Friend of a Friend — Ralph Cotton

Old ways and new clash in head-on confrontation: When journeyman hit man Ray Dylan agrees to look in on Sami Bloom, former mistress of a deceased Canadian crime financier, he realizes he must keep his profession a secret. What he doesn't realize is how difficult that is now that he has fallen for this warm-hearted beauty. While he struggles with the idea of confiding to her about his secret past, Dylan learns that Sami Bloom has some secrets of her own -- and her secrets reach into the upper echelons of the very organization he works for. Add to that a greedy young criminal, who along with his thug-like bodyguard, poses a threat to Sami's life, and secrets or no secrets, Dylan knows it's time for bullets to fly. In Friend Of A Friend, Cotton paints a stark unapologetic portrait of modern American crime, both at its ruthless struggling-for-power street level, and at its more discreet, tight-lipped, yet equally deadly seats of authority. Cotton has a unique way of weaving the reader's senses into the story. Known for fast-paced narrative and wry dark humor, Cotton takes inspiration for his stories from TV news and headlines. He creates a raw and colorful, almost desperate atmosphere around modern American culture, yet at some point, unexpectedly, leaves the reader with cause for hope.