A Cruel Season for Dying (Detective Series)

Rating:
Summary: A Cruel Season For Dying, An impressive Debut
Review: A Cruel Season For Dying is one of those rare "start aftre supper and read till your finished in the early morning hours"
whoduunits. This mystery story is richly written with a tightly
crafted plot and in-depth character development. This was my first experience with a Harker Moore novel and I look forward to many more. The story revolves around James Sakura, an NYPD homocide detective. No super hero, he is instead presented as a mere mortal with a troubled personal life who puts his own problems aside in order to pursue a demented serial killer. His dogged perseverance and dedication make him an extremely sympathetic character that you want to root for. I look forward to working on more cases with Detective Sakura. Highly recommend
this terrific novel.

Rating:
Summary: Not the run-of-the-mill book about a serial murderer.
Review: If we could give stars for books like they do for children's toys, for writing I would give Moore a five. This was a quick book for me but a rough one too. This book is not a mystery, but rather what one reviewer calls a 'crime procedural.' I don't read real crime very often, and reading mysteries tends to give the feeling of unreality. I've often questioned why so many people including me enjoy mysteries. It seems rather odd that we enjoy reading about murder, yet in mysteries it is not the murder itself that is important, it's the solution to the murder and whether that solution makes any sense.

In a book like this one, that sense of unreality is gone. I am sure that is Moore's desire. He also gives it a unique viewpoint, that of an Asian-American, so he is breaking sterotypes, but not really, since many of those I know in science and math enjoy puzzles, and murder is the ultimate puzzle.

SErial murderers prey on the people least protected, often times. Parts of society in whom serial murders often work, such as prostitutes, tend not to generate an outcry against the brutality by the rest of society. Now the AIDS epidemic has made those who are gay more politically active, and they can raise the cry against such crimes more than before, but still not enough. When a child is involved, the changes the whole scenario, and to an extent, that is not fair.

In this book, the detective Sakura, has to deal with this heinous crime as well as meet his wife's needs. He has to play politics, when there is no time for playing politics. What Sakura doesn't know is that the murderer is getting too close to home.

An interesting plot, using fallen angels, as the reason for the serial murderer to stalk his victims. The twist does not completely make sense to me, though it might to those who have more knowledge of the apocryphal texts.

This is a violent and bloody book. What was very interesting is at the end, not everything is solved. In fact the murders have more impact on each individual involved including Sakura, an FBI mentor, a best friend, and his own wife. Not many books deal with the fall-out from such a crime, and this was well-done.

Karen Sadler

Rating:
Summary: A Cruel Season for Dying
Review: What a well-written-keeps-you-glued-to-your-seat-can't-put-it-down-book! Harker Moore kept me up all night long just so I could finish this engrossing mystery! Can't wait to read more of Harker Moore's books! keep em coming!