Reviews
I'm very pleased that I happened upon this book on the Amazon forums!
<br /><br />This is an intricate, hard-boiled mystery, so gritty you'll be spitting asphalt.
<br /><br />Like the best noir writers, Crowther makes his characters likable
despite their dark and violent tendencies. (The character of Nathan
Draper in particular is one I hope to see more of.) The dialogue is
clever and works well. I also appreciated that the female characters
were believable.
<br /><br />There are a lot of characters who all play active roles, so it takes
some effort to keep track. Not only that, but there are twists and
turns you don't see coming. I stayed up well into the early morning
because of this compelling action.
<br /><br />If you pay close attention you'll figure the case out before the
end, but, like Matt Spears, you've got to work at it. That's how a good
mystery should be, and Crowther does not disappoint. I figured it out
about 3/4ths into the book, which, to me, is the perfect spot. So, good
show!
<br /><br />I also need to give quite a bit of credit to Crowther for some of
the best metaphors I've read. I grinned often at his descriptions, and
that's saying a lot from a word snob like me.
<br /><br />This was a great start to a series, and I can't wait to read the next installment!