The Night Market

Interesting premise, but the plot lagged in places. Very dark, very noir; this darkly futuristic thriller is unique and inventive. When Inspector Carver went to work Thursday night, he had no idea what horror was about to unfold. The only problem is, when he wakes up days later he has no recollection of what happened. He has a niggling suspicion at the back of his mind that not everything adds up, so he, his partner (who also, has glaring gaps in his memory) work together to try and piece together what they must have uncovered. Somehow, Carver's reclusive neighbor comes into play, and they must journey to the seedy underground to unravel a conspiracy that threatens not just them or their city, but the entire nation. Wildly imaginative, and fun. I just wish the story kept moving at a breakneck pace, it was a little slow at moments.

Every Man a Menace

I've read lots of books about drugs, but this was the first that really went in depth and focused on the operation as a whole. Hoffman provides fascinating insight, back stories, insider knowledge, and twists and turns to make this a fascinating and dark read. 5 separate, yet related, short stories intertwine to put together the puzzle of a complex ecstasy smuggling operation that spans continents. Flawlessly executed and plotted this is a must read for crime fiction readers. This would also make an excellent movie adaptation.

Mexico

I've been on a short story kick and was definitely in the mood for this. Some of the short stories in here were slam dunks and others were odd ducks, with rushed endings and bizarre plots. For example, the opening story is beyond bizarre and flirts with cannibalism, drug lords, and ancient Aztec gods. All of the stories revolve around Mexico City and many of the characters are Americans or whites living in the city, viewing it through their lenses. Most, if not all, are crime stories as they apply to every day people; teachers, painters, journalists, students, mimes, etc. A lot of gang violence, drugs, rival Narco leaders and more. Dark, gritty, unexpected, this was an interesting read.

I received this book for free from Librarything in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Dodgers

Gritty, raw, and almost unbelievable. An urban coming of age tale that features several young black teenagers from the LA ghetto driving cross country to murder a judge for their boss. Their crew rolls four deep; East, the most level headed and obedient (also the story's protagonist), Michael, the oldest, yet least responsible, Walter, a fat geek, and Ty, East's younger hot headed brother. Together they must drive from California to Michigan, avoid getting busted by cops and somehow not murder each other on the way. Beautifully written and masterfully told this book will have wide appeal. Fast paced, and filled with strong, unforgettable characters this is one of the best debuts of the year.

I received this book for free from Library Thing in return for my honest, unbiased review.

Belfast Noir

A collection of stories that packs a punch. Each crime/thriller/mystery short story is beautifully crafted and readers will lose themselves in the powerful and engrossing prose. The setting is the dark underbelly of Belfast. All the grime, murder, and violence found in Belfast shows itself in these stories. I can honestly say that there is not one story I didn't like, the dog fighting one was a little rough, but overall, I found myself totally digging all the stories. Some of the contributing authors are big names like Lee Child and Alex Barclay and others are little known, but amazing emerging authors. This noir anthology is a must for anyone interested in this genre, and even for those who aren't (like myself) because it's an impossibly hard to put down collection. Belfast show's its true colors (ie bloodstains) in this gritty collection. Thoroughly enjoyable!

The Drop

I made the mistake of watching the movie trailer first so I can only picture Tom Hardy as Bob and James Gandolfini as Cousin Marv. Honestly though, I don't think that's a bad thing. I mean, have you seen Tom Hardy? Yowza! That was one of our main reasons for picking this for book club, because we knew we'd have a great movie to look forward to as well!

This book is quite short for Dennis Lehane novel, in fact, this was originally a short story entitled "The Animal Rescue" that Lehane expanded, and then wrote a screenplay for (his first), at the request of a producer. The resulting story was released at the same time as the movie.

If the movie is half as good as the book, I am going to love it. "The Drop" is phenomenal, it's easily one of my favorite crime/thriller reads of the year. It's gritty, engrossing and totally packs a punch at the end. For being so short, there is some amazing character building. Bob, the bartender and animal rescuer is awesome. Why don't I have a Bob in my life? Tom Hardy seems like an ideal fit to play him. I don't want to summarize the book too much and give it away. Just trust me on this, read it!

Broken Monsters

Wow, I haven't read anything this dark and gritty in a while. From the get go this book locks it jaws on you and won't let go. Even if you want to put it down you can't, it's gripping and haunting and you have to find out what in the world is going on!

The story is told through a variety of narrators; a police detective, her teenaged daughter, an out on his luck writer, the sadistic killer, and a homeless man. All their personal versions of events make the story somehow more horrific as they come to terms with the horrors they are encountering. The story opens with the discovery of a dead child in Detroit, more specifically, half of a dead child, his other half has been replaced with half of a deer.  From their the story gets more twisted, as the cops try to solve the case more "bodies" keep turning up. It seems as if the killer is trying to make his mark by leaving his weird pieces of dead body art around Detroit for people to "admire."

Dark and absorbing, this book will keep you captivated and you may find yourself sleeping with the lights on.

Mr. Mercedes

I was due for a fast paced thrill ride and Stephen King's latest thriller certainly did the trick. King takes a departure from his darker horror novels to create a wonderful crime thriller which is certainly less creepy than some of his other materials, but still dark.

The story follows retired police detective Bill Hodges, a man on the verge of withering away in his La-z boy chair. Life holds no excitement for him, that is until, he receives a letter in the mail from the Mercedes Killer, one of the few men that eluded capture while Hodges was still active duty. The Mercedes Killer was responsible for running down dozens of people standing in line at a job fair in a stolen Mercedes, killing eight and critically wounding many others. He got away without a trace but he's not done with the fun. Now he wants to make the fat ex-cop his next project. Little does he know that this might just be the wake up call that Hodges needs to get on with his life.

Suspenseful, thrilling, and disturbing, this is a must for fans of crime novels and Stephen King. Readers will also enjoy the black teen that Hodges uses as a sidekick. Witty and insanely smart, that kid could have his own series! Hands down my favorite character. I want a Jerome in my life!