The Hook and the Badge — Jim Lynch

In May 1953, a bartender is brutally murdered behind a tavern in the port city of Charlestown, a working-class section of Boston. Jackie Xavier Monyhan, a longshoreman who does plenty of drinking, is the only one who has a clue that could lead to the killer. But fearing that he could endanger his family if he tells the police what he knows, he decides to join the force and begin his own pursuit of justice. Once a lowly port worker, Jackie falls in love with Kathleen, a gorgeous charmer he had once thought out of his league, and he works his way up until he's a hardened police detective. As Jackie digs deeper into the past, he uncovers secrets that point the way to the elusive killer. But he only has so much time, and the Irish Mafia is also looking for Jackie's quarry. Join Jackie in The Hook and the Badge as he struggles to uncover mysteries in a magnificent tale complete with violence, romance, and suspense.