Synopsis
Frank Quinn returns as the skilled but fatally flawed ex-homicide detective whose career was ended by an elaborate conspiracy involving department politics and cops on the take. His life is a mess; he lives alone within the confines of a bottle, unable to clear his name and unwilling to recover. Eventually, he is coerced into teaming up with two detectives that are just a step ahead of him on the career ladder (meaning still employed, albeit barely) to stop a serial murderer who has New York City in a state of panic.
The third body is being discovered by the time Quinn and associates get involved. The murderer has a distinct modus operandi - stalking his prey, learning their daily patterns, getting intimately involved in their lives and even leaving them gifts that he knows they desire. He then enters their home unnoticed, leaving the gifts and causing conflict between the couple.
In the early morning hours, after entering the homes of the victims and observing them in their sleep, the killer lures his victims into the kitchen and brutally murders them, following a very distinct pattern. As the body count continues to rise, Quinn and company find themselves in the center of the storm, unable to uncover the clues that can stop the murders. * * *
My Two Cents Worth
This was my first read by John Lutz and from the beginning I couldn't help but think of the similarities of Quinn and Tom Selleck's character Jesse Stone in some of the serial movies of late. Talented big-city detective, recently divorced, out of work and suffering from drinking problems, making one last stand to restore his credibility, etc. Not a bad thing - I like them both.
That being said, I thought the relationship between Quinn and Pearl worked well - their similarities brought them together and you feel sure that the very same thing will drive them apart at some point. I thought Lutz developed their characters and their relationship satisfactorily.
I also liked the the story line in general, but found it to be a bit repetitive, with every crime being virtually identical. I thought there was room for some slight variations on the part of the killer to provide measured clues that would move the story along a bit. I had some problems with the fact that the killer could enter the victims residence on several occasions, leave gifts, and loiter for an extended period before violently murdering them without leaving a single clue. The CSI teams that have invaded our television sets have made skeptics of us all.
I expected the killer would eventually face an alarm system as he entered the home in the middle of the night, or that at least one of the victims would have made a call to 911 when they heard someone in their kitchen. This lapse of logic jumped out at me as the fourth and fifth victims were eradicated. I was also surprised that there didn't seem to be more action on the part of the NYPD to get involved in finding the killer. It doesn't make much sense that the entire case was left to these three maligned individuals and the wise-cracking medical examiner.
These lapses of reality aside, I did enjoy the book, primarily because of the lead character, Quinn. Give Lutz a try; a nice easy read from a talented storyteller.
Paperback
541 pages
7 hours
Frank Quinn returns as the skilled but fatally flawed ex-homicide detective whose career was ended by an elaborate conspiracy involving department politics and cops on the take. His life is a mess; he lives alone within the confines of a bottle, unable to clear his name and unwilling to recover. Eventually, he is coerced into teaming up with two detectives that are just a step ahead of him on the career ladder (meaning still employed, albeit barely) to stop a serial murderer who has New York City in a state of panic.
The third body is being discovered by the time Quinn and associates get involved. The murderer has a distinct modus operandi - stalking his prey, learning their daily patterns, getting intimately involved in their lives and even leaving them gifts that he knows they desire. He then enters their home unnoticed, leaving the gifts and causing conflict between the couple.
In the early morning hours, after entering the homes of the victims and observing them in their sleep, the killer lures his victims into the kitchen and brutally murders them, following a very distinct pattern. As the body count continues to rise, Quinn and company find themselves in the center of the storm, unable to uncover the clues that can stop the murders. * * *
My Two Cents Worth
This was my first read by John Lutz and from the beginning I couldn't help but think of the similarities of Quinn and Tom Selleck's character Jesse Stone in some of the serial movies of late. Talented big-city detective, recently divorced, out of work and suffering from drinking problems, making one last stand to restore his credibility, etc. Not a bad thing - I like them both.
That being said, I thought the relationship between Quinn and Pearl worked well - their similarities brought them together and you feel sure that the very same thing will drive them apart at some point. I thought Lutz developed their characters and their relationship satisfactorily.
I also liked the the story line in general, but found it to be a bit repetitive, with every crime being virtually identical. I thought there was room for some slight variations on the part of the killer to provide measured clues that would move the story along a bit. I had some problems with the fact that the killer could enter the victims residence on several occasions, leave gifts, and loiter for an extended period before violently murdering them without leaving a single clue. The CSI teams that have invaded our television sets have made skeptics of us all.
I expected the killer would eventually face an alarm system as he entered the home in the middle of the night, or that at least one of the victims would have made a call to 911 when they heard someone in their kitchen. This lapse of logic jumped out at me as the fourth and fifth victims were eradicated. I was also surprised that there didn't seem to be more action on the part of the NYPD to get involved in finding the killer. It doesn't make much sense that the entire case was left to these three maligned individuals and the wise-cracking medical examiner.
These lapses of reality aside, I did enjoy the book, primarily because of the lead character, Quinn. Give Lutz a try; a nice easy read from a talented storyteller.
Paperback
541 pages
7 hours
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