Jacob Phillips

Easton Burton is a calculating ruthless cross between Sherlock Holmes and Richard Stark's Parker, and he walks a razor blade tightrope as the neutral troubleshooter for all the major criminal organizations of New York City. He puts out the little fires before they become city-razing conflagrations. Mostly, he solves murders to prevent the wronged parties from taking the wrong revenge. They're not really fair-play mysteries, though, they're more like thrillers with twisty endings, usually show more only lasting a chapter.

He's recently taken on a whip-smart protege who has some complicating baggage, causing the first multi-chapter story arc near the end of the volume. At various points she is called Emily Walker, Angie Walker, and Emily Star. I'm not sure if those were editorial fails or a series of aliases. I mean, she also uses a fourth name in one chapter, but at least that one was acknowledged as a cover.

The whole thing is fairly typical tough guy crime fiction with characters who are fairly stock and a concept that's quite a bit difficult to swallow. But it's just interesting enough to get a thumbs up.

The only thing that really annoys me is the choice of the British and Canadian creators to let their spelling for words like "neighbour," "favour," and "armour" and phrases like "fish and chips" creep into this American setting. It's jarring and distracting. show less

A strong finish to the series as the short stories of the first volume give way to an epic struggle by Easton Newburn to maintain the status quo between the criminal cartels of New York while keeping himself and his new partner alive. Along the way we get Newburn's secret origin.

The conclusion is a bit far-fetched, but tense and thrilling all the same, excepting one very predictable twist. A sequel would not be unwelcome.

Note: I was given access to read this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent slow-burn noir detective story: This seems like one to put on the pull list.