Havoc in the Hub

Peter Wolfe is the Curators' Professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

With this excellent study of Higgins, Peter Wolfe sustains, in his twentieth book, my judgment that he is the liveliest and wisest of crime fiction critics. His style and intellect were at high energy in his previous book on James Ellroy's shot-gun depiction of the sordid mysteries of Los Angeles. Wolfe adjusts his colorful style and delving intellect to do justice to Higgins' more controlled artistry and his objective analysis of Boston crime. I have followed Wolfe's work over four decades; I would follow him down any mean street he chooses.

• Chapter 1. A Nose for DangerChapter 2. Chasing Down the MischiefChapter 3. The Guys onna Street and OthersChapter 4. Post-HardboiledChapter 5. Some Words onna StreetChapter 6. The Street Talks BackChapter 7. With Friends Like TheseChapter 8 Conclusion