South Village (Ash McKenna)

South Village (Ash McKenna)

Rob Hart

Polis Books (2016)

Tags: Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, Hard-Boiled, Private Investigators, Thrillers & Suspense, Crime, Crime Fiction, Thrillers, Fiction

Mystery; Thriller & Suspensettt Mysteryttt Hard-Boiledttt Private Investigatorsttt Thrillers & Suspensettt Crimettt Crime Fictionttt Thrillersttt Fictionttt

Ash McKenna used to be an amateur P.I.—emphasis on ‘amateur’. Despite good intentions, he made a mess of his life in New York, so tried to build a new one in Portland. But after a traumatic turn of events, he ends up on a commune in the Georgia woods, binge-drinking cheap whiskey and waiting for his passport to flee the country and nightmares that have followed him.

Then a man is found dead. Known only as ‘Crusty Pete’, the commune dweller is sprawled in the dirt, having fallen from a high rope bridge. It’s written off as an accident, but Ash suspects something more sinister. As he looks into Pete’s death, Ash is shocked to find the supposedly peaceful community houses a rogue faction preparing to commit an unspeakable act of violence.

Ash has to make a choice: run, or put his skills to use and try to stop them. But he doesn’t know who to trust, or where the faction is planning to strike. As he struggles to put a stop to the violence, while keeping his own demons at bay, Ash finds that it’s only a matter of time before one or the other puts him down for good.

**

Review

"Lively...The story zigs and zags and then heads off in yet another direction, keeping one step ahead of the reader until it ends up in an unexpected but satisfying spot."
—*Publishers Weekly
*

"The results are by turns loopy, action-packed, droll, and believable."
—*Kirkus Reviews
*

Praise for CITY OF ROSE

"CITY OF ROSE has my favorite kind of hero, a tough guy romantic with a smart mouth and a dark past. Terrifically written, and populated with rich characters, this book had me by the throat from page one."
—Chelsea Cain,
New York Times
bestselling author of ONE KICK and HEARTSICK

“Brilliant…CITY OF ROSE, Rob Hart's latest Ash McKenna novel, is as sharp as the devil himself. Hart is a master storyteller who can turn a city into just as vital as any flesh and blood character.”
—Brian Panowich, author of BULL MOUNTAIN

"Well executed and strikes an appealing balance, rough without being sadistic, gritty without being sordid. ...an engaging read...characterized by Hart's quick and witty turns of phrase."
—*Kirkus Reviews
*

"Appealing...readers will enjoy (Hart's) playful, jaded hero and twisty plot."
—*Publishers Weekly
*

"CITY OF ROSE is briskly told, and Ash’s arch, loopy narration is often very funny. It’s been a good season for thrillers with a touch of comedy."
—*Booklist
*

"CITY OF ROSE is as good as hoped...the sharp voice covers -- barely -- the raw emotion roiling within Ash as he searches for a friend's missing girl, learning parts of Portland he'd rather not see because in fact, he knows the violence within them all too well."
—Sarah Weinman, editor of WOMEN CRIME WRITERS and TROUBLED DAUGHTERS, TWISTED WIVES

Praise for NEW YORKED

"The New York of NEW YORKED is a place of heartbreak and murder that I highly recommend you visit."
—Josh Bazell, author of BEAT THE REAPER

"Outstanding...I loved this novel. It may be the most quixotic hard-boiled I've read in ages. With clever nods to Chandler and lots of muscular metaphors, Hart has written an achingly lovely farewell to one man's past."
—*Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
*

"Hart's debut is a terse, grim, gritty, quickly moving noir that deftly explores post-9/11 New York...Ash is a wrecking ball of an investigator, a direct descendant of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer."
—*Mystery Scene
*

"Edgy... relentless pacing and strong sense of place."
—*Publishers Weekly
*

"There are good action scenes, nice offbeat characters, but what lingers is the swoony dialogue... Noir with a tingle of doomed but sweet romance."
—*Booklist
*

"A bloody valentine to a New York fast disappearing, this debut is an urban noir populated with memorable characters."
—*Library Journal
*

"A hard-boiled crime novelist in the vein of greats like Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain, not to mention modern masters like Lawrence Block and Dennis Lehane."
—*Staten Island Advance
*

“The literary version of THE WARRIORS.”
—Lyndsay Faye, author of THE GODS OF GOTHAM

"One part Dennis Lehane, one part Lee Child, and one part pure Rob Hart."
—Jenny Milchman, author of COVER OF SNOW and RUIN FALLS

"With a deft eye for the dirt under its polished fingernails, Rob Hart finds the rotten core inside today's Big Apple."
—Todd Robinson, author of THE HARD BOUNCE and editor of THUGLIT

"New York is a verb, and the chase is on. You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough."
—Suzy Vitello, author of THE MOMENT BEFORE and THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES

“A masterful debut… this is a book that sticks with you.” —
CrimeSpree Magazine

"Clever, witty, full of attitude—but never full of itself—Rob Hart’s debut novel doesn’t waste a syllable."
—David Corbett, author of THE DEVIL'S REDHEAD and BLOOD OF PARADISE

"Like a sucker punch to the guts before you turn the first page."
—Matthew McBride, author of FRANK SINATRA IN A BLENDER and A SWOLLEN RED SUN

About the Author

Rob Hart
is author of
New Yorked
and
City of Rose
, featuring Ash McKenna. He is the associate publisher at MysteriousPress.com and the class director at LitReactor. Previously, he has been a political reporter, the communications director for a politician, and a commissioner for the city of New York. Rob is the author of The Last Safe Place: A Zombie Novella, and his short stories have appeared in publications like Thuglit, NEEDLE, Shotgun Honey, All Due Respect, and Helix Literary Magazine. He lives in New York City. Visit him online at robwhart.com or at @robwhart.

New Yorked

City of Rose

The Last Safe Place: A Zombie Novella

Ash McKenna used to be an amateur private investigator—emphasis on ‘amateur’. Despite the best of intentions, he made a mess of his life in New York, so he tried to build a new one in Portland. But after a traumatic turn of events, he ends up on his friend’s commune in the Georgia woods, binge-drinking cheap whiskey to keep the nightmares at bay, and waiting for his passport to come in so he can flee the country.

Then one of the camp’s residents is found dead. Crusty Pete is sprawled in the dirt, having fallen from the rope bridge. It’s written off as an accident, but Ash suspects Pete was murdered. So he starts poking into Pete’s death, only to find the supposedly peaceful community houses a rogue faction preparing to commit an unspeakable act of violence.

Ash has to make a choice: Keep running, or accept what he’s good at and try to stop them. But he doesn't know who to trust, or where the faction is planning to strike. The task is daunting enough, but grows even harder when he stops drinking. Within a day he’s confused, shaking, and hallucinating. He’s not sure what’s going to get him first: Blood-thirsty hippies, or alcohol withdrawal.

To Amanda

For everything

“We don’t live

We just scratch on day to day

With nothing but matchbooks and sarcasm in our pockets

And all we’re waiting for is for something worth waiting for.”