Rating: 
Summary: A Great First Novel
Review: "A Killing Frost" is a fun read. If you don't want anything to heavy and are into the Robert B. Parker style of gumshoe, you will definitely enjoy Michael Blacks' introdcution to Ron Shade, detective and martial artist. The story, like all good detective novels, is written in the first person. Ron Shade is a former SWAT team member and martial artist, currently attempting to win the world heavyweight kickboxing title. The story is simple and fairly straight forward (Really just a missing person case) and therefore highly believable. Black's understanding of police procedure and his in depth knowledge of the feelings that a fighter has while he trains are very entertaining. There is a nice romance underlying the main story that keeps the reader caring about the characters. Also, the descriptions of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are right on the nut. This book was definitely worth the money spent. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of Michael Black.
Rating:
Summary: A Great First Novel
Review: "A Killing Frost" is a fun read. If you don't want anything to heavy and are into the Robert B. Parker style of gumshoe, you will definitely enjoy Michael Blacks' introdcution to Ron Shade, detective and martial artist. The story, like all good detective novels, is written in the first person. Ron Shade is a former SWAT team member and martial artist, currently attempting to win the world heavyweight kickboxing title. The story is simple and fairly straight forward (Really just a missing person case) and therefore highly believable. Black's understanding of police procedure and his in depth knowledge of the feelings that a fighter has while he trains are very entertaining. There is a nice romance underlying the main story that keeps the reader caring about the characters. Also, the descriptions of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are right on the nut. This book was definitely worth the money spent. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of Michael Black.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great New PI in the Tradition of Spenser and Archer
Review: Author Michael Black has created a PI (Ron Shade) for the current times and set his PI in the Windy City, Chicago. That is fitting, since the author also has been a cop in Chicago for a number of years, and obviously, Chicago has some "mean streets" down which PI Ron Shade can prowl.
As a female reader who enjoys PI novels, I can't help but think that Black has created a PI that's macho--Shade is a competitive kickboxer--and one that also has a kind of gentle soul. For example, in Shade's love scenes with girl friend Maria, he is sensitve with a slow hand, so to speak.
Black's writing is spare and moves the story along quietly and efficiently. The reader doesn't have to wade through lengthy exposition. I could see a bit of Parker's Spenser in Ron Shade. For example, Spenser works out at a gym with a buddy who owns it, and Shade works out, too, and has a buddy in Chappie, the gym owner and his manager. There's also a bit of Macdonald's Lew Archer in Shade in that both have loner/melancholy qualities about them.
But Shade is distinctive.
I finished the book in one sitting, and when I closed it, I had the sense that I'd gotten in on the ground floor with this debut novel of Black's. I have no doubt that his PI character will evolve in upcoming novels and give readers many hours of enjoyment.
And I'm looking forward to the next one.
Rating:
Summary: Almost 5 stars
Review: Black is a confident writer with a take charge attitude. He doesn't waste too many pages setting up his characters, explaining their relationships to each other or any subtle clues on when or where the mystery will occur. Instead he gives us a character who is original yet funny but has had his share of bad luck. Ron grew up in Chicago and had a rough childhood. An older cop took him under his wing and convinced to serve in the army. Upon his return he joined the men in blue in protecting the rough streets of Chicago while on duty one day something goes wrong and he is no longer a cop. The author hasn't fully told this story but his friends are sympathetic to him as he begins a career as a private detective. While all this is going on, he is also working out for a fight in the ring where boxing and kick boxing is combined into an event. His current case is for an old friend who is trying to locate a missing fiancee. As Ron works the case, he learns that Carlos uncovered a dirty secret for the company he was employed. Black uses an old plot of a company doing deceitful things and hiding under dummy corporation to fly under the radar of the government. The originality comes from the way Black uses action to propel the plot to the end. I figured
out early on what the secret was but by that time I wanted to see how Ron would figure it all out. And Ron works hard to apprehend the persons in the company he rubs the investigator on the case the wrong way and ends up solving the case his way. If you like Myron ( Harlan Coben ) or Elvis ( Robert Crais) or even Patrick ( Dennis Lehane) give this new author a chance. He will be a master storyteller like Connelly soon.
Rating:
Summary: Almost 5 stars
Review: Black is a confident writer with a take charge attitude. He doesn't waste too many pages setting up his characters, explaining their relationships to each other or any subtle clues on when or where the mystery will occur. Instead he gives us a character who is original yet funny but has had his share of bad luck. Ron grew up in Chicago and had a rough childhood. An older cop took him under his wing and convinced to serve in the army. Upon his return he joined the men in blue in protecting the rough streets of Chicago while on duty one day something goes wrong and he is no longer a cop. The author hasn't fully told this story but his friends are sympathetic to him as he begins a career as a private detective. While all this is going on, he is also working out for a fight in the ring where boxing and kick boxing is combined into an event. His current case is for an old friend who is trying to locate a missing fiancee. As Ron works the case, he learns that Carlos uncovered a dirty secret for the company he was employed. Black uses an old plot of a company doing deceitful things and hiding under dummy corporation to fly under the radar of the government. The originality comes from the way Black uses action to propel the plot to the end. I figured
out early on what the secret was but by that time I wanted to see how Ron would figure it all out. And Ron works hard to apprehend the persons in the company he rubs the investigator on the case the wrong way and ends up solving the case his way. If you like Myron ( Harlan Coben ) or Elvis ( Robert Crais) or even Patrick ( Dennis Lehane) give this new author a chance. He will be a master storyteller like Connelly soon.
Rating:
Summary: Great Read!
Review: I enjoyed this novel. It was a fast and fun read and I am looking forward to more by him. I think he is going to get better and better. Bring on the next book!
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable from start to finish.
Review: I have to admit, I did have fun reading "A Killing Frost".I found many contrasts with character types and also the activities of Ron Shade that simply kept me interested through the book.
This is a creative and unique work and a completely enjoyable piece with which to spend your time.
Rating:
Summary: A chicago PI that rocks
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I think Black has a feel for the streets that most authors only read about. Black writes like someone who has been there. I also like the lead character, Ron Shade. He is written very human and real. I think this is a wonderful first book, and hope to see more.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite there
Review: I so wanted to like this book. It is the fulfillment of author Black's long-time dream of being published. However, while the writing is good, the first third of the book is the strongest part. The gears (like the hero's borrowed "beater" car) start grinding in the second third, and the final segment just peters out--despite a big-bang climactic warehouse scene. One of the major problems I had was with hero Shade's romantic interest, Maria. She comes across as so stereotyped, so unbelievable, so lacking in any real depth that she's simply not viable as an adult female. As well, Shade's interaction with her and the descriptions of their exchanges (of one sort or another) are positively sophomoric and read more like a teenage boy's diary than a believable relationship. Most of the males in the book sound alike; they speak the same ungrammatical lingo. There's more material on kickboxing than the narrative can handle, and the truth behind the death of illegal alien Carlos is so obvious that there are absolutely no surprises. Shade comes across as a bit dense and far younger than his supposed age of thirty. On the plus side, there's some nice material about Shade's feelings for stray animals, and a number of scenes have great tension. Unfortunately, there's just not enough meat here to make for a satisfying meal. The author is worth watching in the hope that the next book (assuming this to be the start of a series) will put some of his long-term police experience and understanding to good use in a more deeply felt, less mechanical effort that features grown-up people dealing in a more realistic fashion with issues more compelling than kickboxing championships and the loss of an uninsured set of upscale wheels.
Rating:
Summary: exciting private investigation tale
Review: In Chicago, private investigator Ron Shade is relocating to reduce costs when social worker Maria Castro enters his office escorting Juanita. Maria explains that Juanita does not speak any English, but wants to hire Ron to make inquiries into her missing fiancé Carlos Sanchez, who vanished a few days ago. Maria clarifies that the police cannot be brought into the case as Carlos is an illegal. She also says that she will help pay the fee as Juanita cannot afford the full price of retaining Ron. While also training for the full contact karate heavyweight championship fight, Ron starts his inquiries at Carlos' last known place of employment, Two Thousand and One Space Oddities. There he learns that Carlos was fired three days ago for allegedly coming on the job intoxicated. However, Ron is uncomfortable with the way management cooperates by providing everyone with responses to the sleuth's questions as if a ventriloquist act is on the stage. As he begins to get closer to the truth, Ron's life is threatened, but he refuses to allow a viable threat from stopping his investigation. This is an exciting private investigation tale because the lead protagonist is an intriguing All-American hero. The story line engages the audience, as readers observe Ron's struggles to uncover the truth while training for a professional bout. Though Ron seems a bit too perfect, no one will care because the missing person's case is fun to follow and his budding romance with Maria adds flavor to a pleasurable few hours. Harriet Klausner
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