Book Review: A Stolen Season

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

A Stolen Season     Amazon US HC Amazon UK HC Amazon Canada HC
Steve Hamilton
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Private Investigator   Police Procedural
Series: Alex McKnight # 7
Thomas Dunne Books September 2006

Most readers of suspense and crime fiction don't see themselves chasing bad guys, finding access to lethal weapons, outwitting police, deciphering clues. But most of us have either endured personal tragedy or can picture ourselves facing the unthinkable. In his latest Alex McKnight novel, Steve Hamilton combines the most intriguing features of the mystery genre with a character who must endure a tragic loss. Hamilton scores with a deeply engrossing read.

Too many details on specific turns in the plot will give too much away, and I don't want to spoil anyone's reading pleasure. So I'll try to touch the high spots and save the startling twists and turns for you to discover for yourself.

A foggy summer evening with unseasonably cool temperatures leads to a boating accident for three men unfamiliar to the area of Upper Michigan where Hamilton sets his series. After the men are safely onshore, persistent questions and violent confrontations seem to be the rewards for Alex and his friends who came to the aid of the stranded boaters. In the meantime, Alex's girlfriend, cop Natalie Reynaud, has been reassigned by her Canadian superiors to run an undercover operation in Toronto.

It's probably no surprise and not revealing too much to say that the two events are not random, but are connected to each other in dangerous and illegal ways. Alex finds himself at the center of both situations, and while coping with tragedy, he acts on his desire for revenge.

Woodstock - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Woodstock - RAM