CLEAN HANDS
Published by Grove Atlantic, June 2020
Corporate lawyer Elizabeth Carlyle is under a lot of pressure. Her prestigious New York law firm is working on their most high-stakes case in company history, defending a prominent bank that’s been accused of fraud. When Elizabeth gets the news that one of her junior associates has lost his phone—and the secret documents that were on it—she needs help. Badly.
Enter ex-CIA officer Valencia Walker, a high-priced fixer who gets called in when rich corporations, people and governments need their problems solved discretely. But things get complicated when the missing phone is retrieved: somebody has already copied the documents, and now they’re blackmailing the firm. The situation gets murkier still when stories about the documents start appearing in the press and a tragic suicide appears staged, hinting that darker forces may be churning below the surface. With billions of dollars on the line, Elizabeth and Valencia must maneuver and outmaneuver whomever is behind this, and, most importantly, keep their hands clean.
This is a world of private security, private diplomacy, and private justice. A sharply drawn cast of characters—dirty lawyers, black-market traders, Russian criminals, and extra-judicial actors, all take part in this breakneck tour through New York. Authentic, tense, and impossible to put down, Clean Hands gives a vivid look at the connections between corporations, government, and the underworld.
“This sly thriller begins during rush hour at Grand Central Terminal…The plot is fast-paced, and its twists lead ever deeper into corporate intrigue and government espionage.”
—New Yorker
“Mr. Hoffman, apparently a still-working private investigator based in Brooklyn, writes with a good ear, a fine eye and a sure hand; he has a wondrous ability to render the thoughts of his socially and morally diverse cast… The book’s unpredictable sentences are full of such surprises, and its scenes build to unexpected revelations. With its crisp pace and superb timing, Clean Hands is a special treat to read.”
—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
"The fun is in the details. A lot of characters find themselves in places they would rather not be, feeling paranoid, anxious and compromised by things they wish they had not done… It becomes increasingly clear that the whole thing is far more complicated, with much higher stakes, than most of the pawns in this grand chess game understand.”
— SARAH LYALL, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“The pickpocketing of a lawyer’s smartphone loaded with sensitive documents sets off an intriguing string of events, which hits critical mass when the victim’s law firm hires an ex-CIA fixer to solve the high-stakes problem.”
— Boston Globe
“An enjoyably hard-boiled yarn streaked with noir effects, Hoffman’s follow-up to Every Man a Menace (2016) is a skillfully orchestrated effort that achieves its most outlandish effects with nifty understatement. It is a book of constantly moving parts and constantly moving vehicles, as characters race across New York City to avert disaster… Crime fiction that gives chaos an entertaining ride.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The impressive plot twists are a reminder that Hoffman remains a writer to watch.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Valencia, a former CIA operative, is an expert manipulator and strategist, which casts intriguing doubt on her motives and propels the story toward a jaw-dropping twist. Fans of Zoë Sharp’s Charlie Fox and Chris Pavone’s Kate Moore will want to see more of Valencia Walker.”
—Booklist
“A thriller that dives into the world of big money shenanigans and all the justice that money can buy.”
—Library Journal
“Clean Hands is an old-fashioned private investigator yarn—a terrific story—but skillfully brought up to date. Patrick Hoffman never slows the pace and always keeps the reader guessing. I admired the strong female characters, especially the P.I., Valencia Walker, a take-charge dame who’s been around the block too many times to count.”—Susan Isaacs, New York Times-bestselling author of Takes One to Know One
“Clean Hands is a terrific combination of noir mystery with financial thriller plus dirty-ops espionage, staking a claim to a highly compelling intersection of gritty and glamour, with an unforgettable cast that’s rich in both low lifes and the high life, and devious twists galore. Highly enjoyable.”—Chris Pavone, New York Times-bestselling author of The Expats