Past Crimes (Van Shaw Series #1)

by Glen Erik Hamilton

Overview

Van Shaw was raised by his Irish immigrant grandfather Donovan to be a thief—to boost cars, beat security alarms, and crack safes. But at eighteen, Van broke all ties to that life and joined the military, serving as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, after ten years of silence, Dono has asked his grandson to come home to Seattle.

Van is curious and a little unnerved by his grandfather's request. But when he arrives at Dono's house, Van discovers his grandfather bleeding out on the floor from a gunshot wound to the head. With a lifetime of tough history between him and the old man, the battle-tested Ranger knows he'll be the first suspect.

To clear his name and avenge his grandfather, Van plunges back into a violent, high-stakes world where right and wrong aren't defined by the law . . . and where the secrets held by those closest to him are the deadliest of all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062344564
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/23/2016
Series:	Van Shaw Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	200,981
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 7.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

A native of Seattle, GLEN ERIK HAMILTON was raised aboard a sailboat and grew up around the marinas and commercial docks and islands of the Pacific Northwest. His novels have won the Anthony, Macavity, and Strand Critics awards, and have been nominated for the Edgar, Barry, and Nero awards. After living for many years in Southern California, he and his family have recently returned to the Emerald City and its beautiful overcast skies.

Editorial Reviews

A debut novel from a gifted writer with a sure hand. As much fun to read as Lee Child’s Jack Reacher.” — J.A. Jance on PAST CRIMES

“PAST CRIMES is a zipline ride of a thriller, plummeting through the back alleys of Seattle where murder and intrigue reign supreme and the undead past lurks around the next wrong turn. Buckle in and hang on!” — Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author, on PAST CRIMES

“A home run off the first pitch - this guy has got what it takes.” — New York Times bestselling author Lee Child on PAST CRIMES

“…an exciting heir to the classic detective novel. A well-written modern rendition of the old-fashioned gritty noir.” — Kirkus on PAST CRIMES

“If he stays true to his talent, Hamilton is an author to watch.” — Booklist on PAST CRIMES

“Readers will be eager to see more of this tough, clever hero.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on PAST CRIMES

“Edgy and suspenseful.” — Crimespree Magazine on PAST CRIMES

“Fans of action-filled mysteries should get to know Van Shaw right now and plan to be following his exploits for quite some time.” — The Cedar Rapids Gazette on PAST CRIMES

“Glen Erik Hamilton’s impressive debut novel fuses procedural plotting, vigilantism and noir. The seedy setting and one man’s hunt for justice create an emotionally stirring and morally ambiguous read. Past Crimes keeps readers on edge and second-guessing every character.” — BookPage.com on PAST CRIMES

“Glen Erik Hamilton is a welcome new entry in the very over-crowded crime-fiction genre.” — David Rothenberg, WBAI-FM (New York City) on PAST CRIMES

“With ‘Past Crimes,’ debut novelist Glen Eric Hamilton comes out of the chute riding a rocket sled of thrills. This action-laced crime noir reads like a comfortable third entry in an already established franchise.” — Madison County Herald on PAST CRIMES

“In his outstanding debut, Hamilton has created a tough and intriguing character in Van Shaw, one that will appeal to fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series.” — Library Journal (starred review) on PAST CRIMES

“With wry humor and plenty of action, Glen Erick Hamilton’s “Past Crimes” is an updated version of the classic hard-boiled detective novel.” — Iron Mountain Daily News on PAST CRIMES

“Page-turning and poignant, with not a drop of phony sentiment or overwriting. Grade: A” — Cleveland Plain Dealer on PAST CRIMES

“Hamilton begins lobbing hand grenades into the room about three-quarters of the way through and doesn’t let up until practically the last page, piling surprises and explosions on top of each other.” — Bookreporter.com on PAST CRIMES

“This powerful debut novel introduces a quick-witted and resilient protagonist able to hold his own on both sides of the law.” — Stop,You're Killing Me! on PAST CRIMES

“Glen Erik writes taut, hard-edged thrillers that I simply can’t put down. Tight prose. Intriguing characters. Here is some fantastic storytelling you don’t want to miss.” — Steven James, national bestselling author of Checkmate and Every Crooked Path on PAST CRIMES

From the Publisher

A debut novel from a gifted writer with a sure hand. As much fun to read as Lee Child’s Jack Reacher.

J.A. Jance on PAST CRIMES

Glen Erik Hamilton’s impressive debut novel fuses procedural plotting, vigilantism and noir. The seedy setting and one man’s hunt for justice create an emotionally stirring and morally ambiguous read. Past Crimes keeps readers on edge and second-guessing every character.

BookPage.com on PAST CRIMES

Glen Erik Hamilton is a welcome new entry in the very over-crowded crime-fiction genre.

David Rothenberg

PAST CRIMES is a zipline ride of a thriller, plummeting through the back alleys of Seattle where murder and intrigue reign supreme and the undead past lurks around the next wrong turn. Buckle in and hang on!

Gregg Hurwitz

A home run off the first pitch - this guy has got what it takes.

New York Times bestselling author Lee Child on PAST CRIMES

Edgy and suspenseful.

Crimespree Magazine on PAST CRIMES

Fans of action-filled mysteries should get to know Van Shaw right now and plan to be following his exploits for quite some time.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette on PAST CRIMES

If he stays true to his talent, Hamilton is an author to watch.

Booklist on PAST CRIMES

Hamilton begins lobbing hand grenades into the room about three-quarters of the way through and doesn’t let up until practically the last page, piling surprises and explosions on top of each other.

Bookreporter.com on PAST CRIMES

Glen Erik writes taut, hard-edged thrillers that I simply can’t put down. Tight prose. Intriguing characters. Here is some fantastic storytelling you don’t want to miss.

Steven James

With ‘Past Crimes,’ debut novelist Glen Eric Hamilton comes out of the chute riding a rocket sled of thrills. This action-laced crime noir reads like a comfortable third entry in an already established franchise.

Madison County Herald on PAST CRIMES

Page-turning and poignant, with not a drop of phony sentiment or overwriting. Grade: A

Cleveland Plain Dealer on PAST CRIMES

With wry humor and plenty of action, Glen Erick Hamilton’s “Past Crimes” is an updated version of the classic hard-boiled detective novel.

Iron Mountain Daily News on PAST CRIMES

This powerful debut novel introduces a quick-witted and resilient protagonist able to hold his own on both sides of the law.

You're Killing Me! on PAST CRIMES Stop

★ 01/05/2015
Hamilton’s accomplished debut introduces Van Shaw, an Army ranger who returns home to Seattle after 10 years, in response to a terse message from the man who raised him, his grandfather Donovan “Dono” Shaw: “Come home, if you can.” Dono taught Shaw to be like him, a skillful and careful thief, but at 18, Shaw left him after a bitter fight and joined the army. On arrival at Dono’s house, Shaw finds him on the floor, dying of a gunshot wound. In his quest for vengeance, Shaw connects with Dono’s old buddies Hollis Brant, a smuggler, and Jimmy Corcoran, a tech expert. Shaw has to figure out what Dono was up to, and he needs all his criminal skills and ranger training to do so. Hamilton details Shaw’s upbringing in sharply honed flashbacks and surrounds him with a cast of intriguing characters on both sides of the law. Readers will be eager to see more of this tough, clever hero. Agent: Lisa Erbach Vance, Aaron Priest Literary Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

2015-01-22
A combat-tested Army Ranger returns home to investigate the shooting of his grandfather in this debut novel.Van Shaw is recovering from a recent combat injury when he receives a letter from his estranged grandfather Dono asking him to come home to Seattle. He doesn't know why his grandfather wants to see him, and the tension ratchets up when he arrives to find that Dono has just been shot by an intruder. During the police investigation, it becomes clear that Dono may not be an innocent victim because, as Hamilton tersely states, "Dono Shaw was a thief." The novel develops into a divided narrative split between the contemporary investigation into Dono's shooting and flashbacks to Van's experiences of being raised by a career criminal. Van was exposed to a felonious world from which he escaped by joining the Army after high school. Van discovers that Dono's last heist may have led to his shooting, and in the process, he's pulled back into his grandfather's criminal culture. To solve the mystery, Van must make use of the thief's skill set he learned from Dono and reconnect with his grandfather's old cronies in Seattle's underworld. Throw in a buried family secret, a love interest with an alluring woman and some missing diamonds, and you have the recipe for an exciting heir to the classic detective novel. A well-written modern rendition of the old-fashioned gritty noir.

Kirkus Review