Eyes of the Dead by Adam Netherlund

[AstoundingBruce]

This was a fun read with some pulse-pounding suspense and a few surprises along the way. While slow in spots, it was, on the whole, enjoyable, and the ending was most gratifying.

The Gardens is easily the most corrupt city this side of Gotham. Like Gotham city, the Gardens has a glorious past that is now overshadowed by crime and grime. You won't find any caped crusaders here, but you will find police detective Joseph Berlin.

Some of the elements of this book are a bit cliched, such as Berlin's struggle with alcohol and eventually being taken off the case. And some of those cliches are made satisfyingly right by the time you get to the end of the story. There is also just a hint of the supernatural at work, which adds to the fun.

A word of warning: If you are not a fan of cliffhanger endings, do not read this book! While it does tell a complete story, it is the first installment of a series. The events for book two begin immediately after the resolution of this story. While that may bother some, I can hardly wait to read how Berlin gets out of this one. Four out of five stars!

[Dr. Drib]

Here's a link to Amazon (US):

http://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Dead-Susp...dam+Netherlund