New York Minute

How far can a good man get pushed?

The last time former Green Beret Will Kane was involved in killing someone it made the cover of LIFE Magazine.

Eight years later he's getting pushed to the edge of that precipice he vowed never to go over again.

New York City, summer 1977. The Bronx is burning. The twin towers of the new World Trade Center loom over the skyline. Son of Sam. Star Wars. Studio 54. The Five Families. The city faces bankruptcy and unrest seethes.

On the dark streets of a city the rest of the country believes is going down the toilet, Vietnam vet Kane's life mirrors his hometown.

Carrying a past cratered with death and tragedy, Kane has been working as a 'fixer' for a high-priced lawyer since returning to New York in disgrace. But is he really fixing anything?

It begins when he takes a compromising picture as part of the job. As the long hot summer boils, so does Kane as the mob, the CIA, the IRA and other forces are brought to bear on him. What they all seem to have forgotten, and Kane wishes he could, is that he is a highly trained and experienced warrior.

A skilled killer.

What should a good man do when faced with evil that the law can't touch?

On 13 July 1977, the Blackout occurs and Kane explodes.

For fans of the Green Beret series of books, this book is a prelude to the entire series, and introduces a new character in his own series. Dave Riley is here as Will Kane's 17 year old younger cousin.

Publishers Weekly: "Mayer has crafted a thriller in the tradition of John Grisham's The Firm."