The Concrete River

“Witty, alert, energetic, talented way above the ordinary.” -New York Times Book Review

After losing his aerospace job-a casualty of the “peace dividend” brought by the end of the Cold War-52-year-old Jack Liffey still fights his personal wars: with the bottle, his ex-wife, and his loneliness after losing custody of his precocious and beloved daughter, Maeve. Before he can surrender to a life of alcoholic cynicism, an unexpected vocation enters his life when a mysterious woman from Mexico hires Jack to find her missing daughter.

Suddenly, Jack is dealing with a real estate developer’s goons, powerful politicians, and-perhaps most dangerous-his increasing feelings for a former nun who may be the key to the entire case. Armed with a small handgun and unwavering determination, Jack must rescue someone else’s daughter so he can redeem his own sense of purpose and fatherhood. With this first Jack Liffey mystery, the Library Journal already named John Shannon a “Noir master…[who] tackles a tough social issue with intelligence and a clear moral compass. His spare, noir style and articulate dialog strike just the right balance between thriller and social consciousness.”

The Jack Liffey series takes readers deep into the many unexplored communities, enclaves and cultures of Los Angeles that sometimes co-exist, sometimes clash, but always surprise. Fans of Michael Connelly will fall deep into the fast-paced, unpredictable, and fascinating world John Shannon creates.