Atlantic Monthly Press
Atlantic Monthly Press
Atlantic Monthly Press
NEW!
An exhilarating thriller about a white nationalist group –and the man taking them down from the inside – written with critically acclaimed author Patrick Hoffman’s “crisp pace and superb timing” (Wall Street Journal)
Bunny Simpson is at his usual post behind the counter at a Denver cigarette store when his volatile friend Jerry presents an opportunity: 500 dollars to beat a guy up. Jerry has been dealing steroids to Helen, a lawyer, who is getting rapidly stronger just as she gets more erratic, vengeful towards her cheating ex-husband who she asks Jerry to attack. Bunny’s relatively solid conscience isn’t enough to stop him from biting—Ray, his beloved quasi-uncle, is behind on rent for the apartment they share, and Bunny will do anything to bail him out. And it’s a small favor; just friends helping friends. Right?
Not quite. When Bunny and Jerry arrested, Bunny finds himself faced with a choice: Go to jail for years, or take a plea deal to go undercover in a white nationalist group under federal investigation. Bunny obliges, and soon he finds himself witness to a new world of startling violence, toxic masculinity, and warped conceptions of discipline, religion, and patriotism. If these men discover that he’s a snitch, they’ll kill him without blinking. His life is at stake, but so is his freedom. Soon Bunny is embroiled in a criminal enterprise far darker than he could’ve imagined — a wasp’s nest with eyes on him from all sides — and he needs to penetrate it at its center.
Patrick Hoffman, critically acclaimed author of Every Man a Menace and Clean Hands, is at his brilliant best in these pages. A wholly unique portrait of friendship, extremism, and the dual power of technology and money, Friends Helping Friends is an electrifying thriller from a veritable talent.
A New York Times “Summer Reading” pick, a Boston Globe “Summer Reading List” selection, and a Literary Hub “Best New Book to Read This Summer”
“Mr. Hoffman, apparently a still-working private investigator based in Brooklyn, writes with a good ear, a fine eye and a sure hand; he has a wondrous ability to render the thoughts of his socially and morally diverse cast . . . The book’s unpredictable sentences are full of such surprises, and its scenes build to unexpected revelations. With its crisp pace and superb timing, Clean Hands is a special treat to read.”—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
“The fun is in the details. A lot of characters find themselves in places they would rather not be, feeling paranoid, anxious and compromised by things they wish they had not done . . . It becomes increasingly clear that the whole thing is far more complicated, with much higher stakes, than most of the pawns in this grand chess game understand.”—New York Times Book Review
“This sly thriller begins during rush hour at Grand Central Terminal . . . The plot is fast-paced, and its twists lead ever deeper into corporate intrigue and government espionage.”—New Yorker
“The pickpocketing of a lawyer’s smartphone loaded with sensitive documents sets off an intriguing string of events, which hits critical mass when the victim’s law firm hires an ex-CIA fixer to solve the high-stakes problem.”—Boston Globe
“Part legal thriller, part classic noir, and part spy thriller, Clean Hands is an unputdownable read, filled with private security firms, crooked lawyers, shady black-market traders, and Russian organized crime.”—Buzzfeed
“Hoffman is one of the foremost practitioners in crime fiction today, a skilled storyteller who weaves together complex narratives to give readers an illuminating look at the darkened links binding global crime and corruption together . . . This is a dark and nuanced novel that dissects financial crime at the highest levels.”—CrimeReads
“The impressive plot twists are a reminder that Hoffman remains a writer to watch.”—Publishers Weekly
“An enjoyably hard-boiled yarn streaked with noir effects, Hoffman’s follow-up to Every Man a Menace (2016) is a skillfully orchestrated effort that achieves its most outlandish effects with nifty understatement. It is a book of constantly moving parts and constantly moving vehicles, as characters race across New York City to avert disaster . . . Crime fiction that gives chaos an entertaining ride.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Valencia, a former CIA operative, is an expert manipulator and strategist, which casts intriguing doubt on her motives and propels the story toward a jaw-dropping twist. Fans of Zoë Sharp’s Charlie Fox and Chris Pavone’s Kate Moore will want to see more of Valencia Walker.”—Booklist
“A thriller that dives into the world of big money shenanigans and all the justice that money can buy.”—Library Journal
“Clean Hands is an old-fashioned private investigator yarn—a terrific story—but skillfully brought up to date. Patrick Hoffman never slows the pace and always keeps the reader guessing. I admired the strong female characters, especially the P.I., Valencia Walker, a take-charge dame who’s been around the block too many times to count.”—Susan Isaacs, New York Times-bestselling author of Takes One to Know One
“Clean Hands is a terrific combination of noir mystery with financial thriller plus dirty-ops espionage, staking a claim to a highly compelling intersection of gritty and glamour, with an unforgettable cast that’s rich in both low lifes and the high life, and devious twists galore. Highly enjoyable.”—Chris Pavone, New York Times-bestselling author of The Expats
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