Cogan’s Trade

　　兩個低級混混，藝雖不高人卻夠膽大，他們在經營駕訓班的亞瑪多安排之下，著手進行一個自以為絕妙的撈錢計畫－－洗劫黑幫照管的撲克賭局。這個賭局的主持人馬克臭名在外，傳聞他曾安排人來自己的賭局行搶，目的是把賭客吃乾抹淨。正因此，這個重新開張的賭局是個絕妙目標，反正再次遭搶，大家也只會把矛頭對準馬克。

　　亞瑪多的搶錢計畫果真奏效，賭客莫不人人自危，其他賭局也因無人上門而被迫關門避風頭。正當一片風聲鶴唳，突然冒出一名神祕司機委託頭牌圍事人迪隆的手下賈奇．柯根，請他來重整地下秩序。柯根是個有腦的人，不僅有周密的安排，也深知委託者的心意，不過，更重要的是他對這整個局面，另有盤算－－對付這批牛鬼蛇神，不能急著用蠻力讓他們就範，每個人都該得到輕重相稱的對待，該收編、該買通、該哄騙、該屍骨無存、該自己挖坑埋自己的，絕對不多也不少，定要一個個收拾妥當。

　　Jackie Cogan doesn't advertise what he does. But when the New England mob have a mess they need cleared up, they know who to call. Markie Trattman runs a high-stakes card-game under their protection. When the game gets raided by a couple of no-name hoodlums, Jackie's out of pocket. Unless of course he set up the heist himself. Either way the mob's got a problem. To restore credibility and keep things running smooth, they need to find out who's behind the heist - and then justice must be seen to be done. Which is where Jackie comes in. The trouble is, this is one game with a lot of players, including an out-of-town hitman, a sleazy attorney, a professional dog-stealer, and enough hoods, hangers-on and high-rollers to really make Jackie earn his dough.

　　★本書中譯版《溫柔的殺戮》由臉譜出版。

作者簡介

喬治．希金斯 George V. Higgins

　　喬治．希金斯的小說創作多達二十餘部，其中包括《艾迪．柯伊爾的朋友們》（The Friends of Eddie Coyle，改編電影《線人》）、《溫柔的殺戮》、《著火的老鼠》（The Rat on Fire）等。他當過《Providence》雜誌和美聯社的記者，也曾為波士頓幾個大報以及《華爾街日報》撰寫專欄。他於一九六七年獲得波士頓大學法學院法律學位後，曾做過波士頓首席檢察官助理、美國聯邦助理檢察官，並進入政府反組織犯罪部門工作。在轉任律師之後，他接過許多大案子，黑人民運份子與白宮顧問都曾是他的客戶。他也曾在波士頓大學教授創意寫作課程。一九九九年，六十大壽才過，希金斯就在家中因心臟病發過世。

　　希金斯的寫作風格獨特，尤其是充滿寫實主義的對話，生猛鮮活。他作品《艾迪．柯伊爾的朋友們》曾被形容為「是繼海明威的《殺手》後最棒的一本。」該書也曾被英國書商協會選為二戰後最棒的美國小說。

　　George V. Higgins was assistant DA in Boston before becoming a defense attorney and then a full-time writer. Described as 'the Balzac of Boston' and 'the poet of Boston sleaze' he wrote over thirty books, including a handful of lowlife masterpieces constructed almost entirely of pitch-perfect dialogue. He died in 1999. Cogan's Trade is the book behind the major motion picture Killing Them Softly starring Brad Pitt.