Staff Pick
Lovers of Michael Mann's quintessential heist film Heat will be absolutely riveted by the sequel novel, Heat 2, co-authored by Mann and Meg Gardiner. The book's plot is a pincer, equal parts prequel and sequel to the former film's depiction of robbery and homicide in 1990s Los Angeles. A nuanced and detail-driven tale of criminality, Heat 2 exquisitely depicts the ethos shared by thieves and those tasked with apprehending them: a life of crime is quite literally that, and those unprepared to make sacrifices will be eaten by the beast. The characters are complex, the story elements are compelling, and the pacing will have you greedily turning pages from cover to cover. A must read for cineastes, crime-drama, and thriller fans! Recommended By Shane H, Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Michael Mann, four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker and writer-director of Heat, Collateral, Thief, Manhunter, and Miami Vice, teams up with Edgar Award-winning author Meg Gardiner to deliver Mann’s first crime novel—an explosive return to the world and characters of his classic film Heat—an all-new story that illuminates what happened before and after the iconic film.
Described by Michael Mann as both a prequel and sequel to the renowned, critically acclaimed film of the same name, Heat 2 covers the formative years of homicide detective Vincent Hanna (Oscar winner Al Pacino) and elite criminals Neil McCauley (Oscar winner Robert De Niro), Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), and Nate (Oscar winner Jon Voight), and features the same extraordinary ambition, scope, rich characterizations, and attention to detail as the epic film.
This new story leads up to the events of the film and then moves beyond it, featuring new characters on both sides of the law, new high-line heists, and breathtakingly cinematic action sequences. Ranging from the streets of L.A. to the inner sancta of rival Taiwanese crime syndicates in Paraguay to a massive drug cartel money-laundering operation just over the border in Mexico, Heat 2 illuminates the dangerous workings of international crime organizations and the agents who pursue them as it provides a full-blooded portrait of the men and women who inhabit both worlds. Operatic in scope, Heat 2 is engrossing, moving, and tragic—a masterpiece of crime fiction from one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema.
Review
“Mann's long relationship with his central protagonists, and fondness for research, are evident on almost every page of this propulsive universe-expansion. . . . Reading this novel, and the cliffhanger ending, definitely leaves you wanting another book set in the same world.” Entertainment Weekly
Review
“Mann’s brooding moments of sublime isolation are there in abundance, combined with Gardiner’s deft touch for modern thrillers. The result is an intensely satisfying crime story.” Crimereads
About the Author
Michael Mann is a world-renowned director, screenwriter, producer, and one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema. Mann has written and directed award-winning television movies and series (including Miami Vice and Crime Story) and feature films including Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Ali, and Miami Vice. He has produced numerous feature films, including Academy Award-winner The Aviator (directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Blanchett) and directed several commercially successful, critically acclaimed projects including the feature film Collateral (starring Tom Cruise) and the pilot for the HBO series Luck (starring Dustin Hoffman). Mann has won many prestigious awards, including a BAFTA for Best Film (The Aviator), a Golden Globe for Best Picture/Drama (The Aviator), and an NBR Award for Best Director (Collateral). Mann lives in Los Angeles.
Meg Gardiner is the author of sixteen acclaimed, award-winning novels. Her thrillers have been bestsellers in the U.S. and internationally and have been translated into more than twenty languages. China Lake won an Edgar Award and UNSUB, the first in Gardiner’s acclaimed UNSUB series, won a Barry Award. Her third UNSUB novel, The Dark Corners of the Night, has been bought by Amazon Studios for development as a television series. A former lawyer, three-time Jeopardy! champion, and two-time president of Mystery Writers of America, Gardiner lives in Austin, Texas.