THE LAST KIND WORDS A mesmerizing suspense novel that explores the bonds of brothers and the deepest questions of guilt, justice and redemption, by ITW Thriller Award winner and Edgar Award nominee Tom Piccirilli. Raised in a family of small-time grifters, Terrier Rand decided to cut loose from his family and go straight after his older brother, Collie, went on a killing spree that left an entire family and several others dead. Five years later, just weeks before his scheduled execution, Collie contacts Terry and asks him to visit him in prison. He claims that he wasn’t responsible for one of the murders attributed to him--and insists that the real killer is still out there. Tormented by his brother's heinous crime, uncertain whether Collie is telling the truth or just looking for a stay of execution, and dogged by his own demons, Terry is drawn back into the activities of his family: His father, Pinsch, who once made a living as a professional burglar. His card sharp uncles, Mal and Grey, who’ve recently incurred the anger of the local mob. His grandfather, Shepherd, who has Alzheimer’s but is still a first-rate pickpocket. His teenage sister, Dale, who’s now flirting with the lure of the criminal world. And Kimmie, the fiancée Terry abandoned, who’s now raising a child with his best friend. As he starts to investigate what really happened on the day of Collie's crime spree, he uncovers in the truth a terrible darkness that lies underneath all of them. Rights Information Publisher: Bantam (Forthcoming in 2011) Territory: World Rights Available: Film/TV Reviews: Blurbs: “Tom Piccirilli is clearly a writer to embrace now before he becomes huge. In THE LAST KIND WORDS he takes us inside a mutated family of crooks and unleashes a stunning story that ranges far afield at times but never truly leaves home, a place where shadows grow in every corner. It’s superbly told, with prose that doesn’t mess about or flinch from evil and characters who are best known from a distance.” – Daniel Woodrell, author of A Winter’s Bone “Perfect crime fiction ... a convincing world, a cast of compelling characters, and above all a great story.” – Lee Child, internationally bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series “A modern noir master, Tom Piccirilli's usual propulsive prose and relentless storytelling are on display in The Last Kind Words, but it's his sense of relationships and the haunting power of family that lifts his writing beyond others in the genre. A swift-moving and hard-hitting novel, The Last Kind Words reads as if it's being whispered to you in a dimly lit bar where violent men, tough women, and powerful ghosts flicker in the mirrors.” – Michael Koryta, Edgar-nominated author of So Cold the River “There's more life in Piccirilli's THE LAST KIND WORDS (and more heartache, action, and deliverance) than any other novel I've read in the past couple of years. Nobody in crime fiction is doing a better job than Tom Piccirilli right now. Simple as that.” – Steve Hamilton, Edgar Award-Winning Author of The Lock Artist “For the first time since The Godfather, a family of criminals has stolen my heart. A brilliant mix of love and violence, charm and corruption. I loved it.” – Nancy Pickard, author of The Virgin of Small Plains “You don't choose your family. And the Rand clan, a family of thieves and killers, is bad to the bone. But it's a testimony to Tom Piccirilli's stellar writing that you still care about each and every one of them. THE LAST KIND WORDS is at once a dark and brooding page-turner and a heartfelt tale about the ties that bind. Fans of Lee Child will love this hard-boiled, tough-as-nails novel.” – Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Fragile "You're in for a treat. Tom Piccirilli is one of the most exciting authors around. He writes vivid action that is gripping and smart, with characters you believe and care about. I always pay attention when I see his name." – David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of FIRST BLOOD and THE NAKED EDGE Purchase at Amazon.com

THE LAST KIND WORDS

A mesmerizing suspense novel that explores the bonds of brothers and the deepest questions of guilt, justice and redemption, by ITW Thriller Award winner and Edgar Award nominee Tom Piccirilli.

Raised in a family of small-time grifters, Terrier Rand decided to cut loose from his family and go straight after his older brother, Collie, went on a killing spree that left an entire family and several others dead. Five years later, just weeks before his scheduled execution, Collie contacts Terry and asks him to visit him in prison. He claims that he wasn’t responsible for one of the murders attributed to him--and insists that the real killer is still out there.

Tormented by his brother's heinous crime, uncertain whether Collie is telling the truth or just looking for a stay of execution, and dogged by his own demons, Terry is drawn back into the activities of his family: His father, Pinsch, who once made a living as a professional burglar. His card sharp uncles, Mal and Grey, who’ve recently incurred the anger of the local mob. His grandfather, Shepherd, who has Alzheimer’s but is still a first-rate pickpocket. His teenage sister, Dale, who’s now flirting with the lure of the criminal world. And Kimmie, the fiancée Terry abandoned, who’s now raising a child with his best friend. As he starts to investigate what really happened on the day of Collie's crime spree, he uncovers in the truth a terrible darkness that lies underneath all of them.

Rights Information

Publisher: Bantam (Forthcoming in 2011)

Territory: World

Rights Available: Film/TV

Reviews:

Blurbs:
“Tom Piccirilli is clearly a writer to embrace now before he becomes huge. In THE LAST KIND WORDS he takes us inside a mutated family of crooks and unleashes a stunning story that ranges far afield at times but never truly leaves home, a place where shadows grow in every corner. It’s superbly told, with prose that doesn’t mess about or flinch from evil and characters who are best known from a distance.” – Daniel Woodrell, author of A Winter’s Bone

“Perfect crime fiction ... a convincing world, a cast of compelling characters, and above all a great story.” – Lee Child, internationally bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

“A modern noir master, Tom Piccirilli's usual propulsive prose and relentless storytelling are on display in The Last Kind Words, but it's his sense of relationships and the haunting power of family that lifts his writing beyond others in the genre. A swift-moving and hard-hitting novel, The Last Kind Words reads as if it's being whispered to you in a dimly lit bar where violent men, tough women, and powerful ghosts flicker in the mirrors.” – Michael Koryta, Edgar-nominated author of So Cold the River

“There's more life in Piccirilli's THE LAST KIND WORDS (and more heartache, action, and deliverance) than any other novel I've read in the past couple of years. Nobody in crime fiction is doing a better job than Tom Piccirilli right now. Simple as that.” – Steve Hamilton, Edgar Award-Winning Author of The Lock Artist

“For the first time since The Godfather, a family of criminals has stolen my heart. A brilliant mix of love and violence, charm and corruption. I loved it.” – Nancy Pickard, author of The Virgin of Small Plains

“You don't choose your family. And the Rand clan, a family of thieves and killers, is bad to the bone. But it's a testimony to Tom Piccirilli's stellar writing that you still care about each and every one of them. THE LAST KIND WORDS is at once a dark and brooding page-turner and a heartfelt tale about the ties that bind. Fans of Lee Child will love this hard-boiled, tough-as-nails novel.” – Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Fragile

"You're in for a treat. Tom Piccirilli is one of the most exciting authors around. He writes vivid action that is gripping and smart, with characters you believe and care about. I always pay attention when I see his name." – David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of FIRST BLOOD and THE NAKED EDGE

Purchase at Amazon.com