The Blue Hour Book

As I've said many times before, taking advantage of a no-cost download by an unknown-to-me author is always a bit of a crapshoot; yes, it's hard to beat free, but if it turns out to be a clinker, it's a waste of my precious time. On the other hand, when it's a keeper, there's joy in Mudville (make that Mineral Ridge).

This isn't the first of Parker's many books; he's a rather prolific author who has won the Edgar Award for Best Novel more than once. Nor is it the first featuring Orange County, California, detective Merci Rayborn. The awards - and high ratings from other readers - were encouraging, but the latter gave me pause. Since I've never read any of the others, would this one be enjoyable on its own?

Simply put, yes. In fact, it's one of the best "finds" I've made when it comes to downloaded freebies (as I write this, it's going for only $2.99; but even at the list price of $7.99, it's a great deal). Whether I'd read any others was a non-issue; and the plot hooked me totally within the first chapter. Here, semi-retired homicide officer Tim Hess is paired with the exceptionally career-focused Rayborn to catch a serial killer who's been kidnapping young women and doing almost unspeakable things to their bodies. But not only does Hess have to get along with the stubborn, ambitious and not particularly likable partner, he must deal with a serious issue of his own - lung cancer that's already taken much of one lung and forced him to undergo painful chemotherapy.

Their interaction plays almost as big a role here as the crimes and the chase, making for a story that kept me interested all the way through. I will say I had a few issues with the ending itself (which I can't explain without ruining the book for others), but it does set the scene for a bit of a different direction on future books in the series. All told, it was a very enjoyable experience - and now I have an addition to my must-read author list.