Dime: 1 (Betty Rhyzyk Series) - Softcover

"Exciting [and] moving . . . Grisly but likable"--Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

"Terrific . . . Kent's own ability to avoid predictable outcomes and keep the reader on edge bodes well for future installments in this series."--Lloyd Sachs, Chicago Tribune

"The plot revolves around the Asian sex- and drug-trafficking trade run by the cutest little old lady you ever did see, but the broader appeal is Kent's offbeat humor, which pulls up reins just before it takes the story over a cliff."--Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

"Kathleen Kent finds the noir side of Dallas. . . . Betty Ryhzyk [is] a beguiling protagonist. . . . [She] brings freshness and new energy to the role. . . . There's no shortage of Pine Curtain gothic in this landscape of mangy dogs, religious nuts and violent meth-heads."--Doug J. Swanson, Dallas Morning News

"Gritty and gripping, explosive and emotional, Kathleen Kent's The Dime grabs you from its opening scene and never lets go. Kent tears off the glossy facade of Dallas to show us a dark underbelly of crime. A great start from an exciting new series."
--Jeff Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The First Order


"As hard-to-forget as Kent's main character is, the breakout star [is] the city of Dallas."--Rachel Williams, Dallas Observer

"Kent knows her craft. The Dime's tight plotting and masterful suspense is no surprise."--Ginni Beam, D Magazine

"[Kent] explodes into the crime genre with a detective who has all the qualities that'll make her stand out from the crowd. . . . Betty is [a] kick-butt detective. . . . Kent's brilliant, sometimes-gentle and humorous observations humanize and set this book apart."--Barbara Clark, BookPage

"Outstanding . . . Kent never sacrifices robust characters, or biting humor, during scenes of brutal violence, which, though disturbing, are essential to the rich plot."--Publishers Weekly (starred boxed review)

"Violent, sexy, and completely absorbing. Kent's detective is Sam Spade reincarnated-as a brilliant, modern woman. . . . The mystery succeeds as both whodunit and as a deeper character-driven novel. Kent neatly balances the tough talk and high body count of a traditional hard-boiled detective novel, reminiscent of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, with the modern strength of this complex, flawed, and interesting woman. . . . Every layer of this novel strikes the right note."--Kirkus Reviews (starred)

Brooklyn's toughest female detective takes on Dallas--and neither is ready for the fight.
Dallas, Texas is not for the faint of heart. Good thing for Betty Rhyzyk she's from a family of take-no-prisoners Brooklyn police detectives. But her Big Apple wisdom will only get her so far when she relocates to The Big D, where Mexican drug cartels and cult leaders, deadbeat skells and society wives all battle for sunbaked turf.
Betty is as tough as the best of them, but she's deeply shaken when her first investigation goes sideways. Battling a group of unruly subordinates, a persistent stalker, a formidable criminal organization, and a disappointed girlfriend, the unbreakable Detective Betty Rhyzyk may be reaching her limit.
Combining the colorful pyrotechnics of Breaking Bad with the best of the gritty crime genre, THE DIME is Kathleen Kent's brilliant mystery debut and the launch of a sensational new series.