"One of the Best Books of the Year" -The Strand
When a waitress at The Cellar asks Boo and Junior to scare her roommate Dana’s harassing ex-boyfriend, Byron, Boo’s white knight impulses kick in and they perform the job with gusto, leaving Byron bloodied but very much alive. So when Byron is found dead, they’re shocked. They’re even more shocked when they learn that nothing is what they originally thought, and they’re being held accountable in the man's death.
With Junior called in for questioning, Boo is determined to clear their names by finding Byron’s true killer. It’s a quest in which Boo will have to face down crooked cops, crazed guard dogs, a rival security crew, the Irish mob and—worst of all—his own ingrained prejudices.
Action-packed, outrageously funny, and brutally honest, Rough Trade brings back crime fiction’s favorite bouncers and takes them well out of their comfort zone in a novel that’s whip-smart, hilarious, gritty and above all human, proving that Todd Robinson is one of the most important voices in crime fiction.
Praise for ROUGH TRADE
“Todd Robinson is the most important name in contemporary American noir.”
–Roger Hobbs, New York Times bestselling author of GHOSTMAN and winner of the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
"Rough-and-tumble...a gritty tale leavened by some raucous humor."
–Publishers Weekly
"Robinson tells a helluva story."
–Booklist
"Todd Robinson is the Jonathan Franzen of crime fiction. Nobody nails such a deft balance between tough-guy narrative, gut-busting laughs, and a genuine emotional core. ROUGH TRADE tackles some complicated subject matter, and in less sure hands it could have been preachy, precious, or downright disastrous. Robinson handles it with heart, humor, honesty—and he more than sticks the landing. He's one of the most exciting and engaging voices in any category."
–Rob Hart, author of NEW YORKED
"Todd Robinson’s ROUGH TRADE isn’t always pretty, and it isn’t always nice. But it is a brave, unflinching portrait of working-class prejudices wrapped up in a doozy of a crime story and delivered by one of the most assured, distinctive voices in the genre today. Robinson tackles a subject lesser writers would run from with guts, heart, and grace."
–Chris Holm, author of THE KILLING KIND
“Todd Robinson’s fiction is fast-paced, funny and wildly entertaining, but what sets him apart is his incredible empathy for his characters and the world around them. Boo and Junior are the kind of guys who’d scare you out of your wits if you met them on the street, but on the page they’re the endearing odd couple you can’t help but cheer for.”
–Owen Laukkanen, bestselling author of THE PROFESSIONALS
