Blood on the Arch

Joe Keough Mystery #3

by Robert J. Randisi

When the brutally murdered body of a political aide is found near the famous St. Louis Arch, homicide cop Joe Keough is confronted by a psychotic killer who torments him with clues and messages, and as the body count grows higher, Joe races against time to put an end to the madness. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

394 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Robert Joseph Randisi was a prolific American author, editor, and screenwriter, best known for his work in detective and Western fiction. He wrote over 650 books, including The Gunsmith series under the pen name J.R. Roberts, and edited more than 30 anthologies. A co-founder of Mystery Scene magazine, the American Crime Writers League, and Western Fictioneers, he also established The Private Eye Writers of America and created the Shamus Award. Randisi collaborated on novels with Eileen Davidson and Vince Van Patten, and created memorable characters such as Miles Jacoby, Joe Keough, and The Rat Pack. He received multiple lifetime achievement awards and the John Seigenthaler Humanitarian Award.

Reviews

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Homicide detective Joe Keough is called into a murder investigation when a dead body is found under the famous Gateway Arch in St. Louis in 2001's "Blood on the Arch."

Verdict: A light and entertaining murder mystery, quick plot and characters, not too immersive, gruesome, or complicated. Keeps it pretty simple, but also a tad phony in respects, the most glaring being the lack of fall-out from the gunfight, the mayor stepping in to (spoiler removed), and Keough's diabetes diagnosis and symptoms which aren't written right at all.

Jeff's Rating: 2 / 5
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13

[Joshua Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just your average Detective POV Thriller. Detective Keough is a homicide cop in St. Louis investigating the newest string of murders in the Arch city. This isn't the work of a serial killer, but a political fed string of murder for hire. Will Keough be able to stop the assassin and bring justice to those responsible for hiring him?
A nice thriller for sure and a quick easy read, due to the large text and short chapters. Also I liked the inside look at the political corruption of the judicial system and law firm.

[Russell Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad tale and the characters are well presented. Good enough to pull me into others in the series? I am borderline on that. Certainly entertaining enough for a beach read, but falls short of John D. MacDonald or Loren Estleman status.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable in places, but still a page-turner. This series is great for summer reading- good, well-paced plots and gritty mystery without the excessive gore, violence and sex that so many other series have copped to of late.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Keough is a very likeable guy. The story moves well and is a quick read. People from St. Louis will love the local flavor.

[Diana Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was not much mystery as to the identities of the criminals in this book. The dialogue was extremely lame. I only finished it because I did not have another book with me.

[Howard Spinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Joe Keough books about a NYC detective, who transfer to St Louis are quick reads, and excellent police procedurals. Good to read especially after reading a long novel.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh!...a boilerplate police procedural. Ok characters and ok plot, but nothing special.