Carson Newman doesn’t wear tracksuits. He doesn’t have a consigliere or operate out of the back room of a restaurant. And as evidenced by his ever-growing Boston empire, he doesn’t get his hands dirty. Usually.

Joe DeMarco, on the other hand, is paid to get his hands dirty. So, when John Mahoney, the former Speaker of the House, calls, DeMarco knows it’s time to get to work. Brian Lewis, an intern for Mahoney, has been found dead, seemingly from a drug overdose. But Brian didn’t seem like a drug user, and even more concerning, he seemed to be on the cusp of releasing a report that identified a group of politicians who had taken bribes in helping dismantle a recent bill.

Brian’s mom is convinced that Brian was murdered because of what he’d learned, and it doesn’t take long for DeMarco to come to a similar conclusion.

In a city full of shadowy agreements and duplicitous deals, DeMarco will soon learn that to get to the bottom of Brian’s death, he’ll have to look at people perched the very top of the world.

Praise for the Joe DeMarco Series:

“Alligator Alley is fast-paced, humorous, chilling, and vividly accurate.”—Criminal Element

“Lawson’s toolkit includes great pacing, wry humor, a thorough understanding of criminal thinking and engaging characters.”—Discover Our Coast

“Assured prose matches the two capable protagonists: the crafty DeMarco and the relentless, brilliant Emma. This is perhaps Lawson’s best in the series to date.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[A]s the plot moves forward, readers may wonder why their palms are sweaty . . . This one sneaks up on you, but it’s a really stunning thriller.”—Booklist (starred review)

“The twists and turns keep the pages flying by, with a few moments of levity sprinkled in to break the tension. The conclusion will leave readers both shocked and satisfied . . . This is an easy entry to the Joe DeMarco series and will win Lawson some new fans.”—Library Journal