Dick Hardesty, working for a public relations firm, is assigned the task of helping elect a rabidly homophobic police chief governor. Dick’s being gay himself, coupled with rumors that the chief had one of his identical twin sons murdered for being gay doesn’t make Dick’s job easier. He soon finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of politics, drag clubs, a do-good reverend’s homeless shelter, and an arsonist torching the city’s gay bars.

A tense, dramatic story of three wholly different brothers living and working together in Hell's Kitchen in the 1930s. The risks for these Butcher's Sons are many, and the stakes sky high, as each finds his own definition of what it is to be a man.

Dick Hardesty, super gay sleuth, unsure as to,which brother is which whether in bed or,otherwise, gets into a mess when someone starts,burning down all the gay bars in town. The police,chief who is running for governor ignores the,arson attacks as not worth his attention. Enter,the female impersonators and drag queens and Dick,is required to sleuth who is hot and who is not. A,glimpse into the mind of a hag-ridden obsessed,individual who acts on his delusions with,astonishing pace and wit.

For one man, the past will never stay buried. Ian Quinn has spent his life protecting children from the monsters that live among us. As a Child Protection Officer, Ian places their lives above his own, and has no qualms about getting his hands dirty when it comes to protecting those who can't protect themselves. Years ago, Ian was unable to protect his own daughter when she was killed, and has channeled the anger and sadness into his vocation. Ian has tried to bury his past. But the past is far from done with him. Ian's own father left years ago, leaving Ian and his sister alone. But out of the blue Ian is called by an attorney, claiming his father has recently died and named Ian in his will. Ian had assumed his father was long dead, and confused as to what he could possibly be needed for. When Ian goes to the lawyer's office, he is given three items: The first is a key. The second is a deed to his grandfather's old butcher shop. The Third is a letter from his from his father that reads simply and cryptically: "Sorry for everything, son, but it's your burden now."

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book awardee, The Butcher's Sons is a gritty, intimate portrait of three young Irish-American brothers whose lives irrevocably change during a heat wave in New York City's Hell's Kitchen, circa 1930. Bound by blood but separated by forbidden secrets, brothers-Dickie, Walt and Adlai-run a butcher shop for their alcoholic father, whose broken spirit has isolated him from the world. When Dickie makes a rash decision, involving an organized crime family, a chain of events are triggered changing the brothers' lives and forcing them to come together-at first, with a sense of camaraderie, but ultimately, with something much fiercer, more brutal. Shot through with themes of honor, betrayal, race and sexual identity "Hess' masterful, elegant style weaves these diverse elements into a seamless narrative that touches the heart of what it means to be human." With a new introduction by journalist Ian MacAllen. "A brutal and lyrically gorgeous story of three Irish brothers' during the 1930s as they transgress social and moral norms to satisfy their desires, despite the dire consequences." - John Copenhaver, Lambda Literary Review "At once gritty, poetic, and romantic, Hess' masterful, elegant style weaves these diverse elements into a seamless narrative that touches the heart of what it means to be human." - Kirkus Reviews "This more modern retelling of King Lear brings the kingdom down to the streets, but the heart-wrenching cruelty of fate shows up in the same Shakespearean way...Hess weaves all three of these points of view together under the sweltering heat of Hell's Kitchen in the 1930's. The Butcher's Sons is told with such vibrancy and aroma, you can almost feel the sweat seeping out of your skin." - Luke Goldstein Blogcritics Editors Pick 5 Star Review

Murder has always been easy for the Butcher's Boy - it's what he was raised to do. But when he kills the senior senator from Colorado and arrives in Las Vegas to pick up his fee, he learns that he has become a liability to his shadowy employers. His actions attract the attention of police specialists who watch the world of organized crime, but though everyone knows that something big is going on, only Elizabeth Waring, a bright young analyst in the Justice Department, can work her way closer to the truth, and to the frightening man behind it. Includes a new Introduction by bestselling author Michael Connelly.