Murder Book: A Novel (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
One of the perks of being a bookseller is that we receive Advanced Readers' Copies of books months before publication date. I have LOVED Thomas Perry's Old Man mystery for quite awhile and now that the book has been made into a dynamite series starring Jeff Bridges, Perry's books are hot commodities. So, I was delighted to read an early copy of The Murder Book, and can tell you it is the most "observed" book I've every read. Detail after detail Perry describes his protaganist, former cop-turned PI Harry Duncan's thought process in trying to track down a nascent crime syndicate in the midwest. I felt like a piece of lint stuck in Duncan's clothes as he analyzes, adjusts plans, prepares and executes so many intricate crime solving techniques, it was mind-blowing! Perry is a master storyteller who keeps the tension high, the characters believable and the action non-stop.
(Adult Mystery) Find more Staff Picks by Maureen
— MaureenAn ex-cop takes on a widespread criminal organization targeting Midwestern towns in this "master class in the craft of suspense" (New York Times) from the author of The Old Man.
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.
— Los Angeles Times
Mr. Perry’s characters come to life with a single sentence.… He’s one of the greatest living writers of suspense fiction.
— New York Sun
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.
— Publishers Weekly
Top-drawer thrills from an author whose hard-nosed hero is as professional as he is.
— Kirkus
Harry is a thinking person's action hero, and Perry is the ultimate thinking person's thriller writer.
— Booklist STARRED REVIEW
A thrilling and suspenseful tour of crime-addled midwestern towns, Murder Book is signature Thomas Perry police procedural suspense thriller of a read with memorable characters, crisply-described action sequences, and breathlessly tense plotting.
— Midwest Book Review
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