Windy City Knights [Audio CD]

Michael A. Black (Author), Running Time: 10.88 Hrs. (Editor), Read by Gene Engene (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 2008

How much do you owe a past love? Ever wonder about it? Private Detective Ron Shade does when he bumps into his former lover, Paula Kittermann, late one lonely December night in a hotel bar. Paula had once been a major factor in Shade s life, but that was a very long time ago. Against his better judgement, he lets her back in, but when she s gone, without so much as a goodbye kiss, leaving him once with only bittersweet memories of what might have been. Then Paula turns up dead, the apparent victim of a hit-and-run accident. Though shocked, Shade moves on with his life until Paula s young cousin, Laurie, shows up in Chicago, asking him to look into the matter. Shade s investigation takes a walk on the seedy side, and begins to attract the attention of some very powerful enemies. But whenever Shade gets close to the truth, somebody seems to end up dead, and he suddenly finds himself the prime suspect in a homicide investigation. Working to clear himself and find out who killed Paula, Shade goes up against some redoubtable foes who will stop at nothing to ensure his search for the truth won t be completed.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chicago kickboxer Ron Shade's knight errantry sometimes misfires in his second appearance (after 2002's A Killing Frost) from Illinois police sergeant Black, but the throwback PI goes the distance. Shade's work, which includes stints providing security for a downtown hotel and its two bars, doesn't interfere with his ambitious goal of winning the heavyweight kickboxing championship. But his proclivity for rescue work, ranging from an old girlfriend to a stray kitten to a Russian boxer in thrall to a gangster, throws a serious monkey wrench into his plans. Shade's old high school flame, Paula Kittermann, re-enters his life in dramatic fashion, only to become a hit-and-run victim soon after. When Paula's beautiful cousin, whom he remembers as a freckle-faced youngster, asks his help in finding the driver, Shade can hardly refuse. While the supporting cast, among them a crusty trainer, a cop buddy and a cop enemy, is fairly standard issue, Shade himself is an attractive blend of tough guy and sentimental softie. One gets the feeling that Shade may never take top honors in the ring, but he'll always be an entertaining fighter as long as he answers the bell.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Readers who applauded the debut of Black's Ron Shade series--A Killing Frost (2002)--will find their faith in the new writer justified. This time kickboxing detective Shade, working security at a hotel to pick up a few extra bucks, runs into former flame Paula Kitterman, who is being pushed around by a man. After saving Paula from the creep, whom she claims not to know, Ron invites her back to his place, where passions are rekindled. The next day Paula turns up dead, supposedly the victim of a hit-and-run accident. When Paula's cousin Laurie comes to Chicago to find out what happened, she hires Ron to investigate--and the two soon become romantically involved. As Ron trains for a big fight and helps Laurie search for clues to Paula's death, another body turns up--and Ron becomes the prime suspect. Fans of V. I. Warshawski will appreciate both the hard-boiled yet soft-hearted Shade and the way in which former cop Black captures the grit of Chicago's streets. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Books In Motion (July 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605480967
• ISBN-13: 978-1605480961
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,043,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael A. Black graduated from Columbia College, Chicago in 2000 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction Writing. He previously earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Northern Illinois University. Despite his literary leanings, he has often said that police work has been his life. A former Army Military Policeman, he entered civilian law enforcement after his discharge, and for the past twenty-eight years has been a police officer in the south suburbs of Chicago.

The author of over forty articles on subjects ranging from police work to popular fiction, he has also had over thirty short stories published in various anthologies and magazines, including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. His first novel, A KILLING FROST, featuring private investigator Ron Shade, was published by Five Star in September 2002 with endorsements from such respected authors as Sara Paretsky and Andrew Vachss. The novel received universally excellent reviews, and was subsequently released in trade paperback.

WINDY CITY KNIGHTS, the second novel in the Ron Shade series, came out in March of 2004. His third novel, THE HEIST, a stand-alone thriller set during the freak Chicago flood of 1992, came out in June, 2005. He has also written two nonfiction books, THE M1A1 ABRAMS (tank), and VOLUNTEERING TO HELP KIDS, which were published by Rosen Press.

He has worked in various capacities in police work including patrol supervisor, tactical squad, investigations, raid team member, and SWAT team leader. He is currently a sergeant on the Matteson, Illinois Police Department. His hobbies include weightlifting, running, and the martial arts. He holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. It is rumored he has five cats.

Mike's newest novel, FREEZE ME, TENDER (think: Frozen Elvis) is available in bookstores and on Amazon.com now.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars " I coulda been a Champion", May 27, 2004

By 

Larry Scantlebury (Ypsilanti, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windy City Knights (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

Terry Malloy's painful plea to his brother Charley identified a young, muscular Marlon Brando to millions in "On the Waterfront."

Like Malloy, Ron Shade lingers in anonimity with hopes of becoming a kickboxing Champion. I get the feeling there's a lot of Sergeant Mike Black in the story, both men from a disciplined life filled with a sense of honor. Both of these are integral parts to a character we can like. And I'll certainly read more of Mike Black's effort. In a plain filled with good but predictable authors such as Parker, Crais, George and DeMille, kudos to a new author.

But some of the things Ron Shade does are, well, goofy. He meets a girl that he knew a long time ago under vastly different circumstances, doesn't know where she's been for ten years, and then sleeps with her, not on the first date, on the first hour. Then he bemoans having had unprotected sex with her for the next 150 pages. His 'godfathers' on the Police Department who front him in his security agency treat him like a red haired stepchild. He shows up for an interview with a guy who can throw a lot of business their way . . . . with a cat in his pocket. And his new girlfriend smokes, OK, kind of foolish I suppose in the new millenium, but he complains about it for another 100 pages.

So I like the guy. But come on. Grow up. Spenser and Elvis make boo boos too but they're pretty serious when it comes to their lives as well.

Anyhow, good book, confused main character, good gym scenes . . . if you're a gym rat Mike Black makes you feel an exhausting workout with the salt from the perspiration in your eyes. Good share of surprises and some nice subordinate stories as well. I'll definitely read him again. 4 stars. Larry Scantlebury

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An up-and-comer with a bright future, December 11, 2004

By 

David Montgomery "Book Critic" (davidjmontgomery.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windy City Knights (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

Michael A. Black's second novel, Windy City Knights brings back kickboxing private detective Ron Shade (A Killing Frost) for another 10 rounds on the streets of Chicago.

Shade connects one night with a girlfriend from his distant past, a chance encounter that sets in motion a sequence of events that jeopardizes both his safety and his hopes for the future. Instead of concentrating on his upcoming title fight, he probes deeper into the life of this woman with more than her share of troubles.

Despite a lackluster beginning, Windy City Knights builds in suspense as the author unfurls his plot, nicely developing Shade's character. The characters are the strong part of the book, especially the relationships between Shade and the people in his life.

Black may not quite be ready for a championship bout, but he's definitely an up-and-comer with a bright future.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A winner, May 19, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windy City Knights (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

It is just a few weeks before Ron Shade contends for the Full Contact Karate Heavyweight championship. Meanwhile Ron must eat so he continues to work security jobs such as his work at a downtown Chicago hotel bar. Ron intercedes when a big guy manhandles a female patron. He soon realizes that the thug was roughing his first love high school sweetheart Paula Kittermann. He impregnated her back then, but her parents forced them to separate and Paula had an abortion.

Ron takes Paula to his home where they share unprotected sex. The next day he leaves to train, but Paula is gone by the time he returns. Later he learns from his pal Detective George Grieves that someone killed Paula in a hit and run. Her cousin Laurie arrives and hires Ron to investigate what she believes was murder. Knowing he might be the prime suspect, Ron accepts the case not realizing that his opponents do not care about any rules when it comes to keeping the truth from surfacing.

This is an engaging private investigative tale that will have readers not only wondering about who killed Paula and why, but also how he did in the big fight (not telling). The story line is a character driven urban noir though Ron is a softy chivalrous knight when it comes to the underdog. The support cast whether their milieu is crime or the ring and Chicago add depth to a fine who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner