Customer Reviews

Big City, Bad Blood

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the best debut novels I've read in over a decade. I rember when I read the first books by Robert Crais, Denis Lehane and Michael Connelly, and I got the same kind of buzz that I got while reading this.

Chercover writes about Chicago as only a native can, and he writes about a Chicago you don't see advertised on TV. It's a gritty dark place, and if you are smart you'll have Ray Dudgeon watching your back.

Dudgeon is a fromer reporter turned PI working a body gaurd job for a Hollywood location scout. Things quickly get out of hand and he has to make some tough choices.

Fast paced and smooth as silk, this does not read like a first novel, it reads like the work of a seasoned pro.

I predict big things for Mr. Chercover

Kudos to author Sean Chercover and his irreverent Chicago PI Ray Dudgeon in this smart, well paced, debut. Dudgeon, a former investigation reporter for the Chicago Chronicle, takes on an assignment to guard Bob Loniski, a middle level Hollywood exec who sees something he shouldn't have while managing the logistics for film shoot on location in Chicago. In less time than it takes for the Cubs to blow any shot at a pennant, Dudgeon and Loniski are up to their kielbasas in Chicago mobsters and a rising body count. Chercover lays out a plausible plot early on, so there's not a lot of guessing, but any lack of intrigue is amply compensated by lively dialogue, a rich cast, and political scandal that is as much a part of the Windy City's legacy as Al Capone. More Mike Royko than Carl Sandburg, Chercover does a good job of capturing Chicago's gritty charm, especially in contrast to Hollywood's mind-numbing plastic pretentious vacuum.

"Big City, Bad Blood's" Dudgeon may remind you a lot of a Midwest version of Robert Crais' LA detective Elvis Cole, complete with the wise cracks and woman troubles. But far from LA's politically correct brand of bland, Dudgeon is a welcome throwback to the hardboiled heroes of Jim Thompson and Raymond Chandler, lubricating his progress with dark rum on the rocks with a pack of smokes always within easy reach. While some violent relief in the form of Cole's stoic Joe Pike is conspicuously absent, Dudgeon's childhood friend "Gravedigger" emerges late in the book, portending a larger role for the half-crazed sidekick in the inevitable sequels.

In short, a well-crafted and entertaining page-turner that deserves to put Chercover on the crime fiction map. I look forward to the next installment

I've tried to write this review three times and I give up. I can't say any better what others have already said except that this is the best new PI novel I've read in ten years. The plot is smart and well-built, the action well paced and vivid, and the rendering of character and setting is spot-on. I really liked protagonist Ray Dudgeon, even when he was messed up, hardheaded, and doing the right thing for the wrong reason (and vice versa) and I couldn't put the book down. If you like hardboiled detective fiction, you must keep your eye on Chercover.

I would never have known that this was the author's first novel if I hadn't been informed that this was the case. The book is well-written with tightly-knit prose, realistic dialogue and an intriguing plot. Best of all, the characters are well-fleshed, and even though this is the first of a series, I felt like I knew PI Ray Dudgeon very well by the end of the book. We learn enough about him and his past and personal life to care about him, but the book doesn't get bogged down in endless details. Chercover manages to strike a good balance between character development and keeping the book focused and on track, and he writes like an old pro. I have to say that I'm not generally a big fan of books that heavily feature a "mafia" element to them, but despite that, I'd give this book a five stars PLUS if I could! Highly recommended.

The private eye novel is alive and well and living in Chicago.

Chercover's hardboiled debut alternately pays homage to and breaks new ground in the gumshoe genre. PI Ray Dudgeon is cut from the same cloth as Spenser, but does so with a realism and verve that breathes new life into the old standbys.

Yes, there is drinking, and brawling, and sex, and mob hits, and political corruption, and murder, and the obligatory warehouse torture scene. And yes, Dudgeon is a knight errant with a penchant for violence that gleefully recalls classic Mike Hammer. But there is also a sly sense of humor at play, and Dudgeon's humanity in the face of fear makes him a 3D hero rather than a stereotype.

Mix James Crumley with Robert Crais and you've got BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD. I'm looking forward to Chercover's follow-up.

This is an outstanding book! I don't usually read detective novels - but this was great, The main character is complex and seems real, and his relationship with his girlfriend covers new ground. It's a dark book, but also funny, with some subtle humour. The story is tense and moves at a fast pace. Once started I had to keep reading. I've been thinking a lot about this book in the few days since I read it.

Sean Chercover is a new voice in crime fiction. From the atmospheric rendering of Chicago to the well drawn characters, Big City Bad Blood is a great debut novel. If you like your mysteries hard-bolied, your writing crisp, the action fast, and surprises galore, this book is for you. Mr. Chercover--I can't wait to read the next one!

With its lurid cover and title, it would be easy to pass this book by, but anyone who loves good mystery writing will love this first time author. Sean Chercover has written a book that harkens back to the golden age of hard boiled detective fiction, while keeping it completely contemporary in tone and action.

In this case, PI Ray Dudgeon is protecting a Hollywood locations manager from "the Outfit" (aka Mafia) when the manager rents warehouse space for the movie that is then accidentally exposed as part of a real estate scam. What the detective quickly realizes is that the story goes much deeper than that, and his client has gotten him into the middle of a local Mob war.

Author Sean Chercover has the consumate skill, creating perfect characters, capitalizing on a great setting (mostly Chicago), and an interesting plot to hit the trifecta of mystery writing...all on his first time out. Can't wait for more from this new author. He's got the touch!

Extraordinary debut novel! Ray Durgeon is a familiar yet original private eye with all the requisite baggage, wit, and excesses such characters are heir to. Chercover's strong voice, vivid characters, gritty, authentic Chicago backdrop and can't-put-it-down plot will be sure to earn this one a spot on the award ballots. First novels are usually a bit wobbly, but there is no evidence of training wheels on this one. It'll fit nicely on the darker side of your shelf next to Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block, and Ross Macdonald.

Bought through AMAZON and discovered through an AMAZON recommendation, BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD by Sean Chercover, has turned out to be a very fine little book. This is his debut novel and his hero Ray Dudgeon, is a super character. This private eye is a good guy with a very dark side, and he can take a beating too. I liked the other characters and I hope to see more of Gravedigger in subsequent books. Looking forward to TRIGGER CITY.
Highly recommended to detective/mystery readers.