The Blue Hour

I typically get all fired up and write a review on a book I can't stand. I'm finally writing one for a book I loved. This is one marvelous read. It works wonderfully as a thriller but it's the depth of the characters that really makes this a special book. On top of that Parker has a great way of creatively moving the story along that keeps you guessing right up to the end. Merci Rayborn's character is not very likeable yet she never becomes annoying. She's argumentative and abrasive and completely tactless and non political but the truth is that I know many people just like that...including me! She often say's just what I had been thinking. I was hoping that she would grow up a little bit and be less self absorbed, sort of my wish for myself as well. I found this book after discoving T Jefferson Parker with Silent Joe, which I also loved, and I've become a confirmed fan! He is truly gifted and it'll be fun to continue reading his books.

Detective Merci Rayborn is smart, talented, ambitious, and also very rough around the edges. By Sheriff Department standards she's pretty unpopular, and does not work or play well with others. Retired detective, Tim Hess, has seen it all and then some during his forty plus years on the job. Three times divorced and fighting lung cancer, he's back on the payroll as a full-time consultant. He needs the benefits. This unlikely, mismatched team is hand picked to catch the "Purse Snatcher", a serial killer who abducts attractive women from Orange County malls, leaving behind only their purses and lots of blood in remote locations. With no bodies or other forensic evidence, and very little else to go on, Hess and Rayborn dig deep, working every conceivable angle to draw this killer out in the open, and hopefully push him to make a mistake..... T Jefferson Parker has written a masterpiece of suspense that grabs you from page one and never lets go. The writing is crisp, vivid, and intelligent, and the dialogue rings true. His intricate and compelling plot cleverly twists and turns, keeping the reader off-balance and guessing, and is filled with intense, riveting scenes. Mr Parker's indepth knowledge of Southern California, law enforcement, and police procedures adds real credibility to the story. But it's his brilliant characterizations that make this thriller stand out and sparkle. These are well defined, real people, sometimes heroic and well-meaning, often flawed and chasing their own internal demons, and Parker breathes life into even the most minor of characters. The Blue Hour is the first book of a superb series that just gets better with each installment, and those who have not yet met Merci Rayborn should begin here, at the beginning, and read them all.

This is the first time I've had the pleasure of reading one of Parker's books. I was impressed. This was not only a riveting and complex murder mystery, but the choice of two very opposite lead characters was a masterful stroke. Tim Hess, a 67 yr. old semi-retired detective is in the twilight of his life. He's recovered from surgery for lung cancer and is undergoing a very draining course of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Merci Rayborn is in her 30's, a brash,ambitious offficer who is having some problems in the Department after filing a long overdue sexual harassment charge against a fellow cop. Tim's boss asks him to work with Merci on a missing persons case where the only clues found are the victims' purses, blood soaked ground, and parts of human intestines--but no bodies. Merci lays down the ground rules. It's her case and she's in charge. As the two gradually mesh together, Tim tries to help Merci by giving her the benefits of his years of experience. At first, all she sees is a dying older cop she's been partnered with, but her growth begins as she comes to know and admire him for his vast knowledge and dedication to the job and his courage in dealing with his illness. Merci soon finds herself enjoying Tim's company, sharing meals and offtime with him, and looking at him with new respect and genuine affection. Their relationship is one of the aspects that sets this story apart from other serial murder mysteries. THE BLUE HOUR should go to the top of your reading list if you enjoy an unusual and innovative thriller, with an ending that leaves you with a lump in your throat and an appreciation of a well written keeper to add to your collection of outstanding books.

T Jefferson Parker had me hooked with his previous book, Where Serpents Lie, and The Blue Hour does not disappoint. It is truly a super thriller with an edge of your seat ending. One of the things I like about the characters in Jeff Parker's books are their real human traits and the struggles they go through to overcome the circumstances facing them. You will want to read The Blue Hour in one sitting if you can stay sitting from the tension in the end.

When I bought The Blue Hour, I had only read one other of Parker's book, Where Serpents Lie, and considered it quite good. The Blue Hour is superb. The plot is well constructed and twisty; every page holds your attention. The characters are so real, you can see them and feel for them. It's definitely a one sit reading and not for the squeamish.