We All Fall Down (edition 2011)

Bit of a disappointment as I've really enjoyed the previous books in the Michael Kelly series and while there is enough in this one to keep me waiting for number 5 but ...... there should be more than that. Opening chapters rely too much on you appreciating who the characters are and their roles from preceding book. The pace does pick up at the end for a dramatic conclusion but the inclusion of an ex-cop PI in the middle of a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) attack just jars from the outset I guess and never adequately convinces. The parts that work best for me are the interplay between the mayor & Kelly and also between Kelly and Rodriquez and these work best with a local slant and when you start getting into NBC, Homeland Security & martial law you just wonder how easy it is for Kelly to walk around the quarantine zone. Maybe I was slow to spot the connections but maybe this would have worked best as an out and out conspiracy thriller rather than a whodunnit that morphs into a conspiracy. Won't exactly set the world alight with this one but Michael Harvey is a good writer and even a relatively poor entry from him is still probably better than a lot of the other junk out there.

I haven't read previous books in this series so maybe it affected my impression. I found a flow of action somewhat broken, plot sometimes implausible and characters not always believable. At the same time, the writing is good and easy, action is very fast - in other words it's an easy read. ( )

Bit of a disappointment as I've really enjoyed the previous books in the Michael Kelly series and while there is enough in this one to keep me waiting for number 5 but ...... there should be more than that. Opening chapters rely too much on you appreciating who the characters are and their roles from preceding book. The pace does pick up at the end for a dramatic conclusion but the inclusion of an ex-cop PI in the middle of a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) attack just jars from the outset I guess and never adequately convinces. The parts that work best for me are the interplay between the mayor & Kelly and also between Kelly and Rodriquez and these work best with a local slant and when you start getting into NBC, Homeland Security & martial law you just wonder how easy it is for Kelly to walk around the quarantine zone. Maybe I was slow to spot the connections but maybe this would have worked best as an out and out conspiracy thriller rather than a whodunnit that morphs into a conspiracy. Won't exactly set the world alight with this one but Michael Harvey is a good writer and even a relatively poor entry from him is still probably better than a lot of the other junk out there. ( )

A Blue Line train in Chicago is going faster than it should. The vibrations of the train's passage rattles the rails and causes a light bulb to become loose and fall. Soon, people become sick and begin to die.

P.I. Michael Kelly is asked to help with security when it is determined that there could be a threat of a biological weapon on the Chicago railway line.

As the disease spreads and the death toll mounts, the Dept. of Homeland Security comes to Chicago and quarantines a part of the city. This allows some criminals the opportunity to rid themselves of their rivals. Looting and buring of buildings begin.

De. Ellen Brazile leads the charge in attempting to identify the pathogen and develop a vaccine while Kelly searches for the person responsible for unleashing this deadly killer.

This is an entertaining story where the author shows his ability to put together a tense, well-plotted novel ( )