The Poisoned Rose

Read The Poisoned Rose Storyline:

To a corrupt chief of police intent on maintaining his power at all costs, part-time PI Declan “Mac” MacManus is a problem that must finally be addressed. Cursed with an unwavering sense of right and wrong, and a fierce loyalty to his few friends, Mac has become known as someone the working class of Southampton can turn to in times of desperate need. On a rain-swept night in October, Mac witnesses a brutal homicide, but he has learned that nothing on the East End is ever what it seems. Determined to hunt down an elusive hired killer before he can strike again, Mac is reunited with what is left of a prominent family he once knew well. But something more—something darker than Mac could have possibly foreseen—is at play here, and as a long-hidden secret threatens to emerge, Mac once again becomes the only hope for justice in a town that all too clearly belongs to the rich and powerful. The Poisoned Rose was a stunning and wondrous debut, and The Bone Orchard only confirmed Daniel Judson’s artistry and unique style, but those two dark gems do not prepare the reader for the huge leap forward that is The Gin Palace. The final outing of Declan “Mac” MacManus, one of our most compelling PIs, shows an author at the very height of his dizzying power. Fresh, vibrant, startling, and beautifully rendered, Judson’s The Gin Palace Trilogy breathes a whole new energy into the genre. -- Ken Bruen, Author of Headstone Award: Shamus Award Winner, 2002 Reviews: “This taut thriller is far from predicable, and its dark and mysterious plot suits Judson’s understated writing style" --Publishers Weekly “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 “Daniel Judson is a thoroughly accomplished writer.” --Kirkus ReviewsFrom Publishers WeeklyJudson's The Bone Orchard introduced narrator and reluctant part-time PI Declan "Mac" MacManus, a disheveled 30-something living from paycheck to paycheck in an above-bar apartment in a trendy Hamptons town. In this somber sequel of sorts, Mac gets caught in the middle of a brutal homicide, which leads to double-dealing, multiple murders and an unusual missing-persons case. At the center of the action is a prominent local family Mac once knew well. As the lines between past and present blur, Mac has to choose between saving a childhood friend and saving himself. Although Judson's cinematic prose and realistic dialogue create lush, vivid scenes, many of the events that take place here mirror those in his previous book. For example, Judson again portrays Mac and Augie, a former DEA agent and friend, as hostile strangers in the book's opening pages, and Augie's hot-for-Mac teenage daughter moves in with Mac after her father goes into hiding-a scenario played out in Judson's debut. Still, this taut thriller is far from predictable, and its dark and mysterious plot suits Judson's understated writing style.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. ReviewThe Poisoned Rose was a stunning and wondrous debut, and The Bone Orchard only confirmed Daniel Judson’s artistry and unique style, but those two dark gems do not prepare the reader for the huge leap forward that is The Gin Palace. The final outing of Declan “Mac” MacManus, one of our most compelling PIs, shows an author at the very height of his dizzying power. Fresh, vibrant, startling, and beautifully rendered, Judson’s The Gin Palace Trilogy breathes a whole new energy into the genre. -- Ken Bruen, author of Headstone Award: Shamus Award Winner, 2002 Reviews:“This taut thriller is far from predicable, and its dark and mysterious plot suits Judson’s understated writing style”—Publisher’s Weekly “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 “Daniel Judson is a thoroughly accomplished writer.”--Kirkus Reviews