Steve Monroe is a writer and commercial real estate professional, specializing in corporate lease restructuring. His novels ’57, Chicago and ’46, Chicago were published by Talk/Miramax Books in 2000 and 2002. ’46, Chicago was cited by the Kansas City Star as one of the “Top Five Mysteries of 2002” and “Noteworthy Books of 2002.” Monroe splits his time between Chicago, Illinois and Edmonds, Washington. He is currently working on the next Wally Greer novel.
“Monroe is a knockout storyteller . . . with
dialogue out of The Sopranos and intrigue out of L.A.
Confidential.” —Chicago Tribune
“’57, Chicago is a strong and impressive debut . . .
written with a fighter’s heart and a writer’s passion. It is a
combination that can’t be beaten—in the ring or
out . . . strong, fierce, and gripping.” —Lorenzo
Carcaterra, author of Sleepers
“Genuinely dramatic.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Former newsman Monroe does a credible job of capturing the gritty
feel of 1957 Chicago’s seamier side in his noirish debut, a boxing
morality play that focuses on the efforts of down-and-out fight
promoter Bobby ‘The Lip’ Lipranski to put together the bout of his
life . . . Monroe inserts a deft plot twist that
sends the fight itself in an unanticipated direction,
distinguishing the book . . . from conventional
boxing novels. The result is a solid piece of pulp fiction that
pays homage to the various masters of the genre.” —Publisher’s
Weekly
“Gritty, atmospheric first novel . . . Monroe fills
his novel with fascinating detail on how to run a sports book, and
his dialogue crackles with authenticity. Less a crime novel than a
slice of underworld life, this impressive debut will remind noir
fans of early George Pelecanos.” —Booklist
“Chicago in the mid-fifties. A boxing promoter named Bobby ‘The
Lip’ Lipranski and his black fighter Junior ‘The Hammer’ Hamilton.
A foxy fur-coat-wearing girlfriend. The Big Fight. Money. Bookies.
The fight’s fixed. All you need for a noir novel, it would seem,
yet ’57, Chicago ranks many notches above your run-of-the-mill
boxing novel. Monroe writes in a slangy, gritty, knife-edged style
that packs a big wallop. . . . A welcome addition to
the genre.” —Esquire
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