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j_h_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I always enjoy an Adrian McKinty book. This one was partially set in Denver, Colorado which gave it a slightly different feel.
nancy33's review against another edition
1.0
I want the hours back that I devoted to this long, painful journey to nowhere.
emckeon1002's review against another edition
3.0
What has driven Alexander Lawson to bring his detective skills from Belfast to Denver seems likely to drive him to destruction. All the elements of a gripping thriller - disgraced cops, crooked superiors, addiction, twisted Republican "conservationists," a lovely and brilliant woman murdered. It was a great vacation read.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
A gritty suspense tale featuring a young man from Northern Ireland who comes to the United States to look into the death of a former girlfriend. Dark and violent but not without a bit of humor. Listened to the audio read by Gerard Doyle who is the perfect match for the author's work.
rojaed's review against another edition
3.0
A complex Irish protagonist tries to solve the murder of an old girlfriend in Denver. A twisty plot, but the solving of the crime is straightforward.
janicew9's review against another edition
3.0
CW: sexual assault, forced drugging. Really didn't enjoy reading the main character's disgusting way of viewing women, but the mystery was a classic McKinty.
dustin_o's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
ericwelch's review against another edition
3.0
Audiobook: Ex-DCDS (Detective Constable Drug Squad), Alec Lawson, is unemployed, living with his Dad, and hooked on heroin when they learn of the death of Victoria Patawaski, his first girlfriend, who had ostensibly been killed during a mugging in the United States (we know from the beginning that’s not the case.) The story unfolds like the peeling of an onion with multiple layers and the reason for Lawson’s addiction comes to the fore along with revelations of the corruption higher in the police force.
Lawson is paid by the girl’s father to travel to Denver and find out what happened to his daughter. He had received an anonymous letter from someone in Denver suggesting that the mugging was not that at all, but rather a deliberate killing. Alex and his friend John are soon sought by the Denver police for an accidental killing and Alex has been warned that if he returns to Belfast he’ll be killed by those in the police wishing to hide their involvement in illegal activities. It’s no wonder he seeks refuge in smack. The killing is related to Victoria's involvement with an environmental organization run by a couple of brothers with political ambitions.
But therein lay one of the problems with the story. I had trouble believing that anyone who had become so dependent on heroin could function quite as brilliantly and covertly as Alex does. Hidden River is one of McKinty's early books, and while it reveals some of the really wonderful plotting and writing of the Sean Duffy series (which I really like - all of them), it had a tendency to be unfocused in spots and overly long (that's hard for me to admit since I generally like long books.) Perhaps it’s the locale, McKinty really shines when his stories are situated in Ireland.
Here’s a nice metaphor: “She had a smile like a sun-drenched cornfield over a missile silo.”
Gerard Doyle does his usual outstanding narration.
Lawson is paid by the girl’s father to travel to Denver and find out what happened to his daughter. He had received an anonymous letter from someone in Denver suggesting that the mugging was not that at all, but rather a deliberate killing. Alex and his friend John are soon sought by the Denver police for an accidental killing and Alex has been warned that if he returns to Belfast he’ll be killed by those in the police wishing to hide their involvement in illegal activities. It’s no wonder he seeks refuge in smack. The killing is related to Victoria's involvement with an environmental organization run by a couple of brothers with political ambitions.
But therein lay one of the problems with the story. I had trouble believing that anyone who had become so dependent on heroin could function quite as brilliantly and covertly as Alex does. Hidden River is one of McKinty's early books, and while it reveals some of the really wonderful plotting and writing of the Sean Duffy series (which I really like - all of them), it had a tendency to be unfocused in spots and overly long (that's hard for me to admit since I generally like long books.) Perhaps it’s the locale, McKinty really shines when his stories are situated in Ireland.
Here’s a nice metaphor: “She had a smile like a sun-drenched cornfield over a missile silo.”
Gerard Doyle does his usual outstanding narration.
cdcsmith's review against another edition
5.0
I think I was technically reading three of McKinty's books at the same time. I had ordered The Sun is God. I had been on a waiting list for Orange Rhymes with Everything for weeks, and The River, I actually had as a free audio book (loved it from the start and immediately had to buy a used print edition - the only way it can be purchased as it is out of print). Everything showed up at once.
This was one of his early books and I have to say, overall I really liked it. There were a couple of scenes that literally had me breathing fast, hearth thumping, riveted to the words.
Some people don't like it when an author meanders, in this book I'm thinking specifically about the poppies being picked, the history of Bayer and heroin, and the way he thinks about it. It's meaningful, though it drifts somewhat from the plot. At least that may be how some see it.
It wasn't a pretty story. Our guy isn't an easy one to care for. He is well past flawed, but I could understand why he made some of the choices he did. The ending pulled together perfectly I thought too. Really a very good book.
This was one of his early books and I have to say, overall I really liked it. There were a couple of scenes that literally had me breathing fast, hearth thumping, riveted to the words.
Some people don't like it when an author meanders, in this book I'm thinking specifically about the poppies being picked, the history of Bayer and heroin, and the way he thinks about it. It's meaningful, though it drifts somewhat from the plot. At least that may be how some see it.
It wasn't a pretty story. Our guy isn't an easy one to care for. He is well past flawed, but I could understand why he made some of the choices he did. The ending pulled together perfectly I thought too. Really a very good book.