The Judge [Paperback]

When a Boston judge is being blackmailed, Andy Roark must find out who is behind the threat before lives get ruined in this thrilling mystery featuring the Vietnam veteran turned private investigator.

Fans of Robert B. Parkers Spenser novels . . . will be eager to see more of RoarkPublishers Weekly
Roark is genuinely likeable (not too tough, but not a patsy)The New York Times

Boston, 1985. With the late December cold comes a new job for ex-military operative turned private investigator Andy Roark. Boston judge Ambrose Messer is being blackmailed, and he needs Roarks help to stop the culprit.

Messer is judging the bench trial of a chemical company accused of knowingly dumping chemical waste in an unsafe manner, causing birth defects and cancer. The evidence against them is overwhelming, but the message from the blackmailer is clear:If you dont want the world to know your secret, the chemical company wins.Messer doesnt want to let a threat corrupt his judgement . . . but then again, he could lose everything if his secret comes out!

Judging his client to be a man with morals, Roark plunges into action, determined to find the blackmailer before its too late. But the disturbing, unexpected revelations he uncovers make him a target of some very dangerous people, who soon seem determined not only to wreck the life of his client, but to destroy Roarks too . . .

GBGritty prose, lively characters, and deep local color . . . A smooth, atmospheric mystery with a shamus youll root for[A] deft and gracious crime novelPage-turning . . . the balance of plot and character is perfectA gritty whodunit that packs an unexpected punchColt doesnt pull any punches and plays fair with the reader before the satisfying reveal. Fans ofRobert B. Parkers Spenser novels interested in a grittier private investigator will be eager to see more of RoarkExcellent . . . balances a gripping plSw