The White Van

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

At a dive bar in San Francisco's edgy Tenderloin district, the dishevelled Emily Rosario is drinking whiskey and looking for an escape. When she is approached by a mysterious and wealthy Russian, she thinks she has found an exit from her drifter lifestyle and drug-addict boyfriend. A week later she finds herself drugged, disoriented and wanted for robbery.

On the other side of town, cop Leo Elias is broke, alcoholic and desperate. When he hears about an unsolved bank robbery, the stolen money proves too strong a temptation. Elias takes the case into his own hands, hoping to find the criminal and the money before anyone else does.

With sharply drawn characters and twists that surprise until the end, The White Van introduces a strong new talent.

Reviews

Filled with epic twists and savage turns, the pace is relentless, and Hoffman's drive sets fire to the pages as he crawls across the sinister black underbelly of the Californian dream... Exhilarating and powerful. * Daily Mail *
Exhilarating crime debut... Hoffman's crime plot doesn't just thicken, it boils with surprise after surprise and suspense as tight as a noose. * San Francisco Chronicle *
The White Van, with its quick and scary turns, provides a hell of a ride; the action never stops - even after the final page. * Wall Street Journal *
A nifty bit of noir set in the mean streets of San Francisco... a juicily dark thriller. * Weekend Sport *
A heist propels Hoffman's outstanding first novel... Hoffman, who spent years working as a PI in San Francisco, writes with great authority about the city's seamy side and the grim realities of life for its down-on-their-luck denizens. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *
My favourite debut of 2015 so far... His careful, pared-down prose is a delight... The White Van is a caperish delight, channelling Elmore Leonard and Donald Westlake to exhilarating and unexpected effect. -- John O'Connell * Guardian *
Stuffed with truly shocking twists. * Entertainment Weekly *

Author Bio

Patrick Hoffman is a writer and private investigator based in New York. He recently moved from San Francisco where he worked as an investigator, with the last five years spent at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office. This is his debut novel.