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River City Crime #3
Beneath a Weeping Sky
River City is plagued by a serial rapist. His attacks are becoming more brutal. Detective John Tower is sure that he'll go from rape to murder if he isn't stopped soon. When a series of mis-steps and near misses push the rapist even further, everyone involved -- Tower, Officer Katie MacLeod and Officer Thomas Chisolm -- must face their old fearsâ?or be destroyed by them.
488 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2010
278 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Frank Zafiro
143 books96 followersA former police officer, Frank writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 22, 2025
5 Stars. Zafiro’s River City Police Procedurals are absolutely outstanding. He reminds me so much of Waumbaugh that I almost feel guilty because he has always been my favorite in the genre. This one kept things humming right along. The characters keep developing and are truly great. This case was brutal yet interesting from page one. The cops and bad guys are excruciatingly real. Try this series! Can’t wait for the next one.
April 5, 2011
First Sentence: Heather Torin never intended to be a victim.
The police officers of River City, WA have a problem on their hands in the form of a serial, stranger rapist. They have no description, no physical evidence and no real leads except that he is becoming more violent with each incident. Detective John Tower, Officers Giovanni, Sully, Chisholm and Officer Katie MacLeod are out to stop him while dealing with personal ghosts and life-threatening risk.
First, because I read absolutely everything in a book, let me say I liked the literary quotes at the beginning of each part of the story; the fist by Gauguin being a particularly favorite of mine.
Frank Zafiro’s years on the police force are evident in the realism on every page, from the quibbling between partners to the procedure of the investigation. While there are other writers with similar backgrounds, not everyone can translate the knowledge into characters and excellent dialogue as real and compelling as the experiences that formed them. Zafiro does.
I, and others, have compared Zafiro’s books to Ed McBain in that he uses an ensemble cast and does so very well. The characters are a cross-section of individuals with realistic personalities, idiosyncrasies and sometimes pettiness caused by ambition. However where he falls short of McBain is in character development. McBain never assumed readers had read previous books in the 87th Street series so he, very briefly yet effectively, reintroduced the characters in each story.
Zafiro chose not to do that so I found it a bit hard to remember who was whom and what was their past, although there is an effort to so inform us. There was one character I felt could have been left out without damaging the story at all, but that’s just me. We also knew much more about McBain’s characters personal lives. That is also missing here so it’s hard to see growth and transition. Because the characters are interesting, I hope they will develop more with the series.
The story, written on a 24-hour clock through the duration of the investigation, kept me reading late into the night. In spite of one large coincidence, there is excellent, gripping suspense that kept me turning the pages. I want to mention the dialogue again as that is something I feel is very important. The voice of each character was distinct and, in some cases, provided light moments against the darkness of the plot. However, a standout for me was a conversation which took place between Detectives Tower and Browning toward the end of the book where they are talking about how even the most villainous of villains can look like the most ordinary of people.
Had I been Mr. Zafiro’s editor, I’d have recommended omitting the back-flash section regarding the perpetrator, much of which I surmised through the story itself and, if necessary, summarized it as part of 1442 hours. I felt that section disrupted the pace, and the story would have been a bit tighter without it.
Even with the points I’ve made being a very picky reader, this is a very good police procedural. I highly recommend it and am personally delighted to know there are more books in the series just waiting for me to read them.
BENEATH A WEEPING SKY (Pol Proc-Ensemble- Washington State-Cont) – VG
Zafiro, Frank – 3rd in series
Gray Dog Press, ©2009, US Trade, ISBN: 9781936178124
The police officers of River City, WA have a problem on their hands in the form of a serial, stranger rapist. They have no description, no physical evidence and no real leads except that he is becoming more violent with each incident. Detective John Tower, Officers Giovanni, Sully, Chisholm and Officer Katie MacLeod are out to stop him while dealing with personal ghosts and life-threatening risk.
First, because I read absolutely everything in a book, let me say I liked the literary quotes at the beginning of each part of the story; the fist by Gauguin being a particularly favorite of mine.
Frank Zafiro’s years on the police force are evident in the realism on every page, from the quibbling between partners to the procedure of the investigation. While there are other writers with similar backgrounds, not everyone can translate the knowledge into characters and excellent dialogue as real and compelling as the experiences that formed them. Zafiro does.
I, and others, have compared Zafiro’s books to Ed McBain in that he uses an ensemble cast and does so very well. The characters are a cross-section of individuals with realistic personalities, idiosyncrasies and sometimes pettiness caused by ambition. However where he falls short of McBain is in character development. McBain never assumed readers had read previous books in the 87th Street series so he, very briefly yet effectively, reintroduced the characters in each story.
Zafiro chose not to do that so I found it a bit hard to remember who was whom and what was their past, although there is an effort to so inform us. There was one character I felt could have been left out without damaging the story at all, but that’s just me. We also knew much more about McBain’s characters personal lives. That is also missing here so it’s hard to see growth and transition. Because the characters are interesting, I hope they will develop more with the series.
The story, written on a 24-hour clock through the duration of the investigation, kept me reading late into the night. In spite of one large coincidence, there is excellent, gripping suspense that kept me turning the pages. I want to mention the dialogue again as that is something I feel is very important. The voice of each character was distinct and, in some cases, provided light moments against the darkness of the plot. However, a standout for me was a conversation which took place between Detectives Tower and Browning toward the end of the book where they are talking about how even the most villainous of villains can look like the most ordinary of people.
Had I been Mr. Zafiro’s editor, I’d have recommended omitting the back-flash section regarding the perpetrator, much of which I surmised through the story itself and, if necessary, summarized it as part of 1442 hours. I felt that section disrupted the pace, and the story would have been a bit tighter without it.
Even with the points I’ve made being a very picky reader, this is a very good police procedural. I highly recommend it and am personally delighted to know there are more books in the series just waiting for me to read them.
BENEATH A WEEPING SKY (Pol Proc-Ensemble- Washington State-Cont) – VG
Zafiro, Frank – 3rd in series
Gray Dog Press, ©2009, US Trade, ISBN: 9781936178124
July 14, 2016
In my reviews of the first two novels in this series, I called Mr. Zafiro and these books a worthy successor to Ed McBain and his 87th Precinct series.
After reading this book, I rescind that comment.
It starts off well enough with the same accurate depiction of cops – the good, the bad, the brown-nosers, the driven ones, the jokers – as those books. But about three-fourths of the way in, Zafiro goes totally off the rails, devoting ten percent of the book to the life story of a bad guy. McBain could have painted as clear a picture of him in two or three taut paragraphs. This long aside breaks the story’s flow, kills its forward momentum, and flattens the tension that had been building from the start. When he got back to the story, it took a while for all three to reach their prior levels. Had he scattered this information throughout the story instead of dumping it on us in a lump, none of that would have happened.
What makes this doubly bad is that all those words were unnecessary. I knew what drove the bad guy almost from his first appearance. I’m sure many other readers did too.
What happened, Mr. Zafiro? Quantity become more important than quality? Or were you getting paid by the word? Because all those extra words turned what could have been a taut, tension-filled story I really liked into a bloated one that was barely okay.
As I was slogging through this lame entry in what had been an extremely good series, I wasn’t sure I’d be back for more. But any author can have an off day, so I’ll give Mr. Zafiro another chance. But if his next book isn’t vastly better than this one, I won’t be back for more.
After reading this book, I rescind that comment.
It starts off well enough with the same accurate depiction of cops – the good, the bad, the brown-nosers, the driven ones, the jokers – as those books. But about three-fourths of the way in, Zafiro goes totally off the rails, devoting ten percent of the book to the life story of a bad guy. McBain could have painted as clear a picture of him in two or three taut paragraphs. This long aside breaks the story’s flow, kills its forward momentum, and flattens the tension that had been building from the start. When he got back to the story, it took a while for all three to reach their prior levels. Had he scattered this information throughout the story instead of dumping it on us in a lump, none of that would have happened.
What makes this doubly bad is that all those words were unnecessary. I knew what drove the bad guy almost from his first appearance. I’m sure many other readers did too.
What happened, Mr. Zafiro? Quantity become more important than quality? Or were you getting paid by the word? Because all those extra words turned what could have been a taut, tension-filled story I really liked into a bloated one that was barely okay.
As I was slogging through this lame entry in what had been an extremely good series, I wasn’t sure I’d be back for more. But any author can have an off day, so I’ll give Mr. Zafiro another chance. But if his next book isn’t vastly better than this one, I won’t be back for more.
December 27, 2021
A police procedural. The bad guy serial rapist is captured. Before he is, all the police at every level of the investigation are repeatedly introspective and the reader can hear their thoughts and emotions again and again. The rapist is also introspective, and his thoughts and emotions are also open to the reader’s gaze. An entire chapter near the end is actually a short biography of the rapist and the horrible abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents and schoolmates and “friends” from the age of five on until his mother’s death only weeks before he begins his raping spree — establishing his motivations at a level of detail so complete there can be no doubt whatsoever about why he attacks and brutalizes women. It turns out that his brilliance and his excellent planning skills make it that the police have absolutely no physical clues or witnesses’ or victims’ testimony to help them find him. Only a vulnerable female policewoman as a decoy draws him out of the darkness so he can be caught as he attempts to rape and kill her. Twice. Whoa.
So, unless you’re fascinated by motivations and how personal histories of loss and grief and guilt make the behaviors and thoughts of the main characters essentially unavoidable, you might not want to read this book. I wish I had stopped reading it long before the rapist’s biographical chapter and the subsequent denouement.
So, unless you’re fascinated by motivations and how personal histories of loss and grief and guilt make the behaviors and thoughts of the main characters essentially unavoidable, you might not want to read this book. I wish I had stopped reading it long before the rapist’s biographical chapter and the subsequent denouement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2021
This police procedural starts off with a bang and doesn’t stop. River City is plagued by a rapist who is leaving no clues. The author takes time to vividly depict the life of little Jeffie, abused mentally and physically by both his mother and father. Although they are both dead now, he is still trying to get their love and respect by making a name for himself. This insight into his pathetic childhood almost makes the reader feel sorry for him. Although this is a page turner full of action, it manages to show that nearly everyone has times where they feel like they have failed a friend, a lover, a colleague, an infantry buddy or parents. Wonderful fully fleshed characters make this a story that is seen and felt in the reader’s mind and heart.
December 12, 2021
Beating back the memories
In a realistic retelling of the emotional turmoil of a woman who was raped in college now a police officer working on a squad investigating a serial rapist. each of the characters has their own emotional turmoil to battle including the rapist. The stereotypical childhood of the rapist is portrayed like an explanation of his evil actions. If there was weakness in this story it was the transitions between the mental process of the characters. The number of names used to break up the story actually served to blur the distinction between the individuals..
In a realistic retelling of the emotional turmoil of a woman who was raped in college now a police officer working on a squad investigating a serial rapist. each of the characters has their own emotional turmoil to battle including the rapist. The stereotypical childhood of the rapist is portrayed like an explanation of his evil actions. If there was weakness in this story it was the transitions between the mental process of the characters. The number of names used to break up the story actually served to blur the distinction between the individuals..
December 8, 2021
TOO MUCH STUFF ABOUT THE MANY CHARACTERS PERSONAL LIVES, IT DETRACTS FROM THE DETECTIVE WORK. THIS MADE ME WORRY HOW ANY CRIMES ARE GETTING SOLVED. THE POLICE INVESTIGATING ARE SOMETIMES CRAZIER THAN THE CRIMINALS. THAT’S A VERY FRIGHTENING THOUGHT. I FOUND THE JOKING BETWEEN THE TWO FRAT BOY DETECTIVES VERY ANNOYING AND NOT FUNNY AT ALL, IT WAS TOO MUCH OF IT. DESCRIBING THE BAD GUY’S CHILDHOOD WAS A BIT OVERKILL TO ME. ;<
January 16, 2022
riveting
The long-term effects of emotional abuse are highlighted in this exceptional story. Characters in the book range from good to evil, goofs to jerks. It’s an excellent writer who can cause his reader to have such a variety of feelings, and Frank Zafiro fits in that category. I wish 4.5 were an option, because this book would have scored a solid 5 but for the language. I’m sure a lot of people use it, but I prefer not to read f*** once, much less frequently.
The long-term effects of emotional abuse are highlighted in this exceptional story. Characters in the book range from good to evil, goofs to jerks. It’s an excellent writer who can cause his reader to have such a variety of feelings, and Frank Zafiro fits in that category. I wish 4.5 were an option, because this book would have scored a solid 5 but for the language. I’m sure a lot of people use it, but I prefer not to read f*** once, much less frequently.
November 20, 2021
A very good police procedural
Beneath a Weeping Sky is a realistic police procedural. Safari has an excellent handle on both dialogue and plot. He demonstrates a strong knowledge of law enforcement bureaucracy as well. I read this while I was laid-up and not in the mood. It still held my attention.
Beneath a Weeping Sky is a realistic police procedural. Safari has an excellent handle on both dialogue and plot. He demonstrates a strong knowledge of law enforcement bureaucracy as well. I read this while I was laid-up and not in the mood. It still held my attention.
December 9, 2021
Detective John Tower, Officers Giovanni, Sully, Chisholm and Officer Katie MacLeod are all stumped by the lack of evidence when Jeffie strikes and they are at a loss to spot him until it's almost to late. Katie is the star of this story. All the characters are relatable and work well together, written with feeling and from experience it is well worth a read.
March 19, 2022
beneath a Weeping Sky
I really enjoy books by this author when it started, I was really enjoying the book. Reading more into it,it seemed like it was going nowhere,as far as the story was progressing. I kind of fast paced toward the end,and I like the ending and the last few chapters. Good author.
I really enjoy books by this author when it started, I was really enjoying the book. Reading more into it,it seemed like it was going nowhere,as far as the story was progressing. I kind of fast paced toward the end,and I like the ending and the last few chapters. Good author.
August 19, 2021
Review
Great story for anyone who enjoys a good police procedural book. Kept my interest from start to finish. Several interesting main characters to keep your attention. Recommend highly.
Great story for anyone who enjoys a good police procedural book. Kept my interest from start to finish. Several interesting main characters to keep your attention. Recommend highly.
August 21, 2021
Tragedy Galore
Jeffrey had a rough childhood. Now he’s out to show people he is no longer a wimp, queer, baby, etc. He sets his sights on Officer Katie MacLoid and that may be his downfall.
Jeffrey had a rough childhood. Now he’s out to show people he is no longer a wimp, queer, baby, etc. He sets his sights on Officer Katie MacLoid and that may be his downfall.
December 4, 2021
There is always evidence
Moving police procedural that faces human depravity.Good to see author did not have police use luck to unravel the mystery man. At times confused as to importance of subplots in supporting solving crimes.
Moving police procedural that faces human depravity.Good to see author did not have police use luck to unravel the mystery man. At times confused as to importance of subplots in supporting solving crimes.
December 19, 2021
Excellent story!
I enjoyed the storyline and characters in this book. It was very well written and in a way that held your interest, to the point that you were sorry for it to end. Highly recommended.
I enjoyed the storyline and characters in this book. It was very well written and in a way that held your interest, to the point that you were sorry for it to end. Highly recommended.
December 23, 2021
Too long
The story was good, but it took way too long to tell it! So much of it had no bearing on the outcome. I had to skip through several chapters, I don't like doing that, but it didn't affect the ending to me like it does in some others.
The story was good, but it took way too long to tell it! So much of it had no bearing on the outcome. I had to skip through several chapters, I don't like doing that, but it didn't affect the ending to me like it does in some others.
December 24, 2021
Graveyard shift
Great story with interesting characters. I got a little confused at times and it seems as if the main character got hurt a lot, but she got the job done. The title doesn't seem to fit the story.
Great story with interesting characters. I got a little confused at times and it seems as if the main character got hurt a lot, but she got the job done. The title doesn't seem to fit the story.
February 5, 2022
One terrific crime read. There are two main characters in the book and he almost creates two novels to tell the story. You get lost in each one. Well worth the 400+ pages. Recommend the series. I have found a new city to visit in my reading time.
July 19, 2019
Loved it!
Great suspense, love the characters. Anyone who likes action and drama will love this book. I had trouble putting it down!
Great suspense, love the characters. Anyone who likes action and drama will love this book. I had trouble putting it down!
September 16, 2021
Excellent!!
This book held my attention from page one to the very end!! The characters were very believable and I hated to put it down!!
This book held my attention from page one to the very end!! The characters were very believable and I hated to put it down!!
November 25, 2021
A good story I enjoyed from the first page. Well worth reading.
December 21, 2021
Well written. Story line and suspense maintained throughout.
December 26, 2021
A Great Read
This is a very good police novel with very interesting characters, especially that of the female lead. I recommend it highly.
This is a very good police novel with very interesting characters, especially that of the female lead. I recommend it highly.
December 30, 2021
This book was awesome. Kept me wanting more!
January 1, 2022
Hard to put down
A gritty police story that keeps you reading trying to figure out what will happen next. Well written and good back stories about what drives the officers
A gritty police story that keeps you reading trying to figure out what will happen next. Well written and good back stories about what drives the officers
January 3, 2022
Beneath a Weeping Sky
Very well written. Kept my interest the entire time. One of those stories that you don't want to put down.
Very well written. Kept my interest the entire time. One of those stories that you don't want to put down.
October 25, 2022
A better than average mystery.
May 21, 2014
A River City Crime Novel. River City is plagued by a serial rapist. His attacks are becoming more brutal and Detective John Tower is sure that he'll go from rape to murder if he isn't stopped soon. Meanwhile, the attacks stir up ghosts for both Officer Katie MacLeod and Officer Thomas Chisolm. Both struggle to put those haunted memories to rest even as they are drawn into the center of Tower's investigation. When a series of missteps and near misses push the rapist even further, everyone involved must face their old fears... or be destroyed by them. Beneath A Weeping Sky is the third River City novel
April 24, 2022
From the beginning to the end -this was an engrossing look at the day to day life in the police dept. Following the search to capture a serial rapist whose MO is escalating -and turning more violent with each successive rape-walking in step with patrol officers -sexual abuse officers -detectives -shift partners, analysis agents -top brass -and an internal investigation officer-the police procedure is very realistic and the subsequent coping tools used to maintain a sense of normalcy-very well portrayed. Its gritty -edgy-and keeps you in suspense through a couple of nail biting scenes- - You won't be disappointed -
March 19, 2015
very enjoyable cop story
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews