Murder Book
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3.8 • 8 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region calls on Harry Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread criminal organization - but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier, and to her, he can't say no.
Initially brought in as a consultant to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the FBI, Duncan quickly finds himself in conflict with a syndicate far more violent than first suspected. As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a 'murder book,' the notebook in which a detective keeps records, interviews, photos - everything he needs to build his case. But his scrutiny of the gang soon makes Duncan a target. And Ellen, too.
A thrilling and suspenseful tour of crime-addled midwestern towns, Murder Book is signature Thomas Perry, with characters you won't soon forget, crisply-described action sequences and breathlessly tense plotting that will keep you racing through the pages.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Chicago PI Harry Duncan, the protagonist of this strong crime novel from Edgar winner Perry (The Old Man), accepts a contract from his ex-wife, Ellen Leicester, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, to investigate a sudden spike in criminal activity in small towns along Indiana's Ash River ("Assaults and robberies by teams rather than individuals, extortion, and that sort of thing"). Ellen believes that organized crime elements in Chicago are making a move to expand operations into Indiana, and Duncan's task is to scout out the territory and report back to her on whether an FBI investigation is warranted. Duncan makes his first stop at a bar by the river for a bite to eat and winds up contending with two thugs in the bar's parking lot who try to steal his car. Tough, self-reliant, and fearless, Duncan soon plunges into a full-scale battle with hired crooks intent on seizing control of the entire region, and lives are suddenly at stake—including his own. The pages melt away as the story maintains a breathless pace throughout. This is further proof that Perry is a dominating force in the world of contemporary suspense thrillers. Hopefully, Duncan will be back for an encore.
Customer Reviews
Storking horse
The author is an American novelist, screenwriter and producer with at least 25 titles in the crime genre to his credit.
Harry Duncan is early 40s, an ex-cop turned private investigator in Chicago. He once worked in homicide in LA and old habits die hard, which is why he refers to his case notes as “the Murder Book”. Harry’s ex-wife Ellen calls. (They were married for three years, while they were at law school together. She dropped him; he dropped out and became a cop.) She’s a DA and has noticed something suss going on in rural Indiana. A spate of crimes suggests mob involvement. She doesn’t have enough to call the FBI in, and asks Harry to sniff around and bring her evidence. He gets into it with a couple of heavies within an hour of arriving, and further into it with each succeeding page. Tension and mystery builds quite nicely in the first half, but things get out of hand after that. There’s a cast of thousands, few of whom I found particularly convincing; some rare storks as in migratory birds, although there’s a fair bit of stalking (not the creepy kind) by the protagonist too; and an underlying conspiracy that exceeded my monthly suspension of disbelief quota in half a day.
The prose is professional and easy to read, but this is far from Mr Perry’s finest work. (2.5 stars, rounded up to three because I finished it.)