Summer has finally arrived in Paradise, Michigan, but Alex McKnight doesn't seem to notice the change in the weather. He's been retreating into own his private world the past few months and now he barely leaves his cabin except to go have his meals in the nearby Glasgow Inn. The Inn's proprietor, Jackie, is more and more concerned with Alex's state, and the last straw comes as he watches Alex morosely counting up his "failures" on the eve of his 49th birthday-- his marriage, his baseball career, his stint in the Detroit police. He offers his friend an ultimatum: "Either I take you to the airport and put your ass on a plane to Moosehide or you play poker with me tonight."
The other poker players are men Alex hardly knows, in a posh house near the water. In the middle of the game, masked robbers invade the premises, hold the players at gunpoint and proceed to rob the homeowner. Alex is roused to action and so is his former detective partner, Leon Prudell. Working first against one another and later together, they discover that the crime is far more complex than a simple robbery. There is murder and greed and revenge involved, and a wild chase on the waters of Lake Superior before Alex is forced to realize that there is no retreat from life. And that maybe this is a good thing.
Amazon.com: That Steve Hamilton has won a following by writing private-eye novels about a guy who has no interest in being a PI is testament both to his storytelling talents and readers' hunger for fresh approaches to this genre. North of Nowhere finds ex-Detroit cop Alex McKnight celebrating his 49th birthday by retreating to his cabin in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he laments his personal and career failures. Eventually, though, McKnight is coaxed out with the prospect of a poker game, hosted by wealthy contractor Winston Vargas, only to have the game interrupted by armed men in masks, who empty Vargas's safe and leave clues suggesting that Alex and his fellow players engineered the heist.
Now, McKnight really has reason to feel sorry for himself. But instead, he goes after the gunmen, along the way swapping sucker punches with Vargas, shaking down his former detective partner (who videotaped the thieves' escape), and discovering that even his friends harbor secrets that could get them all killed.
This fourth McKnight outing (after 2001's The Hunting Wind) is a fine showcase for Hamilton's lithesome prose. The pace is brisk, the episodes often humorous, and the tale brims with an infectious reverence for its natural setting ("God help me, on a summer night when the sun is going down, it is the most beautiful place on earth"). If Hammett moved the detective story from the drawing room into the mean streets, Hamilton has proved that the north woods have their own potential for homicidal intrigue. --J. Kingston Pierce
Not bad, very readable I like this series although it is by no means "classic". I find the main character believable simply because he makes such bonehead decisions. The guy goes from one dangerous move to the next, follows a lot of blind hunches, and generally gets his but kicked once per book for his ignorance. He is far from the slick, LA/NY private eye that so many authors use. He really isn't all that intuitive. In this book he doesn't figure out the real deal until the final chapter and then what does this 49 year old do about it? Something else dumb of course, he gets in a bar fight with two guys.
But I find the books very readable, a stretch in the believable department, but quick and entertaining reads.
If you want a whodunit full of slick reasoning PI intuition then this isn't for you. It's more about the character than anything else. And yes I agree with some of the others, his self pity gets pretty annoying. But that makes him more real in my book. Sounds just like some people I know.
Summer in Paradise Never play poker with guys not known. Alex came to find this out as he ends up on the floor with a pistol at his head. This begins a novel of who Alex thought was one kind and who they turned out to be. This is quite a surprise and follows to a great ending. I highly recommend this book and have one more to read to complete all he has written to date. Don't miss any of them.
Poker game gone wrong! Alex McKnight gets invited to a poker game at a private residence and then armed men break in and rob a safe full of money. The owner of the house thinks Alex did it. Chief of Police Maven thinks Alex's bar-owning friends did it. And Alex, thinking that he's clearing his best friend's name, stubbornly goes through all the suspects until he eventually trips on the real architect of the robbery. I like Alex's tenacity, but this adventure, especially the end, gets too unbelievable and convenient. Still it's a good yarn and enjoyable to read. There's something unsatisfying about Hamilton's endings. Things just don't fall into place nicely. However, it's the character of Alex McKnight that is the real draw for me.
Would You Do For A Friend? FROM THE CASE: "On his 49th birthday, Alex McKnight's old friend Jackie goads him into playing poker with a bunch of men he hardly knows. In the middle of the game, masked robbers invade the premises, hold the players at gunpoint, and proceed to rob the homeowner. Alex is roused to action and so is his former detective partner, Leon Prudell. Working first against one another and later together, they discover that the crime is far more complex than a simple robbery. There is murder and greed and revenge involved-and a wild chase on the waters of Lake Superior-before Alex is forced to realize that there is no retreat from life. And that maybe this is a good thing..."
When ex-cop, ex-private eye Alex McKnight is almost physically drug out of his cabin by his old friend Jackie for night of poker with five other men, what could go wrong other then maybe drinking to much and waking up with a hang over the next morning. How about a home invasion and robbery, and if that isn't bad enough, three of the six men playing get arrested for planning the crime. Especially, when the three are good friends who you know would never do something like this. This springs Alex into action.
Though this isn't one of the best books I have ever listened to, it wasn't that bad either. I found the characters to be entertaining and likeable. Mr. Sullivan who narrates this book does an excellent job at bringing them to life based on the descriptions provided by Mr. Hamilton. In particular, Mr. Sullivan does a good job with making all of the voices different. He does a great job with the Canadian characters, ay. Mr. Sullivan has recorded over eighty audio books and has several television appearances to his name.
Though I found this book to be fun with a great plot and enjoyable characters it did have its flaws. In my humble opinion I felt that Mr. Hamilton could have made this book a bit more exciting. Mr. Hamilton spent a bit too much time with descriptions of the characters as well as the Northern Peninsula of Michigan. This book also didn't keep me riveted to it like many other audio books have. I'm not saying that Mr. Hamilton is a bad author; I just felt he used a bit to much description for my taste.
This fourth book in the Alex McKnight series is a good book that puts Alex into action to prove that his friends wouldn't or should I say couldn't ever be involved with a home invasion and robbery. It also makes Alex realize how little he knows about his friends and there families.
This is a pretty good book that in my opinion is worth the read or listen. Though it could have been better, if you like this genre, then I would recommend this book to you.
Mr. Hamilton's literary recognition includes the following award nominations and wins.
NOMINATED:
1999 Anthony First Novel A Cold Day in Paradise 2003 Anthony Novel North of Nowhere 2003 Shamus Novel North of Nowhere 2004 Anthony Novel Blood Is the Sky 2004 Shamus Novel Blood Is the Sky
WON:
1999 Edgar Alan Poe First Novel A Cold Day In Paradise 1999 Shamus First Novel A Cold Day In Paradise
I have never read or listened to any other titles written by Mr. Hamilton but I do plan on it. This book was enjoyable though not riveting I liked the plot and the characters and hope that all of his novels are this good. Based on his literary award nominations and wins, I don't think I will be disappointed.
Being a person who enjoys reading I have read many books and enjoyed the works of many authors, I can't really think of anyone to compare Mr. Hamilton with. Perhaps you could say his style is somewhat like that of Lawrence Block or James Lee Burke.
No matter what authors you prefer in this genre, give Steve Hamilton and North of Nowhere a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.
Enough already Get the man some Paxil and a good job. It gets to be too much. There is a great deal of difference between skillfully crafted noir-ish pain and sheer wallowing self pity which some seem to think means "They are senstive".
Same complaints. Stereotypical characters, dull unwilling PI who really needs to find a good meat packing plant to work at. Keeps on just missing with a plot that could have been great as a vehicle for a good noir or Hardboiled PI. Poor Alex. Undercooked.
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Trevor
Megaton Man
