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Lena Gamble #1
Todesqual
Eine junge schwangere Frau wird tot in ihrem Bett gefunden – vom Bauch bis zur Kehle aufgeschlitzt. Detective Lena Gamble von der Mordkommission in Los Angeles glaubt zunächst, dass die Frau von ihrem Mann getötet wurde. Aber als weitere brutale Frauenmorde verübt werden, wird klar, dass die schrecklichen Taten auf das Konto eines perversen Serienmörders gehen. Der Killer vergewaltigt seine Opfer, bevor er sie tötet, weshalb die Presse ihn zynisch „Romeo“ tauft. Lena ermittelt fieberhaft – und gerät bald selbst in das Visier des Serienkillers …
426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2007
218 people are currently reading
1157 people want to read
About the author
Robert Ellis
14 books198 followersRobert Ellis is the bestselling author of Access to Power and The Dead Room, as well as two critically acclaimed series--the Lena Gamble novels, City of Fire, The Lost Witness, and Murder Season, and the Detective Matt Jones Thriller Series, City of Echoes, The Love Killings, The Girl Buried in the Woods, and City of Stones.
Born in Philadelphia, Robert moved to Los Angeles and worked as a writer, producer, and director in film, television, and advertising. After ghostwriting the final draft of Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Robert wrote his first novel, Access to Power, a national bestseller. His books have been translated into more than ten languages and won praise from authors as diverse as Janet Evanovich and Michael Connelly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
June 3, 2023
3.5* По време на четенето бях се заканил да дам доста по-нисък резултат от този. Почти до края на книгата сюжетът не блестеше с нещо особено, главната героиня ми се стори като очевадно копие на Хари Бош (детектив с къща на хълма в ЕлЕй и всичко останало, само дето е жена), а българският превод влошаваше допълнително цялото преживяване (в т. ч. от книжното ми копие липсва една глава и около 20 страници са разместени). Все пак накрая Елис успя да позакрепи нещата със силен финал, пълен с обрати, които не бях отгатнал предварително.
Препоръчвам книгата, но не и българското ѝ издание. Ако имате киндъл и четете свободно на английски език, просто изберете оригинала.
Препоръчвам книгата, но не и българското ѝ издание. Ако имате киндъл и четете свободно на английски език, просто изберете оригинала.
October 29, 2016
I enjoy Robert Ellis's work. I also like a good crime mystery with a strong female protagonist. What I don't necessarily like is when the protagonist is made to appear broken. Lena has some personal issues she wrestles with, but the author does a good job balancing them out with a satisfying mystery.
August 22, 2022
Book Blog | Bookstagram
WHAT?! SO GOOD.
City of Fire has a detailed, intricate and layered plot that weaves together a medley of separate past and current events and past and current crimes, into one glorious cornucopia of mind-blowing mind-blowingness.
You find out pretty early on who the serial killer, "Romeo," is but there are still a few tricks up Ellis' sleeve that will serve to give the killer some surprise. And when the final words are read, you realize the whole time the mystery wasn't about Romeo. It was all so brilliantly tied together and the red herrings are perfection. You will look back to those things you just barely picked up on in previous chapters and feel like Ellis is winking at you.
I got you, Ellis. You clever bitch.
This is a twisted and engaging story (even during some of the slower parts,) with crisp writing that is descriptive but not overloaded. It has a perfect cast of characters who blur the lines of good and bad, black and white. The shades of grey are rich.
I've never been to L.A. but the setting is written with such kaleidoscope description you could almost taste the smoke from the forest fire or see the Hollywood hills or the suburban neighbourhoods or the downtown streets.
My weird nitpick: Ellis uses the word "righteous" too many times. It's such an odd word used in the context of this story and once you notice an author's thing it's hard to stop seeing it.
Anyway. LOVED IT. Recommended.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 5 stars
WHAT?! SO GOOD.
City of Fire has a detailed, intricate and layered plot that weaves together a medley of separate past and current events and past and current crimes, into one glorious cornucopia of mind-blowing mind-blowingness.
You find out pretty early on who the serial killer, "Romeo," is but there are still a few tricks up Ellis' sleeve that will serve to give the killer some surprise. And when the final words are read, you realize the whole time the mystery wasn't about Romeo. It was all so brilliantly tied together and the red herrings are perfection. You will look back to those things you just barely picked up on in previous chapters and feel like Ellis is winking at you.
I got you, Ellis. You clever bitch.
This is a twisted and engaging story (even during some of the slower parts,) with crisp writing that is descriptive but not overloaded. It has a perfect cast of characters who blur the lines of good and bad, black and white. The shades of grey are rich.
I've never been to L.A. but the setting is written with such kaleidoscope description you could almost taste the smoke from the forest fire or see the Hollywood hills or the suburban neighbourhoods or the downtown streets.
My weird nitpick: Ellis uses the word "righteous" too many times. It's such an odd word used in the context of this story and once you notice an author's thing it's hard to stop seeing it.
Anyway. LOVED IT. Recommended.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 5 stars
July 2, 2020
Uno más de investigación sobre un asesino en serie. Al 60% ya sabes cómo va a acabar. Al menos entretiene, pero no aporta nada nuevo.
January 21, 2010
Det. Lena Gambrel is assigned the lead responsibility on a case of a young woman found murdered. The victim's body was laid out as if the killer was posing her for someone else to see.
The victim had sex recently but the DNA didn't match her husband's. Lena finds info in the home with the number seven on it. Thinking that this was left by the killer, she looks into similiar cases and finds that the DNA matches that of two other women who were killed where other men were convicted.
The author does an excellent job of letting the reader know about Lena's backgroung and see her personality, such as the way she does crossword puzzles in ink. We also learn that she's living in the home of her brother, David, who was murdered. This lets the reader understand Lena's actions and her relentless pursuit of the killer.
The writing is crisp and captivates the reader's attention and holds it throughout this heart pounding story.
In addition, just when the reader thinks that they have it all figured out, the author provides a plot twist that changed direction of the story. This was outstanding and totally unexpected. This was a thourougly enjoyable read.
Highly recommended.
The victim had sex recently but the DNA didn't match her husband's. Lena finds info in the home with the number seven on it. Thinking that this was left by the killer, she looks into similiar cases and finds that the DNA matches that of two other women who were killed where other men were convicted.
The author does an excellent job of letting the reader know about Lena's backgroung and see her personality, such as the way she does crossword puzzles in ink. We also learn that she's living in the home of her brother, David, who was murdered. This lets the reader understand Lena's actions and her relentless pursuit of the killer.
The writing is crisp and captivates the reader's attention and holds it throughout this heart pounding story.
In addition, just when the reader thinks that they have it all figured out, the author provides a plot twist that changed direction of the story. This was outstanding and totally unexpected. This was a thourougly enjoyable read.
Highly recommended.
October 29, 2009
Excellent cop mystery. Even though the reader learns the identity of the perp early in the book, the story still keeps one guessing until the end. I am not a fan of books where the lead character's personal baggage is a big part of the story. This book pulled it off better than most. The lead cop's brother was killed five years ago and the current case may or may not be part of his death. The reader endures minor hand-wringing on the cop's part, but it doesn't go off the grid as do many books.
The good: Appealing lead character, snappy mystery that twists and turns just when it seems solved.
The bleh: None, really. Some angst over brother's death, but doesn't dominate.
Recommend.
The good: Appealing lead character, snappy mystery that twists and turns just when it seems solved.
The bleh: None, really. Some angst over brother's death, but doesn't dominate.
Recommend.
February 15, 2012
Disappointing. Much too similar to Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series, but without the atmosphere and the story development. The villain apparently possesses supernatural powers -- he can break into any building, observe trained police officers at close quarters (as in the very next room!) without being detected, and cannot be bested in a fight! Too unrealistic! Detail undermining the author’s credibility: Rifles and shotguns are not the same. Police officers know this. Ellis doesn’t.
January 31, 2023
Absolutely love this book. I first read it many years ago when it was first published and it still has the same impact on me as it did then. It's an absolute page turner and I didn't want to put it down. I love the lead character Lena's grit, determination and skill to solve the crime even in the toughest of circumstance. I'm already onto the next book in the series.
July 31, 2022
I can’t remember the last time I stayed up reading under the covers to finish a novel— but this one had me doing just that. It was gripping, intense, and I didn’t see the twist coming! Loved this twisty rollercoaster ride and can’t wait to read more in this series.
April 15, 2019
Have you ever looked at life--well, interpersonal relationships, specifically--as a Venn diagram? It's a more boring view of life than seven degrees of separation (or Kevin Bacon). Things like finding out that a Facebook friend is also friends with another Facebook friend and you go, "Huh?" Then you find out they went to school together or they used to date or one went to church with you and one went to school with you. Those moments that make you go, "Small world, isn't it?" This novel got mired down in those Venn diagrams. I liked the characters, I liked the story (it was just enough gross and very gripping), but at one point it was close to becoming a comedy of coincidences. Toward the end, it all evened out and was pretty satisfying after twists and turns throughout. A lot was familiar if you read these mysteries about big city police forces--good cop, bad cop, politics, new chiefs with brooms sweeping the department clean, cold cases becoming hot, headlines, at least one cop becomes a target/victim. But, in the end, I liked Ellis' writing and Lena Gamble was a satisfying protagonist. I just worry if everything we learned about her in the #1 in the series is all there is to make us care about her.
October 3, 2020
Lena Gamble, the female protagonist in this series, is lead detective on several cases involving a serial killer dubbed "Romeo". An excellently crafted police procedural you'll enjoy with a twist at the end I didn't see coming.
December 1, 2015
A nicely done cop mystery thriller, with a strong female protagonist and an eye for detail. I particularly liked Lena's intuitive side and her unwavering detemirnation in solving not only the lead investigation, but the mystery of her own past. The language reads so effortlesly it was a pleasure to turn the pages. The only two things I didn't like was the fact that of course it has to be a rape case - you can add the implication on your own - and the ending, which feels rather unconvincing. I will most certainly read the rest of the series, though.
January 14, 2013
First in the Lena Gamble series. A good crime book. A serial killer who is targeting women in their homes. Lena's brother's unsolved murder from 5 years before heats up again. Both stories intertwine and Lena must face that there is someone in the police force who may have killed her brother. A very good start for the series. Good twists and turns all the way until the end. Will read more in the series.
June 21, 2017
HUH????
I don’t think I’m an idiot. I read two books a week. But after reading ‘City of Fire’ by Robert Ellis, I’m thinking maybe I really am an idiot.
This was the first novel I read by this author. As I went through the book I figured I’d read more of his work. But by the time I completed it, I realized this was probably a one-and-done.
Even from the start, the book never really pulled me in. It was too good to give up but too bad to strike a chord.
Even though the story and plot itself is nothing unique, it kept my interest. It is a police procedural and I enjoy books like that. Archer Mayor comes to mind. His plots are not earth-shattering. However, I enjoy his novels immensely because of his style and his characters. The plot of City of Fire was…okay. Nothing new. Women getting raped, then the rapist turns into a killer. Well, okay. Nothing new here but sure, I’ll keep going.
Characters: A big thing for me is I like characters I can relate to. I want to cheer the good buy and boo the bad guy. I want to identify with them on some level. However, I never felt anything any of these characters.
We’re told early on that the protagonist, Detective Lena Gamble, is very good at what she does. She is just 29 and already has been assigned to special homicide unit. Wow, impressive.
However, nothing in these 360 pages give any indication what makes her such a great detective. Her partner and those around her seem just as adept as she, if not more. Also, she tends to lose the grip on her weapon a heck of a lot of times for a ‘talented detective,’
So, as far as the things I just mentioned, the book was okay. Good enough. No, not great. Far from it. But good enough.
Negatives:
The biggest negative was the author’s style. True, this is subjective but I personally found his writing overly wordy and cumbersome. I read a book to be entertained, not to have an author try to impress me clever word-usage where I have to stop reading and say, “Huh?”
Example: Page 344 , our hero frees a woman who was tortured and sexually abused. The victim in traumatized and in shock. The author writes: “When the woman opened her mouth, nothing audible came out. She was in another place, two or three stations to the wind.”
Maybe it’s me but what does “two or three stations to the wind” mean?” We see she was shocked, why throw in those extra words. This is just one example but the novel is filled with unnecessary lines like this.
The other thing that frustrated me is the fact the author threw SO MUCH out there, it was hard to keep track. I was feeling overwhelmed. In the end some things were explained, many were not.
***spoilers****
A woman is found murdered. In her CD player is Beethoven’s Fifth. Another woman is found murdered. In her CD player is Beethoven’s Sixth. Somehow, the detectives realize they have a serial killer on their hand. After all, somewhere out there is Beethoven’s’ First, Beethoven’s Second, etc…It wasn’t explained how or why they made this jump.
There were several references made to ’51 down’ in the LA Times crossword puzzle. That was never explained.
HUH???
The detectives were trying to determine why the bad guy went from rapist to killer. That wasn’t explained. Or if it was, I missed it.
HUH???
Some of the victims have one of their toes cut off. The detectives wonder, “Why? What’s that mean? What’s he telling us?” Hmm, okay, interesting. At the end, when the bad guy comes after our hero, for some reason, he is wearing a necklace with the toes on it. Why? Who knows? It was never explained.
HUH???
Another victim, a male, is castrated. Again, the detectives wonder, “Why? What’s that mean? What’s he telling us?” Hmm, okay, interesting. They spend time looking for the severed penis. At the end, we are told “The penis was found.” Why? Where? How? What the hell was the point?
HUH???
Plus, there were so many other things that the author threw in for no reason that, in my opinion, made the book silly.
The bad guy has a friend he met at the gym. A spotter who seems to be an accomplice. We learn that the friend is imaginary. Uh, hello, Fight Club anyone?
The bad guy kept his grandparent’s ashes in a shoe box on a bed. Why? Who knows? We are never told.
HUH???
And so on and so on.
When all was said and done, and I got through this, I still don’t know what the hell I read. There’s a cop, Rhodes, an ex-love interest for our hero. They’d been in love. Suddenly, he hates her. Then it seems like he’s the killer. Then we learn he is not the killer but still wants her dead. Even though he wants her dead, he ends up saving her life for some reason.
HUH???
I’m not even sure why the rapist/killer raped and killed.
The Santa Ana winds pick up, apparently so strong that part of the hero’s house actually blows away!
HUH???
And lastly, for whatever reason, toward the end of the novel, a brushfire ravages the hills of LA. Then, the fire comes down from the hills and now, much of LA is burning! LOL There’s no point to this other than the last 50 pages, our hero is dodging embers.
This book had potential and could have been good. In my opinion, it fell way short and wound up being a mish-mosh of clues not revealed, characters acting out in strange ways never explained and an ending that made no sense.
I don’t think I’m an idiot. I read two books a week. But after reading ‘City of Fire’ by Robert Ellis, I’m thinking maybe I really am an idiot.
This was the first novel I read by this author. As I went through the book I figured I’d read more of his work. But by the time I completed it, I realized this was probably a one-and-done.
Even from the start, the book never really pulled me in. It was too good to give up but too bad to strike a chord.
Even though the story and plot itself is nothing unique, it kept my interest. It is a police procedural and I enjoy books like that. Archer Mayor comes to mind. His plots are not earth-shattering. However, I enjoy his novels immensely because of his style and his characters. The plot of City of Fire was…okay. Nothing new. Women getting raped, then the rapist turns into a killer. Well, okay. Nothing new here but sure, I’ll keep going.
Characters: A big thing for me is I like characters I can relate to. I want to cheer the good buy and boo the bad guy. I want to identify with them on some level. However, I never felt anything any of these characters.
We’re told early on that the protagonist, Detective Lena Gamble, is very good at what she does. She is just 29 and already has been assigned to special homicide unit. Wow, impressive.
However, nothing in these 360 pages give any indication what makes her such a great detective. Her partner and those around her seem just as adept as she, if not more. Also, she tends to lose the grip on her weapon a heck of a lot of times for a ‘talented detective,’
So, as far as the things I just mentioned, the book was okay. Good enough. No, not great. Far from it. But good enough.
Negatives:
The biggest negative was the author’s style. True, this is subjective but I personally found his writing overly wordy and cumbersome. I read a book to be entertained, not to have an author try to impress me clever word-usage where I have to stop reading and say, “Huh?”
Example: Page 344 , our hero frees a woman who was tortured and sexually abused. The victim in traumatized and in shock. The author writes: “When the woman opened her mouth, nothing audible came out. She was in another place, two or three stations to the wind.”
Maybe it’s me but what does “two or three stations to the wind” mean?” We see she was shocked, why throw in those extra words. This is just one example but the novel is filled with unnecessary lines like this.
The other thing that frustrated me is the fact the author threw SO MUCH out there, it was hard to keep track. I was feeling overwhelmed. In the end some things were explained, many were not.
***spoilers****
A woman is found murdered. In her CD player is Beethoven’s Fifth. Another woman is found murdered. In her CD player is Beethoven’s Sixth. Somehow, the detectives realize they have a serial killer on their hand. After all, somewhere out there is Beethoven’s’ First, Beethoven’s Second, etc…It wasn’t explained how or why they made this jump.
There were several references made to ’51 down’ in the LA Times crossword puzzle. That was never explained.
HUH???
The detectives were trying to determine why the bad guy went from rapist to killer. That wasn’t explained. Or if it was, I missed it.
HUH???
Some of the victims have one of their toes cut off. The detectives wonder, “Why? What’s that mean? What’s he telling us?” Hmm, okay, interesting. At the end, when the bad guy comes after our hero, for some reason, he is wearing a necklace with the toes on it. Why? Who knows? It was never explained.
HUH???
Another victim, a male, is castrated. Again, the detectives wonder, “Why? What’s that mean? What’s he telling us?” Hmm, okay, interesting. They spend time looking for the severed penis. At the end, we are told “The penis was found.” Why? Where? How? What the hell was the point?
HUH???
Plus, there were so many other things that the author threw in for no reason that, in my opinion, made the book silly.
The bad guy has a friend he met at the gym. A spotter who seems to be an accomplice. We learn that the friend is imaginary. Uh, hello, Fight Club anyone?
The bad guy kept his grandparent’s ashes in a shoe box on a bed. Why? Who knows? We are never told.
HUH???
And so on and so on.
When all was said and done, and I got through this, I still don’t know what the hell I read. There’s a cop, Rhodes, an ex-love interest for our hero. They’d been in love. Suddenly, he hates her. Then it seems like he’s the killer. Then we learn he is not the killer but still wants her dead. Even though he wants her dead, he ends up saving her life for some reason.
HUH???
I’m not even sure why the rapist/killer raped and killed.
The Santa Ana winds pick up, apparently so strong that part of the hero’s house actually blows away!
HUH???
And lastly, for whatever reason, toward the end of the novel, a brushfire ravages the hills of LA. Then, the fire comes down from the hills and now, much of LA is burning! LOL There’s no point to this other than the last 50 pages, our hero is dodging embers.
This book had potential and could have been good. In my opinion, it fell way short and wound up being a mish-mosh of clues not revealed, characters acting out in strange ways never explained and an ending that made no sense.
September 1, 2014
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I won't bother with a synopsis, you can get that anywhere. What I will say is this was a well-written, well-paced thriller that ticked all the boxes. It was also great to have a main character who was not a tortured, dysfunctional soul (for a change) but rather a clever, professional policewoman. Oh, and no tortured inner dialogue.
December 19, 2016
Nice tight mystery. Actually a mystery within a mystery. Lena and her partner are investigating the murder of a woman. Husband seems to be the one, but Lena finds a lead which connects it to another case. Also, the murder of her brother five years ago is unsolved. Who is the person hidden in the shadows who killed her brother? She suspects someone.
September 16, 2015
Not bad. Author and his editors need to learn that rifle and shotgun are not synonymous. Also, I've worked with a number of police departments and one whose officers lose control of their weapons with the frequency these do needs a good shakeup.
September 19, 2015
First book in the Lena Gamble series. Excellent police procedural. Lots of unknown items until the end. Will definitely read more by this author. 4.5 stars
October 31, 2018
I first discovered Robert Ellis and his novels when I found City of Echoes, a Matt Jones detective story, and loved his writing style and the richness of his characters. City of Fire is the first book in the Lena Gamble trilogy that came before Matt Jones.
There are quite a few deaths gruesome murders in this book, but for me the story was more about the damaged characters and how they struggle to make their way in a messed up world than the murders themselves.
In City of Fire I found I was watching the story unfold from the shadows, seeing the twists and turns and frequently feeling like I had figured out what is going on, only to repeatedly discover there was a deeper plot at work.
Why did I give 4 stars instead of 5? Every author has certain phrases that they use a lot. Unfortunately Robert uses one that bugs me, so I notice every time he uses it and it happened a lot. The terms "In spite of..." or simply "Despite..." are fairly interchangable, but we only read the first one, and we read it a lot. I hope it doesn't bug you as much as it bugged me, because the rest of the writing is fantastic.
In summary, if you enjoy shows like Law & Order: SVU, stories of characters struggling with their internal demons and painful past, or simply enjoy a well written work of ficution, then I'm pretty sure you'll love this book.
There are quite a few deaths gruesome murders in this book, but for me the story was more about the damaged characters and how they struggle to make their way in a messed up world than the murders themselves.
In City of Fire I found I was watching the story unfold from the shadows, seeing the twists and turns and frequently feeling like I had figured out what is going on, only to repeatedly discover there was a deeper plot at work.
Why did I give 4 stars instead of 5? Every author has certain phrases that they use a lot. Unfortunately Robert uses one that bugs me, so I notice every time he uses it and it happened a lot. The terms "In spite of..." or simply "Despite..." are fairly interchangable, but we only read the first one, and we read it a lot. I hope it doesn't bug you as much as it bugged me, because the rest of the writing is fantastic.
In summary, if you enjoy shows like Law & Order: SVU, stories of characters struggling with their internal demons and painful past, or simply enjoy a well written work of ficution, then I'm pretty sure you'll love this book.
December 15, 2022
Slow start but hang in there
I learned from one of this authors other books not to give up too early. This story starts out slow, wondering if it's ever going to get to the goods, then suddenly chaos is opened up and all systems are go. The crazy comes out in a man named Martin Fellows! The investigation into a murder begins to take shape as Detectives Novak and Gamble muddle through many twists and turns. When a friend of Lena Gambles' brother is found dead with a third victim of the psychotic killer it raises Lena Gambles suspicions that in might somehow be related to her brother's murder from five years earlier.
The twist and turns in this story are many, and mental whiplash is one of the possible side effects. If you're into crazy, murderous, psychotic killer thrillers then you've found the right book. However, getting to that point is half the battle. The beginning isn't boring, but it's not exciting either. I'm going to read more from this author because the stories are really good once the yolk is broken!
I learned from one of this authors other books not to give up too early. This story starts out slow, wondering if it's ever going to get to the goods, then suddenly chaos is opened up and all systems are go. The crazy comes out in a man named Martin Fellows! The investigation into a murder begins to take shape as Detectives Novak and Gamble muddle through many twists and turns. When a friend of Lena Gambles' brother is found dead with a third victim of the psychotic killer it raises Lena Gambles suspicions that in might somehow be related to her brother's murder from five years earlier.
The twist and turns in this story are many, and mental whiplash is one of the possible side effects. If you're into crazy, murderous, psychotic killer thrillers then you've found the right book. However, getting to that point is half the battle. The beginning isn't boring, but it's not exciting either. I'm going to read more from this author because the stories are really good once the yolk is broken!
May 28, 2022
3.5 stars (I really wish I could give half stars!)
This was an enjoyable read, but not memorable.
In terms of expressing the plot, it was very clear and just enough details were given about relationships and the scenery to get a pretty clear picture of things. And I felt like the author wrote a very authentic female lead; any sexual objectification of her came from the male characters. It all felt quite believable.
I also feel the backdrop of California and wildfires added a little more depth to the story.
I can't really fault it, but there's just something missing.
The book was gritty, and the author wasn't shy about writing the gruesomeness of the crime scenes, but, somehow, it lacked that intriguing creepiness that normally accompanies serial killer fiction; which is odd because the antagonist is so very creepy!
I would say this is a good holiday read. I didn't feel invested, but I also can't find any major faults.
This was an enjoyable read, but not memorable.
In terms of expressing the plot, it was very clear and just enough details were given about relationships and the scenery to get a pretty clear picture of things. And I felt like the author wrote a very authentic female lead; any sexual objectification of her came from the male characters. It all felt quite believable.
I also feel the backdrop of California and wildfires added a little more depth to the story.
I can't really fault it, but there's just something missing.
The book was gritty, and the author wasn't shy about writing the gruesomeness of the crime scenes, but, somehow, it lacked that intriguing creepiness that normally accompanies serial killer fiction; which is odd because the antagonist is so very creepy!
I would say this is a good holiday read. I didn't feel invested, but I also can't find any major faults.
March 5, 2019
Pedazo de libro!!!! El mejor de este año. Llevaba con el dos años, un libro desconocido que compré porque estaba muy bien de precio de un autor del que no había oído hablar, pero me llamó la atención que venía avalado por el grandísimo Michael Connolly.
Desde el primer capítulo ya se pone interesante y engancha enseguida. Me encanta la trama y como se desarrolla, la investigación, como se va resolviendo todo el entuerto, y un asesino en serie frío y sorprendente, que estás deseando que entre en escena.
El final es sorprendente. Una vez que se resuelve una de las grandes incógnitas, el cabo que parecía atado (aunque en realidad siempre estuvo suelto), se resuelve de una forma inesperada, que te deja fuera de juego, y de manera muy ingeniosa por parte del autor. En resumen, un librazo.
Desde el primer capítulo ya se pone interesante y engancha enseguida. Me encanta la trama y como se desarrolla, la investigación, como se va resolviendo todo el entuerto, y un asesino en serie frío y sorprendente, que estás deseando que entre en escena.
El final es sorprendente. Una vez que se resuelve una de las grandes incógnitas, el cabo que parecía atado (aunque en realidad siempre estuvo suelto), se resuelve de una forma inesperada, que te deja fuera de juego, y de manera muy ingeniosa por parte del autor. En resumen, un librazo.
July 1, 2023
Someone is mutilating and killing young women in Los Angeles - as the death toll mounts he's being called the Romeo Killer.
LA Robbery-Homicide Det. Lena Gamble is on the case and, initially at least, the husband is the sole suspect. But the evidence proves this not to be the case and the murders continue.
One slightly annoying and recurring word was 'doer' to describe the killer - it may be cop speak but it jarred.
"City of Fire" is a solid police procedural which, while revealing the killer early on, keeps the suspense level high as Lena uncovers disturbing links to her brother's murder five years earlier.
Overall it is a good read but I thought it relied too heavily on coincidence to be completely satisfying.
3 Stars.
LA Robbery-Homicide Det. Lena Gamble is on the case and, initially at least, the husband is the sole suspect. But the evidence proves this not to be the case and the murders continue.
One slightly annoying and recurring word was 'doer' to describe the killer - it may be cop speak but it jarred.
"City of Fire" is a solid police procedural which, while revealing the killer early on, keeps the suspense level high as Lena uncovers disturbing links to her brother's murder five years earlier.
Overall it is a good read but I thought it relied too heavily on coincidence to be completely satisfying.
3 Stars.
December 30, 2018
Quite the convoluted, roller coaster-like ride.
Very good story and the writing was good too, though for some reason I couldn't understand, it was more difficult to read his writing than those of other authors. I found myself rereading many pages. But I didn't mark down for that because it most likely my own glitch reading his style of writing.
But the story itself was quite the journey....I also like the main character, so I am willing to read another Ellis/Lens Gamble book.
Very good story and the writing was good too, though for some reason I couldn't understand, it was more difficult to read his writing than those of other authors. I found myself rereading many pages. But I didn't mark down for that because it most likely my own glitch reading his style of writing.
But the story itself was quite the journey....I also like the main character, so I am willing to read another Ellis/Lens Gamble book.
April 4, 2018
Although interesting enough to keep me reading, City of Fire never really pulled me in and engaged me. The plot was okay, although I sometimes felt I was missing something. The characters were decent enough without any of them particularly standing out. I can't think of much else to write, apart from that this is a well-written crime/thriller/mystery novel that does everything it needs to without setting the world on fire.
July 11, 2022
Haunted by her brother's death, Det. Lena Gamble takes lead of the murder of a pregnant young woman. Her partner is older and experienced and provides the mentorship and friendship she craves. But what looks like an open and shut domestic soon turns into something more harrowing.
I identified the doer early. None of the characters is especially engaging. The brittle LA atmosphere is well conveyed but the celebrity lawyer is a laughable caricature. Not suspenseful and kind of slow.
I identified the doer early. None of the characters is especially engaging. The brittle LA atmosphere is well conveyed but the celebrity lawyer is a laughable caricature. Not suspenseful and kind of slow.
April 12, 2025
A well written story, even though a bit too slow in the beginning, but I stayed with it and got handsomely rewarded! I'll read
The Lost Witness
to learn if this is one of those rare good series. I like Ellis's writing, so I might get lucky.
(Please forgive my poor English, my excuse is I’m Swedish).
(Please forgive my poor English, my excuse is I’m Swedish).
June 15, 2017
Disfruté tanto de este libro... Me tuvo atrapada durante dos días, que fue lo que duró, y no pude parar de leer. He descubierto a Robert Ellis con este libro y no pienso perderle pista. Si te gusta la novela negra y quieres conocer el punto de vista del bueno y del malo, este es tu libro. Te va encantar y descubrirás que nada es lo que parece.
December 18, 2017
Possibly this book succeeds on some level but I was never able to identify that level. It starts out looking like a police investigation but by halfway through we're following the killer around and reading his depraved thoughts, so now it's a woman-in-peril story. The more I tried to connect with this book, the less I liked it.
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