On the Ropes

By Tom Schreck

Duffy Dombrowski is not your average social worker. When he’s not counseling sex addicts and drug users in a town outside of New York City, you can find him digging Elvis tunes, getting “Schlitzed” with his quirky friends, or fighting ex-Olympians in the boxing ring. Our less-than-perfect hero occasionally uses his mean left hook on pimps and other lowlifes, too. But at least he cares about his clients.

When Walanda, a schizophrenic, crack-addicted prostitute, is murdered, Duffy pledges to take care of her basset hound and find her missing stepdaughter, Shony. He’s horrified to discover the teenager is ensnared in a web porn ring—a vile enterprise that enslaves crack-addicted women and their children.

On the verge of losing his job—and his life—Duffy also gets mixed up with a creepy doctor with ties to Pakistani extremists. Still, nothing will stop this conflicted Robin Hood from trying to save Shony and foil a terrorist plot.

Praise for On the Ropes:

“The funniest book I have read in a long time. This is a genuine good read.” —Harold Lederman, HBO Sports

“Not since Carl Hiassen’s Tourist Season debut has there been a novel with such superb comic timing and laugh-out-loud lines.” —Ken Bruen, Shamus Award-winning author of The Guards

“An Everyman with a big heart and a wicked jab, Duffy Dombrowski may well be the new Spenser. I can’t wait for Round Two.” —Marcus Sakey, author of The Blade Itself

“On the Ropes is sly, funny, irreverent, and one hell of a good time. Read it or be sorry you didn’t. It’s just that simple.” —Laurien Berenson, author of Hounded to Death

“It’ll put you down for the count with laughter. Tom Schreck is a contender for funniest author working in the crime genre today.” —William Kent Krueger, author of Thunder Bay

“If you’ve ever despised your boss or secretly wanted to save the world, On the Ropes is a novel you’ll devour.” —Steve Farhood, Showtime Boxing

“Duffy Dombrowski—a loose-cannon social worker and a boxer—has a lot more heart than is healthy for a guy. Give him an orphaned sidekick who hasn’t been housebroken (literally), jam them into the middle of a sinister murder plot that packs a surprising wallop, and you’ve got a winning combination.” —Lee Charles Kelley, author of Like a Dog With a Bone

“One of my favorite writers...Can’t wait for Duffy’s next adventure.” —Nancy Claus, Westchester Magazine

“It won’t take long to realize Duffy doesn’t run to type...occasionally over the top, but warmhearted, tough, funny Duffy makes a promising debut.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Pure delight. The sharp-edged humor peppers you like a boxing master’s jab, and the poignant undercurrent of theme delivers with the power of a left hook. Duffy Dombrowski is a major new contender in the world of private eye fiction.” —Michael A. Black, author of A Killing Frost and A Final Judgment

“Get ready to rumble with lovable losers, misguided misfits, and a disgustingly adorable dog.” —Michael “Let’s Get Ready To Rumble” Buffer, the Voice of Champions

“This is one hell of a debut novel. On the Ropes is easily one of the best five books I’ve read this year.” —Jon Jordan, Crimespree Magazine

“If you like underdogs, colorful characters, a fighter who never quits and a canine with more bite and heart than Jake LaMotta—a unanimous winner.” —Teddy Atlas, ESPN Boxing Analyst

• Language: English
• Publisher: Down & Out Books
• Release date: Mar 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005523947

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