Synopsis
Prostitution has been legal in Rhode Island for more than a decade; Liam Mulligan, an old-school investigative reporter at dying Providence newspaper, suspects the governor has been taking payoffs to keep it that way. But this isn’t the only story making headlines…a child’s severed arm is discovered in a pile of garbage at a pig farm. Then the body of an internet pornographer is found sprawled on the rocks at the base of Newport’s famous Cliff Walk.
At first, the killings seem random, but as Mulligan keeps digging into the state’s thriving sex business, strange connections emerge. Promised free sex with hookers if he minds his own business—and a beating if he doesn’t—Mulligan enlists Thanks-Dad, the newspaper publisher’s son, and Attila the Nun, the state’s colorful Attorney General, in his quest for the truth. What Mulligan learns will lead him to question his beliefs about sexual morality, shake his tenuous religious faith, and leave him wondering who his real friends are.
Cliff Walk is at once a hard-boiled mystery and an exploration of sex and religion in the age of pornography. Written with the unique and powerful voice that won DeSilva an Edgar Award for Best First Novel, Cliff Walk lifts Mulligan into the pantheon of great suspense heroes and is a giant leap for the career of Bruce DeSilva.
About Bruce DeSilva
See more books from this AuthorAs in Mulligan’s hard-nosed debut, the real star here is Providence, which the author knows intimately.
Read Full Review of Cliff Walk | See more reviews from KirkusBruce DeSilva's first mystery, "Rogue Island," won last year's Edgar Award for best first novel, and if there's a prize for best second, "Cliff Walk" is a winner, too.
Read Full Review of Cliff Walk | See more reviews from Star TribuneWith “Cliff Walk,” DeSilva lands another winner.
Read Full Review of Cliff WalkDespite the book’s sexually charged situations and graphic crime-scene descriptions, DeSilva’s masterful narrative style ensures that any shocking details remain firmly in service of the plot...
Read Full Review of Cliff WalkBruce DeSilva has written a treatise on the worst of human nature and does it by informing without titillating.
Read Full Review of Cliff WalkThe book moves quickly... There’s plenty of action but also plenty of story and sentiment.
Read Full Review of Cliff WalkAn aggregated and normalized score based on 105 user ratings from iDreamBooks & iTunes
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