Crime Song

Name: Crime Song
Brand: Hachette Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: David Swinson
ISBN: 9781478915553

Author: David Swinson

Series: Frank Marr #2

Narrator: Christopher Ryan Grant

Unabridged: 8 hr 21 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Published: 05/02/2017

Categories: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Private Investigators, Suspense & Thriller, Crime, Traditional British, Psychological

Synopsis

Frank Marr returns in this thrilling, dark novel, as the private investigator takes on a family case that brings him deep in the world of his vices. Frank Marr was a good cop with a bad habit, until his burgeoning addictions to alcohol and cocaine forced him into retirement from the DC police. Now barely eking out a living as a private investigator, he agrees to take on a family case: a favor for his aunt, who was like a second mother to him growing up. Frank's surveillance confirms that his cousin Jeffrey is involved with a small-time drugs operation. Modest stuff, until Frank's own home is burglarized, leaving a body on the kitchen floor: Jeffrey. Worse, Frank's .38 revolver—the murder weapon—is stolen, along with his cherished music collection, his only possessions of sentimental value: dozens of vinyl albums that belonged to his late mother. Only Frank's stash, his dwindling supply of the cocaine he needs to get through the day, is untouched. Why? Clearly, his cousin was deeper in the underworld than anyone realized. With the weight of his family, his reputation, and his own life on the line, he'll have to find the culprit by following the stolen goods through a tangled network of petty thieves, desperate addicts, deceiving fences, good cops, bad cops, and one morally compromised taxi driver. Frank's as determined to uncover the truth as he is to feed his habit, and both pursuits could prove deadly. This time, it may just be a question of what gets him first. New York Times' Best Crime Novels of 2016

Reviews

Goodreads review by David on June 07, 2020

This is a great series, love it. The point of view is well done, believable and real. The concept is more unique than others the main character is an excop who has to service his drug habit by ripping off the bad guys. Sounds unappetizing but the author pulls it off and makes the protagonist likable......more

Goodreads review by Ramona on May 19, 2017

As always I would like to thank Goodreads, Mr Swinson and Mulholland Books forthe opportunity to read this novel. I liked this book but it was dark so if you are looking for a nice little mystery with minimal violence this is not the book for you. The characters are flawed and often brutal ,right an......more

Goodreads review by Art on August 05, 2017

David Swinson's new series is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. Frank Marr was a DC cop, forced to retire because of his drug addiction. But now he's a private investigator, able to cut corners to keep feeding his habit and to solve crimes. His gritty DC noir is worth reading. I am hoping he has a......more

Goodreads review by Eric on April 11, 2019

Crime Song by David Swinson is number two in the Frank Marr series. Marr is a drug and alcohol addicted former Washington, DC narcotics detective now forced to work as a private investigator. Marr is a Jack-of-All-Trades investigator and not above taking questionable jobs to make a living. In Crime......more

Goodreads review by Debbi on April 30, 2018

This book is about a a former police detective with the DC police named Frank Marr, who made his debut in the book The Second Girl, which is a great book to read before you read this one. He was forced into retirement due to his drug problem and that drug problem continues in the series. He is now wo......more

Quotes

"Marr is easy to take, a decent guy with a sense of honor. And since Swinson is one of the best dialogue hounds in the business, Marr is blessed with some terrific street talk."—The New York Times Book Review

"So convincing . . . Compulsively readable"—Jack Batten, Toronto Star

Frank Marr is "one of the genre's most damaged yet empathetic characters. The writing feels as authentic and true to the street as The Wire--which for crime writers is about the highest praise there is."—Casey Barrett, Village Voice

"Former DC detective Swinson knows his stuff. . . . His second in the Frank Marr series features sharp prose, spot-on dialogue, and a protagonist as complicated and unlikely as he is appealing. Fans of gritty crime fiction will want to add Swinson to their reading lists."—Booklist (starred review)

"David Swinson is one of the most exciting new voices to come along in crime fiction in this decade, and Crime Song is Exhibit A of his remarkable talent. Swinson's writing is heartfelt, powerful, and authentic, and Frank Marr is as fully rendered as any detective in recent memory."—Michael Koryta, bestselling author of Rise the Dark

"Frank Marr is a straight-up addict. His life, a train wreck. And he's the good guy. Welcome to the world of David Swinson, author of one of the most compelling P.I. series to come along in a while. Pick up a copy of Crime Song. You'll love it."—Michael Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Brighton

"A veteran detective, David Swinson knows DC's secrets and it shows in this killer noir, so authentic it'll make you get up and lock your doors. Crime Song is even better than the fantastic TheSecond Girl and Swinson writes with a refreshing, understated realness. This is right up there with Richard Price and The Wire."—Matthew Quirk, New York Times bestselling author of Dead Man Switch

"Swinson delivers a superb second installment (after The Second Girl) in the "Frank Marr" series. Readers of Dennis Lehane, Richard Price, and George Pelecanos as well as fans of The Wire will appreciate the gritty depiction of the mean inner-city streets of our nation's capital."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Smart and sharp . . . Swinson, a retired detective himself, knows his way around mean streets. . . . Through all the plot twists of this well-designed mystery, what comes through most are Swinson's characters--particularly Marr, who attracts affection and respect, even when he is at his worst."—The National Book Review

"Crime Song is fast and rough and great. The atmosphere is perfect. The details are perfect. Only a cop, someone who's really lived in this world, could get so much so right."
—James O. Born, bestselling author of Walking Money