Detective [Paperback]

Arthur Hailey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1998

Serial killer Elroy "Animal" Doil is hours away from the electric chair. In his last hours of life, he wants to make a confession--to Detective Malcolm Ainslie, the man who put him away. And as much as he'd like to, Ainslie can't ignore the criminal's request. Because although Doil is guilty of a gruesome double murder, his confession could close ten other unsolved slayings. What Ainslie learns, however, will thrust him into an investigation that leads directly to elite levels of city government--and some of his trusted colleagues.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Miami police detective Malcolm Ainslie, a former Catholic priest, is summoned to hear the confession of Elroy Doil, a serial killer he helped put away, hours before Doil's scheduled execution. Ainslie has always had doubts about Doil's involvement in the murder of City Commissioner Gustav Ernst and his wife, whom Doil insists he didn't kill, though he is happy to take credit for all the other murders he was charged with (and a couple he wasn't). This novel by the author of famed potboilers like The Moneychangers moves slowly and predictably from here, with Ainslie in charge of a new investigation of the Ernst murders. The characters are flat and uninteresting and the writing so poor as to make slogging through this dull story painful indeed. Not recommended.
-?Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Miami police department detective Malcolm Ainslie is almost out the bureau door when he takes one last call. It's the chaplain at Raiford Prison. Elroy Doil, a convicted serial killer awaiting execution, wants Ainslie, a former Catholic priest, to hear his final confession. Doil admits to another 10 murders, but he insists he didn't kill city commissioner Ernst and his cop daughter. In spite of Doil's obvious madness, Ainslie believes him and sets about to answer the obvious question: If not Doil, who? The investigation has to start with surviving daughter Cynthia Ernst, Ainslie's former lover and now a superior officer within the department. Hailey, who lives on the best-seller lists, is likely to find himself there once again with this engrossing thriller. There's nothing fancy here, just Hailey doing what he does best: develop a topical plot; move it forward with identifiable, carefully drawn characters; and present a satisfying, logical, and exciting conclusion. Highly entertaining fare. Wes Lukowsky --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 595 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425163865
• ISBN-13: 978-0425163863
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,510,559 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The writing is much better than formerly, September 6, 1998

By 

Karlis Streips (Riga, Latvia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Detective (Paperback)

I've been a fan of Arthur Hailey's books since I was a teenager, especially "Airport" and "Hotel". Many reviews have been written here on Amazon about "Detective", and I'd just like to write one observation. I found the writing in "Airport", "Hotel" and other Hailey books to be somewhat leaden at some points. It brought to mind Rita Mae Brown, who is another of my favorites and who tells magnificent stories, but whose writing seems clumsy at points. "Detective" is written much more smoothly, with more highly believable dialogue and plot structure. I read the book in one afternoon and most of a Sunday, and I recommend it very, very highly.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GRIPPING AND DIFFERENT POLICE PROCEDURAL, January 26, 2003

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Detective (Paperback)

I am NOT a police dispatcher as one of my fellow reviewers,but I found Hailey's "Detective" a rather engrossing and compelling novel. Known for his grand style of writing, employing several different storylines at once, he brings this to the police procedural genre and overall, I think, brings it off well. The characterizations are well developed, and Malcolm Ainslie is a flawed hero; his bitterness over the Catholic faith, however, is never fully rationalized, and I was sad when at a point where his life was about to end, he still refused to admit God's existence. However, this is what makes Ainslie so complex. He also seems to have a hard time stifling his urge to "roam" in his marriage, and it is his affair with one Cynthia Ernst that propels him into a dark, and complicated vortex. A strong debate about capital punishment also enters the picture as Ainslie is called to a death row inmate's execution for a final confession from a despicable nasty character called "Animal" Elroy Doil. There's some other subplots including the mysterious murder of a wealthy woman's husband; a lot of background into Cynthia's youth; and many other goings on that contribute to the breadth of the novel.
This was Hailey's first attempt at this type of novel, and although as a mystery/thriller, it sets no new territories, it does come off as well-developed and interesting character study about the life of a detective; the wealthy; and the religious.
RECOMMENDED.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, March 1, 2004

By 

R. H Porter (indianapolis, indiana USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Detective (Hardcover)

I was really drawn into this book. I like the dynamics of the characters. I really liked how the main character went on a spritiual as well as a personal journey to discover his convictions. However, I really felt bad for the Commander having to endure her Fathers foul behavior and not even her Mother stand up for her. I agree with reviewer who stated that this book is not an attack on christianity or catholicism. This character simply lost his faith and had a find it again.