Hornytown Chutzpah by Andrew Hiller is a razor-sharp, darkly hilarious blend of speculative fiction and hard-boiled noir that grabs you from page one and refuses to let go.

Set in a shadowy, demon-infested corner of Washington D.C., Andrew Hiller’s fast-paced novella crackles with wicked energy, larger-than-life characters, and a style that feels equal parts Raymond Chandler, Terry Pratchett, and Talmudic fever dream.

The story follows a demon who finds himself improbably framed for murder in the Devil’s own backlot — a sleazy, surreal part of the capital known as Hornytown. Enter our unlikely hero, a gumshoe with more chutzpah than sense, determined to crack the case armed with grit, guilt, and a questionable bottle of Manischewitz. The result is part crime caper, part theological farce, and wholly original.

Hiller’s prose is cinematic, lyrical, and delightfully irreverent — every alleyway glistens with menace, every wisecrack lands with a wink and a wince. The world-building is compact but rich, suggesting a warped bureaucracy of Hell operating just beneath the surface of modern government. The dialogue snaps, the plot twists slyly, and despite the absurdity of the premise, there’s real heart beneath the horns and havoc.

At under 200 pages, Hornytown Chutzpah is a brisk, punchy read, but don’t mistake brevity for simplicity. This is a smart, visual, and viciously funny novella that rewards careful reading — a pitch-black satire with soul. If you’re a fan of speculative noir, Jewish humour, occult absurdity, or just like your crime stories with a dash of brimstone and a schmear of sarcasm, this one’s worth pre-ordering.

Bold, bizarre, and blisteringly clever, Hornytown Chutzpah proves that in D.C.’s demon district, justice might be blind, but she definitely keeps a spare shofar under the trench coat.

Thanks to NetGalley and AtThis Arts for the advanced copy.

Here is a copy of my review on GoodReads.
That was really fun!

Solomon Weiss is a dick. Not as in "asshole", but as in "private investigator". He is also a bar mitzvah dropout who could never figure out how to read Hebrew. What a way to embarrass your family in front of your whole community! He had to be schlepped away by the rabbi. Oy vey.

In short, he is a detective, but not a cop. And he has to investigate on a crime committed in hell. Urrie is a demon, and she has been framed. But why would she kill someone? Demons are all about making people suffer, and death is the end of suffering. So, it does not make sense.

So, hell is on earth, and the devil has his headquarters in DC. Hornytown is hell, or the suburbs of hell. All kinds of things happen to people there. They get damned and drink a lot of Manischewitz. Jews do not believe in hell, but here we are. If you go to Hornytown, you will be reminded to study your Torah. And if you don't? The Devil is no mensch. You have been warned.

This is a funny, witty novella that will be amazing as an audiobook. Make sure to read the "wise guy guide to Jewish and Yiddish words" at the end (especially if you are not used to Yiddish).

I received this book as an ARC on Rosh Hashanah, while I was sitting in a church basement and trying to entertain children who were high on dates and honey (a surprisingly common Jewish experience, if you live in a country with a very small Jewish community). That was the sign 5786 was going to begin very well. Two days later, I started reading <i>Hornytown Chutzpah</i> and definitely had a lot of fun. Andrew Hiller has a special talent for metaphor - turning the mundane into entertainment by connecting things that have nothing to do with each other.

Thank you Atthis Arts, NetGalley and Andrew Hiller for the advanced reader copy. I am really looking forward to the audiobook, and hope it is read by a narrator with a New York Jewish accent.

Now you can go back to boring, normal life. Make sure to top it with a glass of Manischewitz on Friday evening. L'chaim!