The Devil's Half Mile

Golden Hill and The Alienist meet Gangs of New York in this sweeping historical crime drama set in 18th century New York. New York, 1799: Justy Flanagan, lawyer, soldier, policeman, has returned to his native city, bloodied and battered after fighting in the Irish Rebellion against the English. Determined to hunt down the man who murdered his father, his inquiries lead him to Wall Street and the fledgling stock market there. But as his investigations into the past move ahead, the horrific murders of young slave women in the present start to occupy his time. Convinced that there is a link between his father's murder, the deaths of the young women, and amassive fraud that nearly destroyed New York's economy, Justy can trust no one. As the conspiracy deepens, it becomes clear that those involved will stop atnothing to keep their secrets. Justy is forced to choose: will he betray his father's memory, compromise his integrity, and risk the lives of his closest friends, to get to the bottom of a tale so dangerous, it could change the landscape of America forever?

Paddy Hirsch was expansively (and expensively) educated in Dublin and Belfast. He started his journalism career in Hong Kong after a short stint in the military, and spent the next few years working in news in East and Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. From there to America, where he covered various aspects of Wall Street's carry-on for a variety of American and European news outlets. He spearheaded coverage of the 2008 financial crisis for the public radio program Marketplace, and won an Edward R Murrow award for his work explaining complex financial terms. In 2013 he published Man vs Markets, Economics Explained, Plain and Simple (HarperBusiness), a lighthearted guide to financial markets. He lives in Los Angeles.