Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Blood Acre
Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Peter Landesman
Class/Genre: Mystery Noir
Viking, Jan 1999, $23.95, 260 pp.
The evidence overwhelming points towards sleazy attorney Nathan Stein as the killer of his sometimes lover Isabel Santos. The only thing keeping the police from arresting Nathan is the high level connections of the prime suspect's father.
A disillusioned Nathan continues to go about his shady deals as if nothing occurred. Ignoring the seemingly non-stop beeping of his beeper, Nathan wearily journeys to Coney Island. However, his mind cannot help wondering what happened to the idealist who cherished music and once even loved. Instead, he is the junior partner in his father's firm as lawyers to the highest echelon of New York City's drug trafficking crowd. Nathan has done a lot of nasty things in his life, but is he a murderer?
BLOOD ACRE is a poignant urban Noir tale that vividly catches a protagonist in mental freefall with no safety net. The story line is brilliant as readers glimpse at the judicial system from a different perspective and morality. The characters add much depth but this novel is obviously a one-man show. Peter Landesman has landed with a tragic Noir that fans of dark mysteries will devour while seeking more works from the author (see THE RAVEN).
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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