Rating: 
Summary: Merci beaucoup
Review: Merci Rayborn is back! Investigating what appears to be a botched murder suicide of a nouveau riche young couple, Merci bucks the brass whose manta is "the husband did it." The husband, barely alive with a bullet in his brain is an Orange County Deputy Sheriff.Looking deeper into the contradictions the case and book suddenly swirl in a morass of easy money, bio-med stocks, and Russian bad guys. It is an engaging mix and one which keeps you engaged until the end. The characters are a little cartoonish, but Parker is a superb storyteller. Don't miss this book.
Rating:
Summary: Parker does it again
Review: Merci Rayborn is one of the most interesting and intriquing characters in today's fiction, and T. Jefferson Parker brings her to life in the pages of his latest novel, "Black Water". For those who love a good, solid police procedural novel that fairly smacks of authenticity and reality, this is a must read.
I am happy that T.Jefferson Parker looks like a young man in his author's photo on the book jacket, because that means we can expect many more good solid reads from this writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Life Is Good For Merci
Review: Merci Rayborn returns in her third investigation after her introduction in The Blue Hour and then Red Light. This book continues the development of Merci's character as she advances through the ranks of the sheriff's department. The case facing Merci is a difficult one for her because, once again, it involves a sheriff's deputy, bringing back all the mistakes she made investigating a fellow cop in the past. Archie Wildcraft and his wife are shot in the early hours of the morning. Archie's wife, Gwen is killed and Archie is critically wounded. Merci has to work out whether the shooting was an attempted double homicide, or an attempted murder suicide. A third option of whether the scene was set up to look like a murder suicide can not be ruled out either. Merci continues to prove that she is a very thorough and capable investigator as she unravels the facts from the misleading evidence. Although she's a good investigator and has a strong personality, she is constantly reminded of her past that affects how she deals with the present. It's because of the continual references back to the earlier books that I would strongly recommend reading them before reading this one if at all possible. I thought the actual investigation in this book was of lower importance compared to the development of Merci Rayborn. The Focus seemed to be more on how the investigation affected her than on reaching any meaningful conclusion. Forunately, both goals were achieved. The case was closed with the important questions answered and Merci's life seems to be stabilising. I can see her character developing even further in future books.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Page-Turner
Review: On a beautiful day in Orange County, California, Gwen Wildcraft is found dead, inside the bathroom of her expensive home. Archie Wildcraft, Gwen's husband and an Orange County deputy, is found shot to the head and in critical condition, on the outside of the Wildcraft home. Police immediately come to the conclusion that there has been a murder-suicide attempt. Merci Rayborn is the cop assigned to investigate the Wildcraft crime. And, while she isn't convinced that Archie is guilty, she doubts her own convictions. Thanks to a mistake in judgement in a previous case (Parker's RED LIGHT), Merci no longer trusts herself. Nor, do the cops around her. Merci will start an investigation, with her partner Zamora, that will have her believing in Archie's innocence, and in his guilt. And, since Archie escaped a hospital, with a bullet still lodged in his head, his guilt seems even more likely. While reading this fascinating page-turner, one might wonder in Archie's innocence or guilt, also. As we peer into the lives of the Wildcrafts, we meet family and friends, and enemies. Trying to figure the whole thing out, makes the book a page-turner. And, following Merci and Zamora as they solve this crime, is what makes it so fascinating. Adding to the mystery, is the interesting characterizations of Merci and Zamora, and even Gwen and Archie. T Jefferson Parker's BLACK WATER is a compelling read.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best writers in the genre
Review: One of the best writers of the genre is the 2002 Edgar Award winning author, T. Jefferson Parker. He is capable of, not only writing a superior mystery ,but of writing it in style. His books delve deep into the psyche of the main protagonists. SILENT JOE, his Edgar winning stand alone is quite typical of this. The characters are unforgettable and alone can make it a worthwhile read. Detective Merci Rayborn is also a character well examined in his work. In Parker's hands she becomes a living breathing creation.
Merci Rayborn is assigned to look into the death of a young woman. The dead woman was the wife of Deputy Archie Wildcraft, a young talented cop. Archie was also shot and suffers from a bullet wound in the head. Prosecutors are pointing the finger at Archie in that the gun was found in his hand. They think it was a shooting death and suicide attempt. Merci, however, feels Archie is innocent and wants to prove it. Her investigation, once again, puts her reputation at stake. However, Merci follows her personal conviction and attempts to discover the true killer.
T. Jefferson Parker's strength as a writer is on full display in this, his latest novel. Merci is tough and an individualist. The plot is compelling enough to keep the pages turning. However, it definitely went on a bit too long. By the end, Merci and the reader have had enough. A bit of a tighter plot would suit Parker's books quite well. However, he is and should be listed among the best there is writing today.
Rating:
Summary: strong police procedural
Review: Orange County Deputy Sheriff Archie Wildcraft lies in a hospital near death from the bullet lodged in his brain while his wife Gwen is already dead. The law enforcement officials detest that one of their brothers killed his wife and tried to commit suicide. Only Detective Merci Rayborn thinks differently though circumstantial evidence targets Archie as the culprit.
Though he does not remember what happened, Archie believes that he never murdered his spouse though the media has convicted him. Archie takes things into his own hands and goes after an unknown killer. Merci chases after Archie. However, as he plays cat and mouse with her, both undergo a paradigm switch from believing Gwen unfortunately took a bullet aimed for Archie to thinking Archie took a bullet aimed for Gwen. Now they separately seek a culprit who wanted Gwen dead and has no qualms about adding two cops to the victim list.
The key to this strong police procedural is the clever way T. Jefferson Parker enables the reader to observe Merci up front and personal without slowing down a fast-paced yet unique cat and mouse story line. Merci's personal life (single mom) and peer ostracization in her professional life due to the aftermath of her previous case (see THE BLUE HOUR) brilliantly intertwine in her hunt for Archie who, in a subplot, seeks the killer. Merci in her third appearance and to a lesser degree Archie make BLACK WATER a must read for fans of the author and those who enjoy a convincing police investigation. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed In This One
Review: Orange County Sheriff Deputy Archie Wildcraft hears a disturbance in his home in the middle of the night. He investigates and is shot in the head. He survives, but his young wife is killed. This book had a promising beginning, but the plot was transparent and the pace dragged considerably at times. I did like the character, Archie, but the detective investigating the case, Merci Rayborn, was mostly just annoying. Frequent references to Merci's mysterious past were intriguing at first, then tedious. I am a big fan of T. Jefferson Parker's and can usually count on a good tale from him, but I felt let down by this one.
Rating:
Summary: 3rd time around for Merci Rayborn.
Review: Parker's 3rd installment of his Merci Rayborn character shows much growth as far as character development. When we were first introduced to Merci back in 'The Blue Hour', she made many rookie mistakes and while much wiser on how the system works and more experience under her belt, her past mistakes tend to approach cases from a different angle. Merci is therefor at war with herself, sure of her instincts yet still doubts herself. Enter her current case: A young deputy, Archie Wildcraft, awakens from a rock thrown in his living room window. Upon investigation, he finds a bullet in his head, and when he awakes from his coma, he learns that his wife had been murdered as well, his fingerprints on the gun, blood on his robe, and his memory spotty. Sgt. Rayborn and her partner Paul Zamorra are unsure what to think at first. The evidence all seems to be in place, but something doesn't make sense. Archie loved his wife, more so than any man could. In digging into his past Merci learns much about Archies' character as soon believes he may have been framed. But why and by whom? Enter a dubious medical practice that sound to good to be true, a return on investment that made Archie and his wife rich, a mysterious size 16 foot print near the scene of the crime, hints of the Russian mafia, a cowardly doctor and snake venom. Merci and Paul have only days to piece the puzzle together, for the press has already tried deputy Wildcraft and the DA is looking to make an arrest quickly. But Wildcraft disappears, and his memory starts to come back. Soon Wildcraft decides he must clear not only his name, but to bring justice to the person or person that took away his Gwen. Black Water is not as sinister or dark as some of Parker's earlier novels, but its great strength is in the emotions of the main characters. We are subjected to the inner thinking of Merci as she sees the world today, not only through herself, but through her young child. She examines in depth the mistakes in her life including her relationships with men and her job. Also, Parker did an excellent job getting the reader into the fragmented mind of Archie Wildcraft. Wildcrafts emotions are intense and the reader secretly starts cheering for the main suspect. But like all good Parker novels, there's a surprise twist at the end which always makes for a good read. Even though this book continues Parker's practice of taking place in Orange County, CA., this time the cities involved take a back seat to the overall story. Usually the cities themselves are their own characters and play an important part in his previous works.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!!
Review: T. Jefferson Parker has been one of the most underrated writers, but if he continues like this everyone will know his name! Black Water succeeds from every direction--plot, characterization, suspense level. You name it and Parker has finely crafted it in this novel. If I had had the time I would have read it in one sitting, but had to satisfy myself with waking up at 4:45 am two mornings in a row to get my "fix" before I left for work at 8!! What really impressed me with this book was the character of Tim and how genuine he was. It takes a rare talent to write a believable toddler and T. Jefferson Parker did it with Tim--not too precocious, thank heavens! Highly recommended!!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Boring and Tedious
Review: T. Jefferson Parker is a genius. I read everything he writes, and I have never been disappointed. Black Water reaches his usual standard of excellence, and I will be proud to finally meet him at the upcoming Bouchercon in Las Vegas.
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