The Dark Place: A Karl Kane Novel [Paperback]

Sam Millar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2010

While it's hard to come up with much new in a serial killer plot, Millar distinguishes himself from amany of his contemporaries in the genre with taut writing and a memorable lead character.""--Publishers Weekly. ""Millar's private eye prowls the alleys and lanes of Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ambience returns the hard-boiled novel to its tonal roots. . . Hard-edged crime with a vengeance, but it is handled with a finesse and deftness that Chandler devotees will admire greatly.""--Booklist. Young homeless women and drug addicts are being abducted before being brutally mutilated and murdered, and a city is held in the grip of unspeakable terror. The cops are unable - or unwilling - to apprehend the elusive serial killer who has never once made a mistake in his grisly calling - until now. By abducting Katie, the young daughter of private investigator Karl Kane, the killer has just made his first mistake, which could well turn out to be his last.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While Millar's second gritty crime novel featuring Belfast PI Karl Kane (after Bloodstorm) doesn't have the same punch as its predecessor, readers with an appetite for gore will be engrossed. Soon after Kane agrees to look into the case of an alleged runaway, Martina Ferris, a friendly pathologist tips off Kane that he's examining two corpses whose profiles match Martina's and whose liver and kidneys have been removed. If that barbarity isn't enough, the victims' bodies carried too much weight for their skeletons, suggesting that they were force fed. Once a chief suspect emerges—Bobby Hannah, son of a renowned surgeon, who shot his mother to death, allegedly by accident—Kane and Hannah engage in a cat-and-mouse game that strikes increasingly close to home for the detective. While it's hard to come up with much new in a serial killer plot, Millar distinguishes himself from many of his contemporaries in the genre with taut writing and a memorable lead character. (Jan.)
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From Booklist

In the 1930s, Raymond Chandler created the quintessential hard-boiled private eye, Philip Marlowe, drawing on Depression-era hard times to set the dark, sometimes desperate tone. Over the years, much of that darkness has been lost in hard-boiled fiction, with latter-day Marlowes like Robert B. Parker’s Spenser spending as much time in the kitchen as walking the mean streets. Millar’s private eye prowls the alleys and lanes of Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ambience returns the hard-boiled novel to its tonal roots. In The Dark Place, a wisecracking Karl Kane sets out to find a teenage girl gone missing. The bodies of similar young women have turned up minus various organs and with disturbing evidence of having been fattened, like foie gras geese, in order to be consumed by a mad aristocrat. Matters worsen dramatically when Kane’s own daughter goes missing. This is hard-edged crime with a vengeance, but it is handled with a finesse and deftness that Chandler devotees will admire greatly. --Steve Glassman

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Brandon Books (January 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0863224032
• ISBN-13: 978-0863224034
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,988,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Belfast, Ireland. Best-selling writer of crime books including the critically acclaimed Karl Kane novels. Numerous literary awards including the prestigious Aisling Award for Art and Culture, The Martin Healy Short Story Award, The Brian Moore Award for Short Stories and The Cork Literary Review Writer's Award. Spent most of my young life in Long Kesh prison for my political beliefs and spent other time (too long) in American penitentiaries before President Bill Clinton mercifully pardoned me and sent my sorry you-know-what back to Ireland. Read all about it in my critically acclaimed best-selling and award-winning memoir, On The Brinks. Rights acquired by Warner Brothers
Crime books include: Dark Souls, The Redemption Factory (short-listed for the Grand Prix De Littérature Policière, France's most prestigious crime writers' award). The Darkness of Bones, and the critically acclaimed Karl Kane series, Bloodstorm, and its follow-up, The Dark Place.

Find me lazing about on my website at www.millarcrime.com I'm always glad to have visitors, or simply send me your comments - good or bad. I'm a big boy. I can take it! The darkness is my light...
Please direct all inquiries regarding ON THE BRINKS or any other of my books to:
WHITT BRANTLEY MANAGEMENT AND TALENT (USA)
Literary, Film and Television
Voice: 484.824.0372
www.whittbrantley.com
[e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Millar comes through in a big way again., September 6, 2009

By 

Dman4227 (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Place: A Karl Kane Novel (Paperback)

I was very exited to read the continuing Karl Kane series by Sam Millar and I am thrilled to report that this book delivers in a big way!
Just like the first Kane book of the series (Bloodstorm), this book has a dark edge to it and hits the "hardcore" nail right on the head. Karl Kane is a very intriguing character and reminds me of Jack Taylor from the Ken Bruen series. While there is a resemblance between the characters from the two series, Sam Millar has certainly written a book and created a character that stands on their own merit.
This book has the same dark edge that the first book created and that was what I was hoping for. The first half of the book sets the stage very nicely and the second half had me tearing through the pages.
The final denouement has me already waiting for the next book. Without providing a spoiler, I would have to say that the next book in the series will have even more depth and darkness as it deals with the ramifications of the new layer that has been added to the Karl Kane psyche.
It is a shame that authors such as James Patterson get all the press and coverage for books that are predictable and boring, while authors like Sam Millar have outstanding books and series but seem to be off the radar. Hopefully this book will change that for Mr. Millar. This book highlights that some of the best new hardboiled noir is from smaller presses (such a s New Pulp Press) and these books are ready to take noir fiction to the next level.
The final verdict...buy this book and prepare to be caught up in the dark world that Millar has created. All fans of dark noir will be thrilled with the decision to spend time with Karl Kane. If you have read this book I guarantee you will be looking for more of Millar's books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, June 14, 2010

By 

Susie "Susie" (Chicago Area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Dark Place: A Karl Kane Novel (Paperback)

I read Bloodstorm yesterday, The Dark Place today and ordered four more Sam Millar books tonight.

I agree with everything Dman, Noir Fan and Cormac said in their reviews above mine.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful stuff., November 2, 2009

By 

Noir Fan (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Place: A Karl Kane Novel (Paperback)

"The Dark Place is even better than Bloodstorm, the first book to introduce us to the legendary Karl Kane. Not only is it a page-turner, but there is some great, dark humour throughout. Very few writers know how to balance humour and dark noir, but Millar has clearly mastered it. This series is quickly becoming totally addictive and compulsive. Highly recommended for those who want something original and very dark, and are totally exasperated with the usual predictable story line of others."