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Suitcase Charlie: A Noir Crime Thriller
Chicago, May 30, 1956: On a quiet corner in a working-class immigrant neighborhood, a heavy suitcase is discovered on the sidewalk late at night. Inside is the body of a young boy, naked and hacked into pieces.
Two hard-drinking Chicago detectives are assigned to the case: Hank Purcell, who still has flashbacks ten years after the Battle of the Bulge, and his partner Marvin Bondarowicz, a wise-cracking Jewish cop who loves trouble as much as he loves booze. Their investigation takes them through the dark streets of Chicago in search of an even darker secret—as more and more suitcases turn up.
Two hard-drinking Chicago detectives are assigned to the case: Hank Purcell, who still has flashbacks ten years after the Battle of the Bulge, and his partner Marvin Bondarowicz, a wise-cracking Jewish cop who loves trouble as much as he loves booze. Their investigation takes them through the dark streets of Chicago in search of an even darker secret—as more and more suitcases turn up.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2015
186 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
John Guzlowski
27 books87 followersOver a writing career that spans more than 40 years, John Guzlowski has amassed a significant body of published work in a wide range of genres: poetry, prose, literary criticism, reviews, fiction and nonfiction.
His poems and stories have appeared in such national journals as North American Review, Ontario Review, Rattle, Chattahoochee Review, Atlanta Review, Nimrod, Crab Orchard Review, Marge, Poetry East, Vocabula Review. He was the featured poet in the 2007 edition of Spoon River Poetry Review. Garrison Keillor read Guzlowski's poem "What My Father Believed" on his program The Writers Almanac.
Critical essays by Guzlowski about contemporary American, Polish, and Jewish authors can be found in such journals as Modern Fiction Studies, Polish Review, Shofar, Polish American Studies, Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, and Studies in Jewish American Literature.
His previously published books include Language of Mules (DP Press), Jezyk mulów i inne wiersze (Biblioteka Śląska), Lightning and Ashes (Steel Toe Books), Third Winter of War: Buchenwald (Finishing Line Press), and Suitcase Charlie (White Stag/Ravenswood). Guzlowski's work has also been included in anthologies such as Blood to Remember: American Poets on the Holocaust (Time Being Books), Cherries with Chopin (Moonrise Press), Common Boundary: Stories of Immigration (Editions Bibliotekos), and Longman Academic Reading Series 5 Student Book (Pearson Education ESL).
Winner of the Illinois Arts Council's $7,500 Award for Poetry, Guzlowski has also been short-listed for the Bakeless Award and Eric Hoffer Award, and nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and four Pushcart Prizes. He has been honored by the Georgia State Commission on the Holocaust for his work.
In reviewing Guzlowski's book Language of Mules, Nobel Laureate Czeslaw Milosz wrote, "Exceptional...even astonished me...reveals an enormous ability for grasping reality."
Born in a refugee camp in Germany after World War II, Guzlowski came to America with his family as a Displaced Person in 1951. His parents had been Polish slave laborers in Nazi Germany during the war. Growing up in the tough immigrant neighborhoods around Humboldt Park in Chicago, he met hardware store clerks with Auschwitz tattoos on their wrists, Polish cavalry officers who still mourned for their dead horses, and women who had walked from Siberia to Iran to escape the Russians. In much of his work, Guzlowski remembers and honors the experiences and ultimate strength of these voiceless survivors.
Guzlowski received his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Purdue University. He is a Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Eastern Illinois University, and currently lives in Lynchburg, Virginia.
His poems and stories have appeared in such national journals as North American Review, Ontario Review, Rattle, Chattahoochee Review, Atlanta Review, Nimrod, Crab Orchard Review, Marge, Poetry East, Vocabula Review. He was the featured poet in the 2007 edition of Spoon River Poetry Review. Garrison Keillor read Guzlowski's poem "What My Father Believed" on his program The Writers Almanac.
Critical essays by Guzlowski about contemporary American, Polish, and Jewish authors can be found in such journals as Modern Fiction Studies, Polish Review, Shofar, Polish American Studies, Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, and Studies in Jewish American Literature.
His previously published books include Language of Mules (DP Press), Jezyk mulów i inne wiersze (Biblioteka Śląska), Lightning and Ashes (Steel Toe Books), Third Winter of War: Buchenwald (Finishing Line Press), and Suitcase Charlie (White Stag/Ravenswood). Guzlowski's work has also been included in anthologies such as Blood to Remember: American Poets on the Holocaust (Time Being Books), Cherries with Chopin (Moonrise Press), Common Boundary: Stories of Immigration (Editions Bibliotekos), and Longman Academic Reading Series 5 Student Book (Pearson Education ESL).
Winner of the Illinois Arts Council's $7,500 Award for Poetry, Guzlowski has also been short-listed for the Bakeless Award and Eric Hoffer Award, and nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and four Pushcart Prizes. He has been honored by the Georgia State Commission on the Holocaust for his work.
In reviewing Guzlowski's book Language of Mules, Nobel Laureate Czeslaw Milosz wrote, "Exceptional...even astonished me...reveals an enormous ability for grasping reality."
Born in a refugee camp in Germany after World War II, Guzlowski came to America with his family as a Displaced Person in 1951. His parents had been Polish slave laborers in Nazi Germany during the war. Growing up in the tough immigrant neighborhoods around Humboldt Park in Chicago, he met hardware store clerks with Auschwitz tattoos on their wrists, Polish cavalry officers who still mourned for their dead horses, and women who had walked from Siberia to Iran to escape the Russians. In much of his work, Guzlowski remembers and honors the experiences and ultimate strength of these voiceless survivors.
Guzlowski received his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Purdue University. He is a Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Eastern Illinois University, and currently lives in Lynchburg, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
August 13, 2015
In many ways reading John Guzlowski's "Suitcase Charlie" is like watching old black and white noir movies in your head like "The Lady in the Lake" or "Kiss Me Deadly." Post WW II Detective Hank Purcell navigates through gritty neighborhoods and flawed residents in the race-conscious and boss-driven Chicago of the 50s. Both Hank and his alcoholic partner Marvin are multi-faceted characters attempting to ferret out a child murderer, whose true intent is nothing less than pure evil.
The novel, however, is pure delight.
The novel, however, is pure delight.
December 19, 2018
Detectives Hank Purcell and Marvin Bonderowicz hunt a merciless serial killer in Suitcase Charlie, a new thriller by John Guzlowski. Hank and Marvin are imperfect police detectives operating in an imperfect world. It is the 1950s in the ethnically mixed Humboldt Park section of Chicago. A madman is killing children and dumping them in Humboldt Park. The detectives keep finding leads on the killer, but their unorthodox methods are too much even for their corrupt lieutenant, who removes them from the case. That does not stop them from continuing their search. What makes this book a cut above other crime thrillers is the dramatic psychological pressures the investigation places on the two cops, who are not exactly mentally healthy at the start. This novel features strong characters, colorful dialogue and an unsparing portrait of the racial and ethnic prejudices of the era. This is a dark novel that needs to come to the light of American readers.
August 16, 2015
I never knew my paternal grandfather, who died when I was an infant, but I have his Chicago P.D. badge on my desk, and as I was reading Suitcase Charlie, I could not help but think of him patrolling the same streets as Hank and Marvin do, looking for the bad guys, getting into trouble, and dealing with weighty socio-cultural issues that subsume them. I really enjoyed the noir feel of the novel, the depiction of one of America's great cities, and the suspense that builds as our heroes (?) get closer to resolving the case. Guzlowski does a great job of setting this mystery in ethnic Chicago neighborhoods. A great read.
August 7, 2015
I have been a fan of John Guzlowski's poetry for some time now, so I was excited to see his newest book on the market.
Suitcase Charlie takes the reader back to 1950's Chicago where two detectives find themselves investigating the grisly path of a serial killer who is chopping of little boys and stuffing them into suitcases.
More than just a detective story or a who-done-it mystery, Suitcase Charlie also investigates history and prejudice, making the reader think about more than just the crimes portrayed in the story.
Based on the Schuessler-Peterson murders, Suitcase Charlie is a must read.
Suitcase Charlie takes the reader back to 1950's Chicago where two detectives find themselves investigating the grisly path of a serial killer who is chopping of little boys and stuffing them into suitcases.
More than just a detective story or a who-done-it mystery, Suitcase Charlie also investigates history and prejudice, making the reader think about more than just the crimes portrayed in the story.
Based on the Schuessler-Peterson murders, Suitcase Charlie is a must read.
July 15, 2019
A good noir style police story set in Chicago after WW2.
January 5, 2016
Guzlowski vividly captures a specific time and place, putting the reader right there in the grit and grime of Chicago 1955. This is a gripping novel, and a dark one -- and one that is compelling from start to finish.
June 17, 2020
fun series - more please.
December 3, 2020
This is a good detective yarn, albeit a little grisly. It's set in Chicago in the 50's so has a a lot of politically incorrect adventures that you're not going to like if you're at all sensitive. But if you can overcome your distaste for their treatment of Black people and gay people, (and Polish people and German people) you may enjoy it. That is, if you don't mind a story about young children being murdered and cut up in pieces and stuffed in a suitcase. You may well ask what I saw in it given the negatives. It's a period piece and I liked the authenticity of it: the setting in and around Chicago, the description of the parks, museums, streets and different parts of town. The ignorance and racism was just another part of the scenery and for that reason, I was able to see it objectively and from a distance. The detectives seemed like real people, not cut-out characters.
June 23, 2015
It's 1956 and the city of Chicago is being terrorized by a ruthless killer. Someone is murdering children, draining their blood, chopping them up and stuffing them in suitcases. Hank Purcell is a seasoned detective and WWII veteran, assigned to the case. Along with his trouble-making, heavy drinking partner, Marvin Bondarowicz, the detectives search for clues among the dregs of the city.
John Guzlowski has fictionalized a true-crime story and he's done a fantastic job of it. The subject matter is dark and going noir was probably the best, if not only, way to do it. 1950s Chicago probably had a certain grittiness to it and the characters in this novel definitely reflect that. The author remained true to the era and I appreciated that. I also appreciated the ending - without giving away spoilers, I liked the way book ended. And, although there was a satisfying conclusion, there still remains an opportunity for a sequel(s) involving these two detectives.
I would recommend this book to fans of the noir genre and anyone who enjoys a good whodunit. I'll look forward to more from this author!
http://ebookreviewgal.com received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
John Guzlowski has fictionalized a true-crime story and he's done a fantastic job of it. The subject matter is dark and going noir was probably the best, if not only, way to do it. 1950s Chicago probably had a certain grittiness to it and the characters in this novel definitely reflect that. The author remained true to the era and I appreciated that. I also appreciated the ending - without giving away spoilers, I liked the way book ended. And, although there was a satisfying conclusion, there still remains an opportunity for a sequel(s) involving these two detectives.
I would recommend this book to fans of the noir genre and anyone who enjoys a good whodunit. I'll look forward to more from this author!
http://ebookreviewgal.com received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2019
A very gritty police procedural set in 1956 Chicago with two very hard-boiled detectives of the Chicago Police Department looking for a serial killer who murders children, drains their blood, chops up the bodies, cuts out triangles on the soles of their feet, packs the pieces in suitcases, and leaves them in public parks. As you might guess, this is about as "noir" as it gets and be forewarned: the prejudices and racism of the period are on full display. Given recent revelations and events concerning Chicago police, one is left to wonder how much has really changed. Very much a page-turner but not for the faint of heart.
August 20, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is so well done. I enjoyed the trip back in time. Seeing the officers at their weakest and strongest moments. The writer takes us back to after the war against the Germans as they try to find the person responsible for murdering kids and putting them in a suitcase. The journey is a hard one for the Detectives assigned to the case and it is fun, frustrating, exciting, and hard being along for the ride.
February 9, 2021
This is gritty noir set in mid-fifties Chicago featuring two rouge cops chasing a killer who dismembers children. There is interesting content woven into this story about the origins of antisemitism along with enough dialog filled with racial epithets and slurs to offend almost anyone, but it all feels authentic and fits in with both the setting and characters. I would recommend it for anyone drawn to dark tales from this era.
October 24, 2020
Crime Noir at its best. A strong dark story with elements from a grim past. The words flow smoothly and I enjoyed the main characters and setting in time and place.
The afterword is the most impressive I have ever read. The horrid stories of World War II will continue to be told from generation to generation.
The afterword is the most impressive I have ever read. The horrid stories of World War II will continue to be told from generation to generation.
January 12, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed this 40's style tough talking noir. Will definitely read more of this author.
June 11, 2020
Quit at 25%. If I wanted to read Dashiell Hammett, I'd buy Dashiell Hammett.
April 30, 2019
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Children are discovered in suitcases naked and hacked into pieces. Hank Purcell and Marvin Bondarowicz are assigned to the case and they discover even darker secrets. These two detectives were very interesting characters and humorous at times. The plot is dark as children are being killed and the themes of race, immigration and hatred abound. I found the ending to be a surprise but a very satisfying one. I would recommend this book to those who love noir police procedurals about Chicago 1956.
Children are discovered in suitcases naked and hacked into pieces. Hank Purcell and Marvin Bondarowicz are assigned to the case and they discover even darker secrets. These two detectives were very interesting characters and humorous at times. The plot is dark as children are being killed and the themes of race, immigration and hatred abound. I found the ending to be a surprise but a very satisfying one. I would recommend this book to those who love noir police procedurals about Chicago 1956.
August 26, 2015
Suitcase Charlie is a sensational mystery set in Chicago in the 1950's. Gruesome murders plague the city and two determined detectives take it upon themselves to stop the killer.
When a suitcase turns up in a Chicago park with the dismembered body of a little boy the city is on edge, but as more suitcases begin to appear people are downright terrified. Hank and his partner Marvin are sent to interview neighbors and generate leads, but Marvin's unorthodox behavior and lack of soberness get the pair thrown off the case. Hank, however, has a gut feeling and knows they're close to catching the killer. With Marvin backing him up, the detectives disobey orders and follow a hunch. Can Hank and Marvin stop the killer before more children fall victim to the heinous acts?
I am a big fan of historical fiction and this thriller became a fast favorite of mine. Based on the real life Schuessler-Peterson murders, Suitcase Charlie is a chilling tale whose ruthless killer is motivated by hatred and fueled by ignorance. The crimes are so atrocious that I welcomed the comic relief brought on by Detective Marvin's wild antics. He just randomly disappears as Hank was investigates or interviews witnesses, always turning up drunk or in a compromising position. Hank is a loving family man and a great cop who seeks justice above all else. The differing personalities between the two main characters work well for the story and add to the believeability. The fast moving and well contrived plot had me completely immersed in this riveting crime tale.
I highly recommend picking up a copy.
When a suitcase turns up in a Chicago park with the dismembered body of a little boy the city is on edge, but as more suitcases begin to appear people are downright terrified. Hank and his partner Marvin are sent to interview neighbors and generate leads, but Marvin's unorthodox behavior and lack of soberness get the pair thrown off the case. Hank, however, has a gut feeling and knows they're close to catching the killer. With Marvin backing him up, the detectives disobey orders and follow a hunch. Can Hank and Marvin stop the killer before more children fall victim to the heinous acts?
I am a big fan of historical fiction and this thriller became a fast favorite of mine. Based on the real life Schuessler-Peterson murders, Suitcase Charlie is a chilling tale whose ruthless killer is motivated by hatred and fueled by ignorance. The crimes are so atrocious that I welcomed the comic relief brought on by Detective Marvin's wild antics. He just randomly disappears as Hank was investigates or interviews witnesses, always turning up drunk or in a compromising position. Hank is a loving family man and a great cop who seeks justice above all else. The differing personalities between the two main characters work well for the story and add to the believeability. The fast moving and well contrived plot had me completely immersed in this riveting crime tale.
I highly recommend picking up a copy.
December 20, 2018
Exorcism
The author uses a noir detective caper in 1950s Chicago 's Polish immigrant neighborhood to exorcise a demon. The novel is performative in that sense, and very satisfying as such, but also , to its credit, raises the question of justice and how it is served. The period city descriptions, lyrical evocations, and the characters of the two partner detectives who resist easy binary interpretations make Dr. Guzloski's novel well worth the price of admission. The Second World War is fading, almost gone as a cultural memory, to our cost.
The author uses a noir detective caper in 1950s Chicago 's Polish immigrant neighborhood to exorcise a demon. The novel is performative in that sense, and very satisfying as such, but also , to its credit, raises the question of justice and how it is served. The period city descriptions, lyrical evocations, and the characters of the two partner detectives who resist easy binary interpretations make Dr. Guzloski's novel well worth the price of admission. The Second World War is fading, almost gone as a cultural memory, to our cost.
May 2, 2019
So realistic the fear and tension are palatable.
It is the summer of 1956 when the murders start. First three boys are found naked thrown into a ditch. Then another is found chopped up and drained of blood in a suitcase in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. This is the beginning of the fear that grips the heart of the city like a vice. Two Chicago detectives find themselves caught up in the events and are determined to stop it anyway they can as it eats at them relentlessly. A masterwork of noir.
It is the summer of 1956 when the murders start. First three boys are found naked thrown into a ditch. Then another is found chopped up and drained of blood in a suitcase in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. This is the beginning of the fear that grips the heart of the city like a vice. Two Chicago detectives find themselves caught up in the events and are determined to stop it anyway they can as it eats at them relentlessly. A masterwork of noir.
January 30, 2020
Masterfully authentic in time, place and character, it’s mid fifties Chicago. Suitcase Charlie has come to town, and Hank and Marvin, two determined, war experienced, engaging flatfeet are on the trail. They have plan and will follow it through, no matter what the Lieutenant has to say...
loved this book!
loved this book!
February 7, 2020
Excellent police procedural strong on atmosphere, surprisingly literary, with well placed moments of comedy relief to lighten up a gloomy tale. The climactic confrontational ending is great. A few nitpicks include too much drinking on the job; and more on the villain's methodology and crime solution evidence. After all, he (or she) denies it to the end.
October 24, 2015
Hard hitting noir crime novel. Reminded me of the detective fiction I love, books by Mickey Spillane and James Ellroy.
I can't believe they haven't make a movie of this book yet.
I can't believe they haven't make a movie of this book yet.
May 8, 2018
Quick enough read with an unexpected ending, would've been even quicker without numerous, repetitive and largely unnecessary (and unnecessarily precise) references to Chicago.
December 11, 2018
Review: Suitcase Charlie by John Guzlowski.
I received this book through Early Reviewers. It had suspense, a mystery throughout, and a mix of humor but I didn’t find it to be a thriller. There were some sad scenes but I actually enjoyed the novel. The story was well written, the characters were fully developed and I enjoyed the strange acting detectives but I’m not sure if that’s the way the author wanted to present them. The two detectives struggled being weighed-down in their investigation by bureaucracy and some racism from their commanding officers.
On a street corner in a neighborhood of Holocaust survivors and refugees a suitcase was found the body of a young boy. The horrible crime was placed upon the detective’s desk who were struggling their own personal problems. One a married WWII veteran and his partner an overly-witty Jewish cop who lives for trouble as much as he likes to drink. The investigation leads them around dark corners and dangerous streets of Chicago as more suitcases begin appearing.
Later the murder of a young black girl is pushed aside. The detectives believe somehow she was involved in their case but the commanding officers told them to leave this murder case to her own people down in the black district. I was somewhat bothered by this statement but one of the issues in the book was about racism so I read on. The detectives soon face administrative paralysis and dread and horror as they try to prevent more murders.
The story sounds like it was a thriller but I felt the two detectives didn’t bring that to the story. The novel was worth reading because with issues of racism, immigrants, and hatred it also brought hope, redemption and peace.
I received this book through Early Reviewers. It had suspense, a mystery throughout, and a mix of humor but I didn’t find it to be a thriller. There were some sad scenes but I actually enjoyed the novel. The story was well written, the characters were fully developed and I enjoyed the strange acting detectives but I’m not sure if that’s the way the author wanted to present them. The two detectives struggled being weighed-down in their investigation by bureaucracy and some racism from their commanding officers.
On a street corner in a neighborhood of Holocaust survivors and refugees a suitcase was found the body of a young boy. The horrible crime was placed upon the detective’s desk who were struggling their own personal problems. One a married WWII veteran and his partner an overly-witty Jewish cop who lives for trouble as much as he likes to drink. The investigation leads them around dark corners and dangerous streets of Chicago as more suitcases begin appearing.
Later the murder of a young black girl is pushed aside. The detectives believe somehow she was involved in their case but the commanding officers told them to leave this murder case to her own people down in the black district. I was somewhat bothered by this statement but one of the issues in the book was about racism so I read on. The detectives soon face administrative paralysis and dread and horror as they try to prevent more murders.
The story sounds like it was a thriller but I felt the two detectives didn’t bring that to the story. The novel was worth reading because with issues of racism, immigrants, and hatred it also brought hope, redemption and peace.
April 25, 2020
I'm sure I read somewhere that this book is "gritty, hard-as-nails". It is. It's like one of those 1950s films, all black, white and grey. Grainy (and that's not just the pollution). The language is hard and the action is well-paced.
This is a good read.
Hank and Marvin (initially I thought John Guzlowski had to be a secret fan of the Shadows, but no, Marvin is named after one of his boyhood friends who he used to play cops and robbers with) are an interesting couple. Marvin is very rough around the edges; you could see him as one of those scruffy tykes at school, slightly frayed jumper, socks down around his ankles, always getting into trouble. He's hard-drinking, a bit of a bull in a china shop but someone you can rely on to support your back. Hank is a more thoughtful character, he thinks and he worries and he can't let a problem go. Great characters.
Hard-hitting, dangerous streets, pools of lights like islands of safety between the dark dangerous spaces where you might stumble over a suitcase containing a body. This is the America of the old movies and of those comics I used to read, American comics with hard but moral stories... black and white. And Chicago is really well painted; the strict nuns in the convent and the school - no nonsense, smacking you with a ruler, a hard-faced bunch... no sentimental "Nun's Tale" rubbish here. The old Jew who wanders around his house forgetting to turn on the lights. The negroes of South Chicago, a no-man's-land for the cops of White Polish Corner.
Excellent book.
This is a good read.
Hank and Marvin (initially I thought John Guzlowski had to be a secret fan of the Shadows, but no, Marvin is named after one of his boyhood friends who he used to play cops and robbers with) are an interesting couple. Marvin is very rough around the edges; you could see him as one of those scruffy tykes at school, slightly frayed jumper, socks down around his ankles, always getting into trouble. He's hard-drinking, a bit of a bull in a china shop but someone you can rely on to support your back. Hank is a more thoughtful character, he thinks and he worries and he can't let a problem go. Great characters.
Hard-hitting, dangerous streets, pools of lights like islands of safety between the dark dangerous spaces where you might stumble over a suitcase containing a body. This is the America of the old movies and of those comics I used to read, American comics with hard but moral stories... black and white. And Chicago is really well painted; the strict nuns in the convent and the school - no nonsense, smacking you with a ruler, a hard-faced bunch... no sentimental "Nun's Tale" rubbish here. The old Jew who wanders around his house forgetting to turn on the lights. The negroes of South Chicago, a no-man's-land for the cops of White Polish Corner.
Excellent book.
January 31, 2019
Mr. Guzlowski is passionate about at least three things: crime fiction, Chicago, and history. He could benefit from a little dispassion. His determination to jam as many Chicago geographic references into "Suitcase Charlie" turns his characters into unwitting tour guides ("I've got a thread order coming in from that factory on Irving & Harlem"), and his love for antiheroes warps Marvin, one of his detectives, from an edgy, sympathetic cop into a violent, bipolar alcoholic. At least the multi-dimensions of Marvin compensate for the blandness of Hank, his hero, whose innermost thoughts seem to consist of superficial observations ("two statues, one of a German, one of a Norwegian") and affectless war memories ("he remembered the Ardennes, and his friends who died there"). And there's the amateurish editing, with chapter breaks interrupting scenes and passages for no discernible reason pattern except maybe Mr. Guzlowski's coffee and bathroom breaks during the writing process. But he loves his subject, so I can't dislike this book too intensely.
December 14, 2018
This is a slow moving murder mystery that develops when a suitcase is found and inside is the mutilated body.of a young boy, naked and hacked into pieces. Showing up on the scene of this crime are Chicago Detectives Hank Purcell and Marvin Bondarowicz, as the investigation begins more suitcases show up in the area, with more naked and hacked bodies inside. There's very little physical evidence at the first scene too work on and the other suitcases show the same, very little too work with. Where will the evidence lead them, who could be responsible for such an act?
April 6, 2023
This is a gripping novel propelled by two world-weary and engaging Chicago Police detectives. Set in 1956, the author does a masterful job of evoking the atmosphere of a distant era in a tough and unforgiving city. The story is filled with fascinating, colorful characters, and the prose is a delight to read.
The novel is a mystery, a police procedural, historical fiction, and literary fiction all rolled into one. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read an absorbing story with exquisite writing.
The novel is a mystery, a police procedural, historical fiction, and literary fiction all rolled into one. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read an absorbing story with exquisite writing.
September 17, 2024
There is so much to love in Book 1 of John Guzlowski's Hank and Marvin series. Chicago in the 1950s is not so much reimagined as lived in. For the Jewish and Polish communities, the war is still present and fear looms at night. The murders are horrific and from the first page we know that they will haunt the two cops investigating them. I love Hank's moodiness, his humanity, and brittleness. Marvin is harder to crack, hiding his pain in violence and sizzling rage. I'm late to find out about this series, but I'll go check the next ones right away. This is such a great and satisfying read.
December 2, 2018
I received his book as part of LibraryThings early reviewer program.
Wow, that was intense. And very good. I really liked the setting and I think Guzlowski did a really good job of capturing the feel and mood of that time period.
A minor complaint is, since the detectives were awake all hours, I had a hard time knowing what time it was in the story. Maybe I just missed the clues or maybe it could have been clearer.
Good book all around and I’d like to read more by John Guzlowski
Wow, that was intense. And very good. I really liked the setting and I think Guzlowski did a really good job of capturing the feel and mood of that time period.
A minor complaint is, since the detectives were awake all hours, I had a hard time knowing what time it was in the story. Maybe I just missed the clues or maybe it could have been clearer.
Good book all around and I’d like to read more by John Guzlowski
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews