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1st out of 17 books
—
3 voters
The Strangler
by
William Landay (Goodreads Author)
Boston, 1963. A city on edge. On street corners, newsboys hawk the shocking headline: KENNEDY IS DEAD. In the city’s underworld, a mob war rages. But what terrifies Bostonians most is the mysterious killer who has already claimed a dozen victims, a murderer whose name is indelibly linked to their city: the Boston Strangler. This is the electrifying backdrop of William Land...more
Hardcover, 400 pages
Published
January 30th 2007
by Delacorte Press
(first published January 1st 2007)
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This was writen before Defending Jacob and it is definitely in need of an editor. Spanning more than 400 pages, this crime thriller set in 1960s Boston comes up way short. Part 2 could be skipped entirely without much loss of understanding. The plot goes literally nowhere for 130 pages while the author indulges in ridiculous psychoanalysis of his major characters, the Daley brothers. He spends pages on the nature of a migraine headache, detailing every symptom over and over. Is this supposed to...more
I tried to get into this book because it's right up my alley. It's about the Boston Strangler who terrorized Boston in the 60's and the story centers around 3 Irish brothers : a cop, a thief, and a lawyer. That theme of the good brothers and the bad brothers has been done and redone. I know: it could be realistic, and we all know families who have a shining star and a black sheep. But when it feels forced, as this one does, then it doesn't matter whether it could be real, it feels like a stock s...more
I have to start off by saying that I was a little disappointed in this novel. William Landay's first novel was so suspenseful and I couldn't put it down, so I figured this one would be as suspenseful as that one. This novel follows the lives of three brothers, Joe, Michael, and Ricky Daley. Their father, a Boston police officer, was recently murdered on the job. All three brothers jobs revolve around the law; Joe, a police officer, Michael, a lawyer working for the attorney general, and Ricky, a...more
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Set in Boston during the time that the Boston Strangler was active, the book chronicles the affairs of the Daley family. This touches on the strangler investigation, as lawyer Michael Daly works on the investigation. Brother Joe Daly is a cop. And the other brother, Ricky, is a thief. They all become interested in who the strangler might be, after reporter Amy Ryan, Michael's girlfriend, is strangled. But is her death the work of the Strangler, or is it the work of someone who didn't like the in...more
Jan 23, 2012
Glenda Ricord
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-read-in-2012
Review of “The Strangler” by William Landay:
Mr. Landay has become one of my favorite mystery authors. He’s published 2 books so far with the third one to be released 1/31/12. His first effort was “Mission Flats”. It was terrific and won the Dagger Award for best debut crime novel in 2003.
“The Strangler” is set in Boston in 1963. The country is shaken by the recent assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Boston, in particular, is reeling from a rapist/murderer on the loose. Dubbed by the...more
Mr. Landay has become one of my favorite mystery authors. He’s published 2 books so far with the third one to be released 1/31/12. His first effort was “Mission Flats”. It was terrific and won the Dagger Award for best debut crime novel in 2003.
“The Strangler” is set in Boston in 1963. The country is shaken by the recent assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Boston, in particular, is reeling from a rapist/murderer on the loose. Dubbed by the...more
William Landay has written two books and this is the second. Landay does a decent job of weaving his plot around the mystery of the Boston Strangler, a mystery has never been conclusively solved. However, it left me feeling a bit manipulated and unsatisfied because I knew that he was staying as true to the facts as possible,and thus there could only be implications.
More interesting were the Daley brothers and their personal struggles during this time. The Strangler became a distraction or an irr...more
More interesting were the Daley brothers and their personal struggles during this time. The Strangler became a distraction or an irr...more
I really enjoyed this book. The Daley brothers are the main characters in this novel and they are well developed characters. Their lives become entangled with The Boston Strangler and the Italian mob which was growing in strength in Boston. The story is disturbing at times but does illustrate the love that brothers have for each other even if they are very different people. The feelings it created were very similar to those I had when I read "Mystic River".
This is the second book I have read by...more
This is the second book I have read by...more
The title of the book would have you believe that it's about the notorious 'Boston Strangler. However, that's not really the case. As with all of Landay's books, this one is about a family. The family in question here is the Daley family, specifically brothers Mikey (an assistant DA), Joe (a cop), and Ricky (a thief). The city of Boston in 1963 - including the Strangler case, JFK's assassination, and the construction of the central artery - serves as a backdrop to this family drama. So, while th...more
In general I don't care for crime/thriller/suspense novels, and this book exemplified the reason: too much description of gore and violence. It was rather horrifying. Also, some may find the language off-putting. I thought it was in the normal usage of the characters. However, there was a lot of foul language.
That being said, it was an interesting book: the stories of three brothers interwoven with the story of the Boston Strangler. I liked the ending, which always helps my impression of a book...more
That being said, it was an interesting book: the stories of three brothers interwoven with the story of the Boston Strangler. I liked the ending, which always helps my impression of a book...more
This is the same author that wrote, "Defending Jacob," which is my new fav book of all time- so I thought I would love The Strangler as well. However, I was really disappointed. The book took on two completely different story lines that were irrelevant to one another- one about a sadistic serial killer and one about a bunch of mobsters. Towards the end, they SORT of tie together...but not really. The characters had to actually EXPLAIN everything through a Q and A dialogue: what was happening, an...more
I LOVED Defending Jacob and quickly searched out all novels written by Landay. This book is just not as exciting as Defending Jacob. Landay is compared to another Boston writer, Denis Lehane, and rightly so. Defending Jacob hit all the right notes. There is just something a little flat with The Strangler tho. Never really found myself connecting with any of the three main characters here. Unlike Lehane's Mystic River, where the reader is riveted to the page and can smell the streets of Boston, L...more
Not perfect but still pretty good. A suspenseful tale of three Boston brothers - one a crooked cop, one a troubled D.A., one a freelance burglar - whose lives are crossed by corruption during the height of the Boston Strangler panic.
Landay lingers too much on the trivial details and glosses over some of the important ones. For instance, one character has the same argument with his mother at least three times, while the suspected Strangler, Albert deSalvo, shows up out of nowhere. However, so mu...more
Landay lingers too much on the trivial details and glosses over some of the important ones. For instance, one character has the same argument with his mother at least three times, while the suspected Strangler, Albert deSalvo, shows up out of nowhere. However, so mu...more
Truth be told, very little of this book is really about the Boston Strangler. The story of the Strangler (and the enduring suspicion that Albert deSalvo was not the real perpetrator) is merely a vehicle for telling the story of the Daley family, more particularly the three Daley brothers. One of them is a cop, one is a lawyer, and one is a burglar. The three of them tangle with each other, their mother, their mother's boyfriend (and close friend of their deceased father) and, just for good measu...more
I'll admit bias, here. I'm a Boston girl and work in the legal field-the Boston Strangler story still holds a terrible fascination for lot of local people, myself included. Mr. Landay's descriptions of the city as it must have been are spot-on. from my imagined view of the erstwhile West End, to the characters and general vibe of the city in the '60's...the writing is masterful, intertwining historical accuracy with fiction, to the point that I forgot which was which. Like his other work, the ch...more
Defending Jacob, Landay's most recent novel, was fantastic. I'm still thinking about it, in fact, still haunted by the creepiness of Jacob and the strength of the storytelling. Walking around in this pleasant book coma, I picked up The Strangler.
Well.
It's no Defending Jacob.
Although the book wasn't particularly long (I just finished Anna Karenina, and would have given Tolstoy another 300 pages, easily), it felt looooong. At one point, with NBC's haphazard coverage of the Olympics on the backgro...more
Well.
It's no Defending Jacob.
Although the book wasn't particularly long (I just finished Anna Karenina, and would have given Tolstoy another 300 pages, easily), it felt looooong. At one point, with NBC's haphazard coverage of the Olympics on the backgro...more
Murder and mayhem in 1960s Boston.
The story centers on the Daley brothers and how they are each affected by the events of 1963 through mid-1964 and their roles. With Joe Daley, the oldest Daley brother, we see his decline from a shady cop to becoming a crooked cop. Middle brother and lawyer Michael goes from being the weak link in the family to being the one everyone turns to for direction. Ricky, master burglar and youngest of the Daley clan, is the most mysterious of the brothers even at the e...more
The story centers on the Daley brothers and how they are each affected by the events of 1963 through mid-1964 and their roles. With Joe Daley, the oldest Daley brother, we see his decline from a shady cop to becoming a crooked cop. Middle brother and lawyer Michael goes from being the weak link in the family to being the one everyone turns to for direction. Ricky, master burglar and youngest of the Daley clan, is the most mysterious of the brothers even at the e...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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The Strangler was written before, but published after Defending Jacob, and I can see why. It is not nearly as tight of a read as Defending Jacob is. It seems the book could have been cut by at least 1/3.
That said, it is still not a bad read, and there are things that are quite good about it. First, Landay definitely has an ear for dialogue, and seems to nail the Boston and mob inflections. His scene descriptions are also artful. He may have been in need of a willing editor, but you can't say Wil...more
That said, it is still not a bad read, and there are things that are quite good about it. First, Landay definitely has an ear for dialogue, and seems to nail the Boston and mob inflections. His scene descriptions are also artful. He may have been in need of a willing editor, but you can't say Wil...more
I love Landay's books! Unlike other thrillers, Landay doesn't feel compelled to have the good guy win. It seems as if his perspective, which may come from his experience, is closer to the truth of "justice" in this country. For this reason, his endings are far less predictable. They are haunting for me. I also highly recommend Defending Jacob, and my most recent read, Mission Flats. In fact I may have liked these a bit better than The Strangler. Can't put these books down.
Interesting read. Boston of the 1960s. Always thought it was a corrupt place. This book, although fiction, sure seems to support that hypothesis.
Ugly police shenanigans, but believable! Three Irish brothers whose father and oldest brother are somewhat corrupt cops. Both get their just reward but you know it is coming. Their killer get his by being conked on the head and then pile driven into the foundation of a new building. All very "mobby", but entertaining!
Ugly police shenanigans, but believable! Three Irish brothers whose father and oldest brother are somewhat corrupt cops. Both get their just reward but you know it is coming. Their killer get his by being conked on the head and then pile driven into the foundation of a new building. All very "mobby", but entertaining!
This was a fun read...albeit being about the Boston Strangler! It's well written, moves right along, and has some interesting characters. The plot is based around a family of brothers who are involved with police work and crime from all sides. Boston and the Boston Strangler are the backdrop to their story. It's very Dennis Lehane-like, which is considerably different from his more recent novel, Defending Jacob. A good read from a local (read: Boston) author.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is a good book. I came to it a bit hesitant once I realized it was the same author from "Defending Jacob", a book I really liked but that did a number on me conscience wise. I like Mr. Landay's writing, but the moral dilemmas he presents in his stories make me think a little too much, hence don't make me the best person to review his books.
Bottom line, great fictional story with a great degree of reality brought into the mix. If you are a fan of crime stories this is a must read.
Bottom line, great fictional story with a great degree of reality brought into the mix. If you are a fan of crime stories this is a must read.
set in boston during the time that the boston strangler was active, the book chronicles the affairs of the daley family. this touches on the strangler investigation, as lawyer michael daly works on the investigation. brother joe daly is a cop. and the other brother, ricky, is a thief. they all become interested in who the strangler might be, after reporter amy ryan, michael's girlfriend, is strangled. but is her death the work of the strangler, or is it the work of someone who didn't like the in...more
This book had an interesting point of view regarding the times (1960's). I thought it was a good take on the mob in Boston at that time and the involvement of the police, etc. It was a pretty brutal look at some pretty brutal stuff.
Not the kind of book I usually read, but I did enjoy the mystery of the strangler and the way the detectives operated in trying to solve the murders.
Not the kind of book I usually read, but I did enjoy the mystery of the strangler and the way the detectives operated in trying to solve the murders.
Pretty entertaining and lots of mystery solving throughout the book. I liked the reference to the real serial killer, The Boston Strangler, but I also liked the personal aspects they took on around the Daley family. Although I wouldn't say Boston in the 1960s is my favorite time period to read about -- also the police aspect and being in Bahstan was a little too much for me -- it gave some historical perspective (right after Kennedy was shot) and I got some suspense in there.
I like Landay's style and the familiar Boston settings of his books. The brothers are well drawn and believable. I really enjoyed the in depth look at the pursuit of the Boston strangler and the possibility that they didn't catch the right guy. It was an inventive plot device. Having said all that, I thought the ending was predictable and disappointing.
Very well written. The story of 3 Irish brothers in 1960's Boston...one lawyer, one cop and one burglar. Set against the Boston Strangler and the Kennedy assassination. One reviewer likened The Strangler to Mystic River. For me, it was at least as good as Mystic River (and The Departed), if not better. Would make an excellent movie. Well done.
Read Defending Jacob and liked the writing, so decided to explore Landay's other titles. The concept of this book was intriguing. Living in Boston, I really like the location details, etc. Good characters that i could see in a movie version. The book feels like it goes on a little longer than necessary would be my one complaint.
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William Landay is the author of the New York Times bestseller Defending Jacob. Previous novels include Mission Flats, winner of the Dagger Award for best debut crime novel, and The Strangler, which was an L.A. Times favorite crime novel and nominated for the Strand Magazine Critics Award as best crime novel of the year.
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“It was a limitation of human consciousness: We live only in the future and past, we cannot perceive now. Now occupies no space, a hypothetical gap between future and past. Only an exceptional few could feel now athletes and jazzmen and, yes, thieves...”
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