Trigger City (Ray Dudgeon) (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: hawk river, blind pages, medical parole, Joan Richmond, Blake Sten, Steven Zhang (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Isaac Richmond, a retired army colonel, asks Chicago PI Ray Dudgeon to look into his daughter's murder, Dudgeon, who's still recovering from the injuries he sustained in Big City, Bad Blood, reluctantly agrees to take the $50,000 case in this engrossing follow-up. Joan Richmond's death looks straightforward: a deranged co-worker, Steven Zhang, shot her in her home and then committed suicide. Never one to accept the simplest answer, Dudgeon starts digging and discovers that Joan's former employer was Hawk River, a military contract company under congressional investigation. Steve's widow soon reveals her husband's ties to China, and Dudgeon realizes that Joan's murder could lead back to both the Department of Homeland Security and some ruthless military contractors. Himself a former PI, Chercover brings a crackling authenticity to Dudgeon, paying homage to the noir masters while creating a doggedly stubborn new hero all his own. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Critics agree that Sean Chercover's former career as a private investigator serves him well as a crime fiction writer. Compared by the Chicago Tribune's critic to the greats, Chercover writes well-rounded characters with believable flaws, and his timely, convincing exploration of the military-industrial complex extends this thriller beyond its traditional genre. Only the reviewer from the Washington Post wasn't too sure about this direction, opining that some readers might see this plot as "left-wing paranoia, while others will think it an all-too-accurate portrayal of how elements of our government operate." But well paced and highly entertaining, Trigger City offers "a serious political message embedded in ... stylish prose" (Washington Post). And there's more to come.
Copyright 2008 Bookmarks Publishing LLC

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061128694
• ISBN-13: 978-0061128691
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #395,839 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two for Two, October 14, 2008

By	Ron Edison (Glen Ellyn, IL) - See all my reviews

Have you ever finished a novel but found you can't start another book because the one you've just finished won't leave you alone? TRIGGER CITY is one of those books. The plot begins as a quite satisfying detective story, but Chercover skillfully layers in threads of topical events and twists the plot into a deliciously complex thriller. Ray Dudgeon is not the same Ray we knew in Chercover's first novel (BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD). This sadder but wiser Ray is still plagued by physical injuries sustained in the first novel. But even more troubling for him is the self-doubt generated by those events. It's rare for authors to explore such emotionally complex issues with their protagonist and bring them to the page so realistically. On one level, it's a standard PI novel--stakeouts, car chases, witness interviews, and so on. But Chercover adds a dimension of realism that leaves most of the genre in the dust. While reading it, I kept one ear tuned to the news, expecting to hear updates on the story. It's that real, that powerful. Only his second time at bat, but Chercover smashes this one into the stratosphere.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get Trigger City!, December 17, 2008

By	Joseph Borri "motorcityjoe" (Farmington Hills, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The only thing that disappointed me after reading Trigger City is that I hadn't yet read Big City, Bad Blood. It would've been nice to meet Ray Dudgeon at the start of the author's introduction of him. Still, from the opening pages of Trigger City, it was evident that Sean Chercover's is a voice steeped in the streets of Chicago and influenced by the pages of Raymond Chandler, Mickey Spillane and Elmore Leonard. Make no mistake though--it's an original voice that will stay with you long after you've finished the novel. I'm a slow reader and I FLEW this book. Hell, it even had me running late for work one morning!

Terrific dialogue, scathing and self-deprecating humor team up with action scenes that, blended together, vividly paint a richly layered drama. It's a big story with the nuances of real life thrown in. Chercover manages to give Ray Dudgeon a soul yet still arm him with a pair of brass balls. He's the kind of guy you want to go have a beer with because you know the company will be great and that he'll have your back in case trouble breaks. Now I look forward--can't wait really--to start on Big City, Bad Blood so I can spend a few days following Ray's exploits. It's the Christmas gift I plan on buying myself.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are trying to decide whether you should get this book or not, the right answer is "Yes", December 27, 2008

By	Software Guy (South Florida, Center of the Universe) - See all my reviews

In fact, the right answer is that you do want to read both of Sean Chercover's books. Later, you can brag how you were reading him before everyone knew it was cool.

"Trigger City" buries any doubt that "Big City, Bad Blood" was a fluke. Chercover is clearly a master of the form and PI Ray Dudgeon is going to have a very long life at the top of the "big-dog" pile. Chercover's stuff is just wicked fun to read. As good as he is, I am praying that he has another dozen books out under a pseudonym and that someone leaks the name to me soon.