4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nava is one of the best!, September 10, 2004
The reason why it is such a pity that Micheal Nava stopped writing is because he is basically one of the best mystery writers we had. His plots are closely linked to the growth his characters are going through, which makes his novels not only a very exciting read, but also emotionally a very satisfying one. Anyone of his Henry Rios mysteries is worth reading more then once.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best mystery novels out there, February 18, 2011
How had I not reviewed this? It is one of my all-time favorite mysteries. The pity is that Nava has stopped writing them. If there is a mystery writer whose work I would instantly buy, it's Nava.
Another reviewer said it well with this: "His plots are closely linked to the growth his characters are going through, which makes his novels not only a very exciting read, but also emotionally a very satisfying one. Anyone of his Henry Rios mysteries is worth reading more then once."
To touch on the plot, Nava's long-time lover Josh fears for his life from his HIV-infected status, he and Rios are growing apart to the point that they separate. In the meantime, the homophobic Senator Pena wants Rios to defend him on a charge of vehicular homocide and then is murdered. Is the killer the young addict Michael? There doesn't seem to be another suspect, but the Senator was an easy man to hate with a history of homophobia, of alcoholism and possibly abuse of his family. While Rios tries to deal with his own rage over his abusive past, he tries to save a less-than-lovable client who has been himself abused and come to grips with losing the man he loves.
It can be a painful novel to read because it is so emotionally honest. But one that is worth reading no once but several times.
There is a lot of anger in this novel which comes out, but how could there not be? The anger so many of us have and how we deal with it either destructively or constructively is, after all, the theme of the novel. And unlike so many modern mystery novels, it DOES have a theme.
Darn it, Nava, write some more mysteries!
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3.0 out of 5 stars
a well written but rather empty mystery novel.., March 2, 2011
Without a doubt Michael Nava is a fine writer. His prose is great, dialogue is sharp, and he has a great eye for detail. Unfortunately in this effort he seemingly forgot to develop a compelling story. A murder mystery surrounding a sleazy politician is a great premise. But the author dwells too much on the personal issues of the investigating attorney, which is fairly boring, and does a miserable job in trying to build any sort of suspense. The twist at the end of the book was very ho-hum.
Bottom line: Michael Nava produces a dud. Missable.
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