- Paperback: 448 pages
- Publisher: Penguin (14 May 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0141027762
- ISBN-13: 978-0141027760
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.8 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 898,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
At the City's Edge
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Product Description
Review
"Nothing short of brilliant...as much a work of literary fiction as crime fiction...Sakey's latest solidifies his position as the new reigning prince of crime fiction." --"The Chicago Tribune"
"Gritty and compelling, packed with action, "At the City's Edge" crackles and sears like a rip-roaring fire."
--"Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author of ""The Bone Garden"
"[Sakey] proves a shrewd observer of cultural politics...The action is fast and furious...A hyperrealistic look at our most downtrodden communities." --"Chicago"" Sun-Times"
"Goes from zero to sixty in a blazing rush. Sakey knows how to thrill a reader." --"David Morrell, bestselling author of ""First Blood"" and ""Scavenger"
"Complex, multilayered, and above all, intriguing. This is one novel that you won't soon forget." --"Book Reporter"
"Sakey needn't worry about a sophomore slump." --"Toledo Blade"
"Tension-laden...[Sakey] knows how to create realistic suspense and action that puts h
Product Description
Jason Palmer loved being a soldier. But after returning from Iraq with an "other than honourable" discharge, he's finding rebuilding his life the toughest battle yet.
Elena Cruz is a talented cop, the first woman to make Chicago's prestigious Gang Intelligence Unit. She's ready for anything the job can throw at her.
Until Jason's brother, a prominent communityt activist, is murdered in front of his own son.
Now, stalked by brutal men with a shadowy agenda, Jason and Elena must unravel a conspiracy stretching from the darkest alleys of the ghetto to the manicured lawns of the city's power brokers. In a world where corruption and violence are simply the cost of doing business, two damaged people are all that stand between an innocent child - and the killers who will stop at nothing to find him.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
Jason Palmer, discharged Gulf War veteran returns to Chicago, haunted by the events that led to his discharge and has trouble settling back down. When his brother Michael is killed and his nephew threatened he finds that the streets of Chicago are every bit as mean as a war zone.
This is an action packed thriller, the ghetto area where belonging to a gang is a way of survival is portrayed well as are the characters.
That said, this isn't in my opinion the best by Marcus Sakey, although the storyline moved along at a good pace and the menace on the streets was tense and dramatic, it didn't have the same unputdownable quality as The Blade Itself or No Turning Back.
Four stars from me and definitely worth reading
This is an action packed thriller, the ghetto area where belonging to a gang is a way of survival is portrayed well as are the characters.
That said, this isn't in my opinion the best by Marcus Sakey, although the storyline moved along at a good pace and the menace on the streets was tense and dramatic, it didn't have the same unputdownable quality as The Blade Itself or No Turning Back.
Four stars from me and definitely worth reading
Format:Hardcover
At The City's Edge, Sakey's second novel, is a worthy successor to his excellent debut book, The Blade Itself. His writing style is one that will keep you wanting to read "just one more page" in order to see what happens next. The plot, which is described in depth in some other reviews, is fast-moving and filled with action. These qualities alone made it a book that I'm glad I read and one that I would recommend to you. That being said, however, be aware that At The City's Edge is not without its flaws. I found the dialogue and narrative on several occasions to be "preachy," and I felt that Sakey got a bit carried away with his parallels of being a soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan and being "on the streets" of Chicago. These two factors almost caused me to give this book a 3-3 1/2 star rating. Further, while as I said, At The City's Edge has lots of action, I felt a lot of it was predictable; as was the interaction between the main male and female characters.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
27 reviews
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
One of crime fiction's finest writers at work today
25 Jan 2008
Format:Hardcover
A fine piece of writing with a complex and conflicted protagonist in war-veteran Jason Palmer, powerfully rendered Chicago settings, a colorful and engaging mix of secondary characters, a conspiracy worthy of any paranoid's worst fears, and a plot-line that redefines unpredictable.
A novel that's both entertaining and ambitious. Highly recommended.
A novel that's both entertaining and ambitious. Highly recommended.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Home Again
14 July 2008
Format:Hardcover
Jason Palmer is a former soldier. A veteran of Iraq, he returned to Chicago with a less than honorable discharge and no future. He finds out, too late, that his brother is attempting to face down a criminal enterprise. Jason, his nephew, and Elena Cruz, a tough Chicago cop get to the bottom of things, encountering an alliance of corrupt city officals and gangsters.
This is an outstanding chase novel. The characters are extremely engaging. The reltionship between Jason and Elena is delightful (never mind that it develops in an impossibly brief time). The suspense is never ending. Each cliff hanger chapter end is followed by rapid, unexpected developments. The novel explores (painlessly) concepts of duty, a soldier's code of honor, the war in Iraq, and the heartache of parenting. The gang characters are chilling as well as engaging.
This is an outstanding effort. I strongly recommend the book and Sankey's earlier stand alone,"The Blalde Itself."
This is an outstanding chase novel. The characters are extremely engaging. The reltionship between Jason and Elena is delightful (never mind that it develops in an impossibly brief time). The suspense is never ending. Each cliff hanger chapter end is followed by rapid, unexpected developments. The novel explores (painlessly) concepts of duty, a soldier's code of honor, the war in Iraq, and the heartache of parenting. The gang characters are chilling as well as engaging.
This is an outstanding effort. I strongly recommend the book and Sankey's earlier stand alone,"The Blalde Itself."
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Skating at the Edge
3 Sep 2009
Format:Mass Market Paperback
THE SETUP
In contemporary Chicago, Jason Palmer a former soldier with an "other than honorable" discharge finds himself taking care of his young nephew Billy, after his tavern-owner brother Michael is murdered, in part for refusing to pay for "protection". Billy witnessed his father's death, by several white men (including at least one rouge policeman), who then contact a Black gang to kill Billy. Jason has no idea what he is up against when he decides to hunt down his unknown adversaries, but he does have the support of a Black pacifist activist Washington Mathews and policewoman Elaina Cruz. That's the setup.
VERDICT
The novel is a page-turner, well written, and with interesting characters. I found it enjoyable and satisfying. My general impression at the last page was, that I was glad I had read it, but not disappointment that the story had finished, nor "I hope the author has written more like this." Sakey makes it to my "good authors" list but not my "gotta read" list.
COMMENT
It should not be necessary to say that, as far as I can tell, the book is gaff-free. Novels full of hairballs (serious logical contractions, glaring inconsistencies, excessively implausible plots, etc.) should not get past editors. However these days, a large percentage of popular authors have become extraordinarily lazy--but get rave reviews, and their novels are automatic best sellers, so the editors don't care.
In contemporary Chicago, Jason Palmer a former soldier with an "other than honorable" discharge finds himself taking care of his young nephew Billy, after his tavern-owner brother Michael is murdered, in part for refusing to pay for "protection". Billy witnessed his father's death, by several white men (including at least one rouge policeman), who then contact a Black gang to kill Billy. Jason has no idea what he is up against when he decides to hunt down his unknown adversaries, but he does have the support of a Black pacifist activist Washington Mathews and policewoman Elaina Cruz. That's the setup.
VERDICT
The novel is a page-turner, well written, and with interesting characters. I found it enjoyable and satisfying. My general impression at the last page was, that I was glad I had read it, but not disappointment that the story had finished, nor "I hope the author has written more like this." Sakey makes it to my "good authors" list but not my "gotta read" list.
COMMENT
It should not be necessary to say that, as far as I can tell, the book is gaff-free. Novels full of hairballs (serious logical contractions, glaring inconsistencies, excessively implausible plots, etc.) should not get past editors. However these days, a large percentage of popular authors have become extraordinarily lazy--but get rave reviews, and their novels are automatic best sellers, so the editors don't care.
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