Thomas Kelly is an American novelist known for his gritty, urban narratives set in New York City. Born in 1960, he has authored three novels: "Payback" (1997), a critically acclaimed exploration of construction and organized crime adapted into a film by David Mamet; "The Rackets" (2001), inspired by his time working in City Hall; and "Empire Rising" (2005), a historical novel centered on the construction of the Empire State Building. His works blend noir sensibilities with vivid depictions of New York's working-class underbelly.
Before becoming a writer, Kelly spent a decade as a construction worker and sandhog, laboring in the city's subway tunnels. He later earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University and worked as an advance man for New York City mayor David Dinkins. These experiences deeply inform his fiction, which often examines themes of labor, power, and urban politics. Kelly's novels are praised for their authenticity and unflinching portrayal of the city's complex social dynamics.