidence all pointing to Joe. Every dead body that Joe steps over gets him that much closer to finding the man responsible. Along the way, he's shot by a 12-year-old girl, who then becomes his sidekick, which is good because the blows he's taken to the head in and out of the ring are exacting their toll. Fans of gritty crime fiction will respond to the noirish atmosphere and to Joe himself, whom we somehow find ourselves rooting for.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)