Customer Reviews

In the Shadow of the Arch (Joe Keough Mysteries)

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

 

 

I grabbed this book from a limited selection at an airport newsstand, not being terribly familiar with the author, but needing something to help distract me from a four-hour flight. The author manages to integrate several story lines and does a nice job of mixing mystery, a little romance, as well as some humor. It was one of those "have to finish it" books as opposed to the many half-read titles on my book shelf. It was easy to picture the people and places in my mind - almost like reading the script of a screenplay.

Was it the best book I've ever read? Nope. But it was entertaining and will probably be enjoyed by others as well.

In this sequel to Alone With the Dead, Detective Keogh relocates to St. Louis. Now, I don't live in St. Louis but even as an east-coaster and a former New Yorker I found Randisi's characterization of St. Louis pretty insulting. If I lived there I would be truly offended. His portrayal of the police force paints them as being as competent as Barney in Mayberry RFD. For example, when Keough walks out of a crime scene he explains he is trying to reconstruct the crime. A fellow officer asks him how he does that. Puh-lease.... No one but Keough not only knows *any* police procedure (if you're a regular mystery reader you know more than these St. Louis cops do) but no one else possesses any common sense either. And of course Keough comes up with all of the patterns and motives of the criminal out of thin air and anticipates his moves with the accuracy of a psychic.

This was a truly ridiculous book.

The book reads OK. There is little character development and not really much interesting about the main character. Keough is pretty lonely and boring. He doesnt do any great detective work that would make the book stand out. The serial killer is an idiot who makes a lot of mistakes and really isnt very difficult to catch. The book reads like watching a OK episode of Law and Order. Also, like another reviewer wrote, the descriptions and actions of the St Louis police force seem a little unbelievable. They seem bumbling in comparison to his "normal" activity. This also takes away from the novel.

Brooklyn native and former police detective Joe Keough flees the rough edge of the Big Apple to what he expects to be a more tranquil lifestyle in St. Louis. Within minutes of reporting to his new Midwest assignment, a bloodied little child enters the station (and ultimately Joe's heart). Joe accompanies the child back to his home to find an even bloodier scene, but no signs of the lad's parents.

Joe is also assigned a second case. Mothers with infants are being kidnapped. The children are always found alive, but the mothers are typically murdered. Joe begins to investigate both cases, wondering if his new city is just a microsm of his former residence.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE ARCH is a well-written police procedural that deserves full attention from fans of the sub-genre. Joe is a great character, who learns the ultimate lesson for a cop, namely that murder knows no geography. Using the mall as a setting for a nightmare adds a chilling depth to a terrific tale. This reviewer recommends this book and the first Keough novel (ALONE WITH THE DEAD) for two entertaining but hard boiled detective stories.

Harriet Klausner

Skip this one. Anyone who finds any part of this book even remotely believable is either related to the author or cannot read. His bumbling St. Louis police force is ridiculous.

The main character, Joe Keough, does very little (if any) actual detective work in this rather tepid novel.

Amazingly, both the multiple murder investigation and the events surrounding little Brady Sanders manage to solve themselves with minimal input from Detective Keough. Joe is simply there to act on his outlandish hunches and pick up all the credit. This comes even at the cost of a fellow officer. But hey, it was the one detective on the force that all the men and women didn't really care for anyway, so what's the big deal, right?

In reality, all Joe Keough has in this story are his hunches. He even goes so far as to tell this to his superiors and the FBI.

The supporting cast of officers are ineffectual, as is the story's villain. It is for these reasons that I cannot in good conscience recommend this novel.