By: Greg Rucka Publisher: Bantam Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Bantam Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 400 Publication Date: July 05, 2000 Release Date: July 05, 2000
Product Description: Greg Rucka has earned a devoted following for his edgy Atticus Kodiak thrillers, Finder, Keeper, and Smoker. Now, in an electrifying new suspense novel, Rucka puts us in the heart and brain of Kodiak's friend and lover, Bridgett Logan, a young woman living life on her own terms—and living it on the edge. Shooting at Midnight.
It began with a promise made to a friend, made when they were both teenagers. Now, years later, the friend wants to collect. All Bridgett Logan has to do is keep her word and the vow she made: Commit a murder. Now two men are desperately trying to find Bridgett.
Crime A little off the beaten path of a typical Greg Rucka book, but worth reading. I enjoyed it.
Improbable and badly written I enjoyed 'Keeper' and 'Critical Space' but this one was pretty bad. The grammar is so bad it made me wonder if Mr Rucka's first language is English? Or maybe his editor's isn't? The plot was very unlikely and the end was as predictable as they come. The secondary charcters were made of cardboard. If this were the first Rucka I'd read, it would be the last. I'm not sure if I'll bother with his books again
Rucka's not afraid to show his protagonists' dark sides Perhaps, after penning three novels featuring bodyguard Atticus Kodiak (Keeper, Finder, and Smoker) author Greg Rucka decided it was time for a change of pace. Unable to abandon the character totally, however, Rucka chose to focus on Kodiak's love interest, private investigator Bridgett Logan. The result is a hybrid of sorts, two parts Logan, one part Kodiak, a literary effort somewhat reminiscent of a TV spin off. Fortunately for Rucka, the experiment worked: he now has two successful characters to work with, each providing a unique perspective on the other.
Bridgett is a recovering junkie, someone who wakes up each day battling her addiction, which she sardonically refers to as "Mr. Jones". Thus, she's not sure how she feels when she receives a call from Lisa Schoof, another ex-junkie, requesting a meeting. Recalling a debt she owes Lisa, however, Bridgett agrees to meet.
Lisa informs Bridgett that she's just had an encounter with her ex-husband, a drug dealer named Vinnie Lark, who burst into her apartment demanding money. Realizing she didn't have any, the volatile Lark beat her, telling her she'd better come up with some cash if she wanted to stay healthy. Distraught, Lisa wants Bridgett to help her kill him. Bridgett suggests and implements a less drastic plan, merely frightening the pathetic loser enough to ensure he keeps his distance. Proud of the way she handled things, Bridgett isn't allowed to savor her achievement for long--Vinnie turns up dead three weeks later, and Lisa is identified as the chief suspect. Bridget, suspecting Lisa has stolen a gun from her apartment, believes that just might be the case.
With Lisa in jail, Bridgett does some digging, discovering that Vinnie was in trouble with a drug lord named Alabacha. Despite her suspicions, Bridgett decides she must go undercover in Alabacha's organization--her goal, prove Lisa innocent, or learn enough about Alabacha's operation to cut a deal for her freedom. The decision is one of the hardest she's ever had to make, as she knows the temptation to use will be with her the entire time.
Shortly after entering the underworld, Bridgett disappears from sight. She has a back-up plan, however, involving Atticus Kodiak. Using information gleaned from a package delivered to him by Bridgett's sister Chastel, Kodiak soon picks up on her trail. What he finds at the end of that trail is not pretty - Bridgett is using again, and in even deeper trouble than before; it will take all her stamina and ingenuity to dig herself out.
What makes this book such a pleasure to read is Rucka's brutal honesty. Never reluctant to show his characters' darker sides, Rucka takes it several steps further here. Bridgett is stubborn, reckless, and unforgiving, an addict constantly one needle away from relapse--while reading, you'll often wonder why Atticus and company even bother with her. Remarkably, Rucka does indeed manage to arouse readers' sympathies, as we realize that Bridgett's heart is in right place, even though her head usually isn't. Rucka also does a great job of depicting the stress his characters feel; readers ride the same emotional waves that buffet Bridgett and Atticus.
In addition to superior characterization, Rucka has also mastered the art of the cliffhanger, practically coercing readers into starting the next chapter. Combine these talents with his terse, exacting prose, breakneck pacing, and engaging plot and you get one of the best hard-boiled reads you'll ever experience.
My favorite in the Atticus series This was my first Rucka book. When I purchased it from Borders I had no idea it was part of a series. I just wanted to read about a tuff chick and that's what I got in Bridgette Logan. It's the book I'll pick up every year to read again. It's gritty but full of heart and keeps me on the edge even when I know the end result. Ms. Logan is one of my favorite characters ever. Yes she has her flaws but she's got heart under that hard shell she uses to cover it up. After reading this I went back to get the whole story of Atticus and Bridgette and am now an Atticus fan as well. Though no one can compare to Bridie for me and I hope she gets another book all her own. If hearing about the streets and drugs bother you then put it away. This isn't for the faint of heart and you will feel the pain of the character. Well done Mr. Greg Rucka.
Meet Bridgette Logan It seems to me that Greg Rucka has really hit his stride with this, the 4th and I think, the best so far in the Atticus Kodiak series. It's deeply moving and occasionally depressing in it's true to life issues.
The story is initially told from private investigator Bridgette Logan's viewpoint. Until now we didn't know a lot about Bridgette other than she was tattooed, body pierced and constantly ate altoids and lifesavers. Her past was filled in with a lot of detail, bringing her fully to life and promoting her to one of the main players in the series.
Bridgette is asked by a friend for protection from her abusive estranged husband. The husband is heavily into the drug business, a world in which the friend is desperate to escape. Bridgette agrees to help, but in doing so, puts herself at risk of losing herself to an addiction she had fought hard to overcome.
This is a poignantly told story that deals with the dark world of the drug addict and the drug supplier and the constant battle with addiction. This is a terrific addition to the series with the character development of Bridgette Logan a real plus.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Not Available Comics
Trevor
