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The Chicago Way (Michael Kelly #1)
by
Michael Harvey (Goodreads Author)
From the co-creator and executive producer of the television show Cold Case Files, a fast-paced, stylish murder mystery featuring a tough-talking Irish cop turned private investigator who does for the city of Chicago what Elmore Leonard did for Detroit and Raymond Chandler did for Los Angeles.
Chicago private investigator Michael Kelly is hired by his former partner, John G...more
Chicago private investigator Michael Kelly is hired by his former partner, John G...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
August 21st 2007
by Knopf
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It may be Michael Harvey's debut novel, but it reads like a classic crime story. I hadn't intended to start a new book today; I intended even less to finish it. I picked up The Chicago Way as a quick distraction, imagining that I would read a few pages and then put it down for a few years until I had the time again. Instead, I found myself flying through the pages and finishing the book in a few hours.
Michael Kelly, a former Chicago cop and current private detective, is hired by h...more
Michael Kelly, a former Chicago cop and current private detective, is hired by h...more
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Toni
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone familiar with Chicago, lovers of classic noir mysteries
Recommended to Toni by:
My local independent book store--www.readbetweenthelynes.com
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Cool title, cool cover art... Maybe the worst book I have ever read. I'm generally pretty forgiving and easy to please with anything either crime noir or Chicago-centric but this was so bad that my mouth was sweating the entire twenty-five minutes it took me to read it.
The book is written as though the author visited the city for a convention, went to a Cubs game, drank a few MGD 64s at one of the meat head bars in Wrigleyville,then went a few blocks over to Boystown for action on...more
The book is written as though the author visited the city for a convention, went to a Cubs game, drank a few MGD 64s at one of the meat head bars in Wrigleyville,then went a few blocks over to Boystown for action on...more
Ably read by Stephen Hoye who brings just the right amount of bemused detachment and cynicism to the character. Ex-cop Michael Kelly is now a P.I. whose former partner shows up at his door and tells about a case he wants to hire Kelly to work on, a rape that was being covered up by his superiors.
Let me say that while I liked this book, there were some things that just didn’t fit or seemed implausible: the blackmail, the raped hooker from an original crime, the killings that seemed to ...more
Let me say that while I liked this book, there were some things that just didn’t fit or seemed implausible: the blackmail, the raped hooker from an original crime, the killings that seemed to ...more
I bought The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey several months ago because Amazon had it on sale for cheap. I’m glad I did.
Most fictional detectives have sad lives and hard upbringings. It seems this is a prerequisite for becoming a good fictional detective. Harvey’s private investigator protagonist, Michael Kelly, is has a life filled with next level sadness. As I said to my wife, the best way to describe how rough Kelly’s life has been is that he’s a White detective in Chicago whose l...more
Most fictional detectives have sad lives and hard upbringings. It seems this is a prerequisite for becoming a good fictional detective. Harvey’s private investigator protagonist, Michael Kelly, is has a life filled with next level sadness. As I said to my wife, the best way to describe how rough Kelly’s life has been is that he’s a White detective in Chicago whose l...more
Michael Kelly is a retired Chicago cop turned private investigator. John Gibbons, his former partner, arrives at Michael’s office with a story.
Christmas Eve, 1997, Gibbons is on patrol, alone, in South Chicago, an area of warehouses and dry docks. He hears a gun shot. Running toward him is a young girl, her body covered in blood. Behind her is a man with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. As he is chasing her, her is stabbing her. Gibbons tackles both. Eve...more
This was enjoyable, but not fantastic. It tried too hard to be dark and/or troubled, and too often the lead detective just seemed like a cliche instead of a real person. Also, for someone familiar with the city, it was annoying to have him name real places and then have the geography not work out. With those points out of the way, it was a very good plot and I hope he publishes other books with the same detective. A quick and fun read. Recommended.
I was pleasantly surprised by how true this was to the tradition of detective noir novels. In addition to taking place in Chicago there are also crooked civil servants, a brief appearance by the mob, and a new client tied to an old case. Michael Kelly, Harvey’s principle character, reads like the Sam Spade archetype come true. A former cop and current PI, he has the traditional sarcastic wit, limited personal attachments, and excellent sleuthing skills one would want of a detective. Despite ...more
THE CHICAGO WAY introduces private eye Michael Kelly, a former Chicago cop who has issues (don't they all?) and an apparent fondness for ancient Greek literature (in the original Greek, no less). If this sounds like the standard set-up to the usual private eye novel, don't be fooled. The book has much more going for it.
Kelly is hired by his former partner on the force to solve an old rape and battery case – it's several years old and as cold as they come. Kelly gets drawn even furthe...more
Kelly is hired by his former partner on the force to solve an old rape and battery case – it's several years old and as cold as they come. Kelly gets drawn even furthe...more
I don't know; I think I need to break my mental categories of 'mystery' books into more refined pigeon holes.
Mostly so that I can keep myself from the noir novels that I just can't find interesting, and so that when I read a novel like this - retired-police-turns-PI helps solve a years old rape/murder? - that I can compare it properly to it's genre.
Was this as good as detective novels get? I'm stuck in a mode of comparing it to The Killing Floor - which it isn't, but I'm not...more
Mostly so that I can keep myself from the noir novels that I just can't find interesting, and so that when I read a novel like this - retired-police-turns-PI helps solve a years old rape/murder? - that I can compare it properly to it's genre.
Was this as good as detective novels get? I'm stuck in a mode of comparing it to The Killing Floor - which it isn't, but I'm not...more
This novel holds all the old clichés you can attribute to a PI story. With a witty and basic prose (sparse and snappy), the author gives us a story that has lots of twists and turns and great effects.
The story begins when Michael Kelly (an ex-cop, now a PI) is approached by a long time buddy from the police force to look into a cold case of a young woman brutally assaulted, stabbed and left for dead. Kelly is drawn into a mind bending investigation that will have him face the mob, a ...more
The story begins when Michael Kelly (an ex-cop, now a PI) is approached by a long time buddy from the police force to look into a cold case of a young woman brutally assaulted, stabbed and left for dead. Kelly is drawn into a mind bending investigation that will have him face the mob, a ...more
I'm a big fan of noir fiction, so I'm not mad that I read this one, but I didn't especially love it either. I liked the tone of it, the terse, cynical noir tone, but some other aspects of the book I wasn't crazy about. I thought it got a little too emotional at parts. One of the things I love about old hard-boiled crime fiction is the total lack of emotion. Everything is about the case and the personal stuff doesn't get in the way. I wouldn't like it if every book were like that, but I like...more
The Chicago Way,by Michael Harvey, B-plus. Narrated by Stephen Hoye, produced by Books on Tape, downloaded from audible.com.
Michael Kelly is a tough Irish ex-cop now private investigator. He is approached by his former partner from the force, John Gibbons, and is asked to help John solve a case he had been ordered to forget nine years previously. Then a day later, Gibbons turns up dead. There seems to be no file on the case in the cold case files, and everyone who knew anything a...more
Michael Kelly is a tough Irish ex-cop now private investigator. He is approached by his former partner from the force, John Gibbons, and is asked to help John solve a case he had been ordered to forget nine years previously. Then a day later, Gibbons turns up dead. There seems to be no file on the case in the cold case files, and everyone who knew anything a...more
A real disappointment, because Harvey has some promise. But he never matches tone and plot comfortably and eventually his protagonist largely abandons the hard-edged wisecracking that makes him interesting--which makes sense, as the book is largely about rape.
The plot only works if you start with the end in mind. In other words, events occur early in the book because they have to in order for other events to occur. They seem incredibly implausible until the pieces fall into place, at w...more
The plot only works if you start with the end in mind. In other words, events occur early in the book because they have to in order for other events to occur. They seem incredibly implausible until the pieces fall into place, at w...more
This is the debut crime novel by journalist Michael Harvey. He’s also co-creator of A & E’s “Cold Case Files.” Set in Chicago, obviously from the title, Harvey gives readers Michael Kelly, a former Chicago policeman turned private detective engrossed in an intriguing police procedural.
As a first-person narrator. Harvey (as Kelly) creates a voice reminiscent of Raymond Chandler. This debut novel was published in 2007. Since then, he’s written three more with Chicago as his backdrop.
...more
As a first-person narrator. Harvey (as Kelly) creates a voice reminiscent of Raymond Chandler. This debut novel was published in 2007. Since then, he’s written three more with Chicago as his backdrop.
...more
Not a bad debut, although like Dennis Lehane’s first novel, Harvey suffers from what I call “first novel name dropping,” which is just that. Most of the names he drops are eateries, most of which I’ve been to myself. It’s distracting and doesn’t add anything to the story – except maybe the scene that takes place in Mr. Beef. It’s almost as if Harvey has to prove that he knows Chicago; I don’t know – maybe it’s because I’m from the area myself. Maybe it wouldn’t bother me so much if I wasn’t ...more
Initially I found the authors attempts at evoking a 40's style noir atmosphere somewhat clumsy. The prose felt stiff and slightly awkward and I regretted my decision to buy the book, I felt distracted by it and envisaged putting it down after only a few chapters. However as it moved along I found myself being drawn in and when the story began to take shape the narrative of the protagonist began to become more relaxed, less self conscious and consequently it flowed more, this made it a pretty goo...more
I was in my office, what some guys might call the local library but I was down on my luck and needed a place to stay warm 'cause I couldn't afford the whiskey whose job that was, and it was the kinda day where gray takes over and the chill of the fog is like a slap to the face of a mook gettin' fresh. I needed comfort, the Southern variety woulda been fine but like I said I wasn't exactly flush so I investigated the stacks and came up with a novel 'bout a detective like me. I was okay with the w...more
It was a good book, I just had a little trouble with the dialogues, in the sense that they were a bit too old school hard boiled.
The plot was very interesting but a bit contrived, did not really know why Bennett did not just pick up the kid when he comitted a fresh murder. The motivation for most of the characters makes no sense other than to figure they are deranged. Some themes about ancient greek tragedy and its reflection on the modern human condition (drives and ambitions are stil...more
The plot was very interesting but a bit contrived, did not really know why Bennett did not just pick up the kid when he comitted a fresh murder. The motivation for most of the characters makes no sense other than to figure they are deranged. Some themes about ancient greek tragedy and its reflection on the modern human condition (drives and ambitions are stil...more
While poorly written, it provides enough hook that you keep going to find out what happens. Unfortunately, the ending seemed to fall flat, and I put the book down feeling disappointed. It was entertaining enough, in the same way a bad TV movie is, but the characters seem to be missing that something that allows you to connect with them. (It was also slightly annoying that the title character shares his name with the author in some corny, self-absorbed longing to be a hero.) The thing that stood ...more
I got this book for free on B&N Free Fridays. What a pleasant surprise. There are two more now in this series as the 3rd comes out soon or is just out. Anyway - if you like mysteries or PI/police stories, you'd probably like this one very much. The writing style in the beginning hit me as it was noir style but it didn't stay that way throughout. I won't put any spoilers in here but there are some forks in the road where the author went one way and I was totally stunned. However, there were...more
This mystery which is set in Chicago, the beloved,adopted home town of the author, is not really local color because it could be set in any American city just by changing the placenames, yet it is a fast read. I am not a mystery lover, but this author is erudite and very, very well educated, so I have to give him credit for his skills, I gave it three stars, but it tries to elicit the old noire of the movies of the 40's and 50's, but it has too much of the metrosexual to succeed. If you like t...more
Zach
rated it
Harvey has created a great modern noir. Similar to Estelman and Leonard for Detroit, Harvey does for Chicago with not only great local details, but also conveying the feel of the city and its inhabitants. Harvey has a great ear for dialogue, and while I agree with other reviewers that his descriptions are not as memorable as other writers in the genre, he definetly shows promise and I think he will continue to improve (yes, I am eager for his next novel!!)
One definet plus over oth...more
One definet plus over oth...more
I saw the authors latest book get a good review in bookblogland and thought that I had better start at the beginning. Chicago private investigator Michael Kelly is hired to look into an eight year old rape and battery case, by an old colleague. Who then turns out dead, and others associated with the case keep turning up dead too.
Somehow Mr Kelly keeps turning up and finding murdered bodies, and gets invited along to crime scenes which seemed a bit implausible, but it helped with th...more
Somehow Mr Kelly keeps turning up and finding murdered bodies, and gets invited along to crime scenes which seemed a bit implausible, but it helped with th...more
Ultimately, I enjoyed this book, but it took me a while to get into its rhythmn. The dialogue is highly stylized (trying very hard to be hard-boiled Phillip Marlowe) and that was initially off-putting. (Why, I can't really say, since I certainly enjoy the genre in general.) And unfortunately, this was another book heavily focused on violence against women and girls, which I really need a break from -- not the author's fault, just bad timing on this reader's part.
All that said, about ...more
All that said, about ...more
A solid debut novel and a good introduction to an interesting character that doesn't seek to compulsively explain everything right away. It was one of those books that made me skip lunch in the teachers' lounge so I could read instead.
The author Michael Harvey is a co-creator of the TV show Cold Case Files and does a good job writing about crime. In this book, he focused on sexual assault in a way that conveys the violent nature of the crime with a stark matter-of-factness, setting o...more
The author Michael Harvey is a co-creator of the TV show Cold Case Files and does a good job writing about crime. In this book, he focused on sexual assault in a way that conveys the violent nature of the crime with a stark matter-of-factness, setting o...more
A classic hard-boiled detective novel with appropriate updates to set it in the 21th century. Rather than feeling like the main character is a throwback (a feeling I'll often get with the hard boiled genre) I found him to be true to the form, yet realistic for today's world. Able to have a best friend who's both african-american and a women. A view of romance that's much more complex than you'd normally find in the genre. A credible plot, at least for anyone familiar with the stereotype of C...more
From the mid 1980s through the early 1990s, my more frivolous reading included a heavy dose of crime fiction. That reading had been fueled by a Newsweek article that highlighted a, then, new breed of writers who were bringing modernizing tones to the genre. Among them were three writers whom I followed faithfully for years. Jonathan Valin with his PI, Harry Stoner; Joseph Hansen with his PI, Dave Brandstetter; and Stephen Greenleaf with his PI, Marshall Tanner.
Hansen killed off Brandste...more
Hansen killed off Brandste...more
I read this book because it was in the 'bargain bin' of ebooks on Barnes & Noble. It got some great reviews, so I figured it would be worth the money. It was fine as an every day, run-of-the-mill, crime drama, but I don't know that I'm in a huge rush to read the others in the series. Also, I know the author is the creator of the A&E series 'Cold Case Files'. I couldn't help but feel like this book was written with the screenplay in mind. I don't know whether the book has been optioned by Ho...more
A good mystery set (obviously) in Chicago. A fast read with interesting characters and a neat twist.
Honestly, I didn't think I would make it past the first few chapters. The main character, Michael, narrates the way you would imagine an old detective would in a film noir. The author has weird inner monologues and observations - for instance, Michael goes to a TV station and sees the receptionist "She was...drinking what looked like coffee and smoking what looked like a cigarette."...more
Honestly, I didn't think I would make it past the first few chapters. The main character, Michael, narrates the way you would imagine an old detective would in a film noir. The author has weird inner monologues and observations - for instance, Michael goes to a TV station and sees the receptionist "She was...drinking what looked like coffee and smoking what looked like a cigarette."...more
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Michael Harvey is author of The Chicago Way, The Fifth Floor and The Third Rail (to be published by Knopf in April, 2010).
In addition to writing crime novels, Michael is a journalist and documentary producer. He is co-creator of Cold Case Files, hosted by Bill Kurtis on the A&E television network, and has written and produced scores of other documentary projects all over the wor...more
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