The Hunting Wind: An Alex McKnight Mystery (An Alex McKnight Novel)
Registered by Kislany on 12/20/2006
2 journalers for this copy...
Received through bookmooch.com
Alex McKnight, the burned-out former cop turned PI of Steve Hamilton's Edgar Award-winning first novel, A Cold Day in Paradise, was a promising catcher who never quite made it to the majors. But his old teammate Randy Wilkins did, for one game with the Detroit Tigers that effectively ended the pitcher's career. What Randy can't forget about that game was the beautiful young woman he met the night before he blew his future in professional sports. Over two decades later, he's come to McKnight to track down the mysterious Maria, whose memory still haunts him. The trail is pretty cold after all these years, but Alex manages to get a line on Maria's relatives, who aren't exactly thrilled to make his acquaintance. In fact, they're downright hostile when Alex finds them in a small Michigan town, and he just barely escapes with his life. But he perseveres, and ultimately makes his way to an even smaller resort town, where the natives are almost as unfriendly. The police chief is so hostile to Alex's efforts that he quickly realizes someone else is on her tail, and that there's a good reason she's been hiding out for so long. Not only that, when someone shoots Randy and almost kills him, Alex is in for another nasty surprise. His old friend isn't who he seems to be, and Alex himself may be the victim of exactly the kind of scam Randy's been running since he left the majors.
Alex McKnight, the burned-out former cop turned PI of Steve Hamilton's Edgar Award-winning first novel, A Cold Day in Paradise, was a promising catcher who never quite made it to the majors. But his old teammate Randy Wilkins did, for one game with the Detroit Tigers that effectively ended the pitcher's career. What Randy can't forget about that game was the beautiful young woman he met the night before he blew his future in professional sports. Over two decades later, he's come to McKnight to track down the mysterious Maria, whose memory still haunts him. The trail is pretty cold after all these years, but Alex manages to get a line on Maria's relatives, who aren't exactly thrilled to make his acquaintance. In fact, they're downright hostile when Alex finds them in a small Michigan town, and he just barely escapes with his life. But he perseveres, and ultimately makes his way to an even smaller resort town, where the natives are almost as unfriendly. The police chief is so hostile to Alex's efforts that he quickly realizes someone else is on her tail, and that there's a good reason she's been hiding out for so long. Not only that, when someone shoots Randy and almost kills him, Alex is in for another nasty surprise. His old friend isn't who he seems to be, and Alex himself may be the victim of exactly the kind of scam Randy's been running since he left the majors.
This is the third installment of the Alex McKnight PI series, starting with A Cold Day in Paradise.
Burned out ex-cop turned 'reluctant' PI is living in Paradise, a small town in upper Michigan, watching his favourite Tigers on TV in his favourite (and apparently only) local pub.
One such evening a ghost from his past appears, Randy, whom he last saw 30 years ago. Not only that, but Randy wants him to find his old girlfriend lost for...yeah, 30 years exactly.
Alex, soft hearted as he is, goes down to Michigan to start the investigations which brings him surprise after surprise, and none of them very pleasant, as it turns out. Even Randy is not all that he seems to be...
Ever since I read the first novel, I got taken with this author and made sure that I got all the rest in the series (or put them on my wishlist if not available).
Alex is so well characterised, as if he were here with you, a real person. None of those 2d type cardboard characters. He's funny, sad, ironic, witty. He made me laugh, made me smile, made me smirk, have my heart stop for a beat, made me live vicariously through him, his view on things.
I was only sorry not to have seen Vinnie LeBlanc, his Ojibwa Indian friend, in this episode. The two of them have a chemistry that really cracks me up at times. Oh well, maybe in the next installment.
Burned out ex-cop turned 'reluctant' PI is living in Paradise, a small town in upper Michigan, watching his favourite Tigers on TV in his favourite (and apparently only) local pub.
One such evening a ghost from his past appears, Randy, whom he last saw 30 years ago. Not only that, but Randy wants him to find his old girlfriend lost for...yeah, 30 years exactly.
Alex, soft hearted as he is, goes down to Michigan to start the investigations which brings him surprise after surprise, and none of them very pleasant, as it turns out. Even Randy is not all that he seems to be...
Ever since I read the first novel, I got taken with this author and made sure that I got all the rest in the series (or put them on my wishlist if not available).
Alex is so well characterised, as if he were here with you, a real person. None of those 2d type cardboard characters. He's funny, sad, ironic, witty. He made me laugh, made me smile, made me smirk, have my heart stop for a beat, made me live vicariously through him, his view on things.
I was only sorry not to have seen Vinnie LeBlanc, his Ojibwa Indian friend, in this episode. The two of them have a chemistry that really cracks me up at times. Oh well, maybe in the next installment.
Swapped on RISI, will re-swap there when read.
Read and listed on RISI