When terrorists attacked on September 11, 2001, Lieutenant Brian Murphy rescued seven people from the World Trade Center. Even as steel girders buckled and groaned, Brian rushed back up the stairs of the North Tower in search of those in need. He died a hero, one of more than four hundred police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who perished that fateful day.

Three years later, Vietnam veteran and retired NYPD detective-sergeant Jimmy Murphy is on a mission to find the truth behind his son's death. Why was Brian in the tower that morning? Had he anticipated the attack? Suspecting a cover-up of a deeper truth, Jimmy must confront his family, friends, and old colleagues in the police department to discover what happened to Brian and who his eldest son really was.

Murphy's investigation takes him from his home turf in the Irish American enclave of Rockaway Beach to Muslim Atlantic Avenue and beyond in order to find his own truth about 9/11. Dry-eyed and determined, Murphy battles barstool patriotism, the NYPD blue wall of silence, and a ticking clock-all the while haunted by his own secrets and the raw memory of his difficult relationship with his dead son.

Written by author and musician Larry Kirwan, Rockaway Blue is a thrilling and poignant story of a family struggling to pull itself together after an unthinkable trauma.

About the Author

Larry Kirwan was the leader of New York-based Irish political rock band Black 47 for 25 years. He is author of five previous books, including, Liverpool Fantasy, Rockin' The Bronx, and Green Suede Shoes, and seventeen plays and musicals, including Paradise Square which will open on Broadway in 2022. He is currently working on a stage version of The Informer. Kirwan also hosts Celtic Crush a popular radio show on Sirius/XM and writes a column for The Irish Echo.

Reviews

Larry Kirwan's sweeping novel, "Rockaway Blue," is a defiant and celebratory tour of Irish-American life in the town best known for the long-gone amusement park and the Ramones' 1970s siren song that gleefully beckons: "we can hitch a ride to Rock, Rock, Rockaway Beach."

* Echo Book Review *

Rockaway Blue is a well-told, emotional journey... Rockaway Blue is a great read, Highly Recommended, and a Top Shelf Selection.

* Ohio Irish American News *



Book Information
ISBN 9781501754227
Author Larry Kirwan
Format Hardback
Page Count 264
Imprint Three Hills
Publisher Cornell University Press
Weight(grams) 454g