Where It Hurts: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

Gus Murphy, a retired cop, had everything a man could want: a great marriage, two kids, a nice house and the rest of his life ahead of him. But when his family is blown apart, he is transformed from a man who believes he understands everything into a man who understands nothing. Divorced and working as a courtesy van driver, ex-con Tommy Delcamino comes to him for help. Months earlier, TJ Delcamino's battered body was discovered and the police don't seem interested in finding the killers. In desperation, Tommy seeks out the only cop he ever trusted - Gus Murphy.

Reviews

Part of NPRs Guide to 2016 Great Reads

Named one of The Washington Posts Best Mystery Books and Thrillers of 2016

Theres the thrill that comes in discovering a terrific new mystery writer, and then theres the thrill that comes in discovering a terrific new and different mystery novel written by an already acknowledged master.Superbanother standout series.in Colemans hands, all the standard elements seem as radiant and new as a freshly peroxided blonde.Where It Hurtsis one of those evocative mysteries that readers will remember as much for its charged sense of place as for any of its other considerable virtues.The Washington Post

Coleman has long been one of the best crime novelists in the businessWhere ItHurtsis a superb detective novel in the Raymond Chandler tradition, featuring fine prose, a suspenseful yarn and a compelling main character who will leave readers hungering for the next installment.Associated Press

Colemans busy bookset far from the Hamptons in those ugly patches we Long Islanders like to pretend dont existhas plenty of robust regional flavor.New York Times Book Review

Colemanis an excellent storyteller, and his colorful, punchy writing displays a delicious noir cynicism.But what local crime fiction fans will find most absorbing aboutWhere It Hurtsis its clear-eyed knowing portrait of the people and places that comprise Long Islands hidden underworld.Newsday

Coleman writes witha rough beauty.Coleman is a genius.Fascinating reading and will richly entertain you. Jackie K Cooper, Book Critic, The Huffington Post

Colemans poetic pulp fiction in Where It Hurts translates seamlessly to the here and now.Its proof that the hard-boiled detective genre is timeless. His version of Sam Spade merely carries a cellphone and has a therapist.The Dallas Morning News

Gus, who is absolutely one of genre veteran Colemans best-drawn characters, brings the hard-boiled investigators requisite battle scars to the table without the self-destructive bent weve been trained to expect. Instead, he meets his tragedy and its consequences with a considered straightforwardness, and his desire for justice reawakens in time with the investigations quickening tempo, hopefully signaling the start of a series.Booklist (starred)

Stellar series kickoff . . . Colemans moving portrayal of a man in deep, deep pain, a tightly constructed plot, and a gift for making Long Island seem like James Ellroys L.A. add up to a winner. Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Its impossible to pull Gus, whose depressive streak is matched only by his bulldog determination, off the case. Tracking down three lowlifeshe quickly finds himself in a whirlpool of sex, drugs, murder, and warnings to walk away.Kirkus

Reed Farrel Coleman introduces a great new character, Gus Murphy, a street savvy ex-cop who operates beneath the glitter of the Gold Coast and the glitz of the Hamptons in a Long Island that few outsiders ever see. Where It Hurts is a gut punch of a novel, a murder mystery layered with grief, greed, and grit. Coleman is as good as Chandler, Hammett or Ed McBain. Nelson DeMille

"One of the greatest voices in contemporary crime fiction, and one of the best storytellers too. I loved this book. Nobody does it better."Lee Child

Gus Murphy is the new name in crime fiction. He is my kind of guy and Where It Hurts, Reed Farrel Colemans spectacularly absorbing new novel, is my kind of story. You go into a story like this expecting/hoping for a solid character to ride with, a high-octane story in which you dont see the turns coming in the road ahead, and a truthful observation on life from a different angle. As usual, Coleman delivers. I cant wait for Murphy and Coleman to show up again. Michael Connelly

The author of the Moe Prager series has created another engaging sleuth in the down-but-not-out GusThe ancillary characters, both good and bad, are also a fascinating mix. Moe Prager fans will hail this new series, as will lovers of solid mysteries, especially those set on Long Island.Library Journal (starred)

Modern noir at its absolute best! Reading Where It Hurts is to bask in the joy of the heyday of private eye fictionChandler, Hammett, Cain and the whole crew. Everythings a delight, from the speedy and clever plot, to the firecracker snap of the dialog, to the heart-wrenching portrayal of the charactersgood and bad. And Gus Murphy, what a protagonist! Colemans truly delivered, and then some.Jeffery Deaver

Where It Hurts is a thrilling start to a new series by Reed Farrel Coleman - who writes some of the best crime fiction around. Tough prose, taut plotting, and a great new protagonist named Gus Murphy. Coleman's got a winner here."Linda Fairstein


Reed Farrel Colemans Where It Hurts tells a riveting story about a Long Island that has nothing to do with the romantic vision of F. Scott Fitzgerald in this action packed tale of an amoral world. Coleman is a born storyteller who writes with great authority and gives as much bang for the buck as the best books in the genre.Pat Conroy, author of South of Broad and Beach Music

Where It Hurts ushers us into a vivid and rueful new world with a striking and haunted hero for whom we fall hard. With his signature hard-bitten lyricism but with an urgency and darkness all its own, Reed Farrel Coleman has given us a riveting new series well want to live with for a very, very long time.Megan Abbot, New York Times bestselling author of Dare Me and The Fever

Where It Hurts is taut, smart, and engaging with a terrific sense of place. Readers will never go wrong with Gus Murphy or his creator Reed Farrel Coleman.C.J. Box, New York Times bestselling author of Endangered

Author Bio

Reed Farrel Coleman, called "a hard-boiled poet" by NPR's Maureen Corrigan and the "noir poet laureate" in The Huffington Post, is the Edgar-nominated author of twenty-three novels and three novellas, including the critically acclaimed Moe Prager series. A three-time winner of the Shamus Award, he has also won the Anthony, Macavity, Barry, and Audie Awards. Coleman lives with his family on Long Island.