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The Blade Itself: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "The alley wasn't as dark as Danny would've liked, and Evan was driving him crazy, spinning the snub-nose like a cowboy in some Sunday matinee..." (more)
Key Phrases: loft complex, construction trailer, smart play, Danny Carter, Sean Nolan, Pike Street (more...)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Sakey's brilliant debut, a crime novel set in Chicago, is a must read. From the thrilling opening, a horribly botched pawnshop robbery by childhood friends Evan and Danny, to the riveting ending, the tension ratchets up to almost unbearable levels. After the robbery, Evan serves prison time while Danny turns over a new leaf and eventually earns a responsible management job in a construction company. Seven years later, Evan is out and comes looking for Danny for payback. Using their past ties as leverage, Evan tries to drag Danny back into their partnership. Sakey convincingly portrays the bonds forged in adolescence and the gulf wrought by prison for one and hard work for the other. In a battle of wits and wills, the stakes escalate as Danny fights to preserve his new life and the ruthless Evan counters every attempt Danny makes to break free. The collateral damage is high in a page-turner that has already received plaudits from Lee Child, George Pelecanos and T. Jefferson Parker. Author tour. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Tapping into the "it" genre of the moment isn't easy. Not every author can deliver a Mystic River or L.A. Confidential, but add first-time novelist Marcus Sakey to the current crop of suspense and thriller writers who deliver well on the genre's premise. While his characters may feel overly familiar, he deftly uses the streets of Chicago, and his familiarity with the city (his home) is compelling. From page one, Sakey is in control. While his plot may seem a bit overwrought in some places and a bit too convenient in others, and while a few critics thought the ending too sentimental, Irish genre writer Ken Bruen says of Sakey, "Boston has Lehane. D.C. has Pelecanos. And now Chicago has its very own dark poet."
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (November 27, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312371047
ISBN-13: 978-0312371043
Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #168,765 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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First Sentence:
The alley wasn't as dark as Danny would've liked, and Evan was driving him crazy, spinning the snub-nose like a cowboy in some Sunday matinee. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
loft complex, construction trailer, smart play

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Danny Carter, Sean Nolan, Pike Street, Marcus Sakey, Union Station, Detective Matthews, Detective Nolan, Lincoln Park, Range Rover, North Side, South Side, Crown Royal, Dan Ryan, Patrick Connelly, Richard O'Donnell, Saint Christopher, Thank God

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	75% buy the item featured on this page: The Blade Itself: A Novel 4.1 out of 5 stars (53) $6.99
	7% buy Big City, Bad Blood 4.6 out of 5 stars (30) $7.99
	7% buy Good People 4.2 out of 5 stars (22) $7.78
	7% buy The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One) 4.2 out of 5 stars (159) $11.50

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Customer Reviews

53 Reviews

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4.1 out of 5 stars (53 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Crime Novel, April 1, 2007

By	Kevin Joseph (McLean, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blade Itself: A Novel (Hardcover)

When a first novelist's work is compared to Elmore Leonard, Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos on the jacket cover, he's either exceptionally good or the publisher's marketing machine is churning out unbridled hyperbole. Thankfully Marcus Sakey proves he's the real deal.

"The Blade Itself" is lean, well-plotted, and convincingly authentic in its depiction of the criminal underbelly on Chicago's South Side. Danny Carter, reformed thief, comes face to face with his dark past when Evan, his volatile former partner, is paroled from a prison sentence and shows up expecting payback after taking the fall for his former partner. When Danny turns him down, Evan raises the stakes, cornering Danny into a situation so dire that kidnapping his boss's son seems like the only viable course.

Novels that rely on this sort of premise are incredibly difficult to pull off, as they almost always employ strained logic to convince the reader that there are no easier ways out. Sakey not only avoids clunky turns in the plot but also maintains a blistering pace, getting in late and out early on each chapter, yet finds opportunities to develop a believable hero in Danny and a worthy villain in Evan.

Once in a while a crime novel hits all the rights notes. "The Blade Itself" is that rare example.

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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whew, this story sizzles!, February 19, 2007

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blade Itself: A Novel (Hardcover)

Danny and Evan grew up together in the South Side of Chicago where reputation, being tough and street-wise determined whether they stayed out of prison. The two friends earned their living by theft.

On a night, much like many others, the friends rob a pawnshop. When the shop owner shows up with a young woman, Evan pulls a gun and uses it. Danny walks away from the scene and Evan is caught. Evan serves seven years in prison and never talks about Danny's involvement in the crime.

Danny turns his life around, has a great job, a wonderful woman and a bright future. That begins to unravel when Evan, who has become a bitter man, is released from prison and the two men meet in a local bar. Evan believes that Danny 'owes' him and he's determined to collect. Danny doesn't believe he has many choices and must decide how far he'll go to protect himself, his loved ones, and his future.

The Blade Itself is Marcus Sakey's debut novel and it sizzles. His plot is intriguing, his characters are rich, with all the flaws seen in life. The good guys aren't completely good and the bad guy is truly evil. The dialogue is taut and the pacing is impeccable. I love Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane and Robert Crais, and while Sakey's work is no imitation of these authors, he's quickly joined their ranks. I suspect he's going to be a major player in the future.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A top-shelf crime novel, January 25, 2007

By	Bookreporter.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blade Itself: A Novel (Hardcover)

Marcus Sakey's debut novel has been the subject of advance buzz of such volume that I feared there was no way it could live up to such high expectations. But I am pleased to report that it does --- and even surpasses them.

THE BLADE ITSELF does not merely hint at greatness from the first page; this top-shelf crime novel delivers it. The opening --- a pawnshop burglary that just feels as if it's going to go wrong, even before one starts reading (if such a thing is possible) --- is perfect. Sakey effectively transmits the deep contrasts between the two hooligans about to carry out the deed: the reluctant Danny Carter and the loose cannon named Evan McGann. The opening also introduces the author's attention to minor details --- in this case, how the false bottom of a cabinet drawer sounds different from a real one, and what true vertigo really is --- and continues throughout the book.

It is the story contained within THE BLADE ITSELF, however, that is the star here. The burglary does indeed go badly, at least for McGann, who winds up doing hard time in a hard place. But Carter escapes, and thanks to an ultimatum by Karen, his lady love, he gets out of the life. Seven years after the burglary, Carter has reinvented himself, becoming the de facto manager of a construction company and settling into quiet domestic bliss with Karen.

McGann's return into Carter's life is sudden and unexpected; McGann has been released early for good behavior and, as we see rather dramatically, is eager to pick up precisely where he left off --- with Carter as his partner.

For Carter, McGann's reappearance is a waking nightmare, an all-too-vivid reminder of the life he left behind and to which he promised Karen he would never go back. He initially rebuffs McGann, but McGann is in no mood for rejection. From McGann's point of view, McGann did stand-up time for Carter and is owed big time for the years that were lost --- years during which Carter prospered as a free man. McGann turns up the pressure on Carter, until Carter feels he has no choice but to go along with McGann's scheme, which threatens to upset and destroy everything that Carter has worked toward since turning his life around.

To make matters worse, just when you think that Carter's situation isn't going to go any further south, Sakey plunges him into latitudinal depths heretofore unexplored. Sakey's talent, however, isn't limited to sending Carter deeper and deeper into the concentric rings of his own personal hell. The author sets up a subtle, and troubling, moral dilemma for the reader. There is a legitimate question as to whether or not McGann is all wrong here or, conversely, if Carter is 100% virgin pure. After all, McGann did stand-up time, refusing to implicate Carter in the burglary. And while McGann's impulsiveness brought about McGann's own downfall, it was not as if Carter was unaware of his friend's tendency to go sideways when he agreed, however reluctantly, to accompany McGann on a burglary run.

These issues complement, rather than interfere with, the storyline, which hurdles toward an explosive confrontation, a chance for redemption and, against all odds, a satisfying climax.

THE BLADE ITSELF is far more than an impressive debut; it is a milestone in what is sure to be a marvelous career for Sakey, the mark of a talent that demonstrably runs long and deep. Stick this one on your must-read list.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great crime fiction!
Very much enjoyed The Blade Itself. One of the best newer voices in crime fiction. I came away feeling much the same as when I first read Charlie Huston. Mr. Read more

Published 7 months ago by George Beliard

2.0 out of 5 stars Hackneyed story line and prose
I was very disappointed in this book. Even the title makes no sense and bears no relationship to anything in the book. Not a knife or blade to be found. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Richard L. Vaughn

3.0 out of 5 stars A talented writer with a predictable plot.
I picked up this book as it won best debut novel of the year according to The Strand Magazine. This magazine rarely lets me down, but I think it may have been a little off the... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Melly

2.0 out of 5 stars Predictable in the extreme
First Sentence: The alley wasn't as dark as Danny would've liked, and Evan was driving his crazy, spinning the snub-nose like a cowboy in some Sunday matinee. Read more

Published 11 months ago by L. J. Roberts

5.0 out of 5 stars Top-Notch Thriller!!
The moment I turned the first page, I could not stop thinking about what could happen next. Marcus Sakey delivers crisp and intriguing pages that fly by with non-stop suspense... Read more

Published 11 months ago by T. Havican

4.0 out of 5 stars pulp fiction
It was an entertaining read, no question about it. Seemed Elmore Leonard influenced. Perhaps the ending was a little tidy, and there was another scene or two that seemed a... Read more

Published 13 months ago by C. Rocklein

1.0 out of 5 stars two thumbs down
I picked up this book after having heard the Ben Affleck was going to be making this into a movie. I read through all the reviews and was excited to read it. Read more

Published 16 months ago by University of Arkansas Alumnus

4.0 out of 5 stars Bad Guys from the Neighborhood
This was a fun, fast read, but nothing spectacular. I recommend Joseph Finder for off-beat intrigue!

Published 18 months ago by Elaine

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
This book had all the ingredients but no depth. It had a plot, characters, a beginning, middle and end but there was nothing to hold you or involve you. Read more

Published 18 months ago by natmicstef

2.0 out of 5 stars Predictable
Read this book on the strength of Publisher Weekly's review. Had to keep checking that I was reading the same book that others have raved about just to be sure it was the same... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Christian

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