Rating: 
Summary: Alex McNight finds trouble when he helps an old friend.
Review: Steve Hamilton's latest Alex McNight novel is "The Hunting Wind". Thirty years ago, Alex played ball with Randy Wilkins, a wacky left-hander who blew his one shot at the big leagues. Randy has come to Paradise, Michigan, to renew his friendship with Alex and to ask for a big favor. Would Alex be willing to help Randy find an old girlfriend named Maria whom he loved and lost thirty years ago? Alex, soft touch that he is, goes along for the ride, and a strange ride it is. With very little to go on, and with some help from Leon (Alex's friend, who is a skilled investigator), Alex and Randy manage to trace Maria. From this point on, the book goes downhill. In an effort to keep the reader off-balance, Hamilton comes up with a plot so convoluted that the reader needs a scorecard to keep track of it. Suffice it to say that neither Maria or Randy are the people they pretend to be, and violence erupts that threatens the lives of all the people involved in this drama. To Hamilton's credit, he writes with a light touch at times and some of the dialogue and characterizations are genuinely amusing. Alex McNight is easy to take. He is smart, compassionate and low-key. However, writing a mystery requires good plot development, and that is absent from this novel. By the end of the book, the events that occur make little sense and come across as sensationalism. That's a shame, since Hamilton is obviously a talented writer and with a more coherent plot, "The Hunting Wind" could have been a very entertaining mystery.
Rating: 
Summary: Not to be missed.
Review: Steve Hamilton's third Alex McKnight novel, "The Hunting Wind" held me hostage from the opening paragraph. I could not put it down and finished it less than twenty-four hours later. Truly an absorbing mystery/thriller filled with intriguing characters, intricate subplots and riveting suspense. What starts out as a trackdown for an old friend turns into a sinister, tension filled adventure filled with deceit. Former cop (and reluctant P.I.) McKnight gets caught in the middle and learns to trust no one. Steve Hamilton is a fresh and refreshing voice who wastes no words and gives readers a believable protagonist surrounded by eccentric and engaging supporting characters. This is an phenomenal series...not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: HAMILTON ONCE AGAIN DELIVERS!!!
Review: Steven Hamilton's newest book, THE HUNTING WIND, is another home run straight out of the park. He brings back Alex McKnight (A COLD DAY IN PARADISE & WINTER OF THE WOLF MOON) for a third outing that takes a hard look at the meaning of friendship and what it entails. McKnight is in the Glasgow Inn one cold night, drinking his favorite Canadian beer, when Randy Wilkins suddenly walks in to ask for his help in locating Maria Valenescu, a woman he once loved and whom he hasn't seen in thirty years. Normally, McKnight would say no to a case like this, but Wilkins was a close friend of his when they played together in the minor leagues over three decades ago, plus he's a hard man to refuse. Together, they begin to slowly track down Maria, using information on the Internet, birth records, and knocking on doors in the old neighborhoods around Detroit. Something, however, isn't quite right. When they finally locate Maria's family, both men are beaten up and almost killed by the woman's brother. It seems that Maria has been hiding from an individual named Charles Hardwood for several years. Hardwood used to be business partners with her husband, Arthur Zambelli. When Maria's husband was mysteriously murdered, she suspected that Hardwood was the one behind it so that he could take over their real estate business and marry her after everything quieted down. Maria didn't wait around. Out of fear for herself and her daughter, she took off, moving from place to place, barely managing to stay ahead of Hardwood and his private detectives. McKnight quickly realizes that he and Wilkins have gotten caught in the middle of something very deadly. It isn't until his friend is nearly killed, however, that our Michigan detective begins to understand that nothing is quite as it seems. Everyone appears to be lying and more people are definitely about to die. McKnight puts his life on the line in order to get through the tangled web of deceit, trusting no one, not even the man who was once his best friend, fighting the temptation to run as he seeks to learn the truth of who Maria really is. THE HUNTING WIND explores the bond of friendship and what it means. Through the character of Alex McKnight, we are able to learn that the image we have of someone close to us is often only a partial glimpse into the actual person. People change, people wear masks to hide their true nature, and people lie to either protect themselves or to get what they want. How good do we actually know our friends, and how far are we willing to go for the sake of friendship? These are questions posed by the author that every man must answer sooner or later. As with his first two novels, Mr. Hamilton once again weaves an intriguing tale with underlying subplots and riveting suspense, carrying the reader on a meandering path, whose final destination is unknown. The characters are vivid and true to life, making us care, hate, desire, mistrust, and ultimately to believe in them. I especially liked Maria, feeling the intense desire for her that McKnight experiences, knowing that it would be easy for any man to succumb to her seductive manipulations. The prose is taut with not a word wasted, and it grabs the reader by the shirttails in the first couple of paragraphs, demonstrating what good writing is all about. With just three novels, Steve Hamilton has managed to take his place amongst the top authors in the field of "mystery" writing. If you're an individual who likes the "Matthew Scudder" series by Lawrence Block or the "Dave Robicheaux" books by James Lee Burke, then give the novels by Steve Hamilton a shot. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: HAMILTON ONCE AGAIN DELIVERS!!!
Review: Steven Hamilton's newest book, THE HUNTING WIND, is another home run straight out of the park. He brings back Alex McKnight (A COLD DAY IN PARADISE & WINTER OF THE WOLF MOON) for a third outing that takes a hard look at the meaning of friendship and what it entails. McKnight is in the Glasgow Inn one cold night, drinking his favorite Canadian beer, when Randy Wilkins suddenly walks in to ask for his help in locating Maria Valenescu, a woman he once loved and whom he hasn't seen in thirty years. Normally, McKnight would say no to a case like this, but Wilkins was a close friend of his when they played together in the minor leagues over three decades ago, plus he's a hard man to refuse. Together, they begin to slowly track down Maria, using information on the Internet, birth records, and knocking on doors in the old neighborhoods around Detroit. Something, however, isn't quite right. When they finally locate Maria's family, both men are beaten up and almost killed by the woman's brother. It seems that Maria has been hiding from an individual named Charles Hardwood for several years. Hardwood used to be business partners with her husband, Arthur Zambelli. When Maria's husband was mysteriously murdered, she suspected that Hardwood was the one behind it so that he could take over their real estate business and marry her after everything quieted down. Maria didn't wait around. Out of fear for herself and her daughter, she took off, moving from place to place, barely managing to stay ahead of Hardwood and his private detectives. McKnight quickly realizes that he and Wilkins have gotten caught in the middle of something very deadly. It isn't until his friend is nearly killed, however, that our Michigan detective begins to understand that nothing is quite as it seems. Everyone appears to be lying and more people are definitely about to die. McKnight puts his life on the line in order to get through the tangled web of deceit, trusting no one, not even the man who was once his best friend, fighting the temptation to run as he seeks to learn the truth of who Maria really is. THE HUNTING WIND explores the bond of friendship and what it means. Through the character of Alex McKnight, we are able to learn that the image we have of someone close to us is often only a partial glimpse into the actual person. People change, people wear masks to hide their true nature, and people lie to either protect themselves or to get what they want. How good do we actually know our friends, and how far are we willing to go for the sake of friendship? These are questions posed by the author that every man must answer sooner or later. As with his first two novels, Mr. Hamilton once again weaves an intriguing tale with underlying subplots and riveting suspense, carrying the reader on a meandering path, whose final destination is unknown. The characters are vivid and true to life, making us care, hate, desire, mistrust, and ultimately to believe in them. I especially liked Maria, feeling the intense desire for her that McKnight experiences, knowing that it would be easy for any man to succumb to her seductive manipulations. The prose is taut with not a word wasted, and it grabs the reader by the shirttails in the first couple of paragraphs, demonstrating what good writing is all about. With just three novels, Steve Hamilton has managed to take his place amongst the top authors in the field of "mystery" writing. If you're an individual who likes the "Matthew Scudder" series by Lawrence Block or the "Dave Robicheaux" books by James Lee Burke, then give the novels by Steve Hamilton a shot. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific!
Review: The Hunting Wind was my introduction to Steve Hamilton and, wow, what a wonderful introduction! Here is a man who writes with humor, with assurance, and with plotting skills that are right up there with the best of the best; certainly a fine, convoluted, narrative Ross Macdonald would have been proud to have written. Alex McKnight is a weary, highly believable (and very human) former cop who once had a brief-lived baseball career. It is this former career that brings Randy Wilkins, the left-handed one-time pitcher, back into his life after thirty years. Randy is a charming chatterbox who, in many ways, is still the very young man who had a shot at the big time and blew it in the first inning of his one and only major league game. And it is Randy's desire to track down Maria, the love of his young life, that takes the two men on a journey so labyrinthine that much of the state of Michigan is traversed in pursuit of the woman. Along the way the two men encounter some of the most intriguing and eccentric characters ever to appear in print--most notably the exquisitely drawn Maria and the strangely touching Chief Rudiger. Before writing this review I ordered Hamilton's two previous books, and I will certainly buy anything else he writes. Here is an author with enormous talent who deserves all the kudos and a wide audience.
Rating: 
Summary: Ok so it had a bit of redeeming value
Review: The plot was good. The characterization shabby. I sincerely wondered about Alex's sanity in the first 50 pages. In fact it was hard to buy that he was stupid enough NOT to see thru his old friend. The old friend's characterization was even stupider. The same ole refrain repeated shallow and whining again and again and again and again until by page 100 I was screaming OH SHUT UP. Either Alex was a saint [he isn't btw] or just plain stupid. [well, now.. one does wonder.] What could have been a fantastic story got lost in stereotypes, cliches, and just plain dribble. Boy meets girl. Boy looses girl due to his own ego he claims. Boy hunts up moronic friend stupid enough to help him. Friend almost got his (...) blown away. Finds out girl is a gypsy con artist. Boy almost gets (...) blown away. Friend finds out that Everyone Else in the Universe knows Boy is a big mouthed lying con including his family who is sick of him and hopes he dies. And so does readers by this point. "Like, duh." and you are suppose to be an investigator and your partner can't even find this out about old friend? Cut me a break. Bad noir, worse characterizations, great plot idea if worked on. readable but why when there is so much better out there? So glad I helped out Goodwill to the tune of cents instead of dollars for this.
Rating:
Summary: A Frenetic Search for Lost Love!
Review: There's something about Alex McKnight that resonates with me. Maybe it's his bad attitude. Maybe it's his sarcasm. Or maybe it's that in the end, he's a sucker like me. In this outing, author Steve Hamilton takes on a ride through Alex's past. Through the streets of Detroit, Alex and his old friend, Randy Wilkins, are off on a crazy search for a girl Randy knew when he played for the Tigers. When Randy gets shot, Alex tenaciously searches for answers. The plot falls short because the set-up isn't that believable and the ending is too abrupt. Furthermore, Randy's personality is quite annoying. I'm glad he got shot. An enjoyable read, but not Hamilton's best.
Rating:
Summary: Solid Hamilton
Review: This Alex McKnight story is a page-turner with a leisurly pace like his first two stories. There is never a deadened moment, and each scene propels the plot forward. Most bestsellers fans probably won't like Alex's stories, but they have yet to disappoint.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't listen to those one star reviews.....
Review: This is a very good book. There is no reason for those one star reviews.... I read this book in slightly more than 2 days (which is incredibly fast for me and my schedule). It has a wonderful pace and I kept it in the front seat and read it at red lights. I didn't want to put it down. I prefer the feeling of the "Winter of the Wolf Moon" book because I felt the cold as I read it. This book will also put you in the position of Alex McKnight while he gets himself into even more tough situations (he does have a knack for that).
Rating:
Summary: I Really Wanted to Like It, But .......
Review: This just isn't a very good book. Where's the mystery?! As in the first book in this series, Hamilton has his detective hero back off, just when he should be throwing himself headlong into coming up with some sort of a resolution to his detecting. Evil people get away with it. Now, I know that this happens all the time in reality, but when I read a mystery, I read for the resolution, for the tying up of the frayed threads, for some sort of return to a balance between good and evil. I enjoyed the first Alex McKnight book. The Upper Peninsula setting is an original one, and Hamilton is great with descriptions and giving you a strong sense of place. But it was the second book that really got me. Here was a writer to challenge William Kent Krueger (an author who sets his mysteries in the northwoods of Minnesota). I especially liked how Alex's seemingly-bumbling partner came through and proved himself to be the real detective of the two. So I was waiting for book three with high hopes. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book. As I said at the start of my review, there just isn't much of a mystery here, and once McKnight figures out there really isn't a good guy anywhere in the whole mess, he just throws in the towel and goes home! The story is meandering and, ultimately, rather pointless. Plus, the locale is moved largely to Detroit, so we miss out on the UP descriptions. And Alex's partner, Leon, is laid up in bed with two broken ankles after falling off the roof while chipping ice, so he's hardly onstage at all--just a voice on the other end of the phone for a number of conversations. This is a real disappointment and I can only hope that Mr. Hamilton will rebound from this with his next book. Here's a hint: solve the darn mystery!
|
