Blaze

A police captain and lead investigator for the chief of New York's detectives, Nora Riter is smart, strong-willed, and beautiful-a rising star. But her personal life is threatening to send her career into a nosedive. Struggling to reestablish control-both professionally and personally-she takes on a case that leads her to the meanest of Brooklyn's streets, the domain of Blaze Longo, a Red Hook loan shark and pathological killer in steel-toed boots. Longo's reputation for cruelty and sadistic behavior strikes terror in the heads of even the most hardened tough guys. Up until now, he has remained untouchable. But Blaze has never encountered the like of Captain Nora Riter.

But she needs help, and it's coming in the form of a most unlikely ally: good-looking sometime actor, always streetwise Nicky the Hawk Ossman. Ossman knows Brooklyn's Red Hook better than anyone and he has good reasons to want the psychopathic Blaze off the streets. There's Nicky's adopted seven-year-old son, Tino, and a light-headed prostitute cousin named Irma, both of whom share Nicky's life-and neither can make it through this life without him. Therefore, a stretch in prison for assaulting a vice cop-a very real proposed to him by a determined Nora Riter-is unthinkable. So he agrees to go undercover to nail the madman Blaze.

Stalking Longo is perilous work, and Nicky soon wants out. Nora, however, wants Longo in the worst way. Circumstance has thrown Nora and Nicky together in this very dangerous game, which is smelling increasingly of secrecy, lies, and betrayal emanating from the top levels of the department. But they can survive the coming conflation if they are willing to break all their own rules.There is one busted commandment, however, that could cost them everything: the unwritten law that says a co and her informant must never get romantically involved.

"Leuci, the famed 'Prince of the City,' knows his urban politics and police procedures, and has a great ear for the rhythms of working-class life...relish the action, the play of cautions and admiration between Nora and Nicky, and the light touch Leuci displays with Nicky's self-created family...nonstop fun."(—The Washington Post Book World)

"Leuci...knows the territory, especially how good cops can be compromised when they ask for favors."(—New York Post)

"Robert Leuci takes his readers on a joyful ride...The convoluted plot of BLAZE is put together like a Swiss watch. Nora and Nicky are fun to watch and the result is a delicious read."(—Washington Times )

"Robert Leuci's Nick and Nora are as far from Dashiel Hammett's as grit is from wit. Still, Leuci's duo has undeniable appeal--strong enough to drive this...compelling novel"(—Philadelphia Inquirer)

"There is undeniable fascination in the seamy life Leuci portrays, and fans of the hard-boiled...will be entertained."(—The Cleveland Plain Dealer)

"A disturbing, captivating story, told with the realism you would expect from someone who has lived the life."(—St. Petersburg Times)