- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (Jan 22 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312360320
- ISBN-13: 978-0312360320
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.5 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,152,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Sakey's second crime novel doesn't quite measure up to his impressive debut, The Blade Itself (2007), but it exhibits many of the same strengths: high-tension action, intricate plotting and a Chicago setting that thrums and pulses with the feel of the city. Jason Palmer, a veteran of the current Iraq war haunted by his experiences, has yet to settle down, unlike his older brother, Michael, who runs a bar in their old South Side Chicago neighborhood and is raising an eight-year-old son, Billy. But when Michael is murdered and Billy threatened, Jason finds himself reacting in the only way he knows—as a soldier. Soldiering, however, is only part of the answer, and Jason has to come to terms with his past, weigh new responsibilities and counter the carnage that gang warfare, political corruption and corporate greed are wreaking on the neighborhood. Sakey, who draws disturbing and thought-provoking parallels between Baghdad and Chicago, provides enough narrow escapes, traps and obstacles to satisfy a Die Hard fan, but enough meat to please readers who demand more than pyrotechnics. Author tour. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"At the City's Edge crackles and sears like a rip-roaring fire."
--Tess Gerritsen, author of The Bone Garden
"Goes from zero to sixty in a blazing rush. Sakey knows how to thrill a reader."
--David Morrell, author of Creepers
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of crime fiction's finest writers at work today, Jan 25 2008
By Lynn B. Kostoff "Reader from South Carolina" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: At the City's Edge (Hardcover)
A fine piece of writing with a complex and conflicted protagonist in war-veteran Jason Palmer, powerfully rendered Chicago settings, a colorful and engaging mix of secondary characters, a conspiracy worthy of any paranoid's worst fears, and a plot-line that redefines unpredictable.
A novel that's both entertaining and ambitious. Highly recommended.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Home Again, July 13 2008
By J. Caldwell - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: At the City's Edge (Hardcover)
Jason Palmer is a former soldier. A veteran of Iraq, he returned to Chicago with a less than honorable discharge and no future. He finds out, too late, that his brother is attempting to face down a criminal enterprise. Jason, his nephew, and Elena Cruz, a tough Chicago cop get to the bottom of things, encountering an alliance of corrupt city officals and gangsters.
This is an outstanding chase novel. The characters are extremely engaging. The reltionship between Jason and Elena is delightful (never mind that it develops in an impossibly brief time). The suspense is never ending. Each cliff hanger chapter end is followed by rapid, unexpected developments. The novel explores (painlessly) concepts of duty, a soldier's code of honor, the war in Iraq, and the heartache of parenting. The gang characters are chilling as well as engaging.
This is an outstanding effort. I strongly recommend the book and Sankey's earlier stand alone,"The Blalde Itself."
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Skating at the Edge, Sep 3 2009
By Stoney - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: At the City's Edge (Mass Market Paperback)
THE SETUP
In contemporary Chicago, Jason Palmer a former soldier with an "other than honorable" discharge finds himself taking care of his young nephew Billy, after his tavern-owner brother Michael is murdered, in part for refusing to pay for "protection". Billy witnessed his father's death, by several white men (including at least one rouge policeman), who then contact a Black gang to kill Billy. Jason has no idea what he is up against when he decides to hunt down his unknown adversaries, but he does have the support of a Black pacifist activist Washington Mathews and policewoman Elaina Cruz. That's the setup.
VERDICT
The novel is a page-turner, well written, and with interesting characters. I found it enjoyable and satisfying. My general impression at the last page was, that I was glad I had read it, but not disappointment that the story had finished, nor "I hope the author has written more like this." Sakey makes it to my "good authors" list but not my "gotta read" list.
COMMENT
It should not be necessary to say that, as far as I can tell, the book is gaff-free. Novels full of hairballs (serious logical contractions, glaring inconsistencies, excessively implausible plots, etc.) should not get past editors. However these days, a large percentage of popular authors have become extraordinarily lazy--but get rave reviews, and their novels are automatic best sellers, so the editors don't care.
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