The Devil of Downtown

Jack Mulligan grew up orphaned and abandoned on the Bowery's rough streets, and he survived on strength, cunning and ambition. He now rules his corner of Manhattan as a kingpin and gentleman gangster, with a firmer grip on it than any politician or policeman. He keeps his heart walled off, because softness never got him anywhere.

Justine Greene comes from uptown and spends her days hunting down husbands who have abandoned their families and pushing for fair conditions for workers. Her work brings her face to face with Jack. She expects a thug and finds a man who is more charming and more honorable than many of the gentlemen in her own circle.

The two form an unlikely alliance, and an attraction neither expected grows out of it. Then Justine's past catches up with her. Jack may be the only person who can keep her alive, but accepting his help means striking a bargain with the most dangerous man in the neighborhood.

This is a historical romance with a criminal-meets-reformer pairing. Justine wears her feelings openly while Jack guards his, and the pull between them drives the story. It is the final book in the Uptown Girl series.