Cogan's Trade

Description

When two small-time criminals rob a high-stakes New England card game, the damage extends beyond the stolen cash: the local underworld can no longer trust that its business is protected. Mob emissary the Driver calls in Jackie Cogan, an enforcer charged with identifying those responsible and restoring confidence. The scheme was arranged by Johnny “Squirrel” Amato, who expects suspicion to fall on the poker ring’s proprietor, but Cogan believes appearances matter more than individual guilt and that even an uninvolved man may need to be punished. George V. Higgins unfolds the investigation through the talk of Boston criminals negotiating blame, money, and violence. The novel treats organized crime as a precarious economy whose contracts are enforced by reputation and fear.

Themes