Martin Quinn: A Novel of Suspense

This tough, gritty novel about the complex relationship between Martin Quinn, a tough, fatherless Irish kid who was raised by Italian gangsters, and Felix Pasko, the son of a Russian Mafioso, is a powerful, gripping thriller set in New York's brilliantly realized mean streets. Quinn is ambitious, not only for the respect of his criminal peers and the fortune to be made in the heroin trade, but also for his teenage sweetheart Penny, who's now married to Felix. The scheme that will achieve all his dreams is only hours away from success when revenge, greed, and betrayal lead to Felix's murder, a double-dealing ally's death, and a double homicide rap for Quinn, who must decide whether turning state's evidence against Felix's father will clear him of murder charges, make him a rich man, and gain him the most important prize of all--his best friend's widow. Lee excels at dramatizing his character's inner worlds as well as the milieu they inhabit; this is a psychologically astute novel that works on many levels and will keep the reader pinned to his seat until the last unexpected page. --Jane Adams