Winter of the Wolf Moon: An Alex McKnight Mystery (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries)

That's where Steve Hamilton's "Winter of the Wolf Moon" takes place--just across The Bridge from my home. And I'm sitting here by my fire, reading this book, thinking that Alex McKnight could be my next door neighbor, the one with the small cabins and far too many snowmobiles screaming on the cold night air. I know those Indians, those casinos, and even the bars with the fireplaces and greasy hamburgers.I didn't relate too well to the plot, I guess: I couldn't figure out why Dorothy Parrish had all those men chasing her around, including Alex. I didn't understand the presence of Molinov, or why a Russian was sitting in the middle of a Northern Michigan lake in an ice shanty, jigging with corpses and plugging his own men.But somehow, I didn't care. The action was exciting, and Steve Hamilton's sense of place and detail and his excellent prose style kept me sitting right there by my fire, finishing this novel in one sitting while outside the snowmobiles roared through the night.

The only problem with this series is that Mr. Hamilton cannot possibly write the books fast enough to keep me happy! Once again he evokes my home territory with love and with fear- his descriptions of the weather and its effects on his human characters are dead on perfect. This is a man to watch because his books are just going to get better and better. I am just waiting to see how he handles an Upper Peninsula summer because he wrote so well of the awful winters we have that I actually turned the heat up in the house as I read the book.

Steve Hamilton returns with another of Alex McKnight's "adventures" in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. McKnight is abrasive and arrogant at times but has the most endearing quality about him -- he's a real good friend. The thing that sets Hamilton's books apart from all the other mystery/thrillers out there is the setting. His descriptions of the cold weather are unparelleled. In this book, Alex takes a ride on a snowmobile and "he isn't exactly the driver." He ends up in the hospital a few times but readers of this series know that you can't keep Alex McKnight down. In the first book, A Cold Day in Paradise, we learn of Alex' expertise in the field of baseball. In this book, he's a hockey goalie. Maybe he'll be a downhill skier in the next book. This is a quick read and a rewarding one. Hamilton is a terrific writer and doesn't lose you for one minute. He doesn't disappoint his fans with this second book.

If you had the good fortune to read Steve Hamilton's Edgar Award Winning first book, "A Cold Day in Paradise", then you will certainly want to get this one. The very likeable character of Alex McKnight returns, and once again Steve Hamilton will hook you from the first few pages and keep you there until the very end. If you are looking for a new author with a fresh approach to the mystery genre, then Steve Hamilton will not dissapoint you. The characters, story line, and description of the settings are outstanding.