The Chicago Way - Michael Harvey

From the back:


Private detective Michael Kelly is hired by his former partner to solve an eight-year old rape and battery case long gone cold. But when the partner turns up dead, Kelly enlists a team of his savviest colleagues to connect the dots between the recent murder and the cold case it revived: a television reporter whose relationship with Kelly is not strictly professional; his best friend from childhood, now forensic DNA expert; and an old ally from the DA's office. To close the case, Kelly will have to face the mob, a serial killer, his own double-crossing friends, and the mean streets of the city he loves.


For starters, I love Chicago, but it really does contain some mean streets and horrific murders. For another thing, I love crime stories so this was right up my alley. Since that description from the back cover pretty much sums up the book, I just have a few extra comments.


While reading this, I really tried my best to keep an open mind about all the characters, despite their flaws, and to really try to figure out who the murderer was. I succeeded in the first but never did figure out the killer until it came out. I still felt unresolved at the end of the book though, as it seemed to never fully connect all the dots. I did really enjoy Harvey's writing style and his humor, as well as most of his characters.


I did have one issue with the book, that being the narrator's relationship with a reporter named Diane. Being a private investigator and talking to a reporter should create enough friction as it is, but to be in somewhat of a relationship with a reporter who obviously has an agenda is just bad news. It annoyed me to a certain degree that Michael Kelly didn't see Diane for who she was earlier - of course she's going to try to sleep with you, because she wants a story out of you. It was obvious from the start that's what she was after. But when she turned out to be just a little too involved with the case, it was a disaster. But of course, made for a great book.


I am curious if anyone else has read this one. I haven't come across it on any other blogs, I just happened upon it in the bookstore. Share your thoughts if you have some!