So hard-boiled that it makes Mike Hammer and Sam Spade look like running yolks. --Chicago Sun-Times An absolute stunner, the toughest crime novel, and one of the most realistic, any American writer has produced. --The Cleveland Plain Dealer It's wonderful. The words leap off the page. The plot is fresh. The principal character is original. The style is as clean as a haiku. --The Washington Post Book World A bizarre, fast-paced tour of the criminal psyche.... Has a grim authenticity. --The Philadelphia Inquirer