City of Whispers

Sharon McCone #28

by Marcia Muller

Private eye Sharon McCone receives an e-mail asking for help from her emotionally disturbed half brother Darcy Blackhawk. She replies . . . but gets no response. As Sharon digs deeper, she discovers that Darcy sent his message from an Internet café in San Francisco, a city he's never been to before. Sensing that her brother is in terrible danger, Sharon begins a search for him throughout the city. The investigation leads her to the body of a woman at the Palace of Fine Arts, where a witness had told her that Darcy was headed. Then, as she digs deeper, Sharon uncovers a connection to the unsolved murder of a young heiress to a multimillion-dollar banking fortune. Now Sharon must race to solve both murders and ensure her brother's safety, despite the imminent danger that lurks within her own family.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Thriller, Book Club

262 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Marcia Muller is an American author of mystery and thriller novels.
Muller has written many novels featuring her Sharon McCone female private detective character. Vanishing Point won the Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel. Muller had been nominated for the Shamus Award four times previously.
In 2005, Muller was awarded the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master award.
She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, and graduated in English from the University of Michigan and worked as a journalist at Sunset magazine. She is married to detective fiction author Bill Pronzini with whom she has collaborated on several novels.

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Using rough draft as final copy. Telegram style beginning. Author tired. Tweets as chapters?

I enjoyed the early Sharon McCone mysteries, but it appears that our relationship may be heading toward the end. This latest installment--number 29--reads more like the draft of a manuscript than the highly polished page-turner she is capable of writing.

Shifting narrative between Mick, her nephew/computer genius operative; Darcy, her drug-addled half-brother; and McCone is used in a listless attempt to develop tension. Unfortunately, only Darcy develops any distinctive voice and the changes do little to build mystery. Sharon's motives for involvement in the search for her half-brother are spurious, and the mystery surrounding him mundane. While that had potential in an era of serial killers and assorted psychopaths, the writing fails to develop any sense of menace or danger, except perhaps, one scene mid-book. Once the solution becomes clear, the over-reaction of all main characters is a challenge to belief. I found myself thinking I can't believe anyone cares. Really? I have a hard time believing this is a legitimate solution to anyone except Randy Quaid.

An integral part of many mystery series is the setting. Landscape lends itself to identity, plotting and atmosphere and can become a cornerstone of a great series. Think Spenser and Boston, Scudder and New York, Warshawski and Chicago, Robicheaux and New Orleans. San Fransisco, one of my favorite cites, should shine in a mystery series, but Muller seems content to drop landmarks into the plot without regard to describing atmosphere, almost if she was writing a shorthand draft.


I found her desultory description disappointing, especially in a book spent tracking a homeless man--the ideal opportunity to let setting shine.



Muller is a good author, honestly. It's not for nothing that she's a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and that four of her books have been nominated for Shamus awards and one a winner. Just not this one. Unfortunately, both McCone and Muller seem to be suffering from ennui, making this a time-waster. Take a pass on this one and try her earlier books.

Two. Stars.

Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite offerings from one of my favorite authors. In the end, the story did perk up and the pieces fit together, but initially the novel lacked Muller's usual momentum. The McCone mysteries are so consistent that it's strange to find one inconsistent. My fear is that this was rushed to meet a publisher's deadline. The bones of the story are there as always but the fleshing out is not as usual.

I don't believe that this can be laid at the feet of the storyline of her locked in head wound of two episodes ago either. That novel was excellent and the following was also good. Self doubts and recovery are fine in a protagonist. The issue here was the basic story development.

Will I read the next Sharon McCone novel? Definitely! In fact I look forward to it. I'm looking at this as a slight aberration in a wonderful record. Rating 3.5 if I could.

[SuperWendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5 stars? I liked this book for a good while - while Muller continues to alternate points-of-view (mainly between Sharon and Mick - honestly I could have done without the Darcy chapters!) this felt like a case where Sharon gets back to her roots. Just a good, old-fashioned, missing person case - albeit the missing person is her drugged-out, mentally ill half-brother. However the whodunit hinges on coincidence and gets a little melodramatic at the end for my tastes. Pleasant but not outstanding.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

#29 in the Marcia Muller series. This 2011 entry in the groundbreaking series by author Marcia Muller doesn't come up to par. Sharon is still recovering from a prolonged coma after being shot in the head and perhaps searching for a brain damaged relative was not the best choice of a plot line. In any event, Sharon's half-brother Darcy is an unlikeable character and the chapters in which he narrates do not add to the novel. Series fans will read it but hope for a return to normalcy for Sharon and the series.

An e-mailed cry for help from Sharon McCone's troubled half-brother, Darcy Blackhawk, sucks McCone into a treacherous vortex of madness, greed, and murder. Though McCone, still recovering from the bullet to the brain that nearly killed her, has pressing problems of her own, she and nephew/operative Mick Savage must hustle to find the psychologically deteriorating Darcy, who's disappeared. Their urgency increases as clues seem to link him with the unsolved strangling of a young heiress two years earlier-and a pair of fresher corpses.

[Lillie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Ellen Wylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twenty plus years ago I read a lot of Marcia Muller's mysteries featuring PI Sharon McCone. Sharon was one of the earliest hard-boiled female mystery heroines -- tough, gun-toting, willing to take a beating, relentless. This latest addition to the series feels dated. Sharon is still in her early 40s, but author Muller is considerably older and her stage of life is reflected in the thoughts and actions of her creation. That in itself isn't a problem, but the disconnect between what once was and what is today was disconcerting to me as a reader.

The plot was satisfactory, although I recognized the villians the first time they were introduced in the story. Sharon's mentally ill, drug-addled brother is missing and she must solve a two-year old murder in order to find him. Predictable outcome. Eh.

[Nell]

I finally received this book on Nov 22nd - 2 1/2 months after I was notified that I had won it.

It's been more than two months since I won this on GR giveaway and I'm sorry to say that I NEVER RECEIVED THIS BOOK. At least one other winner had the same experience. I notified GR and contacted the publisher directly, but still no book.

Won this as a goodreads giveaway. I haven't read anything by this author in more than 10 years, so I hope her books don't have to be read in order. I had a few of hers picked up at a UBS a while ago. Maybe I'll read them and fill in some of the gap while I wait for this one to come.

[Jan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Sharon McCone and her troupe.

Here, she got a garbled e-mail from a brother (half-brother?) that he needs help. Unfortunately, this is one of those brothers who always needs help.

But they always seem to be using the latest technology and they track down where he e-mailed from. Of course, he isn't there anymore. But they are going all over San Francisco looking for this kid.

It is another story for how much do you do for the losers in your family? Is there where they can be written off? Or, do you have to just keep trying, no matter how much they push you away?

Muller shows us both viewpoints. Both what is going on with the young man and Sharon & Co.'s attempts to find him.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the Sharon McCone books in the past and I was looking forward to reading this new installment. I think perhaps it's been too long since I read the last one because I had a hard time getting back into her world. Darcy, her half-brother, is missing and appears to be involved in a murder. Although physically recovered from her injuries in the last book, Sharon is having a hard time dealing with "getting back to normal." Mick Savage gets more deeply involved in the agency, getting out into the field and running into danger. The book moved quickly, almost too quickly, and the very short chapters were annoying.

[Lynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sharon McCone is back at work and tracking down her half brother Darcy who left her a cryptic message. As with her last few books, Mueller alternates between various characters involved in the search for Darcy. There is a connection to the mysterious death of a young heiress and several homeless people including Darcy. McCone's nephew Mick figures prominently in this book. It almost seems like the author is winding down the series as Sharon McCone appears to be tiring of the rat race her profession entails and wanting more time with Hy and also her various family members. I would hate to see the series end but perhaps there is nowhere for the characters to go but off into the sunset.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this book, and a little sad because I was hoping it wouldn't signal a downward spiral for this long-running series. This was a very slim book – physically and story-wise. I didn’t care about Darcy; no one in the book did either (even Sharon) so it was hard to get into the little action there was. And although I really liked the alternating points of view in “Locked In”, I felt it did not work in this book and it made the book seem like a “dial-in” effort. Before reading this I read a (non goodreads) review that called this book “exciting.” I must disagree.

Since reading this book, I read #30 of the series. I liked that book much better than this one.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always excited to read a new Marcia Muller mystery! These are such a great example of the "tough chick detective" genre.

This book in particular didn't seem to do much to move the series along, but it was still entertaining and well written as always.

[Glennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of her best. Only 261 pages and chapter titles took a whole page each. I always wonder if that's a way to stretch the length out. Writing was choppier than her usual. Her earlier books are much better.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marcia Muller uses an interesting technique to differentiate her chapters. Each one bears the name of the person who is most prominent in that chapter. Storyline is edgy but short, choppy chapters and one-liners take their toll. Muller has done better.

[Timna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I only enjoyed this because I've been with the series for SO LONG. I thought it felt really forced.

[Glenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long running series, right up there with Sue Grafton's. Set in and around San Fran. Not the strongest in the series, but good.

[Paulette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with Timna. Not her best.

[Sarah Harvey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed quite a few Sharon McCone mysteries, but Muller ran out of steam with this one. Phoning it in. She should let this series go if this is the best she can do. Limp.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

How many relatives can one private investigator have that causes her to focus her investigative skills? Sharon McCone seems to have a lot of them. The latest is her half brother, a young man battling pychological issues and drugs.

Darcy Blackhawk has fled to San Francisco and realizes that he is in trouble. He uses a free internet cafe to send Sharon a plea for help but no way for her to reach him. And that leaves her to use all of investigative skills —and that of her nephew Mick Savage — to try to not only find him but find out what is happening and why.

And it all seems to surround the death of a wealthy young woman two years ago.

This is another interesting but a bit frustrating tale from Marcia Muller. It's well written but there is a lot of the personal story of Sharon to work through. A couple of books back, Sharon was shot in the head and since, her books have pretty much covered her entire recovery along with a case she should be involved with. Here she is back at work but there are a few lingering symptoms, like exhaustion. Then following Darcy's struggles now and before he comes to San Francisco and that leads to a brother from her adoptive family, who ended up committing suicide. Then there are her own concerns and worries....

I enjoyed reading the book but I also kept wondering how many of the books were going to resolve around her family issues (there is plenty of that on TV shows ut not usually in mystery books). In this case, there is a strong mystery to follow and growth of Mick (who is introduced early in the series as a troubled youth that finds his legs in helping his aunt), keeps the story moving and brings about a solid conclusion.

[Joyce Hertzoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago, I read all the Marcia Muller books I could get my hands on, but I’ve been reading so many other novels lately that I fell behind on the Sharon McCone series. In this one, the twenty-eighth, Sharon is looking for her unstable half-brother Darcy Blackhawk with help from nephew Mick and eventually from her husband. Many of the familiar characters, including other members of her staff are mentioned but don’t appear. With Darcy missing and possibly a murderer, it falls to Shar to search for him. The story revolves around two dead women and their long-ago group of friends. Sharon needs to unravel what happened to the two women in order to find Darcy, whose emotional unbalance is shown in occasional short characters from his POV. The backdrop of a changing San Francisco helps create the atmosphere of the book—especially the slowly clearing fog. My only quibble was the amount of repetition.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is perhaps the least engaging book in the whole Sharon McCone series.

The first problem is the "case". Sharon's brother, Darcy, shows up asking for help, then disappears because he's crazy. So everyone goes on a big elaborate search for him, and sometimes he pops up again to ask for help again / give another clue. And the search continues. It's neither clever or intriguing.

Then we get to the viewpoints. Again, Muller splits them between her characters, which would continue to work. Except Darcy is one of her viewpoint characters. And his (thankfully short) characters are fragmented, crazy, and melodramatic. I began to cringe every time I got to one.

In the background, there's theoretically an interesting mystery here, but it's bogged down and muddied by all the rest. Muller's need to do a big infodump of what really happened in the epilogue really says it all.

I dunno what happened here. Maybe it was Muller trying to be more literary, building on the success of her multiple PoVs in recent books. But if so, it was a failure. on

[RC Prentice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over all, the narrative does not embody the tension and forward motion that so strongly push the plots of previous books in the series. The mystery of several unexplained deaths provides the motive for investigation, mainly by Sharon’s nephew, and her broken half-brother once again makes an appearance, providing impetus for part of the plot. Chapters are short, but there is a lot of reference to persons from previous Sharon McCone stories that really have nothing to do with this one. The San Francisco of the 21st century seems as equally unlovable as that of the 1980s that provided the setting for the very first McCone mysteries, and altogether, one gets the feeling that perhaps this story was more of a cut-and-paste job from previous narratives, with only minimal innovation in the form of new names, not really new characters.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good to return to this series even though this is only the second book I’ve read. However, I am not a fan of each chapter from a different character. Although I understand why Muller did that in this book, it made for a jarring story, and that’s possibly the very point she was making. Still, I like McCone and will seek out the other books in this series to witness the evolution of her and her crew.

[Gail Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon's half-brother Darcy is in trouble. She and her nephew Mick use their investigative skills to track him down and find themselves also investigating an unsolved murder-- as well as a couple of new ones! I like the way the story develops from all points of view. I am so enjoying this trip through all the McCone mysteries!

[Samantha Seidel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the descriptions and characters in this book and found the mystery quite intriguing. The use of multiple character perspectives was done really well and made the story feel even more realistic through each of their eyes.

[Joy Darlene Hager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I always enjoy a Sharon McCone mystery and as usual she did not disappoint. Loved the story line and as always love her whacky family.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

rambling, self involved, as if the writer is as lost as her characters. loved the early ones.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon is still recovering from her traumatic brain injury, but she is sucked into her Shoshone brother's problems, has to help her adopted brother deal with his break up, and is caught up in a mystery. There is a lot going on and it was good to catch up with Sharon;s two families. A good read on audio.

[Shelley Fridell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow fell short of her previous McCone stories. The connection between Sharon and her operatives was not there. The whole story just seemed weak. Not what I have come to expect from this series.

[Nancy Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good.