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THE CHICAGO WAY
by Michael Harvey
Quercus, October 2007
416 pages
12.99 GBP
ISBN: 1847241727


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Michael Kelly is a former Chicago cop-turned-private investigator. A former partner, John Gibbons, approaches him for help. Gibbon is haunted by a case he was 'advised' to let drop so it remained unsolved. The rape occurred eight years before, yet Gibbons still wants it solved. The rapist was never caught and the crime fell into the cold case category. Even though the limit of statutations has passed, Elaine, the victim, and Gibbons want to catch the man.

Kelly is not very interested in helping but when his former partner is killed he feels obligated. He enlists the aid of childhood friend and DNA analyst, Nicole Andrews, and TV reporter Diane Lindsey. Kelly believes that these two women plus the victim herself will provide the necessary information to find Elaine's attacker and identity the killer.

Kelly is in for a surprise with this investigation. Elaine has a lot of hang-ups about life in general and is not very co-operative. Diane appears to have her own agenda that might make the investigation harder. In addition, there is evidence that connects this crime to a rapist and killer, Grimes, currently on death row. The only problem is that he was arrested before the assault occurred.

The situation becomes worst as the killer begins harming those close to Kelly. He must find the connection between Elaine's assault, the current criminal assaults and Grimes in order to find a motivation for the killer. Only by finding an explanation will Kelly be able to identify the rapist.

I tend to avoid mysteries that deal with rape and rapists. Therefore I approached THE CHICAGO WAY hesitantly. My trepidation was not justified. While this book does deal with rape and the types of reactions people have to the experience, this book does not attempt to make the topic overly emotional nor does it provide too much detail about the crime itself. Also, most of the women dealing with this issue in THE CHICAGO WAY appear to be emotionally strong and determined.

In addition to the treatment of the subject, THE CHICAGO WAY also has its protagonist going for it. Michael Kelly has an entertaining voice that keeps the story moving quickly and prevents the dialogues from becoming boring. While it is true that Kelly is not always consistent in his behavior and opinions, he is a talented investigator. This determination to reveal the truth, combined with the care and concern he has for his friends is a winning combination.

If THE CHICAGO WAY is an indication of what is to come, Michael Harvey will have an impact on the mystery genre.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, July 2007

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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