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Title: North of Nowhere : An Alex McKnight Novel by Steve Hamilton ISBN: 0-312-98381-6 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 18 May, 2003 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (18 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Alex McKnight is Back, and Better than Ever.....
Comment: Ah, summer in Paradise...that's Paradise, Michigan, on the upper peninsula. This is the very best time of the year on Lake Superior, yet a suddenly introspective Alex McKnight is holed up in his cabin reading detective novels and taking a good look at his life. As his 49th birthday approaches, he takes stock of all his failures...his marriage, an unimpressive baseball career that never went past the minors, a stint with the Detroit police department that ended abruptly with a bullet that's still lodged in his chest and a dead partner, and his very short attempt at private detecting. Not a lot here to be proud of; not a lot of reasons to get up in the morning and join the human race. But an unexpected invitation to a poker game from friend Jackie Connery, proprietor of his favorite watering hole, the Glasgow Inn, changes all that. What starts out as a simple high stakes card game in an expensive home on the lake, turns ugly when three masked men break in, hold the players at gunpoint, and rob the owner's hidden safe. This night sets off a chain reaction of murder, greed, kidnapping, secrets, lies, and revenge, and as Alex is pushed out of his funk and back into action, he finds the true meaning of loyalty and friendship..... Steve Hamilton is back with the fourth installment of his marvelous Alex McKnight novels, and this is a series that just gets better with each new book. His well paced, intricate story line is entertaining and intriguing, and filled with subtle twists, and vivid, riveting scenes. His terrific cast of well defined, original characters come alive on the page, and inhabit a spectacular north woods setting full of atmosphere. But it's Mr Hamilton's crisp, intelligent writing that really makes this novel sparkle, and his witty and irreverent dialogue is unrivaled and stands alone in a class by itself. If you're new to Alex McKnight and Paradise, start at the beginning with A Cold Day In Paradise, and read them all. If you're already a fan, North Of Nowhere is another suspenseful and compelling mystery, you don't want to miss.
Rating: 4
Summary: Murder and mayhem in Michigan.
Comment: Alex McNight, the former Detroit cop who lives a reclusive life in Paradise, Michingan, is back in "North of Nowhere," by Steve Hamilton. McNight has kept to himself a great deal lately. His good friend, Jackie Connery, proprietor of the Glasgow Inn, decides that Alex needs to get out more. Jackie invites Alex to play poker at the home of Win Vargas, a very wealthy man with a great many secrets. The evening ends disastrously, when Vargas's home is invaded by masked men who rob Vargas and vandalize his prized collection of artifacts.
Subsequently, several of Alex's friends who sat in on the poker game are arrested for being involved in the home invasion and Alex decides to do a little investigating of his own. He crosses paths with his old partner, private investigator Leon Purdell, who now works for Vargas. He also has words with his old nemesis, Police Chief Roy Maven, who hates Alex and would welcome any opportunity to arrest him.
In the course of his investigation, Alex gets beaten and shot at, but he is determined to get to the bottom of the strange goings-on around him. Who is really behind the robbery of Vargas's home and why are Alex's friends being framed?
Steve Hamilton has a relaxed prose style that is easy to take, and "North of Nowhere" moves along quickly. I have always liked Alex, who is down to earth and businesslike in his approach to life. He is not superhuman or driven, as are so many heroes in mystery-thrillers these days.
Unfortunately, by the time Alex gets to the bottom of who staged the robbery, lives have been lost and friendships have been irrevocably shattered. In "North of Nowhere," Steve Hamilton demonstrates how greed and selfishness often blind people to what truly matters in life. It is a sad lesson that is often learned the hard way.
Hamilton's description of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is, as usual, colorful, and the dialogue is natural and fast moving. Sadly, the mystery in "North of Nowhere" is not particularly compelling and the ending is anti-climactic and a little bit flat. However, "North of Nowhere" does have its moments and it is always pleasant to be in the company of the formidable ex-cop and loyal friend, Alex McNight.
Rating: 5
Summary: a very fast and fully enjoyable read
Comment: Alex McKnight has returned to Paradise-Michigan, that is. In his fourth outing, summer has finally set in. It is July and the increasingly reclusive Alex is asked to attend a poker game with his good friend, Jackie, owner of the local bar that Alex frequents. Unfortunately, the poker game at the house of a wealthy local businessman, Winston Vargas, is interrupted by an armed robbery in which everyone is forced to the floor at gunpoint. Vargas, alone, is robbed as he is forced to open his safe. The aftermath is quite perplexing as half the men attending the game are arrested for the robbery. Alex is convinced they are innocent and does what he can to clear their names. However, things get increasingly violent as Alex gets closer to the truth.
Steve Hamilton, Edgar winner for best first novel A COLD DAY IN PARADISE has written one of his best novels yet. I am always impressed with his ability to give the locale a certain immediacy to the reader. The first two books in the series took place primarily in the winter cold. Now we get a feeling of this Upper Michigan location in the midst of the summer season. Life is very different as boating and fishing become the primary pastime of the residents and visitors. We are treated to in depth descriptions of this area frequented by tourists. Alex is a loner, yet, he proves in this book that he is a loyal friend who will stop at nothing to defend those he is closest to. His character gives this series the true sense of realism and makes every return visit a pleasure. Pacing is never a problem with Steve Hamilton and this novel is no exception as the book proves to be a very fast and fully enjoyable read. With his talent, Steve Hamilton deserves a much wider audience.
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Title: The Hunting Wind : An Alex McKnight Mystery by Steve Hamilton ISBN: 0312980264 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Winter of the Wolf Moon by Steve Hamilton ISBN: 0312974752 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 15 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: A Cold Day In Paradise by Steve Hamilton ISBN: 0312969198 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Blood Is the Sky: An Alex McKnight Mystery by Steve Hamilton ISBN: 0312301154 Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Pub. Date: 24 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Open Season by C. J. Box ISBN: 042518546X Publisher: Prime Crime Pub. Date: 07 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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