About the Book
Returning to the boisterous, colorful world he created in his critically acclaimed crime novel, "7,000 Clams, "Lee Irby opens a unique and exhilarating window on the Roaring Twenties. Charming yet ill-fated Frank Hearn is ready to leave behind his high-stakes lifestyle and finally stake his claim in the world--and no place promises a quicker route to the good life than Miami. With suckers aplenty looking for land in the Sunshine State, Frank and his partner, the well-connected son of a former mayor, plan to make a killing in the real estate biz. The first thing on Frank's agenda, however, is repaying a loan from Seddon Howard, the father of his very classy fiancee, Irene. A bet on a fixed jai alai match puts the cash in his pocket--as well as a vengeful gambling kingpin hot on his trail.
When a close acquaintance of Frank's is discovered murdered the next day, his well-intentioned plan quickly turns upside-down and he is accused of the crime. Adding to his troubles, a federal investigator is digging into his real estate transactions, while a desperate outlaw takes him on a suicide mission into the Everglades to look for a stash of buried cash. To further complicate matters, Irene, whose suspicions are already mounting, is scheduled to arrive in Miami with her parents to attend Harvey Firestone's party for President Calvin Coolidge. And on the side, Gloria Swanson begins a torrid affair with the powerful banker and movie mogul Joseph P. Kennedy . . . a liaison that threatens to bring down all involved.
Miami during the Roaring Twenties is a place where the line between reality and fantasy, cop and criminal, barely exists--and Lee Irby intelligently recreates its sizzle in vibrant, authentic detail. Funny, suspenseful, and filled with one-of-a-kind characters, "The Up and Up" ranks up there with the best of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiassen.
Review :
Praise for Lee Irby's "7,000 Clams" "Lee Irby instantly transports the reader back to bootleggers, brothels, and the Babe. A rousing and fun tale with characters aplenty to love and hate, "7,000 Clams" is, as the Babe showed us 714 times, a home run." --David Baldacci
""7,000 Clams" is a rip-roaring caper novel full of tough guys and tougher dames, snappy patter and bursts of violence, all wrapped around that much-bigger-than-life historical character Babe Ruth . . . In this impressive first novel, Irby keeps his story twisting and turning, and he writes in a sleek take on hard-boiled style that tips its fedora to masters like Chandler and Dashiell Hammett without overdoing the similes. And he handles the history lovingly but deftly, never letting it slow down the headlong pace."
--"St. Petersburg Times"
""7,000 Clams" is fiction. Hard-boiled fiction, in fact, the kind of two-fisted, wisecracking tale that makes you think of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall trading double-entendres through wisps of smoke." --"Miami Herald"
"A rollicking debut novel . . . Irby weaves their stories together to produce a crime caper that is both historically accurate and wildly entertaining." --"Atlanta Journal-Constitution"
"A frenzied debut . . . Irby's writing is brisk and the distinctive characterizations are vivid enough to keep readers engrossed." --"Publishers Weekly"
"With a style that emulates James Carlos Blake's use of historical characters and events and Elmore Leonard's wicked sense of humor and retribution, Irby has hit a home run his first time at bat. Move over guys; make room for the new kid." --"Library Journal"
"Lee Irby scores with "7,000 Clams," anentertaining read full of sharp dialogue, crackling writing, and historical tidbits about St. Petersburg. Irby manages to squeeze in color from the period . . . and gives depth to even minor characters. A wonderful debut. --"Tampa Tribune"
Praise for Lee Irby's "7,000 Clams "Lee Irby instantly transports the reader back to bootleggers, brothels, and the Babe. A rousing and fun tale with characters aplenty to love and hate, "7,000 Clams is, as the Babe showed us 714 times, a home run." --David Baldacci
""7,000 Clams is a rip-roaring caper novel full of tough guys and tougher dames, snappy patter and bursts of violence, all wrapped around that much-bigger-than-life historical character Babe Ruth . . . In this impressive first novel, Irby keeps his story twisting and turning, and he writes in a sleek take on hard-boiled style that tips its fedora to masters like Chandler and Dashiell Hammett without overdoing the similes. And he handles the history lovingly but deftly, never letting it slow down the headlong pace."
--"St. Petersburg Times
""7,000 Clams is fiction. Hard-boiled fiction, in fact, the kind of two-fisted, wisecracking tale that makes you think of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall trading double-entendres through wisps of smoke." --"Miami Herald
"A rollicking debut novel . . . Irby weaves their stories together to produce a crime caper that is both historically accurate and wildly entertaining." --"Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"A frenzied debut . . . Irby's writing is brisk and the distinctive characterizations are vivid enough to keep readers engrossed." --"Publishers Weekly
"With a style that emulates James Carlos Blake's use of historical characters and events and Elmore Leonard's wicked sense of humor and retribution, Irby has hit a home run his first time at bat. Move over guys; make room for the new kid." --"Library Journal
"Lee Irby scores with "7,000 Clams, an entertainingread full of sharp dialogue, crackling writing, and historical tidbits about St. Petersburg. Irby manages to squeeze in color from the period . . . and gives depth to even minor characters. A wonderful debut. --"Tampa Tribune
