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Murder Book
When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region calls on Harry Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread criminal organization—but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier, and to her, he can’t say no.
Initially brought in as a consultant to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the FBI, Duncan quickly finds himself in conflict with a syndicate far more violent than first suspected. As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a “murder book,” the notebook in which a detective keeps records, interviews, photos—everything he needs to build his case. But his scrutiny of the gang soon makes Duncan a target. And Ellen, too.
A thrilling and suspenseful tour of crime-addled midwestern towns, Murder Book is signature Thomas Perry, with characters you won’t soon forget, crisply-described action sequences, and breathlessly-tense plotting that will keep you racing through the pages.
Initially brought in as a consultant to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the FBI, Duncan quickly finds himself in conflict with a syndicate far more violent than first suspected. As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a “murder book,” the notebook in which a detective keeps records, interviews, photos—everything he needs to build his case. But his scrutiny of the gang soon makes Duncan a target. And Ellen, too.
A thrilling and suspenseful tour of crime-addled midwestern towns, Murder Book is signature Thomas Perry, with characters you won’t soon forget, crisply-described action sequences, and breathlessly-tense plotting that will keep you racing through the pages.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 17, 2023
513 people are currently reading
2121 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Perry
93 books1,701 followersThomas Perry was the author of 25 novels. He was born in Tonawanda, New York in 1947. He received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1969 and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Rochester in 1974. He had worked as a park maintenance man, factory laborer, commercial fisherman, university administrator and teacher, and as a writer and producer of prime time network television shows.
Thomas Perry lived in Southern California.
Thomas Perry lived in Southern California.
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February 13, 2023
Murder Book by Thomas Perry
Narrated by Peter Berkrot
Former cop of all sorts, Harry Duncan, is now a private investigator. He uses everything he's learned in the past to do a fantastic job of private investigating now. He keeps murder books for every job he does, just like he did when he wasn't self employed. He is methodical with his record keeping, with pictures, videos, audios, interviews, everything that pertains to a crime recorded, documented, and saved.
Harry's ex wife is someone he doesn't miss at all. Now she is a US attorney and there is something very amiss is her region. She needs proof before she can do anything about it so she asks Harry to investigate and he agrees to do so against his better judgment. These two do not get along and they both seem happy to keep their past in the past. Although sometimes the past leaks through and that helps Harry remember just why he's glad he usually has nothing to do with this woman.
Combine the audiobook narration, the way the story is told, and Harry's demeanor and the word "noir" instantly comes to mind. Harry is a wisecrack but in the nicest of ways, it was so interesting being in his head. He has so much knowledge, so much talent, such creativity, and such a focused mind, that he can deal with anything. Yet there is nothing flashy about him, he knows how to blend in, he's just an ordinary guy. He can pull off whatever he needs to pull off. On one hand, he's the guy I'd want around in a disaster but on the other hand, disaster seems to follow him once the story gets started.
I live near a tiny town and this story deals with small towns being destroyed by corruption. It hurt to read this story but the author does show why doing small town folks dirty might not be a good idea. Harry knows how to bring people together, he knows how to read people, treat people, and understand people. He can also make use of the simplest things to get things done. You want Harry on your side if you are in trouble. There is a lot of action in this story but it also feels cerebral. Harry is a thinker if he's anything at all. This is a man who knows how to take care of himself, when to rev up and when to shut down.
Publication Jan 17, 2023
Thank you to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Peter Berkrot
Former cop of all sorts, Harry Duncan, is now a private investigator. He uses everything he's learned in the past to do a fantastic job of private investigating now. He keeps murder books for every job he does, just like he did when he wasn't self employed. He is methodical with his record keeping, with pictures, videos, audios, interviews, everything that pertains to a crime recorded, documented, and saved.
Harry's ex wife is someone he doesn't miss at all. Now she is a US attorney and there is something very amiss is her region. She needs proof before she can do anything about it so she asks Harry to investigate and he agrees to do so against his better judgment. These two do not get along and they both seem happy to keep their past in the past. Although sometimes the past leaks through and that helps Harry remember just why he's glad he usually has nothing to do with this woman.
Combine the audiobook narration, the way the story is told, and Harry's demeanor and the word "noir" instantly comes to mind. Harry is a wisecrack but in the nicest of ways, it was so interesting being in his head. He has so much knowledge, so much talent, such creativity, and such a focused mind, that he can deal with anything. Yet there is nothing flashy about him, he knows how to blend in, he's just an ordinary guy. He can pull off whatever he needs to pull off. On one hand, he's the guy I'd want around in a disaster but on the other hand, disaster seems to follow him once the story gets started.
I live near a tiny town and this story deals with small towns being destroyed by corruption. It hurt to read this story but the author does show why doing small town folks dirty might not be a good idea. Harry knows how to bring people together, he knows how to read people, treat people, and understand people. He can also make use of the simplest things to get things done. You want Harry on your side if you are in trouble. There is a lot of action in this story but it also feels cerebral. Harry is a thinker if he's anything at all. This is a man who knows how to take care of himself, when to rev up and when to shut down.
Publication Jan 17, 2023
Thank you to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
January 21, 2023
Murder book
Loved this one. The tone, the feel and the conflict between Renee and Harry reminded me of the conflict between the Amy Brenan character and the Jeff Bridges character in the tv version of The Old Man. I kept seeing those two as a read. This is not a bad thing. I liked it a great deal. The Old Man novel was one of my favorites the year it came out.
What I find most interesting in Perry’s work is the powers of observation. His main characters see everything, notes of everything. What’s great about this aspect is how Perry moves the story while at the same time advancing the descriptions needed to build the locations. He puts us right there with the character utilizing a method that serves both. Kind of brilliant. The observations are also at times unique and thought provoking which keeps the reader engaged. He uses just the right about of minute details without overpowering the prose. A lot like a painter would when daubing a final white slash on a dark pupil to make the pupil in the portrait glitter.
I also like the constant ebb and flow of tension, the way the jeopardy builds and then is relieved always holding the reader in tight waiting to see what happens next. These stand-alone books by Perry are not romance stories but there is always an element of romantic tension.
What also makes this story (and many of his others) work so well is how quickly he sets the conflict, (servicing the four C’s of the story arc, conflict, complication, crisis, conclusion). The conflict is the contract with the reader that says, “This is what I’m going to show you.” Perry does this with an economy of prose, short and sweet. If a conflict takes too long to set the reader gets a meandering feeling, (bad ju ju) and might even put down the book.
Perry also uses a style that my writing instructor worked hard to move me away from. My mentor always taught me to, “Show, don’t tell.” That it’s better to put the reader into the scene and let them live the story. Perry does exactly the opposite, he uses a third person distant voice that holds the reader at arms-length and it works very well for him. Very few contemporary authors have the writing chops to pull this off, (Another is Mike Lawson. I also love his books, in fact his next one, Redemption is up on the TBR pile).
During my travels, I query readers on what the kind of books they like, how they choose them. Many say they open the book to see, “How much white is on the pages.” What they are really saying is they prefer the story told in dialogue which is the, “Showing,” kind of story. Murder Book has more pages without white, the, “telling,” style.
Another great aspect Perry uses is that he constantly endears and re-endears the reader to the protagonist. This continually breathes life into the story. In many books the author “Pats the head of the dog,” once and moves on hoping the story does all the work maintaining the fictive dream.
Harry Duncan is a cerebral Jack Reacher who ponders situations in great detail, makes plans with more depth. Duncan does bull his way in, he mostly ducks and dodges until cornered and then does what he needs to do to stay alive.
As I was reading I did come across one criticism that had to do with the character Renee but that issue resolved itself later on the book, (she returned to the story).
As a side note the construction of the book itself the heavy bond paper, the thickness is superior and added to the overall reading experience.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series
Loved this one. The tone, the feel and the conflict between Renee and Harry reminded me of the conflict between the Amy Brenan character and the Jeff Bridges character in the tv version of The Old Man. I kept seeing those two as a read. This is not a bad thing. I liked it a great deal. The Old Man novel was one of my favorites the year it came out.
What I find most interesting in Perry’s work is the powers of observation. His main characters see everything, notes of everything. What’s great about this aspect is how Perry moves the story while at the same time advancing the descriptions needed to build the locations. He puts us right there with the character utilizing a method that serves both. Kind of brilliant. The observations are also at times unique and thought provoking which keeps the reader engaged. He uses just the right about of minute details without overpowering the prose. A lot like a painter would when daubing a final white slash on a dark pupil to make the pupil in the portrait glitter.
I also like the constant ebb and flow of tension, the way the jeopardy builds and then is relieved always holding the reader in tight waiting to see what happens next. These stand-alone books by Perry are not romance stories but there is always an element of romantic tension.
What also makes this story (and many of his others) work so well is how quickly he sets the conflict, (servicing the four C’s of the story arc, conflict, complication, crisis, conclusion). The conflict is the contract with the reader that says, “This is what I’m going to show you.” Perry does this with an economy of prose, short and sweet. If a conflict takes too long to set the reader gets a meandering feeling, (bad ju ju) and might even put down the book.
Perry also uses a style that my writing instructor worked hard to move me away from. My mentor always taught me to, “Show, don’t tell.” That it’s better to put the reader into the scene and let them live the story. Perry does exactly the opposite, he uses a third person distant voice that holds the reader at arms-length and it works very well for him. Very few contemporary authors have the writing chops to pull this off, (Another is Mike Lawson. I also love his books, in fact his next one, Redemption is up on the TBR pile).
During my travels, I query readers on what the kind of books they like, how they choose them. Many say they open the book to see, “How much white is on the pages.” What they are really saying is they prefer the story told in dialogue which is the, “Showing,” kind of story. Murder Book has more pages without white, the, “telling,” style.
Another great aspect Perry uses is that he constantly endears and re-endears the reader to the protagonist. This continually breathes life into the story. In many books the author “Pats the head of the dog,” once and moves on hoping the story does all the work maintaining the fictive dream.
Harry Duncan is a cerebral Jack Reacher who ponders situations in great detail, makes plans with more depth. Duncan does bull his way in, he mostly ducks and dodges until cornered and then does what he needs to do to stay alive.
As I was reading I did come across one criticism that had to do with the character Renee but that issue resolved itself later on the book, (she returned to the story).
As a side note the construction of the book itself the heavy bond paper, the thickness is superior and added to the overall reading experience.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series
October 16, 2023
I will sum up Perry's Murder Book in one word: phenomenal. That is honestly the one word which constantly came to mind as I sat in awe while listening to this amazing twisty rollercoaster of a storyline unfold. I have never encountered a Thomas Perry novel which I did not devour. His protagonist's are always have a perfect balance of believability, flawed histories, humility, and intelligence.
Main character, Harry Duncan is a divorced ex-cop who has been out of the gambit of hunting bad guys for a while. When his ex-wife (Ellen Leicester), a current US attorney, personally asks him to investigate an odd and very concerning crime wave in the region of several small midwestern towns her jurisdiction covers he reluctantly agrees to go in and try to find out what (if anything) is going on. After making his assessment he will then report back to her his findings and suggestions for how to proceed should police/government interventions be necessary.
What he discovers is much more dangerous and illegal than he ever imagined. Upon his arrival in one of the towns he is immediately confronted with bad guys who make it very clear he is not welcome.
The plot unfolds at rapid-fire speed. The action, thrills and often graphic descriptions between the good, not so-good, and downright evil characters kept me on the edge-of-my-seat from start to finish. The plot is fascinating and had me so enthralled that it seemed like the 11 hours and 30 something minutes in listening length was over just as soon as it started. I wish Perry put out new releases quicker because they never disappoint and are always fresh and exceptionally smart.
Narrator Peter Berkrot did an absolutely phenomenal job as solo narrator. He seamlessly brought all the characters (male, female) to life with extreme realism and pitch perfect pace. My listening experience can best be described as an adrenaline filled rush of the rarest kind. Bravo.
The highest of recommendations to all those mystery, thriller/suspense fans. So darn good.
Main character, Harry Duncan is a divorced ex-cop who has been out of the gambit of hunting bad guys for a while. When his ex-wife (Ellen Leicester), a current US attorney, personally asks him to investigate an odd and very concerning crime wave in the region of several small midwestern towns her jurisdiction covers he reluctantly agrees to go in and try to find out what (if anything) is going on. After making his assessment he will then report back to her his findings and suggestions for how to proceed should police/government interventions be necessary.
What he discovers is much more dangerous and illegal than he ever imagined. Upon his arrival in one of the towns he is immediately confronted with bad guys who make it very clear he is not welcome.
The plot unfolds at rapid-fire speed. The action, thrills and often graphic descriptions between the good, not so-good, and downright evil characters kept me on the edge-of-my-seat from start to finish. The plot is fascinating and had me so enthralled that it seemed like the 11 hours and 30 something minutes in listening length was over just as soon as it started. I wish Perry put out new releases quicker because they never disappoint and are always fresh and exceptionally smart.
Narrator Peter Berkrot did an absolutely phenomenal job as solo narrator. He seamlessly brought all the characters (male, female) to life with extreme realism and pitch perfect pace. My listening experience can best be described as an adrenaline filled rush of the rarest kind. Bravo.
The highest of recommendations to all those mystery, thriller/suspense fans. So darn good.
June 14, 2024
Catching up…
I had read this last year, but for whatever reason, never posted my review. So, while I was in the library a few weeks ago, I saw the book again, and I thought I should re-visit it so that I could include my review this time.
This is one of those books that if you had chores you were planning to do, forget it until the next day, or even the day after tomorrow, because this will be a book that will be hard to put down.
Wonderful plotting. High tension throughout. Even with mixed reviews, readers will either love the story or not.
The twists challenged me, the characters were believable, the murder books were our main character’s case notes that kept the story moving. The action was immersive and it was definitely a character driven story. Harry Duncan is our main character, an ex-cop, now consultant on the case, that readers will enjoy following from beginning to end.
I had read this last year, but for whatever reason, never posted my review. So, while I was in the library a few weeks ago, I saw the book again, and I thought I should re-visit it so that I could include my review this time.
This is one of those books that if you had chores you were planning to do, forget it until the next day, or even the day after tomorrow, because this will be a book that will be hard to put down.
Wonderful plotting. High tension throughout. Even with mixed reviews, readers will either love the story or not.
The twists challenged me, the characters were believable, the murder books were our main character’s case notes that kept the story moving. The action was immersive and it was definitely a character driven story. Harry Duncan is our main character, an ex-cop, now consultant on the case, that readers will enjoy following from beginning to end.
February 11, 2023
Harry Duncan is an ex-cop whose methods may be unorthodox.
The Ellen Leicester, the wife who left Harry fifteen years ago calls and askes him to investigate a sudden crime wave, including possible extortion that has hit several small midwestern towns, one of them Parkmans Elbow.
At first Harry is reluctant to take on the case but soon after he arrives in Parkmans Elbow he finds himself up against a syndicate much more violent than first expected. Putting both Harry's and Ellen's lives in danger.
Is the syndicate's goal simple extortion or is the group and their ultimate goal much bigger?
Unfortunately Parkmans Elbow and the surrounding area may never be the same again.
If you like police procedural's I highly recommend this one.
The Ellen Leicester, the wife who left Harry fifteen years ago calls and askes him to investigate a sudden crime wave, including possible extortion that has hit several small midwestern towns, one of them Parkmans Elbow.
At first Harry is reluctant to take on the case but soon after he arrives in Parkmans Elbow he finds himself up against a syndicate much more violent than first expected. Putting both Harry's and Ellen's lives in danger.
Is the syndicate's goal simple extortion or is the group and their ultimate goal much bigger?
Unfortunately Parkmans Elbow and the surrounding area may never be the same again.
If you like police procedural's I highly recommend this one.
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June 15, 2024
2.5_Stars - "It was OK" - but only just enough to finish it.
Thomas Perry - The Murder Book
Audiobook: 11:36 Hours - Narrator: Peter Berkrot
Commenced: 19/07/2023
The protagonist in this audiobook, ex-cop Harry Duncan, is simply too good to be even close to credible. Harry is more or less similar to just about every hero-good guy one can think of: Jack Reacher; Will Robie; John Puller; etc. I love characters like these and I think there is always room for one more. Unfortunately, the Harry Duncan character is simply too good, too knowledgeable, too over the top, and not very well-written.
The lack of character credibility cannot be over-looked and only the author, Thomas Perry, can be held to account. Perry is responsible for development of the story/plots, etc, which strained plausibility and bordered on the inane. The story was tedious, with repetitious dialogue, and it seemed to go on forever.
Listening at normal speed was too slow for this production, so I increased to 1.25 times (something I almost never do), which improved the output, thus Peter Berkrot's narration was worth about 2.5-Stars. For my taste, there was too little differentiation in vocal characterisations, which resulted in a lack of distinction between the main characters, and confusion with many of the supporting roles.
Note: Review slightly revised several hours after initial posting.
From my Listening Activity:
19/07/2023, re-started from scratch:
From 0-30%: Our Hero (the MC), engages in a number of life-threatening struggles with multiple bad guys and, of course, emerges victorious.
From 30-47%: MC is in deep contemplation of his objectives. I preferred his life-threatening struggles.
22/07/2023: thankfully, I finished audiobook
Thomas Perry - The Murder Book
Audiobook: 11:36 Hours - Narrator: Peter Berkrot
Commenced: 19/07/2023
The protagonist in this audiobook, ex-cop Harry Duncan, is simply too good to be even close to credible. Harry is more or less similar to just about every hero-good guy one can think of: Jack Reacher; Will Robie; John Puller; etc. I love characters like these and I think there is always room for one more. Unfortunately, the Harry Duncan character is simply too good, too knowledgeable, too over the top, and not very well-written.
The lack of character credibility cannot be over-looked and only the author, Thomas Perry, can be held to account. Perry is responsible for development of the story/plots, etc, which strained plausibility and bordered on the inane. The story was tedious, with repetitious dialogue, and it seemed to go on forever.
Listening at normal speed was too slow for this production, so I increased to 1.25 times (something I almost never do), which improved the output, thus Peter Berkrot's narration was worth about 2.5-Stars. For my taste, there was too little differentiation in vocal characterisations, which resulted in a lack of distinction between the main characters, and confusion with many of the supporting roles.
Note: Review slightly revised several hours after initial posting.
From my Listening Activity:
19/07/2023, re-started from scratch:
From 0-30%: Our Hero (the MC), engages in a number of life-threatening struggles with multiple bad guys and, of course, emerges victorious.
From 30-47%: MC is in deep contemplation of his objectives. I preferred his life-threatening struggles.
22/07/2023: thankfully, I finished audiobook
August 2, 2025
After starting a Thomas Perry book recently (The Island) that had been on my to-read for a long time and pretty quickly putting it away for another time (wasn’t in the mood for that particular type of story), I picked up this one that has also been on my to-read list for a long time (Nov2022). I like Perry; he’s a really good writer and storyteller. This one was classic Perry using one of my fave tropes: small town crime.
As the book summary indicates, Harry, a former career cop (20+yrs) is now a PI, who is recruited by his ex-wife, a US Attorney for a Midwest district that includes IN. Seems there is a surge in crime in that area and Harry is tasked with checking it out to see if it warrants an FBI investigation. Harry shows up in town one night and ends up at the legendary local bar and immediately beats down and runs out a couple of knuckleheads who were trying to shake down the bar owner, Rene. It turns out that the knuckleheads work for a Chicago mob boss. Boss man was none too pleased about what Harry did to his crew, so he sends another crew to abduct Rene, in an effort to trap Harry. Unfortunately, it didn’t go well for that crew either. None of this is a spoiler since it happens in the first 20% of the story.
Most of the story revolves around the mob boss sending more and more people after Harry and Harry making mincemeat out of all of them. Harry kind of reminds me of a Jack Reacher kind of character, a very intelligent and competent investigator who also happens to be exceptionally capable of defending himself against teams of thugs with guns. It’s deep into the second half that Harry begins to suspect a much more nefarious plan that has Harry reeling from the implications as he blows up the behind the scene machinations.
The character development of Harry was well done, and good for a couple of other characters; the rest of the characters were mostly talking heads. The pacing was steady to fast, and the storyline was intriguing even if it was a very common one. Once again, the writing was classic Perry and thus entertaining. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.1 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review.
As the book summary indicates, Harry, a former career cop (20+yrs) is now a PI, who is recruited by his ex-wife, a US Attorney for a Midwest district that includes IN. Seems there is a surge in crime in that area and Harry is tasked with checking it out to see if it warrants an FBI investigation. Harry shows up in town one night and ends up at the legendary local bar and immediately beats down and runs out a couple of knuckleheads who were trying to shake down the bar owner, Rene. It turns out that the knuckleheads work for a Chicago mob boss. Boss man was none too pleased about what Harry did to his crew, so he sends another crew to abduct Rene, in an effort to trap Harry. Unfortunately, it didn’t go well for that crew either. None of this is a spoiler since it happens in the first 20% of the story.
Most of the story revolves around the mob boss sending more and more people after Harry and Harry making mincemeat out of all of them. Harry kind of reminds me of a Jack Reacher kind of character, a very intelligent and competent investigator who also happens to be exceptionally capable of defending himself against teams of thugs with guns. It’s deep into the second half that Harry begins to suspect a much more nefarious plan that has Harry reeling from the implications as he blows up the behind the scene machinations.
The character development of Harry was well done, and good for a couple of other characters; the rest of the characters were mostly talking heads. The pacing was steady to fast, and the storyline was intriguing even if it was a very common one. Once again, the writing was classic Perry and thus entertaining. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.1 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review.
February 3, 2023
Career criminals show up in out-of-the-way locations
“Murder Book” is a gripping mystery with compelling characters, lots of action, and surprising plot twists. U.S. Attorney Ellen Leicester notices that certain “career” criminals have been committing crimes in unexpected out-of-the-way rural Indiana; she suspects that this unusual “activity” might just be the start of some new crime syndicate. These goings-on certainly should not be ignored, but she needs solid evidence to proceed. She needs someone to confirm her suspicions. She knows just whom to call, someone from her past.
Harry Duncan is an ex-cop who diligently kept all his old case notes stored in what he called “Murder Books.” He is also the ex-husband of U.S. Attorney Ellen Leicester. Theirs was not a contentious divorce, but one that set them both free. Leicester asks him to go to Indiana on a scouting mission as a “consultant.” He will observe, document, and send a report to help determine if there is anything that the government should investigate. He begins yet another “murder book,” meticulously recording what he sees and hears. This makes him a target.
“Murder Book” has an unusual pattern of criminal activity that starts an equally unusual chain of events. Readers anxiously turn the pages. The characters are well developed and straightforward. They are not terribly complex, but the events, actions, and plot are. Every page is filled with action, uncertainty, and unusual twists.
I received a review copy of “Murder Book” from Thomas Perry, Penzler Publishers, and Mysterious Press. Perry packs everything into this story that readers want: nail-biting suspense, tense drama, and startling events; this is another classic.
“Murder Book” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books.
#BookReview #MurderBook #ThomasPerry #RuralIndiana #CareerCriminals
“Murder Book” is a gripping mystery with compelling characters, lots of action, and surprising plot twists. U.S. Attorney Ellen Leicester notices that certain “career” criminals have been committing crimes in unexpected out-of-the-way rural Indiana; she suspects that this unusual “activity” might just be the start of some new crime syndicate. These goings-on certainly should not be ignored, but she needs solid evidence to proceed. She needs someone to confirm her suspicions. She knows just whom to call, someone from her past.
Harry Duncan is an ex-cop who diligently kept all his old case notes stored in what he called “Murder Books.” He is also the ex-husband of U.S. Attorney Ellen Leicester. Theirs was not a contentious divorce, but one that set them both free. Leicester asks him to go to Indiana on a scouting mission as a “consultant.” He will observe, document, and send a report to help determine if there is anything that the government should investigate. He begins yet another “murder book,” meticulously recording what he sees and hears. This makes him a target.
“Murder Book” has an unusual pattern of criminal activity that starts an equally unusual chain of events. Readers anxiously turn the pages. The characters are well developed and straightforward. They are not terribly complex, but the events, actions, and plot are. Every page is filled with action, uncertainty, and unusual twists.
I received a review copy of “Murder Book” from Thomas Perry, Penzler Publishers, and Mysterious Press. Perry packs everything into this story that readers want: nail-biting suspense, tense drama, and startling events; this is another classic.
“Murder Book” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books.
#BookReview #MurderBook #ThomasPerry #RuralIndiana #CareerCriminals
December 10, 2022
Exciting, fast-paced, action-packed crime novel! From the title I thought this might be about an author who was writing a book of murder stories, but I was totally wrong. Harry Duncan, a private investigator, is hired by his ex-wife who is a U.S. Attorney, to find out what is behind the recent crime wave in the midwest. Harry starts investigating in a small town and things start happening really fast. I was glued to the pages throughout as Harry kept landing in impossible situations where he had to think ahead of everyone else to stay alive and get needed information for his investigation. And yes, Harry was putting together a murder book which was a new concept to me and not what I expected at all.
Terrific book and I'll be investigating what is already available from Thomas Perry since this is the first book of his I've read. I totally enjoyed the adventures of Harry Duncan, the hero in this book.
Thanks to Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 17, 2023.
Terrific book and I'll be investigating what is already available from Thomas Perry since this is the first book of his I've read. I totally enjoyed the adventures of Harry Duncan, the hero in this book.
Thanks to Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 17, 2023.
April 7, 2023
Murder Book: A Novel by Thomas Perry
Synopsis /
An ex-cop takes on a widespread criminal organization targeting Midwestern towns in this "master class in the craft of suspense" (New York Times) from the author of The Old Man. When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region calls on Harry Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread criminal organization―but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier, and to her, he can’t say no. Initially brought in as a consultant to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the FBI, Duncan quickly finds himself in conflict with a syndicate far more violent than first suspected. As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a “murder book,” the notebook in which a detective keeps records, interviews, photos―everything he needs to build his case. But his scrutiny of the gang soon makes Duncan a target. And Ellen, too. A thrilling and suspenseful tour of crime-addled midwestern towns, Murder Book is signature Thomas Perry, with characters you won’t soon forget, crisply-described action sequences, and breathlessly-tense plotting that will keep you racing through the pages.
My Thoughts /
What would you think if you walked into your friend's library room and found a bookshelf full of volumes of something called a "Murder Book".
They're a writer? An avid reader of crime novels? A collector of oddities? Well, Chicago cop, turned private eye, Harry Duncan has exactly that. It's a technique he uses when compiling any relevant information he thinks he's going to need to when he was working a homicide
case.
Working in his Huron Street office in North Centre Chicago, Harry took a call from Lena Stratton. She was calling on behalf of Ellen Leicester and requesting his attendance at a meeting the following day. He hadn't heard anything from Ellen Leicester for at least fifteen years and was wondering 'why now?' for the contact. Ellen Leicester was the current US Attorney for the Chicago region, but more than that, Ellen Leicester was also his ex-wife.
At the meeting, Ellen explained that as part of her job as US Attorney she was seeing some disturbing trends in recent crime reports coming out of rural areas across her jurisdictional area. Reports of assaults, robberies and even murder. What was disturbing was that it appeared that all these incidents were made by 'teams' not 'individuals'. It appeared someone (or a team of someones) was trying to start an organised crime syndicate in her jurisdiction.
Ellen thought the reports warranted further investigation, but no-one else inside Justice seemed to think so. She was appealing to Harry to investigate her suspicions because she knew him - knew he was trustworthy, intelligent, honest and had the courage to keep looking where others didn't want to go. Harry, never could say 'no' to his wife, so agrees to go on a scouting mission to Parkman's Elbow, Indiana.
Once there, he meets local businesswoman, bar and restaurant owner, Renee Parkman, whose business has been targeted by a group of thugs who were extorting payments in exchange for "protection" by them of her business from threats of violence against her, her employees, and the business. Renee's refusal to pay triggers a series of events which escalate quickly, and which Harry Duncan cannot help but become involved.
This is my first novel by Thomas Perry and when a novelist can incorporate a group of scientific ornithologists and Crane migration into the plot and make it work - well, you know you've hit a home run. Whilst I'm not going to describe this book as 'fast-paced', it does move well; and in fact, I think it moves at a pace dictated by the writer - which was always holding the reader 'in tight' to see what is going to happen next. Duncan is a great protagonist - putting pressure back into the lap of the extortionists to make them show their hand. I have to warn you, Murder Book has a high body count - and not all of them are pleasant; but, I have to applaud Perry for the 'inventive' ways Duncan manages to thwart the groups unpleasant plans for the town.
If you haven't read this one yet and decide to, I think you'll be cheering for Harry Duncan at the end just as much as me.
Synopsis /
An ex-cop takes on a widespread criminal organization targeting Midwestern towns in this "master class in the craft of suspense" (New York Times) from the author of The Old Man. When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region calls on Harry Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread criminal organization―but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier, and to her, he can’t say no. Initially brought in as a consultant to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the FBI, Duncan quickly finds himself in conflict with a syndicate far more violent than first suspected. As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a “murder book,” the notebook in which a detective keeps records, interviews, photos―everything he needs to build his case. But his scrutiny of the gang soon makes Duncan a target. And Ellen, too. A thrilling and suspenseful tour of crime-addled midwestern towns, Murder Book is signature Thomas Perry, with characters you won’t soon forget, crisply-described action sequences, and breathlessly-tense plotting that will keep you racing through the pages.
My Thoughts /
What would you think if you walked into your friend's library room and found a bookshelf full of volumes of something called a "Murder Book".
They're a writer? An avid reader of crime novels? A collector of oddities? Well, Chicago cop, turned private eye, Harry Duncan has exactly that. It's a technique he uses when compiling any relevant information he thinks he's going to need to when he was working a homicide
case.
Working in his Huron Street office in North Centre Chicago, Harry took a call from Lena Stratton. She was calling on behalf of Ellen Leicester and requesting his attendance at a meeting the following day. He hadn't heard anything from Ellen Leicester for at least fifteen years and was wondering 'why now?' for the contact. Ellen Leicester was the current US Attorney for the Chicago region, but more than that, Ellen Leicester was also his ex-wife.
At the meeting, Ellen explained that as part of her job as US Attorney she was seeing some disturbing trends in recent crime reports coming out of rural areas across her jurisdictional area. Reports of assaults, robberies and even murder. What was disturbing was that it appeared that all these incidents were made by 'teams' not 'individuals'. It appeared someone (or a team of someones) was trying to start an organised crime syndicate in her jurisdiction.
Ellen thought the reports warranted further investigation, but no-one else inside Justice seemed to think so. She was appealing to Harry to investigate her suspicions because she knew him - knew he was trustworthy, intelligent, honest and had the courage to keep looking where others didn't want to go. Harry, never could say 'no' to his wife, so agrees to go on a scouting mission to Parkman's Elbow, Indiana.
Once there, he meets local businesswoman, bar and restaurant owner, Renee Parkman, whose business has been targeted by a group of thugs who were extorting payments in exchange for "protection" by them of her business from threats of violence against her, her employees, and the business. Renee's refusal to pay triggers a series of events which escalate quickly, and which Harry Duncan cannot help but become involved.
This is my first novel by Thomas Perry and when a novelist can incorporate a group of scientific ornithologists and Crane migration into the plot and make it work - well, you know you've hit a home run. Whilst I'm not going to describe this book as 'fast-paced', it does move well; and in fact, I think it moves at a pace dictated by the writer - which was always holding the reader 'in tight' to see what is going to happen next. Duncan is a great protagonist - putting pressure back into the lap of the extortionists to make them show their hand. I have to warn you, Murder Book has a high body count - and not all of them are pleasant; but, I have to applaud Perry for the 'inventive' ways Duncan manages to thwart the groups unpleasant plans for the town.
If you haven't read this one yet and decide to, I think you'll be cheering for Harry Duncan at the end just as much as me.
January 8, 2024
MURDER BOOK by acclaimed author Thomas Perry provides readers with triple the entertainment.
~AUTHOR: Thomas Perry. The writing is Top Notch—Stellar!
~NARRATOR: Peter Berkrot. One of my favorite audio narrators —Swoon!
~PROTAGONIST: Chicago PI Harry Duncan—Fearless, smart, and funny! Please bring him back for a series.
Chicago PI Harry Duncan is the star of this intense stellar crime novel. His ex-wife Ellen Leicester, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, offers Harry a contract.
Ellen wants him to investigate criminal activity in the small towns along Indiana's Ash River in the Midwest—from extortion, assaults, conspiracy, racketeering, and will turn out to be much more.
Even though they have been divorced for years and have not seen one another in 15 years; however, she trusts Harry. He wants to turn her down but he accepts.
She thinks the organized crime groups are making their way from Chicago to these smaller Midwest towns. Harry's job is to scout out the area. She needs more proof before the FBI spends federal funds for a full-scale investigation.
It does not take long for Harry to become engrossed with these dangerous characters. On the first day at the Elbow Room restaurant, two guys acting as cops try to use tactics to get money from him. He soon finds out thugs are trying to take over the places of business to pay them or else.
What is their motive? Who is behind this conspiracy to commit murder and more?
He meets the three Clark brothers trying to extort money from Renee at The Elbow Room, which makes him know he is on to something. Then things become more dangerous with kidnapping.
Ellen needs more proof, so he has to become involved with those who are their victims who may turn on them to find out who is behind this organized crime ring. He learns that this group is much more violent than he or Ellen had suspected, and he needs help.
He soon learns Gerald Russell, a relator who works for bigger guys in Chicago. The goons are putting pressure on the local businesses pushing them for payoffs with the goal of bankrupting and buying their business at a steep discount.
We also meet an assassin and things become dangerous when people are kidnapped and he is in the middle.
What makes it more stressful for Harry is that he cannot reach Ellen by phone. Is she throwing him under the bus? Did she set him up? Or is there a mole in her office keeping them from speaking with one another? Someone knows something as they are always one step ahead. Harry is in their way and they want him gone.
Will Harry be able to get enough proof for the FBI, or are there other higher-ups protecting the organized crime group?
As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a "murder book," the notebook in which the detective keeps records, interviews, photos—everything he needs to build his case. He is now a target and Ellen.
The MURDER BOOK packs a punch, and Harry is a very relatable character—love his style. The author kept me guessing regarding the loyalties of certain characters until the satisfying conclusion.
For fans of Michael Connley's Bosch, a superb fast-paced crime thriller with plenty of action, suspense, mystery, well-developed characters, and a protagonist you will root for until the end. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting.
An outstanding thriller from a writer at the top of his game—a real treat! Highly recommend.
I also enjoyed the supporting characters and as mentioned above, I hope this will be an ongoing series, as I enjoyed Harry's character and humor. Thomas Perry is a top crime writer, combined with Peter Berkrot (he is an auto-preorder)—one of the best crime narrators with the new Harry Duncan = A Winner!
Thank you to #HighbridgeAudio and #NetGalley for a gifted ALC.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 17, 2023
My Rating: 5 🌟 Stars
2023 Must-Read Books
~AUTHOR: Thomas Perry. The writing is Top Notch—Stellar!
~NARRATOR: Peter Berkrot. One of my favorite audio narrators —Swoon!
~PROTAGONIST: Chicago PI Harry Duncan—Fearless, smart, and funny! Please bring him back for a series.
Chicago PI Harry Duncan is the star of this intense stellar crime novel. His ex-wife Ellen Leicester, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, offers Harry a contract.
Ellen wants him to investigate criminal activity in the small towns along Indiana's Ash River in the Midwest—from extortion, assaults, conspiracy, racketeering, and will turn out to be much more.
Even though they have been divorced for years and have not seen one another in 15 years; however, she trusts Harry. He wants to turn her down but he accepts.
She thinks the organized crime groups are making their way from Chicago to these smaller Midwest towns. Harry's job is to scout out the area. She needs more proof before the FBI spends federal funds for a full-scale investigation.
It does not take long for Harry to become engrossed with these dangerous characters. On the first day at the Elbow Room restaurant, two guys acting as cops try to use tactics to get money from him. He soon finds out thugs are trying to take over the places of business to pay them or else.
What is their motive? Who is behind this conspiracy to commit murder and more?
He meets the three Clark brothers trying to extort money from Renee at The Elbow Room, which makes him know he is on to something. Then things become more dangerous with kidnapping.
Ellen needs more proof, so he has to become involved with those who are their victims who may turn on them to find out who is behind this organized crime ring. He learns that this group is much more violent than he or Ellen had suspected, and he needs help.
He soon learns Gerald Russell, a relator who works for bigger guys in Chicago. The goons are putting pressure on the local businesses pushing them for payoffs with the goal of bankrupting and buying their business at a steep discount.
We also meet an assassin and things become dangerous when people are kidnapped and he is in the middle.
What makes it more stressful for Harry is that he cannot reach Ellen by phone. Is she throwing him under the bus? Did she set him up? Or is there a mole in her office keeping them from speaking with one another? Someone knows something as they are always one step ahead. Harry is in their way and they want him gone.
Will Harry be able to get enough proof for the FBI, or are there other higher-ups protecting the organized crime group?
As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a "murder book," the notebook in which the detective keeps records, interviews, photos—everything he needs to build his case. He is now a target and Ellen.
The MURDER BOOK packs a punch, and Harry is a very relatable character—love his style. The author kept me guessing regarding the loyalties of certain characters until the satisfying conclusion.
For fans of Michael Connley's Bosch, a superb fast-paced crime thriller with plenty of action, suspense, mystery, well-developed characters, and a protagonist you will root for until the end. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting.
An outstanding thriller from a writer at the top of his game—a real treat! Highly recommend.
I also enjoyed the supporting characters and as mentioned above, I hope this will be an ongoing series, as I enjoyed Harry's character and humor. Thomas Perry is a top crime writer, combined with Peter Berkrot (he is an auto-preorder)—one of the best crime narrators with the new Harry Duncan = A Winner!
Thank you to #HighbridgeAudio and #NetGalley for a gifted ALC.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 17, 2023
My Rating: 5 🌟 Stars
2023 Must-Read Books
March 3, 2023
Reacher-Vibes
Review of the Highbridge Audio edition (January 17, 2023) narrated by Peter Berkrot and released simultaneously with the Mysterious Press hardcover.
A drifter arrives at a small town and is soon involved with a local ally in a fight against a mysterious criminal conspiracy which threatens the survival of the town and its inhabitants. The drifter may have to resort to methods and means which are outside of the legal system. Their superior instinct and combat and investigative skills will aid them in overcoming what would otherwise appear to be overwhelming odds.
Does that sound like the plot of most Reacher novels? Even though Murder Book does not strictly adhere to that plot line, it is enormously similar. Ex-cop, now private investigator, Harry Duncan is asked by his ex-wife, now U.S. Attorney Ellen Leicester, to investigate a possible growing criminal organization in a small town in Indiana. Arriving at the town, Duncan is very quickly embroiled in an altercation with three tough guys at a local bar. He manages to easily outwit them. He tries to make an alliance with the bar owner who is initially suspicious of his intentions. Gradually, further criminals begin to appear in the town and Duncan is forced to overcome their forces in order to discover the secrets and the masterminds behind the invasion.
There is of course nothing wrong with having a protagonist in the Red Harvest / Shane / Yojimbo / Man with No Name tradition. It has been used successfully many times in the past and will be so again. The protagonist needs to feel distinctive though. They have to have some personality quirks and perhaps some self-deprecatory humour in order to win over their audience which would otherwise find an apparently superhuman-like character to be unrealistic and unbelievable. These could be things such as a toothbrush being their only 'luggage' and second hand stores their only source of clothing (to give examples from the Reacher canon).
Harry Duncan comes across as fairly bland though. He is certainly fearless and persistent and you cheer him along in his quest. But that spark which ignites a character into life was missing for me. A 3 rating is really only a measure against Thomas Perry's other writing. He is a consistently excellent thriller and suspense writer and I think most fans of the genre will give this a 4 or 5 rating.
The narration by Peter Berkrot was adequate, but also without any sparks to make it outstanding.
Other Reviews
A Book Spy Review, The Real Book Spy, February 3, 2023.
Top Drawer Thrills, Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2022.
Trivia and Links
Thomas Perry is interviewed about Murder Book at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore YouTube channel which you can watch here.
Thomas Perry was interviewed in 2019 by his alma mater the University of Rochester and discusses his literary idol (William Faulkner) and the origins of his Butcher’s Boy and Jane Whitefield characters. You can read the interview at Master of Suspense, from January 18, 2019.
Review of the Highbridge Audio edition (January 17, 2023) narrated by Peter Berkrot and released simultaneously with the Mysterious Press hardcover.
A drifter arrives at a small town and is soon involved with a local ally in a fight against a mysterious criminal conspiracy which threatens the survival of the town and its inhabitants. The drifter may have to resort to methods and means which are outside of the legal system. Their superior instinct and combat and investigative skills will aid them in overcoming what would otherwise appear to be overwhelming odds.
Does that sound like the plot of most Reacher novels? Even though Murder Book does not strictly adhere to that plot line, it is enormously similar. Ex-cop, now private investigator, Harry Duncan is asked by his ex-wife, now U.S. Attorney Ellen Leicester, to investigate a possible growing criminal organization in a small town in Indiana. Arriving at the town, Duncan is very quickly embroiled in an altercation with three tough guys at a local bar. He manages to easily outwit them. He tries to make an alliance with the bar owner who is initially suspicious of his intentions. Gradually, further criminals begin to appear in the town and Duncan is forced to overcome their forces in order to discover the secrets and the masterminds behind the invasion.
There is of course nothing wrong with having a protagonist in the Red Harvest / Shane / Yojimbo / Man with No Name tradition. It has been used successfully many times in the past and will be so again. The protagonist needs to feel distinctive though. They have to have some personality quirks and perhaps some self-deprecatory humour in order to win over their audience which would otherwise find an apparently superhuman-like character to be unrealistic and unbelievable. These could be things such as a toothbrush being their only 'luggage' and second hand stores their only source of clothing (to give examples from the Reacher canon).
Harry Duncan comes across as fairly bland though. He is certainly fearless and persistent and you cheer him along in his quest. But that spark which ignites a character into life was missing for me. A 3 rating is really only a measure against Thomas Perry's other writing. He is a consistently excellent thriller and suspense writer and I think most fans of the genre will give this a 4 or 5 rating.
The narration by Peter Berkrot was adequate, but also without any sparks to make it outstanding.
Other Reviews
A Book Spy Review, The Real Book Spy, February 3, 2023.
Top Drawer Thrills, Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2022.
Trivia and Links
Thomas Perry is interviewed about Murder Book at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore YouTube channel which you can watch here.
Thomas Perry was interviewed in 2019 by his alma mater the University of Rochester and discusses his literary idol (William Faulkner) and the origins of his Butcher’s Boy and Jane Whitefield characters. You can read the interview at Master of Suspense, from January 18, 2019.
December 2, 2022
Well this was a goddam delight! Seriously, I loved this.
I’ve actually not read the author before, though I think he’s written about a gazillion books. And now I need to go and read all those other books.
Harry and his Murder Book were everything. I adored him and found myself surprisingly caught up in this this small town and the very odd crimes happening there.
One of those books I simply didn’t want to stop reading.
I hope there are new Harry books coming, because I’m totally on board.
• ARC via Publisher
I’ve actually not read the author before, though I think he’s written about a gazillion books. And now I need to go and read all those other books.
Harry and his Murder Book were everything. I adored him and found myself surprisingly caught up in this this small town and the very odd crimes happening there.
One of those books I simply didn’t want to stop reading.
I hope there are new Harry books coming, because I’m totally on board.
• ARC via Publisher
July 14, 2023
It is actually a 3.5 stars.
This was a pretty good book.
And yet the prose was sparse, and the tone that of masculine wish fulfillment.
Not that that is a bad thing.
Some people prefer sparse prose.
In addition ~ I am all for wish fulfillment. It is simply that when I read I prefer the author to be granting me my wishes.
This was a pretty good book.
And yet the prose was sparse, and the tone that of masculine wish fulfillment.
Not that that is a bad thing.
Some people prefer sparse prose.
In addition ~ I am all for wish fulfillment. It is simply that when I read I prefer the author to be granting me my wishes.
February 4, 2023
Wow, that was terrible. I kind of can't believe I finished it.
April 25, 2023
The plot and the writing were both decent, but it needlessly went on and on, about 100 pages too long. How many ambush and escape scenes did we really need to get the point?
March 4, 2023
This is the first and last book I will read from this author. I slogged through to the end, but I'm not sure why. Repetitive, unbelievable situations and silly plot.
April 8, 2023
MURDER BOOK
Thomas Perry
Harry Duncan is a retired cop turned PI who was married to the United States Attorney General. Duncan is asked by his ex-wife to look into the surge of crime in small middle-American towns. The intent was to determine if a new mafia was being formed.
The book centered around the murder book that Duncan kept about the investigation. It was really very interesting and detailed. Right up my alley. It had that Sam Spade feel with the detail of a Jack Reacher book.
5 stars
Happy Reading!
Thomas Perry
Harry Duncan is a retired cop turned PI who was married to the United States Attorney General. Duncan is asked by his ex-wife to look into the surge of crime in small middle-American towns. The intent was to determine if a new mafia was being formed.
The book centered around the murder book that Duncan kept about the investigation. It was really very interesting and detailed. Right up my alley. It had that Sam Spade feel with the detail of a Jack Reacher book.
5 stars
Happy Reading!
February 11, 2023
Murder Book, Thomas Perry’s latest, was a sad disappointment; I’ve long appreciated his clever plotting and appreciated his ability to blend noir, wit and excitement. But if Murder Book had been written by Thomas Neverheardofhim I’d have given up on it long before getting literally halfway through. On the other hand, it looks like all humankind is united in their enjoyment of the book, so maybe the second half was really good. Or more probably I’m the one who has lost a step, not Perry. Bearing in mind the senescence issue (Perry’s, mine, yours, for all I know) my recommendation is to skip Murder Book and read Strip instead.
April 13, 2025
Another engaging thriller in a long line of them by Thomas Perry. Harry Duncan is officially a PI, but seems to be more of a problem solver.
He's contacted by his ex-wife, who is now a US Attorney. Harry is hired as an outside contractor to look into whether some sort of organized criminal group is causing trouble in some small towns in Indiana.
Plenty of investigating and action as it turns out she was right.
He's contacted by his ex-wife, who is now a US Attorney. Harry is hired as an outside contractor to look into whether some sort of organized criminal group is causing trouble in some small towns in Indiana.
Plenty of investigating and action as it turns out she was right.
January 11, 2023
The background story was definitely a 4, but the dialog between characters was a struggle. I kept imagining Joe Friday from Dragnet, "Just the facts, ma'am". What we learned of the characters felt superficial even though we were given a ton of information. I don't know how else to describe it.
Read
June 29, 2024Lately I’ve been trying not to be too negative on this app (it’s called Goodreads, not Badreads, right?) but I hate-read this book all the way to the finish just so that I could whine about it on here. I wish I could remember how it came onto my radar—probably I was getting worried about keeping all my detective thriller eggs in Michael Connelly’s basket so decided to branch out—so that I could completely ignore that resource in the future.
Anyway, meet Harry. He’s a retired detective now working as a private eye. Harry Bosch? No no, silly, it’s Harry… Duncan; Harry is short for… Harold. Sure, he went to the academy in LA and worked for the LAPD (and—slight spoiler—he’ll end up in California again) but he lives in… Chicago now. His ex-wife, Eleanor? No no, her name is… Ellen. And she’s an FBI agent turned professional gambler? No no, she’s a… prosecutor who met Harry back when they were in law school because just when you thought Harry Duncan was Harry Bosch, it turns out he’s actually Mickey Haller!
Don’t worry about this being some cut-rate MC ripoff tho cuz that’s where the similarities end. This whole story (if you can call it that) was a hot mess! We don’t get to know this Harry AT ALL so the MC-fan-reader could be forgiven for just picturing Bosch… but then it’s pretty jarring when Duncan does something Bosch would never do. Why is he doing that? We don’t know any of Duncan’s background or motivation—maybe he just has zero internal life?—so his actions didn’t make any sense to me and seemed to come out of nowhere. It made the plot feel all over the place and I really never cared how things would come together at the end… I didn’t care but still managed to find the resolution random and disappointing. My only satisfaction came from its finally being over.
If your favorite part about MC is how cringe it is when Bosch notices an attractive woman, then TP’s gotchu. There’s a passage early on when Duncan meets Renee that I was gonna highlight for how much I hated it, but in the moment had the wherewithal to realize that I never wanted to read those words again, so I can’t paste them here. But I can say that we basically never do get a sense of how Duncan feels about Renee. She seems to think he’s attracted to her and he seems to find that annoying, but is that because he’s not attracted to her? Because he’s so driven by his mission that any attraction would be a distraction? No idea. And no answers to this even in the “three years later” part at the end.
I know most of us don’t turn to detective fiction written by men for nuanced portraits of women, but TP’s handling of Duncan’s ex-wife made me appreciate MC’s handling of Bosch’s and Haller’s more. Bosch and Haller respect their exes and MC leads us to believe that Eleanor and Maggie (I haven’t read much with Lorna yet) actually had their reasons for marrying these dudes in the first place… and there were reasons the marriages didn’t last. Clearly, Ellen respects Duncan’s ability cuz she wouldn’t have recruited him in the first place, but otherwise she just comes off as a nag who left Duncan 15 years ago for no reason. Is Duncan just bitter about it? I dunno! TP seems to be…
I hope nobody reads my stupid review. I’d never heard of TP before, but it seems like he’s popular, so I am glad he gets to have his career writing his books and that other people like reading them. I’m just glad I won’t have to again.
Anyway, meet Harry. He’s a retired detective now working as a private eye. Harry Bosch? No no, silly, it’s Harry… Duncan; Harry is short for… Harold. Sure, he went to the academy in LA and worked for the LAPD (and—slight spoiler—he’ll end up in California again) but he lives in… Chicago now. His ex-wife, Eleanor? No no, her name is… Ellen. And she’s an FBI agent turned professional gambler? No no, she’s a… prosecutor who met Harry back when they were in law school because just when you thought Harry Duncan was Harry Bosch, it turns out he’s actually Mickey Haller!
Don’t worry about this being some cut-rate MC ripoff tho cuz that’s where the similarities end. This whole story (if you can call it that) was a hot mess! We don’t get to know this Harry AT ALL so the MC-fan-reader could be forgiven for just picturing Bosch… but then it’s pretty jarring when Duncan does something Bosch would never do. Why is he doing that? We don’t know any of Duncan’s background or motivation—maybe he just has zero internal life?—so his actions didn’t make any sense to me and seemed to come out of nowhere. It made the plot feel all over the place and I really never cared how things would come together at the end… I didn’t care but still managed to find the resolution random and disappointing. My only satisfaction came from its finally being over.
If your favorite part about MC is how cringe it is when Bosch notices an attractive woman, then TP’s gotchu. There’s a passage early on when Duncan meets Renee that I was gonna highlight for how much I hated it, but in the moment had the wherewithal to realize that I never wanted to read those words again, so I can’t paste them here. But I can say that we basically never do get a sense of how Duncan feels about Renee. She seems to think he’s attracted to her and he seems to find that annoying, but is that because he’s not attracted to her? Because he’s so driven by his mission that any attraction would be a distraction? No idea. And no answers to this even in the “three years later” part at the end.
I know most of us don’t turn to detective fiction written by men for nuanced portraits of women, but TP’s handling of Duncan’s ex-wife made me appreciate MC’s handling of Bosch’s and Haller’s more. Bosch and Haller respect their exes and MC leads us to believe that Eleanor and Maggie (I haven’t read much with Lorna yet) actually had their reasons for marrying these dudes in the first place… and there were reasons the marriages didn’t last. Clearly, Ellen respects Duncan’s ability cuz she wouldn’t have recruited him in the first place, but otherwise she just comes off as a nag who left Duncan 15 years ago for no reason. Is Duncan just bitter about it? I dunno! TP seems to be…
I hope nobody reads my stupid review. I’d never heard of TP before, but it seems like he’s popular, so I am glad he gets to have his career writing his books and that other people like reading them. I’m just glad I won’t have to again.
November 3, 2022
5 star reviews are rare from me. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down.
Harry Duncan is an ex-cop turned PI who keeps a long detailed murder book on every case he is involved in. Harry's ex-wife Ellen calls him and asks him to go to Indiana behind the scene to investigate a rash of unusual crimes. She wants to bring in the feds but needs justification.
Harry heads to Indiana and ends up in a local bar/restaurant. When leaving he finds 3 men who are trying to take his car. They attack him but he ends of gaining control. He takes them to the state police and then begins following the leads that these men lead to. When they end up dead after being released, the circle widens. There is murder, kidnapping, extortion and all sorts of behind the scene shenanigans.
The pace never slows and oh how I hope that Harry makes a return appearance.
Harry Duncan is an ex-cop turned PI who keeps a long detailed murder book on every case he is involved in. Harry's ex-wife Ellen calls him and asks him to go to Indiana behind the scene to investigate a rash of unusual crimes. She wants to bring in the feds but needs justification.
Harry heads to Indiana and ends up in a local bar/restaurant. When leaving he finds 3 men who are trying to take his car. They attack him but he ends of gaining control. He takes them to the state police and then begins following the leads that these men lead to. When they end up dead after being released, the circle widens. There is murder, kidnapping, extortion and all sorts of behind the scene shenanigans.
The pace never slows and oh how I hope that Harry makes a return appearance.
November 20, 2022
A kind of strange scenario, but it works! Harry Duncan is called upon by his ex wife to investigate crime waves in the midwest.
As US Attorney, his ex wife isn't ready to declare an open investigation, but she suspects that the hole left by the slot end of the mafia is being filled by minor characters.
Harry goes in to a small town and finds lot of interesting characters and a new potential crime syndicate. The problem is that the problem is much bigger and more complex then he assumed and he might have trouble extricating himself from the mess. If you like crime dramas, undercover cops, dry humor and thrilling scenes, Murder Book is for you! #penzler
As US Attorney, his ex wife isn't ready to declare an open investigation, but she suspects that the hole left by the slot end of the mafia is being filled by minor characters.
Harry goes in to a small town and finds lot of interesting characters and a new potential crime syndicate. The problem is that the problem is much bigger and more complex then he assumed and he might have trouble extricating himself from the mess. If you like crime dramas, undercover cops, dry humor and thrilling scenes, Murder Book is for you! #penzler
March 16, 2023
The first half of the book was great, but then it kind of fell flat for me. It became very drawn out, and the ending was just blah.
April 14, 2023
Great audio book - worth a credit no doubt - new favorite author club
June 4, 2023
1 star (dnf)
the most “a man writing women” book i have ever read
the most “a man writing women” book i have ever read
June 29, 2023
If you want to read a fast, propulsive thriller, pick up this gem! The characters are fascinating and the plot gallops along.
Harry Duncan is sent on, what in his mind, a wild goose chase, by his ex-wife. A crime spree seems to have been set off in small-town Indiana as an arrogant “businessman” sends hired muscle to extort and murder people. The plot seems a little far-fetched to me, but the story is action-packed. Harry careens from one perilous event to the next one, using up his nine lives in a hurry. The supporting characters are an interesting bunch, especially the owner of a small town bar.
Harry Duncan is sent on, what in his mind, a wild goose chase, by his ex-wife. A crime spree seems to have been set off in small-town Indiana as an arrogant “businessman” sends hired muscle to extort and murder people. The plot seems a little far-fetched to me, but the story is action-packed. Harry careens from one perilous event to the next one, using up his nine lives in a hurry. The supporting characters are an interesting bunch, especially the owner of a small town bar.
March 21, 2023
this book was way too much. it had way too many characters and everytime i thought "finally this has to be the end" i would look down and see i was only half way through. one man can only be almost killed a few times before it just gets boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2025
This exceeded my expectations! Fast paced, action packed, tension filled ride start to finish. Harry Duncan is such a fun character. It wraps up well but I sure hope we may get more books with Duncan in the future.
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