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Author Michael Harvey has brought back private investigator Michael Kelly for a new tale of crime directed at vulnerable, random Chicago commuters. When Kelly witnesses the shooting of a woman at one of the city's elevated (El) subway train stops, he follows in hot pursuit. It appears, however, that Kelly is a target as well, mixed into the shooter's seemingly random plans. Although he is baffled by the mysterious shooter's intentions, because of Kelly's initial involvement in witnessing the crime, he's soon taken in by the Chicago police detective working the case and the FBI task force (albeit only tangentially) later called in. Kelly is a lone wolf, however, and works the case largely on his own, with his own terms and team, which includes a young hacker who stumbles on some interesting information via patterns in the data that Kelly directs him to examine. He also engages a retired Chicago police officer, who holds the files on a case that has plagued the officer for years, and proves useful for solving this mystery. What author Michael Harvey does exceptionally well in this novel is build drama and suspense and use the city of Chicago to his great advantage in mapping out this story. From his descriptions of the behavior of South Siders to his use of a real, parallel El accident to help form the back story of this thriller, Harvey incorporates the rhythm and nuances of life in the city of Chicago to his great advantage in telling his tale. Anyone who has ridden the Chicago El public transit system or driven the famous Lake Shore Drive along Lake Michigan will be familiar with the locations where the shootings occur. He uses the strong Catholic community in the city (and associated corruption by Church leaders) not only to enhance the dramatic action, but make a point about Church abuse and corruption. Even his portrayal of Hizzoner, the mayor of Chicago, is spot on.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, April 2010
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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