George V. Higgins

La rata en llamas, de George V. Higgins, autor de otras obras de la novela negra como Los amigos de Eddie Coyle o Mátalos suavemente, es una de las mejores novelas de este autor y es una clara muestra de su singular capacidad para plasmar con realismo la vida criminal, que llevaria a la critica a calificarlo como el Balzac de los bajos fondos de Boston. George V. Higgins nacio en Brockton (Massachusetts) en 1939. Durante siete años trabajo para el gobierno en la lucha contra el crimen organizado en la zona de Boston, actividad de la que sacaria inspiracion para muchas de sus novelas.Jerry Fein, abogado de poca monta y agente de artistas de medio pelo, es tambien propietario de un edificio de apartamentos en Boston. Como sus inquilinos llevan tiempo sin pagar el alquiler en protesta por el penoso estado de la finca, Fein cree que prenderle fuego seria la manera mas facil de desahuciarlos. Pero la tarea no sera sencilla: los delincuentes encargados del trabajo, Leo Proctor y Jimmy Dannaher, tendran que ingeniarselas para sobornar al inspector de incendios de la zona, el expolicia Billy Malatesta; y el fiscal del distrito se ha empeñado en terminar con los casos de acoso inmobiliario. A partir de dialogos precisos y brillantes Higgins construye una trama adictiva y veraz y ofrece al lector una panoramica de distintos ambientes de la ciudad de Boston.

Jackie Cogan, sicario de la mafia de Nueva Inglaterra, es el encargado de «resolver» el atraco a una partida de póquer clandestina. Cogan, un profesional despiadado con la eficacia de un hombre de ne

Higgins...has arranged the conventions of the crime novel into something new: oblique, bleak and often graveyard funny SUNDAY TIMESEvery American crime writer of the past 30 years owes a debt to George V Higgins. Higgins is the daddy. Read him and rejoice Val McDermidHiggins deserves to stand in the company of Chandler and Hammett as one of the true innovators in crime fiction Scott TurowWhen the tenants of Jerry Feins dilapidated buildings refuse to pay the rent on account of the rats, Jerry drafts in arsonist Leo Proctor to take care of the problem. After all, the place is insured and the fire marshalls back is turned, so what could go wrong?

El propietario de un lúgubre edificio de apartamentos de Boston cuyos inquilinos llevan tiempo sin pagar el alquiler en protesta por el penoso estado de la finca cree que prenderle fuego sería la manera mas facil de desahuciarlos. Pero la tarea no sera facil: los delincuentes encargados del trabajo tendran que ingeniarselas para sobornar al inspector de incendios de la zona, y el ayuntamiento de la ciudad se ha empeñado en erradicar los casos de acoso inmobiliario.Higgins utiliza sus precisos y brillantes dialogos no solo para lograr una trama adictiva sino tambien para ofrecer una panoramica de distintos ambientes de la ciudad de Boston.La rata en llamas es una de las mejores novelas de George V. Higgins, y es una clara muestra de su singular capacidad para plasmar con realismo la vida criminal que llevaria a la critica a calificarlo como el Balzac de los bajos fondos de Boston.El Balzac del hampa de Boston () Higgins tiene un talento casi unico para dar voz a sus personajes, cada uno de ellos es tan distintivo como una huella dactilar.The New YorkerCualquier aspirante a novelista, no solo el que quiera escribir thrillers, deberia espabilar y leer a Higgins.John GrishamSi eres un fan de Higgins, deberias lanzarte a por este.Houston Chronicle

Jackie Cogan, sicario de la mafia de Nueva Inglaterra, es el encargado de «resolver» el atraco a una partida de póquer clandestina. Cogan, un profesional despiadado con la eficacia de un hombre de ne

No one ever did it better NEW YORK TIMESIf you havent read George V. Higgins you cant call yourself a fan of crime fiction Val McDermidArthur McKeach and Nick Cistero have been behind most of the loan-sharking, extortion, hijacking, illegal gambling, union corruption and drug-dealing in Greater Boston for almost four decades - and every cop in the Boston Police Department knows it.So whats kept them on the streets for so long?What the cops dont know is that McKeach and Cistero have a sweet deal going with the Boston office of the FBI: the bureau looks the other way when theyre doing business, and even gives them a heads-up when the local or state cops start poking around - and all McKeach and Cistero have to do is rat out the Italian mob from Bostons North End.Its a deal that has worked for four decades, but now theres a new agent in town, fresh from a desk job in Washington, ready to take over the Organized Crime Unit. Is it the end of an era in the Boston underworld, or are McKeach and Cistero about to find out just how far corruption can go?

A hell of a story from a hell of a storytellerDaily MailHiggins writes about the world of crime with an authenticity that is unmatchedWashington Post1970, Boston, and a daring attack on an armoured transport delivering money to a bank, catches Massachusetts law enforcement napping. While the police are still trying to figure out where this new and coldly efficient gang sprang from, more dazzling heists follow - each one meticulously planned and ruthlessly executed.It soon becomes clear these are no ordinary criminals, but as one of the cops assigned to the case figures, longhairs that got bored with protesting the war and branched out. Faced with a tight-knit cell of urban revolutionaries led by a charismatic intellectual with no compunction about killing for the cause, the authorities seem powerless to stop them.Unless they step outside the law themselves...

A crime masterpiece brought back into print - and transformed into the major film, Killing Them Softly, starring Brad Pitt.Brilliant WASHINGTON POST Gripping TIMES MasterlyWALL STREET JOURNALJackie Cogan doesnt advertise what he does. But when the New England mob have a mess they need cleared up, they know who to call. Markie Trattman runs a high-stakes card-game under their protection. When the game gets raided by a couple of no-name hoodlums, Jackies out of pocket. Unless of course he set up the heist himself. Either way the mobs got a problem. To restore credibility and keep things running smooth, they need to find out whos behind the heist - and then justice must be seen to be done. Which is where Jackie comes in. The trouble is, this is one game with a lot of players, including an out-of-town hitman, a sleazy attorney, a professional dog-stealer, and enough hoods, hangers-on and high-rollers to really make Jackie earn his dough.Filmed as Killing Them Softly.

Flawless of its kind - never a false word, phrase, rhythm, gesture. - The New RepublicEvery American crime writer of the past 30 years owes a debt to George V Higgins. Higgins is the daddy. Read him and rejoice Val McDermidJerry Digger Doherty is an ex-con and proprietor of a workingmans Boston bar, who supplements his income with the occasional odd job, like stealing live checks or picking up hot goods. His brothers a priest, his wifes a nag, and he has a deadly appetite for martinis and gambling. On a trip to Vegas, the Digger finds himself in the sights of a loan shark known as The Greek. Luckily - if you call it luck - the Digger has been let in on a little job that can turn his gambling debt into a profit, if only he can pull it off without getting himself killed.

Every American crime writer of the past 30 years owes a debt to George V Higgins. Higgins is the daddy. Read him and rejoice Val McDermidThis author has the talent to make every word count, ratcheting up the tension as the story unfolds. . . a novel rich in characterisation DAILY MAILFederal Agent Pete Riordan has two problems, and both of them could end with murder.Convicted killer Mikey-mike Magro has never made a secret of the fact that if he ever gets out of jail, hes going to go after the man he thinks put him there, Jerry Digger Doherty. And now it seems some very influential people are trying to get Magro pardoned and out on the street.Riordan figures Bishop Paul Doherty, an old friend who also happens to be the Diggers brother, might put him on the right track - and he might just be able to help him with his second problem too: word is that a man is over from the old country intending to buy arms for the IRA. No one knows his name, or even what he looks like, but Riordan needs to find him fast - or his two problems could come together like a lighted fuse and a stick of gelignite.

The best crime novel ever written - Elmore LeonardIf you havent read George V. Higgins you cant call yourself a fan of crime fiction Val McDermidHiggins deserves to stand in the company of Chandler and Hammett as one of the true innovators in crime fiction Scott TurowWhen small-time gunrunner Eddie Coyle is convicted on a felony, hes looking at three years in the pen - that is, unless he sells out one of his big-fish clients to the DA. But which of the many hoods, gunmen and executioners he calls his friends should he send up river? Set on the mean streets of Boston and told almost entirely in crackling dialogue by a vivid cast of cops and lowlifes, The Friends of Eddie Coyle set a standard for authentically gritty crime fiction that has never been bettered.

A riveting, blistering novel about the shady side of the law and the business side of the Boston underworld by the one and only George V. Higgins. Jerry Fein is a small-time lawyer, occasional booking agent, and full-time slumlord. But hes nobodys fool. So when the tenants of his dilapidated buildings refuse to pay rent because of rats, Jerry knows just the man to help himLeo Proctor, a professional arsonist, who can make a fire marshal look the other way for a little cash. But the heat is on over at the police station as well, and a couple of cops are suddenly feeling pressure from their superiors to produce tangible results, and something has got to give. Full of showboating politicians, hardnosed cops, and lawyers a little too familiar with both sides of the law, The Rat on Fire is another Higgins masterpiece and an unflinching portrait of the Boston crime world.

A hard-hitting, tour de force tale of the mob and the man who makes sure their rules are the only rules, by the American master of crime George V. Higgins. Jackie Cogan is an enforcer, and when the mobs rules get broken, Cogan is called in to take care of business. This time a high-stakes card game has been held up by an unknown gang of thugs. Calculating, ruthless, businesslike, and with a shrewd sense of other peoples weaknesses, Cogan plies his trade, moving among a variety of hoods, hangers-on, and big-timers, tracking those responsible, and returning "law and order" to the lawless Boston underworld. Combining remarkable wit, crackling dialogue, and a singular ability to show criminal life as it is lived, George V. Higgins builds an incredible story of crime to an unforgettable climax.