47. – 607.) The Third Rail by Michael Harvey – It has been awhile since I read a high octane thriller in which I raced through the book impatient to read the next drama.Michael Kelly is a former Chicago police officer turned private detective. A killing on the train is staged for him. Chasing the killer he is ambushed in an alley. A gun is put to his head and he is asked if he is ready to die. Instead, his attacker knocks him unconscious.
Another slaying a few minutes later on another train the city is in a panic over a killer preying on citizens using public transit.
While the FBI has been drawn into the investigation Chicago’s flamboyant mayor, John J. Wilson, invites Kelly to take vigilante action on behalf of the city.
What does not make sense to the investigators is why an apparently random killer seeking to create chaos in the city has tied Kelly to the killings. Can a traumatic childhood event experienced by Kelly be connected to the murders?
The FBI, led by agent Katherine Lawson, put vast resources into the investigation.
The book roars ahead with Kelly seeking to solve the killings while officialdom is content to find the easy solution. There are some unexpected twists upping the suspense level.
In his quest Kelly draws on a talented computer guy and a friend on the Chicago police force.
It is not a book with significant character development. There is no time for reflection. Kelly is charging forward with the investigation. Pages just kept turning. It is a very good action thriller. I read it in just over a day. (Aug. 21/11)
Bill - Thanks for this review. I'll be candid; usually I don't turn to thrillers first. But this one really does look absorbing. I like the fact that there seem to be interesting sub-plots, too. Even if the characters aren't as well-developed as they are in some other novels, it sounds as though they're engaging, and that's good.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. The Third Rail will not challenge your intellect but you will find it difficult to put down.
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