Thank you Crooked Lane Books #partner, for the advanced copy of The Killing Yards in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Published: September 22, 2026
Summary:
This gritty crime novel set in 1990s New York City will appeal to fans of Dennis Lehane.
New York, 1993. Jimmy Lettner, a convicted drug-trafficker who once lost a daughter in a narco-fueled car wreck, runs Manhattan’s hottest nightspot, Abattoir. Reformed by his time in prison, all he wants is to run a clean club. But that’s not possible in a city rife with corruption.
Jimmy doesn’t know it, but his right-hand man, Serge Thanakis, is operating an ecstasy ring that’s drawing the wrong kind of attention. Jealous industry rivals will do anything to shut Abbatoir down, and the new mayor presses the NYPD to clean up the city’s darkest corners. As Jimmy’s troubles mount, temptations from his past call to him.
Meanwhile, Ben Hopkins, a straight-edge rookie cop on the hunt for a fast-track ticket to detective, turns his attention to Abattoir. He has something to prove—to his father and to himself. But he’s not prepared for undercover work. The club scene devours Ben, along with his ability to tell right and wrong.
As the war for Abattoir escalates, bodies drop, drawing more heat from city officials. The competition threatens Jimmy’s only surviving daughter, a revelation about his past threatens his future, and he questions how long his reign as NYC’s nightclub king can last. But through it all the dance floor stays packed—and Jimmy will do anything to keep his crown.
My thoughts:
This gritty crime novel set in the 1990s in NYC completely captivated me from page 1! I devoured this book over the weekend, unable to put it down. Told from four perspectives, I loved how deeply flawed they all were. None were all good or all bad, yet it was easy to sympathize with them in some ways.
This book was born out of the author’s 20 years experience being a NYPD detective and it shows. It has such a strong sense of place — the 90s really come alive and there is nothing that takes you out of the story here.
There’s an intensity to the story that begs you to keep flipping the pages and you are rewarded with a fantastic ending. I cannot recommend this book enough and am blown away that this is a debut!!
Purchasing from the link below supports independent bookstores and my blog!
