Cover Story

Boyle's career as a journalist is evident in his novels. The Jack McMorrow tales are as gripping as any crime thrillers out there and Boyle's work on the streets ensures that his books are authentic and gritty. Read one, you'll want to read them all. -- Mark LaFlamme, author of "The Pink Room."

Jack McMorrow, ex-journalist for the Times and retired Detective Butch Casey have been friends since childhood, although they haven't seen each other since the murder of Casey's wife ten years ago. When McMorrow is in New York on business with the Times, he accepts an invitation to meet with Casey for old times' sake.Later that night, the popular mayor, Fiore, is found murdered in a hotel bathroom, stabbed to death. Casey's fingerprints are all over the weapon and he is arrested. McMorrow can hardly believe it, he knew that Casey was upset because the mayor had let his wife's killer go, Fiore had been the DA at the time, but McMorrow didn't think he was capable of murder.Digging deeper into the crimes of ten years ago, McMorrow discovers that the mayor had more enemies than grains of sand on a beach and he wasn't as perfect as everyone was making him out to be. Determined to get to the bottom of things and clear his friend's name McMorrow is pursued by the press, by the police and by others who seem determined to kill him.The plot is fast and pacy with lots of dialogue and interaction between characters and it was difficult to put the book down. New York under Mayor Fiore is painted as this wonderful Utopia, but McMorrow can see the worms underneath, things haven't so much changed as been brushed under the carpet and the holes start to show.And who really did kill the mayor? Well, you'll just have to read and find out. You won't be disappointed.Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams and Shadows of the Rose.

I've been reading this series since the beginning and eagerly await each new addition. No disappointment this time. Now you will learn some more about Jack's background (why he left NY for Maine) and his life in NY. The story is excellent--kept me guessing til the end about who really did it, although I did have a hunch about who was involved. Boyle's writing style pulls you in bit by bit, never throws you a bunch of red herrings, and always faithfully wraps the story up in his most excellent fashion. I really can't say enough about how this series and the characters have progressed. If you like a good, unusual, interesting story with real characters, don't miss this or any of the other books.

I don't know why Gerry Boyle's mystery series isn't even better known than it is. Mysteries with reporters as sleuths have an honorable history in the genre, but, having been a reporter for 30+ years, I find most of them ring false, regardless of the merits of their mystery plots. Not so with Boyle. All of his books have been dead-on regarding his reporter-hero, and this latest one is particularly interesting in getting more into his protagonist's journalistic history as we move from rural New England to down-and-dirty NYC. I can't wait for his next.

I wondered when I saw that the new Jack McMorrow was set in New York City whether a Down Easter like Gerry Boyle could convincingly take Jack out of the woods and transplant him into the big city. I was also concerned that losing the evocative descriptions of rural Maine that are such a compelling part of this series would make this book just another crime story. I was pleased to find that Boyle's descriptions of NYC's off the beaten track locations not only rang true but also had the same melancholy and menacing qualities of his Maine settings. Jack also seemed right at home in the crime and grime of New York. As a New York transplant to New England I was on the lookout for any false notes, but didn't spot any. The story races along. It is faster paced than the other books in the series, with the possible exception of Deadline. Cover Story is a little nastier and rougher than the other books, but Boyle doesn't overdo it. I recommend the book to any fan of Jack McMorrow and fast paced crime novels.