Tower

From opposite perspectives, two master authors spin a chilling tale

Nick’s father is a stand-up Irishman—once a cop, now a security guard in the World Trade Center’s North Tower—but Nick does not take after his old man. He’s “got the bad drop,” meaning he only cares about booze, violence, and getting into trouble with his best friend, Todd, a low-level hood connected to the Boston mob. Todd inducts Nick into the world of petty crime. What starts as a bit of good fun—robbing apartments, scoring weed—turns serious as Todd gets closer to the inner circle. He may not love violence as much as Nick does, but he’s about to get more than his fair share.

The first collaboration by beloved mystery authors Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman, Tower is as uncompromisingly brutal as the work that made them famous. They each tell the story once—Bruen from Nick’s perspective, and Coleman from Todd’s. Their narratives hinge on a single, blistering question: How can friendship survive in an underworld built on pain?