Tin Badges
A Novel
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sleepers and The Wolf, hailed as “simply the best” (Steve Berry) and “one of the most intriguing writers around” (Newsweek). . . .
A top NYPD detective is pulled out of retirement to take down a notorious drug dealer. But will he risk the only family he’s ever had to crack the case?
As one of the NYPD’s most trusted “tin badges”—retired detectives brought in to solve cases that are beyond the reach of the everyday force—Tank Rizzo has faced off against some of the city’s toughest criminals without breaking a sweat. To tackle a case involving a dangerous kingpin known as Gonzo, Tank turns to his best friend and ex-partner, Pearl; a former mobster living out a seemingly quiet retirement as the owner of Tank’s favorite Italian restaurant; and a team of expert misfits he would trust with his life. But Gonzo will stop at nothing to defend the empire he's built, and won't hesitate to make it personal.
Then Tank gets a call telling him that his brother and sister-in-law, estranged from him for many years, have been killed in a horrific car accident. Tank is the only family left for his orphaned teenage nephew, Chris, although he knows his lifestyle is ill-suited to win him father of the year.
Chris moves in with Tank, and the two circle each other warily. It’s only when Chris reveals an interest in true crime and a genius-level skill with computers that they begin to bond. Chris’s skills may be exactly what Tank’s team needs to take Gonzo down—but getting him involved could put his life at risk.
Advance praise for Tin Badges
“Carcaterra capably combines his trademark adrenaline-fueled action with the emotion involved in Tank taking on a parental role for a sometimes surly teen. All this needs, after a cliff-hanger close, is a sequel, and, fortunately, one is promised.” —Booklist
“Another gem from a writer who has earned his spot at the top echelon of suspense masters . . . Everything here leaps from the page, never stinting on the harsh reality, delivering a spicy, smart, and entertaining adventure.”—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in New York, this uneven series launch from bestseller Carcaterra (Sleepers) introduces former NYPD detective Tank Rizzo, one of the titular Tin Badges ("Retired cops who get handed cases when the PD is on overload"). When Tank's estranged brother and sister-in-law die in a car accident, he takes in his grieving teenage nephew, Chris Rizzo. Tank also lands a not-so-cold case involving a drug dealer and numerous corrupt NYPD officers, and Chris ends up joining Tank's motley crew of investigators, which also includes an ex-mob boss, a Romani fortune teller, and Tank's former partner, Pearl. The police give Tank and his team so much leeway that Mike Hammer would be jealous, and as their hunt for the dealer continues, plenty of folks get sent to the hospital or morgue. Though Carcaterra keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace, the unrealism of his world (where old-school mob bosses appear to have never hurt any innocents) and shallowness of the characters remove any sense of gravitas from the plot. Fans of lighter crime fiction may enjoy this, however.
