Nobody's Angel

“Somebody killing cab drivers.” 5 so far. AND, someone is killing prostitutes too! In the Windy City. And they all know, don’t go to Cabrini-Green, “A spooky little ghost town, where snipers set up shop in deserted apartments and took potshots at whatever caught their fancy.”

So what made Lenny, a veteran Chicago cabbie, break that well known rule? A question that his buddy Eddie just can’t figure out.

This is a really good, tight read! And it's surprising, because most of the book is about people taking cab rides, and not about the two killers! If you had told me that a story about people getting in and out of cabs would not only entertain me, but actually keep my total interest, I would have doubted it highly. But kudos to show more Mr. Clark for doing the job and doing it well!

"FOR YOUR SAFETY PLEASE EXIT ON CURB SIDE ONLY" show less

It differs from a lot of other crime books in that it doesn't feature a detective or even an amateur sleuth. Instead, it is a story about a cab driver in the great city of Chicago. The driver, Eddie, talks about the different neighborhoods and how they've changed and how the drivers are reluctant to pick up fares that will take them to the south side or into the projects. There are neighborhoods they just don't want to go into. Fair or not, the drivers don't want to get held up. There is someone killing the cab drivers, however, and it really hits home when its one of Eddie's cab driver buddies. It also hits home when Eddie stumbles across someone in an alley who nearly met their maker. The best part of the story is not figuring out who show more is doing the killings, but the talk from Eddie about the different fares he picks up and who tips and who doesn't, who is going to stiff him, and who is going to set him up for a robbery. The best part is Eddie driving through the old neighborhoods as they've turned into wastelands and empty lots. Not only does Clark get it right on the spot as far as atmosphere and background, but he does a fantastic job of painting portraits of the cabbies and the customers. With only a short description, you immediately get a feeling for the person he's talking about as they get into and out of the cab. show less

It differs from a lot of other crime books in that it doesn't feature a detective or even an amateur sleuth. Instead, it is a story about a cab driver in the great city of Chicago. The driver, Eddie, talks about the different neighborhoods and how they've changed and how the drivers are reluctant to pick up fares that will take them to the south side or into the projects. There are neighborhoods they just don't want to go into. Fair or not, the drivers don't want to get held up. There is someone killing the cab drivers, however, and it really hits home when its one of Eddie's cab driver buddies. It also hits home when Eddie stumbles across someone in an alley who nearly met their maker.

The best part of the story is not figuring out who show more is doing the killings, but the talk from Eddie about the different fares he picks up and who tips and who doesn't, who is going to stiff him, and who is going to set him up for a robbery. The best part is Eddie driving through the old neighborhoods as they've turned into wastelands and empty lots. Not only does Clark get it right on the spot as far as atmosphere and background, but he does a fantastic job of painting portraits of the cabbies and the customers. With only a short description, you immediately get a feeling for the person he's talking about as they get into and out of the cab. show less

I loved this short dive into the world of cabdriving in Chicago. Through the eyes of Eddie Miles, we get a unique view into the thoughts and feelings of cab drivers and how they deal with dangerous situations. When one of their own is murdered, tensions run high, and Eddie finds himself in the middle of a dangerous cat and mouse game. Anyone could be the murderer, and the only way to tell is to let them in his cab.

Eddie’s character is probably one of the most well-rounded characters I’ve ever read about. He’s normal, an unlikely hero, but he does things that no one else will. A lot of the cab drivers won’t go into dangerous neighborhoods and won’t pick up people with a certain look. Eddie will pick up anyone, even knowing how show more dangerous that could be. He’s seen all the tricks and knows how to keep himself safe at all times.

The narration for the audiobook had a lilt that matched perfectly to the tone of the audiobook.

All in all, this was a great little noir recommended to all fans of detective/murder mystery stories. show less

Honest & gritty view of the streets, Homage & continuation of Taxi Driver type noir

The novel is set in Chicago at anytime. No dates are given and it could be a story that takes place in any given year between 1940 and the present. Fast Eddie is a taxi driver caught in the middle of a series of taxi driver murders. Can Fast Eddie find the killer before he becomes the next victim?

If you like crime or detective noir this is the book for you. It has that dark and stormy night kind of feel to it and the author manages to capture the sense of foreboding and edginess that keeps "Fast Eddie" on his toes. This is the kind of book to take with you on the plane or train as it is not lengthy and not too short. Perfect to stuff in a purse or a briefcase to take along. This book has so much going for it - character development, show more setting, and tension are all well written. Add to that a perfect kind of cover that establishes right-off-the-bat that this is old time crime noir and you come up with a nice 4 or 5 hours worth of entertainment and good reading. show less

If you liked Taxi Driver, you will probably enjoy this too. The main characters are vastly different, but you get a real sense of the dark environment and foreboding of what is to come next in both this book and the film. Even though it's set in modern times it has a bit of the Noir feel to it. I have yet to be disappointed with any of the books from the "Hard Case Crime" series.