The Sacrifice [Hardcover]

Mitchell Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1997

When ex-bank robber Tyler Pierce's daughter is murdered by a serial killer in Florida, Pierce uses his underworld connections in a desperate attempt to find the killer and, at the same time, straighten out his own life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

There's little to surprise veteran thriller readers in Smith's new crime novel (after Karma, 1994), and not much to please them either. The villain is a familiar sort?a serial killer?as are her pursuers, aging robber Tyler Pierce, who's an ex-con, and Naomi Cohen, an erstwhile prostitute with a heart of gold. Despite rich detailing, these two heroes in fact seem chipped from any number of Elmore Leonard novels, as does the Florida setting. The set-up is strong: after ripping off an armored van shipment, Pierce learns that his daughter has been slain in Florida by the maniac known as the Sweetwater killer. Heading south to find the murderer and extract revenge, he hires Naomi as his local guide and sorts out clues, running up against a bent cop, drug runners and other oddballs. There's no mystery, since readers are told the killer's identity early on, and there's scant suspense as Smith devotes too much space to interplay, sometimes cute, sometimes maudlin, between his leads. Fierce action too rarely punctuates the narrative. The most extended action sequence?of Pierce struggling naked through lethal swamps as a hurricane sweeps by?is powerful but seems arbitrarily inserted for effect. Even the killer's motivation?rage against abortions?appears more calculated than realistic, and leads to some intrusive pro-choice soapboxing. A pat ending laced with symbolism only confirms that Smith is straining here, etching a novel that, despite some crisp lines, winds up feeling as bogus as a three-dollar bill.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Highly praised for earlier novels depicting independent-minded characters in difficult situations, both female (Due North, LJ 9/92) and male (Stone City, LJ 4/1/90), Smith here develops another striking antihero who certainly follows a different drummer. Tyler Pierce, recently released from prison for bank robbery and settled in small-town Missouri as a roofer, learns that his 22-year-old daughter is the latest victim of a serial killer in Florida. With the aid of money stashed from one last bank job and the help of contacts outside the law, including a prostitute, a drug dealer, a crooked cop, a retired pimp turned female, and numerous other vivid characters, he tracks the killer. Like Carl Hiaasen, Smith knows the dark side of Florida with its bizarre characters, and his atypical protagonist might well be compared to some of Elmore Leonard's. We know the killer early on, but the plot is still cinematically fast, the dialog fine, and the suspense, mixed with humor, builds to a real twist. Highly recommended.?Roland C. Person, Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525939784
• ISBN-13: 978-0525939788
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,573,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tropical chills..., February 5, 1999

By 

Timothy Lehnerer (Nerva Archipelago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sacrifice (Mass Market Paperback)

Well, I enjoyed this more than I did Karma or Stone City, both by the same author. I found the setting to be believable and learned quite a bit about illegal banking techniques and roofing. And I would read a book centering on any one of the characters in this one; they're that well-written.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In a Different Category, May 10, 2007

By 

John E. Bainter (Puget Sound) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sacrifice (Mass Market Paperback)

I read several hundred books a year. I do not like Elmore Leonard; his material is mostly unbelievable and not especially exciting or funny. Most mysteries are formulaic and boring. Smith is a different sort of writer. He's gritty and real in a way that's hard to define. The plot isn't unique, but the treatment made the book. Can not believe the other reviews! Sooo many books are just the same thing; Lescroart, Parker, Cornwell, etc. Smith writes a mystery that's not just off the assembly line.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Extremely Likeable Anti-Hero, December 28, 2000

By 

Peter Kenney (Birmingham, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sacrifice (Hardcover)

Tyler Pierce is an extremely likeable anti-hero with an odd mixture of flaws and strengths. He is a knight errant with no confidence in the law enforcement establishment and a strong preference for doing things his own way. The author is a skilled writer who introduces the reader to the killer early, but still manages to maintain the suspense to the end.