NEW DEBUT NOVEL FROM BOB MANTEL
The Velvet Badge: A New York Noir
“A horrific crime catalyzes desperate New Yorkers in this arresting neo-noir ensemble tale. In his striking first novel, [Bob] Mantel creates a dark world where everyone has a secret that could lead to destruction… Mantel’s terrific use of language [is] an homage to classic noir fiction but always fresh in its own way… The mood lasts long after the reader has finished.”
Lift the Lid of Mystery
A tasteless night club run by a failed JFK assassination co-conspirator brings out the worst in 1970s New York.
Songbird Sadasia Trayne runs into a disco-era buzz saw of wine, women, and murder when she hooks up with the Brooklyn-based creator of a notorious TV sitcom. Her frantic SOS to a long-lost love, the Big Apple’s closeted lesbian Chief of Police Detectives, drives this tale of memory and regret, compromise and topiary, politics and a corrupt press, Kris Kringle and twisted acts of love.
Will the headline-grabbing sex crime she sets out to solve max out the Chief’s investigative skills or deep-six her career?
The Velvet Badge combines edge-of-your-seat storytelling with stone-cold hilarity and just a touch of holiday ho-ho-ho.
The Velvet Badge received a 4.7/5 star-rating from IndieReader Reviews, making it an IndieReader Approved title!
It was featured as one of their Best Reviewed Books of November 2022.
PRAISE FOR THE VELVET BADGE
“Elevated by a satisfying blend of hard-boiled suspense and subtle hints of satire, Bob Mantel’s THE VELVET BADGE: A New York Noir is a stunning debut from a must-read author.”
IndieReader
“In this debut literary novel… [Mantel’s prose is…] stylish, evoking hard-boiled crime novels through Pynchon-esque prose. An entertaining…murder tale.”
Kirkus Reviews
“A horrific crime catalyzes desperate New Yorkers in this arresting neo-noir ensemble tale. In his striking first novel, [Bob] Mantel creates a dark world where everyone has a secret that could lead to destruction… Mantel’s terrific use of language [is] an homage to classic noir fiction but always fresh in its own way… The mood lasts long after the reader has finished.“
BookLife, Publishers Weekly
“The Velvet Badge is everything you want an intelligent noir thriller to be—gripping, edge-of-the-seat suspense, an amazing cast of characters on both sides of the law, and a great summer read for all seasons.”
5-star Amazon Review
“Startingly original, unexpectedly wise, and laugh-your-ass-off entertaining! It truly is a great read. It combines the ‘sink-into-your-easy-chair’ fun with the superbly crafted twists and turns of the genre, plus the right-on-the-line humor. And at the end of it all, you realise what a wonderful ride it was. Highly recommended!“
5-star Amazon Review
Bob Mantel 