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Alex McKnight #11
Dead Man Running
Alex McKnight--hero of Steve Hamilton's bestselling, award-winning, and beloved private eye series--is back in a high-stakes, nail-biting thriller, facing the most dangerous enemy he's ever encountered.
On the Mediterranean Sea, a vacationer logs onto the security camera feed from his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Something about his living room seems not quite right--the room is bright, when he's certain he'd left the curtains closed. Rewinding through the feed, he sees an intruder. When he shifts to the bedroom camera, he sees the dead body.
Martin T. Livermore is the key suspect in the abduction and murder of at least five women, but he's never been this sloppy before. When the FBI finally catches him in Scottsdale, he declares he'll only talk to one a retired police officer from Detroit, now a private investigator living in the tiny town of Paradise, Michigan. A man named Alex McKnight.
Livermore means nothing to McKnight, but it soon becomes clear McKnight means something to Livermore. . . and that Livermore's capture was only the beginning of an elaborate, twisted plot with McKnight at the center. In a hunt that will take him across the country and to the edge of his limits, McKnight fights to stop a vicious killer before he can exact his ultimate revenge. And his grand finale will cut closer to home than he ever could have imagined.
On the Mediterranean Sea, a vacationer logs onto the security camera feed from his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Something about his living room seems not quite right--the room is bright, when he's certain he'd left the curtains closed. Rewinding through the feed, he sees an intruder. When he shifts to the bedroom camera, he sees the dead body.
Martin T. Livermore is the key suspect in the abduction and murder of at least five women, but he's never been this sloppy before. When the FBI finally catches him in Scottsdale, he declares he'll only talk to one a retired police officer from Detroit, now a private investigator living in the tiny town of Paradise, Michigan. A man named Alex McKnight.
Livermore means nothing to McKnight, but it soon becomes clear McKnight means something to Livermore. . . and that Livermore's capture was only the beginning of an elaborate, twisted plot with McKnight at the center. In a hunt that will take him across the country and to the edge of his limits, McKnight fights to stop a vicious killer before he can exact his ultimate revenge. And his grand finale will cut closer to home than he ever could have imagined.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2018
416 people are currently reading
1911 people want to read
About the author
Steve Hamilton
53 books1,689 followersTwo-time Edgar Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of the Nick Mason series, The Lock Artist, and the Alex McKnight series. AN HONORABLE ASSASSIN (Mason #3) coming August 27, 2024!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 415 reviews
July 28, 2018
One of the last things a man did before he and his wife went on a Mediterranean cruise was set up a security camera at their house. Maybe it seemed a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry, right?
When he's finally able to log on for the first time, his fears are unfounded—wait, why does the living room seem brighter than when they left? Did the front door just open? He watches, aghast, as an intruder enters their house and heads up to their bedroom. While he readies for the intruder to steal his wife's diamonds (which he didn't let her bring on the cruise), he is utterly unprepared for the woman's body on their bed. Not to mention what the intruder does to the body...
The intruder turns out to be Martin Livermore, a gifted scientist who is the suspect in the abduction and murder of at least five other women. The FBI has been hunting him for a while, but he's never been this sloppy before. When he is apprehended returning to the vacationers' home for another encounter with his latest victim, the feds feel victorious, but they can't help but wonder why it seems as if he was trying to get caught this time.
Livermore once again gets the upper hand, when he refuses to speak to anyone but Alex McKnight, a former police officer and private investigator from the small town of Paradise, Michigan. McKnight has no idea why Livermore has involved him, can't figure out any connection to this murderer whatsoever. But Livermore knows too much about him, and Alex is a crucial part of a tangled, dangerous plot that Livermore is about to put in motion.
With each action, Livermore ups the stakes, and as Alex races to figure out why the murderer has drawn him into his schemes, the danger continues to grow, and it threatens to affect him in places he'd never expect. How do you catch a criminal mastermind who has targeted you, who taunts you with his crimes, and knows your every step before you take it? Alex faces off with a relentless killer, and only one of them can survive.
In a veritable sea full of thriller writers, Steve Hamilton is the real deal. He's one of the rare breed of authors in this genre who can write pulse-pounding action scenes while creating characters with depth, characters you root for and care about. Every time I read another one of his books I say the same thing—I cannot understand why he isn't a household name, because his books are far superior (a little Michigan humor) to many more popular authors.
It was great to have Alex McKnight back again, but I definitely missed Paradise, and Vinnie, Jackie, and Leon. Still, it was good to see Alex have to leave his comfort zone and try and figure out his connection to Livermore. While I don't love villains who are always one step ahead of everyone else, and who can always outsmart law enforcement, Livermore was one creepy character who made me shudder. (His diversions were pretty dastardly.)
Dead Man Running is a prime example of a writer at his peak. If you've never read any of Hamilton's books, you don't know what you're missing. Whether you read his Alex McKnight series, his newer series featuring Nick Mason, or one of his standalone books, you'll see this is an author whose name you should see on books being read everywhere you look. Hopefully someday soon the world will catch on to what I've known for years—Hamilton is one of the best.
NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and First to Read provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
When he's finally able to log on for the first time, his fears are unfounded—wait, why does the living room seem brighter than when they left? Did the front door just open? He watches, aghast, as an intruder enters their house and heads up to their bedroom. While he readies for the intruder to steal his wife's diamonds (which he didn't let her bring on the cruise), he is utterly unprepared for the woman's body on their bed. Not to mention what the intruder does to the body...
The intruder turns out to be Martin Livermore, a gifted scientist who is the suspect in the abduction and murder of at least five other women. The FBI has been hunting him for a while, but he's never been this sloppy before. When he is apprehended returning to the vacationers' home for another encounter with his latest victim, the feds feel victorious, but they can't help but wonder why it seems as if he was trying to get caught this time.
Livermore once again gets the upper hand, when he refuses to speak to anyone but Alex McKnight, a former police officer and private investigator from the small town of Paradise, Michigan. McKnight has no idea why Livermore has involved him, can't figure out any connection to this murderer whatsoever. But Livermore knows too much about him, and Alex is a crucial part of a tangled, dangerous plot that Livermore is about to put in motion.
With each action, Livermore ups the stakes, and as Alex races to figure out why the murderer has drawn him into his schemes, the danger continues to grow, and it threatens to affect him in places he'd never expect. How do you catch a criminal mastermind who has targeted you, who taunts you with his crimes, and knows your every step before you take it? Alex faces off with a relentless killer, and only one of them can survive.
In a veritable sea full of thriller writers, Steve Hamilton is the real deal. He's one of the rare breed of authors in this genre who can write pulse-pounding action scenes while creating characters with depth, characters you root for and care about. Every time I read another one of his books I say the same thing—I cannot understand why he isn't a household name, because his books are far superior (a little Michigan humor) to many more popular authors.
It was great to have Alex McKnight back again, but I definitely missed Paradise, and Vinnie, Jackie, and Leon. Still, it was good to see Alex have to leave his comfort zone and try and figure out his connection to Livermore. While I don't love villains who are always one step ahead of everyone else, and who can always outsmart law enforcement, Livermore was one creepy character who made me shudder. (His diversions were pretty dastardly.)
Dead Man Running is a prime example of a writer at his peak. If you've never read any of Hamilton's books, you don't know what you're missing. Whether you read his Alex McKnight series, his newer series featuring Nick Mason, or one of his standalone books, you'll see this is an author whose name you should see on books being read everywhere you look. Hopefully someday soon the world will catch on to what I've known for years—Hamilton is one of the best.
NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and First to Read provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
October 21, 2018
The story feels hollow and incomplete. Little character development. Absurd plot. Bland and formulaic thriller that as, per usual, relies on the rape, torture, and murder of women with little purpose.
September 19, 2018
I devoured all ten of the books in this series over the course of 5 months or so in 2013/14, so I know Alex McKnight’s history. I’ve missed Alex, and for five years I’ve waited for this book. Over those five years, Alex has been plowing the snow in Paradise, Michigan, chopping wood, spending time in the Glasgow Inn, drinking with Vinnie, and taking the occasional PI case. He now works as a fugitive recovery specialist, aka bounty hunter. But Alex is drawn out of Paradise this time. That allows this book to work great as a stand alone, and the author provides brief snippets of Alex’s life, but I still recommend reading from the beginning with A Cold Day in Paradise.
The book started off great, and reading was a “just one more chapter” experience. I stayed up way past my usual bedtime. Then the pace leveled out. It still held my interest, even after that initial adrenaline burst faded. The antagonist is super bad, but to me the “why” of what he’s doing feels weak when compared to his actions.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and the ending leads me to believe Steve Hamilton has more in store for Alex McKnight. Bring it on!
The book started off great, and reading was a “just one more chapter” experience. I stayed up way past my usual bedtime. Then the pace leveled out. It still held my interest, even after that initial adrenaline burst faded. The antagonist is super bad, but to me the “why” of what he’s doing feels weak when compared to his actions.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and the ending leads me to believe Steve Hamilton has more in store for Alex McKnight. Bring it on!
August 29, 2018
I'm not sure what this was but it didn't seem like an Alex McKnight book to me. if it wasn't for the author and the character I wouldn't have kept reading as this is not the kind of book I like to read, this was bordering on horror with just one over the top and unbelievable scene after another. Hoping for a much better read, like i am used to, with whatever you write next.
June 11, 2019
Readers looking forward to another Alex McKnight offering will be disappointed as this is not the typical McKnight tale taking place in the cold north of the Upper Peninsula with friends Vinnie, Jackie—the Proprietor of the Glasgow Inn, and Leon Purdell. Instead, Hamilton has McKnight dragged to Arizona by the FBI as they have captured a particularly nasty serial killer, Martin Livermore, and Martin only wants to talk to Alex. Why? That is the big question, and Hamilton has the plot twist-and- turn for most of the novel before answering it.
Hamilton has Martin Livermore escape from seven FBI agents in spectacular fashion fairly early in the tale—so it really doesn’t qualify as a spoiler. But with Livermore free, it allows Hamilton to create a cat-and-mouse game between Alex and Martin that builds tension—and then builds even more tension. Martin is a particularly evil and dangerous foe.
Unfortunately, there are some significant holes in the plot and the ‘body count’ is excessive.
I hope that Alex makes it back to Paradise, MI in Hamilton’s next offering.
Hamilton has Martin Livermore escape from seven FBI agents in spectacular fashion fairly early in the tale—so it really doesn’t qualify as a spoiler. But with Livermore free, it allows Hamilton to create a cat-and-mouse game between Alex and Martin that builds tension—and then builds even more tension. Martin is a particularly evil and dangerous foe.
Unfortunately, there are some significant holes in the plot and the ‘body count’ is excessive.
I hope that Alex makes it back to Paradise, MI in Hamilton’s next offering.
August 31, 2018
I'm going to be in the minority here, but I really did not enjoy this book.
It is a bit of a departure for Alex McKnight, heading out of Paradise, MI because a serial killer wants to talk to him - a serial killer unknown to him either by sight or name. Martin Livermore promises to lead the FBI and local authorities to proof of his crimes, but only if Alex McKnight is there. Once there, it's clear that while Alex does not know Livermore, Livermore knows plenty about him, from his minor league baseball days to his work as a Detroit cop and the incident that caused him to leave the force and return to Paradise.
OK, that's fine - sometimes you have to go along with the premise to get into the story. Sometimes it pays off. This time, however, it did not.
Probably spoilers ahead, so....
And that's it. That's the end. Alex goes back to Paradise, fields a call or two from Jeannie. I suppose this means she'll be popping up in another book. If she does, her fate will probably not be a good one.
This book had none of the humor of the previous books in this series. It started dark and got darker, and the usual characters only make an appearance in the beginning and at the end. We're left with a completely different Alex hauling himself around chasing a serial killer who is, of course, smarter than anyone else, ever, and leaves no forensics except those he intends to leave.
Not recommended.
It is a bit of a departure for Alex McKnight, heading out of Paradise, MI because a serial killer wants to talk to him - a serial killer unknown to him either by sight or name. Martin Livermore promises to lead the FBI and local authorities to proof of his crimes, but only if Alex McKnight is there. Once there, it's clear that while Alex does not know Livermore, Livermore knows plenty about him, from his minor league baseball days to his work as a Detroit cop and the incident that caused him to leave the force and return to Paradise.
OK, that's fine - sometimes you have to go along with the premise to get into the story. Sometimes it pays off. This time, however, it did not.
Probably spoilers ahead, so....
And that's it. That's the end. Alex goes back to Paradise, fields a call or two from Jeannie. I suppose this means she'll be popping up in another book. If she does, her fate will probably not be a good one.
This book had none of the humor of the previous books in this series. It started dark and got darker, and the usual characters only make an appearance in the beginning and at the end. We're left with a completely different Alex hauling himself around chasing a serial killer who is, of course, smarter than anyone else, ever, and leaves no forensics except those he intends to leave.
Not recommended.
June 30, 2019
This is a “start reading, finish reading” book! Steve Hamilton’s Alex McKnight series is another favorite of mine! This hunt for the most vile serial killer is a thrill a minute!
September 17, 2018
3.5 stars. The book began with a interesting scene. A couple vacationing on a cruise ship log onto the cameras in their home to be sure everything is secure back in Arizona. Imagine their astonishment as they see a dead woman posed in their bed and a creepy guy abusing the corpse. The FBI quickly realizes the pattern of a serial killer and stake out the house for his return. The killer is caught. But, apparently, he intended this to happen. Saying his latest victim is still alive, he refuses to talk to anyone except ex-cop Alex McKnight from Michigan. Against his better judgement, Alex, along with the FBI and armed guards take the killer to the remote canyon where the killer has stashed her. Big mistake.
I never heard of the other ten books in this series prior to my library getting this book in and I'm sorry I've been missing these stories. I spent the entire book trying to figure out the relationship between the killer and Alex. There's a clue near the beginning but I never put 2 + 2 together. Some of the scenes are a little over the top but hey, it's fiction and I liked it. There's certainly lots of action.
I never heard of the other ten books in this series prior to my library getting this book in and I'm sorry I've been missing these stories. I spent the entire book trying to figure out the relationship between the killer and Alex. There's a clue near the beginning but I never put 2 + 2 together. Some of the scenes are a little over the top but hey, it's fiction and I liked it. There's certainly lots of action.
September 23, 2018
2 1/2*sI know I am probably a minority of one with this rating, and I am usually a fan of Steve Hamilton's work. Hamilton had a great villain here, but there were way too many instances where I could not
August 11, 2018
4.5 stars, actually.
Admittedly, I've read only two books in this series, but they were good enough to make me a fan of former cop Alex McKnight. That familiarity made me doubly happy to be approved for an advance review copy from the publisher (via NetGalley). And once again, I wasn't disappointed. In fact - save perhaps for the knock-down, drag-'em-out ending involving almost super-human feats - this is my pick of the litter so far. It was so good, in fact, that I kept reading all the way through a nightly episode of "The Rachel Maddow Show" (well, okay, with one eye on the program); that should convince those who know how much of a news junkie I am that I'm telling the truth about how much I liked the book.
Anyway, this one starts off with a [figurative] bang as a vacationing homeowner watches a live video from the security cameras he installed in his bedroom back home. Not too long of a story short, they catch the perp - a presumed serial killer named Martin T. Livermore - who refuses to talk to anyone except Alex, who's now contents himself working for Superior Bail Bonds in Paradise, Michigan. Hot to trot (or at least get some kind of confession out of Livermore), the FBI agrees to bring Alex in. But when he meets Livermore, he has absolutely no idea why the guy sought him out; there's no readily discernible connection between the two men, nor does there seem to be any among all the other five (at least) women Livermore has brutally murdered over the years.
Once in Alex's presence, Livermore not only admits to the heinous crimes, but promises to take him and an FBI crew to the place he's stored his victims' bodies. Livermore isn't exactly trustworthy, but the lawmen agree, albeit reluctantly, that there's no other way to find the bodies - all women. What happens next, though, proves them dead wrong; clearly, Livermore not only can't be trusted, but he's intent on playing some kind of head game with Alex to reach some kind of end that is intended to be the end of Alex.
Will Livermore emerge triumphant? Assuming as I read along that this book doesn't mark the end of the series, I was on the edge of my seat but not too worried about Alex's life. But why the killer wants to get Alex remained a mystery almost to the aforementioned action-packed end, making the book almost impossible to put down till then. I must point out one other tidbit made this book more interesting to me - that some of the scenes are set in two of my favorite places on earth: Columbus, Ohio (go Bucks!) and Michigan's scenic, secluded Upper Peninsula. All in all, this is a stellar entry in the series, and yes, I'm already looking forward to the next installment.
Admittedly, I've read only two books in this series, but they were good enough to make me a fan of former cop Alex McKnight. That familiarity made me doubly happy to be approved for an advance review copy from the publisher (via NetGalley). And once again, I wasn't disappointed. In fact - save perhaps for the knock-down, drag-'em-out ending involving almost super-human feats - this is my pick of the litter so far. It was so good, in fact, that I kept reading all the way through a nightly episode of "The Rachel Maddow Show" (well, okay, with one eye on the program); that should convince those who know how much of a news junkie I am that I'm telling the truth about how much I liked the book.
Anyway, this one starts off with a [figurative] bang as a vacationing homeowner watches a live video from the security cameras he installed in his bedroom back home. Not too long of a story short, they catch the perp - a presumed serial killer named Martin T. Livermore - who refuses to talk to anyone except Alex, who's now contents himself working for Superior Bail Bonds in Paradise, Michigan. Hot to trot (or at least get some kind of confession out of Livermore), the FBI agrees to bring Alex in. But when he meets Livermore, he has absolutely no idea why the guy sought him out; there's no readily discernible connection between the two men, nor does there seem to be any among all the other five (at least) women Livermore has brutally murdered over the years.
Once in Alex's presence, Livermore not only admits to the heinous crimes, but promises to take him and an FBI crew to the place he's stored his victims' bodies. Livermore isn't exactly trustworthy, but the lawmen agree, albeit reluctantly, that there's no other way to find the bodies - all women. What happens next, though, proves them dead wrong; clearly, Livermore not only can't be trusted, but he's intent on playing some kind of head game with Alex to reach some kind of end that is intended to be the end of Alex.
Will Livermore emerge triumphant? Assuming as I read along that this book doesn't mark the end of the series, I was on the edge of my seat but not too worried about Alex's life. But why the killer wants to get Alex remained a mystery almost to the aforementioned action-packed end, making the book almost impossible to put down till then. I must point out one other tidbit made this book more interesting to me - that some of the scenes are set in two of my favorite places on earth: Columbus, Ohio (go Bucks!) and Michigan's scenic, secluded Upper Peninsula. All in all, this is a stellar entry in the series, and yes, I'm already looking forward to the next installment.
June 25, 2018
Alex McKnight returns with a bang in Dead Man Running, the thrilling new novel from New York Times bestselling author Steve Hamilton.
Alex McKnight, last seen in Let it Burn (2014), is still living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula when readers meet back up with the former Detroit cop turned private detective. While he’s still battling the tundra-like winter conditions and living in near isolation, McKnight has a new gig this time around working as a “fugitive recovery agent” (a fancy way of saying bounty hunter) for Superior Bail Bonds out of Marquette.
While on a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea, Frank Thompson takes a moment away from sunbathing on the deck with his wife to check his security camera at home. At first, the video feed coming through seems normal, until. . .
Continue reading here: https://therealbookspy.com/2018/06/24...
Alex McKnight, last seen in Let it Burn (2014), is still living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula when readers meet back up with the former Detroit cop turned private detective. While he’s still battling the tundra-like winter conditions and living in near isolation, McKnight has a new gig this time around working as a “fugitive recovery agent” (a fancy way of saying bounty hunter) for Superior Bail Bonds out of Marquette.
While on a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea, Frank Thompson takes a moment away from sunbathing on the deck with his wife to check his security camera at home. At first, the video feed coming through seems normal, until. . .
Continue reading here: https://therealbookspy.com/2018/06/24...
March 5, 2019
A serial killer lets the FBI catch him. He's a genius organized serial killer, so it's all part of the plan to bring Alex McKnight into the fun.
As soon as Alex is brought into the case by the FBI (in this case, they really earn their nickname of Famous But Incompetent) he escapes. The FBI is completely useless, so McKnight trails the killer across the country, until he finds out what the goal really is.
McKnight is a little more competent in this book than usual, but that's not saying a whole lot.
As soon as Alex is brought into the case by the FBI (in this case, they really earn their nickname of Famous But Incompetent) he escapes. The FBI is completely useless, so McKnight trails the killer across the country, until he finds out what the goal really is.
McKnight is a little more competent in this book than usual, but that's not saying a whole lot.
May 20, 2018
Thank you Steve Hamilton for bringing back Alex McKnight! It has been too long but well worth the wait. What a thrill ride and heart pounding novel! I couldn't put it down. Please don't wait so long for the next one.
Definitely put this one on your to read list. You'll be sorry if you don't.
Definitely put this one on your to read list. You'll be sorry if you don't.
September 8, 2019
I waited a long time for this book, so of course I read it way too fast. This is one of my favorite series, and Alex is one of my all time favorite characters. The only downside to this one is that it didn't take place in or near Paradise, MI, so we didn't get to spend time with the series supporting cast like Vinnie, or Leon. But still a book that pulled me in and wouldn't let me stop turning the pages. Bravo Mr. Hamilton... now please write another Alex book!
August 30, 2021
Unpleasant. This is the 11th Alex McKnight book, but it has nothing to do with the others. It's a deeply misogynist serial killer romp where the killer is smarter than every one chasing him and is only undone by his own weaknesses. The world's worst detective trope of the killer having been obsessed with the detective for decades is dragged out here and exacerbated by McKnight's usual incompetence.
The author takes creepy pride in the ritualistic aspects of the killer's murders and we repeatedly see the female victims' saying "I'm going to die" right before they do - burned alive with napalm, hung by chains with throat slashed and we even actually freezing to death, locked in a fridge. We never see inside the minds of the men who are killed. That would not be titillating. I've read a bunch of Steve Hamilton books and I've mostly enjoyed them. This was the kind of book that makes me think I would never read anything else by him again. Repellent.
The author takes creepy pride in the ritualistic aspects of the killer's murders and we repeatedly see the female victims' saying "I'm going to die" right before they do - burned alive with napalm, hung by chains with throat slashed and we even actually freezing to death, locked in a fridge. We never see inside the minds of the men who are killed. That would not be titillating. I've read a bunch of Steve Hamilton books and I've mostly enjoyed them. This was the kind of book that makes me think I would never read anything else by him again. Repellent.
September 9, 2018
While this is a very good book, an Alex McKnight book it is NOT. What makes this series extra special is the setting and the cast of characters. Agree with some of the other reviewers that i could plug in any character into the lead role and this still be a very good book. But to me, without the normal setting and the characters we have grown to love over the years, this was no Alex book.
Hamilton still produced a book that could have been five stars, but because he put this into this incredible series and tried to pass it off he only gets four stars from me.
Hamilton still produced a book that could have been five stars, but because he put this into this incredible series and tried to pass it off he only gets four stars from me.
August 28, 2018
I was so happy to see the return of Michael McKnight. What an awesome story! A heart stopping story with so many twists and turns that keep you wondering what will happen next. A very well written story with an amazing cast of characters. I loved every minute of it and hated to see it end.
Here's hoping we do not have to wait so long for the next Alex McKnight story.
Here's hoping we do not have to wait so long for the next Alex McKnight story.
August 28, 2018
Alex McKnight's is back in a page turning serial killer hunt in Phoenix. I admit to losing interest in "brilliant" serial killers but Alex McKnight is too strong and complex a protagonist to ignore. He is definitely in his best form in this imaginative thriller.
August 5, 2018
After a wait of 5 years and 2 books in his new Nick Mason series, Steve Hamilton has brought back Alex McKnight in Dead Man Running, the eleventh book in this excellent series, one of my favorites. This book starts in a more typical third person style when Jack Thompson, checking his security cameras while on vacation, sees something unusual in his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. This eventually leads to the FBI believing they were seeing serial killer Martin T. Livermore. The FBI is surprised that Livermore was not careful and even more surprised when Livermore was captured returning to the Thompson’s home. Upon his capture, Livermore says he will only talk to Alex McKnight.
The FBI does not understand the connection and neither does Alex when they come to get him at his home in Michigan when the book returns to the first-person perspective more typical of books in this series. Alex reluctantly agrees to go to Arizona to meet with Livermore and upon meeting him, still is unsure of the connection. Eventually, Alex will get to understand the connection and work to stop Livermore from ever killing any more women. This exciting and gripping book adds to the great list of excellent Steve Hamilton Alex McKnight books. I hope we will see more in this series.
Although I’d certainly recommend starting at the beginning of this series, Steve Hamilton does a good job in providing the main back story about Alex McKnight so that this book could be read without having read the prior books, especially since the other minor recurring people in this series are not key to this book. The scenes at the Glasgow Inn and those between Alex and Vinnie were minimal in this book and that was a little disappointing after all this time waiting for the new book in the series. (I expressed similar feelings when Misery Bay was published in 2011 after a similar 5-year wait.)
The FBI does not understand the connection and neither does Alex when they come to get him at his home in Michigan when the book returns to the first-person perspective more typical of books in this series. Alex reluctantly agrees to go to Arizona to meet with Livermore and upon meeting him, still is unsure of the connection. Eventually, Alex will get to understand the connection and work to stop Livermore from ever killing any more women. This exciting and gripping book adds to the great list of excellent Steve Hamilton Alex McKnight books. I hope we will see more in this series.
Although I’d certainly recommend starting at the beginning of this series, Steve Hamilton does a good job in providing the main back story about Alex McKnight so that this book could be read without having read the prior books, especially since the other minor recurring people in this series are not key to this book. The scenes at the Glasgow Inn and those between Alex and Vinnie were minimal in this book and that was a little disappointing after all this time waiting for the new book in the series. (I expressed similar feelings when Misery Bay was published in 2011 after a similar 5-year wait.)
September 16, 2018
SOOOOO GOOD! The story just blew me away. So fast and full of thrills and scary good.
Steve Hamilton hasn't written anything that disappoints me. I knew all the places in GR because I live here. The journey up north, I knew right where he was at all times and where he was going. There are so many little lakes it could have been any of them. More personal this time than any other for McKnight, I'm hoping Hamilton continues on this line with his ex.
Steve Hamilton hasn't written anything that disappoints me. I knew all the places in GR because I live here. The journey up north, I knew right where he was at all times and where he was going. There are so many little lakes it could have been any of them. More personal this time than any other for McKnight, I'm hoping Hamilton continues on this line with his ex.
October 5, 2018
It's 2.5 stars (writing not bad, just average in spots- then terrible in other spots) but its chewy/ meaty, torture, dozens of body mutilations and violent death methods per copy count made me round it down.
This is one of those ex-copper genre which has bridged across and gone far into horror category. Beyond norms of a "thriller" by any equivocations. Actually this one is horror with a capital H. HORROR. And fast, slow or in between- lethal. Think S. King fare done with a good looking man who controls in the mode of James Bond "baddie" although with a smirk and chit-chat style of "well met" in the store or as a customer at your restaurant. Dazzling and "smart" with his Ted Bundy charm.
It's organization in placement is multi-state (he's leaving in winter UP Michigan/ and this one goes to AZ and SW USA desert). But I'm done with this series completely. I got to about 70% and nearly lost my lunch.
I don't want to dwell in this kind of body count per chapter or torture methods descriptions. Nor napalm in any civilian or military uses. Not even as part of a decent plot. UGH!
Also the writing continuity and "sense" was sloppy in this one and for me in the reading- "different" in varying parts of the book. Almost as if there was more than one author. The entire canyon scene was written poorly, IMHO. I read it twice, and then tried a third time. Some of it didn't make sense. And the outcomes with people "placed" in that scenario? Fiction indeed!
The beginning scenario for the couple with the home security cameras- that composition section was the best writing of the book.
Alex McKnight- in both the mind aspects of his personality and in his physical states within this book? Cartoon like in the medical especially. As when the Roadrunner gets blown up and /or nailed by the 2000 lbs boulder but just jumps up and is "ok" for the next minute of the "play" chase. In this one he didn't even seem human "knowable" for me to grasp. Within some of the others (former in the series) I thought he was beginning to feel a bit more real without having to do his whole "heart bullet" tale over and over again. But now? Nope- didn't know him at all.
This is one of those ex-copper genre which has bridged across and gone far into horror category. Beyond norms of a "thriller" by any equivocations. Actually this one is horror with a capital H. HORROR. And fast, slow or in between- lethal. Think S. King fare done with a good looking man who controls in the mode of James Bond "baddie" although with a smirk and chit-chat style of "well met" in the store or as a customer at your restaurant. Dazzling and "smart" with his Ted Bundy charm.
It's organization in placement is multi-state (he's leaving in winter UP Michigan/ and this one goes to AZ and SW USA desert). But I'm done with this series completely. I got to about 70% and nearly lost my lunch.
I don't want to dwell in this kind of body count per chapter or torture methods descriptions. Nor napalm in any civilian or military uses. Not even as part of a decent plot. UGH!
Also the writing continuity and "sense" was sloppy in this one and for me in the reading- "different" in varying parts of the book. Almost as if there was more than one author. The entire canyon scene was written poorly, IMHO. I read it twice, and then tried a third time. Some of it didn't make sense. And the outcomes with people "placed" in that scenario? Fiction indeed!
The beginning scenario for the couple with the home security cameras- that composition section was the best writing of the book.
Alex McKnight- in both the mind aspects of his personality and in his physical states within this book? Cartoon like in the medical especially. As when the Roadrunner gets blown up and /or nailed by the 2000 lbs boulder but just jumps up and is "ok" for the next minute of the "play" chase. In this one he didn't even seem human "knowable" for me to grasp. Within some of the others (former in the series) I thought he was beginning to feel a bit more real without having to do his whole "heart bullet" tale over and over again. But now? Nope- didn't know him at all.
December 21, 2018
Ummm, WHAT THE HELL STEVE HAMILTON?!
I am a big fan of the Alex McKnight series and was excited to get my hands on the latest entry. I've come to expect really tight pacing and a heck of a good story with Hamilton (as well as wonderfully evocative scenes of the Upper Peninsula) and was a little put off when I realized that this entry wasn't going to take place in Michigan and more importantly, it was going to be a pretty graphic account of a sadistic serial killer. However, I'm a seasoned mystery/thriller reader and am quite adept at skimming or totally skipping the parts that are just too much for me. After all, I have to sleep at night.
Not only was a great deal of time spent on the torturing and final demise of these women it was, well, in a word, LUDICROUS. The killer is so depraved, so over the top, so all of it that I was almost guffawing at points. You know that scene in Tropic Thunder when Ben Stiller licks the blood from the severed head-- this is that style but not intentionally funny.
So, in the end, I skimmed a ton of it but I will admit that I had to finish it because I did have a few questions about how he was going to tie this thing up.
DISAPPOINTMENT ALERT!
The ending of the novel and the explanation for why all this freaking carnage occurred doesn't hold water AT ALL and made me want to scream.
Mr. Hamilton--please send Alex back to the UP in Michigan where he belongs and leave the gory, over-the-top crap to other authors. You are better than this.
I am a big fan of the Alex McKnight series and was excited to get my hands on the latest entry. I've come to expect really tight pacing and a heck of a good story with Hamilton (as well as wonderfully evocative scenes of the Upper Peninsula) and was a little put off when I realized that this entry wasn't going to take place in Michigan and more importantly, it was going to be a pretty graphic account of a sadistic serial killer. However, I'm a seasoned mystery/thriller reader and am quite adept at skimming or totally skipping the parts that are just too much for me. After all, I have to sleep at night.
Not only was a great deal of time spent on the torturing and final demise of these women it was, well, in a word, LUDICROUS. The killer is so depraved, so over the top, so all of it that I was almost guffawing at points. You know that scene in Tropic Thunder when Ben Stiller licks the blood from the severed head-- this is that style but not intentionally funny.
So, in the end, I skimmed a ton of it but I will admit that I had to finish it because I did have a few questions about how he was going to tie this thing up.
DISAPPOINTMENT ALERT!
The ending of the novel and the explanation for why all this freaking carnage occurred doesn't hold water AT ALL and made me want to scream.
Mr. Hamilton--please send Alex back to the UP in Michigan where he belongs and leave the gory, over-the-top crap to other authors. You are better than this.
January 28, 2023
The long awaiting return of Alex McKnight finds him out of his environment in Arizona. Some psycho (With the geeky name Martin T. Livermore.) is coming up with new ways to torture and murder young women. He never leaves any clues, until he is ready to get caught. The FBI believe they have finally caught a break, but when they arrest him, the only person he will talk to is Alex. Neither of them have a connection to each other, so the FBI gathers Alex up and flies him to AZ for the interview. Livermore infers that there is still a victim alive and he will take them to her. What he leads them to, however, is the massacre of a lot of FBI agents, where he carefully planned his escape. For most of the book, the reader is kept in the dark and given no clues for why Livermore has targeted Alex. What is missing from this story, is Alex's camaraderie with his UP cohorts and it just wasn't the same without them involved.
October 30, 2018
Disappointing. I had read at least one early Hamilton/McKnight title and liked it well-enough, but I found this entry too long, too drawn out, and the hero’s resilience after beatings and his tracking ability totally unbelievable. Alex is flown from Michigan to the Southwest because a recently captured serial murderer wouldn’t talk unless he was present. Alex doesn’t know this man, but the killer knows a lot about him, a scary amount. Nothing goes as planned for the good guys; the killer escapes and kills again, leading Alex on a cross-country chase before the connection between the two becomes clear and someone Alex cares about is in mortal danger. There’s a lot of action to move the story along—but it drags on too long; over-the-top characterizations, plot twists, and violence—lots of torture; first person from Alex’s point of view with some 3rd person sections; chilling, nightmare tone. Second book in a row I’ve read with a vigilante hero—and that’s about enough for now.
June 19, 2021
Encore re-read mid 2021. Just as good or better the second time around.
Read as an audiobook performed by Nick Sullivan, about 8 hours. Although the 11th in a series of Alex McKnight novels, this is my first encounter with the character. As a special treat, the initial setting for the novel is the hot heart of Arizona not all that far from home. I did not feel like I missed anything critical by not having first read the novels that went before.
This is a fast-moving story of a wily serial killer who, after being captured, demands the presence of an ex-cop currently located some 2000 miles away. Why? It makes little sense to anyone including the ex-cop. Heart-pounding murder and mayhem ensue as the killer escapes and law enforcement of all kinds travel cross country. The novel includes scenes of horrific violence and perversion. Body count is high.
Read as an audiobook performed by Nick Sullivan, about 8 hours. Although the 11th in a series of Alex McKnight novels, this is my first encounter with the character. As a special treat, the initial setting for the novel is the hot heart of Arizona not all that far from home. I did not feel like I missed anything critical by not having first read the novels that went before.
This is a fast-moving story of a wily serial killer who, after being captured, demands the presence of an ex-cop currently located some 2000 miles away. Why? It makes little sense to anyone including the ex-cop. Heart-pounding murder and mayhem ensue as the killer escapes and law enforcement of all kinds travel cross country. The novel includes scenes of horrific violence and perversion. Body count is high.
September 19, 2019
I finished this book several weeks ago.
I am really disappointed by this book.
I adore this series. I love Alex as a protag. But with this latest book, I realize that perhaps what I love as much as Alex as protag is the setting. It takes place around Lake Superior in the UP in Michigan. Hamilton captures this area profoundly. Hamilton also has created terrific side characters. I adore them and their relationship with Alex. In this novel, there is the faintest whisper of the side characters and the setting.
Also, more women in jeopardy. I'm tired of these books. So tired.
OH well.
Weirdly enough, I might reread from the beginning just to remember the good times.
I am really disappointed by this book.
I adore this series. I love Alex as a protag. But with this latest book, I realize that perhaps what I love as much as Alex as protag is the setting. It takes place around Lake Superior in the UP in Michigan. Hamilton captures this area profoundly. Hamilton also has created terrific side characters. I adore them and their relationship with Alex. In this novel, there is the faintest whisper of the side characters and the setting.
Also, more women in jeopardy. I'm tired of these books. So tired.
OH well.
Weirdly enough, I might reread from the beginning just to remember the good times.
September 10, 2018
This book seemed to be written to fulfill a contract. Very few of the original characters I have come to enjoy, and just predictable violence and craving for violence.
August 26, 2018
DEAD MAN RUNNING (Alex McKnight #11)
By Steve Hamilton
This was my first time reading an Alex McKnight book and it could be read as a stand alone even though this is #11 in the series. The pacing is fast and action packed that keeps the pages turning. A man is on a cruise and he has cameras and video set up in his house in Arizona. He studies the video and he sees something off but he can't quite figure out what is wrong. As he rewinds the video he notices the living room drapes are open making the sunshine in the room. He thought it seemed bright. Then upon closer inspection he sees the front door wide open. He inspects the video in the bedroom and in his and his wife's bed lays a body of a dead woman.
This book went in an entirely different direction than I was expecting. The FBI get in contact with fugitive hunter Alex McKnight and fly him to Arizona as a person of interest. There is a serial killer who was caught on camera on the video that the man on the cruise had running in his home. When the FBI try to question the serial killer he is callous and he won't answer any questions. The serial killer does write down two words on a piece of paper and they are Alex McKnight. When Alex is brought in the room to meet the serial killer Alex has no idea who he is. Alex never saw him before.
This was very suspenseful and fans of this series won't be disappointed with this one. The writing is above average and there is a desire to keep reading to find out why this serial killer keeps on taunting Alex. This was a bit dark for me as the serial killer escapes in transit tricking the FBI, State police and a few prison guards as he has them believing that he is leading them to the five dead girls. The serial killer leads them to a remote area and leads them into an ambush. Why does he kill all of them except Alex? This leads to more killings and a cat and mouse chase. If you like serial killers and more killing then this book is for you.
Thank you to Net Galley, Steve Hamilton and G.P Putnam's Sons for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
By Steve Hamilton
This was my first time reading an Alex McKnight book and it could be read as a stand alone even though this is #11 in the series. The pacing is fast and action packed that keeps the pages turning. A man is on a cruise and he has cameras and video set up in his house in Arizona. He studies the video and he sees something off but he can't quite figure out what is wrong. As he rewinds the video he notices the living room drapes are open making the sunshine in the room. He thought it seemed bright. Then upon closer inspection he sees the front door wide open. He inspects the video in the bedroom and in his and his wife's bed lays a body of a dead woman.
This book went in an entirely different direction than I was expecting. The FBI get in contact with fugitive hunter Alex McKnight and fly him to Arizona as a person of interest. There is a serial killer who was caught on camera on the video that the man on the cruise had running in his home. When the FBI try to question the serial killer he is callous and he won't answer any questions. The serial killer does write down two words on a piece of paper and they are Alex McKnight. When Alex is brought in the room to meet the serial killer Alex has no idea who he is. Alex never saw him before.
This was very suspenseful and fans of this series won't be disappointed with this one. The writing is above average and there is a desire to keep reading to find out why this serial killer keeps on taunting Alex. This was a bit dark for me as the serial killer escapes in transit tricking the FBI, State police and a few prison guards as he has them believing that he is leading them to the five dead girls. The serial killer leads them to a remote area and leads them into an ambush. Why does he kill all of them except Alex? This leads to more killings and a cat and mouse chase. If you like serial killers and more killing then this book is for you.
Thank you to Net Galley, Steve Hamilton and G.P Putnam's Sons for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 25, 2018
#11 in the Alex McKnight series. This 2018 series entry by author Hamilton is an enigma. Except for 5 pages of chapter 2 and 3 pages of the Epilogue, this series entry. after a five year hiatus, might be a standalone thriller with the same protagonist name and police experience as the series. It is never adequately explained why the villain put himself so at risk and dependent on the FBI and Alex dancing to his tune. Eventually, his end game is revealed but since it is sufficient to engage Alex in itself, the majority of the novel seems like an unrelated thriller stitched to an Alex McKnight novella.
The novel does end with a hook to a sequel, so we'll see which Alex appears in that one.
Thanks to a home surveillance system, robotics engineer Martin Livermore, a necrophiliac who's eluded the law, is spotted abusing a corpse in the Arizona home of a couple vacationing in Europe. It's unclear whether he murdered the victim before or after he brought her to the house. As Livermore's m.o. is to return to where he left his victim, FBI agent Roger Halliday leaves the cadaver in place and later arrests Livermore when he goes back to the scene of his crime. The FBI brings in Alex McKnight, a retired Detroit police officer who now works as a bounty hunter in Michigan, after Livermore discloses that he knew about the surveillance system and that he will provide details only to McKnight about another potential victim, who, at least for now, is still alive. McKnight, who has never heard of Livermore, has no idea why the killer requested his involvement.
The novel does end with a hook to a sequel, so we'll see which Alex appears in that one.
Thanks to a home surveillance system, robotics engineer Martin Livermore, a necrophiliac who's eluded the law, is spotted abusing a corpse in the Arizona home of a couple vacationing in Europe. It's unclear whether he murdered the victim before or after he brought her to the house. As Livermore's m.o. is to return to where he left his victim, FBI agent Roger Halliday leaves the cadaver in place and later arrests Livermore when he goes back to the scene of his crime. The FBI brings in Alex McKnight, a retired Detroit police officer who now works as a bounty hunter in Michigan, after Livermore discloses that he knew about the surveillance system and that he will provide details only to McKnight about another potential victim, who, at least for now, is still alive. McKnight, who has never heard of Livermore, has no idea why the killer requested his involvement.
August 30, 2018
Alex McKnight has had a long rest: five years since he appeared in the last novel in this great series. And he needed it for this, the 11th novel in the series. It seems a tourist traveling in Europe remotely checks his home where he recently installed security cameras, and discovers an illegal entry. Moreover the intruder, Martin T. Livermore, is having sex on the marital bed. It turns out the female is dead.
Police capture the culprit, who refuses to speak to anyone but Alex McNight, who is thousands of miles away in the upper Michigan peninsula. He promises to lead McNight to his possible seventh victim, who may be alive. Alex accedes to the perp’s wishes and, along with all kinds of law enforcement personnel, is led into a trap where only McNight and Livermore, who then escapes, survive. Thus begins a grueling chase to save the victim as well as capturing Livermore.
Actually Livermore, with his superior intellect, sets up a challenge for Alex, based on an obscure relationship between the two, unknown to McNight. The author maintains a steady tension throughout the novel, a characteristic for which he is famous. At the same time, the plot develops in countless deviations as Livermore keeps Alex on the run until the novel concludes in an unexpected fashion.
Recommended.
Police capture the culprit, who refuses to speak to anyone but Alex McNight, who is thousands of miles away in the upper Michigan peninsula. He promises to lead McNight to his possible seventh victim, who may be alive. Alex accedes to the perp’s wishes and, along with all kinds of law enforcement personnel, is led into a trap where only McNight and Livermore, who then escapes, survive. Thus begins a grueling chase to save the victim as well as capturing Livermore.
Actually Livermore, with his superior intellect, sets up a challenge for Alex, based on an obscure relationship between the two, unknown to McNight. The author maintains a steady tension throughout the novel, a characteristic for which he is famous. At the same time, the plot develops in countless deviations as Livermore keeps Alex on the run until the novel concludes in an unexpected fashion.
Recommended.
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