John Lutz Darker Than Night

John Lutz Darker Than Night

Plot:

A killer dubbed "The Night Prowler" has turned the city that doesn't sleep into a town kept awake by terror. Unseen, he enters couples' homes. Unsuspected, he lingers until the perfect moment arrives. He leaves "gifts" for his victims - before taking their lives. Enter ex-homicide cop Frank Quinn, still reeling in the wake of an elaborate setup that ended his career. For Quinn, this isn't just any job - it's a last chance to salvage his reputation. As the investigation proceeds, the murderer loses no time stalking new prey: a loan officer and her high-earning husband; a couple who made a killing in the stock market; a pretty actress and her prosperous lover. With the body count rising, it's up to Quinn to unlock the mystery of a madman's past and end his bloody reign. Quinn's got his work cut out - because in a city the size of New York, anyone of eight million faces could be that of a killer or his next target. 

My Review and Thoughts:

John Lutz talent reminds you of the vintage day mysteries and yet is all modern. An interesting cat and mouse game. A serial killer is always a great mystery subject, a great plotted ordeal. 

John Lutz is able to grab the reader with his writing. Your introduced to some of your characters in wonderful down to earth details such as Detective Fedderman described as, married, having trouble getting it up, bad breath, upset stomach, balding and 30 pounds over weight. His partner detective Pearl Kasner described as a good looker, great rack, nice ass, could be an actress or model if was taller. 

Most of all is your main star, the main character Frank Quinn described as an inch over 6 feet tall, twice broken nose, square jaw, short chopped dark hair, lanky, green flat eyes, cop eyes. What is amazing about this story is its not written out like your basic cop fiction. Your main hero Quinn is in forced retirement because he was about to reveal dirty cops and so before he could report them they framed him as being a child rapist, placing child porn on his computer and making a child come forward. They told him to retire, so he had, costing him his reputation and career and his marriage.

Now with the help of a Captain Harley Renz who wants to be the new Chief of police, offers Quinn a deal, he gives him a case to solve that everyone else thinks is a murder suicide. Renz does not believe that its a murder suicide and so he wants Quinn to solve it. So Renz can take the credit and when Renz is the new Chief he will clear Quinn's name and reinstate him.

Bad cops, good cops, a serial killer, false accusations, cover ups, murder, stalking, sex games, thick characters, detectives, sexual harassment, investigations, and much more. 

Hearing a noise in the next room saying to yourself it's the house settling or old pipes all the while thinking just maybe a masked killer is there. This is one of those novels that sticks out with that reality, that hidden fear or something you can't control, the boogieman in the dark waiting, slowly, silently, waiting to strike out in all his crazy glory.

This is a great descriptive story but that is also its downfall or at least the negative to this review. Too much side story between the three detectives. The book flashes with to many characters and side actions to those characters. I fill this book has to much filler or nonsense moments just to make the book longer.

Even though this book is about a serial killer at times it seems the killings are secondary or at least not the focus point. At times the rattling page after page of Quinn and Pearl is pointless. The book does mix great moments but nothing to stand out. The killings are mentioned like a side item so you sense or image the killings told in text book format or better put not described graphic enough to give the reader a sense of how horrible this killer is.

Most mentions are like a secondary glance of "oh he stabbed them" or "he shot them." I think the highlight of the story was the back-story of Luther. I enjoyed the ultimate climax, the nice twist ending yet I felt the book was way to long and just filled with unimportant stuff.

Great author, great moments, an interesting read. Some will like some will not, I am 50/50 with this book. I like some of it and I loathe some of it.