Book Review: Fair Warning by Michael Connelly

Available here

I think the last Jack McEvoy novel  I read was The Poet ... and it was a whammy. Really chilling and thrilling ... so, when I got the chance to read the latest outing featuring journalist, Jack McEvoy, it was a no brainer. 

Of course, Michael Connelly has been one of my go to writers for as long as I can remember and I'm rarely, if ever, disappointed. So ... with great anticipation, I started the book ... and here's my review. But first ...


The Blurb

HOW DO YOU FIND A KILLER WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU?

Jack McEvoy is a reporter with a track record in finding killers. But he's never been accused of being one himself.

Jack went on one date with Tina Portrero. The next thing he knows, the police are at his house telling Jack he's a suspect in her murder.

Maybe it's because he doesn't like being accused of a crime he didn't commit. Or maybe it's because the method of her murder is so chilling that he can't get it out of his head.

But as he uses his journalistic skills to open doors closed to the police, Jack walks a thin line between suspect and detective - between investigation and obsession - on the trail of a killer who knows his victims better than they know themselves...

My Thoughts

The idea of Jack working in Fair Warning a website dedicated to exposing corporate wrongs was quite a big change for him. However, it opened up many possibilities for him as well as many hurdles to overcome. When he realises that his fling with Tina Portero might have landed him in bother, he is intrigued. Then, he discovers links to other women's deaths with the same cause of death cited and he's hooked. 

I loved the way he was forced to justify his continued investigation of the case with Fair Warning's owner. Jack is one of those characters you instantly root for. His tenacity combined with his over zealousness is appealing. He finds it hard to trust, which in his work life is probably an asset ... not so much in his personal life. 

I loved the relevance of the question of human rights in relation to privacy and lack of scrutiny of malpractice by governmental agencies ... the underworld explored by exploiters of this was chillingly authentic. 

The killer is an adversary remorseless, focussed and all the more chilling for that. 

The plot interweaves seamlessly and the tension is ratcheted right up on numerous occasions, which kept me hooked 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although not as excting as The Poet, it was satisfyingly addictive.