[2010] The Violet Hour

Read [2010] The Violet Hour Storyline:

The only surviving son of a small-time career criminal, Cal Rakowski is a young man intent on living an uneventful life. A natural problem-solver, he earns good money as an off-the-books auto mechanic, working side-by-side with his friend Lebell in a Bridgehampton garage owned by a wealthy businessman named Eric Carver. But Cal’s idyllic existence is turned upside down when dark forces target the pregnant friend he is sheltering. And when his two closest friends are revealed to be more than what they claim, Cal’s innate survival skills are put to the test. Forced to do battle with a sudden onslaught of enemies that include a brutal thug, an abusive and powerful ex-husband, and a well-funded female assassin seeking her own personal redemption, Cal’s only hope is the darkness that has always dwelled within him—a darkness he must now unleash if he is to save the one life he has sworn to protect. Set over the course of three days—Mischief Night, Halloween, and the Day of the Dead—The Violet Hour is a powerful and unrelenting thriller in the tradition of such classics as The Postman Always Rings Twice and Marathon Man.
**From Publishers Weekly
Shamus-winner Judson (The Water's Edge) once again successfully mines Long Island's south fork for glittering noir nuggets. Auto mechanic Caleb Rakowski, the lone survivor of a criminal family, lives on the fringes of respectability in a two-room apartment above the garage owned by his wealthy boss, Eric Carver. Staying out of trouble isn't possible when you're sheltering the pregnant wife of Ronnie Pamona, vengeful former NFL player. Nor is it possible when your occasional assistant, Lebell, is being sought by killers who think you're the best connection to him they've got. The action plays out over a mere three days—Mischief Night, Halloween, Day of the Dead—as the inexperienced Cal tries to protect a growing number of people against crooked cops, trained assassins and other bad guys. Readers will want to see more of the flawed but appealing Cal, with his inbred distrust of authority and outsized sense of loyalty. (Oct.)
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Review
Praise for Daniel Judson
“[Judson] mines Long Island’ South Fork for glittering noir nuggets.”
--Publishers Weekly on *The Violet Hour
“In the cutthroat game of Survivalist Poker, Cal can wheel and deal with the worst of them.”
--Kirkus Reviews on The Violet Hour

“Daniel Judson is so much more than a crime-fiction novelist. He’s a tattooed poet, a mad philosopher of the Apocalypse fascinated with exploring the darkest places in people’s souls.”
--Chicago Tribune on The Water’s Edge

“Action packed. . . . It’s noir on ice.”
--USA Today on The Darkest Place*