William Boyle's 'Heilige der Narrows Street' is Crime Novel of the Week

William Boyle's sixth crime novel, 'Heilige der Narrows Street,' is set in the working-class Brooklyn neighborhood of Gravesend. The story spans from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, following Risa Franzone who kills her abusive husband Saverio with a cast-iron skillet after he threatens her sister. With help from friend Chooch, she buries the body in the woods. The community and police assume Saverio abandoned his family. The secret threatens to unravel when Saverio's brother Roberto appears years later. Boyle captures societal changes in Gravesend while weaving a escalating tale of losers clinging to hope. The novel made the list of best crime novels for July 2026.