Proving Ground

A Brooklyn lawyer's murder places his Iraq War veteran son and two detectives on a collision course in this crime novel by an Edgar Award–winning author.

Nathaniel Dresden never really got along with his father, an infamous civil rights lawyer who defended criminals and spearheaded protest movements. As an act of rebellion, Natty joined the US Army and served in Iraq, coming back with a chest full of commendations and a head full of disturbing memories.


But when his father is found murdered near the peaceful confines of Brooklyn's Prospect Park, Natty is forced to deal with the troubled legacy of their unresolved relationship. He also must fend off the growing suspicions of NYPD Detective Lourdes Robles, a brash cop with something to prove, who thinks Natty might bear some responsibility for his father's death. Though truth be told, the list of people—cops and criminals—who wanted David Dresden out of the way is long. The search for answers leads Natty and Lourdes into an urban labyrinth where they must confront each other—and the brutal truths that could destroy them both . . .

New York Times bestseller and Edgar Award–winner Peter Blauner's Proving Ground is a sweeping crime novel, an intricate story about the quest for redemption, and a vibrant portrait of contemporary New York City, all told in Blauner's singular voice.

Praise for Proving Ground

"An old-school page-turner. Taut narration, spot-on dialogue, and sharply etched action sequences make this one a must-read. I couldn't put the sucker down." —Stephen King


"With Proving Ground, Peter Blauner continues to prove why he's one of the most consistently bracing and interesting voices in American crime literature. A beautifully written and relentlessly exciting thriller." —Dennis Lehane


"[A] complex, character-rich tale. . . . A top-notch crime novel that avoids easy resolutions and is all the better for its unanswered questions." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


"[Blauner] has a bone-deep feel for New York's neighborhoods, a talent for making his characters fully alive, and the gift of turning descriptions into moments of found poetry on nearly every page." —Reviewing the Evidence