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Willie Black #2
Il country club
Willie Black ricorda bene il processo di Richard Slade, un ragazzo nero che a diciannove anni fu condannato ingiustamente per lo stupro di Alicia Simpson, bianca e di buona famiglia, avvenuto nel country club più esclusivo di Richmond. Dopo quasi trent’anni di carcere l’uomo viene scagionato, e qualche giorno dopo Alicia viene uccisa per strada con tre colpi di pistola. Naturalmente gli occhi della polizia e dei media si posano su Richard, che non ha un buon alibi, ma Willie non è convinto. Così, mentre tenta di indossare i panni del padre responsabile per la figlia Andi, improvvisamente bisognosa delle sue cure, comincia a indagare, scoprendo che i Simpson nascondono torbidi segreti, e che il suo legame con Richard è molto più stretto di quanto immaginava.
Dopo Oregon Hill, torna l’indimenticabile giornalista Willie Black, alle prese con un caso segnato da razzismo e lotta di classe, che da sempre alzano mura invisibili ma palpabili nella città di Richmond. E spinto soltanto dal desiderio di giustizia che orienta ogni sua scelta, saprà aprire una breccia di speranza nel cuore della provincia americana.
Questo libro è per chi ha un bar di fiducia dove sentirsi sempre a casa, per chi è rimasto affascinato dall’estrema libertà di Thelma e Louise, per chi ha un nascondiglio segreto e inaccessibile dove riporre i tesori più preziosi, e per chi davanti agli amici più cari ha giurato solennemente di voler fare sempre la cosa giusta, anche a costo di correre dei rischi.
Dopo Oregon Hill, torna l’indimenticabile giornalista Willie Black, alle prese con un caso segnato da razzismo e lotta di classe, che da sempre alzano mura invisibili ma palpabili nella città di Richmond. E spinto soltanto dal desiderio di giustizia che orienta ogni sua scelta, saprà aprire una breccia di speranza nel cuore della provincia americana.
Questo libro è per chi ha un bar di fiducia dove sentirsi sempre a casa, per chi è rimasto affascinato dall’estrema libertà di Thelma e Louise, per chi ha un nascondiglio segreto e inaccessibile dove riporre i tesori più preziosi, e per chi davanti agli amici più cari ha giurato solennemente di voler fare sempre la cosa giusta, anche a costo di correre dei rischi.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Howard Owen
32 books67 followersHoward Owen was born March 1, 1949, in Fayetteville, N.C. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1971, journalism) and has a master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (1981, English).
He and his wife since 1973, Karen Van Neste Owen (the former publisher of Van Neste Books), live in Richmond, Va. He was a newspaper reporter and editor for 44 years.
Owen won The Dashiell Hammett Prize for crime literature in the United States and Canada for Oregon Hill, his 10th novel.
His first novel, "Littlejohn," was written in 1989, when he was 40. It was bought by The Permanent Press and published in 1992. Random House bought it from The Permanent Press and reissued it as a Villard hardcover in 1993 and a Vintage Contemporary paperback in 1994. It was nominated for the Abbey Award (American Booksellers) and Discovery (Barnes & Noble) award for best new fiction. It has sold, in all, more than 50,000 copies. It has been printed in Japanese, French and Korean; it has been a Doubleday Book Club selection; audio and large-print editions have been issued, and movie option rights have been sold.
His second novel, "Fat Lightning," came out as a Permanent Press book in 1994. It was bought by HarperCollins and was reissued as a Harper Perennial paperback in 1996. It received a starred review from Publishers' Weekly.
His third novel, "Answers to Lucky," was published by HarperCollins as a hardcover in 1996 and as a paperback in 1997. It received favorable reviews in The New York Times, Southern Living, GW, Publishers' Weekly, the Atlanta Constitution, the Baltimore Sun, the Memphis Commercial Appeal and numerous other publications. It was included in "The Best Novels of the Nineties: A Reader’s Guide."
His fourth novel, "The Measured Man," was published in hardcover by HarperCollins in 1997. It was praised in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Publishers' Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, the Raleigh News & Observer, the Orlando Sentinel, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and many other publications. It was one of the LA Times Book Reviews’ "Recommended Titles" for 1997. It was included in "The Best Novels of the Nineties: A Reader’s Guide."
Owen's fifth novel, "Harry and Ruth," was published by The Permanent Press in September of 2000 to critical acclaim from Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly and various weekly publications.
His sixth novel, "The Rail," was published in April of 2002. It is about (among other things) baseball and the parable of the talents. Owen won the 2002 Theresa Pollack Award for Words.
His seventh novel, "Turn Signal," was about a man whose muse drives him either to madness or to the best move he's ever made in his life. It came out in 2004 and was a Booksense selection for July of 2004.
His eighth novel, "Rock of Ages," is something of a sequel to his first novel, "Littlejohn." Georgia McCain returns to her hometown years after her father’s death to sell the family farm and finds herself immersed in baby-boomer guilt and a murder mystery. It was a Booksense pick for July of 2006.
His ninth novel, "The Reckoning," about ghosts of the ’60s, came out in late 2010 and received very positive reviews from, among others, Publishers Weekly and the New York Journal of Books.
His short story, "The Thirteenth Floor," part of "Richmond Noir," came out in early 2010.
The protagonist of “The Thirteenth Floor,” Willie Black, also is at the center of Owen’s 10th novel, “Oregon Hill,” which came in July of 2012 to very positive reviews in The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and elsewhere. It's also an audio book.
Willie starred in future Owen novels: The Philadelphia Quarry (2013), Parker Field (2014), The Bottom (2015), Grace (2016) and The Devil's Triangle (2017). His 16th novel, Annie's Bones, comes out in April of 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 20, 2023
“Non sono un uomo malvagio, ma sono un rognoso reporter purosangue. A volte mi piacerebbe che chiunque si diverta guardarci mentre inseguiamo la verità lanciasse il bastoncino a qualche altro cane. Io non ho mai saputo resistere all'istinto di andarlo a prendere e poi tornare per farmi dare una pacca sulla testa.”
Richard Slade aveva diciottanni quando fu accusato per lo stupro della giovane Alicia e condannato all’ergastolo. Grazie al lavoro dell’Intelligence Project, però, il suo caso viene dissepolto e ora la prova del dna lo scagiona completamente.
Così Richard può tornare a essere un uomo libero.
Peccato che siano passati ventisette anni.
Ventisette anni di galera di un innocente.
L’aggravante è che Slade è afroamericano, Alicia Simpson una rampolla bianca dei quartieri alti. Famiglia prestigiosa, denaro, protezione ad alti livelli e via discorrendo. Ma tant’è. Richard non ha commesso quel crimine e può tornare da Philomena, sua madre, l’unica persona che non ha mai dubitato della sua innocenza.
Dopo qualche giorno però, l’ex ergastolano viene di nuovo arrestato e sbattuto in carcere. Alicia Simpson è stata assassinata e lui non sembra avere un alibi. Anzi.
A questo punto ecco l’intervento di Wilkie Black, cronista d’assalto e sbrindellato segugio a caccia della verità, che avvia, nonostante gli ostacoli, un’indagine parallela. E così questa storia, raccontata da lui stesso con voce ruvida e malinconica, non lascia a chi legge nessuna possibilità di fuga. Bisogna arrivare fino in fondo senza mollare mai. Proprio come fa Willie, del resto.
Ora, lo svelamento del o dei colpevoli non è il punto di maggiore interesse. Come per il tenente Colombo, noi sappiamo, o intuiamo ben presto cosa si nasconde dietro il sepolcro imbiancato della menzogna. Interessante è soprattutto vedere come il nostro (anti)eroe arriverà a svelarla, quella turpe verità.
E poi i personaggi che abbiamo già conosciuto in Oregon Hill si definiscono meglio, altri se ne aggiungono (Slide stesso e sua madre Philomena) e Willie, infine, in questo racconto si riconcilia forse con le sue origini afroamericane che in questo caso si sposano perfettamente con il suo innato senso di giustizia.
Un’altra bella storia che mi traghetta direttamente a quella successiva.
Richard Slade aveva diciottanni quando fu accusato per lo stupro della giovane Alicia e condannato all’ergastolo. Grazie al lavoro dell’Intelligence Project, però, il suo caso viene dissepolto e ora la prova del dna lo scagiona completamente.
Così Richard può tornare a essere un uomo libero.
Peccato che siano passati ventisette anni.
Ventisette anni di galera di un innocente.
L’aggravante è che Slade è afroamericano, Alicia Simpson una rampolla bianca dei quartieri alti. Famiglia prestigiosa, denaro, protezione ad alti livelli e via discorrendo. Ma tant’è. Richard non ha commesso quel crimine e può tornare da Philomena, sua madre, l’unica persona che non ha mai dubitato della sua innocenza.
Dopo qualche giorno però, l’ex ergastolano viene di nuovo arrestato e sbattuto in carcere. Alicia Simpson è stata assassinata e lui non sembra avere un alibi. Anzi.
A questo punto ecco l’intervento di Wilkie Black, cronista d’assalto e sbrindellato segugio a caccia della verità, che avvia, nonostante gli ostacoli, un’indagine parallela. E così questa storia, raccontata da lui stesso con voce ruvida e malinconica, non lascia a chi legge nessuna possibilità di fuga. Bisogna arrivare fino in fondo senza mollare mai. Proprio come fa Willie, del resto.
Ora, lo svelamento del o dei colpevoli non è il punto di maggiore interesse. Come per il tenente Colombo, noi sappiamo, o intuiamo ben presto cosa si nasconde dietro il sepolcro imbiancato della menzogna. Interessante è soprattutto vedere come il nostro (anti)eroe arriverà a svelarla, quella turpe verità.
E poi i personaggi che abbiamo già conosciuto in Oregon Hill si definiscono meglio, altri se ne aggiungono (Slide stesso e sua madre Philomena) e Willie, infine, in questo racconto si riconcilia forse con le sue origini afroamericane che in questo caso si sposano perfettamente con il suo innato senso di giustizia.
Un’altra bella storia che mi traghetta direttamente a quella successiva.
July 16, 2021
Apparentemente è un giallo, ma questo romanzo ha varie chiavi di lettura: 1) la libertà di stampa ed il problema delle pressioni della proprietà sui giornalisti
2) il razzismo sistemico che individua nelle minoranze il colpevole per definizione.
2) il razzismo sistemico che individua nelle minoranze il colpevole per definizione.
July 20, 2013
The Philadelphia Quarry is Howard Owen's second Willie Black mystery. I must go back and read the first one because I love Willie despite myself. He chain smokes unfiltered cigarettes, drinks way too much, cusses like an old-time sailor, and other assorted sins, i.e. has neglected his only child until she is a grown woman and now he's trying to make it up to her. And yet you just have to like this guy. For all his faults, his heart is in the right place and he is (miracle of miracles) a true journalist, a man who actually tries as hard as he can to write the truth regardless of whose toes he steps on.
That last fact is what gets him in trouble in this story. DNA has freed a black man, Richard Slade, who served 28 years for the rape of a teenage girl from a wealthy white family. She had identified him, but he didn't do it. Then a few days after his release, the woman who had been raped is murdered. Of course everyone believes Slade killed her. Who else had a better motive? As Black investigates the story he first believes Slade did it, but comes to see that he might be innocent.
This novel has an excellent plot, some wonderful characters who are either endearing (like Black) or craven cowards, poor folks or snobbish rich people. Love 'em all. Willie Black's family will make you laugh. His mother, for instance, is a pot smoker and alcoholic, but when Black starts to light a cigarette in her living room she makes him go outside to smoke. Meanwhile, she and a guy who lives with them are sitting on the couch sharing an ashtray and a toke. Scenes like this just made my day.
If you like offbeat characters, a good story, and a hero who thumbs his nose at pompous bosses, and gets away with it, you must read The Philadelphia Quarry.
Recommended.
Source: LibraryThing win.
That last fact is what gets him in trouble in this story. DNA has freed a black man, Richard Slade, who served 28 years for the rape of a teenage girl from a wealthy white family. She had identified him, but he didn't do it. Then a few days after his release, the woman who had been raped is murdered. Of course everyone believes Slade killed her. Who else had a better motive? As Black investigates the story he first believes Slade did it, but comes to see that he might be innocent.
This novel has an excellent plot, some wonderful characters who are either endearing (like Black) or craven cowards, poor folks or snobbish rich people. Love 'em all. Willie Black's family will make you laugh. His mother, for instance, is a pot smoker and alcoholic, but when Black starts to light a cigarette in her living room she makes him go outside to smoke. Meanwhile, she and a guy who lives with them are sitting on the couch sharing an ashtray and a toke. Scenes like this just made my day.
If you like offbeat characters, a good story, and a hero who thumbs his nose at pompous bosses, and gets away with it, you must read The Philadelphia Quarry.
Recommended.
Source: LibraryThing win.
May 27, 2013
Willie Black works the night cop beat at a Richmond Virginia newspaper, where technology and the economy's downturn combine to darken his prospects. He and his colleagues await the day when they’ll be told to clear out their desks, but surely there’s still a place for honest reporting and investigation; it’s just hard persuading those paying the bills that real news shouldn’t be silenced.
Howard Owen’s The Philadelphia Quarry is his second Willie Black novel. Favorite characters are back, but readers really don’t need to have met them before; the story stands alone as a fast-flowing, deeply evocative, character driven mystery, with just occasional enticing reminders of what has gone before.
A black man is released from jail after DNA evidence overturns his conviction for rape. But the victim’s family carries lots of weight in town and on the newspaper. When questions are asked about the past, the powers that be go to great lengths to silence them. Meanwhile Richard Slade is arrested again for another crime, and Willie finds himself teamed with his ex-wife, searching for evidence to support his growing belief in the other man’s innocence. The paper’s somewhat racist opinion columns make Willie’s welcome on the wrong side of town rather uneasy. But Willie Black has secrets and sources of his own.
A modern noir mystery with convincing characters, evocative locations, and a wonderful feel for the changing world of news, The Philadelphia Quarry offers a plot that’s neither overly complex nor too simple, while exploring the relationships of parents and children through families rich and poor, black and white, and in-between.
Disclosure: I received a free bound galley of this novel from the publisher with a request for an honest review.
Howard Owen’s The Philadelphia Quarry is his second Willie Black novel. Favorite characters are back, but readers really don’t need to have met them before; the story stands alone as a fast-flowing, deeply evocative, character driven mystery, with just occasional enticing reminders of what has gone before.
A black man is released from jail after DNA evidence overturns his conviction for rape. But the victim’s family carries lots of weight in town and on the newspaper. When questions are asked about the past, the powers that be go to great lengths to silence them. Meanwhile Richard Slade is arrested again for another crime, and Willie finds himself teamed with his ex-wife, searching for evidence to support his growing belief in the other man’s innocence. The paper’s somewhat racist opinion columns make Willie’s welcome on the wrong side of town rather uneasy. But Willie Black has secrets and sources of his own.
A modern noir mystery with convincing characters, evocative locations, and a wonderful feel for the changing world of news, The Philadelphia Quarry offers a plot that’s neither overly complex nor too simple, while exploring the relationships of parents and children through families rich and poor, black and white, and in-between.
Disclosure: I received a free bound galley of this novel from the publisher with a request for an honest review.
September 14, 2019
As we learned in the first book of this series, Oregon Hill, reporter Willie Black is not one to back off the story even when his bosses or the powerful elite order him to do so. While those in charge may think it is a character flaw, like his drinking, others would see it as his way of being principled when justice is being denied. The same is true in The Philadelphia Quarry where a wrongfully convicted man is once again arrested for a crime he did not commit.
In August 1983 in the good city of Richmond, Virginia, Richard Slade was arrested for the rape of sixteen year old Ashley Simpson. In May of 1984 he was convicted on little evidence and sent to prison. In the middle of January 2011, he was finally released when DNA evidence proved without a shadow of a doubt that he did not do it despite the fact that Ashley Simpson identified him as her rapist those many years ago. Her accusation was the main evidence against him at the time.
Did she make a horrible mistake or did she deliberately lie?
The Innocence Project may have successfully proven the point that Mr. Slade was innocent of the crime of rape, but nothing can restore Mr. Slade’s reputation in the minds of many or undo what Mr. Slade has gone through all these years in prison. As he was held for a crime he did not do, his reputation took a beating over the years, in large part, due to scathing editorials that came out in the same newspaper that Willie Black works for as a reporter. The paper, through those editorials, has been very vocal in the belief that Mr. Slade was guilty and a threat to the community. Then, as in now, many people did not understand that editorial writers and news reporters share little in common other than being employed by the same paper.
Decades ago, reporter Willie Black worked the night crime beat and reported on the case from the start. All these years later he is back on that same crime beat and thus back on the story of Richard Slade and the victim, Ashley Simpson. In the hours following Mr. Slade’s release, Willie Black is trying to do follow ups with the two principals and isn’t getting any traction with either one of them. Simpson and her well connected family want their privacy while Mr. Slade’s family sees Willie Black as the enemy thanks to the editorials from the paper.
He is getting nowhere at all and then everything changes. Within hours of Mr. Slade’s release, Simpson is shot and dies. Who has the best motive to kill her? A man recently released from prison after being convicted of a rape he did not do or somebody else? Within hours of her death, Richard Slade is again arrested for a crime he did not commit. The elite and powerful close ranks and before long Willie is being asked to choose employment over chasing a story that is clearly going in a different direction than his bosses would like.
The Philadelphia Quarry is a powerful sequel to Oregon Hill. It is a timeless crime fiction tale with plenty of twists and turns. Set in the twin dying worlds of journalism and newspapers, the read powers along at a steady clip while also delivering societal observations that are even more relevant today six years after publication. It is also a mighty good mystery read.
The Philadelphia Quarry
Howard Owen
http://www.howardowenbooks.com
The Permanent Press
http://www.thepermanentpress.com
July 2013
ISBN# 978-1-57962-335-7
Hardback (also available in audio, digital, and paper formats)
240 Pages
Material was received and read by way of the Interlibrary Loan Program where a copy owned by the Rockwall County Library System was shared with the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019
In August 1983 in the good city of Richmond, Virginia, Richard Slade was arrested for the rape of sixteen year old Ashley Simpson. In May of 1984 he was convicted on little evidence and sent to prison. In the middle of January 2011, he was finally released when DNA evidence proved without a shadow of a doubt that he did not do it despite the fact that Ashley Simpson identified him as her rapist those many years ago. Her accusation was the main evidence against him at the time.
Did she make a horrible mistake or did she deliberately lie?
The Innocence Project may have successfully proven the point that Mr. Slade was innocent of the crime of rape, but nothing can restore Mr. Slade’s reputation in the minds of many or undo what Mr. Slade has gone through all these years in prison. As he was held for a crime he did not do, his reputation took a beating over the years, in large part, due to scathing editorials that came out in the same newspaper that Willie Black works for as a reporter. The paper, through those editorials, has been very vocal in the belief that Mr. Slade was guilty and a threat to the community. Then, as in now, many people did not understand that editorial writers and news reporters share little in common other than being employed by the same paper.
Decades ago, reporter Willie Black worked the night crime beat and reported on the case from the start. All these years later he is back on that same crime beat and thus back on the story of Richard Slade and the victim, Ashley Simpson. In the hours following Mr. Slade’s release, Willie Black is trying to do follow ups with the two principals and isn’t getting any traction with either one of them. Simpson and her well connected family want their privacy while Mr. Slade’s family sees Willie Black as the enemy thanks to the editorials from the paper.
He is getting nowhere at all and then everything changes. Within hours of Mr. Slade’s release, Simpson is shot and dies. Who has the best motive to kill her? A man recently released from prison after being convicted of a rape he did not do or somebody else? Within hours of her death, Richard Slade is again arrested for a crime he did not commit. The elite and powerful close ranks and before long Willie is being asked to choose employment over chasing a story that is clearly going in a different direction than his bosses would like.
The Philadelphia Quarry is a powerful sequel to Oregon Hill. It is a timeless crime fiction tale with plenty of twists and turns. Set in the twin dying worlds of journalism and newspapers, the read powers along at a steady clip while also delivering societal observations that are even more relevant today six years after publication. It is also a mighty good mystery read.
The Philadelphia Quarry
Howard Owen
http://www.howardowenbooks.com
The Permanent Press
http://www.thepermanentpress.com
July 2013
ISBN# 978-1-57962-335-7
Hardback (also available in audio, digital, and paper formats)
240 Pages
Material was received and read by way of the Interlibrary Loan Program where a copy owned by the Rockwall County Library System was shared with the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019
July 7, 2021
"Non sono un uomo malvagio, ma sono un rognoso reporter purosangue. A volte mi piacerebbe che chiunque si diverta guardarci mentre inseguiamo la verità lanciasse il bastoncino a qualche altro cane. Io non ho mai saputo resistere all'istinto di andarlo a prendere e poi tornare per farmi dare una pacca sulla testa."
Il country club di Howard Owen è il secondo libro della lunga serie con protagonista il giornalista Willie Black, che sta venendo pubblicata e tradotta da NN Editore.
Non ho letto il primo libro perciò posso assicurare a chi vorrebbe iniziare da questo volume che la storia, le relazioni tra i personaggi e i possibili sottintesi sono pienamente comprensibili anche partendo da questo testo. All'interno, però, sono presenti tantissimi riferimenti agli eventi precedenti (con tanto di svelamento dell'assassino, della scena più importante e anche degli eventi di cornice) perciò invito e consiglio a chi non ama gli spoiler a leggere la serie di seguito e di partire dal primo volume: Oregon Hill.
Il libro parte subito introducendo il caso che costituirà la trama principale dell'indagine di questo testo: Richard Slade viene rilasciato dopo essere stato incarcerato, da innocente, per quasi trent'anni. Il lettore comprende chiaramente che questo evento sarà il focus di tutta la vicenda che si svilupperà nel libro.
I personaggi principali della serie, compreso il protagonista nonché narratore della vicenda, vengono presentati uno alla volta rendendoli facili da ricordare ed identificare aiutando sia chi non li conosce sia coloro che hanno letto il testo molto tempo prima e, dunque, potrebbero non ricordarli bene. Il loro rapporto con Willie è sempre molto particolare e diverso da quello canonico che ci si potrebbe aspettare: lui chiama per nome la madre così come la figlia chiama per nome lui, colleghi e conoscenti sono al contempo amici e nemici.
Il resto della recensione su https://www.leggoquandovoglio.it/libr...
Il country club di Howard Owen è il secondo libro della lunga serie con protagonista il giornalista Willie Black, che sta venendo pubblicata e tradotta da NN Editore.
Non ho letto il primo libro perciò posso assicurare a chi vorrebbe iniziare da questo volume che la storia, le relazioni tra i personaggi e i possibili sottintesi sono pienamente comprensibili anche partendo da questo testo. All'interno, però, sono presenti tantissimi riferimenti agli eventi precedenti (con tanto di svelamento dell'assassino, della scena più importante e anche degli eventi di cornice) perciò invito e consiglio a chi non ama gli spoiler a leggere la serie di seguito e di partire dal primo volume: Oregon Hill.
Il libro parte subito introducendo il caso che costituirà la trama principale dell'indagine di questo testo: Richard Slade viene rilasciato dopo essere stato incarcerato, da innocente, per quasi trent'anni. Il lettore comprende chiaramente che questo evento sarà il focus di tutta la vicenda che si svilupperà nel libro.
I personaggi principali della serie, compreso il protagonista nonché narratore della vicenda, vengono presentati uno alla volta rendendoli facili da ricordare ed identificare aiutando sia chi non li conosce sia coloro che hanno letto il testo molto tempo prima e, dunque, potrebbero non ricordarli bene. Il loro rapporto con Willie è sempre molto particolare e diverso da quello canonico che ci si potrebbe aspettare: lui chiama per nome la madre così come la figlia chiama per nome lui, colleghi e conoscenti sono al contempo amici e nemici.
Il resto della recensione su https://www.leggoquandovoglio.it/libr...
December 6, 2023
E' scritto con uno stile molto accattivante. Il protagonista è una macchietta e spesso fa sorridere per come vengono descritte le situazioni in cui si viene a trovare.
Non avevo letto il romanzo precendente di questa saga e devo dire che mi sono trovata un po' in difficoltà coi personaggi. Quasi sicuramente alcuni erano già stati presentati nell'altro volume, per cui il lettore li conosceva già. Per una neofita come me l'impressione è stata quella di trovarsi di fronte a una carrellata di personaggi che pareva fin troppo numerosa. Penso anche che alcuni di questi non abbiano un gran ruolo, per cui potevano tranquillamente essere evitati, a meno che non servano per il prosieguo della saga.
Nel complesso una discreta lettura di intrattenimento, ma io mi fermo qui, non leggerò le prossime pubblicazioni.
Non avevo letto il romanzo precendente di questa saga e devo dire che mi sono trovata un po' in difficoltà coi personaggi. Quasi sicuramente alcuni erano già stati presentati nell'altro volume, per cui il lettore li conosceva già. Per una neofita come me l'impressione è stata quella di trovarsi di fronte a una carrellata di personaggi che pareva fin troppo numerosa. Penso anche che alcuni di questi non abbiano un gran ruolo, per cui potevano tranquillamente essere evitati, a meno che non servano per il prosieguo della saga.
Nel complesso una discreta lettura di intrattenimento, ma io mi fermo qui, non leggerò le prossime pubblicazioni.
August 28, 2023
I discovered this author at my local library because they are having an author visit on September 13th. Willie Black is a reporter on the cop beat at a local Richmond, VA newspaper. When Alicia Simpson's rapist is freed because DNA evidence shows he is not the rapist Willie feels like something of the story is missing and regrets the actions of his editorial board of the paper he works for. When Alicia Simpson is murdered a few days after Richard Slade's release everyone but Willie and Richard's lawyer are ready to condemn Richard. How Willie pushes to find the truth of what really happened 28 years ago and now makes for a great read. A really good and engaging story. I am now on a mission to read more by this author.
August 11, 2021
Partivo con alte aspettative data la bellezza del suo primo,
Oregon Hill; aspettative che in parte non sono state disattese. Personaggio, Willie Black, che si sta costruendo via via nella narrazione, sempre al limite tra la vita e la morte, tra una Camel e un hamburger, alla ricerca di Les in mezzo ai fumi della madre.
In realtà questo episodio peró non ha assunto subito un buon ritmo; è partito un po’ in sordina, con un finale un tantino prevedibile (detto da me che solitamente non giungo mai a conclusioni anticipate).
Come al solito ho amato l’ambientazione, i protagonisti, i vari personaggi collaterali e il metodo di scrittura scorrevole e senza fronzoli.
Oregon Hill; aspettative che in parte non sono state disattese. Personaggio, Willie Black, che si sta costruendo via via nella narrazione, sempre al limite tra la vita e la morte, tra una Camel e un hamburger, alla ricerca di Les in mezzo ai fumi della madre.
In realtà questo episodio peró non ha assunto subito un buon ritmo; è partito un po’ in sordina, con un finale un tantino prevedibile (detto da me che solitamente non giungo mai a conclusioni anticipate).
Come al solito ho amato l’ambientazione, i protagonisti, i vari personaggi collaterali e il metodo di scrittura scorrevole e senza fronzoli.
January 11, 2022
Torna in gran spolvero, dopo Oregon Hill, il reporter purosangue e antieroe Willie Black. Un errore giudiziario, un caso risolto a trent'anni di distanza dalla pronuncia di una sentenza ingiusta, è il pretesto per dare il là ad un buon giallo. Sullo sfondo una città di provincia degli USA con le sue contraddizioni, il suo razzismo endemico e la grande differenza fra alta borghesia e working class. Fra tanta tensione emerge il protagonista, il solo a cui è veramente chiara la differenza fra il bene e il male. Quanto costa raccontare la verità?
August 16, 2022
Le premesse sono buone, ma lo sviluppo rimane banalissimo. La trama si trascina per pagine e pagine senza nessun nuovo contributo (es. scene e dialoghi che non portano a nulla)
Pecca enorme: nessuno sospetta la cosa più ovvia! Chi può aver ucciso la donna? Ovvio, il suo vero stupratore, che rischia ora di essere scoperto!!
Vorrebbe forse essere una critica ai poteri forti ma, vista la poca prontezza dei personaggi buoni, direi che fallisce miseramente.
Pecca enorme: nessuno sospetta la cosa più ovvia! Chi può aver ucciso la donna? Ovvio, il suo vero stupratore, che rischia ora di essere scoperto!!
Vorrebbe forse essere una critica ai poteri forti ma, vista la poca prontezza dei personaggi buoni, direi che fallisce miseramente.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2024
Secondo capitolo della serie con protagonista il cronista Willie Black. Gli si vuole bene a questo sgangherato giornalista, alle prese questa volta con un caso che rischia di rovinargli la carriera (che già è appesa ad un filo per via del suo carattere poco malleabile). I personaggi secondari sono irresistibili, credo che nel terzo libro si approfondirà soprattutto la figura di Les che trovo tra i più interessanti, quindi non vedo l'ora di saperne di più.
January 8, 2023
Avevo già letto il primo libro di questa serie.
I personaggi sono ben fatti, bella l'ambientazione e la trama è diversa nei due libri ma anche con qualche colpo di scena.
Credo possa piacere agli appassionati del genere noir, perché il protagonista ha anche molte ombre, come un degno protagonista dei noir del passato. Consigliatissimo!
I personaggi sono ben fatti, bella l'ambientazione e la trama è diversa nei due libri ma anche con qualche colpo di scena.
Credo possa piacere agli appassionati del genere noir, perché il protagonista ha anche molte ombre, come un degno protagonista dei noir del passato. Consigliatissimo!
November 28, 2024
Un thriller che è molto più di un thriller. Più che il mistero da risolvere, al centro della storia ci sono la questione razziale negli Usa e il cosiddetto quarto potere, un mondo in cui le regole della deontologia vengono costantemente aggirate a favore di logiche molto meno nobili. Il tutto condito da personaggi a cui ci si affeziona in un battito di ciglia.
March 8, 2025
27 anni dopo, Richard Slate, esce dal carcere da innocente. Il nuovo test del DNA lo scagiona del tutto e il crimine, che sembrava avesse commesso anni prima, viene cancellato dalla sua vita..o forse no? Siamo davvero oggettivi davanti a tutto? Davvero il colore della pelle non influisce sulle nostre valutazioni? Un libro attuale, d’inchiesta e che fa riflettere!
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June 28, 2025It was a quick entertaining read after slogging through a biography on Hamilton
I am not typically a fiction reader but this was enjoyable
I am a native Richmonder and a member so the local interest was captivating
When I go to the men’s room there next time it is sure to bring a spooky sensation
I am not typically a fiction reader but this was enjoyable
I am a native Richmonder and a member so the local interest was captivating
When I go to the men’s room there next time it is sure to bring a spooky sensation
September 10, 2019
I must admit, this book grew on me and I found myself totally sucked in to the mystery of who killed Alicia Simpson. Twenty eight years ago Alicia was suppossably raped by a man that is now being released from prison due to DNA evidence. He was not guilty of rape, but when Alicia is murdred on her way to the gym could he be guilty of murder? Polite society seems to think so but burned out chain smoking, alcoholic newspaper man Willie Black, thinks differently. Willie sets out to uncover the truth.
I am not a big mystery who-done-it reader but this book is an exception for me. I loved the character Willie, he is snarky, smart, honest, extremely flawed, sarcastic and trying to do the right thing. Gotta hand it to him, A+ for effort. He's quite the detective. The author gives him a unique voice that I truly enjoyed. Highly recommended.
I am not a big mystery who-done-it reader but this book is an exception for me. I loved the character Willie, he is snarky, smart, honest, extremely flawed, sarcastic and trying to do the right thing. Gotta hand it to him, A+ for effort. He's quite the detective. The author gives him a unique voice that I truly enjoyed. Highly recommended.
September 10, 2020
Well-written story with great characters.
February 28, 2021
I’ve read 2 and look forward to reading more! Solid mysteries. Local references are fun for Richmonders!
November 16, 2021
Un romanzo che si articola con i ritmi di un fumetto con un protagonista iperattivo che non convince come tutto il romanzo!
January 17, 2023
Take a dive into the Quarry!
Howard Owen’s Willie Black becomes more familiar and appealing to newspaper lovers, who like him are a dying breed. I’ll keep reading this series.
Howard Owen’s Willie Black becomes more familiar and appealing to newspaper lovers, who like him are a dying breed. I’ll keep reading this series.
June 16, 2023
Willie gets caught up in a messy one this time. Posh white Windsor Farm families, cover ups, and the innocent black man from Highland Springs finally freed. Then there's his messy personal life ....
August 6, 2013
A great read... Wonderfully constructed characters, a plot full of twists and turns, and descriptive detail that takes the reader well inside the author's mind...Willie Black embodies the best of everyday slobs....via his smoking, his drinking, his cynicism and his lusting after at least one of his ex-wives....and yet there is an heroic aura about him as he persists in chasing the TRUTH.... he really and truly believes he is on a mission, and it goes well beyond the fact that the aggrieved is a distant relative...and it certainly has little to do with his job description as reporter-writer for a third rate newspaper that places little value on scruples or rightous indignation... He is, essentially, a neanderthal with a conscience....driven to pursue facts that will right a wrong...and drinking his way into oblivion as he does so...[return]Nevertheless, this is a terrific read because the reader learns something in virtually every chapter....can relate to at least one of the myriad characters.....and there is enough suspense and mystery on these pages to propel even the most jaded reader forward in a quest for illumination....And, alas, after 200+ pages...we find illumination and a weird sort of justice, not totally satisfying....but justice nonetheless.[return]Read it...then wait for the next chapter in Willie's World!
November 19, 2016
The Philadelphia Quarry is the second installment in Howard Owen's excellent series about Willie Black, an older journalist holding on to his job in a dying industry. He's made his share of mistakes and continues to make a few more, but he does have a degree of self-awareness and a compassion for the people around him in Richmond, VA.
Years ago, a black man was convicted of the rape of a wealthy young lady, but DNA evidence has now set him free. Willie Black's newspaper had been vocal in their support of his incarceration, and when the lady in question is murdered soon after his release, the paper renews their editorials calling him a monster. But Black has his doubts, and while he isn't convinced of the man's guilt, he isn't sure he's innocent either. And so Black goes to work ferreting out the truth, no matter who he offends and whether he'll have a job at the end of the day.
Owen's series is a pleasure to read; well plotted and adeptly written, Owen has also created a fascinating protagonist. Black is deeply flawed, but compassionate and very likable. He may not be dependable, but he does try. And he'd be great fun to have a drink with, as long as you aren't depending on him for a ride home.
Years ago, a black man was convicted of the rape of a wealthy young lady, but DNA evidence has now set him free. Willie Black's newspaper had been vocal in their support of his incarceration, and when the lady in question is murdered soon after his release, the paper renews their editorials calling him a monster. But Black has his doubts, and while he isn't convinced of the man's guilt, he isn't sure he's innocent either. And so Black goes to work ferreting out the truth, no matter who he offends and whether he'll have a job at the end of the day.
Owen's series is a pleasure to read; well plotted and adeptly written, Owen has also created a fascinating protagonist. Black is deeply flawed, but compassionate and very likable. He may not be dependable, but he does try. And he'd be great fun to have a drink with, as long as you aren't depending on him for a ride home.
September 24, 2013
First book of Howard Owen that I have read, really enjoyed it. Smart dialogue and interesting plot. Newspaper reporter in present times, and seems to present the present day economic plight of newspapers well. Willie Black doesn't like being told what to write about or what he should or shouldn't do really. Black man gets out of prison after DNA proves him innocent 28 yrs late, of rape of a white girl. No one really believes him innocent, and the paper's editorial lays it on thick that it is a shame this guy is released. The now woman's family is wealthy and influential. Then days after he is out the woman is killed. Back to jail he goes. Interesting twists. It seems that all reporters and private investigators these days involve heavy drinking, and divorced guys. Willie has been married three times. Anyway, this was a quick enjoyable read.
March 24, 2014
This is a fun little page turner. The ending is a little too easy to deduce but it is very well written and Willie Black is a great protagonist. Mysteries based around newspaper writers always seem to be fun and this one is no exception. There is a lot of relationship intrique, old family money power brokers, good old fashioned racism in modern times, and a full quota of the weakness of man. It was a good time.
June 7, 2013
This is beautifully written but ends up a rather uninspiring story about an investigative journalist managing to prevent a miscarriage of justice.
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June 9, 2014
The second in the Willie Black series, this book is just as solid as the first. Willie is a great character, the plot is solid and the tone of the book is gritty and entertaining. Hope we'll get a third Willie Black book sooner rather than later.
February 14, 2014
This book is really only Three and a half stars but gets the extra half because it is literally set in my back yard. I would love to know how the author came to know about the Quarry. It was a decent mystery and having another mystery set in Richmond is always fun.
August 13, 2013
Enjoyed the second Willie Black story as much as the first, what a great character. I would recommend reading Oregon Hill prior to this one, readers will miss some background about the characters if they read these books out of order.
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