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Frank Quinn #3
Night Kills
Frank Quinn is sure he is hunting for a madman: someone is shooting young women in the heart, defiling their bodies, leaving only torsos to be found. Quinn, a former NYPD detective, is called into the case by an ambitious chief of police and mobilises his team of brilliant law-enforcement misfits. But in the concrete canyons of New York, this shocking serial murder case is turning into something very different.Jill Clark came to the city with too many hopes and too little cash. Now a seemingly deranged woman is telling her an extraordinary story. New to an exclusive dating service, Jill is warned that other women have died on their dates - and that she could be next. Struggling against a death trap closing in around her, Jill has a powerful ally in Frank Quinn. But no one knows the true motive behind a rampage of cold-blooded murder - and how much more terrifying this is going to get.
465 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2008
74 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
About the author
John Lutz
234 books300 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John Lutz has captivated suspense enthusiasts for over four decades. He has been one of the premier voices in contemporary hard-boiled fiction. His work includes political suspense, private eye novels, urban suspense, humor, occult, crime caper, police procedural, espionage, historical, futuristic, amateur detective, thriller; virtually every mystery sub-genre. John Lutz published his first short story in 1966 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and has been publishing regularly ever since. He is the author of more than fifty novels and 250 short stories and articles.
His novels and short fiction have been translated into virtually every language and adapted for almost every medium. He is a past president of both Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America. Among his awards are the MWA Edgar, the PWA Shamus, The Trophee 813 Award for best mystery short story collection translated into the French language, the PWA Life Achievement Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is the author of two private eye series, the Nudger series, set in his home town of St. Louis, and the Carver series, set in Florida, as well as many non-series suspense novels. His SWF SEEKS SAME was made into the hit movie SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and his novel THE EX was made into the HBO original movie of the same title, for which he co-authored the screenplay.
Lutz and his wife, Barbara, split their time between St. Louis and Sarasota, Florida.
John Lutz has captivated suspense enthusiasts for over four decades. He has been one of the premier voices in contemporary hard-boiled fiction. His work includes political suspense, private eye novels, urban suspense, humor, occult, crime caper, police procedural, espionage, historical, futuristic, amateur detective, thriller; virtually every mystery sub-genre. John Lutz published his first short story in 1966 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and has been publishing regularly ever since. He is the author of more than fifty novels and 250 short stories and articles.
His novels and short fiction have been translated into virtually every language and adapted for almost every medium. He is a past president of both Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America. Among his awards are the MWA Edgar, the PWA Shamus, The Trophee 813 Award for best mystery short story collection translated into the French language, the PWA Life Achievement Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is the author of two private eye series, the Nudger series, set in his home town of St. Louis, and the Carver series, set in Florida, as well as many non-series suspense novels. His SWF SEEKS SAME was made into the hit movie SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and his novel THE EX was made into the HBO original movie of the same title, for which he co-authored the screenplay.
Lutz and his wife, Barbara, split their time between St. Louis and Sarasota, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
August 14, 2020
In this book published in 2008, retired homicide detective Frank Quinn goes after a serial killer. The NYPD Commissioner asks Quinn to temporarily come out of retirement and take the case. The killer shoots women through the heart and leaves only the torso. The remains are hard to identify with no head and no fingerprints.
Quinn uses two helpers in this cases 1) brash Pearl, currently working as a guard in a bank. She's all in. 2) Feds, also a retired cop who can't stand the golf he's forced to play. More bodies are found as the Torso Murderer begins to enjoy himself too much.
The story is another one about the bad unknowns of using a dating site but has a unique twist about the site itself. I love to read books about serial killers. This one is particularly sadistic as the killer violates the bodies and then dismembers them so be prepared for savage scenes. I don't know if this author is still writing but I would like to read some of his other books.
Quinn uses two helpers in this cases 1) brash Pearl, currently working as a guard in a bank. She's all in. 2) Feds, also a retired cop who can't stand the golf he's forced to play. More bodies are found as the Torso Murderer begins to enjoy himself too much.
The story is another one about the bad unknowns of using a dating site but has a unique twist about the site itself. I love to read books about serial killers. This one is particularly sadistic as the killer violates the bodies and then dismembers them so be prepared for savage scenes. I don't know if this author is still writing but I would like to read some of his other books.
December 2, 2018
4 stars🇺🇸🐎
February 15, 2017
This was my first John Lutz book, I the book, but didn't love it. I liked the characters, each one got equal time, I'm not sure that worked for me. I found the plot rather unique. The story became predictable one we find out the reason for the murders. It was a little to graphic for me. I have Darker Than Night on my list of want to read.
May 5, 2018
Not a fan of this book... Surprising, John Lutz books are normally so good, you don’t want to put the book down till your done... Lucky I even gave it 3 Stars :-(
August 23, 2018
Almost stopped reading after 130 pages or so, but the regressions to previous months stopped and it started moving along again.
In the end, I am glad I didn't abandon this one.
In the end, I am glad I didn't abandon this one.
January 2, 2015
This book started with lots of promise. Then the plot inconsistencies began, and I found myself wondering why Lutz didn't keep track of details within his own story. Then the reason is revealed for the torsos being left out in public, which happens before the midway point, and the whole thing fell apart for me.
I can't point out the inconsistencies without giving spoilers, so I'll be vague. Certain evidence was altered along the way, in that medical examiners and detectives suddenly knew things they hadn't known and/or had no way of knowing. This is not one instance, but many.
I also don't want to give spoilers by sharing the reason that the torsos were left in public. So here I'll just say that it's simply ridiculous. We have an intelligent "madman" who would find far better options for the goal sought. This "madman" does not want to draw attention, yet leaves a string of torsos all over the city as if this won't gain a ton of police and media attention? I could not get past this huge stumbling point.
Shortly after that revelation, another scene regarding Jill Clark, Pearl, and an elevator, left me shaking my head. Pearl is supposed to be a smart, intuitive detective, yet her reaction to this incident is simply stupid, particularly given her fore knowledge and preparation.
Things continue downhill from there and, for me, these problems far overshadowed the good qualities of Lutz's writing.
Lutz has an easy writing style that pulls readers in. If you can get past the inconsistencies and absurdities, it's a fast moving story you might enjoy far more than I did.
I can't point out the inconsistencies without giving spoilers, so I'll be vague. Certain evidence was altered along the way, in that medical examiners and detectives suddenly knew things they hadn't known and/or had no way of knowing. This is not one instance, but many.
I also don't want to give spoilers by sharing the reason that the torsos were left in public. So here I'll just say that it's simply ridiculous. We have an intelligent "madman" who would find far better options for the goal sought. This "madman" does not want to draw attention, yet leaves a string of torsos all over the city as if this won't gain a ton of police and media attention? I could not get past this huge stumbling point.
Shortly after that revelation, another scene regarding Jill Clark, Pearl, and an elevator, left me shaking my head. Pearl is supposed to be a smart, intuitive detective, yet her reaction to this incident is simply stupid, particularly given her fore knowledge and preparation.
Things continue downhill from there and, for me, these problems far overshadowed the good qualities of Lutz's writing.
Lutz has an easy writing style that pulls readers in. If you can get past the inconsistencies and absurdities, it's a fast moving story you might enjoy far more than I did.
October 3, 2013
Night Kills by John Lutz didn't catch my interest the first few chapters. I almost gave up, but then the story turned around for me. The premises of why the killings take place is a good, unique one. That caught my attention. I cared much more for the murdered victims than the killers, and/or the cops chasing them. Their are twists, and turns, and enough to keep the story interesting. The main good guy characters detectives, Quinn, Pearl and a few others are doing their jobs, but I didn't get a connection to any of them. Now, one of the next victim, Jill being set-up by the icky, creepy murderer, Toni and his more than creepy sister, Jill, caught my attention and I truly felt for her. She was deadly frightened, but also willing to help catch the killers at the risk of her own life.
The two sub-plot has quite an interesting character, in fact, he kinda stole the show at times. I looked forward to his petty crimes that turned sour, and the meeting of him with Meth dealers way down south. That part of the book was colorful and lively, much more than the New York City portion. The ending was, like reallY? Can't we torture these rotten sobs more for the horrific murders? But, all in all, I'd read another Lutz, book. I'd like to see how he develops his main characters more, because he's got a good idea of how to set-up scary crimes.
City of Redemption
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April 28, 2015Description: Frank Quinn is sure he is hunting for a madman: someone is shooting young women in the heart, defiling their bodies, leaving only torsos to be found. Quinn, a former NYPD detective, is called into the case by an ambitious chief of police and mobilises his team of brilliant law-enforcement misfits. But in the concrete canyons of New York, this shocking serial murder case is turning into something very different.Jill Clark came to the city with too many hopes and too little cash. Now a seemingly deranged woman is telling her an extraordinary story. New to an exclusive dating service, Jill is warned that other women have died on their dates - and that she could be next. Struggling against a death trap closing in around her, Jill has a powerful ally in Frank Quinn. But no one knows the true motive behind a rampage of cold-blooded murder - and how much more terrifying this is going to get.
Read by Scott Brick
Read by Scott BrickThis entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2018
This is a third book within a series. I didn't read the other two. In a way Night Kills could stand alone, however, there were times that I did feel lost (character development). Overall, it was an excellent read and I couldn't put it down. I found myself (silently) pleading for the victims to "get out the car; don't trust him/her." This was my first Lutz read, and I'd pick him up again. If you like the (squeamish) details of a perp's killings, pick up this (and probably any of his other) book(s).
September 10, 2021
Great series, great narration by Scott Brick (audible review)
Wow another psycho killer is out there.
I love these books, the characters, the story lines and plots.
If you are adverse to gruesome details this is not the author for you. But if you can handle a little of it they are fantastic books and I highly recommend this series.
Lots of dialogue in these books.
As for the narration, amazing of course. It's Scott Brick. I am a true fan of his.
Wow another psycho killer is out there.
I love these books, the characters, the story lines and plots.
If you are adverse to gruesome details this is not the author for you. But if you can handle a little of it they are fantastic books and I highly recommend this series.
Lots of dialogue in these books.
As for the narration, amazing of course. It's Scott Brick. I am a true fan of his.
March 14, 2017
Great and Twisted!
I'm rapidly falling in love with Lutzs' characters in the Detective Quinn series. The books are very well written the characters are fully developed and just when you think you know what's happenig, Bam Lutz surprises you with a gut wrenching Twist!
I'm rapidly falling in love with Lutzs' characters in the Detective Quinn series. The books are very well written the characters are fully developed and just when you think you know what's happenig, Bam Lutz surprises you with a gut wrenching Twist!
September 24, 2017
Good serial killer book
July 3, 2020
Warning....this is long....
First, my opinion is , the plot is a really good twister.
But....
Like many others here, I agree that this particular one was not one of his best, ...is it because the publisher was haranguing him about the deadline?
Is there such a thing as ghost writers that are hired to come in and "punch it up"
and end up making it worse? (Badly worse)
Then there's the common problem of.. ..I think.. just boosting the word count ...where we get to read about the protagonist reviewing everything in his own head, about everything going on, for almost an entire chapter....arrgh
(And never mind how almost every chapter starts with a weather report..., the clouds were dark ....the rain was a dark freezing mist .... it was a moonless night.... It cut through his collar, newspapers were blown down the sidewalk)
Another common theme is authors that don't get normal people's speaking and conversations and especially reactions right.... it all sounds forced... and hokie... Again, the puncher uppers?
Sigh.... Then there's a scene where a bad person and a good person are literally shooting at each other with pistols in a small hallway in a small apartment in New York and they're both missing each other from 20 feet away? And then oh a bullet hits a picture hanging on the wall with a glass covering and the glass shatters and injures the good person in the corner of their eye....
And, if anyone is still reading this far LOL.... Why do so many police and detective and murder novels ...have to have so much soap opera with the ex wives and their estranged kids and their new almost forbidden relationship with a coworker on the police force blah blah blah and blah blah blah... please.... we don't want to know about Ex-Wives and estranged teenagers ....we read murder mysteries because..... we want to read about the murder mystery, that's it
Thank you
First, my opinion is , the plot is a really good twister.
But....
Like many others here, I agree that this particular one was not one of his best, ...is it because the publisher was haranguing him about the deadline?
Is there such a thing as ghost writers that are hired to come in and "punch it up"
and end up making it worse? (Badly worse)
Then there's the common problem of.. ..I think.. just boosting the word count ...where we get to read about the protagonist reviewing everything in his own head, about everything going on, for almost an entire chapter....arrgh
(And never mind how almost every chapter starts with a weather report..., the clouds were dark ....the rain was a dark freezing mist .... it was a moonless night.... It cut through his collar, newspapers were blown down the sidewalk)
Another common theme is authors that don't get normal people's speaking and conversations and especially reactions right.... it all sounds forced... and hokie... Again, the puncher uppers?
Sigh.... Then there's a scene where a bad person and a good person are literally shooting at each other with pistols in a small hallway in a small apartment in New York and they're both missing each other from 20 feet away? And then oh a bullet hits a picture hanging on the wall with a glass covering and the glass shatters and injures the good person in the corner of their eye....
And, if anyone is still reading this far LOL.... Why do so many police and detective and murder novels ...have to have so much soap opera with the ex wives and their estranged kids and their new almost forbidden relationship with a coworker on the police force blah blah blah and blah blah blah... please.... we don't want to know about Ex-Wives and estranged teenagers ....we read murder mysteries because..... we want to read about the murder mystery, that's it
Thank you
March 10, 2024
My third read of Jon Lutz Frank Quinn books. I like the books; however, the editors do a terrible job. One character in the 3rd book is Cathy and maybe two pages later her name is Kathy.
Also, one sentence is one thing and the next sentence is a whole other subject. Jon, you need to find another editor
Also, one sentence is one thing and the next sentence is a whole other subject. Jon, you need to find another editor
June 23, 2025
3rd in the Frank Quinn Series. I have been reading the Lutz books out of order because they are hard to find. This was great. Unique plot. Like the characters. Hard to put down. It was really nice to read a good book. Will be giving this to my parents because they are also enjoying John Lutz books.
March 26, 2020
good until the end
May 29, 2020
Licked this book. I found the subject different
October 18, 2020
The third book in this series was a disappointment after the first two stellar reads. Too much left to be explained but will definitely online reading this series as I love the 3 protagonists.
March 28, 2021
Great read
Great characters, storyline and my favorite genre. Didn't dissappoint. Quinn and team work great together. Good ending too. Buy it!
Great characters, storyline and my favorite genre. Didn't dissappoint. Quinn and team work great together. Good ending too. Buy it!
April 27, 2022
I delve into John Lutz every book they are very thrilling and full of horror and suspense.
June 25, 2022
How many faces do you have??? ... it's better than the first two of the series...
December 29, 2022
Another winner
This is a good series if you like this type of book - serial killers. I like the characters, although Pearl is a little much to take, and my least favorite.
This is a good series if you like this type of book - serial killers. I like the characters, although Pearl is a little much to take, and my least favorite.
November 18, 2025
These books can be kind of hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed this one!
October 25, 2014
My first Lutz experience, and it does take a while to piece together all the different scenarios. I liek the original reason behind the events! I will get the first in the trilogy and read more. One point - am I the only person left bewildered by the fact that at victim 3 (I think) the new pathologist adds new information when she finds a splinter - so at least now we KNOW it is wood, not just guessing, but by victim 4 we suddenly know that the first three were one type of wood and this one is different? We also seem to have all pieces of wood in our possession, whereas earlier we couldn't even confirm it was wood? This is a minor point, but it breaks the whole flow of the fiction and really is a blight on the editors!
September 8, 2014
this book was different from the other ones, here we're dealing with a (small) organisation instead of an individual, no flashbacks but it does have some tiny twists at the end.
a good read as all the other ones although I prefer psychos to this type of developments involving money, eventually drugs, corrupted cops and so on but its still great.
our protagonists are as good as always.
moving on to the next book, Mister-X
a good read as all the other ones although I prefer psychos to this type of developments involving money, eventually drugs, corrupted cops and so on but its still great.
our protagonists are as good as always.
moving on to the next book, Mister-X
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2015
Night Kills is my first encounter with John Lutz - if all his books are as interesting and suspenseful as this one - I am hooked.
This book has a plot and several sub-plots which does not diminish from the general outline of the book in any way. Lutz brings all the characters together as the book nears its' ending and still has some surprises in store for us on the very last page.
A real page turner with twists and turns throughout.
This book has a plot and several sub-plots which does not diminish from the general outline of the book in any way. Lutz brings all the characters together as the book nears its' ending and still has some surprises in store for us on the very last page.
A real page turner with twists and turns throughout.
July 14, 2011
I love this series! It's very under-rated to me. His chapters are short but keep you intrigued throughout the whole book. I definitely recommend this series.
This book, especially, was creepy. Instead of using an online dating site to match people with each other, the dating site uses personal information to find potential body doubles for well-to-do people that "die" It's a great book.
This book, especially, was creepy. Instead of using an online dating site to match people with each other, the dating site uses personal information to find potential body doubles for well-to-do people that "die" It's a great book.
July 24, 2011
This was the first book I read on my new Kindle, and what a good first choice it was! It was exciting, tense, and entertaining. The characters were true to life, the plot moved right along, and the final 'showdown' was so intense I stayed up way past my normal bed time because I couldn't put it down!
June 16, 2015
I was disappointed with this book I had read darker the night by John lutz and thought it w
as exciting and I couldn't put it down. this book had the same characters and the writer just changed the serial killers mo. I figured out why he was killing women in the first 60 pages. ending was terrible.
nd
as exciting and I couldn't put it down. this book had the same characters and the writer just changed the serial killers mo. I figured out why he was killing women in the first 60 pages. ending was terrible.
nd
November 14, 2008
It was pretty hard to put down! I'm addicted to the Detective Quinn books!
if you like thriller/serial killer related books, then this is the book to
read. Very unique I might say...gross but unique LOL
if you like thriller/serial killer related books, then this is the book to
read. Very unique I might say...gross but unique LOL
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews