The Rat on Fire

''Higgins...has arranged the conventions of the crime novel into something new: oblique, bleak and often graveyard funny'' SUNDAY TIMES

''Every American crime writer of the past 30 years owes a debt to George V Higgins. Higgins is the daddy. Read him and rejoice'' Val McDermid

''Higgins deserves to stand in the company of Chandler and Hammett as one of the true innovators in crime fiction'' Scott Turow

When the tenants of Jerry Fein''s dilapidated buildings refuse to pay the rent on account of the rats, Jerry drafts in arsonist Leo Proctor to take care of the problem. After all, the place is insured and the fire marshall''s back is turned, so what could go wrong?