| Title | : | December Boys (Jay Porter, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1608091716 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781608091713 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published June 7, 2016 |
At the county courthouse, Jay meets Nicki, a young college intern, who tips him off to a possible scandal - first-time juvenile offenders being shipped to private institutions for political kickbacks. He also learns that long-time family nemeses, Adam and Michael Lombardi, may have a stake in the scheme.
Is Jay's mission to help these kids a legitimate crusade? Or is his thirst for revenge driven by the guilt he feels over his own junkie brother's death? These questions conspire to tear apart tranquility and drive a wedge between Jay and his wife Jenny.
With help from new friend Nicki, and a couple of old friends, Jay finds himself thrust back into a past he had hoped to leave behind, putting everything and everyone he loves at risk in pursuit of the truth."
December Boys (Jay Porter, #2) Reviews
-
Public Service Announcement: This novel is now available for purchase, but do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Lamentation first.
December Boys sees the return of Jay Porter, one of my favorite protagonists from 2015. Jay was put through the wringer in
Lamentation. Caught in the middle of one of his brother’s crazy conspiracies, he and his friends unraveled some nasty truths and created some powerful new enemies. Although there was plenty of tragedy doled out along the way, book one actually ended on somewhat of a positive note. Jay was finally starting to get his life together. He made an honest woman of his longtime girlfriend, and was well on his way to a promising new career in a new city.
So checking back in with my buddy, I was anxious to see how he coped with a little happiness for a change. Boy, was I ever in for a kick in the guts. Turns out life’s tragedies aren’t so easily overcome, especially when those you hold responsible were never brought to justice. “When so much remains open-ended, you can’t shut lids or get any closure.”
Jay tries to make a go of it as a family man and insurance investigator, but he’s haunted by the past. Bitter over how things shook out, he can’t seem to let go. He’s on edge and continually lashes out at those closest to him. His wife catches the most flak, and it’s not long before she’s had her fill and decides it’s time for a break.
Jay’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown and begins to fall back into destructive old habits when one of his investigations leads to a pocket of corruption. Which may, in an oblique way, tie back to some of those crooked players from book one. But is there an actual connection, or is he only grasping at straws?
“This is what skipping sleep does, little brother. Turns your brain to mush. Can’t think straight. Goops your oatmeal, bogs you down in a slog of maple. Try stirring that shit with a spoon.” With Jay clearly not in his right mind, now’s probably as good a time as any to call a few friends to help puzzle things out . . .
While the story didn’t exactly go in the direction I had envisioned, and I often felt the urge to strangle Jay, in the end I couldn’t help but feel for the guy. The diagnosis laid out by his psychiatrist was expertly crafted and went a long way towards helping me understanding his neurosis. And there’s something about the writing that just speaks to me. Maybe it’s partly due to the nature of a first-person narrative, I’m not sure, but, whatever the case may be, Jay felt more like a living breathing human being, than merely a character in a story. The snowy winter landscape, inclement weather, and mountainous isolation all serve as a perfect backdrop to maximize the tension.
Once again there are a few threads left dangling, and the ending was a little bittersweet. In many ways, this was a step backward for Jay. I haven’t the foggiest idea where he’ll go from here, but I’m ever curious to find out. I can only hope he’ll eventually find some peace, and one day get a chance to pay back the hurt.
Arc provided in exchange for an honest review. -
Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Clifford just knocked it out of the park again. DECEMBER BOYS is every bit as gripping as LAMENTATION was, even more so by moments as it's more of a mystery this time around, but you have to know that both novels are intimately linked as protagonist Jay Porter in DECEMBER BOYS is dealing with the psychological repercussions of what happened in LAMENTATION. The portrait Joe Clifford draws of mental health issues is very moving.
I wasn't sure about the plot at first since it is very bluntly put and such a rigid mystery aspect felt a little alien to a Jay Porter novel, but Joe Clifford used a colorful and deceptively deep support and brilliantly crafted scenes to transcend the literary boundaries of his own novel. DECEMBER BOYS is so much more than the sum of its parts. Another brilliant mystery by Joe Clifford. -
The sequel to Joe Clifford's outstanding debut novel "Lamentation" finds Jay Porter deeply depressed over the "suicide by cop" of his heroin addicted older brother. His 9 to 5 job as an insurance investigator in upstate New Hampshire brings him in contact with a young accident victim inexplicably sent to a new youth detention center on a dodgy drug possession charge. The more Jay looks into the circumstances the deeper he gets into a major statewide conspiracy by an old enemy. .....What I liked most about this exceptional sequel is the authors' writing style in capturing the heart and soul of his wonderfully constructed characters just trying to survive in the context of a fast moving mystery/thriller. Very highly recommended.
-
Terrific Storytelling
I started reading what is now a trilogy with book three. Having read book one, I have now completed book two. The best way to read a trilogy. Jay Porter, the main character, starts this volume, suddenly married to his childhood sweetheart, living with her and his son Aidan. He also has a nine to five job at an insurance company. Don't worry. This is noir. The happy times won't last. Before you know it, the marriage is in shambles, the job is screwed, Jay is three kinds of drunk, moping about his brother's death, screaming about mad conspiracies, and on the long way down. That's when it gets really interesting. And hurtles on to a gigantic climax. But what's really important is that it's a damn good story that's really hard to put down. -
I found this to be a depressing book about, insurance adjusters, police corruption, bad judges selling off good kids to bad detention prisons – a drunk depressed guy ruining his marriage living in the past.
-
Review: DECEMBER BOYS by Joe Clifford
This exciting series continues, and I wish it would go on forever! New Hampshire Noir, in the hands of Joe Clifford, seriously rocks. Despite the fact that he is living a seemingly permanently noirish life, admirable Jay Porter, despite his adversities, despite his failings, rocks on--or at least, perseveres. You can't keep this guy down: no matter what life throws at him (and the tribulations are nearly constant) he gonna keep on keeping on. Even near-death doesn't end him. I love this guy. I love this series. -
Joe Clifford's "December Boys" is a thriller with depth. From the very first chapter, I was pulled into the troubled, self-destructive, obsessive mindset of Jay Porter and this current stalled moment in his life. I'm looking forward to the next one.
-
Pacing is a big asset here -- "December Boys" moves really fast -- but its prime strength is emotional depth and honesty. Joe Clifford's characters -- especially the star of this series, Jay Porter -- often act against their best interests, to say the least. But that's what makes the stories so true to life; they're about people in bad situations (sometimes their own doing, sometimes not) and trying to contend with them. Oddly enough, when things seem to go well for Jay, that's an ominous sign.
Clifford's mystery plot device here is clever, and there's a good measure of exciting action to go along with the interpersonal drama. I also like the way he sets up the coming third entry in the series. It'll be fun to see how Jay knocks heads with others next time, especially his enemies the Lombardis. -
Loved it. Still dark, still brooding. I'm still frustrated by Jay too, the guy who sucks me into the mystery while I yell out loud at his broken moral compass. Jay is the guy you love to hate to love to hate. But, by the last page, he not only wins you over, but he warms the hearts of the whole freezing town. Well done. I can't wait to see what happens in the third Jay Porter novel.
-
A self-destructive path on the road to...a second chance
First of all, this is the second book in a series. Some books can stand alone even if they're in a series but I don't consider this to be one of them. So you need to read LAMENTATION. This is no hardship because it is an excellent gritty, dark book.
WARNING: SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ LAMENTATION
DECEMBER BOYS starts about a year after the ending of the first book. Jay Porter is now living in Plasterville, New Hampshire, now married to Jenny, and is working 9 to 5 as an insurance investigator. He's trying to come to grips with his brother's death and trying to be a good husband and a good father to Aiden.
During one of his insurance investigations, he comes across a conspiracy that leads back to Ashton, where he grew up, and involves different levels of government and private enterprise and he finds himself caught right in the middle. The major problem with this is that he's not mentally or emotionally stable enough to be fighting any battles and spends half the book in breakdown mode.
So this book, like the first one, isn't a sunny, fun walk in the park. The reader is literally reading about Jay's life imploding and it is as depressing as hell. I rated this book a little lower than the first one because of this. Maybe that's not fair, but dang...I just got tired of reading about this guy's self-destructive path. It felt very true to life and was kind of overwhelming at times.
But there was resolution in the story and I definitely want to read the next book in the series GIVE UP THE DEAD and see what else happens in Jay Porter's life. -
Joe Clifford is just getting better with each book. I have really become quite attached to the Jay Porter character. I hope to see him in future books.
December Boys is the second book in the Jay Porter series. Lamentation is the first. Jay now has a family, Jenny and Aiden, and a new job at NEI, investigating insurance claims. There is no wasting time in December Boys. First chapter leads Jay to an insurance claim that has turned out to be a false claim. While Jay is questioning the young boy, he notices pictures of the boy's brother. This causes Jay to have flashbacks of his own brother, Chris, and of all the times they had together.
Jay is having issues letting the Lombardi case rest. It seems to haunt him. Now, he has this new case that involves sending kids off to North River Institute. Kids that are not even doing anything criminal. After Jay initiates the help of his friend, Charlie, and a young, hot, courthouse employee, he starts to uncover why these parents do not seem to have issues with having their kids ripped from their homes. The parents are getting something in return. It is a dark and ugly storyline, but you are pulled in and cannot wait to see the criminals get their due.
Not only is Jay busy digging into this latest case, but he has demons haunting him. He has family troubles. He is getting no sleep and constantly on the run. After having a nervous breakdown, Jay realizes that he has to find some answers and get closure on the loss of his brother. You really get the claustrophobic feeling that Jay experiences, as he goes through having a panic attack. That was some great writing, right there.
I found the book beautifully written. It was dark and moody and you felt as if you could never get away from that bitter cold that bit through the pages. I love how the weather feels like a main character in the book. The snow and ice, definitely, play a major role in both novels. I find that it pulls me into the setting. My favorite thing about a Clifford book is you are never bored and there always seems to be something coming at you from every direction. You never know which way the story is going to turn. There is no doubt about it, though. If you read a Clifford book, you are going to get noir. I highly recommend. -
I was looking forward to reading DECEMBER BOYS, the sequel to LAMENTATION, which was one of my two favorite books in 2015. Joe Cifford did not disappoint with this novel. As a matter of fact, It is more personal, grittier, more visceral than anything I've read in a long time.
Jay Porter has moved on from his job as an estate mover to become an insurance fraud investigator. He wants to live a "normal" life with his wife and son. While trying to wrap up the paperwork on a seemingly easy case, new facts are uncovered, creating a ripple effect that lead Jay on a search that may or may not involve his brother's death. The impact of Jay's curiosity leads him to leap into dangerous territory, both physically and emotionally. At one point, it is difficult to know what is real and what isn't, leading to unintended and dangerous consequences for Jay and those around him.
Cifford's writing puts truth to words, his prose is lean and to the point, dialogue clipped and honest. He spares no one in this emotional, at times tender story about crime, love, loss and forgiveness. Joe Clifford is one of the best fiction writers of a new generation of authors who peel back the layers, tell the story, and leave you standing on the side of the road, dazed, but wanting more. I wholeheartedly and with absolute joy, recommend this book to anyone who cares about good literature. -
I received a copy of this book by winning an online contest, then I put it off for awhile because, honestly, I wasn't interested. A story about teens being sold to prisons just wasn't terribly appealing. But it kept starring out at me from my nightstand, guilting me. "You don't take free books without reading them, Mazy!"
Guys, I am so glad I read this. Joe Clifford rolls humor, urgency, and serious sleuthing all into one slightly unhinged character and he does it oh-so well. Oh, and he actually got me to care about the prison system! I read this without having read Lamentation first, but the author fills in all the background information without it feeling regurgitated from a previous novel and without the sense that I was missing anything. Well crafted scenes in a fast paced plot makes this a fantastic read. The noir mystery is excellent. I highly recommend this book! -
Joe Clifford does it again, pumping life into the complex protagonist, Jay Porter. I found this book to be superior in pacing than the first. I literally read it in a two-day marathon session and I'm the kind of guy that takes FOREVER to finish a work of fiction. It was scarliky lifelike and a real accomplishment in this competitive genre. Clifford is on the fast track to becoming a household name and mystery superstar.
-
Really liked this book, i thought the first one was good, this one continues and may be even better.
Just really good characters and awesome writing. Cant wait to see where he goes with this character next. -
Visceral, almost felt I was in the same rooms as Jay Porter. Has the author lived this life? The must read book of 2016. Crime fiction fans will rejoice the genre is alive here in this novel. 5 stars.
-
Great characters, great plotting, great storytelling. This is what crime fiction is all about.
DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly, Samantha Cody, and Dub Walker thriller series
http://www.dplylemd.com -
Darkly beautiful and authentic. This second installment in the Jay Porter series continues the efforts of the titular character in laying demons to rest, but takes a helluva beating along the way.
-
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I regret and apologize for the time that it took me to pick it up and read it- because it was a fast and easy read!
Note (Jay Porter # 2) is part of a subtitle for the book, indicating that there was a Jay Porter # 1 - (starting a possible series) which I admit I did not read, or even know about. Nevertheless, ho harm no foul and the book more than explains the necessary parts of the first book for understanding the second. Jay is a somewhat likeable character, although I found myself in that position where one is watching a movie and yelling, NO! Don't open that door to the closet, or NO! Don't turn on the light! Yes, Jay walks into it more than once, such that it is difficult to tell who are the good guys / gals or bad.
Yet, as noted, it is a fast read, moves right along, is not difficult to understand and follow the plot.
I was not thrilled with the ending, either the first one towards the end, or the actual one at the very end, but I gave the author some leeway knowing that either of these two parts of an ending could be possible lead ins to the beginning of the next book in a series.
And yes, I would probably read another one of the Jay Porter series if I had the opportunity. -
In just 2 books, this series set in New Hampshire has become a must read for me. You really feel for the main character, Jay Porter, as he stumbles through life trying to right some wrongs, while making a lot of wrongs himself. Very much looking forward to the 3rd book, Give Up The Dead.
-
3.5
-
Just because you are paranoid……………………
This is the second in the Jay Porter series and follows on from the events in Lamentation where Jay was unable to save his junkie brother Chris from death. A year has passed and still Jay hasn’t achieved ‘closure’ and blames himself for not being able to help Chris.
Over the past year Jay has managed to marry his girlfriend Jenny, becoming a real father to his small son Aiden, and to move from his hometown of Ashton to the neighbouring Plasterville to work as an insurance claims investigator. But the nine to five doesn’t suit Jay which means he spends a lot of time mulling over his conspiracy theory regarding the Lombardi brothers who were implicated in Chris’s death.
All this doesn’t make Jay easy to live with and Jenny decides to take Aiden to her mother’s in Burlington to give everyone a bit of space. This plunges Jay even deeper into a depression which in turn makes him behave even more badly even to his only real friend Charlie.
Whilst dealing with a fraudulent claim Jay meets Nicki, a pretty student who is working at the Courthouse. He asks her for some information about a boy who seems to have been arrested and passed through the system far quicker than he should have been. When Nicki comes back to him, he gets far more than he bargained for as she has a conspiracy theory of her own.
What then ensues are a string of events which conspire to feed Jay’s theory and to send him spinning out of control.
In the previous book, Jay came over as a decent man, just trying to help his brother and get back with his girlfriend; in this book he is a jerk! It is very difficult to empathise with such a volatile character who has lost all sense of reason and is consistently failing those he claims to love.
The other characters are less rounded, more having the role of being a foil to Jay, and he is unable to sort out in his own mind who is on his side.
Eventually he turns to Nicki to help him but it soon becomes clear that he has seriously upset a number of influential people and Jay changes from pursuer to pursued.
This is a good, solid but not very sophisticated crime thriller with a few interesting twists and turns. An easy and page-turning read with a satisfactory conclusion.
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review. -
Joe mailed me his novel, "December Boys," a month after the New England Patriots amazing comeback in Super Bowl 51. Inside the book there was a message from Joe about the comeback victory, along with a signature. Being the insane Pats fan that I am, I decided to put the book on the top of my 'to-read-stack'.
Though I don't know him personally, both Joe and I are both originally from New England, so I was curious to see if he nailed down the main character, Jay Porter, and the state of New Hampshire. I was curious to see if the street lights shined on the cold street in the right way. If the depression and sadness drifted across the snow correctly. Not many crime books can nail down the tiny nuances of New England. Three books that get it right come to mind: "Affliction" by Russell Banks. "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" by George V. Higgins. And "Mystic River" by Dennis Lehane. I'd like to add Joe Clifford's "December Boys" to that list. It's book number two in a series of three.
I'm unsure if you need to read the Porter series in order, but I had no problem picking the book up and reading it without feeling I missed something. He doesn't insult his readers with tricks, gimmicks, and the ridiculous. It's a straight to the bone crime thriller with great pace. Easy to read, but with complex and interesting characters. Each character from Jay Porter, to Jay's wife, Jenny, to Jay's friend, Charlie, to the Lombardi Family, are all well written and multi dimensional. As a reader I'm obsessed with characters and dialogue. None of Clifford's dialogue is wooden, more times than not, I was lost in the words and movements of the characters. It's real, and easy to sink your teeth in to. The people suffer real life problems. Real depression, real darkness. Some seek redemption, while others seek out cruelty and greed. I don't like to put spoilers on review pages like Good Reads, so I'll say "December Boys" is a fantastic trill ride. I promise you wont want to put it down. Easily one of the best crime books I've read the last few years.
In my mind, Clifford has a long writing career ahead of him. And I'm sure as time goes on, Joe will find himself in the same company as other great crime writers like: Charles Willeford, Jim Thompson, James Crumley, and Dennis Lehane. -
I had the pleasure of reading an Advanced Reading Copy of The December Boys, provided by Oceanview Publishing.
Where to begin? Let’s kick things off with our hero/anti-hero, Jay Porter. Throughout The December Boys, Jay Porter weaves like a punch-drunk boxer pulling an unintentional rope-a-dope, suckering you in with the goodness at his core before rabbit-punching you with his what-the-hell? decision making, keeping you at arms-length every time you start to like the guy. But, of course, he can’t help it. He’s simply fighting to stay alive. Clifford does a fantastic job playing off this dynamic, dragging you deeper into the realm of Porter’s personal demons—dead junkie brother, fraying marriage, self-medication—while keeping the reader on his toes as to whether Porter can summon the inner strength to save not only himself, but others.
The plot is top-notch. At the beginning of the novel Porter simply wants to do right by his new nine-to-five insurance agent life, and, in turn, his wife and kid. But it’s not that simple. While interviewing a teenager suspected of helping his mom commit auto insurance fraud, Porter unintentionally sets the wheels in motion that sends the young man—an honest kid who rats himself out even as Porter tries to stop him from doing so—to a juvie detention center with the security of Guantanamo. At the mom’s behest, Porters starts digging for reasons why, only to find himself pulled into a nightmare involving corrupt judges, morally bankrupt politicians, and the mighty reach of the prison-industrial complex. Clifford does a nice job creating a playing field wherein every step Porter takes to solve the mystery puts him further in risk of losing hold on not only his sanity, but everything he holds dear. The end result is a novel that churns along even as the problems add up, keeping the reader fixed to the page until the satisfying end.
Mystery thrillers aren’t generally my bent, but I enjoyed reading Clifford’s work. He does a fantastic job combining a compelling protagonist with a stark setting to draw the reader in. Porter is a great character to build a series around. Highly recommended. -
In the follow-up to "Lamentation", we find Jay Porter holding down a day job as an insurance investigator & married to Jenny. He finally has a stable home life & regular pay cheques. Life is great, right? Well.....
Never mind his weaselly boss & the mother-in-law from hell. Jay is a man stuck in the past, still grieving the loss of his brother & bitter that those he holds responsible haven't paid.
Enter Brian Olisky, a poor teenager who made a dumb mistake. Jay feels for the kid & his mother but when he steps in to help, the situation soon spins out of control in ways he could never imagined.
The story that follows makes for a gripping & scary read as Jay learns the truth behind what happens to Brian & other teenagers caught up in a small town legal system.
But it's Jay's personal journey that is most compelling. This is a man tortured by what he cannot change. It's too late to save his brother & Jay tries to atone by rescuing others instead of dealing with his pain. His simmering anger & dangerous activities take their toll on his marriage as Jenny begins to feel like she's living with a ticking bomb.
The freezing weather, Jay's fragile emotional health & the secrets he uncovers lend the story a dark, tense feeling that borders on claustrophobic. His investigation into Brian's fate makes for a fast paced & disturbing read but it was Jay that kept me turning the pages. He's a sympathetic & likeable MC on the verge of self destruction & you can't help but become invested in how it all shakes out.
This is a grim, emotional book so if you're looking for something light with happy endings, it's not for you. By the end, not everything is tied up with a neat bow. There are a few changes in store for Jay & some of the open story lines will surely follow him into book #3. Here's hoping he finds a little peace along the way. -
A self-destructive path on the road to...a second chance
First of all, this is the second book in a series. Some books can stand alone even if they're in a series but I don't consider this to be one of them. So you need to read LAMENTATION. This is no hardship because it is an excellent gritty, dark book.
WARNING: SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ LAMENTATION
DECEMBER BOYS starts about a year after the ending of the first book. Jay Porter is now living in Plasterville, New Hampshire, now married to Jenny, and is working 9 to 5 as an insurance investigator. He's trying to come to grips with his brother's death and trying to be a good husband and a good father to Aiden.
During one of his insurance investigations, he comes across a conspiracy that leads back to Ashton, where he grew up, and involves different levels of government and private enterprise and he finds himself caught right in the middle. The major problem with this is that he's not mentally or emotionally stable enough to be fighting any battles and spends half the book in breakdown mode.
So this book, like the first one, isn't a sunny, fun walk in the park. The reader is literally reading about Jay's life imploding and it is as depressing as hell. I rated this book a little lower than the first one because of this. Maybe that's not fair, but dang...I just got tired of reading about this guy's self-destructive path. It felt very true to life and was kind of overwhelming at times.
But there was resolution in the story and I definitely want to read the next book in the series GIVE UP THE DEAD and see what else happens in Jay Porter's life. -
Loved this one and not often that you come across a PI novel in the first person where the main character spins so far out of control that even you, the reader, is questioning whether they are going about things the right way.
Jay investigates a youth detention facility following a brief interaction with a teenager during his day job working as an insurance investigator and shortly after the mother calls pleading to look into her son's imprisonment. Jay starts looking into it and even once the mother confirms she no longer wants him to, Jay continues to pry. The scars from the first book are still fresh in the memory and fuel Jay on his search for the truth, which soon turns into a mania as Jay struggles to deal with issues on the home front.
Another instalment which takes the conventions of the mystery novel and it characters and spins them into something more gripping and emotional. -
Joe Clifford is one of the best writers of today. He is one of those rare people who have hit rock bottom in life, and made it back to tell about it. His characters are very human. You can feel the honesty and vulnerability flowing through the dialog and storyline. In December Boys, Clifford shares the raw story of juvenile offenders being shipped to private institutions for political kickbacks. This is a very real story; see Pennsylvania story:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/23/p... This happens!
