The Pledge

by Kathleen Kent

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Pub Date 16 Nov 2021 | Archive Date 17 Mar 2022

Mystery & Thrillers

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Description

In this "instantly cinematic and completely compelling" thriller (Hank Phillippi Ryan), Detective Betty has only two weeks to take down her deadliest rival—this time for good.

Things are looking up for Detective Betty Rhyzyk. She’s settled into a happy marriage and been promoted to Sergeant in the Dallas Police Department. But when a hostage stand-off puts her on the phone with legendary cartel leader The Knife, things take a turn. The Knife has heard a rival is making a play for the streets of Dallas—none other than Evangeline Roy. The matriarch of a ruthless cult, Evangeline also happens to hold a personal vendetta against Betty. So who better to draw Evangeline out of hiding? Betty’s got two weeks to catch her. Or else.

With Betty’s young charge Mary Grace already missing—having left her seven-month-old baby behind in Betty’s care—and the drug dealers of Dallas donning strange red wigs and delivering cryptic messages, Betty’s in a race for answers. With the clock ticking down, it will take everything she’s got to finally put an end to Evangeline’s reign of terror, and to keep her beloved Dallas—and her own family—safe at last.

“The Pledge is the terrific adrenaline punch you’d expect for the grand finale of Kathleen Kent’s Edgar-nominated trilogy starring Betty Rhyzyk, who is as iconic a crime fighter as Kent is a crime writer.” —Julia Heaberlin

"A police procedural like none you’ve ever read." —Hank Phillippi Ryan

“A thrilling last dance with the formidable Betty Rhyzyk.” —Steph Cha

“Detective Betty is one of my favorite queer characters in crime fiction. The Pledge is fiery and propulsive.”—Kristen Lepionka

Advance Praise

“The Pledge is a thrilling last dance with the formidable Betty Rhyzyk. Ensnared in a violent drug war between a deranged cult leader and a knife-happy cartel boss, she plays cat and mouse and cat again, all while searching for a missing teen mother and reluctantly caring for a baby.”

—Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay

"Terrific. Riveting. Heartbreaking. A police procedural like none you’ve ever read. The Pledge is a devastating story of the depth of vengeance, the passion of motherhood, and the shattering power of belief--gorgeously structured and brilliantly written. The incredibly talented Kathleen Kent has created a haunting, dark, and original character… and gives the iconic Detective Betty an unforgettably personal story. Calling Hollywood--this is instantly cinematic and completely compelling. Do not miss this!"

—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Perfect Life

“Detective Betty is one of my favorite queer characters in crime fiction. The Pledge is just as fiery and propulsive as the first two novels in the trilogy as it brings her story to a satisfying conclusion full of twists, tension, and emotional resonance. This book will not disappoint.”

—Kristen Lepionka, Shamus Award-winning author of the Roxane Weary mystery series

"In this complex and page-turning thriller, the gritty world of narcotics policing intersects with the fantastic, and intuition and insight come together in pursuit of truth. While fans will be sad to see the one-of-a-kind Betty Rhyzyk go, Kent creates a compelling and satisfying end to her trilogy, one that explores the effects of intergenerational trauma, the power of chosen families, and how faith—in the divine, the badge, or the wisdom of those came before us—can be a weapon wielded for justice or chaos."

—Halley Sutton, author of The Lady Upstairs

“The Pledge is the terrific adrenaline punch you’d expect for the grand finale of Kathleen Kent’s Edgar-nominated trilogy starring Betty Rhyzyk, who is as iconic a crime fighter as Kent is a crime writer. Kent delivers every time, raising Texas hell in a voice as crisp and meaty as chicken-fried steak. If you haven’t yet met this high-octane series, grab The Dime, The Burn, and The Pledge for your next binge—I promise you won’t come up for air until you’ve become a Betty fan for life.”

—Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of We Are All The Same In The Dark