The Old Turk's Load — Gregory Gibson

A sprawling, historical debut mystery from acclaimed non-fiction writer Gregory Gibson that will appeal to fans of classic noir. Angelo DiNoto is the most powerful crime lord in New Jersey, his empire bolstered by importing pure heroin courtesy of the poppies grown by an old Turkish farmer. Yet when a five million dollar shipment goes missing, DiNoto isn't the only one willing to turn over every rock (and bust some heads, arms, legs, etc.) to locate it.

Richard Mundi is a shady developer who sees the heroin as the key to replenishing his fading business with new capital. His daughter, Gloria, is literally in bed with a band of wannabe revolutionaries, and sees the heroin as her ticket out of her meek boyfriend's arms and away from her father's looming shadow. 'Mailman' is a longtime postal clerk who has seen it all -- until throat cancer robs him of his voice and the will to live -- and thinks finding the drugs is the perfect cap to a failed life. 'Walkaway' Kelly is a punch-drunk P.I. hired by Mundi to tail Gloria, but when he uncovers the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Mundi's wife, he'll do anything to uncover the truth.

Stir in Kelly's young protégé, brothers who work as DiNoto's ruthless enforcers, Mundi's conflicted collections agent, and you have an Elmore Leonard-esque cast of characters running rampant in a twisting crime novel in which each disparate thread leads directly to an unforgettable showdown over the Old Turk's Load.