The Big Lie, the latest Shane Cleary novel from Gabriel Valjan is smart, surprising and beautifully rendered. This is the fifth book in the series, and Valjan’s keen eye for detail, strong characters and narrative control, shine through this tale. Cleary, an ex-Boston cop, now a PI, is that rare person, an honest man in a world of shadows, lies and crime. Fans of Valjan’s Shane Cleary series (and I count myself as one!) know that things are complicated for Cleary. But as compelling as the unfolding plot is, there’s immense satisfaction in the way he does the job and finds his way through to something honorable.

The story begins when Southie’s most dangerous criminal hires Cleary to find his lost dog. Cleary is willing to refuse the job, except Jimmy says that he has information about Cleary’s father’s death years earlier. But only if he finds the dog.

Everything screams he shouldn’t take the job, but Shane can’t resist Jimmy’s added ‘incentive.’ Add in some other favors he’s asked to do, some rival gangsters, dirty cops and an overzealous DA, and you have the kind of tasty recipe only Valjan can bring to the table. The notion of “the big lie” looms throughout, touching on various aspects of the evolving case. And Shane can’t help but think his client just might kill him anyway after he finds the dog. To say much more would be to spoil the fun.

Highly recommended!

(I read an advance copy of The Big Lie via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review)

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James McCrone is the author of the Imogen Trager political suspense-thrillers Faithless Elector, Dark Network , and Emergency Powers–noir tales about a stolen presidency, a conspiracy, and a nation on edge. Bastard Verdict, his fourth novel, is about a conspiracy surrounding a second Scottish Independence referendum. All books are available on BookShop.org, IndyBound.org, Barnes & Noble, your local bookshop, and Amazon. eBooks are available in multiple formats including Apple, Kobo, Nook and Kindle.

He’s a member of Mystery Writers of America, Int’l Assoc. of Crime Writers, and he’s the current president of the Delaware Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime. He lives in Philadelphia. James has an MFA from the University of Washington in Seattle. His current, work-in-progress is a mystery-thriller set in Oregon’s wine country…A (pinot) Noir, called Witness Tree.

For a full list of appearances and readings, make sure to check out his Events/About page. And follow this blog!

You can also keep up with James and his work on social media:
Mastodon: @JMcCrone
Bluesky: @jmccrone.bsky.social
Facebook: James McCrone author (@FaithlessElector)
and Instagram/Threads “@james.mccrone”