BLOOD ALLEY

THE DEVINE TRILOGY

"New York in the 1940s was a wide-open town. In the city of Swing Street, Frank Costello, and the Stork Club, everything was for sale, including its people."

Into this arena steps Patrick Grimes, a World War II veteran who works the graveyard shift for The New York Examiner, one of the city’s brassiest tabloids. Late one night, Grimes learns that a watchman has found the body of a young woman in a squalid section of tenements and breweries by the East River, and races over to investigate. The victim turns out to be Amanda Price, the eldest daughter of one of Manhattan’s wealthiest men. Grimes can’t help but wonder what would draw such a woman to that part of town. The watchman who found her is arrested for her murder, and confesses, but Grimes is convinced it’s a forced confession and the man is truly innocent. He begins an investigation into Amanda Price’s life and death, uncovering truths that jeopardize not only his life, but also his sanity. Along the way, he traverses a dizzying world that offers endless possibilities that are tempting, dangerous and—for some people—overwhelming.

SPECIAL VICTIM is the explosive sequel to Tom Coffey’s widely praised PUBLIC MORALS, which examined the dynamics of a family that was shattered by a police corruption scandal. In SPECIAL VICTIM, which is loosely based on the Central Park Jogger case, Coffey dives even deeper into questions of love, truth and loyalty, and of how the past is always present in our lives.

paperback RETAILERS

ALSO AVAILABLE IN HARDCOVER

BOOK DETAILS

Publisher ‏ : ‎ AmazonEncore; Unabridged edition (March 1, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1612183069
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1612183060
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches

ebook RETAILERS
KINDLE DETAILS

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00758V9Y6
Publisher ‏ : ‎ AmazonEncore (March 13, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 13, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1343 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages

amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Noir at its finest

New York – Middle of November 1946…Cub reporter and rewrite man Patrick Grimes works the graveyard shift at “The New York Examiner,” one of those sleazy tabloids that sensationalism. Tonight Grimes is sent to help cover the finding of a dead woman’s body down by the East River. That area is a hell-hole of breweries and tenements. He arrives as Finkel the photographer does what he does best: manipulate the body to get the most sensational photograph. Nearby stands the man who called in the tip, William Anderson. Just as Finkel is wrapping up, the police arrive with lights and sirens blasting. Anderson is arrested because he is in possession of a twenty dollar bill and he’s African-American. When police learn the woman is socialite Amanda Price, Anderson is charged and beaten until he signs a confession. Grimes doesn’t believe that Anderson is guilty and launches his own investigation that takes him from the beautiful homes and society to the underbelly of the city. Along the way, he learns that there is more to Amanda Price and the Price family than meets the eye. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for more than a decade, and I could just kick myself that hadn’t read it before now. What a shame Humphrey Bogart is no longer with us to play Grimes in the movie that should be made; it’s noir at its finest. The language is real, with the “N” word being used as much as I suspect it was back then. The stereotypes of the newsroom and the boozy city editor are dead on and give the story an authentic feel…or at least as authentic as I have been conditioned to believe. “Bloody Alley” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

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Dennis Pastore
February 16, 2016

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

A really good read with a very likable lead character.

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rmay
May 15, 2015

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention getter!

I couldn't put this book down! It was a well written story and certainly piqued my interest. It was just the right length and provided enough detail of each character to paint a wonderful, thrilling story.

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Lsanchez
August 21, 2014

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish there were more in series!

Very interesting like the point I of view it was written from. Didn't think I would like the time period it was written in but it was great. Fast and well done.

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Jerry F
February 7, 2014

4.0 out of 5 stars A fast paced and engaging read.

Well developed characters and a story that draws you in. Very interesting backdrop with NYC and the formation of the UN. Disappointing ending that makes you crave for more.

amazon
CMcGrud
March 14, 2013

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT

I am a vampire lover, this was a great reading and kept my attention. Will recommend this book for all!!

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Jay
January 31, 2013

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read

Good contrast of powerful vs poor in era where cities police and newspapers ideas of justice clash. A look at how intolerance affected both classes.

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Leland L. Harms
January 11, 2013

4.0 out of 5 stars Blood Alley

The setting for this story occurs in a time when New York was struggling with greed, graft, and racism. It is not for the faint of heart or for those who want a "feel good story" where justice is always served, the guy always gets the girl, and everyone treats others with respect regardless of race, color, or creed. It is a good read and reminds us that we still live in an imperfect world.

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Elizabeth Martin
January 10, 2013

4.0 out of 5 stars Blood Alley

Good storyline . I love the life in the 1940's and this book captured that. I would highly recommend this...fun read

amazon
JoAnne Rivard
January 10, 2013

blood alley

Very interesting, easy to get through, a few good surprises, i was not expecting that ending. not sure i understood it myself. Good read, I could not wait to get back to it . JoAnne Rivard

amazon
S. Tanner
January 3, 2013

4.0 out of 5 stars My first time reading Coffey

My first time reading Tom Coffey, and it was a good book. I would read another of his...no, I WILL read another of his.

amazon
Dyann
November 19, 2012

5.0 out of 5 stars great book

This was really a good book. It led you through alot to get to the plot and where you needed to be. The end is not what you would expect.

amazon
Ishmeal
October 13, 2012

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Noir

This story is reminiscent of the old black and white films of the post WW2 era. Gangsters, vets, manipulators, the idle rich of high society, and the working guy. There are no real suprises as the plot winds down, but the journey is stylish in the old noir tradition.

amazon
Adelita
May 24, 2012

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read

This is one of the best books I have ever read. The twists and turns kept me hooked. I could relate with his childhood as far as he described his mother and his relationship with his sister. This is a book I will read again, the ending does not disappoint. It's not an uplifting story, but a very human story. What we do morally, how we try to find redemption in our lives, can we? We try and sometimes that is not enough.

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David W. Nicholas
July 30, 2008

4.0 out of 5 stars Very retro, very noir

I've never read anything by Tom Coffey before. This book is unusual for a number of reasons. One odd one is that there's no dust jacket, for some reason: instead, the illustration you see above is printed right on the cover. Second, it's from a publisher I've never heard of before called the Toby Press. And thirdly, it's set during the era just post-World War II, and the author manages to capture the era, as far as I can tell, very very well. The result is a fascinating tale of betrayal, intrigue, and murder, set in New York City. Patrick Grimes is a war-hero reporter, not really comfortable yet in his job as a "rewrite man" on the night shift. When a call comes in to the newsroom announcing the discovery of a dead body, Grimes and a photographer go to the scene and find themselves looking at a dead socialite who shouldn't have been in the neighborhood. The police soon show up and it's clear that the fix is in: they promptly arrest the local night watchman, who's black, and beat a confession out of him. Grimes is outraged, and decides to try and find out what happened. This is a very good story, clean and swift and intelligent, and well-written. There's enough violence and sex to interest the popcorn and soda crowd, and there's enough political intrigue and cameos by real individuals (Rockefeller's name appears repeatedly; so does mobster Frank Costello's) to make it interesting for the more cerebral among us. I really liked the story too: it has overtones of Chinatown, but is more believable. I would recommend this book to most who are interested in mysteries.

amazon
Roy E. Perry
May 25, 2008

4.0 out of 5 stars A cut above most murder mysteries

In Blood Alley, Tom Coffey (The Serpent's Club, 1999; Miami Twilight, 2001) has written a powerful novel about a brutal murder in Manhattan and the Machiavellian financial shenanigans of those who worship mammon. Patrick Grimes, 23, a lapsed Irish Catholic, is a rookie rewrite man for The New York Examiner. A decorated war hero--he was awarded the Bronze Star for fierce fighting against the Germans in Tuscany, north of the Arno River--he is "not blessed with faith but cursed by skepticism." In the story that unfolds, he has good reasons for not trusting those in authority. In Blood Alley, a grimy, squalid. and blighted stretch of slaughterhouses, breweries, tenements. and flophouses wedged along the East River, the body of a rich young woman, Amanda Price, is discovered, and an innocent black man, William Anderson, is railroaded as her killer. Post-war New York City, a great citadel of capitalism that boasts "the best police force money can buy," is a hotbed of rampant racism and corruption. In seeking to establish Anderson's innocence, Grimes battles an array of ruthless, power-hungry adversaries, and puts his own life--and sanity--at risk. Blood Alley is a cut above most murder mysteries. Grimes is quite the philosopher, a man who, in spite of his pessimism, is driven by a love of justice and struggles against all odds to find the truth. The disturbing outcome of this novel, echoing the poet's assessment that "the world is too much with us, late and soon," reveals the fine line between cynicism and realism.

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