Customer Reviews

City When It Rains

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

 

 

Thomas Cook is most known for his small town mysteries-- except for a couple of books starring Atlanta cop Frank Clemons.

But this atmosphere drenched, big city noir is a perfect example of the genre. A free lance photographer is determined to solve the mystery of a beautiful woman who jumped from a high rise to her death. As he becomes obsessed with the case, he is determined to prove that she did not commit suicide.

The City When it Rains is to noir novels what "Laura" and "Vertigo" are to the movies. This is a masterful book about the risk of chasing a dream. About the balance of risking too much through negligence and of risking too little in the name of love.

Thomas Cook's popularity has risen with his terrific books like "Breakheart Hill" and "The Chatham School Affair." Someone should take that opportunity to reprint this, his finest work.

I recently reordered this book, having loaned it out. I first read it in 93, it was a rainy night when I did and it became my favorite...the woman who jumped from a fifth story building with a doll intrigued me. Ithink it all depends on what book you start with, this one started my obsession with his books. I've read 90% of his works. Another great was 'Sacrificial Ground', very good, a woman found in a shallow grave in a lot with her hair carefully spread out...begins a weird journey. All of Thomas' books are moody, atmospheric, and you feel as if your there. I remember in one part he describes where the neighbor indoor apts in New York was cooking sausage again and the smell permeated from the hallway.

If you love a rainy night mystery to curl up with read his.

An avid Fan...

This is my 11th book by Cook and it is very readable, but it is not his best book. It is very sad, considering that the main female died in the beginning and Corman spends the rest of the time trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. Add his personal situation plus the other people in his world and it is worthy of tears. I learned a lot about the underbelly of New York nightlife. But the more recent TC books are much more interesting and mysterious. PS I wish he would get another picture on his book jackets. He looks like a street person. But maybe that's what he wants to look like.

I choose to review this book because I have given two other works
by the same author 5 stars, and I don't want to viewed as an
unabashed touter of all works by Cook when I am not.

I happened to read Cook's PERIL and CHATHAM SCHOOL AFFAIR
first, and consider them to be excellent works. By comparison CITY
WHEN IT RAINS falls markedly short. This book about a free lance
photographer who feels compelled to look into the facts behind what
others see to be a suicide by a non-entity, becomes caught in sludge
in mid-story. I found myself bored to the extent that I no longer cared
about the outcome. I stopped reading.

At my age (old) I no longer believe that a book deserves to be read
through when I don't like what I am reading. There are always better
books to devote my attention to; I have gone to one of them.