Uneven Thriller | Midnight Rambler: A Novel of Suspense

Should have been better | Midnight Rambler: A Novel of Suspense | James Swain

books:


	• Midnight Rambler: A Novel of Suspense James Swain Ballantine Books, 2007 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 60 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Loved this book

I have read all of Mr. Swain's Tony Valentine books and enjoyed each of them. Then I picked up Midnight Rambler. What a surprise! The subject matter of this book is quite a departure from the Tony Valentine books. And while the other books were interesting, I found this book riveting. The pace never slowed, the characters were fascinating and the plot was creative yet totally believable. If you love thrillers you won't be disappointed with this book.

Uneven Thriller

Midnight Rambler appears to be the first of a series featuring Jack Carpenter, a disgraced ex-cop, almost broke PI, who has a talent for finding "lost" children. The locale is the well worked ground of Southern Florida. Jack is a likeable protagonist - loving husband (although estranged from his wife), father (college age daughter) and dog owner (said dog borders on being a "partner" joining Jack on every road trip). Jack has a sense of humor, a temper, an exercise regimen, a set of seedy friends and enough "connections" to keep him informed or provide back-up and special favors when necessary. The plot revolves around the villain/case that sent Jack from the Police Dept. with his tail between his legs and now he has a chance to redeem himself. So all the formulaic "private eye bases" are covered.

First the bad news. The plausibility factor is at times stretched beyond belief - the "bad guy", (with a genius IQ), manipulates the justice system, its associated players and his henchmen with an expertise that borders on farce. Poor Jack with his "past" is constantly fighting an uphill battle in the credibility department with no one giving him the benefit of the doubt until the end.

The good news is that there are some extremely entertaining and poignant vignettes - for instance a kidnapping attempt at Disney World and the advice/solution Jack gives/provides to wealthy parents about the "disappearance" of their daughter.

Part of my "problem" with this book was the expectation level I had based on the previous reviews. Midnight Rambler is not a bad book - I just didn't find it a great thriller - simply an "average" one.

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Should have been better

This book was disappointing. I liked the main character, I liked his dog, I liked a couple of his low life buddies, but the plot needs work. The best part of the book was when Carpenter was finding missing children. The Disney world section was great. Those were the only sections with real detective work going on.

But the main plot line about the all-powerful, all knowing serial killer gang was not well written. Also, I hate plot lines where the police(and the media)just hate the hero and believe the killer for no good reason. There were too many opportunities for the hero to catch the bad guys and he lets them get away. I was tired of the story way before it was finished.

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Explosive. Pulse-pounding. Heart-racing. From the bestselling author The Wall Street Journal hails as ?one terrific writer,? Midnight Rambler is the breakout thriller of the year?a brawny, brainy novel of suspense that pairs James Swain?s trademark smooth-as-silk prose with a plot bigger and bolder than anything he?s done before.

In South Florida, Jack Carpenter is infamous. He?s the cop who busted the notorious serial killer Simon Skell?aka the Midnight Rambler?and sacrificed his badge and marriage in the process. Haunted by the Skell case, Carpenter now works as an abduction specialist in Fort Lauderdale, reuniting families with their missing children.

But the body of one of the Midnight Rambler?s victims has just been uncovered?and forensic evidence suggests Carpenter jailed the wrong man. With Skell just days away from release, the tarnished hero must reopen the case that shattered his life and the lives of eight murdered women.

As waves of heat and rain wash over the steamy streets, Carpenter races against the clock to reaffirm the case against Skell. Yet the deeper he digs, the more he starts to realize that Skell is just one piece in a terrifying puzzle of predation and murder, just one player in a shocking conspiracy that ranges across the state of Florida. And as the relentless Carpenter draws the net tighter, his enemies prepare to spring a devastating final surprise.

From the seaside bar that Jack Carpenter calls home to the glittering tourist kingdom in Orlando to the funky jungle of Coconut Grove, James Swain unleashes a wild ride into the heart of evil?with the Rolling Stones? ?Midnight Rambler? as the throbbing, terrifying soundtrack.

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