Customer Reviews

A Long Day for Dying

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

 

 

This novel was very entertaining and moved at a fast pace. Loved the idea of everything taking place within a day. Even though Martin Collins is a favorite character of mine, I tend to like Simon even more. Such an intelligent mind and very likable character.

My only nitpick with this novel was the editing. This is the worse editing I've ever seen in a novel. Other than that, I really enjoyed and can't wait to see what comes next from Mr Davis. Hopefully it's the same characters with lots of Simon. He's the best.

Normally, Martin Collins works diligently at his job as chief of police for Warrantown, Virginia. However, every once in a while he serves as a consultant for the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), the policing branch of the air force. Colonel Charles Hinkle, Chief of OSI, accedes to the demands of powerful Senator Garber, who commands that the military asks Martin to lead the investigation into the death of his son, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Michael Garber.

General Garber was a mean drunk who made a lot of enemies, especial among the Joint Chiefs who felt that he earned his stars and promotions because of his father's influence. The general was found dead in his compartment on the plane and it was made to look like an accident but Martin and his team soon discover it was murder. Everyone from the Joint Chiefs to the Secretary of Defense tries to muddy the waters so that Martin won't stumble upon a shocking truth, one that could topple the existing administration.

This political thriller is so fascinating and absorbing that readers will finish it in one sitting. The protagonist and the support cast are very likable because they see justice in terms of gray so nobody gets hurt who doesn't deserve it. A LONG DAY FOR DYING is hopefully the first installment in a new series because readers will want to see how these characters fare. Patrick A. Davis compresses all of the action into an eighteen hour period reminiscent of Twenty-four leaving the audience no time to catch their breath.

Harriet Klausner

This was my first read of Davis' and his crime busters and I don't think I will read another. Ditto on the editing and proofreading, worst I've seen too. Three times characters were misnamed and easily spotted.
I found it hard to swallow that a week's worth or more of investigating and interviewing was done by 10:30 a.m. With the 8 P.M. deadline pushing them they got more done and more running around than anyone could accomplish in a traffic jammed area and only used a helicopter once I believe.
I also thought Collin's growing awareness of Amanda a bit pre-teenish.

This is a fast-paced murder mystery that keeps the action moving and the reader guessing. However, there are several errors ranging from the merely annoying to more serious holes in the story.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (General Garber) is presumed murdered and one of many suspects is his Vice (deputy) Chairman, General Markel. Unfortunately, on three occasions, Davis refers to Markel when he clearly meant Garber. Near the end of the book, he writes "Barlow" when he meant Garber. At least this error was funny -- there is no character named "Barlow" in the book!! Was this a test to see if the reader was paying attention???

Perhaps a nitpick, but characters use cell phones in the Pentagon at any time and any location. This literary device of making private phone calls often enables characters to learn case-related facts and keep them from one another (and the reader) until such time as they can make startling and dramatic revelations. However, I can tell you from daily personal experience that there are very few areas in the post 9/11 Pentagon in which cell phone signals are available as one would believe from reading this book.

A more serious error is that of a presumed murder in the River Entrance parking lot in which a body is spotted from a Pentagon office window, but the investigating team led by the protagonist (and narrator), OSI investigator Martin Collins, never bothers to verify that the person they presumed to have been killed was actually who they thought it was. Pages later, they conclude that it had been a hoax, but the book never explains the bloodied body they had seen. Huh??

Even with its warts, the book tells an interesting story. Although author Patrick A. Davis has another winner, he was ill-served by the editors and proofreaders he credits in his Acknowledgments page.

A Long Day For Dying is a perfect book to read on the beach or on a plane trip. It's very plot-driven, fast-paced and exciting. However, you really must be willing to stretch your ability to suspend belief, as the plot is somewhat far-fetched. Also, the book is a little thin on character development. While I enjoyed Davis' latest, it's not a book that will make you feel that you have to rush out and buy his other books. It's fast entertainment that will make you want to "turn the pages," but it's also the type of book that you'll forget about soon after finishing it.

Another good read from Patrick Davis. The President had given the OSI investigative team consisting of the familiar characters Simon, Martin and Amanda, a very short one day time limit to confirm that the the apparently accidental death of the recently appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was indeed an accident. Thus, the story develops at break neck speed. The deceased was the son of a powerful senator and had a very serious skeleton in his closet from his days as a combat pilot in Vietnam. A coverup involving the other Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of Defense is orchestrated. Even though there seem to be roadblocks and obstacles at every turn the truth comes out leading to a surprise finish.

Martin Collins, the central character from THE COLONEL, is back as the special investigator assigned to look into the death of the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff. An apparent accidental death quickly turns into a murky whodunit reminiscent of the MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.

The first quarter of the book is rather slow. There are a plethora of characters that takes quite a while to distinguish from one another. It became quite tedious at times. Just when you have the characters straight, the next problem starts. This book is built upon one false lead after another. I have never seen a book where the story seemed to be wrapped up and then it was back to square one again. It was just too much misdirection. It's a case of the perpetrator being the least talked about. Even the surprise twist at the end, it ended up not much of a surprise since there was not much left that it could have been. I am not much of a fan of books where discretionary justice is applied. Judge and jury should apply justice, or in this case a military court, not by a few individuals who deem it for the greater good. The last problem that has nothing to do with the author, is the bad editing. One mistake is understandable, but several times characters were called by different names. It started to be very annoying. The editor was clearly asleep-not a good sign in a thriller.

Patrick A. Davis is a good writer and I am a fan of his other books, THE GENERAL, THE PASSENGER, THE COLONEL, and THE COMMANDER. I would recommend any of those over this one. Not every book an author writes can be a winner. I look forward to the next book.

like, Nelson Demille, Brian Haig, etc. you will like this book. It's not his best though. I would read The General first.

I really liked this book good actions sequnces I really like the shoot-out at the Pentagon. I also liked the Forencis squences!!!! I cant wait till his next thriller comes out Good Job Patrick.

This is a fast-paced murder mystery that keeps the action moving and the reader guessing. However, there are several errors ranging from the merely annoying to more serious holes in the story.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (General Garber) is presumed murdered and one of many suspects is his Vice (deputy) Chairman, General Markel. Unfortunately, on three occasions, Davis refers to Markel when he clearly meant Garber. Near the end of the book, he writes "Barlow" when he meant Garber. At least this error was funny -- there is no character named "Barlow" in the book!! Was this a test to see if the reader was paying attention???

Perhaps a nitpick, but characters use cell phones in the Pentagon at any time and any location. This literary device of making private phone calls often enables characters to learn case-related facts and keep them from one another (and the reader) until such time as they can make startling revelations. However, I can tell you from daily personal experience that there are very few areas in the post 9/11 Pentagon in which cell phone signals are available as one would believe from reading this book.

A more serious error is that of a presumed murder in the River Entrance parking lot in which a body is spotted from a Pentagon office window, but the investigating team led by the protagonist (and narrator), OSI investigator Martin Collins, never bothers to verify that the person they presumed to have been killed was actually who they thought it was. Pages later, they conclude that it had been a hoax, but the book never explains the bloodied body they had seen. Huh??

Even with its warts, the book tells an interesting story. Although author Patrick A. Davis has another winner, he was ill-served by the editors and proofreaders he credits in his Acknowledgments page.