Next of Kin

Next of Kin Cover
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David Hosp

When Boston attorney Scott Finn agrees to defend the son of notorious mobster Eamonn McDougal, he knows he's putting his reputation on the line. But he also knows he can use him as bait to reel in the prize catch. In a city where mob crime once ruled, a core of corruption, greed, lies and deceit still lingers. And it seems there are those in power who will stop at nothing to achieve what they want. Finn, who grew up an orphan on the meanest streets in the city, is determined to solve the murder of the mother he never knew. In his search for the truth he uncovers a sinister trail of murder, betrayal and revenge borne by someone who could neither forgive nor forget. But who can be trusted, and who can be believed? And can Finn find the answers before it's too late?
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Judy

This is one of the best thrillers I've read in a long time, reminiscent of John Grisham, but, I think, better and with a stronger, more sympathetic cast of characters.

The book begins with a prologue. In 1966, two frightened young unmarried women are about to give birth in a grim hospital which specialises in taking in girls who have 'dishonoured' their families, by getting pregnant out of wedlock. The 'care' they receive is judgemental and cold. Their babies are taken away from them immediately; the girls must never see them again.

The story then flashes forward to 2010. Scott Finn is a trial lawyer in Boston. An orphan, brought up on the wrong side of the tracks, he has worked hard to get where he is. And although most of his clients are unsavoury, Finn himself is straight as a die.

A Boston gangster, Eamonn McDougal, asks Finn to defend his son on a drugs rap. Finn agrees, only after stressing he will do nothing underhand to get the boy acquitted.

What follows tests Finn's resolve to play straight to the limit, after he becomes unwittingly involved in what at first seems to be a straightforward robbery. An elderly woman is found dead in an apartment in a poverty-stricken part of town. The ensuing murder investigation draws in not only Finn, his colleagues Lissa and Koz, and Finn's young ward Sally, but also the mobster McDougal and the state governor.

This is a tight, terrific thriller with unexpected twists right to the end. David Hosp is a relative newcomer to the crime genre, but I'll be reading all his books from now

Richard

Like Judy, I loved the main character, the lawyer Scott Finn. Tough, straight-talking, and morally upright he may be, but he is also warm, with strong loyalties. I also really enjoyed his surrogate family. An orphan, Finn has surrounded himself with two engaging colleagues, Lissa Krantz, and her husband, the gruff and courageous ex-cop 'Koz' Kozlowski. Finn also has a 16 year old charge, Sally, a girl who's dead father was one of the lawyer's shady clients, and whose mother is a crack-whore unsuited to bring her up.

Finn's deeply moral sense of responsibility and affection for Sally runs through this book, and she herself is a terrific character; bright, street-wise, and determined to make her own way in the world.

This family feel lends a warmth to the book which many crime-writers cannot emulate. While the novel itself it gritty, tense, and unflinching, Finn is a hero you not only admire, but actually like.

David Hosp really knows his stuff. He is himself a trial lawyer in Boston, and writes his novels during his daily two-hour commute on the Boston ferry. His descriptions of the city are fascinating. I was there myself recently, and loved the place. Hosp makes much of the Irish heritage there, and it is refreshing to read an excellent thriller like this, set in Boston, as opposed to the more usual fictional crime-scenes of New York and L.A.

A truly absorbing page-turner.

Richard and Judy talk to David Hosp author of "Nex

Richard and Judy talk to David Hosp about his book "Next Of Kin" You can buy the book at WHSmith stores or online

Reviews & Comments

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  • I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. David Hosp introduces all his characters, establishes the goodies and baddies and sets the scene very skillfully....and then lights the blue touchpaper under every one of them so that the story rockets off at a breakneck pace which you follow breathlessly ! Very exciting/hard to put down with a twist which you don't see coming at all and all the loose ends are very satisfyingly tied up at the end. I shall look out for more of his books.

    Pam

  • Really enjoyed this book and finished it in just two days. Could not put it down. A great story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and constantly looking to turn the next page. Highly recommend it. Enjoy.

    Ben Waddington

  • I only partly enjoyed this book, the story line was good. However, I found the plot to be far fetched. Which is a shame because I liked the main characters

    Karen L S

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