Hyde (Det. Brian McKenna Novels)

Books by the author have never let me down. Mr. Mahoneys insight on the NYPD is second to none. He combines made-up characters with real people to form a great plot. This story piting McKenna Verses a Doctor/Killer is truly engaging. Not as much behind the scene stuff with McKenna and family. I kind of liked it that way. More of this good murder/mystery came about. Interesting characters, whose careers you can follow by reading the whole series. All in all a great act. I look forward to Edge of the City(the only one of the series I haven't read) and all new works by the author. Thanks to my friend that lent me my 1st Mahoney.

HYDE really hits the spot as police procedures are represented in its rarest form. Believable plot and characters is what makes this book work. Having spent time in the same neighborhood that the story takes plaace only added to my appreciation of this book. Mahoney in New York is what Connelly is in Los Angeles. These guys should team up one day.

If you love PPs then relax with this novel. I love them and often try new writers in this genre. More often than not I find that after a few pages I am reading a faux police procedural by an author (JA Jance comes to mind) who knows less about the inner operations of an American police department than did Mother Theresa. The book moves and has a wealth of interesting dialogue (If this book had any more dialogue it would outdo George Higgins, and we surely don't want that).Who is killing all the homeless people, and why? That's the assignment given detective Brian McKenna. It's a good story where clues lead to more clues, and finally we discover through some interesting toxicology work just how the homeless are being killed.Mr. Mahoney is a retired NYC police captain, and thus knows how it all works. My criticism? The last 100 or so pages are stretched out too long; condensed to about 25 pages would have been just about right.

The beginning was sluggish, the characters needed development, and the action was okay. Needs more dialog. I'd recommend this book for anyone.

NYPD Brian Mckenna is back where he loves to be, working the streets as a detective. Brian, along with his partner, Maureen Kaplowitz, investigate the death of a homeless person. At first, it appears that the victim is just another one of the city's helpless, who happened to freeze to death in the bitter winter. However, based on Maureen's uncanny instincts, she and Brian notice a pattern to this death that matches similar recent on es of other homeless people all infected with the AIDs virus. Brian concludes that Hyde, an individual who has informed the police that he plans to off AIDs patients, is the culprit. Brian knows that he must quickly uncover the identity of the serial killer before more people di e in Hyde's seemingly complex acts of vengeance. HYDE is an excellent mixing of a serial killer who-doe-it with a police procedural that brings alive the mean streets of New York City. However, what makes Dan Mahoney's novel appear to be above most of the sub-genre is the author's uncanny ability to surface social issues such as AIDs and the homeless without being a liberal preacher. This novel and the two previous Mckenna novels (DETECTIVE FIRST GRADE and EDGE OF THE CITY) are all worth reading for their feel of the city that never sleeps. Harriet Klausner ----