The Barbed-Wire Kiss: A Novel

I went back to Stroby's first character after reading the Crissa Stone books. It's fairly standard noir stuff: injured ex-cop, withdrawn from society, gets re-energized by involving himself with criminals for what seem like noble reasons and ends up in over his head. As usual with these kinds of things there are a whole lot more dead bodies by the end than there probably would have been if he'd just minded his own business. Still, it was perfectly engaging and entertaining and I have the next Harry Rane already lined up.

Harry Rane is in deep shit. His friend Bobby is in debt to the mob and Harry, former ex-state-cop, widower and old friend decides to help him get out of the obligation. Unfortunately things begin to go bad when Harry meets Catherine, Nick Fallon's wife, and former girl friend of Harry's. (It's a small NJ world, apparently.) The guy that Bobby had made the drug deal with turns up dead in the trunk of a car at the airport, and Fallon discovers Harry is making it with his wife. Whew.

Some bizarre reviews out there. One, on Amazon, said he liked the way Rane took several beatings, and another compared the book unfavorably to the Sopranos (a TV series) and a Bruce Springsteen song. I mean, WTF?

Compelling story even if Harry does show more occasionally act dumber than a post. show less

A book that grows on you and pulls you in deeper as you progress. Lead character Harry Rane is a widow and ex-cop that is not doing much until an old friend gets mixed up in a drug deal gone bad and needs to find 50 grand fast to stay alive. All straightforward until Harry bumps into the wife of the guy holding the debt and she's an ex- girlfriend that skipped town 20 years earlier. Things have a habit of spiralling out of control as the body count rises and harry's ex-colleagues are none too happy with him. recommended.

Read his second book before I read this, his first book. Absolutely amazing. Could easily have past as a Chandler, Ellroy, or Hammett book, astounding this was the authors first novel.

Read his second book before I read this, his first book. Absolutely amazing. Could easily have past as a Chandler, Ellroy, or Hammett book, astounding this was the authors first novel.