“John Roche takes us back to a time before CSI labs turned crime solving into (yawn) science projects. His hero is riddled with flaws, bombarded by life, but so desperate to find out who murdered a neighborhood legend that I wanted to jump into the book and help the poor bastard out. If you’ve been aching for a good old fashioned, pulse-pounding crime novel you can sink your teeth into, Bronx Bound is it.”
—Marshall Karp, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Some books hook you with a bang-bang plot, others with characters you can’t forget, and still others, an atmosphere and mood that pull you into a time you’d all but forgotten—and maybe wanted to forget. John Roche combines all of these elements and more in Bronx Bound, a book that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until a suspenseful conclusion that had this reader guessing until the very end.”
—Maggie Barbieri, author of Lies That Bind, Once Upon A Lie and the Murder 101 mystery series
“What Dennis Lehane has done to bring the grittiest streets of working-class Boston to life, John Roche does for some of the blue-collar neighborhoods of the Bronx circa 1988.”
—Mark Sundeen, co-author of the New York Times bestseller North By Northwestern and author of The Man Who Quit Money
“John Roche transports us back to the bad old days of the late 1980s with such authenticity that you’ll forget you are reading and think you’re actually standing in the pubs, precinct house, newsroom or on the rough-edged streets of the Bronx, where so many cops and criminals grew up together and still cross paths. In the tradition of Michael Connelly, Richard Price and Dennis Lehane, Bronx Bound is both an urban crime thriller and a literary debut worthy of celebration.”
—Dan Pope, author of Housebreaking
“Bronx Bound is urban crime fiction at its best—gritty setting, memorable characters, and an authentic, compelling voice. John Roche’s 20-plus years of journalism experience bring this fast-paced story set in the 1980s Bronx to life as only a writer who’s lived the life can. His protagonist, reporter Matt Brady, is as real as a fictional character can be. I hope to see more of him in the future.”
—Brian Thiem, author of Red Line, a Detective Matt Sinclair Mystery
“This powerful debut novel takes us along for a gripping, noirish ride through a murder investigation that pushes cops, criminals, and a newspaper reporter to the edge. But in Bronx Bound, John Roche does more than just spin a good yarn. With a convincing eye for detail, he captures the complex ties of neighborhood loyalty, exploring the often blurred lines between right and wrong, and in the process delivers a convincing portrayal of working-class honor, along with its sometimes devastating costs.”
—Thomas Kelly, author of The Rackets and Empire Rising
“You will want to zip through John Roche’s Bronx Bound because the plot moves you along at rapid-fire pace, but all the while you will keep trying to slow down to savor the vivid insights into a complex urban culture. The book tells the best kind of story, one peopled with beautifully drawn characters you will care about deeply and remember after you turn the last page.”
—Annamaria Alfieri, author of the critically acclaimed Strange Gods
“A compelling, no-bull novel packed with grittiness, authority, suspense, and topnotch storytelling. John Roche knows how to write.”
—Mark Wisniewski, author of Watch Me Go
“John Roche’s Bronx Bound reminds even us hardened New Yorkers that it ain’t called ‘The Boogie Down Bronx’ for nothing. Back in the late 1980’s, Roche’s intrepid reporter, Matt Brady, goes to those places few would dare to tread. By the end of this brisk and fast-paced read, you’ll be glad you went along for the ride.”
—Tim O’Mara, author of the Raymond Donne mystery series
“Being a Bronx kid, I was delighted to get my hands on John Roche’s Bronx Bound. This is a guy who knows his Bronx, and his complex and convincing story of tough times in tough neighborhoods—even neighborhoods that thought they weren’t so tough—takes me back through decades and streets I remember well.”
—SJ Rozan, Edgar-winning author (as Sam Cabot) of Skin of the Wolf
John Roche 