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A Dark and Broken Heart by Ellory, R.J. (2013) Paperback
Excellent Book
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First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
R.J. Ellory
51 books458 followersRoger began his first novel on November 4th, 1987 and did not stop, except for three days when he was going through a divorce from his first wife, until July of 1993. During this time he completed twenty-two novels, most of them in longhand, and accumulated several hundred polite and complimentary rejection letters from many different and varied publishers.
He stopped writing out of sheer frustration and did not start again for eight years.
In the early part of September 2001 he decided to start writing again. This decision was based on the realization that it was the only thing he had ever really wanted to do.
Between August 2001 and January 2002 he wrote three books, the second of which was called ‘Candlemoth’. This was purchased by Orion and published in 2003. ‘Candlemoth’ was translated into German, Dutch and Italian, and has now also been purchased for translation in numerous other languages. The book also secured a nomination on the shortlist for the Crime Writers’ Association Steel Dagger for Best Thriller 2003. His second book, ‘Ghostheart’, was released in 2004, and his third book, ‘A Quiet Vendetta’, was released in August 2005. In 2006 he published ‘City of Lies’, and once again secured a nomination for the CWA Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of that year. His fifth book – ‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’ - was published in August 2006, and in the latter part of the year it was selected for the phenomenally successful British TV equivalent of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, the Richard and Judy Book Club.
‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’ went on to be shortlisted for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Fiction, the 813 Trophy, the Quebec Booksellers’ Prize, The Europeen Du Point Crime Fiction Prize, and was winner of the Inaugural Prix Roman Noir Nouvel Observateur. It has since been voted Best Thriller of 2009 in The Strand Magazine. The book was also optioned for film, and Roger has recently completed the screenplay for Oscar-winning French director, Olivier Dahan.
Following on from ‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’, Roger released ‘A Simple Act of Violence’, again securing a nomination for Best British Crime Fiction of 2008. In late 2009 he released ‘The Anniversary Man’ to rave reviews.
He stopped writing out of sheer frustration and did not start again for eight years.
In the early part of September 2001 he decided to start writing again. This decision was based on the realization that it was the only thing he had ever really wanted to do.
Between August 2001 and January 2002 he wrote three books, the second of which was called ‘Candlemoth’. This was purchased by Orion and published in 2003. ‘Candlemoth’ was translated into German, Dutch and Italian, and has now also been purchased for translation in numerous other languages. The book also secured a nomination on the shortlist for the Crime Writers’ Association Steel Dagger for Best Thriller 2003. His second book, ‘Ghostheart’, was released in 2004, and his third book, ‘A Quiet Vendetta’, was released in August 2005. In 2006 he published ‘City of Lies’, and once again secured a nomination for the CWA Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of that year. His fifth book – ‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’ - was published in August 2006, and in the latter part of the year it was selected for the phenomenally successful British TV equivalent of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, the Richard and Judy Book Club.
‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’ went on to be shortlisted for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Fiction, the 813 Trophy, the Quebec Booksellers’ Prize, The Europeen Du Point Crime Fiction Prize, and was winner of the Inaugural Prix Roman Noir Nouvel Observateur. It has since been voted Best Thriller of 2009 in The Strand Magazine. The book was also optioned for film, and Roger has recently completed the screenplay for Oscar-winning French director, Olivier Dahan.
Following on from ‘A Quiet Belief In Angels’, Roger released ‘A Simple Act of Violence’, again securing a nomination for Best British Crime Fiction of 2008. In late 2009 he released ‘The Anniversary Man’ to rave reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 26, 2015
He's a bad man. A very bad man. He created his own trouble and now it's going to see him off. He has all the vices and is almost totally self centred. He kills with little regard for anything other than how it will benefit him. So why did I like him, the anti-hero of this brilliant thriller from RJ Elory? well, it's hard to explain, but the bottom line is the author tells the story in such a way I found myself sympathising with him - hoping he'd overcome his (almost impossible) challenges and live to fight another day.
To find out if he does survive you'll have to read it yourself, but please do. A brilliant read and another stunningly original book from this major talent.
To find out if he does survive you'll have to read it yourself, but please do. A brilliant read and another stunningly original book from this major talent.
August 17, 2019
Un complicato intrigo
Roger J.Ellory, autore di una ventina di thriller polizieschi, è incappato alcuni anni fa in una losca e deplorevole vicenda a base di recensioni sotto falso nome che incensavano le sue opere denigrando quelle di autori concorrenti. Ciò ha compromesso la sua reputazione al punto che, anche qui in Italia, diversi lettori boicottano tuttora i suoi romanzi, anche se invero alcuni di essi, in particolare La voce degli angeli, sono opere di ottima fattura, quanto meno nell’ambito del genere.
Una preghiera per Manhattan, titolo meno appropriato dell’originale A Dark and Broken Heart (2012), non si dimostra all’altezza delle opere pubblicate nel decennio precedente. Lo sorregge l’abilità artigianale di Ellory nel confezionare diabolici e complicati intrighi in cui tutti i personaggi tentano di corrompere, concludere accordi sottobanco, ricattare, a partire da Madigan, il poliziotto protagonista che gioca sporco su tutti i tavoli, si tratti di boss della mala, colleghi del Nypd, informatori o funzionari del nucleo Affari Interni della polizia.
La vicenda, che nonostante il percorso tortuoso l’autore riesce a portare a termine con sufficiente coerenza e credibilità, è alquanto appesantita da un eccesso di monologhi interiori che vorrebbero testimoniare il tormento e i rimorsi del protagonista, piuttosto inverosimili in considerazione del “curriculum” di Madigan, più furbo ma non certo più integro dei suoi numerosi avversari, e comunque controproducenti sull’intensità del ritmo della narrazione.
Roger J.Ellory, autore di una ventina di thriller polizieschi, è incappato alcuni anni fa in una losca e deplorevole vicenda a base di recensioni sotto falso nome che incensavano le sue opere denigrando quelle di autori concorrenti. Ciò ha compromesso la sua reputazione al punto che, anche qui in Italia, diversi lettori boicottano tuttora i suoi romanzi, anche se invero alcuni di essi, in particolare La voce degli angeli, sono opere di ottima fattura, quanto meno nell’ambito del genere.
Una preghiera per Manhattan, titolo meno appropriato dell’originale A Dark and Broken Heart (2012), non si dimostra all’altezza delle opere pubblicate nel decennio precedente. Lo sorregge l’abilità artigianale di Ellory nel confezionare diabolici e complicati intrighi in cui tutti i personaggi tentano di corrompere, concludere accordi sottobanco, ricattare, a partire da Madigan, il poliziotto protagonista che gioca sporco su tutti i tavoli, si tratti di boss della mala, colleghi del Nypd, informatori o funzionari del nucleo Affari Interni della polizia.
La vicenda, che nonostante il percorso tortuoso l’autore riesce a portare a termine con sufficiente coerenza e credibilità, è alquanto appesantita da un eccesso di monologhi interiori che vorrebbero testimoniare il tormento e i rimorsi del protagonista, piuttosto inverosimili in considerazione del “curriculum” di Madigan, più furbo ma non certo più integro dei suoi numerosi avversari, e comunque controproducenti sull’intensità del ritmo della narrazione.
June 13, 2012
I came upon this book by pure chance and I have to say I am so glad that I did. It is simply breathtaking. My heart was in my mouth from the end of the first paragraph. The pace never ever lets up. I have to say I loved Vincent, although I shouldn't have, but what a fantastic character. The twists and turns to this wonderful story are remarkable and I never knew where the story was going. It is literally unputdownable. I'm still reeling from the pace of it and I sorry it had to end, but on the other hand couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen.This is my first book by R.J. Ellory but it will certainly not be my last. This is a fantastic piece of work and one which I can highly recommend.
June 12, 2012
Any new book from R.J. Ellory is an event in these parts, and A DARK AND BROKEN HEART coming with the subtitle of "How Long Can A Man Escape Judgement?" was a particularly tantalising arrival.
Fans of Ellory will know that he writes flawed, complicated, considered stories often about consequences. He writes dark, and sad and desperate. He also writes glimpses of hope, humanity and future. Which makes his books amongst some of my all time favourites, and right up to and including the final sentence in A DARK AND BROKEN HEART this book is undoubtedly one of my favourites.
What is particularly interesting about this book is that it has, as the central character, a cop who is crooked. He makes very little apology for that, and for most of the book is completely obsessed with resolving the symptoms of a life gone horribly off the rails. Gambling, drug taking, working for the crooks, he's prepared to pull the "ultimate heist" to get his life back on track. And that's just the start of how far he's prepared to go to save his own skin.
I won't be at all surprised if some readers struggle a little with this book. Vincent Madigan is not an immediately likeable human being. His flaws, his driven disregard for everyone around him could make him appear completely ruthless, completely self-obsessed. He's manipulative, violent and very dangerous to know. Somewhere in the middle of all of that I could get a sense though that this was a very scared, imperfect human being, somebody who may not engender overt sympathy, but does have a conscience, does struggle with his decisions and the outcomes he now must deal with.
As is always the way with Ellory's books A DARK AND BROKEN HEART is no holds barred. Ellory is looking at themes that he often explores - what makes a person choose a certain path and what makes good people do bad things. The book does this concentrating almost totally on Madigan and his battle with his chosen path, with supporting appearances from a cast of characters that further explore that distinction between "good" and "bad" but more importantly why. Madigan and his associates - from both sides of the law - don't inhabit a happy place, and everyone who brushes up against them is affected by that contact. The story is fascinating, the writing tight yet descriptive, evocative yet sparse and very very pointed. And the ending is perfect.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
Fans of Ellory will know that he writes flawed, complicated, considered stories often about consequences. He writes dark, and sad and desperate. He also writes glimpses of hope, humanity and future. Which makes his books amongst some of my all time favourites, and right up to and including the final sentence in A DARK AND BROKEN HEART this book is undoubtedly one of my favourites.
What is particularly interesting about this book is that it has, as the central character, a cop who is crooked. He makes very little apology for that, and for most of the book is completely obsessed with resolving the symptoms of a life gone horribly off the rails. Gambling, drug taking, working for the crooks, he's prepared to pull the "ultimate heist" to get his life back on track. And that's just the start of how far he's prepared to go to save his own skin.
I won't be at all surprised if some readers struggle a little with this book. Vincent Madigan is not an immediately likeable human being. His flaws, his driven disregard for everyone around him could make him appear completely ruthless, completely self-obsessed. He's manipulative, violent and very dangerous to know. Somewhere in the middle of all of that I could get a sense though that this was a very scared, imperfect human being, somebody who may not engender overt sympathy, but does have a conscience, does struggle with his decisions and the outcomes he now must deal with.
As is always the way with Ellory's books A DARK AND BROKEN HEART is no holds barred. Ellory is looking at themes that he often explores - what makes a person choose a certain path and what makes good people do bad things. The book does this concentrating almost totally on Madigan and his battle with his chosen path, with supporting appearances from a cast of characters that further explore that distinction between "good" and "bad" but more importantly why. Madigan and his associates - from both sides of the law - don't inhabit a happy place, and everyone who brushes up against them is affected by that contact. The story is fascinating, the writing tight yet descriptive, evocative yet sparse and very very pointed. And the ending is perfect.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
June 13, 2019
La corruzione delle forze dell'ordine è parte integrante dell'attività criminale dei boss della droga, uno di questi è Dario Barrantes detto Sandià, nell East Harlem, tra gli uomini in suo potere c'è il detective Vincent Madigan, un poliziotto sommerso da problemi di ogni tipo. Drogato di farmaci e alcool, tenta di ripagare un debito di gioco abusando del suo potere, facendo favori a Sandià con un lavoro che non è più in grado di fare. La sua vita privata è più incasinata del suo lavoro, ha due ex mogli, una ex amante e quattro figli che stentano a riconoscerlo. Insomma, chi dovrebbe proteggere e difendere è pronto a tutto pur di salvare se stesso. Madigan decide di chiudere i conti aperti, indipendentemente da quello che sarà l'esito del piano che ha messo a punto, è pronto a morire ma vuole uscire dall'incubo della sua vita attuale. Vuole rubare i soldi al suo creditore, ovvero Sandià e ripagarlo con il bottino che gli ha rubato. Insieme ad un manipolo di disperati, tenta una rapina dove verranno uccisi alcuni uomini e una bambina resterà ferita. Quando sembra che tutto volga verso una conclusione, Madigan si ritroverà invischiato ancora più profondamente in qualcosa di irreversibile. In una lucida follia, Madigan riuscirà a gestire tutte le sue bugie, fino a realizzare un disegno doppiogiochista e trasformista che lo porterà a intravedere una soluzione.
Il libro sembra sempre fermo, invece si muove dolcemente in un mare di melma fangosa e nella menzogna della corruzione. Lo schifo dell'animo umano raggiunge livelli massimi, ma è sempre ben gestito e descritto ottimamente da questo autore che già mi colpì con il libro Un semplice atto di violenza. Quando leggo libri di questo tipo, mi chiedo come sia possibile che uno scrittore riesca a realizzare una trama con così tante varianti e a gestirla così bene.
Il libro sembra sempre fermo, invece si muove dolcemente in un mare di melma fangosa e nella menzogna della corruzione. Lo schifo dell'animo umano raggiunge livelli massimi, ma è sempre ben gestito e descritto ottimamente da questo autore che già mi colpì con il libro Un semplice atto di violenza. Quando leggo libri di questo tipo, mi chiedo come sia possibile che uno scrittore riesca a realizzare una trama con così tante varianti e a gestirla così bene.
February 22, 2021
Wat een spannend, maar ook wreed boek is dit. Het leest erg snel en pakte me helemaal. Vincent Madigan is een rechercheur die zich flink in de nesten heeft gewerkt door zijn contact met de baas van een criminele bende, Sandía. Dat contact heeft hij al jaren en over het algemeen werkte dat twee kanten op. Maar nu heeft hij een grote schuld opgebouwd bij Sandía en moet hij een plan bedenken om dat geld bij elkaar te krijgen. Het plan zit wel goed in elkaar alleen berooft hij de verkeerde bende en dan moet hij plan op plan bedenken om zich overal uit te redden. En werkt hij zich steeds verder in de ellende. Met veel nagelbijten gelezen. Een aanrader voor iemand die van spanning houdt en wel tegen een stootje kan. Een 9, maar hier een acht gegeven.
July 25, 2018
The Event Horizon is the edge of no return.
A black hole so dark that no light, hope, dreams, or love can escape.
That's the world Detective Vincent Madigan lives in.
Like the title says Vincent is a dark and broken man. A life of Vicodin, Qualudes, Xanax,and Percocet washed down with a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Deeply in debt to a gangster, Vincent and his crew steal the gangsters money to pay off his debt. Well things go very wrong from there.
Vincent Madigan is a high functioning sociopath. He kills seven people but worries what his children will think of him if they find out.
Does this sound like a sane man?
A well written but very dark read.
"He who fights against monsters should see to it that he does not become a monster in the process."
A black hole so dark that no light, hope, dreams, or love can escape.
That's the world Detective Vincent Madigan lives in.
Like the title says Vincent is a dark and broken man. A life of Vicodin, Qualudes, Xanax,and Percocet washed down with a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Deeply in debt to a gangster, Vincent and his crew steal the gangsters money to pay off his debt. Well things go very wrong from there.
Vincent Madigan is a high functioning sociopath. He kills seven people but worries what his children will think of him if they find out.
Does this sound like a sane man?
A well written but very dark read.
"He who fights against monsters should see to it that he does not become a monster in the process."
November 7, 2017
I suppose it's true that Babe Ruth struck out a lot. Swing for the fences and you're bound to hit a lot of foul balls, and whatnot. Well, if excellent writer R.J. Ellory is a literary Babe Ruth, then this is his foulest of balls. (ahem)
Maybe this was a grand experiment?
Maybe the whole idea was to make a protagonist (if you can call him that) with absolutely no redeeming features, and then try to get something meaningful out if it. If that's what this was, I suppose it was a grand authorial swing for the fences, but the result is a complete whiff, with the bat slipping out of the hitter's hands and smashing you in the face. If there was meaning there, I never saw it for the Louisville Slugger I got bludgeoned with.
Anything like an identifiable human quality to this Madigan character is lost in a seething black hole of blood, gore, drugs, crime and duplicity. That's fine if he's supposed to be the villain (and I spent a good while hoping that a different character was actually going to turn out to be the protagonist) but I think in some weird way this guy was supposed to be a flawed hero...or...something? Sorry, RJ, too much flaw and not enough (not any) hero.
And while thankfully the utter bloodbath at the outset eventually subsides to something more like a thriller than the opening gore-fest seems to indicate, there just isn't anything left -- plot or character -- to identify with. Any sort of humane quality portrayed in Madigan, his concern for a wounded girl, his tender feelings for her mother, his wishing he were different, whatever, feel fake and implausible given everything else that happens. Madigan's not just morally compromised, he's morally vacant, and that makes it hard to care about -- or believe -- the rest of it.
So why such harsh words and not a one-star rating? Well, for one thing I really liked several of Ellory's other books (Candlemoth, Quiet Belief in Angels, The Anniversary Man, home runs all of them.) and so I know he writes well. But mostly, it's because this book could have been worse:
Once it became clear that my hoped-for hero was just going to turn out to be a sap, I started dreading what I thought might end up being the ultimate destination of all this. The worst-case, chuck-the-book-across-the-room, don't-you-dare-take-it-there type of ending that just started to seem inevitable. And, thankfully, it didn't go there. So...
If it still could've been worse, you gotta give it...
Two Stars. (no hit, one error)
Maybe this was a grand experiment?
Maybe the whole idea was to make a protagonist (if you can call him that) with absolutely no redeeming features, and then try to get something meaningful out if it. If that's what this was, I suppose it was a grand authorial swing for the fences, but the result is a complete whiff, with the bat slipping out of the hitter's hands and smashing you in the face. If there was meaning there, I never saw it for the Louisville Slugger I got bludgeoned with.
Anything like an identifiable human quality to this Madigan character is lost in a seething black hole of blood, gore, drugs, crime and duplicity. That's fine if he's supposed to be the villain (and I spent a good while hoping that a different character was actually going to turn out to be the protagonist) but I think in some weird way this guy was supposed to be a flawed hero...or...something? Sorry, RJ, too much flaw and not enough (not any) hero.
And while thankfully the utter bloodbath at the outset eventually subsides to something more like a thriller than the opening gore-fest seems to indicate, there just isn't anything left -- plot or character -- to identify with. Any sort of humane quality portrayed in Madigan, his concern for a wounded girl, his tender feelings for her mother, his wishing he were different, whatever, feel fake and implausible given everything else that happens. Madigan's not just morally compromised, he's morally vacant, and that makes it hard to care about -- or believe -- the rest of it.
So why such harsh words and not a one-star rating? Well, for one thing I really liked several of Ellory's other books (Candlemoth, Quiet Belief in Angels, The Anniversary Man, home runs all of them.) and so I know he writes well. But mostly, it's because this book could have been worse:
Once it became clear that my hoped-for hero was just going to turn out to be a sap, I started dreading what I thought might end up being the ultimate destination of all this. The worst-case, chuck-the-book-across-the-room, don't-you-dare-take-it-there type of ending that just started to seem inevitable. And, thankfully, it didn't go there. So...
If it still could've been worse, you gotta give it...
Two Stars. (no hit, one error)
March 24, 2013
The sub-title reads, How long can a man escape judgement?
The sticker in the corner claims, The most powerful thriller you will read this year.
Indeed, the plotting is great – Ellroy is a master. But the inter-chapter interior monologue sections are problematic. The obsessive inner voice of Madigan, the main character, a corrupted NYC cop, repeats and repeats (as obsessives tend to do), but they do not get him anywhere. Yes, he ensures we don’t get lost in the many twists and turns as he assesses his latest moves, gives us his personal take on certain characters, and mulls a philosophy of life that’s not that interesting, not funny, mostly just a lot of guilt… I suppose this mulling and rehashing is required to reflect his struggle to find some kind of redemption after a life based on lies, and violent, selfish acts. And a reader expects (hopes?)these passages will depict the arc of this corrupted cop’s soul’s progress to something a bit noble. But it all ends in one tiny gesture toward an estranged daughter. Far too little too late.
Result: the main character is this story does progress much at all, and so you have to ask, What is the literary point of all this interior soul searching?
Answer: Without that italicized inner voice, this book would be merely a violent, fast moving story about violent people - most of them doomed. And what else could they be?
Two stars... I admire the plotting. But it could have been a better movie. Ed Harris as a rotten cop in a rotten world. Then again, we’ve all seen that movie a few times at least. Sorry, I wish I could make a fraction of the money this writer makes, but this book is nowhere near as special as they say.
The sticker in the corner claims, The most powerful thriller you will read this year.
Indeed, the plotting is great – Ellroy is a master. But the inter-chapter interior monologue sections are problematic. The obsessive inner voice of Madigan, the main character, a corrupted NYC cop, repeats and repeats (as obsessives tend to do), but they do not get him anywhere. Yes, he ensures we don’t get lost in the many twists and turns as he assesses his latest moves, gives us his personal take on certain characters, and mulls a philosophy of life that’s not that interesting, not funny, mostly just a lot of guilt… I suppose this mulling and rehashing is required to reflect his struggle to find some kind of redemption after a life based on lies, and violent, selfish acts. And a reader expects (hopes?)these passages will depict the arc of this corrupted cop’s soul’s progress to something a bit noble. But it all ends in one tiny gesture toward an estranged daughter. Far too little too late.
Result: the main character is this story does progress much at all, and so you have to ask, What is the literary point of all this interior soul searching?
Answer: Without that italicized inner voice, this book would be merely a violent, fast moving story about violent people - most of them doomed. And what else could they be?
Two stars... I admire the plotting. But it could have been a better movie. Ed Harris as a rotten cop in a rotten world. Then again, we’ve all seen that movie a few times at least. Sorry, I wish I could make a fraction of the money this writer makes, but this book is nowhere near as special as they say.
June 2, 2014
Not Ellory's best work...
December 15, 2016
Le premier Ellory que je lis et j ai beaucoup aime. Je ne saurai dans quel genre le classer mais il m a emporté.
Un récit d un antihéros auquel malgré tout on s'attache
Un récit d un antihéros auquel malgré tout on s'attache
March 28, 2018
Un peu déçue cette fois-ci par cet auteur... Il a essayé d'exploiter l'idée d'un flic ultra-véreux, alcoolique, drogué, endetté, père absent, plusieurs fois divorcé qui est une fois de plus dans le trouble... Une combinaison qui revient assez souvent dans les romans policiers et qui n'a pas trouvé grâce à mes yeux. C't'à croire que c'est si fréquent que les enquêtes sont bâclées au point que les médias passent sous silence des meurtres crapuleux, que des policiers peuvent être soudoyés à la moindre occasion et que policier chargé d'une enquête de triple meurtre travaille seul... Tu m'as déjà fait lire mieux que ça, R.J. Ellory!
March 30, 2021
A heart-pounding crime novel, rich in plot twists and making you hold your breath until the very last sentence, a true punch in the gut to an already shaken reader.
October 28, 2018
R. J. Ellory is a stunning, brilliant writer and his books constantly amaze me. I only gave this 4 stars rather than 5 (which it probably deserves) because I don't like books about drugs, drug kingpins, etc. However, the writing was excellent and the suspense great.
April 9, 2013
Thrilling noir…
This has to be the noir thriller of 2012. Fabulously well written, dark and twisted, the reader is carried into Vincent Madigan's life as he struggles to find a way out of the tangled and dangerous mess he has made of his life.
An anti-hero of epic proportions, we know from the beginning that he is surely irredeemably bad. No-one could be forgiven for the crimes he has committed, the vicious things he has done. And yet...and yet, as we get to know him, we find empathy for him as the author brilliantly plays with questions of morality and ethics. Madigan makes no excuses for himself; he accepts responsibility for every criminal and violent act he has committed, blames himself for the break-ups of his marriages and for losing touch with his children. But inside this man beats the dark and broken heart of the title and the reader - at least, this reader - can't help but see the good man he might so easily have been...and might still be. The author manipulates the reader so skilfully that I was left uneasy at how much I wanted Madigan to win through despite knowing his history. It reminded me a bit of how I felt about the awful but oddly likeable Patrick of American Psycho, but where that was blackly comic, this is true thrilling noir.
I have deliberately not given a synopsis of the plot since it is so complex and has so many twists that I fear even a simple outline could lead to unintentional spoilers. But after the first couple of violent chapters, the reader is blasted by the first breath-taking twist and from there on is swept into an ever-shifting, ever more threatening world where good and bad become so blurred that they are eventually almost impossible to tell apart. This is a superbly told and completely compelling roller coaster of a story - bleak, often violent, but never without the possibility of redemption. Highly recommended.
This has to be the noir thriller of 2012. Fabulously well written, dark and twisted, the reader is carried into Vincent Madigan's life as he struggles to find a way out of the tangled and dangerous mess he has made of his life.
An anti-hero of epic proportions, we know from the beginning that he is surely irredeemably bad. No-one could be forgiven for the crimes he has committed, the vicious things he has done. And yet...and yet, as we get to know him, we find empathy for him as the author brilliantly plays with questions of morality and ethics. Madigan makes no excuses for himself; he accepts responsibility for every criminal and violent act he has committed, blames himself for the break-ups of his marriages and for losing touch with his children. But inside this man beats the dark and broken heart of the title and the reader - at least, this reader - can't help but see the good man he might so easily have been...and might still be. The author manipulates the reader so skilfully that I was left uneasy at how much I wanted Madigan to win through despite knowing his history. It reminded me a bit of how I felt about the awful but oddly likeable Patrick of American Psycho, but where that was blackly comic, this is true thrilling noir.
I have deliberately not given a synopsis of the plot since it is so complex and has so many twists that I fear even a simple outline could lead to unintentional spoilers. But after the first couple of violent chapters, the reader is blasted by the first breath-taking twist and from there on is swept into an ever-shifting, ever more threatening world where good and bad become so blurred that they are eventually almost impossible to tell apart. This is a superbly told and completely compelling roller coaster of a story - bleak, often violent, but never without the possibility of redemption. Highly recommended.
March 12, 2013
Yep, he's done it again!!!!
Another scorcher of a page turner, another classic tale that leaves you thinking about it long after the last page is turned, and yet another ten out of ten novel to leave you purring!
So what do we have here?
Madigan, a detective who plays both sides of the fence, up to his neck in debt, two wives and girlfriend and four kids all fallen by the wayside, decides to rob the drug king of East Harlem (who just happens to be the guy he owes the money to), decides to kill his co-conspirators,and a young girl gets shot in the process; consequently he's hunted by the Drug king and the NYPD, and to rub salt in...he's given the job of solving all this mayhem by both sides.
Some reviewers have suggested that this book has put Ellory back on track.
Nonsense!!
This author never left the track - such was the fantastic high level of storytelling in ALL of his tales, it just happens, of course, that some remain in the memory longer than others.
Couldn't put it down!
Even when favourite TV shows were on, one eye kept returning to the book, and that perpetual desire to find out what old Madigan was going to do next to extricate himself from the dreadful mess he now found himself in.
Whilst I'm here...just to let you know....my favourite Ellory book..by some distance...
A QUIET VENDETTA.
Don't just mess around with this book...get the lot!
Another scorcher of a page turner, another classic tale that leaves you thinking about it long after the last page is turned, and yet another ten out of ten novel to leave you purring!
So what do we have here?
Madigan, a detective who plays both sides of the fence, up to his neck in debt, two wives and girlfriend and four kids all fallen by the wayside, decides to rob the drug king of East Harlem (who just happens to be the guy he owes the money to), decides to kill his co-conspirators,and a young girl gets shot in the process; consequently he's hunted by the Drug king and the NYPD, and to rub salt in...he's given the job of solving all this mayhem by both sides.
Some reviewers have suggested that this book has put Ellory back on track.
Nonsense!!
This author never left the track - such was the fantastic high level of storytelling in ALL of his tales, it just happens, of course, that some remain in the memory longer than others.
Couldn't put it down!
Even when favourite TV shows were on, one eye kept returning to the book, and that perpetual desire to find out what old Madigan was going to do next to extricate himself from the dreadful mess he now found himself in.
Whilst I'm here...just to let you know....my favourite Ellory book..by some distance...
A QUIET VENDETTA.
Don't just mess around with this book...get the lot!
January 1, 2018
This is a dark but highly compelling thriller. Detective Vincent Madigan is the ultimate anti-hero: a very crooked NYPD cop who is a manipulative and gifted liar, and is an alcoholic drug abuser and gambler heavily in debt to a ruthless organized crime boss for whom he also is an informant. And those are his better qualities. He also is a thief and coldblooded murderer. And yet, due to the brilliance of R. J. Ellory’s writing, character development and psychological analysis, you will find yourself developing empathy for Madigan and pulling for him to escape from the tangled web that he has woven himself into. This book is well titled since Madigan indeed has a dark and broken heart.
The plot is complex with constant twists and turns and the action is non-stop. It is difficult to describe too much of the story and Madigan’s fate without providing spoilers for new readers. There are lots of interesting characters who like Madigan, are well developed and described. The psychological insight into good and bad and the consequences of making bad decisions really made me think. And to me, making the reader think is the measure of an excellent book!
I received an uncorrected advanced reading copy (ARC) in a Goodreads Giveaway. This review is provided voluntarily.
The plot is complex with constant twists and turns and the action is non-stop. It is difficult to describe too much of the story and Madigan’s fate without providing spoilers for new readers. There are lots of interesting characters who like Madigan, are well developed and described. The psychological insight into good and bad and the consequences of making bad decisions really made me think. And to me, making the reader think is the measure of an excellent book!
I received an uncorrected advanced reading copy (ARC) in a Goodreads Giveaway. This review is provided voluntarily.
December 10, 2013
Deze titel zegt precies waar dit boek over gaat. Ongelooflijk waar deze politieman, alcoholist, corrupt, junkie en informant van de grootste drugsbaron uit East Harlem, genaamd Sandía. De man met het inktzwarte hart, Vincent Maddigan. Hij sleept je mee van de ene ellende na de andere ellende. Ondertussen maar denkend dat hij het enige juiste nog doet om de boel een positieve draai te geven.
Maddigan is Sandia geld schuldig en niet zo'n klein beetje geld. En hij heeft geld nodig om zijn exvrouwen, exminnares en zijn 4 kinderen te betalen. Hij bedenkt een idioot plan met vele gevolgen. Je leert Maddigan heel goed kennen en zo zwart als zijn hart is, je krijgt haast medelijden met hem. Je wordt volledig door Ellory meegezogen in dit verhaal en als je denkt eindelijk adem te kunnen halen, komt het plot.
Ik heb genoten van deze thriller! Ik wil zeker meer lezen van R.J. Ellory
Maddigan is Sandia geld schuldig en niet zo'n klein beetje geld. En hij heeft geld nodig om zijn exvrouwen, exminnares en zijn 4 kinderen te betalen. Hij bedenkt een idioot plan met vele gevolgen. Je leert Maddigan heel goed kennen en zo zwart als zijn hart is, je krijgt haast medelijden met hem. Je wordt volledig door Ellory meegezogen in dit verhaal en als je denkt eindelijk adem te kunnen halen, komt het plot.
Ik heb genoten van deze thriller! Ik wil zeker meer lezen van R.J. Ellory
October 29, 2021
Sadly, this was only a 3* read for me, because it was too drawn out and lengthy it became tedious. Vincent Madigan is not a nice man and I felt no sympathy for him. I prefer my characters likeable.
April 14, 2021
2.5 🌟
I have a reading slump reading this. Hmm. Maybe it is not my cup of tea? I just don't understand why you should get yourself involved into that kind of bullshit (that the plot has been repeatingly for many thousand times throughout 300++ pages???) I don't like the writing style too since it makes me stuck into a reading slump. It's okay to use first person point of view which is the main character itself's view but since it always emphasize on how messy his brain is, I'm pretty sure I hate it. If you know crimes gonna mess your head so bad, why bother to involve yourself in this kind of field? And the author always emphasize on things that I found doesn't need to be emphasize. The best thriller ever? Nah. Not at all. The best crimes and thriller genre usually involves the calm and smart antagonist. Madigan Vincent is not smart at all hence a simp for women. He dragged women in his story that end up messed him up. So the moral of the story is stop being a simp especially to multiple women. Hmmmmmmmmm so the conclusion that I have to conclude is.... I kinda hate this story babe. I'm sorry. It's full of bullshit. But if you like to mess your head up with unnecessary things and likes to read 'so-called' thriller, go on and just read this book. Thank you.
I have a reading slump reading this. Hmm. Maybe it is not my cup of tea? I just don't understand why you should get yourself involved into that kind of bullshit (that the plot has been repeatingly for many thousand times throughout 300++ pages???) I don't like the writing style too since it makes me stuck into a reading slump. It's okay to use first person point of view which is the main character itself's view but since it always emphasize on how messy his brain is, I'm pretty sure I hate it. If you know crimes gonna mess your head so bad, why bother to involve yourself in this kind of field? And the author always emphasize on things that I found doesn't need to be emphasize. The best thriller ever? Nah. Not at all. The best crimes and thriller genre usually involves the calm and smart antagonist. Madigan Vincent is not smart at all hence a simp for women. He dragged women in his story that end up messed him up. So the moral of the story is stop being a simp especially to multiple women. Hmmmmmmmmm so the conclusion that I have to conclude is.... I kinda hate this story babe. I'm sorry. It's full of bullshit. But if you like to mess your head up with unnecessary things and likes to read 'so-called' thriller, go on and just read this book. Thank you.
February 19, 2025
DARK, BENT AND BROKEN
A pet hate of mine is where the author mixes first and third person viewpoints. In all the short stories and novels I have written I have maintained the viewpoint with which I started: 1st person – 3rd person singular – 3rd person omniscient, because to me that makes sense. If it is 1st person then only that which that particular character could reasonably be expected to know should be revealed. Therefore it is significant, and indicative of the excellence of this novel, that I suspend my aversion and just enjoy the story as it unfolds through the eyes of Vincent Madigan, plus various other characters with whom he collides. I understand why Roger wrote it this way because it enabled him a more personal entry into the mind, feelings and responses of Madigan. It gave him elements of Dostoevsky, Conrad and Greene in terms of character depiction and analysis, plus self-analysis.
If you have reached this review you already know this is a crime story set in New York about a heist and possibly what can go wrong. Madigan is an experienced, seasoned, cynical and - bent cop. This is R J E at his best. An array of powerfully drawn characters in conflict whose actions and reactions cause repercussions and unexpected twists as they move towards a gripping climax and moving, but satisfying denouement.
As indicated in my review of A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS that is, and remains my favourite of Rogers novels, but this is right up there among his best, which is both an enthusiastic recommendation and unstinting praise for an author I admire greatly.
10/08/2018
A pet hate of mine is where the author mixes first and third person viewpoints. In all the short stories and novels I have written I have maintained the viewpoint with which I started: 1st person – 3rd person singular – 3rd person omniscient, because to me that makes sense. If it is 1st person then only that which that particular character could reasonably be expected to know should be revealed. Therefore it is significant, and indicative of the excellence of this novel, that I suspend my aversion and just enjoy the story as it unfolds through the eyes of Vincent Madigan, plus various other characters with whom he collides. I understand why Roger wrote it this way because it enabled him a more personal entry into the mind, feelings and responses of Madigan. It gave him elements of Dostoevsky, Conrad and Greene in terms of character depiction and analysis, plus self-analysis.
If you have reached this review you already know this is a crime story set in New York about a heist and possibly what can go wrong. Madigan is an experienced, seasoned, cynical and - bent cop. This is R J E at his best. An array of powerfully drawn characters in conflict whose actions and reactions cause repercussions and unexpected twists as they move towards a gripping climax and moving, but satisfying denouement.
As indicated in my review of A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS that is, and remains my favourite of Rogers novels, but this is right up there among his best, which is both an enthusiastic recommendation and unstinting praise for an author I admire greatly.
10/08/2018
August 22, 2018
Bien, il est temps de se rendre à l’évidence : les derniers romans de M. ELLORY ne sont pas fait pour moi.
Je n’avais pas aimé du tout son tout premier (Seul le silence) pour diverses raisons. Mais les suivants m’ont plu (Vendetta, Les anonymes, Les anges de New York).
Son tout dernier m’a déçu pour d’autres raisons, et celui-ci, un ancien roman qui patientait dans ma liseuse, je l’ai terminé en avance rapide.
Voyez vous : trop de si… ont fini par m’agacer.
Sans oublier les redites pour bien expliquer au lecteur ce qu’il s’est passé les dix pages précédentes ont eu raison de ma patience.
Ajouter à cela des personnages qui ne m’ont pas convaincu : le principal, Vincent Madigan, qui avale tous les cachets qui lui tombent sous la main (une vraie pharmacie ambulante sa voiture) et dont le meilleur ami s’appelle Jack Daniel ou Johnnie Walker, je les confonds. On a déjà lu ça tant de fois….
Je vais dorénavant faire l’impasse sur ses prochains romans.
L’image que je retiendrai :
Celle du méchant dont le surnom veut dire pastèque. Quand on comprend pourquoi, c’est assez terrible.
https://alexmotamots.fr/un-coeur-somb...
Je n’avais pas aimé du tout son tout premier (Seul le silence) pour diverses raisons. Mais les suivants m’ont plu (Vendetta, Les anonymes, Les anges de New York).
Son tout dernier m’a déçu pour d’autres raisons, et celui-ci, un ancien roman qui patientait dans ma liseuse, je l’ai terminé en avance rapide.
Voyez vous : trop de si… ont fini par m’agacer.
Sans oublier les redites pour bien expliquer au lecteur ce qu’il s’est passé les dix pages précédentes ont eu raison de ma patience.
Ajouter à cela des personnages qui ne m’ont pas convaincu : le principal, Vincent Madigan, qui avale tous les cachets qui lui tombent sous la main (une vraie pharmacie ambulante sa voiture) et dont le meilleur ami s’appelle Jack Daniel ou Johnnie Walker, je les confonds. On a déjà lu ça tant de fois….
Je vais dorénavant faire l’impasse sur ses prochains romans.
L’image que je retiendrai :
Celle du méchant dont le surnom veut dire pastèque. Quand on comprend pourquoi, c’est assez terrible.
https://alexmotamots.fr/un-coeur-somb...
October 16, 2017
Oh. My. Word.
I couldn't put this down. Ellory is at the top of his impeccable game with his one.
Here's a brief summary.
Vincent Madigan is a veteran detective on the take from Sandia, the local gangster. He decides to pull one last job and double-cross Sandia in an attempt to get out of the mess that he's in. But it all goes south when he has to kill the men he's working with. Additionally, an innocent victim is caught in the crossfire. With the proverbial vise tightening around him, Madigan needs all his wits to navigate this course. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last word. 5/5 stars and one of my favorite reads of the year.
I couldn't put this down. Ellory is at the top of his impeccable game with his one.
Here's a brief summary.
Vincent Madigan is a veteran detective on the take from Sandia, the local gangster. He decides to pull one last job and double-cross Sandia in an attempt to get out of the mess that he's in. But it all goes south when he has to kill the men he's working with. Additionally, an innocent victim is caught in the crossfire. With the proverbial vise tightening around him, Madigan needs all his wits to navigate this course. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last word. 5/5 stars and one of my favorite reads of the year.
February 5, 2021
I always like Ellory's books. Even tho a lot of them are about extremely crooked people with no redeeming features (at first). I usually don't like to read crime novels, but Ellory makes you care about the characters. He puts words together perfectly. He is a Brit but must do a lot of research into places in the U.S. like the south and New York. Names streets, areas, diners, etc. that are probably really there and if you are from N.Y. I'm sure you'll recognize the areas. This story is about a detective named Madigan and a drug lord named Sandia. Involves a crime gone bad and what happens to those involved. The ending is a shock
October 12, 2017
Vincent Madigan is a former good cop who has become a drunk, drug user, murder and all around bad guy. Madigan has dug his way into a hole which he is unable to climb out of due to his dealings with crime boss Sandia. Through stealing Sandia's money, killing Sandia's nephew and killing those who helped him pull off the robbery Madigan attempts to lie his way out of the mess he has put himself in. In the end Madigan gets what is coming to him.
June 26, 2022
A stunningly original plot line with an equally original antihero at it core, at times bordering on breathtaking - literally.
So why only four star? Call me old fashioned but I want my fiction to be just that - fiction. I don’t believe that I’m giving anything away if I say that this story is just too close to the bone, too uncomfortable for my tastes.
But you’ve got to give it a go if you’re into the crime thriller genre and now having discovered Ellory I am eager to discover more of his.
So why only four star? Call me old fashioned but I want my fiction to be just that - fiction. I don’t believe that I’m giving anything away if I say that this story is just too close to the bone, too uncomfortable for my tastes.
But you’ve got to give it a go if you’re into the crime thriller genre and now having discovered Ellory I am eager to discover more of his.
January 5, 2018
Je suis un fan inconditionnel de cet auteur.
Chaque roman nous emmène dans un univers et une atmosphère différente. Et quand je dis nous emmène, c'est qu'il nous la rend presque palpable, cette atmosphère.
Les personnages nous deviennent familiers au fur et à mesure de l'intrigue.
Pour moi Ellory est un maître du roman noir.
Chaque roman nous emmène dans un univers et une atmosphère différente. Et quand je dis nous emmène, c'est qu'il nous la rend presque palpable, cette atmosphère.
Les personnages nous deviennent familiers au fur et à mesure de l'intrigue.
Pour moi Ellory est un maître du roman noir.
April 13, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. Vince Madigan is the most corrupt and despicable man who is put into a situation where he must right a series of wrongs. I found myself ( thanks to R J Ellorys poignant writing ), feeling compassion for this brutal despicable man. The ending was superb and so unexpected. Another Winner R J.
December 31, 2023
R.J.Ellory verbaast en verrast mij altijd. Zijn verhaallijnen zijn steeds anders maar altijd spannend, met een goed geschreven, ingenieus plot, verrassende wendingen en een onverwacht einde. ‘Een stil geloof in engelen ‘ vond ik meesterlijk maar ook dit boek heeft alles wat ik verwacht van een goede krimi.
August 22, 2017
This was a sad story about what happens when good people turn bad.All actions have different reactions and the life that could be can change in an instant.really sad ending I did not want it to end as it did but it fit the story.I received this book free as part of goodreads giveaways.
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