I just finished this entry in the Hard Case Crimes line. I
enjoyed the book quite a bit, finding myself not wanting to
put it down.
Without spoiling the book for those who haven't read it,
there is a good balance of action and detective work here.
Aleas doesn't add action and violence just for the sake of
having it there. When these elements are included, they work
and mean something.
This is a book about innocence lost, roads taken and not
taken, stones that might be better left unturned. John Blake
is a man at a crossroads in his life, and for a while he
doesn't even know it.
Blake is not as hard-boiled as some protagonists, but is more
well rounded than so many that I have read. He acts with guts
AND intelligence.
The revelation of the book wasn't a surprise to me. I guessed
it at one point. Still, that did not take away from the book,
as the payoff was great.
The denoument is pure noir. I found myself thinking, "No that
won't happen. It...couldn't." Oh, the dark recesses of the
human heart!
I am a fan after reading this, and I would love to see more
of John. I wouldn't mind seeing his "assistant" in her own
series as well.
I recommend this book heartily.
Kirk
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 21 Oct 2004 EDT