Thrown-Away Child: A Neil Hockaday Mystery [Hardcover]

Thomas Adcock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996

Traveling with his new actress-wife to her family reunion, NYPD detective Neil Hockaday is called upon to investigate the disappearance of his wife's ex-con cousin, who has been accused of killing a former cellmate.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

NYPD detective Neil Hockaday is a recovering alcoholic fresh from a stay at the Straight and Narrow Rehab Clinic. His marriage to black actress Ruby Flagg isn't really in trouble, but it's been better. When Ruby suggests making a trip to New Orleans to meet her family, it's the right idea at the right time. But when they arrive, cousin and ex-con Perry DuClat is wanted for the murder of his best friend. After hearing two rabid New Orleans cops question Perry's mother-in-law, Hockaday is convinced that Perry won't survive an encounter with his pursuers; he also senses his mother-in-law's unshakable belief in her nephew's innocence. He does what he can to help, which requires crossing paths with the Reverend Zebediah Tilton, a voodoo priest who only saves those in the flock worth fleecing. The fifth Hockaday entry is the best. It's a compelling mystery set in what may be the best mystery city, New Orleans. It's also about growing up black and poor, and white and poor, and never quite being able to shake the stigma. It's also about families and shared memories and honoring the dead without sacrificing the future and learning to live without fear or shame. It's a compellingly human novel that just happens to be structured as a mystery. Wes Lukowsky

Product Details

• Hardcover: 340 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; First Edition edition (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671519859
• ISBN-13: 978-0671519858
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,689,474 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars A murder mystery that probes the heart, and the problem., December 11, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Thrown-Away Child: A Neil Hockaday Mystery (Hardcover)

A mystery buff, I find the Edgar award a strong clue toward a satisfying writer. Thomas Adcock, a recent winner, fits that catagory to a T. "Thrown-Away Child" , his new book, is strong, violent and at the same time a probing story of the "lost boys" whose pain translates into much of the agony we see in our streets today (and in our prisons) With subtlety and insight, Adcock takes us to the heart of the family - Hockaday's newly acquired inlaws -who are New Orleans African-American; the "father of us all" - Joe Never Smile; and Neil's beloved mother-in-law ,Violet. The "Shamrock" Irish-American NYPD detective, Hockaday, finds himself working a murder in the center of New Orleans, tracing the terrorist group - MOMS (they brand their victims with those letters) , while gaining insight into himself and the racism which fuels the flames of our urban hells. "What's worse: living with a bad conscience, or knowing the peace of mind that comes from being hanged for what you done?" The dialogue is tasty. A joy of a book

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great Hock novel.., December 21, 2004

By 

Peter LaPrade (worcester ma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thrown-Away Child: A Neil Hockaday Mystery (Hardcover)

Neil Hockaday is back in this fifth book of the series. Detective Hockaday takes a vacation to New Orleans, the City that Care Forgot, to visit his in-laws, Ruby's family. Just as Hock gets settled in, a series of brutal murders begins, as money-hungry forces try to drive out poor, decent folk. As Ruby and Hock dig deeper, they find dirty cops, scheming politicans, and evil churchmen, and the roots of the mystery deal with a wrong done to Rudy's father many years ago. A thrown-away child is the main suspect to one of the murders, but Hock believes that he is only a convineat scapegoat. Great climax, as justice is finally done to some of have escaped it for years.