Black Diamond: A Novel

by John F. Dobbyn

Overview

Caught between the Boston Irish mob and the mob from the old sod—Not a good place to be

Michael Knight and Lex Devlin agree to defend a jockey accused of murdering a fellow jockey during a race at Boston’s Suffolk Downs. Michael’s expertise in the machinations of the horse racing game is expected to serve them well. But a personal attachment to the murdered jockey thrusts Michael and Lex into the midst of a conflict between Boston’s Irish mafia and remnants of the terrorist branch of the Irish Republican Army. Now they are in the crosshairs of both, and the brutality of these combatants knows no bounds.

As Michael and Lex uncover layer after layer of deceptions involved in the seamier side of horse racing, they become more dangerous to the gangs. In action that shuttles between Ireland and Boston, the lives of the two lawyers as well as those close to them are in the gravest danger and the criminals show no mercy in their quest to put an end to this threat. As their investigation hurtles forward, it could end a wonderful law partnership due to the absence of living partners.

Perfect for fans of Lisa Scottoline and Alafair Burke

While all of the novels in the Knight and Devlin Thriller Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

Neon Dragon
Frame-Up
Black Diamond
Deadly Diamonds
Fatal Odds
High Stakes

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781933515991
Publisher:	Oceanview Publishing
Publication date:	09/03/2013
Series:	Knight and Devlin Thriller , #3
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	1,134,381
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Best-selling author John F. Dobbyn, a graduate of Harvard College, Boston College Law School, and Harvard Law School, is a former professor of law at Villanova Law School where he taught criminal, constitutional, and corporate law. Prior to his teaching career, Dobbyn practiced criminal and civil trial work. Black Diamond is the third novel in the award-winning Michael Knight and Lex Devlin Thriller Series, following Neon Dragon and Frame-Up and followed by Deadly Diamonds, Fatal Odds, and High Stakes. Dobbyn is a Boston native and now resides in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Lois.

Editorial Reviews

Dobbyn’s pleasant if lightweight third thriller featuring attorney Michael Knight (after Frame-Up) zips back and forth between Boston and Dublin. When a friend of Knight’s, jockey Danny Ryan, takes a fatal spill during a race at Suffolk Downs, Knight and his crafty mentor, Lex Devlin, wind up involved in a case of horse race fixing and international gang warfare. The local Irish mob is bad enough, but a remnant of the brutal, hardcore Irish Republican Army now wants to expand into the States. The IRA thugs have had decades of experience in kidnapping, torture, and murder, and they’re willing to corrupt or kill anyone in their way. Fortunately, Knight has a sharp wit and a gift of gab that he uses to exploit the enmity between and within the rival gangs. The book’s tension may suffer from Knight’s gift, for it’s difficult to believe that anything terrible could happen to a clever lad flashing so much good old Irish blarney. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"From its characters who go straight to the heart, to its intriguing settings, to its plot with more jolting twists than a Boston Street, Black Diamond takes you on a non-stop ride that keeps you gripping the wheel.” —Lisa Scottoline, New York Times best-selling author

“Knight has a sharp wit and a gift of gab that he uses to exploit the enmity between and within the rival gangs . . . it’s difficult to believe that anything terrible could happen to a clever lad flashing so much good old Irish blarney.” —Publishers Weekly

“. . . the Boston setting; a self-effacing hero with more nerve than muscle; carefully drawn, three-dimensional secondary characters; and the way the seemingly simple plot mushrooms into full-blown chaos.” —Booklist

Praise for the Knight and Devlin Thriller Series

“[Frame-Up] is the best kind of legal crime fiction, where the real stories come not from legal minutiae in the courtroom, but from human beings caught in the legal system's fuzzy moral contours.” —Alafair Burke, New York Times best-selling author

“John F. Dobbyn’s thriller [Fatal Odds] does everything right: a nail-biting plot to keep you turning pages, characters that shine brighter with every twist and turn, and a ripped-from-the-headlines authenticity that will leave you shocked.” —James Rollins, New York Times best-selling author

“This rapid pace adventure [High Stakes] delivers equal quantities of action, history, secrets, and conspiracies. Definitely an entertaining romp.” —Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author

“Some writers are notable for their storytelling flair, some for their ability to bring characters to life, some for the lyrical quality of their prose. In John F. Dobbyn all three talents combine.” —Janet Hutchings, Editor-in-Chief, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

“Boston attorneys Michael Knight and Lex Devlin are back with a case that starts local and goes global. Once again, John F. Dobbyn has crafted a first-rate legal thriller that's both topical and timeless.” —Linda Landrigan, Editor, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

From the Publisher