The Son of John Devlin Book

An old man who has lost his daughter in a fire because of crooked cops on the take is talking in his shabby apartment to a policeman investigating the case: There was a smell of something burning, and O'Connor went and flipped open a toaster oven and pulled out a charred English muffin with melted cheese. He plucked it with a fork and held it for a moment as though wondering what to do with it. Suddenly, he flung it hard in the direction of the sink, but it was too high, struck a coffee mug and knocked it against the wall, breaking the handle. O'Connor turned red with rage and faced Jack. "God knows what happened," he said. "God knows the truth." That combination of rage, frustration, and faith fuel this stunning thriller by Boston journalist Charles Kenney, whose first novel (the memorable Code of Vengeance, now in paperback) marked him as one of the best new writers on the scene. Jack Devlin, a Harvard law school graduate, has joined the Boston police department as a detective, mostly to probe the mystery of why his father--an honored and much-loved officer--killed himself when Jack was a boy after being accused of bribery. Jack finds evidence that suggests the elder Devlin was innocent. At a church mass for fallen police, at which his father's name is never mentioned or listed, Jack prays "for his father, whom he had loved so dearly. Then hated so desperately. Then loved so dearly, yet again." Kenney has the rare blessing of compassion for all of his characters, the fallen and failed as well as those seeking the truth. When Jack Devlin takes advantage of the love of a worthy woman to help clear his father's name, we fear for the relationship but also trust that whatever the author decides will be right for the resolution of this immensely moving story. --Dick AdlerRead More