Shooting In The Dark (Hardcover)

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Review
Angeles Falco, a beautiful young blind woman, is stalked by a psychopath. Her sister has been murdered in a particularly brutal way, and she knows she will be next. She engages Sam Turner, an ex-alcoholic, borderline seedy private investigator, to protect her and uncover her would-be killer. Blindness gives a poignant vulnerability that has been explored and exploited many times over in crime fiction. But what makes this novel so spookily effective is that part of the story is told from the point of view of the stalker - the Watcher as he calls himself. And as the story progresses we learn more than we ever wanted to know about the mind and sexual habits of this cold maniac. This is the fifth Sam Turner novel in a series by John Baker which includes Walking with Ghosts and Poet in the Gutter. Established fans will welcome it, and for anyone new to Baker, this is a book to be persevered with. Baker has an extraordinary style which smacks more of the American crime author than the English; his hero, with his taut, wisecracking speech patterns, more reminiscent of Sam Spade than Sam Turner. Bemused by the lace on his client/lover's panties, Sam asks himself: 'What're you gonna do next? Eat them? Wear them? Steal them? Whatever floats your boats.' Baker is a psychologist and philosopher as well as a crime writer. His insights into the twisted motives of a psychopath are both fascinating and chilling, and his tendency to delve into philosophical profundities is equally fascinating, despite slowing the pace. Through Sam own musings and through the character of J.D. - a novelist who is also one of Sam's eccentric band of sleuths - Baker explores what are clearly his own pet preoccupations. What are the mechanics of writing. What is sight and what is perception? Is sexual attraction a matter of pheromones or advertising budgets? And where does Darwinian theory fit into the equation? This is an edge-of-the seat read - not comfortable but gripping. Although the outcome is never really in doubt, how the story will be resolved will keep readers holding their breath till the last page. (Kirkus UK)

Product Description
Beautiful Angeles Falco and her sister Maura have made an appointment to see private investigator, Sam Turner. Maura, uncharacteristically, doesn't show up, but Angeles, who is blind, can speak for both of them: they are convinced that they are being stalked. There is no evidence, but Sam sets great store by instinct, so he takes the case. Besides, Angeles is right - she is being stalked. Maura turns up horribly murdered on the moors, and Sam and his crew are right up to their necks in a very scary case indeed. To top it all, Geordie's brother Ralph turns up out of the blue, and he's not what you'd call an asset to the team. Since his debut in 1995 John Baker has been one of the most highly regarded of Britain's new wave of crime writers. The time is now ripe for his commercial breakthrough, and SHOOTING IN THE DARK, his richest, most complex novel yet, is the one to do it.

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3 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended., 16 Dec 2001 By  Ms. E. Hayes (Leicestershie) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Things haven't been too buoyant at Sam Turner's Detective Agency, so when the lovely Angeles Falco gives Sam an envelope of money to find out who is stalking her and her sister Isabel, Sam puts the money in the safe and starts detecting. His first stop is to speak with Angeles's sister Isabel, who was supposed to turn up for the meeting with Sam, but didn't show. Sam is concerned to get her view, as Angeles is partially sighted, and he hopes that Isabel will give him something more concrete to work on; But Isobel proves strangely elusive. To help with the round the clock surveillance of Angeles and Isobel, Sam calls on JD, short for JD Pears, crime writer, poker player and drummer, JD came to Sam's detective agency to do research and now works for Sam from time to time. JD is still hoping that Marie will give him the opportunity to rekindle their short relationship, but meanwhile becomes fascinated by Angeles's blindness, which revives his creative juices and he returns to his writing, whilst Sam, who is still rattling around in the five bedroom house left to him by his late wife, is just fascinated by Angeles. As with all John's previous books, this is more than a detective story, there is a depth to the characters that give the reader several stories, within a story. Geordie, who Sam plucked from the gutter and trained to do detective work has just become a father. His amazement with both his new daughter Echo, and new role of his wife Janet, is to him a source of wonderment and to some extent a minefield though which he is just learning to negotiate his way, but there are dark testing days ahead for this new family. Interspersed with the investigation and the lives of the operatives, are the chilling thoughts of the stalker, and his partner. When stalking turns into murder, Sam searches his clients background in an attempt to find his way to the truth, and the murderer, before he strikes again. Highly recommended --- Lizzie Hayes Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A triumph for John Baker, 31 Oct 2001 By A Customer This review is from: Shooting In The Dark (Paperback) Shooting in the Dark, the title of this novel, refers to the heroine, Angeles Falco, who is blind. But it also refers to all the other characters in the novel who, like us, experience problems and glitches in the way we see our worlds. Sam Turner, Baker's fictional detective, is on hand to guide us through the maze of blindness and double-dealing taking place in York and the North of England. This series is known for the warmth of the characters and the black humour that is one of John Baker's trademarks. But the last novel and now this one show us a writer who is very much at home with ideas and who can portray loneliness and alienation just as well as he can convey love and affection. This is one of one of those books which is labelled as a crime novel because it deals with a crime and a detective, but is in fact much more. If ever a book deserved a wider audience this is it. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A compassionate, intelligent thriller., 29 Oct 2001 By A Customer This review is from: Shooting In The Dark (Paperback) Shooting In The Dark I really enjoyed this. The group of characters from the Sam Turner series are always fascinating and although the personal challenges they face are serious and often traumatic there's a refreshing vein of humour too in the stories. The plot, with a blind woman being stalked, is engrossing and builds to a climax which could have gone on even longer. The observations on relationships and the struggle for people on the margins to build and maintain a life with meaning is compelling. John Baker also uses the story to look at ideas and assumptions around seeing and failing to see. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 3 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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