Customer Reviews

Blood Tracks

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the second in Cercone's series featuring Detective Milo Kachigan, settlement house director Helen Sorby, and 1905 Pittsburgh. In this outing, an aging anarchist tests out one of his bombs in the settlement house's back yard. What appears when the smoke settles is a dead body. However, it is clear to Helen that the man was not killed in the bomb blast. She also knows that the police will take the easiest way out and arrest her anarchist-boarder for the death. To ensure that the murder is investigated by the only honest policeman she knows, she gets herself arrested as well. True to form, Milo gets himself assigned to the case and bails Helen out, but leaves the anarchist in jail. He makes Helen promise not to interfere with his investigation and she, surprisingly, agrees as long as he promises not to interfere with hers. They go their separate ways, each turning up important pieces of the puzzle.

In this outing, Helen and Milo seem more antagonistic than in the first. Helen has become, in many ways, shrewish. It is a disappointment because the first book showed much promise of a series with a strong woman and a strong man operating on as equal terms as the times allowed. The writing remains strong with Cercone using Pittsburgh to provide us a history of the times. She does not let her history overwhelm the story or the characters, and uses real people, like George Westinghouse, in a believable way.

Although it was wonderful visiting with Helen and Milo again this book was more difficult to follow than the first, Steel Ashes. The plot is more convoluted and the tone is much darker.

I would still recommend it for those who read the first book.

The second in the series of Pittsburgh at the turn of the century, this one keeps up the pace of its first book. Though Helen is much angrier in this book than in the first, it's not too distracting. All the other fine qualites, the mood and historical detail and romantic touch continues here nicely. An interesting book to read.

I read "Blood Tracks" very soon after I read the author's previous work, "Steel Ashes". I found the plot and characters to be mesmerizing. The depiction of the heroine, Helen Sorby, working at the Westinghouse plant was facinating to read, especially for today's working women. As in "Steel Ashes", it is difficult to sort out the villians from the heros. The mystery truly keeps you guessing. Fine crafted stories such as these, give one a true appreciation for what our grandparents endured when they immigrated to this country. I anticipate the arrival of her next book, "Coal Bones".

I enjoy historical fiction and have been hitting this time period & WWI. I enjoyed this authors writing style and learned some new things. I will read her other books.