Bag Men [Paperback]

Mark Costello (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

It is New Year's Day, 1965, and the body of Father George Sedgewick is discovered on a snow-covered runway of Logan Airport. Gone missing are four thousand communion hosts consecrated by Pope Paul VI, meant to be given out to the faithful at the first English-language mass in America later that year.
Ray Dunn, a rising young assistant district attorney and the son of a corrupt cop, is assigned to the case. In another part of the city, legendary narcotics detective Manny Manning begins a desperate search for the shadowy source of deadly new heroin hitting the streets. This time Manny is determined to reach the top, but his adversary is cunning, brutal--and branching out into a strange drug called "acid."
These quests for a killer and a dealer will intersect, unleashing the ghosts of the past and unlocking the secrets of Boston's most powerful institutions. Authentic, knowing, and bracingly cynical, Bag Men is a powerful thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR BAG MEN

"Bag Men is terrific. The hard-knocks, hardboiled world of Boston in 1965 re-created, and the story and the characters are beautifully realized. This book is pure pleasure."--Scott Turow

"One of the most powerful and impressive pieces of crime fiction in recent memory . . . A strange, sad, violent odyssey."--The Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Mark Costello worked as a federal prosecutor for five years before writing

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156028212
• ISBN-13: 978-0156028219
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,471,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very strong debut, February 5, 2008

By 

C. Avery (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bag Men (Paperback)

I decided to read this debut by Mark Costello after enjoying his second novel Big If. A compelling period piece detailing crime and corruption in 1965 Boston, Bag Men is an impressive first novel by just about anyone's standard. While I wasn't entirely satisfied with how the story played out, there were more than enough compelling passages to keep me interested. Worth a look for fans of the genre.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A near miss, almost great, September 3, 2008

By 

Janice Reed (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bag Men (Paperback)

Here's a book that could have been great but failed to completely deliver. It took me a while to figure out what was missing, because all the pieces seemed to be in place. At the end of the day, it just lacked a compelling sense of urgency that this genre needs. I kept thinking of James Ellroy's books, especially the L.A. Quartet, while I was reading Bag Men. There are some definite similarities other than the 1950's era, like having multiple plots involving different investigations that eventually become linked. The difference is that Ellroy's best books have the power to pull you in and keep you hooked, no matter how gruesome or unsavory the story becomes. Bag Men just never totally gelled for me, even though it was well written and had some very good passages.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Read, July 15, 2003

By 

James Stephens (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bag Men (Paperback)

Mark Costello's debut met with vast amounts of critical acclaim, which naturally set up a high level of expecatation for his next work. Fortunately he doesn't dissapoint as he delivers the truly gripping and well conceived story of Ray Dunn, a gifted assistant DA, and Manny Manning, an overly effective narcotics officer.

The story opens when Father George Sedgwick is found murdered on an airport runway. As assitant DA Ray Dunn works to solve this grisly death, his investigation begins to intertwine with narcotics officer Manny Mannings growing battle against a new wave of powerful drugs just beginning to hit the streets.

As the characters troubled backgrounds are revealed, and the plot races towards it's thrilling conclusion, you can't help sitting up late into the night to finish this great story.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes crime novels, but is looking for something more intelligent and original. Not your typical cookie-cutter story of murder and drugs, but a great work from one of our times up and coming great authors.