Chuck Hogan reads from his new novel, “Devils in Exile,” on Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth.

His fans say no one understands Boston’s criminal underside like Hogan.

Hogan is the author of several acclaimed novels, including “The Standoff” and “Prince of Thieves,” which won the 2005 Hammett Award, was called one of the 10 best novels of the year by Stephen King, and is soon to be made into a major motion picture called “The Town.”

In “Devils in Exile,”  protagonist Neal Maven returns to Boston from his tour in Iraq to find the country he vowed to protect has little use for him now. Armed with a highly specialized set of skills he can’t use and bitter toward the rest of his generation who are years ahead of him both personally and professionally, Maven nears his breaking point.

Then he meets Brad Royce, who is everything Maven wants to be: a fellow vet, confident, principled, wealthy, and with a ravishing woman on his arm. It’s not just any woman, but Danielle Vetti, the most beautiful girl from Maven’s high school.

Royce offers Maven a much-needed job, and he becomes part of a group of veterans who use their skills to intercept major drug deals, taking the money and destroying the product. Though dangerous and illegal, the efforts of these modern-day Robin Hoods help make Maven’s life better. He can get whatever he wants, except Vetti.

Find out what happens next when Hogan reads at RiverRun Bookstore on Monday. The store is at 20 Congress St., Portsmouth, 603-431-2100.