Reviews for The Killing Circle

The average rating for The Killing Circle based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-09-01 00:00:00 Thomas Mccain I have been thinking about what to say about this book for several days, and I am currently reading the next Neal Rafferty Mystery, A DIAMOND BEFORE YOU DIE. While reading THE KILLING CIRCLE, I found myself wondering if this was an older book just released as a Kindle edition, but could find nothing to support this idea. I am an avid reader, and have been one since I was about seven years old. My grandmother used to say that I was good read and bad read by which she meant that I read everything. I have watched popular literature go from no colorful language, to a little, to an over abundance. I really don't care whether an author uses a lot of so-called four letter words, but it is refreshing to read a well composed sentence that conveys anger and frustration using only words you can say in front of the little ones. I hate to give anything away when I review a book. I figure you should read it yourself and form your own opinion. I will say that this book has a timeless but old-fashioned quality that I find most endearing. There are no computers, no cell phones, the detective uses an answering service and looks for pay phones on the street. This puts the book, at least in my mind, somewhere before 1965, so the noir would be reflective of that time period. Neal doesn't refer to good looking women as dames but he does keep the requisite bottle of bourbon in his desk drawer. There are certain things that draw me to a particular book... yes, I do judge a book by its cover. One of those things is the mention of New Orleans in the description. I have only been there once myself, and only for a long weekend, but I stayed in the French Quarter and loved every minute I was there. Years ago, I played the PC game "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers" which required players to virtually tour the city. When I got there, I felt like I already knew my way around, well somewhat anyway. Ms. Wilz's book is less about New Orleans and more about the mystery and the characters, both of which are well developed. I would have liked a bit more New Orleans flavor, but that's just me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE KILLING CIRCLE and look forward to reading more from this author.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-05-09 00:00:00 Sidney Broadway Iii Ok, so this book had some outdated notions about race and gender roles. I kept telling myself to ignore it. It is an older book, that is just the way it was. Then at the end of the book, I realized it was written in 1987. It isn’t THAT old. Shush, it isn’t that old, I say! I finished the book, but decided I wouldn’t read anymore. There are so many other books to read, I shouldn’t have to force myself to overlook racism and misogynistic attitudes. For some examples: “If they had known what was in her pretty little head...” “What enables you to deduce it? Tell me how the white mind works” and “You were wrong when you said I was the only girl who wasn’t looking for a husband from the age of fourteen on. I was too looking! It just took me longer to find one.” There also was the concept of the great white hope. The bumbling “racist” black cop had to go to the superior white guy for help solving the case. I would give it a pass.