The Best That Ever Did It - A Barney Harris Crime Novel

A massive former boxer turned private investigator takes on police corruption, murder, and a case powerful men are determined to bury. Barney Harris is a 248-pound automobile mechanic with the instincts of a fighter and the stubbornness of a man who refuses to be intimidated. When the widow of a murdered police officer hires him to uncover the truth about her husband's death, Harris is drawn into an investigation involving crooked cops, hidden loyalties, and people willing to kill to protect themselves. What begins as a private inquiry quickly becomes a dangerous challenge to men who believe their badges and connections place them beyond justice. As Harris follows the trail through New York's streets, garages, bars, and back rooms, he relies on physical strength, street knowledge, and a surprisingly sharp understanding of human weakness. Every answer produces another threat, and the distinction between law enforcement and organized crime becomes increasingly difficult to see. Ed Lacy combines hardboiled action with brisk dialogue, social observation, and a hero whose imposing size conceals considerable intelligence and humanity. First published in 1955 and later reissued as Visa to Death, The Best That Ever Did It brought Lacy some of his earliest substantial recognition and introduced Barney Harris in a fast-moving story of corruption and murder. The novel will appeal to readers of vintage noir, private-eye fiction, police corruption thrillers, and muscular mid-century crime stories.