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George
V. Higgins
A former assistant state and federal attorney
general in Massachusetts, George V. Higgins enjoyed literary success
ever since the publication of Friends of Eddie Coyle
in 1972. A prolific writer, Higgins routinely produced
at least one novel a year including 1992's Defending Billy
Ryan. When Ryan, the Massachusetts
Commissioner of Public Works, is indicted on a corruption charge,
he has trouble finding a lawyer to defend him. Ryan finds his way
to Jeremiah F. Kennedy, the "classiest sleazy criminal lawyer
in Boston" and also the protagonist of two previous Higgins
novels.
Kennedy's initial impression of Ryan is decidedly unfavorable;
he describes Ryan as having "a face that looked like a headman's
double-bitted ax, freshly sharpened on both edges for a very special
guest - Anne Boleyn, maybe." Despite Ryan's troublesome facial
features, Kennedy takes the case. As Kennedy tries what seems like
a hopeless case, help comes from an unexpected source, causing Kennedy
to reexamine his own perspective on life. Defending Billy Ryan contains
the same sharp, authentic dialogue that has won Higgins critical
acclaim for two decades.
A graduate of Boston College Law School, Higgins has had
a varied career. In addition to working as a prosecutor and defense
attorney, he was a columnist for the Boston Globe, a script consultant
in Hollywood, and a college English teacher. He also taught creative
writing at Boston University. He died on November 6, 1999 at the age
of 59.
FICTION:
Friends
of Eddie Coyle (1972), The
Digger's Game (1973), Cogan's
Trade (1974), A
City on a Hill (1975), The
Judgment of Deke Hunter (1976), Dreamland (1977), A
Year or So with Edgar (1979), Kennedy
for the Defense (1980), The
Rat on Fire (1981), The
Patriot Game (1982), A
Choice of Enemies (1983), Penance
for Jerry Kennedy (1985), Impostors (1985), Outlaws (1987), The Sins of the Fathers (1988), Wonderful
Years, Wonderful Years (1988), Trust (1989), Victories
(1990), The
Mandeville Talent (1991),
Defending
Billy Ryan (1992),
Bomber's
Law (1993), Swan
Boats at Four (1995), Sandra
Nichols Found Dead (1996),
A
Change of Gravity (1997),
The
Agent (1998), At
End of Day (2000)
NONFICTION: The
Friends of Richard Nixon (1975), Style
Vs. Substance (1984), The
Progress of the Seasons (1989)On
Writing : Advice for Those Who Write to Publish (or Would Like To)
(1990)
INTERVIEW DATE: 1992
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