Edgar Winner for Best Crime Novel of 2005
341854
I enjoyed this book, which was the surprise winner of the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Crime/Mystery book of 2005.  In winning this award, Jess Walter beat out more prominent titles such as the LINCOLN LAWYER by Michael Connelly and HARD REVOLUTION by George Pelecanos.

This book is, without question, exceptionally well written.  Walter is a truly gifted writer who knows how to write dialogue and create truly original characters.  This is a very clever, funny book involving two-bit criminals, very similar to what Elmore Leonard writes (but better, in my opinion).  I read this book in one sitting, which is the ultimate compliment I can give a book.  I also laughed out loud several times.

I suppose the major flaw of this book is Walter's decision to introduce real people as characters.  Throughout this book, we meet future mob boss John Gotti (in a card game), future Speaker of the House Tom Foley, and we even get scenes from the point of view of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.  None of these scenes are particularly believable, especially the scene with Reagan, whom Walter portrays in the most negative fashion possible.

I would, however, recommend this book to people who enjoy well-crafted prose in the spirit of Elmore Leonard.  If you prefer character over plot, then this is the book for you.

Personally, I would have given the Edgar to the LINCOLN LAWYER, but I think this book is a worthy winner.
3100445
The pre-publication lead-up to THREE SECONDS by Anders Roslund and Brge Hellstrm has been careful to note that the book is the winner of the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers' 2009 award for Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year, previously won by both Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell. The fifth installment in a series featuring Detective Inspector Ewert Grens follows BOX 21 and is only the second to be released in the United States. Thus far, the publishing has been out of chronology, so THREE SECONDS references events --- tragic and otherwise --- that have gone before. It can be read and enjoyed in its entirety without familiarity to prior volumes, but I assure you that you will want to catch up on those previous titles as they become available here.

The writing team of Roslund and Hellstrm is one that is made in heaven. Roslund is a respected journalist who has worked as a news and culture reporter, while Hellstrm is regarded as an expert on crime and the Swedish correctional system as the result of his intimate and extensive knowledge of same. The duo is quite sure-footed throughout THREE SECONDS, so they are not in any particular hurry to set things up in the opening pages. The first few chapters is like wading into a body of water reputed to be dangerous, and feeling a gentle tug around the ankles that turns into an irresistible undertow before one is fully aware of it. About a fifth of the way through, the chute opens, and the reader slip-slides into a maelstrom that turns this way and that, with the characters partaking in a deadly game that is part Russian Roulette and part chess.

The initial focus of THREE SECONDS is not so much the deeply troubled Grens (though he is certainly present) but rather an ex-convict named Piet Hoffman. A two-bit criminal who has turned his life around, Hoffman leads a double life, sharing a home with a wife and two sons whom he loves and adores while at the same time working in a deadly undercover capacity for the Swedish police. He has been tasked with infiltrating the Polish mafia, a soulless organization that wants to acquire control of the lucrative and illegal drug distribution within the Swedish prison system. His handlers have a daring plan: create a false record for him --- one that reflects a far more dangerous and murderous personality than he possesses --- arrest him, place him in Sweden's most dangerous prison, and take over the drug trade. The result will create a trail right back to the drug kingpins, which will lead to their arrest and conviction.

But things start to go wrong even before Hoffman's staged arrest. A drug deal that takes place in his presence results in a murder. Grens, dogged and tenacious as ever, is tasked with the investigation. Still haunted by an incident that has plagued him for over three decades, Grens focuses his attention on the case with a laser-like intensity, unaware that the enigmatic and slender clues that are turning up lead directly to an operation that his superior and colleague down the hall are carefully constructing. Hoffman has plans of his own. While not the psychopathic personality that his carefully reconstructed record portrays him to be, he is nonetheless an extremely careful, brilliant and dangerous man. When the plans of his controllers in the Swedish police go awry once he's imprisoned, he becomes expendable in their eyes. And Grens can become either Hoffman's savior or his executioner.

THREE SECONDS is challenging, exciting and haunting. Even if you see the (multiple) ending(s) coming, you will be amazed by how Roslund and Hellstrm pull things off. It is more than worth the night of sleep you'll sacrifice at its altar. Strongly recommended.

  --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
1913990
I was shocked by the quality of this new, bursting on the scene crime writer.  The story is a transportation of intrigue, twists and righteous revenge.  Possible Edgar Award nominee?  Not out of the question from this reader's perspective.  Been a long time since I read a "one-sitting" book but this was one for sure.  I will be looking for the next from this author,  The plot speaks to one easily.
1844698
The Harry Hole collection is crime fiction at its best. This entry  has excellent plotting and surprises all over.
Highly recommended
3726336
For my money, Stuart MacBride is the best crime author writing today, better than Connelly, Lescroat and all the rest.  This, only his second book, is a masterpiece.  His characters are very human and very unique.  MacBride does not shrink from placing them in fascinating situations and his iconic character, Detective Sgt. Logan McCrae is the best detective in police procedurals today.  And you'll meet Inspector Steel, a force of nature who can hurl epithets better than anyone else in fiction;  her rival, Inspector Insch, who is a walking atom bomb;  and others.  MacBride's plot is complicated and twisty, but he never loses control of it.  Also, he does not rely on blatant coincidences to move the plot forward, like many other writers do.  The best part of all this is that MacBride is only starting out in his writing career.  We will have many more compelling, riveting books to look forward to.
2887457
This is by far the best of mystery novel. The perfect combination of murder, sexiness, crimes, and of course, some freakiness. Dominic Law is the new hero of this series. He is Shaft, Mike Hammer, Easy Rawlins, and Magnum P.I. rolled in one.
2168965
With Charlie Newton's Calumet City the bar was placed into the stratosphere in the category of the crime novel. Unbelievably, Newton has surpassed himself with Start Shooting.  This viscous and surreal piece of crime fiction is brutal and brilliant.  The action is riveting, the sub-plots amazing, and overall the book stands out as a masterwork in the crime genre.  It is absolutely must reading for anyone with an affinity for brilliant crime fiction.
1226223
Maximum Insecurity was recently nominated for the Shamus Award for Best First Novel, by the Private Eye Writers of America. This is a lean, mean novel that will impress every fan of hardboiled mystery. The emphasis is on  a taut, fast-moving plot, but Grady also gives us a unique and fascinating  protagonist in Matty Madrid. As a former resident of New Mexico, I can say  that this is one of the few novels in that setting that really gets it  right -- you can almost taste the green chile. And the absolute  authenticity of the prison setting will give you cold chills. I highly  recommend this for every mystery reader. (And the paperback edition from  Avocet is really beautiful.)
3781657
If you're a lover of quality crime fiction, if the names Connelly, Pelecanos, Burke or Lehane get you excited, then this novel is for you.  I was wowed by Landay's first novel (Mission Flats) and am even more impressed now.  The title and the cover do not do justice to the riches contained within, this is a marvelous book.

Some reviewers have complained about the lack of twists, or that the bad guy was revealed early on.  This is not a "mystery" book where the object is to keep guessing until the end.  This is a crime novel that is as much about the human condition as it is about the crimes, much in the vein of Mystic River, and is guaranteed to move you and make you think about your own life and family.

It's a dark tale, bleak and brutal.  But if you want more from your thrillers than a puzzle, if a literate story with depth is what you seek, you will be delighted - sometimes horrified, but thoroughly delighted - with this exemplary novel.  It truly represents the best in crime fiction.
4887820
This is easily the best and most enjoyable novel I've read in a long time. The author writes critically acclaimed serious novels, as well as crime fiction, and he is a wonderful prose stylist. He has the ability to describe minor characters in a sentence or two, with such closely observed detail, that they absolutely come alive on the page  He is a master of creating three-dimensional main characters and describing their lives and hopes and fears in a way that makes the reader feel involved and interested and wanting to learn more about them.

The crime lurks in the background of his characters' lives, but we are spared the details of the police investigation,the clues, multiple interviews of suspects, the dead ends, which can make crime fiction tedious at times and turn plot into a kind of prose jigsaw puzzle.

After A Death in Summer it may be some time before I can adjust and go back to the  typical "whodunit" variety of crime fiction.
2617835
This is my first Stuart MacBride novel and I must say I enjoyed it very much, despite the grim subject matter and the incredibly gruesome murders depicted.  The plot is terrific and the dialogue between the various characters is very good as well.  The only thing I wasn't quite satisfied with was the characterisation of Det. Logan Macrae, the main character of the book, the one through whose eyes we see the story unfold.  I did not get a good "feel" for him, the way I have in other novels based on a detective.  For example, Ian Rankin's characterisation of Det. John Rebus is so thorough, I feel that I almost know him as a friend.  Likewise, Det. Harry Bosch from Michael Connelly's series of novels.  MacBride's plotting and dialogue is strong, though, and makes up for this minor quibble.

For fans of the crime genre, this is a must-read, and I look forward to reading more of the Logan Macrae series.  It's a 4-star recommendation from me!
4197149
Will this ingenious scheme to burglarize an entire apartment building succeed? Or will the police get wind of what's happening and stop this before it happens?

This Edgar winning, uniquely constructed mystery is entirely made up of parts of taped conversations and various reports as John Anderson plans his daring raid on an exclusive Manhattan apartment building.

Mystery fans! If you haven't read this classic, do so soon! I missed this one and am glad I finally read this prize winning mystery.
110366
Oh my goodness, I have just finished "A Dark-Adapted Eye" and I have to say, it was absolutely amazing.  If you are looking for a master class in perfect plotting and character development, this is it.  No wonder it won an Edgar Award, it really is outstanding.  The story is unusual, in that the ultimate outcome is immediately known, so what follows is the back story behind the murder of Eden Longley, told as a detailed reminiscence by her niece, Faith Severn, who is assisting a biographer who is attempting to write the biography of Eden's murderer, her sister, Vera Hillyard.  The intricacy of the plot, the masterful development of the characters and the portrayal of family life in the period from the mid-30s to the early 50s really made the book come alive for me, I felt I was there.  The novel was literally unputdownable.  I cannot praise this novel highly enough, I really enjoyed and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of atmospheric, character driven mysteries.
3203701
This is one of the few books that I have read where I found it almost impossible to put it down.

An exceptionally well written crime/detective novel.
4743350
This suspenseful novel from award-winning author Malla Nunn is taut and tightly paced. Set in 1953 in South Africa, a country that surrounds Nunn's country of birth, Swaziland, the detective novel masterfully blends all elements that are required in such a text. Whether it is read as a sequel to Nunn's impressive debut novel, A Beautiful Place to Die, or by itself matters little, but that it is most definitely worth reading by anyone interested in the detective genre is a cert.

The action in Let the Dead Lie centers around the deductive work of a former detective sergeant, Emmanuel Cooper. Emmanuel was earlier forced to buy his release from the police force on pain of otherwise being dishonorably discharged for an action that, under a more just system than the reigning apartheid regime, would not have been necessary. Within 48 hours, Emmanuel has to solve a crime without the backup of the resources that would have been available to him as a matter of course if he had been part of the conventional police force. Not only does Emmanuel have to cope with the thugs and criminals that formed part of the underworld of the time, but he also finds himself up against those who would, prior to his disgrace, have been his colleagues. With the threat of a jail sentence hanging over his head if he does not solve the crime, involving the murder of a young white boy, which rapidly escalates into the murder of three victims, in time, Emmanuel has no time to waste. Each page is more gripping than the first, as Emmanuel's deadline looms ever closer.

In addition to those striving to outwit or outrun him, Emmanuel also has his own inner demons with which to contend. As a demobbed soldier who has survived the burned out battlefields of Western Europe, Emmanuel is constantly besieged by ever-present imaginary figures, such as a brutal and callous Scottish sergeant major, who appear to him in the form of pounding migraines, from whom he can only escape by resorting to taking whatever drugs are at hand.

The description of the low-life types that frequent the Durban docklands are fascinating, as are the range of prostitutes that tread these pages. The social inequalities of the time, which were entrenched in the National Party's legislative approach to the governance of multiracial South Africa, are revealed in full. The use of such a background is an effective means of keeping alive the memory of the horrendous deeds that were perpetrated by the apartheid state. However, at no stage does Nunn dictate what the response of the reader should be to such inequity and violation of basic human rights. Her primary intent is to tell a first rate story, peopled by three dimensional, credible characters, and this she achieves to the full.

Let the Dead Lie is a well rounded, believable novel that should gain a wide audience, as well as being a work in which contemporary historians and those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder should take an interest. [Reviewer for [...]]
752473
Dark, violent, and filled with non-stop action, this British PI novel, set on the meanest streets of Manchester and Newcastle, features Cal Innes, a PI who claims that he became a detective because "I got good at tracking down ex-offenders, maybe because I was one." Newly released from prison, Cal has been talked into doing a "favor" for Morris Tiernan, a Manchester crime lord responsible for more than thirty murders. Afraid that his psychopathic son Mo will mess up the job, Tiernan has "persuaded" Cal to find Rob Stokes, a dealer in Tiernan's private gambling club who stole ten thousand dollars and disappeared. Once Cal finds Stokes, he is to contact the sadistic Mo, who will then take over.

Cal and Mo have a "history." Cal considers Mo responsible for the more than two years he had to spend in jail. Mo, in turn, is jealous that his father has assigned Cal to find Stokes, and he wants to find Stokes first. The narrative, alternating between the point of view of Cal Innes and that of Mo Tiernan, is easy to follow, since Mo is terminally dense, and his narrative, peppered with local street slang and obscenities, becomes mordantly humorous. Cal, who often finds his fists more useful than his brain, is not much more literate than Mo, but he is looking for a direction in life--if only to stay out of jail--and he does understand how the world works.

As the search for Stokes moves from Manchester to Newcastle, where Stokes appears to have fled with a sixteen-year-old girl, the action--and gore--ratchet up. Cal is not only dodging vicious Mo Tiernan, he is also trying to avoid a brutal Manchester policeman who has accused him of assault. As Cal comes closer to finding Stokes and the girl, he also becomes a real detective, discovering aspects of Mo Tiernan's life which make the search for Stokes and the girl even more pressing--and make Mo's determination to find and stop Cal more urgent.

Bleak and full of violence, the novel features fights, an attempted drowning by toilet bowl, beatings, and legs broken by cricket bat--and that's by the "good guys"! Cal, of course, is on both the giving and receiving ends of this brutality. The characters throughout the novel are universally unlikable, the twists and turns of the action reveal even more depravity than previously imagined, and the "surprise" ending brings no catharsis with it. Banks creates vivid scenes filled with specific details--everything from brands of cars, complete with dents, to close-up depictions of torture and maiming. Focused on man's inhumanity to man and the unavoidability of misery, this is noir fiction at its "noir-est." n Mary Whipple

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Big-Blind/dp/1930997280/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Big Blind</a>
1371829
Let me continue the litany of praise for this first time writier and Edgar  nominee.
A Criminal Appeal was not just a satisfying read, it was  exquisite.  It was also realistic.  Caution:  if you start A Criminal  Appeal you better not have any other plans such as sleep because you'll  just hate to interrupt this tightly told tale of suspense, legality,  conflict, racism, family love set against a backdrop of life-like  machinations of the justice system.
Oh yes, and let me also join the  chorus of praise for big boned women, whom up til now I have apparently  overlooked.  Camryn Mannheim of the tv's The Practice is a look alike for  Schanker's Nora.
There were two authors in this genre I would buy in  hardcover at $25.00 as soon as I see their books in the bookstore. Now  Schanker joins Robert B. Parker and James Patterson in that category.  He  certainly is getting into their catergory in weaving a tale.