The Lion at the Door — Newton Thornburg

A harrowing thriller from the author of the acclaimed Cutter and Bone, “one of the truly great American writers of the 20th century” (The Guardian).
 
After losing his wife, his parents, and his family farm, Tom Kohl is staying with his cousin Ken in Seattle as he tries to put his life back together. But things only go from bad to worse when Ken kills a man in a hit-and-run -- a man who turns out to be the brother of Tony Jack Giacalone, Seattle's top mobster. Out of loyalty to his cousin, Tom agrees to help cover up the killing. But when he's spotted ditching the car by a cocktail waitress -- who happens to be the girlfriend of a low-level mobster -- the stakes only get higher, and Tom must face what he's willing to do for family when his life is on the line.
 
“[A] taut tale, in language as well as in action, with suspense stretched wiretight.” -- The Christian Science Monitor
 
“Swift prose and guaranteed action.” -- Los Angeles Times