Cold Day in Hell

December 11, 2006
Hawke's intriguing second crime thriller, a considerably darker book
\t\t than his debut, Speak of the Devil, which
\t\t introduced New York City PI Fitz Malone, solidifies the wisecracking Fitz's
\t\t place in the upper ranks of big-city series detectives. Devastatingly handsome,
\t\t late-night TV star Marshall Fox has been arrested and jailed for the murder of
\t\t two women with whom he was having affairs. The case looks pretty solid until
\t\t two more bodies show up, both connected to Fox and the earlier murders. But how
\t\t could Fox have committed the last two while he was behind bars? Fitz involves
\t\t himself because one of the murdered women had asked him for help before her
\t\t death, and though the police are, as always, reluctant to allow civilians in on
\t\t an investigation, they're quite willing to use the clues he unearths. It's a
\t\t tale replete with kinky sex practiced by beautiful people, conflicted cops with
\t\t tragic backstories and a cold-hearted villain who leaves no obstacle alive in
\t\t his attempt to cover up his heinous crimes. 5-city
\t\t author tour.

March 1, 2007
This second outing, following "Speak of the Devil", from the pseudonymous Hawke (Tim Cockey) brings back P.I. Fritz Malone in a darker, slower-paced venue. Marshall Fox is the star of a New York City-based late-night TV show, but his star has fallen since his arrest for the murder of two women with whom he was having affairs. While he's jailed, two more murders occur, causing speculation regarding Marshall's guilt and the possibility of a copycat killer. The newest victim was a neighbor of Fritz's girlfriend, Margo; prior to her murder, Fritz had been investigating some hate mail she had received. NYPD detective Megan Lamb isn't quite up to par since both her police and her life partner were killed, so the police department is happy to have Fritz investigating the murders alongside her, as long as he shares his findings. Despite an attempt on his life, Fritz keeps digging through Quaker meetings, Marshall's clandestine affairs, kinky sex, and the backstage maneuverings of the late-night TV show. Fritz is a great character, and the story line is interesting, entertaining, and twisty enough to make this a very worthy sequel. Recommended for larger fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 11/1/06.]Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2007
After his promising debut (" Speak of the Devil," 2005), Hawke seals the deal in PI Fritz Malone's second intelligent and well-turned mystery. Homespun late-night TV star Marshall Fox--a hipster Will Rogers and catnip to the ladies--awaits a contentious jury's verdict on whether he's a serial murderer, when what should appear under the Christmas tree but a fresh corpse, trimmed identically to Fox's two alleged victims. As the proceedings veer toward a potential mistrial, the cops bring Fritz on board to help detective-with-a-past Megan Lamb round up a likely copycat killer. Hawke excels at characters, with even walk-ons given a convincing heft, and as the cast of potential doers and victims grows by leaps and bounds, the complex plot is carefully meted out to confound the reader. Sticklers for procedural realism may cry foul at the likable Malone's role as extralegal pinch hitter for the NYPD, but Hawke's smart prose, easy wit, and unforced pathos make this a great suggestion for readers mourning the loss of Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar or Stephen Greenleaf's John Marshall Tanner--and near the top of any armload of titles proffered to voracious Robert Parker fans awaiting their next fix.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)