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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"In this dreary and comfortless region...", November 21, 2002
Sometimes my loyalties get in the way of good sense. When I think G. M. Ford, I think Leo Waterman, the slightly haphazard private investigator and the crew of alcoholics that act as his assistants. A little noir, often funny, these have been one of my secret delights for many years. All of a sudden, when I wasn't looking, Ford has started a new series with a totally different main character. My first reaction is 'who the heck is this Frank Corso, and what is he doing where Leo Waterman used to be?' Corso, a newspaper writer nearly ruined by a reporting scandal, has made a new start in Seattle, writing columns and true crime books. Now a three-year-old story about a serial killer has come back to haunt him in the form of Leanne Samples, who was the main source of testimony against Walter Leroy Himes, and who now claims she lied. Himes is six days from execution and Corso wants nothing to do with the case, but fate has a way of playing tricks, and Corso finds himself digging through ancient history with the aid of Meg Dougherty, a tough lady photographer with a major tattoo problem. Everyone wants Himes dead. He is an utterly irredeemable psychotic who, if he is innocent, is only so by accident. Corso finds himself at war with all of the Seattle police department and most of city hall. Everyone has something to hide. The only way to stop Himes execution is for Corso to find the killer himself. And that is likely to make Corso as dead as the eight victims. Like a master, Ford picks you up on the first page, shakes you around until your brains rattle, slaps you into a rollercoaster seat and disconnects the brakes. Waterman fans will find that Ford has created a completely new character, fiercely private and attitude ridden. To make the break with the past complete, the pacing and style are different enough to make the reader feel that he has discovered an entirely new author. One who has no qualms about the occasional use of a two-by-four to get the reader's attention. However, this isn't a simple tough guy noir story. There is as much solid detection as there is stomach churning. Plus some fine interior views of the dirty side of Seattle and the city's not so finest. Whether you are an old fan or someone considering making the first dip, you will find this a rewarding read.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fury, November 13, 2002
Reclusive Frank Corso, disgraced ex N.Y. Times journalist, is working as a freelance syndicated columnist for the lowly Seattle Sun. He is the only person at the newspaper Leanne Samples, star witness for the prosecution in the Walter Himes 'Trashman' serial killer case, will talk to. Leanne is now saying she lied at the trial and the police won't listen to her. She thinks if Corso writes her story, it will stop Himes's execution, which is in 6 days. At the time of the trial, Corso was widely ostracized for voicing doubts about Himes guilt. Leo Waterman makes a cameo appearance as the detective that locates Corso for Seattle Sun publisher, Natalie Van Der Horn; who pulls out her 'marker' and convinces him to write the story. He is paired with freelance photographer Meg Dougherty, who has a bizarre past of her own. The subsequent investigaion by Corso and Daugherty make for a fast and furious storyline. In order for the governor to stop the execution, they have to find the real killer; and the clock is ticking...... The are twists and turns as the story moves at breakneck speed. I couldn't read fast enough. Terrific plot, great characters. Buy it NOW!!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fury, Fast & Furious, July 4, 2002
Theres lots of anger in this book, nicely diffused by the authors deft sense of humor. He gives us a brooding sense of place in a Seattle that has seemingly skipped summer this year in favor of rain, fog and more rainliving in Seattle is like being married to a beautiful woman who is sick all the time. Frank Corso, failed journalist and best selling true-crime writer, is obsessively private with an implacable sense of justice. (When did God die, and leave HIM in charge?) He is coerced into investigative reporting when a witness recants her charge of rape against a convicted serial killer facing execution in seven days. As her testimony was key to the prosecution, it is more than likely he is not The Trashman, a particularly hideous killer. Sounds like a slam-dunk for a white knight to ride to the rescue, doesnt it? Well, not quite. Walter Lee Himes, the man on death row, is about the sorriest, despicable rag of humanity the author could conjure. Hes ugly, slovenly, a child molester, has a petty crime record as long as your arm with a trash mouth that would even dismay the ACLU. The City of Seattle comprising the Mayor, politicians, police and general public; plus the victims families are overjoyed that Walter Lee will breathe his last in six days. It isnt enough that Frank prove Walter Lee innocent; he must find the real serial killer. We are off on a breakneck, twist & turn yarn. Mr. Ford draws some interesting characters, first and foremost sidekick Meg, a photojournalist, Goth lady, and victim of a terrible crime. Megs sadistic ex-boyfriend turned stalker captured her and tattooed her entire body including her face. For some reason, this chilled and horrified me more than any mayhem ever could. It says much for the authors skill that you become far more interested in Meg than her tattoos. Robert Boyd aka Fury, the tagger (graffiti artist) who saw something he shouldnt, is perfectly rendered as a kid in the hood who is the despair of his hard-working mother. The cops and politicians are a little over the top, sometimes their motives and truculence hard to understand. This is a twist and turn brilliantly plotted book, guaranteed to rivet you to your chair. I thought the last twist was one too many, and a few characters that were uncomfortably close to their real-life counterparts (the newspaper owner a la Katherine Graham), but overall a fine read. Ill look for more of Mr. Fords stories.
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