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The Mercy of the Night
Phelan Tierney helps people who hope to start their lives over. When Jacquelina Garza, a young woman he’s taken under his wing, disappears, the former lawyer devotes himself to finding her—despite her secretive and puzzlingly unhelpful family.
Jacqi has been to hell and back. Abducted by a child predator when she was eight years old, she still, years later, bears the scars of the incident and its very public aftermath. Her life takes an even steeper downward spiral when she witnesses the murder of a man it seems everyone wanted dead. But no one, not even the police, wants to hear her version of what actually happened.
Can these two wayward souls find redemption amid the convenient lies and difficult truths that have followed them for so long?
David Corbett, award-winning author of four previous novels, has written his most personal and powerful work to date, a story of haunting suspense with characters you will never forget.
431 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
133 people are currently reading
907 people want to read
About the author
David Corbett
32 books189 followersDavid Corbett is the author of seven novels: The Devil’s Redhead (nominated for the Anthony and Barry Awards for Best First Novel) Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book and nominated for the Macavity Award for Best Novel), Blood of Paradise (nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar), Do They Know I’m Running (Spinetingler Award, Best Novel—Rising Star Category 2011), The Mercy of the Night, The Long-Lost Love Letters of Doc Holliday (nominated for the Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery), and The Truth Against the World (June, 2023).
David’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, with two stories selected for Best American Mystery Stories.
In 2012, Mysterious Press/Open Road Media re-issued his four novels plus a story collection, Thirteen Confessions, in ebook format.
In January 2013 Penguin published his textbook on the craft of characterization, The Art of Character (“A writer’s bible that will lead to your character’s soul.” —Elizabeth Brundage). he followed this up with The Compass of Character (Writers Digest Books).
He has taught creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Project, Chuck Pahalniuk’s Litreactor, 826 Valencia, The Grotto in San Francisco, Book Passage, and at writing conference across the country. He is also a monthly contributor to Writer Unboxed, an award-winning blog dedicated to the craft and business of fiction.
Before becoming a novelist, David spent fifteen years as an investigator for the San Francisco private detective agency Palladino & Sutherland, working on such high-profile civil and criminal litigations as The DeLorean Case, the Peoples Temple Trial, the Lincoln Savings & Loan Scandal, the Cotton Club Murder Case, the Michael Jackson child molestation investigation and a RICO action brought by the Teamsters against members of organized crime.
David’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, with two stories selected for Best American Mystery Stories.
In 2012, Mysterious Press/Open Road Media re-issued his four novels plus a story collection, Thirteen Confessions, in ebook format.
In January 2013 Penguin published his textbook on the craft of characterization, The Art of Character (“A writer’s bible that will lead to your character’s soul.” —Elizabeth Brundage). he followed this up with The Compass of Character (Writers Digest Books).
He has taught creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Project, Chuck Pahalniuk’s Litreactor, 826 Valencia, The Grotto in San Francisco, Book Passage, and at writing conference across the country. He is also a monthly contributor to Writer Unboxed, an award-winning blog dedicated to the craft and business of fiction.
Before becoming a novelist, David spent fifteen years as an investigator for the San Francisco private detective agency Palladino & Sutherland, working on such high-profile civil and criminal litigations as The DeLorean Case, the Peoples Temple Trial, the Lincoln Savings & Loan Scandal, the Cotton Club Murder Case, the Michael Jackson child molestation investigation and a RICO action brought by the Teamsters against members of organized crime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 3, 2019
I’m afraid this one I have tried three times to pick up, get eager about and finish.
I was glad I finished to be honest.
All the “street talk jargon” was lost on me.
Story was ok.
August 13, 2015
Yet another great crime thriller by one of my favorite authors.
Highly recommended.
Gripping and suspenseful.
I tend to avoid writing synopses.
Too afraid of accidentally offering up spoilers -I'll just say that this one held my attention from the first paragraph to the last sentence of the acknowledgements.
David Corbett is one of the best contemporary thriller authors we have.
I've enjoyed every novel he's ever had published and would urge any of my friends to read all of his novels.
You will not be disappointed.
Highly recommended.
Gripping and suspenseful.
I tend to avoid writing synopses.
Too afraid of accidentally offering up spoilers -I'll just say that this one held my attention from the first paragraph to the last sentence of the acknowledgements.
David Corbett is one of the best contemporary thriller authors we have.
I've enjoyed every novel he's ever had published and would urge any of my friends to read all of his novels.
You will not be disappointed.
February 10, 2017
This was more of a 3.5 star read for me, but I'm rounding up. I liked the story of Jacqi Garza, a young girl who had been abducted when she was eight and escaped within days. Instead of being treated as a hero, she's shunned and her life goes into a downward spiral until we meet her as a runaway, semi-addicted teen. The mystery revolves around Jacqi's secrets and who wants to keep them secret and why. Our hero is a world-weary lawyer-turned-PI who is asked to find Jacqui. He manages to let the teenager slip through his fingers, not just once, but four times! This is where I lost patience. The last time was definitely a Too Stupid to Live moment. Nevertheless, Jacqi, the cops, the PI and especially, the PI's nurse-girlfriend, are all interesting, three-dimensional characters. The setting is a gritty working class town caught in a fiscal crisis, which adds an interesting angle not commonly seen in crime fiction.
Corbett is one of those authors who is more popular among his fellow writers than among readers. He's definitely an accomplished stylist. However, I find his writing occasionally overwrought. The similes that seem poetic at first are nonsensical upon a second reading, for example, "time opened up like a wound and she slipped inside, taking comfort in the empty warmth." Think about that. What crawls inside of open wounds? Maggots. Yuck! And what does "empty warmth" mean? I read this when I was correcting Comp 1 essays, so I guess my red pen is out. Don't be dissuaded--The Mercy of the Night is a worthwhile read.
Corbett is one of those authors who is more popular among his fellow writers than among readers. He's definitely an accomplished stylist. However, I find his writing occasionally overwrought. The similes that seem poetic at first are nonsensical upon a second reading, for example, "time opened up like a wound and she slipped inside, taking comfort in the empty warmth." Think about that. What crawls inside of open wounds? Maggots. Yuck! And what does "empty warmth" mean? I read this when I was correcting Comp 1 essays, so I guess my red pen is out. Don't be dissuaded--The Mercy of the Night is a worthwhile read.
May 24, 2015
4.5 Stars This book is masterfully written. I was pulled in from the first few pages, thoroughly immersed in the characters, their lives and their stories. The main characters have demons that need exorcising. Many of those demons go back some 10 years ago and have come to the forefront in this story. Corbett is brilliant at characterization. The people in this book are very real, very alive. He made me feel for them, root for them, and mourn with them. I sure hope this isn't the last we see of Phelan Tierney and the remaining cast. (No spoilers from me...)
December 28, 2015
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5
I finally finished this book. It took me a month or so but here we are.
I'll get straight to the point - it was very hard for me to establish a proper connection with the characters. It took me quite a while. That was my main problem with this book.
I'll get straight to the point - it was very hard for me to establish a proper connection with the characters. It took me quite a while. That was my main problem with this book. The characters. They were unique and flawed terribly. I told you, I had a tough time trying to connect to them. Jacqui was stubborn to a fault. It was constant running for her. Just when you think all the running might actually be over, she goes off again.
Don't get me wrong. The book was not bad at all. It was actually great. The plot was good, though I can't say it was all intriguing. For me anyway.
I had no idea what was happening half of the time. There were so many names and not all of them are relevant. I had a tough time figuring out who is who.
The writing was in third person and the POVs changes quite a lot. And with zero warnings. Overall, the writing was great - though the characters didn't make this an easy read for me and I actually stopped reading this because it was that hard to contact and I want to appreciate the book.
I don't want to rant about the characters because the ending showed all the important ones and their beautiful growth.
The ending was, written in first person – which confused me but it's a small thing really, great. It showed a little on what and how everyone relevant was doing after everything that happened.
WARNING: Quotable quotes everywhere. This book goes about deep in life because well, this book went there too.
Overall, if you can build a relationship faster than me with the characters, then you'll most likely enjoy this book better than I did. It was great, deep, and surely meaningful. Give it a try!
3.5/5
I finally finished this book. It took me a month or so but here we are.
I'll get straight to the point - it was very hard for me to establish a proper connection with the characters. It took me quite a while. That was my main problem with this book.
I'll get straight to the point - it was very hard for me to establish a proper connection with the characters. It took me quite a while. That was my main problem with this book. The characters. They were unique and flawed terribly. I told you, I had a tough time trying to connect to them. Jacqui was stubborn to a fault. It was constant running for her. Just when you think all the running might actually be over, she goes off again.
Don't get me wrong. The book was not bad at all. It was actually great. The plot was good, though I can't say it was all intriguing. For me anyway.
I had no idea what was happening half of the time. There were so many names and not all of them are relevant. I had a tough time figuring out who is who.
The writing was in third person and the POVs changes quite a lot. And with zero warnings. Overall, the writing was great - though the characters didn't make this an easy read for me and I actually stopped reading this because it was that hard to contact and I want to appreciate the book.
I don't want to rant about the characters because the ending showed all the important ones and their beautiful growth.
The ending was, written in first person – which confused me but it's a small thing really, great. It showed a little on what and how everyone relevant was doing after everything that happened.
WARNING: Quotable quotes everywhere. This book goes about deep in life because well, this book went there too.
Overall, if you can build a relationship faster than me with the characters, then you'll most likely enjoy this book better than I did. It was great, deep, and surely meaningful. Give it a try!
August 16, 2015
Like the best of Richard Price or Dennis Lehane, "The Mercy of the Night" concerns itself more with the human impact of crime than the crime itself. Corbett puts us in the mix with three strong characters (and many more).
When we meet Jacquelina Garza she’s turning tricks again but trying to avoid crank. “Tricking again was degrading enough, but she’d rather set herself on fire than go back to being that strung out. She had no illusions about the undertow. Death by a thousand bumps. And everybody’s got one. Just for you.” When she was eight, Jacqi was abducted by a predator and managed to escape. Now, her life is a mess and she’s protecting a valuable secret.
Lonnie Bachmann knows this particular “circle of hell” where Jacqi is stuck and has started a halfway house with a hillside view of the Napa river watershed and the North Bay wetlands. It’s called “Winchinchala House,” from the Lakota word for girl, “though some of the less enthusiastic neighbors dubbed it the House of Whores or Casa de Crackhead.” (You could make a case that all the characters in this novel are in their own personal halfway house; many are in transition one way or the other.)
Lonnie, who is trying to help Jacqi, enlists the help of a former litigator, Phelan Tierney. Tierney helped Lonnie negotiate with contractors for the renovation of the old Norse American Hall (in the fictional Rio Mirada) that is now the rehab facility/halfway house. Tierney is soon involved in tutoring Jacqui, with a goal of earning her GED.
Now if I write “and then Jacqi disappears” and “one of her potential frequent flyers is murdered” it will sound like reductionist plot points from the back of a bad airport paperback thriller—cheap and forgettable. But, no. Corbett goes organic and substantive, letting the characters breathe and interact (like Richard Price, George Pelecanos, Elmore Leonard) as the tension burns like a steady fuse.
What drives "The Mercy of the Night" is sheer, utter humanity. Other thrillers and novels have the plot points, Corbett feasts on the marrow of motivation and, no surprise, character. (Corbett’s writing guide, The Art of Character, I have previously reviewed with glowing remarks.)
Garza, Bachmann and Tierney are the opening trio in a full cast of players. Do you know how some novels buzz along the surface—all plot? "The Mercy of the Night" is anchored by a full assortment of deep characters swirling around themes of shame, respect, entitlement, lies, redemption, trust and hope. I’ve made some reference to modern day crime writers but the full cast of characters in Corbett’s novel also felt Dickensian to me, too. I strongly urge that you open this book with an open mind to a fresh approach to storytelling, while keeping your eyes on Jacqi Garza and Phelan Tierney and the decisions they make in challenging, important and utterly human moments.
(By the way, David Corbett contributed to a thoughtful Q & A about this book on my blog: http://wp.me/plqD1-D5)
When we meet Jacquelina Garza she’s turning tricks again but trying to avoid crank. “Tricking again was degrading enough, but she’d rather set herself on fire than go back to being that strung out. She had no illusions about the undertow. Death by a thousand bumps. And everybody’s got one. Just for you.” When she was eight, Jacqi was abducted by a predator and managed to escape. Now, her life is a mess and she’s protecting a valuable secret.
Lonnie Bachmann knows this particular “circle of hell” where Jacqi is stuck and has started a halfway house with a hillside view of the Napa river watershed and the North Bay wetlands. It’s called “Winchinchala House,” from the Lakota word for girl, “though some of the less enthusiastic neighbors dubbed it the House of Whores or Casa de Crackhead.” (You could make a case that all the characters in this novel are in their own personal halfway house; many are in transition one way or the other.)
Lonnie, who is trying to help Jacqi, enlists the help of a former litigator, Phelan Tierney. Tierney helped Lonnie negotiate with contractors for the renovation of the old Norse American Hall (in the fictional Rio Mirada) that is now the rehab facility/halfway house. Tierney is soon involved in tutoring Jacqui, with a goal of earning her GED.
Now if I write “and then Jacqi disappears” and “one of her potential frequent flyers is murdered” it will sound like reductionist plot points from the back of a bad airport paperback thriller—cheap and forgettable. But, no. Corbett goes organic and substantive, letting the characters breathe and interact (like Richard Price, George Pelecanos, Elmore Leonard) as the tension burns like a steady fuse.
What drives "The Mercy of the Night" is sheer, utter humanity. Other thrillers and novels have the plot points, Corbett feasts on the marrow of motivation and, no surprise, character. (Corbett’s writing guide, The Art of Character, I have previously reviewed with glowing remarks.)
Garza, Bachmann and Tierney are the opening trio in a full cast of players. Do you know how some novels buzz along the surface—all plot? "The Mercy of the Night" is anchored by a full assortment of deep characters swirling around themes of shame, respect, entitlement, lies, redemption, trust and hope. I’ve made some reference to modern day crime writers but the full cast of characters in Corbett’s novel also felt Dickensian to me, too. I strongly urge that you open this book with an open mind to a fresh approach to storytelling, while keeping your eyes on Jacqi Garza and Phelan Tierney and the decisions they make in challenging, important and utterly human moments.
(By the way, David Corbett contributed to a thoughtful Q & A about this book on my blog: http://wp.me/plqD1-D5)
May 13, 2015
Rio Mirada, a fictional town in the Bay Area, cannot help but be Vallejo for me. A ferry runs from the town to San Francisco, and you’re near the wine country in Napa. And yet the town is bankrupt. Citizens now forming vigilante groups to protect themselves. It’s a kind of dystopia, and yet right now. The good people find it difficult to leave since they’ve lost the equity in their homes. Besides, why should they leave? It’s home. Circling around are the child molesters, monsters, gangs, organized crime, feral-like children, abusive families. About the only thing nice in town is the Salvadoran food at Los Guanacos.
I just read Richard Price’s The Whites, yet another great book on crime and cop culture in New York, last week and then I read this book this week. I believe Corbett is the Price of the Bay Area, which is high praise, if you read Price. “Whether you call it a crime novel or a mystery novel or a giraffe with polka dots is largely irrelevant—The Whites is, simply put, a great American novel, ” a review said. I’d put this novel together with Price’s. It’s about today’s America.
Both are gritty, realistic, with hard-boiled street dialogue—and most important of all—give you a lot of characters. Corbett keeps you interested in presenting main characters, all haunted by ghosts—Phelan Tierney, the PI looking for atonement—Jacqi Garza, the teenager with the hellish past, looking for escape—and Skellenger, the cop, who wants to do his job, and take care of his family. These characters all got a lot of problems—they lie to themselves and others, they got a lot of deadly family baggage, the economy’s killing them, and they’re all driven to get somewhere else, a better place.
Now, I read the book in two days. I don’t expect others to do that. But when I finished, I was just floored by the many difficult moral decisions everybody had to make. Bankruptcy is a heavy metaphor indeed. At the end, as a character says, “we must take solace among the living.”
I just read Richard Price’s The Whites, yet another great book on crime and cop culture in New York, last week and then I read this book this week. I believe Corbett is the Price of the Bay Area, which is high praise, if you read Price. “Whether you call it a crime novel or a mystery novel or a giraffe with polka dots is largely irrelevant—The Whites is, simply put, a great American novel, ” a review said. I’d put this novel together with Price’s. It’s about today’s America.
Both are gritty, realistic, with hard-boiled street dialogue—and most important of all—give you a lot of characters. Corbett keeps you interested in presenting main characters, all haunted by ghosts—Phelan Tierney, the PI looking for atonement—Jacqi Garza, the teenager with the hellish past, looking for escape—and Skellenger, the cop, who wants to do his job, and take care of his family. These characters all got a lot of problems—they lie to themselves and others, they got a lot of deadly family baggage, the economy’s killing them, and they’re all driven to get somewhere else, a better place.
Now, I read the book in two days. I don’t expect others to do that. But when I finished, I was just floored by the many difficult moral decisions everybody had to make. Bankruptcy is a heavy metaphor indeed. At the end, as a character says, “we must take solace among the living.”
August 15, 2024
KU
This was a good story, but very choppy in its presentation. I very much enjoyed the character and motivation of the main character Phelan Tierney, and admired his persistence. However the average chapter length is 5 pages, and POV changes with most chapter changes, so I spent as much time back-reading in an effort to catch up and on as I did actually following the story. Again, good tale and mystery. Just very chopped up.
REVIEWED on June 12, 2024, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, and BookBub. Not available for review at B&N or Kobo.
This was a good story, but very choppy in its presentation. I very much enjoyed the character and motivation of the main character Phelan Tierney, and admired his persistence. However the average chapter length is 5 pages, and POV changes with most chapter changes, so I spent as much time back-reading in an effort to catch up and on as I did actually following the story. Again, good tale and mystery. Just very chopped up.
REVIEWED on June 12, 2024, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, and BookBub. Not available for review at B&N or Kobo.
April 17, 2015
David Corbett's The Mercy of the Night is a fine, fine novel--gripping, evocative, layered--written with compassion, insight, and art. Better than Bushmills (and I don't say that lightly). Read this book; read David Corbett's other books too.
August 14, 2015
Mercy comes hard to the high-strung, restless characters grappling with really tough breaks in David Corbett's latest fast-paced thriller, The Mercy of the Night. Bad stuff does indeed happen to good people, and bad stuff happens to bad people, too, in this roller-coaster ride of people trying to get what they want -- or need -- from each other. The heroine's sad story has victim written all over the face of it, but Corbett takes us so much deeper into a strong, unbroken nature. This is a girl who's willing to take huge risks just to get a chance to be her own person. She's a little bit scary, but as a reader, you love her courage, and ultimately, her heart. Not all the characters feel that way about her, however, and that makes for a gripping story.
One of the most compelling characters is the city of Rio Mirada. In this realistic story, lines of morality skew wildly in the realms of civic governance, public good, socio-economic stratification, and basic human kindness. The tough issues of what public institutions do, and for whom, as well as how things go down badly when individuals in positions of public trust put themselves above the common good become grist in Corbett's thriller mill.
Jaqui leaves conflict and damage in her wake, but the real destruction is caused by greedy, selfish takers -- some who are bumblers and some who are competently ruthless. They're all fascinating. Corbett is a master of character. There are so many compelling ones in this novel, it's over before you know it -- the pages turn themselves.
One of the most compelling characters is the city of Rio Mirada. In this realistic story, lines of morality skew wildly in the realms of civic governance, public good, socio-economic stratification, and basic human kindness. The tough issues of what public institutions do, and for whom, as well as how things go down badly when individuals in positions of public trust put themselves above the common good become grist in Corbett's thriller mill.
Jaqui leaves conflict and damage in her wake, but the real destruction is caused by greedy, selfish takers -- some who are bumblers and some who are competently ruthless. They're all fascinating. Corbett is a master of character. There are so many compelling ones in this novel, it's over before you know it -- the pages turn themselves.
March 14, 2017
What a terrific job David Corbett did in bringing each character in his new heart-pounding, captivating Crime Novel “The Mercy of the Night” to life. The story takes place in Rio Mirada, the gateway to Napa Valley; well us locals know where it is :-). His book is entrancing from the first to the last chapter.
Phelan Tierney, interesting name you may think, a former lawyer with a PI license who makes the 17-year-old Jacquelina Garza his #1 priority. Jacqi, as everyone calls her, has a painful past, troubling present and wait till you find out where her future leads. David’s book is attention-grabbing, he has a great way with words, painting each scene with lots of high and lows throughout 417 pages, you will be on your toes. Be ready for the ride!
As I closed the last page of David’s book tonight and leaned back on my couch, a tear rolled down my cheek and I couldn't help but smile.
Phelan Tierney, interesting name you may think, a former lawyer with a PI license who makes the 17-year-old Jacquelina Garza his #1 priority. Jacqi, as everyone calls her, has a painful past, troubling present and wait till you find out where her future leads. David’s book is attention-grabbing, he has a great way with words, painting each scene with lots of high and lows throughout 417 pages, you will be on your toes. Be ready for the ride!
As I closed the last page of David’s book tonight and leaned back on my couch, a tear rolled down my cheek and I couldn't help but smile.
December 17, 2015
Thank you Goodreads for an amazing book, The Mercy of The Night by David Corbett. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. Be prepared, it is difficult to put this book down. I kept wanting to find out what was going to happen to these characters. I recommend this book for anyone who likes a crime story with substance.
April 13, 2015
**I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review
Victor Cope kidnapped two little girls. Mariana was never found and Jacqi was able to escape. She had eaten very little and had been naked and shackled.
I read about half of this book, but it just dragged on and didn't keep my interest.
Victor Cope kidnapped two little girls. Mariana was never found and Jacqi was able to escape. She had eaten very little and had been naked and shackled.
I read about half of this book, but it just dragged on and didn't keep my interest.
April 28, 2015
Wonder how many Jacquelian's living around the corner of my house?"
"Kids with no future, adults without work, promises broken at the whim of money". This sentence author wrote will tell you what this book is about. Narration of David de Vries is good, but for me not knowing any street talk made it hard to understand. Also stop to translate to English was irritating.
"Kids with no future, adults without work, promises broken at the whim of money". This sentence author wrote will tell you what this book is about. Narration of David de Vries is good, but for me not knowing any street talk made it hard to understand. Also stop to translate to English was irritating.
April 29, 2015
Corbett delivers nuanced characters from a diversity of races, ages, sexes, background in this detective thriller. His rendition of the present day is authentic and modern, sparkling with lean, apt descriptions, rippling with embedded social commentary. His command of metaphor delights, his story pacing thrills, and his themes continue to echo well after the book has closed.
May 31, 2015
Stellar ending
Midway thru I got a bit confused as to each charecters motivation yet it clarifies in the end. This story could easily be true instead of fiction. Positive spin on people who could have easily stayed broken yet together achieved healing. I'd certainly read another book based on any of them
Midway thru I got a bit confused as to each charecters motivation yet it clarifies in the end. This story could easily be true instead of fiction. Positive spin on people who could have easily stayed broken yet together achieved healing. I'd certainly read another book based on any of them
July 6, 2017
E,cellent
No cliches...tightly crafted. .Great, believable dialogue. Complicated, multifaceted and distinctive characters. Looking forward to more finds like this from David Corbett.
No cliches...tightly crafted. .Great, believable dialogue. Complicated, multifaceted and distinctive characters. Looking forward to more finds like this from David Corbett.
May 16, 2015
A good read
This book was full of a lot of suspense. It kept your interest and I would recommend as a good read.
This book was full of a lot of suspense. It kept your interest and I would recommend as a good read.
October 12, 2015
Great characters, great story, great writing. Love this book.
DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Samantha Cody and Dub Walker thriller series
DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Samantha Cody and Dub Walker thriller series
January 13, 2016
I really enjoyed this book! I like this author and will look for more of his books. Very well written and intense. Quite a detailed plot. I recommend!
July 2, 2017
Enjoyed the voice. Characters are compelling and flawed, which makes them all the more real.
March 8, 2022
Loved this book! It grabbed me at the beginning and held me hostage until the end!
September 18, 2017
As I do, if you like Richard Price (Clockers, the Whites) you'll like David Corbett's fast-paced, down & dirty suspense novel. Told from several points of view. The primary narrators are teenager Jacquie Garza, who was abducted as a child and bears, not only the scars of her experience, but the projections of her family and her rescuers. All of which have turned her to a life on the streets. Phelan Tierney, a grieving lawyer turned PI whose well-meaning but blundering obsession with Jacqui is endangering both her and him. Jordan Skellenger, the detective who investigated Jacqui's abduction, now finds his and her lives again intertwined and threatening. Everyone has secrets to keep. All the characters tumble about in a bankrupt city. Jacqui is not the only teen who has lost her way. Corbett writes with the sure hand of the master writing teacher, his use of language, dialogue and metaphor are powerful.
March 12, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
As an eight-year-old, Jacquelina “Jacqi” Garza was one of two nearly identical girls abducted by a child predator in the northern California town of Rio Mirada. After escaping her captor and living through a very public trial, Jacqi’s life has spiraled out of control until, a decade later, she vanishes once again, determined to cross the border and start over.
Phelan Tierney, a former lawyer and part-time investigator recovering from trauma in his own life, is determined to find Jacqi and help her get back on track. But just as he’s located the girl, she’s once again drawn into a case that threatens to tear the town apart: the murder of a politically connected former union boss blamed for driving the town into financial chaos. And Phelan discovers that the truth, in Jacqi’s case, may be even more dangerous than the secrets and lies that surround her.
*3.5 stars*
Let's talk about the good things going on in this story: despite the slow start, it really did develop into a well-paced novel. It would have been better for me if the story had kicked off from the get-go, certainly would have made for a higher rating.
Also, Jacqui was an interesting study: on one hand, she was a tough survivor. Someone that I was cheering for, despite what was happening around her. However, at times, her choices were infuriating. I think she could have been so much more...
On the downside, the amount of characters made this one just a little hard to follow (hence the slow start), and the changing POV's were distracting, rather than being a positive story-telling ploy.
Overall, if you like gritty mysteries, then this id definitely worth a look. I just think it had so much more potential.
Paul
ARH
As an eight-year-old, Jacquelina “Jacqi” Garza was one of two nearly identical girls abducted by a child predator in the northern California town of Rio Mirada. After escaping her captor and living through a very public trial, Jacqi’s life has spiraled out of control until, a decade later, she vanishes once again, determined to cross the border and start over.
Phelan Tierney, a former lawyer and part-time investigator recovering from trauma in his own life, is determined to find Jacqi and help her get back on track. But just as he’s located the girl, she’s once again drawn into a case that threatens to tear the town apart: the murder of a politically connected former union boss blamed for driving the town into financial chaos. And Phelan discovers that the truth, in Jacqi’s case, may be even more dangerous than the secrets and lies that surround her.
*3.5 stars*
Let's talk about the good things going on in this story: despite the slow start, it really did develop into a well-paced novel. It would have been better for me if the story had kicked off from the get-go, certainly would have made for a higher rating.
Also, Jacqui was an interesting study: on one hand, she was a tough survivor. Someone that I was cheering for, despite what was happening around her. However, at times, her choices were infuriating. I think she could have been so much more...
On the downside, the amount of characters made this one just a little hard to follow (hence the slow start), and the changing POV's were distracting, rather than being a positive story-telling ploy.
Overall, if you like gritty mysteries, then this id definitely worth a look. I just think it had so much more potential.
Paul
ARH
June 21, 2020
Excellent; a whole group of flawed characters: a teenager who had been kidnapped when 8, a man still struggling with his wife's death from cancer while trying to build a new relationship, a cop struggling with a judgement call years ago, come together along with other players to deal with a murder and the past; previously received in a Goodreads giveaway
February 26, 2019
This story is about Tierney, a former attorney who devotes himself to finding missing Jacqi Garza. The plot summary sounded interesting. I really wanted to like this one, but the pace was slow and it drug on in places. It's saving grace it the ending. Worth muddling through! 3 Stars
January 27, 2020
Shocking
Shocking story. I found this book hard to read with lots of slang and other phrases that I didn’t understand. Finished it though.
Shocking story. I found this book hard to read with lots of slang and other phrases that I didn’t understand. Finished it though.
November 6, 2020
Good read. twisted and suspenseful.
August 5, 2019
The things you learn about in Corbett’s writer-bible—The Art of Character—are all on display here. It isn’t just the fantastic plot and his literary ear, authentic dialog. It’s the way he gives us full, well-rounded characters, with a history of betrayals and hope and losses and wins. Highly recommend for lovers of the thriller genre who require psychologically authentic characters.
March 7, 2016
This book started off slow for me. I wasnt sure I liked it for the first 50pages but there was always some small thing about Jaqui and her life that kept me wanting to know more. I decided to just stick with it and maybe a little half way through the book I was so captivated with everything going on that I couldnt help but try to find many free moments in my day to read more of it. Strangely, there were still moments in reading the book that I still wasnt sure I liked it; because of that I had a hard time reading it for long periods of time.
The ending made me happy and sad at the same time. Jacqui goes through so much in this book. Her experiences not only draw you into her life but create a personal relationship between you and the other characters. It seemed like the more her mother, her brother, her peers, the cops and society hated her, the more I loved her. She was drowning in so much sorrow and it was crazy to me how no one in her world empathized with how much she was going through. Then Tierney makes good and tried his damnest to help save her from herself and everyone else! His girlfriend's love for him was most impressive; the way she put aside her feelings and made it possible to actually feel for Jacqui and love and help her.
There were times the story became so magnetic (mostly close to the middle)! There was so much going on in the book that I wouldn't be able to retell the story if I tried but it would certainly make for a good conversation. The end was like a yo-yo. One devasting thing happens but a break through just that quick to lift my spirits and remake the entire story!!
Overall, I liked the story- a drama that built chapter by chapter about a type of life only seen in movies or the darkest streets of the scariest cities; cities and lives forgotten! I'm still in awe and impressed with the outcome of things.
The ending made me happy and sad at the same time. Jacqui goes through so much in this book. Her experiences not only draw you into her life but create a personal relationship between you and the other characters. It seemed like the more her mother, her brother, her peers, the cops and society hated her, the more I loved her. She was drowning in so much sorrow and it was crazy to me how no one in her world empathized with how much she was going through. Then Tierney makes good and tried his damnest to help save her from herself and everyone else! His girlfriend's love for him was most impressive; the way she put aside her feelings and made it possible to actually feel for Jacqui and love and help her.
There were times the story became so magnetic (mostly close to the middle)! There was so much going on in the book that I wouldn't be able to retell the story if I tried but it would certainly make for a good conversation. The end was like a yo-yo. One devasting thing happens but a break through just that quick to lift my spirits and remake the entire story!!
Overall, I liked the story- a drama that built chapter by chapter about a type of life only seen in movies or the darkest streets of the scariest cities; cities and lives forgotten! I'm still in awe and impressed with the outcome of things.
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