Tower

A literary crime novel by the 2008 Edgar Award nominees Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman.

Publishers Weekly

Divided into two halves, this short, brutally poetic tour of the underside of Brooklyn, Boston and Philadelphia marks the first collaboration between noir masters Bruen (The Guards) and Coleman (The James Deans). Drawing on the classic theme of childhood friends pulled toward different sides of the law, the coauthors tell the story of Nick and Todd in quick concise scenes, sketching backstories and love lives, flipping time and incidents like Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Running errands under the cold eyes of an enforcer, Griffin, for the Bible-quoting gangster Boyle, the heroes learn fast enough that "you live in the rain forest, you get wet." And looming symbolically over their narrow, violent world is the north tower of the World Trade Center. Bruen and Coleman shine, dropping in-jokes, experimenting and displaying all the literary chops that have made their novels such cult favorites among mystery fans. (Sept.)

Ken Bruen is the two-time Shamus Award-winning author of the Jack Taylor crime novels, the Brant series, and London Boulevard, soon to be a major motion picture, written and directed by Oscar winner William Monahan (The Departed). He lives in Galway, Ireland. Reed Farrel Coleman was Brooklyn born and raised. He is the former Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America.  His third Moe Prager novel, The James Deans, won the Shamus, Barry and Anthony Awards for Best Paperback Original.  The book was further nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, and Gumshoe Awards.