The writing snaps. The story crackles. The characters are achingly real. I tore through Rag and Bone in a single session. What else can I say? Read Joe Clifford.” —Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award-winning and best-selling author
“Gritty and gripping, with prose that cuts to the bone. Joe Clifford has crafted a modern noir that pulls no punches.” —Riley Sager, New York Times best-selling author
“Joe Clifford’s Rag and Bone is tough, tight, and engrossing, filled with genuine emotion and unsparing authenticity.” —Lou Berney, Edgar Award-winning author
“Clifford is one fine writer . . . for those who eat, drink, and sleep noir, this one's for you.” —Booklist
“As often happens in life for those with addiction issues, Clifford’s [Rag and Bone] doesn’t portray a fairy tale happy-ever-after ending. The author strives to depict through his characters the dangers of drug addiction. In that, he succeeds. Brilliantly!” —Bookreporter
Praise for the Jay Porter Series “The depth of the characters. The vividness of the New Hampshire winter setting. The importance of the novel's theme. Joe Clifford’s a crime writer to pay attention to.” —David Morrell, New York Times best-selling author
“Joe Clifford writes the kind of books that I love to read, mysteries that not only make you think, but make you feel. He is a master at creating characters that bind to your DNA and stay with you long after the last page is turned.” —Allen Eskens, USA Today best-selling author
06/01/2019
Ten months ago, Jay Porter disappeared because he was wanted for murder in his hometown of Ashton, NH. Now that two men were arrested, he's back, but he's lost everything. His ex-wife is remarried with a baby. The antiques he'd stored in a warehouse have been sold for rent. No one will hire him except for a friend who gives him a few handyman jobs. However, Jay is still on a seven-year mission to bring down two brothers, Adam and Michael Lombardi. He blames his addict brother's death on them. Jay is convinced the brothers have poisoned soil and are behind the fire that destroyed a farm. He's so obsessed with the Lombardis that he alienates everyone in his life with his search for revenge. When he can't find proof of the brothers' crimes, Jay crosses the line to set them up. The gritty, painful story features a cast of authentic characters struggling to survive in a depressing world. VERDICT Jay is an obsessed, flawed character in the latest grim book by the Anthony Award-nominated author of Give Up the Dead. The bleak outlook, for the story and for Jay, will appeal to fans of noir fiction.—Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN