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Praise for Blind Man's Alley

  • “BLIND MAN’S ALLEY is cunningly plotted and utterly true to contemporary New York life. It covers every level of the city, from the penthouses to the projects, with total authenticity. And its characters are finely drawn – the good ones are never boring in their goodness, while the bad ones are as horrifying as New York produces.” Edward Hayes
  • “Dense, enthralling, complex, and extremely satisfying, Justin Peacock’s BLIND MAN’S ALLEY is an absolutely captivating read from an exceptionally talented writer who knows his stuff inside out.” John Lescroart

Praise

  • Washington Post:
    "When the prizes are awarded for this year's best first novel, 'A Cure for Night' will be competing for the gold."
  • The New York Times Book Review:
    "Peacock … heads toward Scott Turow country, where characters get enmeshed in the murky, moral corners of the actual law… He’s all about the law, and based on his work here, he’s got a good chance to make partner."
  • USA Today:
    "This is a lively, dialogue-driven story of life on the streets and in the courtroom, and in both arenas, anything goes."
  • Nashville Tennessean:
    "'A Cure for Night' compares favorably with such works as Robert Traver's 'Anatomy of a Murder' and Scott Turow's 'Presumed Innocent'. The courtroom exchanges are scintillating, the action away from the bench is suspenseful, and the conclusion is surprising."
  • Entertainment Weekly:
    "Peacock blends taut courtroom drama with The Wire’s gritty urban realism in this razor-sharp debut." Grade: A.
  • Florida Sun-Sentinel:
    "In his debut, lawyer turned author Justin Peacock delivers a fresh view of the legal system, the drug trade and an insider's view of Brooklyn.... The riveting 'A Cure for Night' should be the beginning of a long career for Peacock."
  • Library Journal:
    "A smart, fast, and thoroughly entertaining debut from Brooklyn-based lawyer Peacock."
  • NPR:
    "Peacock's gritty look at the bowels of the legal system is informed by his legal training, and he paints a complicated, engaging portrait of a city where it's a five-minute walk from high rises to low life."
  • Booklist:
    "'A Cure for Night' is a truly compelling first novel... By any measure, this one’s a winner."
  • Washington Lawyer:
    "'A Cure For Night' is a remarkable debut novel by Justin Peacock… He is a gem of a writer, storyteller, and moralist."
  • Publishers Weekly:
    "Peacock's intimate knowledge of the courtroom and carefully crafted prose aside, the gritty realism, intense emotional intimacy and socially relevant subject matter—racism, America's war on drugs, the ‘corporate culture’ of drug dealers—make this a deeply thought-provoking read in a genre that can be anything but."
  • Mark Costello:
    "Haunting, seductive and dead-on-the-mark, 'A Cure for Night' is the best courtroom novel in a generation."

Excerpt

  • Excerpt from the Novel
    If you're interested in getting a taste of the book, here's a short excerpt on NPR's website.

Essay

  • A Brooklyn Novel
    A short essay on the novel's origins from the New York Daily News.

Archives

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June 29, 2011

Now in Paperback

Blind Man's Alley is officially out in paperback, part of a brand new line from Vintage called Pocket Black Lizard.

The folks at Vintage/Black Lizard have also just launched a new website devoted to crime fiction, weeklylizard.com, which is already packed with great material for readers looking to explore both contemporary and classic crime novels.  So if you're looking for some summer reading, check out my essay in appreciation of George V. Higgins' wonderful debut novel from 1972, The Friends of Eddie Coyle. 

Posted at 03:49 PM in Books | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

May 23, 2011

John Lescroart Shares the Spotlight with Blind Man's Alley

Best-selling author John Lescroart, who was already kind enough to blurb Blind Man's Alley, now shares the spotlight in Booklist, calling the novel his favorite read of the past year. 

Praise from any quarters is always nice, but praise from a fellow writer, especially one you have long admired, means something extra. 

Posted at 05:38 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

September 01, 2010

Daily Beast

My essay The New Social Novel is up on The Daily Beast. Whether or not you agree with the arguments I make, I hope that anyone who values fiction will at least find it thought-provoking.

Posted at 11:27 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

August 31, 2010

Recent Reviews

Blind Man's Alley  was recently reviewed in Bookreporter, the Dallas Morning News, and the San Francisco Book Review.

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August 16, 2010

New York Post's "Required Reading"

"Blind Man's Alley" was featured in the New York Post's Required Reading column.

Posted at 01:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

August 12, 2010

Bloomberg review

Bloomberg (the publication, not the Mayor) has weighed in on Blind Man's Alley, calling it "an ambitious thriller that delves into the interlocking worlds of real estate, law, journalism, and politics." 


Posted at 03:23 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

August 11, 2010

In Stores Now

Blind Man's Alley is now for sale in a bookstore near you.  Or at least it should be. Assuming there are still bookstores open where you live. But you get the idea. More news coming soon. 

Posted at 10:48 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

August 02, 2010

Reviews and News

There's still a week before Blind Man's Alley is officially published, but to my (delighted) surprise, it turned out to be an eventful weekend for the novel.  First, mystery maven Sarah Weinman reviewed the book in the Los Angeles Times.  Patrick Anderson also weighed in at the Washington Post, calling the novel "a superior legal thriller by a writer with talent to burn."  Needless to say, I'm thrilled with the early responses to the novel; keep 'em coming!

There also a profile of me in the latest issue of The Big Thrill, and a radio interview I did for the Lewis Burke Frumkes show.  Lewis has a great archive of interviews with a diverse group of talented writers; its a fun site to explore. 

Posted at 12:36 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

July 07, 2010

Booklist Review

Another review that I can't link to, as its only available with a subscription. The review concludes: "Peacock has a sure touch with legal thrillers, and this one thunders to a gripping conclusion." Which is nice to hear, as I think the ending is often the weakest part of a novel, and I worked like hell to bring everything together in a plausible yet unexpected way at the end. 

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July 02, 2010

Early Review

Kirkus Reviews has just weighed in on Blind Man's Alley, giving it a starred review.  Unfortunately, their reviews are only available to subscribers, so I can't link to it.  But here's how it concludes: "Peacock, a former lawyer whose first novel drew comparisons to Scott Turow, brings this legal thriller—and especially the characters therein—to vivid life, portraying multimillionaires and project residents with skill. The prose is perfectly tuned, drawing the reader in without ever getting in the way. Peacock writes compellingly about issues of class, identity and justice while still managing to keep the plot barreling irresistibly along."

Needless to say, I'm thrilled. Every good review is nice, of course, but they're especially satisfying when they get what you were trying to do.

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