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A good read . . .

Customer Rating:
I read "The Chicago Way" after "The Fifth Floor." Some reviewers had written that "The Chicago Way" was better; I believe each has its value. This book introduces the recurring characters. Though there is a connection to a past serial crime, it had no real historical flavor which I enjoyed so much in "The Fifth Floor." I thought the story worked, though, and I literally read it in one day; I couldn't put it down.

Slick and snappy

Customer Rating:
I just loved every second of reading this debut novel by one of the writers of the "Cold Case" TV series. The dialogue is in the style of the Raymond Chandler type of detective stories, sparse, snappy and right to the point. Kelly is an ex cop, now operating as a private detective after being framed by a corrupt DA's office and becomes involved with a glamorous TV news reporter with whom he has a brief fling. When the body of a former friend of Kelly's from police days is found, only a few days after contacting him for the first time in years, Kelly takes it upon himself to sort things out..his way! It's a quick, exciting read which takes the reader into the underworld of Chicago's crime families and when his childhood friend, Nicole is murdered, Kelly leaves no stone unturned in his quest to find her killer and avenge her death.

Fast-paced novel, fun to read

Customer Rating:
Former police officer turned private investigator, Michael Kelly, is paid a surprise visit by John Gibbons, his old partner. Gibbons tells Michael a tale of Christmas Eve 1997. Gibbons happened on a girl who was being attacked and stabbed and he intervened. The man was arrested but by the next morning he had been released and Gibbons was advised to put a lid on the case.

Now years later Gibbons has received a letter from the victim. She wants him to find her attacker, and Gibbons is hiring Kelly to locate him. Gibbons wants Michael to figure out why the attacker was released.

Early the next morning Michael is contacted by Channel 6 News with the information that Diane Lindsay, wants to discuss the shooting death of John Gibbons. So begins Michael's investigation. His client is dead but Michael is determined to get to the bottom of this cold case and see how the facts fit into the present time.

He discovers that a serial rapist from the past and a current day serial rapist are somehow tied together. Michael shares information with his best friend from childhood who is currently involved in a just-created rape task force. The shared information brings danger to both Michael and his friend.

Michael Harvey is the creator, writer, and executive producer of the television series "Cold Case Files." The Chicago Way is a fast-paced novel with an ending that is very unexpected. I look forward to future books by this author.

Armchair Interviews says: Good crime story that ties the past and present together.

A strong debut

Customer Rating:
I live in Chicago and love to read Chicago mysteries. My coworker gave me this book to read, the author is his neighbor. No, Kelly is not Elvis Cole, but I read this book in a night. I liked the breezy writing style. Initially it seemed like the author was trying too hard to be Raymond Chandler, but after the first few chapters I either got used to it or he relaxed into the story. The plot may have been a bit predictable, but the local color is excellent. I actually liked the characters and did not find that the plot strained the limits of credibility, as other reviewers have suggested. I am happy to settle into a new series of Chicago mysteries and look forward to the next one.

Faux Chicago

Customer Rating:
I'm from Chicago (the city itself, not the 'burbs)and this story is about as genuine as a three dollar bill. The characters are two dimensional, the plot is ridiculous, and the main character is completely unbelievable (PI who starts a relationship with a million dollar news anchor, un-hunh, speaks ancient Greek, riiight, framed by the DA in a totally unexplained setup, OOOk.) The setting seems like he took out a Michelin guide and checked off sites. Avoid this book, it is a stupid waste of time.