Crime Song (Frank Marr Series #2)

by David Swinson

Overview

The return of Frank Marr, the "refreshing" protagonist of one of the New York Times' Best Crime Novels of 2016.

Frank Marr was a good cop with a bad habit, until his burgeoning addictions to alcohol and cocaine forced him into retirement from the DC police. Now barely eking out a living as a private investigator, he agrees to take on a family case: a favor for his aunt, who was like a second mother to him growing up.

Frank's surveillance confirms that his cousin Jeffrey is involved with a small-time drugs operation. Modest stuff, until Frank's own home is burglarized, leaving a body on the kitchen floor: Jeffrey. Worse, Frank's .38 revolver-the murder weapon-is stolen, along with his cherished music collection, his only possessions of sentimental value: dozens of vinyl albums that belonged to his late mother. Only Frank's stash, his dwindling supply of the cocaine he needs to get through the day, is untouched. Why?

Clearly, his cousin was deeper in the underworld than anyone realized. With the weight of his family, his reputation, and his own life on the line, he'll have to find the culprit by following the stolen goods through a tangled network of petty thieves, desperate addicts, deceiving fences, good cops, bad cops, and one morally compromised taxi driver.

Frank's as determined to uncover the truth as he is to feed his habit, and both pursuits could prove deadly. This time, it may just be a question of what gets him first.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316264228
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	01/08/2019
Series:	Frank Marr Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	239,109
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

David Swinson is a retired police detective from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, having been assigned to Major Crimes. Swinson is the author of the critically acclaimed Frank Marr Trilogy - The Second Girl, Crime Song and Trigger, and the standalone City on the Edge. He lives in Northern Virginia.

What People are Saying About This

author of the New York Times bestselling BRIGHTON - Michael Harvey

"Frank Marr is a straight-up addict. His life, a train wreck. And he's the good guy. Welcome to the world of David Swinson, author of one of the most compelling P.I. series to come along in a while. Pick up a copy of CRIME SONG. You'll love it."

bestselling author of WALKING MONEY - James O. Born

"Crime Song is fast and rough and great. The atmosphere is perfect. The details are perfect. Only a cop, someone who's really lived in this world, could get so much so right."

New York Times bestselling author of DEAD MAN SWITCH and THE 500 - Matthew Quirk

"A veteran detective, David Swinson knows DC's secrets and it shows in this killer noir, so authentic it'll make you get up and lock your doors. CRIME SONG is even better than the fantastic SECOND GIRL and Swinson writes with a refreshing, understated realness. This is right up there with Richard Price and The Wire."

Editorial Reviews

"Marr is easy to take, a decent guy with a sense of honor. And since Swinson is one of the best dialogue hounds in the business, Marr is blessed with some terrific street talk."—The New York Times Book Review

"So convincing . . . Compulsively readable"—Jack Batten, Toronto Star

Frank Marr is "one of the genre's most damaged yet empathetic characters. The writing feels as authentic and true to the street as The Wire--which for crime writers is about the highest praise there is."—Casey Barrett, Village Voice

"Former DC detective Swinson knows his stuff. . . . His second in the Frank Marr series features sharp prose, spot-on dialogue, and a protagonist as complicated and unlikely as he is appealing. Fans of gritty crime fiction will want to add Swinson to their reading lists."—Booklist (starred review)

"David Swinson is one of the most exciting new voices to come along in crime fiction in this decade, and Crime Song is Exhibit A of his remarkable talent. Swinson's writing is heartfelt, powerful, and authentic, and Frank Marr is as fully rendered as any detective in recent memory."—Michael Koryta, bestselling author of Rise the Dark

"Frank Marr is a straight-up addict. His life, a train wreck. And he's the good guy. Welcome to the world of David Swinson, author of one of the most compelling P.I. series to come along in a while. Pick up a copy of Crime Song. You'll love it."—Michael Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Brighton

"A veteran detective, David Swinson knows DC's secrets and it shows in this killer noir, so authentic it'll make you get up and lock your doors. Crime Song is even better than the fantastic TheSecond Girl and Swinson writes with a refreshing, understated realness. This is right up there with Richard Price and The Wire."—Matthew Quirk, New York Times bestselling author of Dead Man Switch

"Swinson delivers a superb second installment (after The Second Girl) in the "Frank Marr" series. Readers of Dennis Lehane, Richard Price, and George Pelecanos as well as fans of The Wire will appreciate the gritty depiction of the mean inner-city streets of our nation's capital."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Smart and sharp . . . Swinson, a retired detective himself, knows his way around mean streets. . . . Through all the plot twists of this well-designed mystery, what comes through most are Swinson's characters--particularly Marr, who attracts affection and respect, even when he is at his worst."—The National Book Review

"Crime Song is fast and rough and great. The atmosphere is perfect. The details are perfect. Only a cop, someone who's really lived in this world, could get so much so right."

—James O. Born, bestselling author of Walking Money

From the Publisher

Drugs and all, Marr is easy to take, a decent guy with a sense of honor. And since Swinson is one of the best dialogue hounds in the business, Marr is also blessed with some terrific street talk.

The New York Times Book Review - Marilyn Stasio

03/20/2017
Swinson’s second Frank Marr novel (after 2016’s The Second Girl) starts strong but loses focus. The former police detective turned PI is tailing a cousin, George Washington University student Jeffery Baldwin, because Jeffery is skipping classes and his mother is worried. Frank learns that Jeffery is dealing drugs and follows him to a meeting with his supplier at a D.C. nightclub. Rather than confront Jeffery, Frank—an addict whose stash is getting low—decides to rob him, but when he breaks into Jeffery’s apartment, he can’t find the goods. Back at Frank’s house, the cops are waiting. His electronics, vinyl collection, and handgun are missing, and Jeffery is dead in the kitchen. The police suspect that Frank murdered Jeffery and staged the burglary to cover it up, forcing him to launch his own investigation. A dearth of action, a surplus of surveillance, and unconvincing stakes make for a saggy middle, and though the final stretch is adrenaline-fueled, the ending is too pat. Agent: Jane Gelfman, Gelfman Schneider/ICM. (May)

Publishers Weekly

2017-03-21
Good cops and bad cops, good burglars and bad burglars, murder and mayhem in Washington, D.C.Author Swinson is himself a retired detective, and familiarity with policing and crime, and an eye for detail, provides a solid framework for the story as Frank Marr, a retired D.C. narcotics detective-turned-private eye, makes a second appearance (The Second Girl, 2016, etc.) in this cocaine-fueled caper. Marr is a cokehead who feeds his habit partly through his assignments, shaking down dealers or burgling the homes of those he has under surveillance. As the book opens, he's turned a sweet trick: he can confirm to his Aunt Linda that her college-student son, Jeffrey, is indeed dealing dope and has a plan to steal the dope while Jeffrey is in class. But while Marr is breaking into Jeffrey's apartment, Jeffrey is burgling Marr's place and is killed in the process. Of course Marr must conceal the real facts from his old friends on the force, complicating their investigations. Sleuthing on his own, Marr identifies one burglar and the driver of the cab that is used to carry the stolen items to be fenced. He pressures these two, the details begin to emerge, and the trail leads to a dirty cop and an old grudge. All this while Marr continues to feed his habit and at every turn has to face the question of how his addiction will be maintained. Though he claims early in the book that his relationship with lawyer Leslie Costello matters most to him ("Last thing I want to do is fuck it up with her. You don't get that many chances in life"), in fact she figures only slightly in the narrative, and by the end, the relationship is in shambles. This is consistent with the real agenda of addiction; Marr cares more about blow than anything else and illustrates this in other situations. But it is just that consistency that makes the ending so unsatisfying. Though Marr manages to arrange some measure of justice for some of the characters, the body count is high; he never confronts the destruction of his relationship with Leslie; and he seems to think he can ride off into a drug-free sunset, with all accounts squared. A gritty thriller with convincing details, but the feel-good conclusion undermines the effort.

Kirkus Reviews