Media Center: ‘Letter Writer’ by Dan Fesperman

Media Center: ‘Letter Writer’ by Dan Fesperman

WHO: Dan Fesperman

WHAT: THE LETTER WRITER, a novel

WHEN: Published by Knopf April 22, 2016

WHERE: The story is set in New York City.

WHY: “A multifaceted mix of mystery and historical fiction.
“The WWII alliance between the Mafia and the U.S. government has been explored in crime fiction before but never in such compelling fashion as Fesperman does here…
“His marriage in shambles, former North Carolina cop Woodrow Cain arrives in New York in early 1942 with a new job (NYPD detective, arranged by his wealthy father-in-law) and with the stink of scandal still clinging to his clothes like yesterday’s Lucky Strikes. He draws a seemingly dead-end murder case but gets lucky when an impoverished but educated man called Danziger, who earns his living writing letters for illiterate immigrants, provides information about the body, about German spies, and about corruption in the NYPD.
“Why does Danziger know so much about everything, including the Mafia? Why is Cain’s father-in-law interfering in Cain’s investigation? The police-corruption theme is a familiar one, of course, but what makes this novel shine is the way Fesperman combines it with the mobsters-as-patriots angle and with the rich character of the letter writer.” —Bill Ott, BOOKLIST

“Fesperman’s troop of characters, historic and fictional, makes New York come alive with conspiracy and mystery. He gives us a well-crafted novel steeped in the politics and street life of 1940s New York, and in the letter writer, he’s created a character who will stay with you long after the last shot is fired.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS

Jacket photoMedia Resources:
About the book and author | Read and excerpt | Download the jacket | Download the author photo

Publicist for this title:
Helen Tobin | 212-572-2018 | htobin@penguinrandomhouse.com