Peter Blauner crafts compelling narratives that delve into the darker aspects of the human psyche and urban existence. He masterfully sets his novels in familiar landscapes, exploring the intricate relationships and moral quandaries of characters who navigate the fringes of the law. His distinctive style is marked by keen observation and an ability to generate an insistently realistic atmosphere that pulls the reader into the story. Blauner's works offer a fascinating glimpse into what lies beneath the surface of ordinary life.
Peter Blauner's epic Picture in the Sand is a sweeping intergenerational saga told through a grandfather's passionate letters to his grandson, passing on the story of his political rebellion in 1950s Egypt in order to save his grandson's life in a post-9/11 world.
Renowned author Stephen King praises this gripping read, highlighting its compelling narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The book's engaging plot and dynamic characters create an immersive experience, making it difficult to set aside. With its captivating storytelling, it promises to leave a lasting impression on anyone who delves into its pages.
A critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller when it was published in the 90s, The Intruder returns to print with urgency of today's headlines. Can a good man go too far to protect his family? That is the question underlying this gripping tale, which pulls the reader into its stranglehold of terror in the tradition of Dennis Lehane, Thomas Harris, and James Patterson, who called it "the best novel I've read in years." Jacob Schiff is a product of a tough city neighborhood who's managed to carve out a successful life with a loving family and a thriving law practice. But all of that is threatened when his wife, Dana, a psychiatric social worker, offers help and hope to a mentally disturbed homeless man named John Gates. When the patient decides Dana's family has somehow stolen the life he was meant to have, Gates begins to stalk them, generating violent confrontations and threats. The police offer no real solutions and so Schiff makes the mistake of his life: he recruits a day-laborer/street enforcer, Philip Cardi, to warn the homeless man off. That sets off a series of violent confrontations and escalating consequences that upend the lives of all the characters.
The proprietor of the Golden Dubloon, David Kurtzman seems to have gone off the deep end, so the corporation that owns the casino sends Jerry Martling, a young trouble-shooter from New York, to get the situation under control. Jerry begins to suspect his efforts are being undermined and sabotaged.
Blauner's Edgar Award-winning debut novel is back in print. Probation officer Steve Baum struggles to hold on to his idealism in an urban battleground divided along racial lines. Then deranged teenage sociopath Darryl King drags Baum into an inescapable morass of terror and corruption.