Shadows on Sidewalks
A Novel
Will be published approx. on 18. June 2026
Book
Hardback
256 pages
979-8-89710-123-8 (ISBN)
Description
"Grady cannot be pigeonholed. Shadows on Sidewalks defies classification."-Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review
A cinematic and propulsive thriller from the author of Six Days Of The Condor and American Sky.
Bob Dylan once declared that "Sex and politics and murder is the way to go if you want to get people's attention," and readers won't be able to look away from Shadows on Sidewalks, the new erotic thriller from James Grady.
James Traven returns home to his small Montana town in autumn 2024 to care for his mother after a devasting fall. He quickly finds himself trapped in a life-threatening web of lies and lust. With the clock ticking, Traven must save the savvy and beautiful Lana LaBuff from almost-certain murder. Complicating things is her monstrous husband and the fact that their only ally is Cody, the mysterious former Marine who runs the local gun shop and regularly ghosts on ordinary life.
Fresh and fast-paced, Shadows on Sidewalks takes us on a roller coaster ride through old age, racism, anger, sorrow, lust, and love. From the click of a cocked pistol to the distress signal-an "S.O.S."-emitted as James and Lana fight amidst a swirl of personal and political struggles, James Grady demonstratses his mastery of the noir form and shines a light on the modern condition.
A cinematic and propulsive thriller from the author of Six Days Of The Condor and American Sky.
Bob Dylan once declared that "Sex and politics and murder is the way to go if you want to get people's attention," and readers won't be able to look away from Shadows on Sidewalks, the new erotic thriller from James Grady.
James Traven returns home to his small Montana town in autumn 2024 to care for his mother after a devasting fall. He quickly finds himself trapped in a life-threatening web of lies and lust. With the clock ticking, Traven must save the savvy and beautiful Lana LaBuff from almost-certain murder. Complicating things is her monstrous husband and the fact that their only ally is Cody, the mysterious former Marine who runs the local gun shop and regularly ghosts on ordinary life.
Fresh and fast-paced, Shadows on Sidewalks takes us on a roller coaster ride through old age, racism, anger, sorrow, lust, and love. From the click of a cocked pistol to the distress signal-an "S.O.S."-emitted as James and Lana fight amidst a swirl of personal and political struggles, James Grady demonstratses his mastery of the noir form and shines a light on the modern condition.
Reviews / Votes
"Grady's unforgettable novel features a presciently cynical protagonist who must outwit the minds of an amoral family. Grady's latest work is skillfully executed. It features all the hallmarks of a modern-day noir novel, brimming with smart dialogue, femmes fatales, and the shady dealings of the wealthy and powerful." -- <I><B>Library Journal</B></I> "Shadows on Sidewalks grabbed me and wouldn't let go. In vibrant, muscular, and cinematic prose, Grady thrillingly conjures a small town America that is teeming with flawed and courageous characters, and packed with ideas about masculinity, corruption, greed, lust, friendship, and fate. It is as much a propulsive thriller as it is a portrait of the way we live now, and the lengths we must go to free each other-and ourselves." -- <B>Alison Fairbrother, author of<I> The Catch </I></B> "Classic James Grady, a sleek, sexy bullet of a novel." -- <b>Elliot Ackerman, <I>N</I><i>ew York Times</i> bestselling novelist, contributing writer for <i>The Atlantic Magazine</i>, veteran of U.S. Marine Corps and CIA special operations</b> "Indecent Proposal meets Bob Dylan-Shadows on Sidewalks deftly weaves bold social commentary into a pacey erotic thriller. In snappy, lyrical prose, Grady explores the dynamics of power, privilege, and legacy in small-town America. Steamy, smart, and socially aware, this is both a nostalgic love letter to the country and an urgent wake-up call." -- <B>K.T. Nguyen, Anthony Award-winning Author of <i>You Know What You Did</i></B> Praise for James Grady"Grady's style is loose, colorful, challenging and fun. I sometimes thought of Orwell's novel 1984, sometimes of the Dylan song 'Desolation Row.'"
* <b>Patrick Anderson,<I>The Washington Post</I></b> * "Grady is a master of intrigue." * <B>John Grisham</B> * "James Grady is the master of the dialogue-driven novel, with a rollicking plot about that heart-wrenching decade, drenched in its music, sex, politics and the hope for a better world." * <B>Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer</B> * "This portrait of an artist as a young man is also, indelibly, the portrait of a nation-an epic canvas that always feels intimate, thanks to Grady's gift for characterization, spot-on detail and generosity of spirit. You'll feel like you were there even if you weren't, and you'll have the world's best jukebox playing in your head. A terrific ride." -- <B>Louis Bayard, author of <I>The Wildes</I></B> "The storytelling is compelling and fast-paced, the characters loveable but flawed, and the depiction of small-town Montana is spot on. Do yourself a favor and buy both books." * <B><I>Distinctly Montana,</I> Russell Rowland</B> *
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Pegasus Books
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
408 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-89710-123-8 (9798897101238)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
James Grady's first novel Six Days Of The Condor became the classic Robert Redford movie Three Days Of The Condor and the current Max Irons TV series Condor. Grady has received Italy's Raymond Chandler Award, France's Grand Prix Du Roman Noir, Japan's Baka-Misu literature award, and been a Mystery Writers of America Edgar finalist. He's published more than a dozen novels including This Train, The Smoke in Our Eyes, and American Sky, all available from Pegasus Books. London's Daily Telegraph named Grady as one of the "50 crime writers to read before you die." In 2015, The Washington Post compared his prose to George Orwell and Bob Dylan.