FLORIDA PALMS
JOE PAN
A New York Times Editors’ Choice Selection
A Best Mystery Debut of 2025
Interviews in Brooklyn Rail, Bomb Magazine, CrimeReads, LitHub
Profiled on CBS, NBC, NPR, PBS
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“A musky, Florida-specific stew of sweat, blood, swamp gas and amphetamine addiction.”
–New York Times Book Review
“Florida Palms reads like a magnificent mash-up of Elmore Leonard’s wit and fellow crime writer Jim Thompson’s grit, with just enough of the brilliant TV show “Breaking Bad” thrown in for good measure. A story of society’s underbelly, the down and out trying to climb their way from the barrel they were born in. Pan writes wondrously about them in much the same way Steinbeck did in classics like The Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row. HE’S THAT GOOD and his debut is not to be missed.”
–BookTrib
“A Sons of Anarchy vibe but with a greater pathos. Verdict: A must-read.”
–Library Journal (starred review)
“An uncompromising look at the criminal underworld of Central Florida. Florida Palms ushers in a new talent.”
–South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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