Customer Reviews

County Line

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

COUNTY LINE is a masterpiece of storytelling. Some critics have described it as "crime noir" -- I'm not entirely certain what that means, but it seems to fit: the book has an undeniably dark tone and crimes are committed. It's a genre in which I'm not well read. But I know good writing when I see it, regardless of genre, and in reading this book it became patently obvious very early on that Cameron is a fiercely talented writer.

The protagonist, Skin Kadash, a homicide cop for 25 years, is now retired and living in Portland, OR. Ruby Jane, the woman he cares about -- even he seems reluctant to define her as something more serious, given that he's not quite sure his feelings are reciprocated -- has gone missing. And there's a dead guy in her bathtub. So Kadash sets out on a mission to find her. This book is about his relentless journey halfway across the country and back, and deep into Ruby Jane's painful past, to find a woman who seems determined not to let anyone discover where, or who, she really is.

Kadash is smart and also a bit of a smart-ass. He's wryly self-deprecating while at the same time projecting a tough quiet confidence in his knowledge and experience as a cop. He's not afraid of physical pain, in fact seems to expect it, but is vulnerable to emotional anguish -- his own, but especially that of others. It's a delicate balance and Cameron draws that line with finesse.

Ruby Jane is a pure mess. We see her primarily though the hellish yet oddly matter-of-fact first hand account of events from her distant past. She's a character featured in earlier books, but I haven't read those so my first impressions are not of her as a grown woman but as a teen, a girl with experiences and responsibilities beyond her years. Her story is heartbreaking without being maudlin. Her strength and resilience stand as defiant affirmation without the lecture. Again, an incredibly difficult but brilliant characterization.

In fact, the depictions of Ruby Jane's horribly dysfunctional home life and of teenage girls with their capacity for cliquish cruelty are handled so well, with such simple unflinching authenticity, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend COUNTY LINE as a YA selection.

Cameron employs a complicated and potentially disjointed method of telling this story, switching between present and past events and offering narrative from diverse alternate points of view, but he pulls it all together seamlessly. There's just enough wry humour to keep it from being too dark, just enough sensitivity to serve as a salve to the brutality, and definitely enough "what the heck is going on?" to make it gripping and unpredictable all the way to the end.

I highly recommend COUNTY LINE to anyone who loves a darkly compelling story with flawed yet fascinating characters and appreciates a writer who demonstrates a commanding facility with language. Not to mention a deft hand with a dedication.

Bill Cameron is a writer who knows when to slow down, speed up, and carry you along at just the right pace that you can't help but yearn to finish his books, and County Line is no different. With an intriguing opening, killer chapter endings, no mercy for his characters, twists that will spin you like a wheel, and shocks that come like punches this is a book that delivers.

The characters are nailed to the wall. Cameron portrays, to a painfully real degree, a young girl trapped in the weaknesses and mistake of those meant to protect and love her. You will feel as though you have walked through hell holding Ruby Jane's hand. You'll want to kill for her, hold her, cheer her on and in return she will entertain and amuse you with plenty of wit. Ruby Jane is impossible not to love. The heroes of the story, Pete and Skin, make for quite the grumpy team providing great tension, awkwardness, and light laghter throughout the entire story. You will love, hate, hurt. What more can you ask for in a story?

Having read most of Bill Cameron's books, I can say that he meets all my expectation as a reader. His books have become an automatic buy for me. The icing on the cake is that with every book his edge gets just a little sharper. You will want more.

If you are a crime fiction fan then you will love COUNTY LINE. Cameron is one of the masters of the genre as far as I'm concerned. You can't go wrong reading any of his novels, they are all extremely well written and engaging. There are no cardboard characters here. Cameron is great at creating characters that you wouldn't be surprised to find in the real world. COUNTY LINE is an example of a talented writer at the top of his game. I highly recommend this novel!

Skin Kadash is a former cop. He was recovering from a gun shot wound, only to learn that his girlfriend, Ruby Jane Whittaker has gone missing. What had Ruby gotten herself into? When Skin goes to Ruby's apartment to find any sort of clue as to where Ruby is, Skin finds a dead man in Ruby's bath tub. Skin decides to start off at Pete McKrall's place. Pete is Ruby's former boyfriend. On one hand, Skin hopes that he does not find Ruby with Pete but on the other hand if she is there than he and Ruby will have to figure out where they are in their relationship.

County Line is the first book I have read by this author. I could tell that these were reoccurring characters when I first starting reading this book. It started out with Skin staying at a quiet, retreat where he was recovering from a near fatal gunshot wound. Though, I have not read any of the previous books, I was able to reading this book with no problems. Skin really made this book for me. He is like a modern day outlaw. He takes no bull and does not hold back. Ruby could hold her own with Pete and Skin. I liked this because if Ruby was a weak female than I would not have felt the connection between Skin and her and wanted Skin to find her. This book is split into several different parts. The first part is about Skin and him trying to find Ruby. The next section flashes back in time to Ruby and her past to help clue the reader into what Ruby is hiding and running from. The last section brings the reader back to the present and tries all the loose ends up nicely. Fans of a good suspense/mystery novel will enjoy this book.

What a great book. I found the writing to be excellent, the characters vivid and interesting, and the story quite unexpected and original. I want to go back and read any earlier works featuring Skin Kadash however, as there were a number of references to his past that piqued my interest. Why is his neck badly scarred? What was his past relationship with Pete like? The flash-back style of story telling worked for me here, although I sometimes wished I knew more about the principle characters' lives in the present, especially Ruby Jane.

I truely could not put this book down, staying up all night reading. Everything was moved to the back burner and my husband, now, really thinks I'm crazy. When I went to his website I discover this is the fourth novel in a series. I probably would have enjoyed it even more had I started with the first book. Then again, since I enjoyed it so much maybe that's an impossibility. However, now I must play catch up. For those of you interested in the sequence (1) Lost Dog, (2) Chasing Smoke, (3) Day One, and (4) County Line.

Okay, I gave this book 5 stars because it is a well written, engaging crime novel which fills the bill as a page turner. The author does a good job of moving you into the story with his descriptions of people and places. The premise is believable and the characters are all defined through good development so each one stands out with clear and distinct individuality. I enjoyed the writing style, and the fact that the book is not riddled with errors (one of my pet peeves) is a huge plus. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written crime drama.

County Line is intriguing. The author, Cameron goes into intimate, unnecessary detail in his descriptions of people, places and things. He waits until the last 4 pages to reveal the real killer and his persona, leaving me disappointed and disapproved. He bounces back and forth through the middle of the book like it is full pace Momento, in writing. It bewilders me why he is leaving readers confused and bored simultaneously. Lack of focus would describe this read.

I wish I had known that this wasn't the first book in the series with Skin Kadash. As I read the book and followed Skin, Ruby and David on their adventures I kept thinking when are they going to tell us what happened to Skin's neck (the reason he is called Skin...). This was a big distraction for me. Towards the end of the book I finally realized that there must have been previous a book(s). The book was well writen so you didn't need to read the books in order except for the NECK scar.

Ireally enjoyed the book otherwise, but I recommend that the previous books in the series are read first.

I picked this book up when it was free, and I did enjoy some aspects of it. But I doubt it would appeal to everyone. When I picked it up, I was unaware that this was one in a series. But the only things I felt I missed by not reading the other books is a clear understanding of the main charater's appearance (which was mentioned by other reviewers) and whether or not he and his girlfriend were lovers in addition to being in love.

Skin Kadash returns to Portland after having been gone for a month, only to find that the woman he loves, Ruby Jane Whittaker, has left town without letting anyone know her intentions or plans. When Skin uses his keys to enter Ruby's home, he finds what appears to be a homeless person dead in her bathtub. Additionally, she left her cellphone behind which is totally uncharacteristic for her. Skin, fearing something bad has happened to her, goes in search of Ruby Jane. His search leads him to discover aspects of her painful past that he had no idea about.

This story was written as a frame story. The linear story of what's happening now wraps around the story of Ruby Jane's seminal teenage years which plants the seeds for the events that are happening now. Ruby Jane's story is non-linear, see-sawing through the past to emphasize the tension of traumatic events. The story is rather dark and filled with pain, but very well written. Ruby Jane's character as a teen is very compelling, and keeps you reading even though I felt that the pace of the story dragged at times. Some events were telegraphed, yet others surprised me greatly. There was profanity, some of which was gratuitous.

If you like complex and convoluted mystery/crime stories written with lots of details and no clear winners and losers, then you will enjoy this book. 3.5 stars.