Praise for THE UP AND UP
In the Roaring '20s Miami of Irby's second novel, Joe Kennedy pursues Gloria Swanson, and eyepatched ex-bootlegger Frank Hearn (fictional hero of Irby's 2005 debut, 7,000 Clams) chases real estate riches--until his partner talks him into a crooked wager. When the partner winds up dead, Hearn is hunted by a wizened mobster, dirty cops, the feds, and an enraged fiancée. Irby may lack the satiric bite of Carl Hiaasen, but he has an undeniable knack for rat-a-tat Jazz Age dialogue. With raffishly endearing characters, from beleaguered rubber baron Harvey Firestone to a scheming bombshell secretary, Irby keeps this screwball noir humming like a classic roadster powered by bathtub hooch. (Entertainment Weekly)
The '20s roar in this crime-caper-meets-historical novel, an homage to the Sunshine State in its halcyon flush-flappers colliding with pink flamingos and gangsters stalking West Palm Beach. Joe Kennedy's cheating on Rose with Gloria Swanson, who's cheating in turn on her Marquis husband. Bryce Shoat, black sheep kin to tycoon Harvey Firestone, is cheating on dishy, ditzy Nina Randolph so as to steal the affections (and assets) of luscious, lush heiress Janice Pendergast. And ex-bootlegger Frank Hearn, our raffish anti-hero, is bent on cheating all Miami. Irby (7000 Clams, 2005) unveils the dark side of the American Dream, in a burg where everyone's on the make, primed, like Jay Gatsby, to reinvent himself bigger, brighter and glamorously fake. An eye-patch-wearing refugee from bleak Asbury Park, Hearn first gains big shekels by fixing a jai-alai match, then schemes with Parker Anderson, former mayor's son and a con man with beaucoups connections, to pull off a massive real-estate scam in a town where the economy has been dicey ever since the hurricane of 1926. But in dizzyingly short order, Frank's chased by goons from the jai-alai club; taken a nightstick in the gut from coppers wise to his stolen Chrysler; and gotten the straight dope that Parker's been shot in the noggin' just before bedding a nightclub dancer. Whew! And the story only speeds up from there. Frank's desperate for moolah not only because he's one avaricious operator, but to repay a massive loan from the father of his beauteous fiancee, Irene. So his motives are triple: greed, fear, true love. In the end, the last wins out-just as the book emerges more as comedy than thriller. But it's terrific as both, weaving togetherthe Kennedy, Shoat and Hearn tales into one fine trifecta of fun. A smart Jazz Age treat that swings. (Kirkus Reviews)
Former bootlegger Frank Hearn is just trying to make an honest buck in 1920s Miami when he falls down a rabbit hole of misfortune in Irby's captivating follow-up to 7,000 Clams (2005). Desperate to pay back a loan and prove himself worthy to the father of his well-heeled fiancée, Irene Howard, Frank joins his opportunist real-estate partner in a fixed jai alai bet. When the jai alai club's mobster owner finds out and sends his goons after them, Frank escapes only to be tossed in jail and robbed of his winnings by corrupt cops. His secretary bails him out the next morning, and Irene surprises him as he's clad only in towel and eye patch—just as the dishy secretary walks in with breakfast. Before Hearn has the chance to explain, he's charged with his not-so-lucky partner's murder. Irene, harboring a tiny shred of faith in her fiancé, pairs up with Horace Dyer, an honest Fed, to try to save Hearn. Ratcheting tension, smoothly incorporated flapper lingo, rich period details and likable characters should help win new fans for this humorous crime series. (Publisher's Weekly)
Praise for 7,000 Clams
“Lee Irby instantly transports the reader back to bootleggers, brothels, and the Babe. A rousing and fun tale with characters aplenty to love and hate, 7,000 Clams is, as the Babe showed us 714 times, a home run.” —David Baldacci
“7,000 Clams is a rip-roaring caper novel full of tough guys and tougher dames, snappy patter and bursts of violence, all wrapped around that much-bigger-than-life historical character Babe Ruth . . . In this impressive first novel, Irby keeps his story twisting and turning, and he writes in a sleek take on hard-boiled style that tips its fedora to masters like Chandler and Dashiell Hammett without overdoing the similes. And he handles the history lovingly but deftly, never letting it slow down the headlong pace.” (St. Petersburg Times)
“7,000 Clams is fiction. Hard-boiled fiction, in fact, the kind of two-fisted, wisecracking tale that makes you think of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall trading double-entendres through wisps of smoke.” (Miami Herald)
“A rollicking debut novel . . . Irby weaves their stories together to produce a crime caper that is both historically accurate and wildly entertaining.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
“A frenzied debut . . . Irby’s writing is brisk and the distinctive characterizations are vivid enough to keep readers engrossed.” (Publishers Weekly)
“With a style that emulates James Carlos Blake’s use of historical characters and events and Elmore Leonard’s wicked sense of humor and retribution, Irby has hit a home run his first time at bat. Move over guys; make room for the new kid.” (Library Journal)
“Lee Irby scores with 7,000 Clams, an entertaining read full of sharp dialogue, crackling writing, and historical tidbits about St. Petersburg. Irby manages to squeeze in color from the period . . . and gives depth to even minor characters. A wonderful debut. (Tampa Tribune)
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