Mystery Book Spot is pleased to announce a new contest. Peter Spiegelman’s Red Cat. Here is my review.
What is Red Cat about?
With a troubled past, and a job that attracts too much attention from the law, March has always been the black sheep of his staid merchant-banking family. Which makes the identity of his latest client all the more surprising: his smug older brother David.
David is desperate and deeply scared, and with good reason: a woman he met on the Internet, and then for several torrid sexual encounters, is stalking him. David knows her only as Wren, but she seems to know everything about him—and she’s threatening to tell all to his wife and to his colleagues. His marriage, his career, and his reputation at stake, David wants John to find the woman and warn her off. Reeling from these revelations, John begins the search for Wren, and what he finds both alarms and fascinates him. Part actress, part playwright, part performance-artist and noir pornographer, Wren is a powerfully compelling mystery—though no more so, John discovers, than his own brother.But when a body surfaces in the East River, March suddenly finds he’s no longer searching for a stalker. Now he’s hunting a killer—and following a trail that leads ever closer to David’s door…
What are others saying about Red Cat?
S.J. Rozan, author of In This Rain wrote:
“”If Peter Spiegelman’s story of sibling entanglements and an internet hook-up gone bad didn’t yank me right in which it did and if his characters weren’t vivid and his dialogue pitch-perfect—which they are—I’d still read him for his chisel-sharp prose. In Red Cat Spiegelman reaches a new peak. Don’t miss it.”"
Christopher Reich, author of The Patriots Club wrote:
“”Red Cat is the best mystery I’ve read in a long time. Taut, gritty, and beautifully written, the story moves along at a relentless clip. But Spiegelman’s greatest talent—and what sets him far above his contemporaries—can be found in his evocation of character. John March is one of the great fictional PI’s of the past decade. Conflicted, sympathetic, and brilliantly brought to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it is my pleasure to heartily recommend it.”"
Joseph Finder, author of Killer Instinct wrote:
“”Peter Spiegelman is one of the finest PI writers around, and Red Cat is his edgiest and most accomplished work yet. The plot unfolds at breakneck speed, the twists are startling, the climax wrenching, and the writing is flat-out beautiful. But beyond these considerable pleasures, Spiegelman has crafted a nuanced and satisfying novel about siblings, marriages, and self-created prisons. It’s a story that stays with you, and if you haven’t discovered Spiegelman and PI John March yet, you’re missing something great.”"
Don Winslow, author of The Winter of Frankie Machine wrote:
“”Red Cat is totally seductive—smart, sharp, with an undercurrent of tension that runs like a subterranean stream beneath the city.”"
Ken Bruen, author of The Killing of the Tinkers wrote:
“In Red Cat, Spiegelman has created the ultimate femme fatale. Wren is one of the most alluring, lethal, fascinating women to come along in over a decade. The novel is also a heart-wrenching study of family dysfunction with all its twisted love, buried simmering resentment and misplaced loyalty. This novel literally seethes. The third outing of John March moves Spiegelman into the top bracket of mystery’s elite, the rare number who are indeed a must read.”
Kirkus Reviews wrote:
“…call[s] to mind the work of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. Gritty atmosphere and clever plotting enhance a fine addition to the noir tradition.”
Publishers Weekly wrote:
“[Spiegelman] continues to be one of today’s best practitioners of neo-noir.”
Booklist wrote:
“…Spiegelman stakes a strong claim to Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder turf.”
Library Journal wrote:
“…believably complex and full of shocking twists. Highly recommended.”
Who Can Win?
Open to all FBS Members.
How do you Win?
Send me a PM with Red Cat as the subject and you are entered.
What is the deadline?
Send your PM anytime before March 23rd. The winner will be randomly selected and announced soon after.
