Customer Reviews

The Devil and Lieutenant Hilderbrand

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one hell of a story, just believable enough to hold your attention, but borderline spooky; a perfect balance. It concernes a theme that really touches on a nerve, the existence of pure evil in the world. When someone first discoveres this fact, be it at an early age or later life, it is one of those quote "innocence lost" moments that haunts one throughout ones life. So I guess this, and the symbolic rising from the dead, are the big "hooks" of this story. Thank God the good guys won!

A nifty twisted* little piece complete with a taste southern justice. Sometimes things aren't what they seem to be. Loads of dialog that keeps you atuned to what the characters are feeling and reacting to. (*Twist being the operative word.) If you're in the mood for a nice creepy evening, I recommend this little devil.

Grabbed my attention right away! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced thriller. I liked the refreshing fact that Anson (hero) was strong and disciplined without being superman. The villian is someone I'd surely want to avoid, but according to this story, that would be difficult to do. (How do you stay away from someone who simply blends in?) Reading this book was like being an insider on both sides of good and evil. Great ending!

First of all I really liked the book! It kept my attention throughout, and when I couldn't read, I was hoping to get back to it soon. I never thought much about the difference between "sin" and "evil". This book has made me think about that. Sins come in all sizes and shapes and severity. But EVIL is something different all together. It can be alive; it can be dormant - waiting. It lurks. It is HUGE. You can't conquer evil; you can only squelch it or try to. And you have to do it over and over. Anson is the realist. Anson also represents GOOD to me. I thought it was interesting that Howard had no last name. Why? My own thoughts on that are that evil is bigger than a name or single identification. It would be like giving the Devil a last name. "Devil Smith," Howard Smith! Again, really really enjoyed the book. Can't wait for the next J. W. Kerr book!

J.W. Kerr's The Devil And Lieutenant Hilderbrand is a dark, urban noire mystery in which Lieutenant Hilderbrand leads a Houston Police Department homicide investigation against a ruthless serial killer, whose appetite for carnage literally reaches beyond the grave. The Devil And Lieutenant Hilderbrand is a superbly crafted, tense, gripping, and thrilling crime story. Also highly recommended is the Kerr's hard-boiled mystery sequel, Graves, Worms And Epitaphs. ...

By Lois Scott in The Victoria Advocate (March 24, 2000) Lust, greed and addiction are vices that drive most people to a life of crime. Many believe that these sins alone and the criminals that commit them can be forgiven because they represent human flaws that can be fixed. Some acts however are so horrific and the criminals who commit them are so far beyond rehabilitiation it defies our institutions and our reasoning. This novel exmaines murder and violence without remorse and takes the reader into the overlooked mythic struggles that play out in a search for justice. Thus, the evil nature of crime is at the center of this novel.

By Bill Whitaker of the Abilene Reporter-News (March 3, 2000) Evil definitely intrigues Kerr and drives his fictional Houston police lieutenant onward in his efforts to solve a series of murders, ultimately centering on -of all people- a seemingly disinterested librarian who leads a double life as a methodical, high-dollar hit man. Kerr might seem a most unlikely fellow to deal with such things - his areas of specialty are the great classics he teaches at University. The novel's most intriguing charcter is Howard, a seemingly inoffensive librarian at the heart of a murder-for-hire outfit that ultimately targets the Texas attorney general for death. The book finds Lt. Hilderbrand dealing with a form of evil that seems to flourish even from beyond the grave. And evil is especially effective in its way of appearing to be something that it is not.

A good read,moves quickly, fascinating end. Scary when you know it could happen.