Book Review - Speak of the Devil by Richard Hawke
Category Book Reviews
I don't remember who recommended Richard Hawke to me, but I recently picked up his first novel at the library... Speak of the Devil. This guy has an excellent future as a novelist...
Fritz Malone is a New York private investigator who happens to have a family pedigree in law enforcement. But rather than follow in his father's footsteps, he decided to go the PI route rather than take the badge. Things are going along just fine until the annual Thanksgiving Day parade unleashes a killer on the city. A shooter starts randomly (or so it seems) firing into the crowd, and Malone takes off after him. He's able to take the shooter down with a shot to the shoulder, but the cops quickly hustle him and the shooter off under cover and blindfolds to an undisclosed location. The police chief is shocked to see Malone, who he knows from his father's time as chief. It turns out that the shooter (who mysteriously died from gunshot wounds from a pursuing cop) is really just a bit player in a larger crime scene, and the chief wants Malone to figure out who's behind it all. Malone is digging pretty deep and is uncovering a number of things that some people apparently would prefer stay buried. What's worse is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to determine who might be playing both sides of the street...
If this is Hawke's first novel, then I am really amp'ed for future installments of the Malone adventures. Fritz is a snide, wise-cracking guy who has a great relationship with his girlfriend, the daughter of the guy who taught him the PI ropes. The dialog that Hawke creates between the two of them is excellent. The plot line is well done, with nice pacing and unexpected twists throughout the journey. I really didn't know "who dun it" until we got to the end. Even then, the surprises weren't done...
A great novel, especially considering this is his first. There are plenty of experienced novelists who haven't done this well. A recommended read...
I don't remember who recommended Richard Hawke to me, but I recently picked up his first novel at the library... Speak of the Devil. This guy has an excellent future as a novelist...
Fritz Malone is a New York private investigator who happens to have a family pedigree in law enforcement. But rather than follow in his father's footsteps, he decided to go the PI route rather than take the badge. Things are going along just fine until the annual Thanksgiving Day parade unleashes a killer on the city. A shooter starts randomly (or so it seems) firing into the crowd, and Malone takes off after him. He's able to take the shooter down with a shot to the shoulder, but the cops quickly hustle him and the shooter off under cover and blindfolds to an undisclosed location. The police chief is shocked to see Malone, who he knows from his father's time as chief. It turns out that the shooter (who mysteriously died from gunshot wounds from a pursuing cop) is really just a bit player in a larger crime scene, and the chief wants Malone to figure out who's behind it all. Malone is digging pretty deep and is uncovering a number of things that some people apparently would prefer stay buried. What's worse is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to determine who might be playing both sides of the street...
If this is Hawke's first novel, then I am really amp'ed for future installments of the Malone adventures. Fritz is a snide, wise-cracking guy who has a great relationship with his girlfriend, the daughter of the guy who taught him the PI ropes. The dialog that Hawke creates between the two of them is excellent. The plot line is well done, with nice pacing and unexpected twists throughout the journey. I really didn't know "who dun it" until we got to the end. Even then, the surprises weren't done...
A great novel, especially considering this is his first. There are plenty of experienced novelists who haven't done this well. A recommended read...
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