Michael T. Harvey

Brighton, MA, a neighborhood of Boston, has probably never been portrayed in fiction, and certainly never as seamy as it is here. Most Boston crime novels are set either in Whitey Bulger/Dennis Lehane territory - Dorchester - or in leafy Cambridge - as in the Spenser thrillers by Robert B. Parker. Brighton and its twin community, Allston, are student ghetto turf, as they are bordered by Boston University and Boston College (know the difference!). Here, Kevin, son of a well-known local show more family, was devastated when his beloved grandmother was robbed and murdered, presumably by a young Black man from the projects. His friend Bobby, who had been taken into care by Kevin's grandmother, kills to avenge her and sends Kevin away to escape involvement. Bobby becomes enmeshed with local drug dealers and gamblers, as Kevin finds when he returns home after twenty years. Kevin is now a successful reporter with the Boston Globe and the recipient of a Pulitzer for his reporting on another Black kid from the projects, this one falsely imprisoned. Kevin reconnects with Bobby and his two sisters but also gets drawn into another local murder case by his girlfriend, an assistant DA. The atmospheric "townie" life is realistically portrayed, and Matt and Ben could make one helluva movie out of this suspenseful thriller. show less

“At the centre of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin & by illusion, a point of pure truth….”

By the time Bobby Scales quotes Thomas Merton, you already know he’s not your garden variety thug. But then he never really had a chance to be anything else.

The book opens in 1970’s Brighton, a tough suburb of Boston where dreams of a better life tend to die young. Bobby was on his own by the time he hit high school. The closest thing he has to family is Mary show more Burke, a strong no-nonsense woman who runs a cab company. She looks out for him while keeping an eye on her grandson Kevin Pearce. Mary senses he’s special & vows he’ll make it out of Brighton. But first he’ll have to survive growing up in a house ruled by his drunk, abusive father.

By 1975, Bobby & Kevin are inseparable. Times are tough but they have Mary, baseball & each other. Then the unthinkable happens. One night Kevin arrives at his grandmother’s in time to see a young black man run from the building. After racing inside, the first thing he finds is one of his sisters bleeding from stab wounds. The second is Mary’s body. He can’t know it yet but the fallout from this senseless act will define his life for years to come.

Fast forward to 2002. Kevin left Brighton in 1975 & never looked back. He’s now an investigative reporter for The Globe & just won a Pulitzer for his series of articles about a black man wrongly accused of murder who was killed in prison. Add to that his relationship with Suffolk County prosecutor Lisa Mignot & life is good. Hold that thought, Kev.

Lisa’s office is called in after 2 women are killed in Brighton & she thinks they’re tied to the unsolved murder of a young black man in 1975. When Kevin sneaks a look at the files, his blood runs cold & he knows it’s time…..time to go home & pay his debt to Bobby.

Put the kettle on, curl up in your favourite reading spot & turn off the phone because once you crack the cover on this one, you’ll be ticked if you have to put it down. What follows is a complex & heart wrenching story of friendship, loyalty, betrayal & redemption. The author uses the first section to build the history of Kevin & Bobby’s friendship, ensuring that readers become invested. Brighton itself is a major character, so well rendered through descriptions of seedy streets, crowded apartments & hopeless lives that the grit sticks to you fingers.

But it’s only as action switches to the present that we learn the truth of everything that happened in the past. And holy crap, are there some shockers lurking in the pages. When Kevin begins his own investigation, his intention is to stay one step ahead of the law & protect Bobby. What he eventually uncovers will rewrite his childhood memories & strip the veneer off the life he’s created.

These characters don’t just appear on the page. They come out swinging, shouting & scheming. There are no stick people here. Each is a combination of good & bad, capable of great love & thoughtless violence. Part of the rising tension is due to not knowing who can be trusted when push comes to shove. And while you may dislike some of them, you can also understand how they became who they are. Although it’s ostensibly Kevin’s story, Bobby is the one that stuck with me. He’s a man who never caught a break but will go down fighting to protect a friend or keep a promise.

This is a dark & compelling story that will have you holding your breath in the final chapters. It definitely reminded me of books by Dennis Lehane (especially “Mystic River”) & Greg Iles, 2 authors who excel at creating stories that are richly atmospheric. This is the first I’ve read from Mr. Harvey. Guess my groaning TBR pile just got taller. show less

This is a book with one too many subplots. However, I am pleased that Michael Kelly is no longer rooting around in historical archives--like he's in a Steve Berry or Dan Brown novel. This third installment follows a more appropriate, for modern Chicago hard-nosed former detective Kelly, thriller mode with two killers striking the public (seemingly) at random in their congested commuting options. It's everyone who goes to and from work every day's worst nightmare.

I won't spoil the reveals but show more by the time you get to the end--or what should be the end--you realize that there is another subplot to deal with.

I did enjoy the return of the Mayor's character. He's fun and sleezy--so half-like an actual Chicago mayor.

Looking forward to #4! show less

This is one of those books that must give publishers the vapours. Police procedural? Sci-fi? Mystery? Grit-lit? Well….yes, it is. All of the above. So instead of trying to label it, I’ll do my best to describe this heartfelt & thought provoking read.

The first book I read by this author was the fabulous “Brighton”, a book that remains on my Top 10 of the last few years. This one is very different but similar in all the ways that matter. It’s essentially the story of 2 pairs of show more brothers. One is related by blood while the other pair are bound by shared history.

Daniel & Harry Fitzsimmons have been looking after each other since their mother died 8 years ago (Dad took a hike much earlier). They couldn’t be more different. Golden boy Harry is a football star at Harvard. He’s a straight arrow who’s determined to use his situation to provide a better life for both of them. Daniel is an insular 16 year old who will never be one of the cool kids. Instead, he hangs with fellow geeks Ben & Grace. Daniel knows he’s different. Sometimes he sees things when he touches other people, when he “entangles” his mind with theirs. It can be their darkest secret or an event that hasn’t happened yet. Either way, he always feels a pulse & knows a tiny piece of himself has been changed.

Daniel ends up renting a room from the mysterious Simon, a self professed ex-professor of quantum physics. He’s an odd duck who believes human beings transfer information across time through pulses of light & touch. And he seems to know waaaay too much about Daniel. Things are ticking along until 1 fateful night when Daniel gets a premonition & ends up stumbling across Harry’s body in one of Boston’s seedier back alleys.

Tommy Dillon & Barkley Jones are “blue” brothers, detectives & partners with the Boston PD. Barkley is a black man who’s all too aware of the racial tension simmering in Boston. It’s 1976 & only 3 years since schools became integrated. Bark is the voice of reason in the partnership, trying to keep a loose rein on the volatile Tommy. So it’s more than a little disconcerting when a woman touches him on the street one day & he feels an odd pulse. And the vision he has…well, that’s just plain weird.

They catch the call for a recent homicide & it’s the stuff of nightmares. They have a dead, white Harvard football star & a black suspect. Why was Harry Fitzsimmons in such a dangerous neighbourhood? And how did his kid brother end up at the scene? As the investigation progresses they unearth some disturbing facts about the Fitzsimmons’ past while the media has a field day with the racial implications. And Barkley will have to decide just how far he’s willing to go to protect Tommy from his personal demons.

This is a brain bender of a book. The supernatural elements & tidbits on quantum mechanics mean you have to keep an open mind & I’m not going to smugly pretend I understood all of it. But it raised fascinating questions & possibilities. If that’s not your thing, no worries. As with Brighton, Harvey gives us characters that will break your heart while stealing it. Daniel & Barkley in particular will put you through the wringer as they struggle to make the best choices. The setting is another character. From the rarified air of Harvard to the edgy neighbourhoods of Southie, Boston is portrayed in all it’s gritty, divided glory.

By the end, no one walks away unscathed & not all will survive. Daniel’s questions (and ours) are answered as the past & true identities are revealed. You’re left with a glimmer of hope that even great tragedy might eventually give way to something better. So if you’re looking for a well written & different slant on police procedurals, this should fit nicely. Besides, it’ll give you a chance to brush off all that quantum physics you’ve been dying to use. Just maybe don’t touch anyone while you’re reading 😉. show less