Red Lightning (A Larry Cole Mystery) [Hardcover]

Hugh Holton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1998

An investigative journalist, tipped off about the shady doings of a former military research scientist--whose "home security" system involves booby-trapping the homes of the wealthy with bizarre and dangerous devices--sets out to uncover his scheme.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

The forces of evil are loose in Chicago again, and once more Chief of Detectives Larry Cole stands between them and the city's total destruction. This time the heavies are Cherokee-born rogue scientist Dr. Jonathan Gault and his legless sidekick Christian Dodd. Thrown out of work when the army closed down his beloved Astrolab project, Gault, this reverse Batman, has taken his evil eye, high explosives, poisonous snakes, and maniacal Robin to the Windy City, where he teams up with a pair of biddable public servants to supply the city's wealthy with lethal booby traps that will decimate the local population of burglars and car thieves. When snoopy freelance reporter Kate Ford gets evidence that some of Cole's colleagues are covering up the manner of the small-time felons' deaths, the race is on. Gault and Dodd, armed with the choicest arsenal of death-dealing weapons since the glory days of Fu Manchupoisoned darts, death rays, mechanically revivified museum fossils, a flame-throwing wheelchairhave at Cole and Ford and their stalwart allies, who interrupt their ongoing soap opera of romances, disguises, and shifting allegiances (Violent Crimes, 1997, etc.) long enough to freeze in terror before the messengers of slithering death . . . until fighting back in a final demented tableau. Holton's fifth and most satisfyingly unnuanced wallow in mayhem seems destined not so much for the movies as for a Saturday morning cartoon. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 319 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312866879
• ISBN-13: 978-0312866877
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,188,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Police action the way you want it., January 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Red Lightning (A Larry Cole Mystery) (Hardcover)

Once again Hugh Holton has hit the police action on the head. Being a police officer for over 30 years, I find that 'Red Lightning', puts me into the life of Larry Cole. Hugh knows how to make you feel that you are there. His villians are bad and they know how to inflect pain and death on their victims. I plan to read his books as they are published. Also, 'ZORRO', will get his.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cop action in Chicagoland., December 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Red Lightning (A Larry Cole Mystery) (Hardcover)

Red Lightning strikes swiftly to entrap the reader with its many twist and turns through Chicago's changing landscape. As a Chicagoland resident, I find myself riding shotgun as Detective Commander Larry Cole goes lights and siren to capture the villainous felons who cast death and destruction in Chicago's most popular neighborhoods. Hugh Holton balances political scandal, quality of life and surrealistic chance with back alley detective work and gut reaction instinct. With his Glock 9mm blazing, Lt. Larry Cole, and his team of top gun detectives, bring the reader into a each fire fight as if we were one of his team.

Although sometimes too unrealistic, this only adds to captivate the reader to grasp the cat and mouse game being played out. I really enjoy how Mr. Holton mixes outside governmental agencies to complicate this action adventure. This is another excellent novel in his string of successful Chicago reading adventures.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Winner!, September 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Red Lightning (A Larry Cole Mystery) (Hardcover)

You never know what to expect when you read one of Holton's book! There are two thing that you can expect. One thing is how insanely dangerous his villians are! Holton's villians are so warp that they make Hannibal Lector look normal! The second thing is how Cheif Larry Cole handles them.