The Strangler

In 1963 Boston, with a mysterious killer known as the Boston Strangler stalking the city, the three Daley brothers--Joe, a cop; Michael, a prosecutor; and Ricky, a master thief--track down a killer with ties to their family's own lethal secrets.

There’s lots of police corruption in this story. But I liked the character development and family dynamics. There was too much violence for my taste. The ending wasn’t believable but I still liked the way it worked out. Overall, a mixed bag for me.

In his second crime novel, William Landay weaves together the story of three brothers, the death of their policeman father, Boston’s urban renewal projects, and the Boston Strangler. It’s Boston in 1963. Kennedy has just been assassinated. Real estate developers are bulldozing Boston’s West End to put up shiny new towers. A mob war is being waged. The Boston Strangler is terrifying the city.

I thought it was great book. You see see the flow of violence and changes to the city of Boston through the eyes of the three brothers: Ricky, the burglar; Michael, the lawyer; and Joe, the cop. The story gets complicated as all you jump around through the eyes of the brothers and the backdrop of criminal activity.

The crime is not just in the show more background. Joe, the cop, is a bad gambler who gets behind on his debts and starts working for the bad guys. In the first chapter, Ricky steals some jewelry from a hotel room at the Copley Plaza Hotel.

The Boston underworld in the book is a brutal place. It may be too violent for some readers. Just as violent is the destruction of the physical city as 46 acres of homes and small businesses in the West End are bulldozed to make way for a handful of residential high rises.

I need to let you know that Bill (yeah, I know him as Bill) is a friend. Our sons went to the same preschool. We have been to each others’ homes and countless kids’ birthday parties. show less

The investigation of the case of the "Boston Strangler" forms the backdrop for this story of three sons of a celebrated Boston police officer, killed in the course of duty. One son is an ADA, another a police officer and the third a burglar. Loved this book and am an absolute fan of William Landay. Well written, well paced, good character developed and enough twists and turns so that you never want to put it down.

A story of 3 brothers set in Boston at the time of the Boston Strangler. A dysfunctional family, a crooked cop, a criminal brother, lots of drama, not so much mystery. Felt a bit contrived in the plotting though I did find it interesting.

Of his three books, I feel that this one was the weakest. Still overall, an entertaining read. One of the better books I've read this year. I always enjoy his character development and the twist at the end.

I have to start off by saying that I was a little disappointed in this novel. William Landay's first novel was so suspenseful and I couldn't put it down, so I figured this one would be as suspenseful as that one. This novel follows the lives of three brothers, Joe, Michael, and Ricky Daley. Their father, a Boston police officer, was recently murdered on the job. All three brothers jobs revolve around the law; Joe, a police officer, Michael, a lawyer working for the attorney general, and Ricky, a burglar. The plot also follows the Boston Police Department's investigation of the Boston Strangler.

It was hard for me to really get into this novel. All throughout the novel I felt like there were two plots that just barely fit together, the show more investigation of the Boston Strangler, and the lives of the Daley brothers. Yes the Daley brothers are somewhat involved in the investigation into the Boston Strangler but I felt like the plot involving their lives and how their lives become involved into the cities gang and their investigation of their father's murder was the much more interesting part of the plot. The ending was the most suspenseful part of the book and the part that held my attention the most. Overall I just felt like I knew what was going to happen throughout most of the novel, and I would have rather the novel concentrate more on the gang then on the strangler. show less

Set in Boston during the time that the Boston Strangler was active, the book chronicles the affairs of the Daley family. This touches on the strangler investigation, as lawyer Michael Daly works on the investigation. Brother Joe Daly is a cop. And the other brother, Ricky, is a thief. They all become interested in who the strangler might be, after reporter Amy Ryan, Michael's girlfriend, is strangled. But is her death the work of the Strangler, or is it the work of someone who didn't like the investigation she was pursuing into how Joe Daly Sr., also a cop, was killed?
This story took me a while to get into, it's one where there are many layers and characters to keep track of. There is a lot of grusome detail in it too. The many threads show more are woven together well at the end, albiet with a lot of violence. Fans of crime fiction and true crime stories will enjoy this one. show less