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Summary: Great Descriptions, Rather Flat Mystery
Review: I'm a bit torn. I think McKnight is a good writer, and I've enjoyed this series overall. But I don't know if I'll rush to put these books on the top of my TBR pile when they come out in the future. I think part of the reason for this is that Hamilton just doesn't seem inclined to give readers a traditional mystery. I imagine that there are some for whom this is a blessing. But I just don't know how much longer I can put up with McKnight's "reluctant investigator" persona.In this book, Alex decides to help out his friend Vinnie, first introduced in _Winter of the Wolf Moon_. Vinnie is an Ojibwa Indian and he's worried because his brother Tom is overdue in returning from a moose hunt in Canada. To make things worse, because he was just recently released from prison and is on parole, Tom isn't supposed to leave the country, so Vinnie loaned him his identification. Alex and Vinnie drive north to the isolated hunting lodge where Tom and his party of hunters, a group from Detroit, were to head out into the wilderness. They find the owners of the camp shutting things down, for probably the last time, since the number of hunting parties coming there has been dropping steadily. According to the man who owns the lodge, Tom and his group came back on schedule and drove off in their SUV. When the vehicle is later found abandoned on a local Indian reservation, things begin to look suspicious. There are some great things in this book. Hamilton does a very good job with character, creating real, believable people who it is a pleasure to spend time with. Also, the book does a great job of exploring male friendship and the lengths to which people are willing to go to help each other out. Vinnie had sent Tom on the hunt in the first place because he was scared his brother might try to commit suicide and he thought the trip was just what he needed. And people are constantly commenting on the lengths to which Alex goes to help out Vinnie. This brings up another of Hamilton's strengths, which is his descriptions of nature and setting. When Alex and Vinnie convince an old Indian guide, Maskwa, to fly them out to the isolated lake where Tom and his hunting party were last seen, the two of them decide to stay there overnight. They can't foresee the sequence of events that will leave them stranded, with no way to get a message back to civilization, at the mercy of at least one unknown person armed with a high-powered rifle. This sequence, which lasts for a couple of chapters, contains some of the most vivid descriptions of the outdoors that I've encountered for awhile. The thing that really threw me though is the whole mystery aspect of the book. Just what is going on and what happened to Tom and the hunting party is left unexplained until the very end. There just isn't a lot of investigating going on in the book. Instead, the book turns into a travelogue of Vinnie and Alex driving around, asking questions, trying to find some trace of the missing hunters. All of their driving around is presented in quite a bit of detail, including several trips back and forth from northern Ontario to Paradise, Michigan, the series' home. The solution to the mystery, ultimately, is sad and satisfying, but it is so delayed as to be rather annoying. There isn't even a hint about what's going on until the last couple of chapters. I guess I'd recommend the book, but I'm still waiting for Hamilton to recapture some of the magic of earlier books in the series, particularly _Winter of the Wolf Moon_, my favorite so far. I hope the next book, if there is one, will be a bit more traditional.
Rating: 
Summary: Another winner from Steve Hamilton
Review: I've read all of the Alex McKnight books and loved them. This one is no exception. Great book! Alex is a wonderfully cranky character and I was glad to see that Vinnie was part of the adventure this time. I was up half the night reading because I just had to find out what happened to Alex and Vinnie. My only little quibble is that I missed the Cheif Maven. Hopefully he will be in the next one. Don't miss this one.
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Summary: His Novels Get Better and Better!
Review: I've read them all, and each one is better than the last. Buy it. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: His Novels Get Better and Better!
Review: I've read them all, and each one is better than the last. Buy it. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Compelling Canadian Crime
Review: Knowing when to end a story is almost as important, and as difficult, as knowing where to begin a story. In the case of Blood is the Sky, both the beginning and the ending are handled skillfully. The novel starts with an act of creation, as Alex McKnight begins rebuilding his father's cabin, late, much too late in the early autumn of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The close of the novel reflects the opening in that something new is also being created. Both the opening and closing reflect the recurrent theme of the novel. Thematically, this story deals with how people respond to crises. Alex rebuilds his dead father's cabin after it burned to the ground. Vinnie rushes to the aid of his younger brother at the first hint of trouble. Other characters respond more desperately with violent acts of vengeance, long after the moment of crisis has passed. No matter what choice is made, though, all the characters follow through with their actions, never giving up. One of the hallmarks of good writing is having characters who are actively working toward a solution to their problem. Whether it is trying to survive the next five minutes, cold, wet and lost in the Canadian wilderness as killers hunt them down, or dealing with the people who killed your children, these characters all keep moving forward. All the characters have their own goals. Unless time spent with the characters sitting in thoughtful repose benefits the story, (i.e. is interesting for the reader) those scenes are minimized. Several pages will be devoted to the passage of a few minutes, when those minutes are vital to a character. On the other hand, the passage of several days where little occurs in relation to the story are dismissed with a brief paragraph of two. The pacing of the story works admirably. Overall, this is an excellent mystery novel. The characters, setting, pacing and theme all work together. This is a captivating book that will stimulate the reader's imagination. Steve Hamilton's Blood is in the Sky, is a well-written mystery. Focusing on the characters and the setting, this story's plot in no way feels forced or contrived. The plot moves forward naturally from the actions and choices made by the characters.
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Summary: Heart Racing Thriller
Review: Really enjoyed this heart- racing fast paced thriller
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Summary: Another kick ass book to read
Review: Steve Hamilton has it down. This is the only one of his I've read. I'll read more of them no question. I never let up on this one. Blew through a hundred pages at one point and didn't even realize it. It was cathartic. Felt like I'd just had an excellent dream or something. Awesome.
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Summary: Superb characters in a strong series!
Review: Steve Hamilton's fifth Alex McKnight novel, "Blood Is the Sky" is attention getting and packed with tension. It begins metaphorically as Alex rebuilds his friendship with neighbor Vinnie Red Sky LeBlanc as they reconstruct a cabin lost to arson. Soon they learn that Vinnie's parolee brother Tom is overdue from a hunting trip to Canada. Tom used Vinnie's ID to cross the border for a lucrative guide's fee...a parole violation and not a bright idea. The ensuing search for the party has the visceral fear of "Deliverance." The unspoiled beauty of the Canadian wilds turns into a horrifying crime scene. McKnight and Vinnie's relentless pursuit of the perps leads to many disquieting questions...with no easy answers. Full of twists and turns, the plot flow is captivating. McKnight is a remarkable noir hero whose fervent loyalty to his friends always gets him involved in their problems...an ordinary man caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Steve Hamilton gets better and better. "Blood Is the Sky" both resolves and raises issues for McKnight...maybe even romance. Put this on your most wanted list.
Rating:
Summary: Blood is the Sky
Review: Steve Hamilton, does it again. I have read all of his books and by far found this to be the best. Alex sets out with Vinnie to help him find his brother Tom, who is long overdue from a hunting trip. Along the way they come across many suspicious things. I especially like how Alex's old friend Leon Purdell has to help him out. I like how you don't find out "whodunit" until the very end. A great read, lots of cliffhangers and all around great mystery.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best mystery writers today...
Review: The author's first two mysteries in this series were absolutely excellent. Since then there has been an inevitable by slight drop in quality. A reader could almost FEEL the first two novels, see the UP, the bars, hear the night sounds. While "Blood is the Sky" is superior to most mysteries in its atmosphere, it's a bit down. That may be because a good portion of it is set in Canada and seems a little vague sometimes, as if the writer were out of his territory. The characters here are just fine. There are no cardboard cutouts to represent this or that person, a fault too often seen in fiction, in current mysteries especially. The plot, well described by others, gets a bit too involved sometimes but is satisfying in the end. It would be easy to get a little lost sometimes. All in all, this is a well-above-average crime novel. I do hope the author will return to the UP of Michigan as the sole setting for his next opus.
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