Blood and Bone

October 31, 2016
Two high-profile cases occupy Alice Madison in Giambanco’s solid third thriller featuring the Seattle homicide detective (after The Dark). First, a gruesome murder that may have started as a simple burglary escalates when she finds a link to other murders for which the wrong person may have been convicted. Meanwhile, assassin John Cameron, whose life she saved about two years before when he was kidnapped by a drug cartel, is methodically killing off members of the same cartel. The DEA is convinced that Madison is in contact with Cameron and may be helping him. Realistic twists keep the suspense high, while personal details lend human interest. Madison has a troubled background, but her relationship with her boyfriend, Aaron Lever, and her partner, Det. Sgt. Kevin Brown, have brought her a much-needed stability. London-based Giambanco shows an affinity for Seattle, its neighborhoods and environs. Readers will look forward to Madison’s further adventures in the next installment. Agent: Teresa Chris, Teresa Chris Literary Agency (U.K.).

November 1, 2016
Giambanco's (The Dark, 2014, etc.) Seattle-based detective tackles a new case while navigating her thorny past as two killers stalk the city.Homicide Detective Alice Madison is living with Aaron Lever, her childhood friend-turned-lover, while coping with the hectic pace of the Seattle Police Department's Homicide unit; then Matthew Duncan's wife returns home from a run and finds her husband's body. Matthew hasn't simply been murdered, he's been obliterated, beaten to an unidentifiable pulp and left in a broken heap. Meanwhile, John Cameron, a man from Alice's dark past, has resurfaced. Cameron--who's stalking and killing members of a drug cartel--and his friend Nathan Quinn, now senior executive counsel for the U.S. Attorney's Office, grew up together and figured prominently in one of Alice's old cases. In fact, Alice saved Cameron's life 18 months previously, and with Cameron now on the prowl again, it appears that move may come back to haunt her, the same way her partner, Detective Sgt. Kevin Brown, may be haunted by one of his old cases. While Giambanco's writing has only gotten better since she launched the Alice Madison series and is especially successful at evoking the city's moodiness, the author stumbles with the overly complicated plotting. Scant back story is provided for the Cameron/Quinn part of the tale, but Giambanco devotes considerable literary real estate to continuing to follow them. Add in the second very complicated serial killer plot and an ever expanding number of named characters, and the story begins to take on the appeal of a history exam. There's also the puzzling editorial choice of mixing a smattering of British terms into a tale set in Seattle ("recce" for reconnaissance, "beaker" for cup of coffee, "bin" for garbage). The generally excellent writing starts to sag under the accumulation of narrative flaws. Evocative writing spoiled by complicated dueling plotlines and oddities that pull the reader away from the rainy, dark streets of a city under siege.

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November 1, 2016
Seattle homicide detective Alice Madison (The Gift of Darkness, 2014) is investigating what has been staged to look like a breaking and entering gone awry. The homeowner was beaten with such savagery that a completely random act seems unlikely. Combing through old cases, Alice uncovers a trail of beaten corpses but finds few clues about what ties them together. She and her colleagues finally discover the thread they're looking for, and decades of diabolically plotted crimes begin to unravel. Madison receives tremendous backup from her boyfriend and her brothers in blue. Unfortunately, it's not enough to fill the void left by the gambler father she ran away from as a child. Which may explain why she still takes phone calls from the assassin, whose life she saved on a previous case. In fact, this killer may not be nearly as dangerous as his lawyer, Nathan Quinn. Madison's complicated feelings about the attorney threaten the stability she's spent years trying to build. The detective here is as complex as the crime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)