The Devil's Daughter

by Gordon Greisman

From Emmy-nominated screenwriter Gordon Greisman, The Devil's Daughter is a noir thriller full of the best--and worst--of New York City in the 1950s. Most nights PI Jack Coffey can be found hanging out in smoky Greenwich Village jazz clubs with well-known mobsters, jazzmen, and hoods. So, when an uptown financier calls him in for a job, it seems like he's headed for tonier climes. But it turns out the view from Louis Garrett's lavish penthouse overlooks the same vice-ridden Manhattan streets, which explains why he's so desperate to find his missing teenage daughter, Lucy. When Jack's search for Lucy leads him to swanky nightclubs packed with well-dressed pimps and wealthy drug dealers, he begins to wonder if Garrett is really concerned about his daughter's welfare or if he simply fears she may reveal his own shocking secrets. After an attack outside Jack's own apartment and Lucy's boyfriend is found floating face down in the East River, the story kicks into high gear. But death threats, crooked cops, lies, or ugly truths can't stop Jack from finishing the job--whether an angel or a devil, Lucy is still a kid in danger, and Jack will do whatever it takes to find her.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Noir, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

258 pages, Hardcover

First published January 23, 2024

Reviews

[eyes.2c · Rating 2 out of 5]

Devil’s Daughter just didn’t grab me the way other crime nois has. I found my attention wandering.
I want to be drawn in from the beginning not flounder around waiting for the moment to strike.

A Blackstone ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

[Kaku · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mixed opinions. The book is able to keep you speculating and guessing, whilst simultaneously feeling dull and empty. You end up not caring enough about the characters. Lucy's death doesn't touch you, nor does it feel like a great loss. It'd already improved greatly if they took more time to flash out the characters.

Overall a boring and disappointing read. I might pick up a different book from the author in the future though.

[Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very heavy crime-noir, readers can expect to be thrusted into the dark world of underground city crime and its intensity. While I didn't necessarily think this book was outstanding, I still thought it packed enough punch to gain more publicity that it has. Not sure why there aren't more reviews listed for this title.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the digital ARC.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5* I’ve never read a crime noir book before and didn’t really know how I’d feel about it but GUYS, it was preeeettty good! I felt like I was in this fkn book fighting crime and talking to these mob bosses myself 😂 I was pretty into it, kinda sad it’s over. Maybe ya girl will finally watch the sopranos or something hahaha.

[Douvonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Bobbie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. I thought his style of writing was similar to Harlan Coben, who I love to read. The characters were interesting and the storyline kept me from putting the book down till the end.

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bronson Pinchot’s voice is so good. Perfect for this hard boiled tale of a daughter of a bad guy gone missing and the 1950s private dick trying to get to find her.

[Anam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very distasteful because of its subject matter. Regardless, it was well written and the ending was positive. I really liked the ending.

[Mae Kingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

In The Devil’s Daughter, Jack Coffey, a hardened PI, accepts a job locating a rich businessman’s wayward daughter, but over the course of his investigation, he realizes neither father nor daughter are innocent.

I’ve watched a few classic noir films, but this was my first foray into noir literature. For all I know the elements of The Devil’s Daughter that didn’t work for me are very customary in these types of books, but if that is the case, I fear it may not be the genre for me.

Firstly, the plot felt very repetitive at times. Coffey would question someone, he’d be ambushed by a thug on the way home, he’d manage to escape but not without injury, he’d go to the hospital, he’d come home, and he’d have sex with his supermodel girlfriend. Rinse and repeat. I can understand the purpose of these scenes - Greisman wanted to thoroughly establish Coffey’s prowess in combat
and impress upon us the strength of his relationship - but I wish he had conveyed those ideas in more varied ways.

Additionally, the writing style felt a bit stilted. The book was written in first-person, present tense with unvaried sentence structure. I imagine the intention was to evoke the narration of classic film noir heroes, but it was missing their knack for turn of phrase. I also didn’t feel especially connected to the characters. Coffey felt like a fairly generic noir hero, and while Greisman tried to imbue his girlfriend with some depth through her connection to the novel’s victims, she didn’t serve a great enough purpose in the larger narrative.

Finally, this may be a personal preference, but I found the number of times Greisman mentioned celebrities of the 1950s a bit exhausting. I don’t mind the odd reference to orient us in the time period, and I understand that Coffey might encounter some artsy types in his work, especially given his girlfriend’s career, but I don’t think it was necessary for, say, Marlon Brando to be elevated to the role of supporting character versus a fun cameo.

I think the story had great potential. Again, I’m not very familiar with the genre, so I’m not sure how much it stands out amongst its peers, but I was intrigued by the dynamic between Lucy and her father and the moral complexity of her character. Yes, she’s done terrible things, but she’s a young, traumatized girl and a victim herself. The crimes are dark. The violence is brutal. The story goes there. But between the repetitive plot, the basic writing, and the flat characters, I just couldn’t form an emotional connection to the story, and that’s what elevates a crime novel above mere shock value.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Goodreads for providing a copy for review!

[Vanessa Ortiz · Rating 1 out of 5]

* Thank you, partner @bibliolifestyle and @blackstonepublishing *

Jack Coffey is a private investigator in 1950s New York City. When a wealthy client requests his assistance locating his missing teenage daughter, Lucy, he is plunged into the seedy underworld of crime and deceit. As Jack conducts his investigation, he discovers some nefarious secrets that has him torn between concern for Lucy's wellbeing and fear of her motives.

This was a whirlwind cat and mouse game that really has you guessing who to trust. Surprisingly, I think this story would work better on film. There was a lack of back story for the main character which I think prevented me from connecting with him (I love a good back story and detailed world building). I did get a bit of whiplash with Lucy - there was this constant back and forth of painting her as a victim and the perpetrator. It was cool to see all the references to well known mobsters and musicians throughout the story but most were tangentially brought up and served more as setting for this thriller. Although most of the names were well known, it would have been nice to see a little more information on those characters for those not familiar with their background. Although this wasn't my cup of tea, if you enjoy this vibe and setting you may enjoy this quick thriller.

⚠️ Please be aware this story contains mention of sexual abuse ⚠️

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feeling about this book now that I’m done. The ending is what really made me give it three stars instead of two. There is a lot of killing in this book! I loved the underground city, mob, crime scene. What threw me off at times was the amount of characters I had to remember. Jack gives main character vibes all around. He’s cool, slick, street smart and has connections everywhere. I really loved V’s character and I laughed every single time Iggy popped up. The whole story behind Lucy Garrett was so disturbing. I’m actually surprised there are no trigger warnings in the beginning of this book. The overall story was pretty interesting and I enjoyed the trill of it. The ending was absolutely perfect. I loved how it listed each person and what happened to them. The whole part with the will gave me the chills.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW for sexual assault of minors and incest. That's a spoiler, but readers should def know going in, it's a big focus.

Captured the feel of hardboiled detective novels, tho grittier than I expected. Thought the language sounded too modern in some places. Had some pacing issues, Jack's thoughts would ramble on. Parts I enjoyed most were the jazz references. In fact, I wish the mystery had centered more on that part of Jack's world.

I wasn't sorry that Lucy died. She had been abused and broken, but I still didn't connect with her as a tragic character.

[Peter Sidell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good job setting a thriller in the mid fifties

A good job setting a thriller in the mid fifties. I couldn’t spot any anachronisms. For a while I was convinced it must have been written in the fifties until I checked the copyright and publication dates.
A lot of seamy details along with incest and statutory rape - but they are one driving force for the plot.
Despite the seamy details it is really a feel good story. It takes place in Manhattan with a few excursions. And it ends with a long retrospective.

[Ken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some parts of this I really liked. The opening and closing chapters were very entertaining. Some parts were very interesting like the use of real-life historical characters in the plot. But some parts, mostly the attempts at classic noir (then two guys came into the room with guns kind of stuff I didn't think were well done. Only my opinion but that's who these reviews are mostly for, me! Anyway, if you like hard-boiled noir, you may want to give this one a try. If you like really good, hard-boiled noir, there are lots better choices out there, in my opinion.

[Charlie Helton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the fun reading this book over the weekend. It read like a classic mobster vs private dick movie dropping me right into the dark underbelly of the New York mobster scene in the 1950s. Jack is a morally grey PI hired to find the daughter of one of the richest men in the state and is quickly led down a rabbit hole of underage sex trafficking, abuse, and money laundering. It was a very entertaining read and would make a great oldies style cat and mouse mob thriller movie.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friend's husband's book - is great. Fun NY noir tough guy solving a crime, which is normally not my bag and this def kept me interested. Audiobook read by Bronson Pinchot, who did a fabulous job, and also sounds 0% like he did back in his Balky Bartokamus days. I mean voice quality. The accent is the same. ZING JK.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ The beginning and ending wrap up nicely but I forgot all about it as I read. Lots of bad things going on with bad people yet Jack manages to stay alive and help out others through his PI business. There were times I was thrown off, forgetting this was taking place in the last 50s and early 60 s but then a phrase or reference would take me back.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well plotted and gripping noir that made me think of the 40s and kept me turning pages.
Well plotted, intriguing atmospheres, well developed characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[ken · Rating 1 out of 5]

Generic, empty, and overall dull. Narrator/protagonist has no personality, the plot nothing but a railroad that expects the tropes to carry it through. Even the supposed salacity comes off as obscene for obscenity’s sake.

[Paige Laliberte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great noir thriller. The writing was easy to read without being too simplistic, the story was tight, and the ending, while bitter sweet, was extremely satisfying. Any fans of the noir genre would love this book!

[Norma Lundstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Coffey is a PI and hired by Louis Garrett to find his daughter. Jack finds during his search for Lucy that Louis is involved in perverted activity.

This book was entertaining as to the mention of famous actors and musicians.

During this search, Jack is almost killed.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Didn't really care about the characters or what happened to them. The author did a decent job with the noir tropes but not enough to keep me entertained. And it just wasn't believable that he knew multiple famous musicians, gangsters, movie stars, etc.

[Katherine Quintanilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Law and Order meets detective do right. Confusing victim. Mobster connections. Jewish slang and New York world. Sad about the ending but understandable. I feel like it's also a sad love letter to a detective life/adventure

[Mostak Ahmed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr Gordon Greisman wrote a glorious screenplay, rather than a thriller novel. I wouldn’t have any problem (which is probably not true) if it was a movie, but this is a novel and I do not believe it deserves more than a 2 in the scale of 5.

[Charmaine Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent crime thriller. I liked the protagonist and enjoyed how the author brought 1950s New York to life by mixing his characters with real-life characters and settings. Some characters and aspects of the plot felt like they could be more developed though.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This good was ok . Too unrealistic and not good enough to overcome the fact that this book has been done many times before.

[Hensley Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the setting: 1950’s New York.
As for the book, I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it.
Glad it was a short read.

[Alicia Primer · Rating 3 out of 5]

NYC noir with lots of jazz and mid century atmosphere. Too many interchangeable bad guys and the finale felt rather rushed after previous pace. 3 1/2*

[Randy]

Great suspense story. Ideally enjoyed the detective in the story and the surprise ending.

[Elizabeth Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This noir mystery skillfully evokes the atmosphere of New York in the 1950s, in particular the jazz club scene. A compelling story of murder, child abuse and lost love.