THE BIG LIE

LOST: Poodle. Standard. Black. Studded collar. No tags. Goes by the name of Boo.

Sun Tzu may have said, ‘Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer,’ but he didn’t live in Boston, and he’s not Shane Cleary. Shane’s latest and most unexpected client, while not quite an enemy, is Southie’s most dangerous criminal. Everything screams he shouldn’t take the gig, finding the gangster’s lost dog, but Shane can’t resist the promised ‘bonus.’

His cat, Delilah, is against it, and his girlfriend, Bonnie, the lawyer, doesn’t know.

Life is neither easy nor simple for Shane. Bonnie asks for his help on a pro bono case, his friend Bill requests a sketchy background check, and a mafia henchman makes a peculiar request. Shane can’t help but think his client just might kill him anyway after he finishes the job.

Does Jimmy know a Truth that will change Shane’s life, or is it a Big Lie?

. . .

“Gabriel Valjan writes in a voice not heard since the golden days of the noir novel. His tough characters—good guys, bad guys, and confused folks just caught in the whirlwind—sparkle like the facets of a dark jewel, and his images linger in the mind after the book’s long over.” 

~ SJ Rozan, best-selling author of The Mayors of New York

“If Raymond Chandler were alive today, this is the story he’d write: Great characters, a noir-ish plot that never flags, writing that sizzles, and a relevant tale of the ways in which justice is, sadly, not blind.” 

~ Mally Becker, Agatha-nominated author of The Paris Mistress

“Whip-smart, pacy, and full of curves. A worthy addition to the PI oeuvre.” 

~ Colin Campbell, acclaimed author of the Jim Grant Thrillers