BLOOD ACRE.

by Peter Landesman

Book by Landesman, Peter

Genres: Fiction, Crime

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nathan Stein was once a successful lawyer has quickly slid down into the depths of corruption and now finds himself accused of murder.
Landesman has created a world which is gritty, realistic and it lifts off the page. The characters are flawed, self-interested and ugly.
There is a lot packed into the pages and a lot of characters. As much as I enjoyed Landesman's writing style, the descriptions and the rhythm of the words. I just did not become consumed by the story and I am not sure why. I did enjoy the book.

[David Way · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Got sort of drawn out and boring toward the end but generally good

[Kayla Dunn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely terrible. I'm not sure which was worse the story or the writing style.

[James Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bleak and feverish melodrama with eye-catching imagery (storm clouds are "dark horses rearing up," and in a hospital morgue, "fermenting corpses stretched out like loaves in their individual ovens," among other things) and emotionally taxing scenes, including Nathan's belated visit to the dying mother of his other illegitimate child. There is a chilling Rikers Island interview with a murderous drug-dealer/godmother. With a dramatic and climactic fire It all frets and struts brilliantly. To top it off Landesman delivers a surprising resolution to the major enigma of his tale, topping it with an incredibly gloomy, satirical conclusion. However, the book comes out as somewhat derivative and willfully obtuse (Chinatown, William Styron's Lie Down in Darkness). Bold, frequently captivating material—but one assumes the talented author, whose first novel won awards, is capable of better stuff.