Helpful Score: 5
WOW ! Got this cause the reviews were so good. They did not lie ! A really great first novel. If you like the genre this is the advent of a new talent right up there with Parker and Patterson. Just put his others on my list and cannot wait to reaqd them.
Kathleen T. (katiecurtis) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 15 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
great detective mystery!, the first of a series.
Kristina E. (tazzcat625) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 100 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Excellent detective story. Great book!
Helpful Score: 3
This is the first in the Alex McKnight series. He's an ex-cop who unwillingly becomes a private investigator. The story line is good and keeps you interested.
Katherine T. (KathyDawg) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 121 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Very good Book! Hated for it to end.
Tim C. (mysterywriter) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 142 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Hamilton won both the Edgar and Shamus awards for best first novel, and it's easy to see why. This is a classic private eye novel set in an unlikely location. Alex McKnight is part Lucas Davenport, part Matthew Scudder. The story flows smoothly, all the action, dialogue, descriptions, everything that needs to be there is there. It's 271 pages of pure private eye mystery, nothing extra to fluff up the book to 400 pages. Perfect as it stands. I'm going to read more from Hamilton. Hopefully it's this good.
Chelsey R. (Chezriff) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 147 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Enjoyed!!! Looking forward to reading another book by this author.
Helpful Score: 3
I have found a great new author in Steve Hamilton - this is the 5th book of his that I have read and I love them all. His repeat of the character Alex McNight and the area in the upper peninsula where his character lives creates such a great backdrop for his stories. I would highly suggest his books for reading!
Helpful Score: 2
Steve Hamilton at his best. If you love the UP of Michigan, this is a must read.
Helpful Score: 1
A must for all PI and susprnce fans.
Helpful Score: 1
Very good book, especially enjoyed it being about a place I had just visited last year. The characters are interesting and there are very good plot twists.
Katherine I. (Katz47) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I really liked this book
Penny T. (iluvmysteries) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 431 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Award winning PI mystery - a little too violent for my tastes.
Helpful Score: 1
A real page-turner and the start of a popular PI series that now numbers ten novels. This one tells the story of how a former Detroit police detective came to be living on disability running a group of cottages on the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Author Steve Hamilton won BOTH the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards for Best First Novel for A Cold Day in Paradise, as he proved he knows how to create memorable characters and fashion an ingenious plot.
I'm not giving away anything to say there's a crazed psychopath in this story. And I usually hate that lazy plot device. Why does a murder mystery author need to provide motivation if his killer is cray-cray? But this book is FAR more than another episode of Criminal Minds.
I'd advise you not to start this puzzler if you have responsibilities to attend to.
Author Steve Hamilton won BOTH the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards for Best First Novel for A Cold Day in Paradise, as he proved he knows how to create memorable characters and fashion an ingenious plot.
I'm not giving away anything to say there's a crazed psychopath in this story. And I usually hate that lazy plot device. Why does a murder mystery author need to provide motivation if his killer is cray-cray? But this book is FAR more than another episode of Criminal Minds.
I'd advise you not to start this puzzler if you have responsibilities to attend to.
Helpful Score: 1
mystery ..good plot ...characters and atmosphere very real..enjoyed
Helpful Score: 1
Very good first novel, set in Michigan's upper peninsula.
Eileen S. (leenyri) -
Helpful Score: 1
This is a great book for all! Not only is this a quick read but it has sections that are laugh out loud moments!! Get this one!
Helpful Score: 1
Yes, Alex McKnight was an athlete in his youth--but a minor league baseball player, not a top pro forced out by injury. And yes, he was a cop in Detroit before he moved up to the town of Paradise on the shores of Lake Superior--but even this overused genre icon is made believable by the details of a particularly bloody shootout. In Paradise, Alex runs a hunting camp built by his late father and only drifts into private investigations because of two friends, a persuasive lawyer and a local millionaire with a gambling problem who needs his help. When two bookmakers are murdered and the millionaire disappears, all the signs point to the psychopath who killed McKnight's partner and left a slug near Alex's heart 14 years before.
Vivian Q. (bellasgranny) -
Helpful Score: 1
First book in a series starring Alex McNight, a former police officer wounded in the line of duty, and set in Upper Michigan. This is a new author for me, I ordered it based on the reviews here and was not disappointed. Great characters and supporting characters, and setting. You can feel the snow and the icy rain seeping into your body. Can't wait to read the other books in the series. Highly recommended.
Easy reading, good writing and character development
Love the Alex McNight character and this book was full of suspense with a great storyline.
This book definitely deserves all of the awards it has won. If you are looking for a great, quick mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. Read this! Hamilton rocks.
Great read
Sharon B. (bighairtexan) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 32 more book reviews
I really ordered this book as a kind of "throw away" to take on vacation to the beach. I was pleasantly surprised.
I was drawn to the main character, Alex McKnight, as well as the supporting cast. Nicely crafted story too. Usually I can see the the ending of a mystery (twists or no twists) a mile in advance. Though I had an inkling of what was going on it DID come as a surprise to me. I'll be looking for more Alex McKnight mysteries by Steve Hamilton.
I rarely review a book. And I REALLY rarely give 5 stars. This one really tweaked my interest.
I was drawn to the main character, Alex McKnight, as well as the supporting cast. Nicely crafted story too. Usually I can see the the ending of a mystery (twists or no twists) a mile in advance. Though I had an inkling of what was going on it DID come as a surprise to me. I'll be looking for more Alex McKnight mysteries by Steve Hamilton.
I rarely review a book. And I REALLY rarely give 5 stars. This one really tweaked my interest.
Just started reading S. Hamilton novels. A Cold Day In Paradise is the first I've read. Enjoyed it very much and now have four more of his books on the way from PBS. I am from a small town in northern Minn. and can relate to the great descriptions of the weather and country surroundings. Tough country, a good rugged character and a plot with a lot of action. A very good read.
Excellent book by wonderful author
Sandra (mycatscanread) -
Alex McKnight is a retired police officer who still carries a bullet from an on-duty gunshot wound an inch from his heart. His partner was killed, and Alex still feels guilt over his death. Retired to a cabin in the woods, Alex is summoned to the scene of a horrific crime and soon realizes that other murders are occuring that carry the same signature...a red rose...that was left by the man who killed his partner and shot Alex. The only problem is that this man is locked away in prison.
I found this book to be very intriguing, but certain parts were predictable. I didn't figure out who did the crimes, though. It's an award-winning book, and the first in a series featuring Alex McKnight, so I am taking the chance on the second in the series.
Mystery/crime/detective lovers should enjoy this.
I found this book to be very intriguing, but certain parts were predictable. I didn't figure out who did the crimes, though. It's an award-winning book, and the first in a series featuring Alex McKnight, so I am taking the chance on the second in the series.
Mystery/crime/detective lovers should enjoy this.
Jann B. (urrican) -
First in a great series that takes place in the C-O-L-D of Michigan's Upper Penninsula. Alex McKnight is a former Detroit police office, recouperating in the North Woods from injuries acquired in a shoot-out that left his partner dead.
Calmia Y. (underwriter) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 219 more book reviews
Really Good keeps you turnng pages
Jane C. B. (janebbooks) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 86 more book reviews
Although I haven't read this book, it did win an Edgar Award for best first mystery/thriller novel by an American author in 1999.
Good story, very quick read -- simple stuff, really. Good twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Having met Steve Hamilton at an author event at my local independent bookstore, I knew I would have to read one of his books. There's a lot to like about A Cold Day in Paradise, and I can see why it won the awards it did. The setting is excellent and really gives readers a feel for life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The writing is marvelous, too, and really pulled me into the story as well as leaving me with several quotes that are stuck in my mind. (How about the one describing the man who left a bullet next to McKnight's heart? "I looked into his eyes. It was like looking down a mine shaft and seeing all the way down to hell.") The scene describing McKnight and his partner getting shot is particularly gripping.
I also liked the mystery. It's complex and certainly not easy to solve, although if you tend to be a reader who insists that all loose ends are tied up, the resolution may not be quite your cup of tea.
As I said, there's a lot to like about A Cold Day in Paradise. My problem is... I never really warmed up to Alex McKnight. To me, he's a bit of a wuss, and my opinion began to be formed when he and his partner were still alive. Of course, I have to be honest and admit that I have no earthly clue how I would react under the exact same trauma, but in all fairness, my feelings do not center completely on McKnight and his bullet. I won't go into detail because I want to avoid spoilers.
Since I'm not entirely sure that I want to read another McKnight mystery, I think the next Steve Hamilton novel I will read will be The Lock Artist. I look forward to it. The man knows how to write.
I also liked the mystery. It's complex and certainly not easy to solve, although if you tend to be a reader who insists that all loose ends are tied up, the resolution may not be quite your cup of tea.
As I said, there's a lot to like about A Cold Day in Paradise. My problem is... I never really warmed up to Alex McKnight. To me, he's a bit of a wuss, and my opinion began to be formed when he and his partner were still alive. Of course, I have to be honest and admit that I have no earthly clue how I would react under the exact same trauma, but in all fairness, my feelings do not center completely on McKnight and his bullet. I won't go into detail because I want to avoid spoilers.
Since I'm not entirely sure that I want to read another McKnight mystery, I think the next Steve Hamilton novel I will read will be The Lock Artist. I look forward to it. The man knows how to write.
Great story, great character. Everything I have read on writing or creating characters rings true for Alex McKnight. Give them flaws, send them up a tree and then throw rocks at them. A new unique character that Mr. Hamilton created I'll be looking to read more of the series.
Love the setting, which is a character unto itself. Getting cliche to have a retired PI in LA or NY or Chicago. G
Good action and just good writing, period.
Love the setting, which is a character unto itself. Getting cliche to have a retired PI in LA or NY or Chicago. G
Good action and just good writing, period.
Michelle H. (beekers24) -
Fast read...good book for a long, cold blustery Michigan Winter!!
Kevin G. (2littletime) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 57 more book reviews
Always looking for a new mystery/thriller author and found "A Cold Day in Paradise" the first in the Alex McKnight series by Steve Hamilton to be an enjoyable read. I can say a lot of it seemed to be an old throw back book in a detective/PI series, the kind my Mom used to read such as a Mickey Spillane type. For some reason it didn't seem to be all that modern, as it said in this book that Alex McKnight was born in 1950. Too there was mention of pay phones which in this day of age are hard to find. Still I found the pages to flow easily and did find myself intrigued by the whole story of a madman "Rose" who years ago had shot McKnight's partner dead and left McKnight to carry a bullet next to his heart for the rest of life wanting to forge forward in my book to know more. I can say some of it was predictable, but for a first time writer it was good fare, and I understand Steve Hamilton won the Edgar and Shamus awards for best first novel. I can say I like my main characters believable and can say Alex McKnight former Detroit cop is not without his flaws! All in all it sets up the main character and gets us acquainted with him and his surroundings. In the end it has some nice just enough to make me want to continue on, and in the near future will look for #2 in the series.
A fun easy read. I recommend it.
The series is great, it's a private eye noir set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where summers are short and winters are brutal and cold. I really enjoy the series, but our poor protagonist never seems to catch a break or have a good time. Despite that, this book, and the series is certainly worth reading.
The series is great, it's a private eye noir set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where summers are short and winters are brutal and cold. I really enjoy the series, but our poor protagonist never seems to catch a break or have a good time. Despite that, this book, and the series is certainly worth reading.
Very easy read. Read it quickly
I like mysteries and I live in Michigan so I enjoyed the scenery as the tale unfolded. I have already ordered his next book. My only concern was that the hero, the detective seemed to me to be a little wimpy.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The bullet has been lodged next to Alex McKnight's heart for fourteen years now, the police officer who was his partner is fourteen years dead, and the borderline psycho named Rose, who shot them both, has been shut up in the state penitentiary since he was caught a year later. So how is it that in a small town named Paradise, on the shore of Lake Superior on Michigan's Northern Peninsula, the man named Rose seems to be stalking Alex McKnight? There is no doubt that Rose is still in prison - he has neither seen nor spoken to anyone on the "outside" in all these years. But McKnight, returning to his cabin in the woods late one night, finds a rose - the killer's calling card - in the snow at his doorstep. He'd been called out earlier by Edwin Fulton, a wealthy acquaintance and a compulsive gambler, who unilaterally thinks of McKnight as his "best friend." Fulton had gone to a local motel to pay off a bookmaker and found the man murdered with his throat cut. In his panic, he called ex-cop McKnight to extricate him. The bookmaker's murder is only the first of what becomes a series of killings, and Fulton's domineering and semihysterical mother engages McKnight, now a private detective, to ensure her son's safety. McKnight accepts the job reluctantly, knowing he will suffer the recriminations of Fulton's beautiful, dissatisfied wife, with whom he had a brief liaison. And all the while, there are the constant reminders that, impossible as it seems, somewhere nearby is Rose - his namesake flower at McKnight's door, his ghostly phone calls, his insane letters that remind the ex-cop of things done and words said that only McKnight and the killer could know. It's a double mystery that plagues Alex McKnight - how could Rose be in Paradise, and what is he planning to do to Alex?
The bullet has been lodged next to Alex McKnight's heart for fourteen years now, the police officer who was his partner is fourteen years dead, and the borderline psycho named Rose, who shot them both, has been shut up in the state penitentiary since he was caught a year later. So how is it that in a small town named Paradise, on the shore of Lake Superior on Michigan's Northern Peninsula, the man named Rose seems to be stalking Alex McKnight? There is no doubt that Rose is still in prison - he has neither seen nor spoken to anyone on the "outside" in all these years. But McKnight, returning to his cabin in the woods late one night, finds a rose - the killer's calling card - in the snow at his doorstep. He'd been called out earlier by Edwin Fulton, a wealthy acquaintance and a compulsive gambler, who unilaterally thinks of McKnight as his "best friend." Fulton had gone to a local motel to pay off a bookmaker and found the man murdered with his throat cut. In his panic, he called ex-cop McKnight to extricate him. The bookmaker's murder is only the first of what becomes a series of killings, and Fulton's domineering and semihysterical mother engages McKnight, now a private detective, to ensure her son's safety. McKnight accepts the job reluctantly, knowing he will suffer the recriminations of Fulton's beautiful, dissatisfied wife, with whom he had a brief liaison. And all the while, there are the constant reminders that, impossible as it seems, somewhere nearby is Rose - his namesake flower at McKnight's door, his ghostly phone calls, his insane letters that remind the ex-cop of things done and words said that only McKnight and the killer could know. It's a double mystery that plagues Alex McKnight - how could Rose be in Paradise, and what is he planning to do to Alex?
Ofelia F. (liamirel) reviewed A Cold Day In Paradise (Alex McKnight, Bk 1) on + 75 more book reviews
Other than the bullet lodged less that a centimeter form his heart, former Detroit police officer Alex McKnight thought he had put the nightmare of his partner's death and his own near fatal injury behind him. After all, Maximilian Rose, convicted of the crimes, has been locked in the state pen for years. But in the small town of Paradise,Michigan, where McKnight has traded his badge for a cozy cabin in the woods, a murderer with Rose's unmistakeable tradmarks appears to be back to his killing ways. With Rose locked away, McKnight can't understand who else would know the intimate details of the old murders-not to mention the signature blood-red rose left on his doorstep. And it seem like it will be a frozen day in Hell before McKnight can unravel the cold truth from a deadly deception in a town that's anything but Paradise.
