{"product_id":"the-savage-noble-death-of-babs-dionne-isbn-9780593851661","title":"The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne","description":"\u003cb\u003eNamed a Best Book of the Year by \u003ci\u003eVulture, BookPage, Publishers Weekly, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eReal Simple • \u003c\/i\u003eA \u003ci\u003eWSJ \u003c\/i\u003eBest Mystery Book of 2025 • A 2025 \u003ci\u003eNPR \u003c\/i\u003eBook We Love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Terrific in-your-face crime story, featuring the unlikeliest drug family you've ever met. It's like the second coming of Elmore Leonard.\" —Stephen King\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Darkly funny, shocking, and unblinking, \u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e is a tour de force with a palpable rendering of place and time and unforgettable characters.” —C.J. Box, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBattle Mountain\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eYour ancestors breathe through you. Sometimes, they call for vengeance.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBabs Dionne, proud Franco-American, doting grandmother, and vicious crime matriarch, rules her small town of Waterville, Maine, with an iron fist. She controls the flow of drugs into Little Canada with the help of her loyal lieutenants, girlfriends since they were teenagers, and her eldest daughter, Lori, a Marine vet struggling with addiction.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a drug kingpin discovers that his numbers are down in the upper northeast, he sends a malevolent force, known only as The Man, to investigate. At the same time, Babs's youngest daughter, Sis, has gone missing, which doesn't seem at all like a coincidence. In twenty-four hours, Sis will be found dead, and the whole town will seek shelter from Babs’s wrath.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e is a crime saga like no other, with a ferocious matriarch at its bruised, beating heart. With sharp wit and profound empathy, award-winning author Ron Currie, delivers an unforgettable novel exploring love, retribution, and the ancestral roots that both nurture and trap us.“Darkly funny, shocking, and unblinking, \u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e is a tour de force with a palpable rendering of place and time and unforgettable characters. Who would guess that there’s another Godfather saga, but this one exists in northern Maine and the principal in charge is named Babs Dionne?” —C.J. Box, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eBattle Mountain\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"A furious page-turner that kept me up way past my bedtime, a beautiful hymn to the lingering ghosts of Maine's French-Canadian past, and a harrowing meditation on what it means to assimilate into the great American experiment. The authenticity reaches up off the page and grabs you with two hands. Ron Currie is a literary beast.\" —Matthew Quick, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of\u003ci\u003e The Silver Linings Playbook \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eWe Are The Light\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e has everything I want in a novel: exquisite writing that’s at once gritty, poetic, and wry; an unputdownable story; and the perfect ending that leaves you teary and utterly satisfied.” —Angie Kim, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eHappiness Falls\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Superb. . . Currie [is] a blazing talent who writes with style and a keen sense of history.” —\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is crime fiction elevated to high art. . . Imagine if Tony Soprano resided in a small, broken-down town in rural Maine, was even more ferocious, and surrounded himself with a coterie of hard-drinking, chain-smoking broads: You’d have Babs Dionne.” —\u003ci\u003eChicago Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This one is just pure rock and roll. Everyone is a villain and a victim. The writing is funny, and the characters are brutal . . . This page-turner was the most fun I had with a book all year. I loved it so, so much and spent the rest of the year wishing there were more novels just like this one.” —\u003ci\u003eVulture \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Currie's tense, inspired book introduces a character fans will not soon forget: Babs Dionne may not be The Godfather, but she runs the show in Waterville, Maine . . . Though Currie has flirted with crime writing in his previous novels, Dionne is his first full-throttled foray into the genre. It's a doozy, packed with dark humor and canny observations about small towns, matriarchal power, and the violence inherent in the never-ending war on drugs.” —\u003ci\u003eOprah Daily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Ron Currie creates compelling and complex female characters operating with cool logic in a morally corrupt world. Funny at times and entirely enthralling.” \u003ci\u003e—NPR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Tense, emotional, and includes one of the most chilling killers in recent memory.” \u003ci\u003e—Chicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Currie has created a charming community to root for, even if, as the title suggests, all victories here are pyrrhic. A hyperviolent family saga with surprising amounts of humor and empathy.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“A master of witty, thoughtful fiction who does not retreat from tackling big concepts, Ron Currie explores new physical and emotional territory . . . Readers will [find] themselves tearing through pages and rooting for this little-known community and the families that lead it.” —\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] gritty, genre-blending crime saga. . . Darkly funny, this literary thriller delves into loyalty, identity and intergenerational resilience, delivering an unforgettable tale of power, love and survival in the heart of Maine.” —\u003ci\u003eSeattle Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e “In Babs, a Franco-American crime boss who also happens to be a devoted grandmother, Currie has written one of those characters you never knew you needed until she appeared on the page. A Shakespearean drama in hardscrabble Maine, this is an addictive and unforgettable read.” —\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Leavened by a surprising amount of humour and empathy, this is the vivid, tragic and violent story of people trying to do their best against insurmountable odds: a tour de force.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Whip-smart and darkly comedic, this is a gripping story of bigotry, revenge, and family.” —\u003ci\u003eAmazon Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A thrilling and heartfelt page-turner rivaling the likes of Tony Soprano and\u003ci\u003e The Godfather\u003c\/i\u003e.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe San Diego Union-Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An electrifying achievement by Currie, epic in its ambition but intimate in its focus, and nearly flawless in execution. . . It’s also shot through with dark humor; wisecracking, along with chain-smoking and drinking jugs of Carlo Rossi’s finest, is how Babs and her ladies have survived this long . . . This will hold up as one of the best crime-fiction books of 2025.” —\u003ci\u003eAir Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Marvelous. . . Currie’s passionate prose is so sharp it practically jumps off the page, igniting plenty of page-turning action. . . \u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e is full of on-point social commentary, violence, savvy sleuthing, poignant characterizations—and loads of love and humor. With a top-notch blend of gritty mystery and bighearted drama, it’s Dennis Lehane meets Ann Patchett.” — \u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Violence, heartbreak, sorrow, and a dash of grim humor are splashed across the pages with abandon as Currie carefully chronicles the fascinating, unforgettable life of a woman who will do anything for her family, her French American heritage, and her town. Fans of Dennis Lehane’s \u003ci\u003eMystic River\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as readers who appreciate their crime fiction served straight up with no chaser, will be mesmerized by Currie’s latest.” —\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Filled with idiosyncratic characters, Currie’s stirring, cinematic tale blends mystery, suspense, and domestic drama to incisively interrogate the limits of filial responsibility. It’s a major achievement.\" —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Blistering, poignant, genre-defying. . . Currie gives us grief, legacy and the impossible choices of those living on the margins. His novel insists that crime fiction can be a form of moral testimony—a way to tell the truth when other forms have failed.” —\u003ci\u003eArkansas Democrat-Gazette\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Great. Tense. Funny. Violent. Touching. Peppered with French. Full of heart . . . Currie has something for everyone here. Go read it.” —\u003ci\u003eCrime Reads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Currie’s maximalist approach gives the book an operatic intensity . . . [A] complex story of corruption, family and betrayal.” — Portland Press Herald\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] bloody yet surprisingly warm-hearted spin on \u003ci\u003eThe Godfather\u003c\/i\u003e. Great stuff.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Currie’s writing is sharp and lively, and the novel is full of indelible scenes and images. . . \u003ci\u003eThe Savagae, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e is ostensibly a mystery. [But] it’s also an emotionally charged family drama and a tribute to the resilience of the French Canadians struggling to hold on to their cultural identity in small pockets of New England. This is a community and culture that one doesn’t see portrayed in fiction often, but readers won’t soon forget the glimpse that Currie gives them of these battered yet proud people.” —\u003ci\u003eBookreporter \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[T]hat’s what’s so exciting about Babs Dionne: it has all the familiar trappings of a crime novel but packed with immense amounts of thematic beef jerky to gnaw on. . . Like all worthwhile literature,\u003ci\u003e The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e is a novel about the abject horrors of the human condition.” —\u003ci\u003eTypebar Magazine \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Dive into this sad, intense, funny wrenching, superbly constructed saga . . . The characters are complex and stunningly drawn, and Currie tells an irresistible story.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Day\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What Dennis Lehane has done for the Irish of South Boston, Ron Currie does for the Acadians of Maine—lifting the lid on a community bound by the fiercest bonds of history, with all its love and pain. Heartfelt, beguiling, gritty, and true.” —Justin Cronin, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Ferryman\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A study of families, power, and violence with the sweep and texture of folklore.” —Flynn Berry,\u003ci\u003e author of Trust Her\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Literary thrillers just don’t come any better than Ron Currie’s \u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e. It’s profoundly serious and terrifying in equal measure.” –Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize winning author of \u003ci\u003eSomebody's Fool\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e is an ambitious novel that revolves around crime but that's really about class, prejudice, addiction, exploitation, war, trauma, loyalty, friendship, and above all about family. A remarkable achievement that's also a deeply enjoyable reading experience on every page.\" –Chris Pavone, author of \u003ci\u003eTwo Nights in Lisbon\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Ruthless, beautiful, cutthroat, gorgeous, poignant, incendiary, and important, \u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e is simply one of the best novels I’ve read in years. It reveals the sharpest truths, the deepest cuts, and the toughest love. I am in awe.” —Ivy Pochoda, author of \u003ci\u003eSing Her Down, \u003c\/i\u003ewinner of the \u003ci\u003eLA Times\u003c\/i\u003e book prize\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e reads like a French-Canadian \u003ci\u003eThe Godfather,\u003c\/i\u003e with the toughest women this side of Carmela Soprano. Beautifully written, with a wonderfully rendered, authentic Maine setting that you won't find on a postcard, this is the rare novel of equal appeal to fans of Elizabeth Strout and Dennis Lehane.\" —Michael Koryta, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eAn Honest Man\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“A wildly entertaining, sardonically funny crime saga, \u003ci\u003eThe Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne\u003c\/i\u003e by Ron Currie is full of surprising, complex characters and insights on class, addiction, and family.” —\u003ci\u003eReal Simple\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[Currie] never shies away from big questions about morality, history, and what role people play in the history of the universe.” —Mary Kassel, \u003ci\u003eScreen Rant \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Currie’s tale and his powerful writing are reminiscent of small-town sagas by Richard Russo, and are peopled by the same kinds of won’t-let-you-go characters. An immersive book to be savored.” —\u003ci\u003efirstClue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A gripping tale of love, power, and the inescapable pull of family legacies.” —\u003ci\u003eStorizen\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eRon Currie\u003c\/b\u003e is the award-winning author of five novels. He has won the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Award, the Addison M. Metcalf Award, the Alex Award, and the Pushcart Prize. His books have been translated into fifteen languages, and his short fiction and nonfiction have received recognition in Best American anthologies. As a screenwriter he worked most recently on the Apple TV+ series \u003ci\u003eExtrapolations\u003c\/i\u003e and has developed projects with AMC Studios, Amblin Television, and ITV America. He lives in Portland, Maine, and teaches in the University of Southern Maine Stonecoast MFA program.","brand":"G.P. 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