Heart of the Old Country

In this gripping crime novel set in Brooklyn's working-class Bay Ridge, young Michael navigates the complexities of his life as a car service driver, balancing responsibilities to his father—a former sanitation worker and small-time bookie—his troubled friend, and a girlfriend who dreams of marriage. As he takes college classes in Manhattan, he becomes drawn to a captivating classmate from a different world, only to find his life irrevocably altered when he becomes entangled in a murder. Described as a blend of coming-of-age and thriller elements, the story explores Michael's struggle to reconcile familial bonds and personal aspirations with the harsh realities of his environment.