Books › The Black Book
The Black Book
546 pages
A gritty, high-stakes race through Chicago's corrupt underbelly where the greatest threat might be the protagonist's own missing memories.
What it feels like
This propulsive police procedural plunges the reader into a tense, shadowy vision of Chicago where power and corruption intertwine. The narrative moves at a breakneck pace, driven by a desperate search for truth and the disorienting fog of fractured memory. It feels gritty and urgent, wrapping the reader in a paranoid atmosphere where no one—not even the protagonist—can be fully trusted. The prose is sharp and action-oriented, prioritizing suspense and rapid-fire revelations over quiet introspection. It explores the heavy weight of family legacy alongside the dark secrets of the city's elite. This is a perfect fit for readers who devour high-octane crime thrillers and love the adrenaline rush of piecing together a deadly, high-stakes puzzle.
- Mood
- tense
- shadowy
- paranoid
- high-stakes
- Tone
- gritty
- urgent
- suspenseful
- cynical
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- family legacy · corruption and power · fractured memory · search for truth
- The writing
- Punchy, fast-paced, and action-oriented, designed to keep the pages turning rapidly.
- The arc
- Moves from disorienting trauma and confusion to a desperate, high-stakes drive for the truth.
- Who it's for
- Fans of gritty police procedurals and high-octane thrillers who love a flawed protagonist racing against time.
Content notes
- murder
- gun violence
- amnesia
- sex work themes
- police corruption
About the book
Being a cop runs in Billy Harney's family. The son of Chicago's Chief of Detectives whose twin sister, Patty, also followed in their father's footsteps, there's nothing Billy won't give up for the job, including his life. Left for dead alongside his former partner and a district attorney, Billy miraculously survives. But he remembers nothing about the events leading up to the shootout. The investigation leads to an unexpected address -- an exclusive brothel that caters to Chicago's most powerful citizens. There's plenty of incriminating evidence on the scene, but what matters most is what's missing: the madam's black book. Now shock waves are rippling through the city's elite, and everyone's desperate to find it. Billy suspects the black book contains the truth that will either set him free... or confirm his worst fears.
Description from Open Library.
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