"Superb police procedural"
Ukrainian hitman Andrew Karis is a pro who never makes a
mistake or leaves behind a loose end. His current
assignment takes place in La Florentine, a Manhattan bar
just before closing. He kills forty-five years old Candy
Mayhew, her mid thirties lover miner mobster Donny Cesare,
and the bartender Hugh Byrne. However, coming out of the
bathroom is private detective Tony DiLeo, doing
surveillance on Candy for her spouse. Caught off guard,
Andrew shoots the sleuth, but the last victim barely
survives and is rushed to the hospital in critical
condition. MANHATTAN SOUTH homicide detective Sergeant Thornton Savage
and his team head the investigation. On first look the
cops eliminate robbery as the motive. The case appears
either to have been a mob hit on Donny or a cuckold husband
killing his wife and her lover. However, the investigation
begins to take strange twists that reach the highest level
of political power in this country leaving a good caring
cop in jeopardy of his job and reputation as nothing stands
in the way of ambition. Fans of police procedurals will welcome John Mackie into
the sub-genre after reading the powerful MANHATTAN SOUTH.
The story line is fast-paced, loaded with action, and
filled with twists caused by external pressures. Thornton
and his crew comes across as individuals yet a professional
team while the villains include a great hitman and a Lady
Macbeth type character. Though the NYPD brass is
politically stereotyped, readers will enjoy this tale that
starts faster than a colt and retains the speed and action
until the tight end. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted June 15, 2002
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