The Silent Hour (Lincoln Perry)

by Michael Koryta

book data

34 ratings, 3.62 average rating, 9 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		17%
4		35%
3		38%
2		8%
1		0%

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published

August 4th 2009 by St. Martin's Minotaur

details

Hardcover, 304 pages

isbn

0312361572 (isbn13: 9780312361570)

description

Following his critically acclaimed Envy the Night (“A dynamic thriller”—The New York Times), Michael Koryta returns with a blistering new instal…more

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Mar 20, 2010

LJ rated it:

bookshelves: contemporary_post_1945, male_author, mystery, ohio, private_investigator

Read in March, 2009

First Sentence: He’d sharpened his knife just an hour before the killing.

PI Lincoln Perry is on his own after his partner, Joe Pritchard, decided to spend the winter in Florida. Lincoln is receiving letters from a paroled killer wanting to hire him to find the missing daughter of mobsters. The woman and her husband disappeared a decade ago from a unique and valuable rural home where they ran an unlicensed half-way house for violent offenders. When the skeleton of the husband tu...more First Sentence: He’d sharpened his knife just an hour before the killing.

PI Lincoln Perry is on his own after his partner, Joe Pritchard, decided to spend the winter in Florida. Lincoln is receiving letters from a paroled killer wanting to hire him to find the missing daughter of mobsters. The woman and her husband disappeared a decade ago from a unique and valuable rural home where they ran an unlicensed half-way house for violent offenders. When the skeleton of the husband turns up, having a less-than-desirable client, and a case connected to the Mob, Perry questions his abilities and commitment to being a PI.

It is so frustrating to have an author whose previous books I’ve loved, write one I find disappointing. Perhaps because I liked the previous books so well, I didn’t notice them, but I did here: portents.

I intensely dislike the use of portents, particularly where they broadcast the plot and thus, detract from the suspense or surprise of the story. They were unnecessary.

The plot, itself, was interesting, but it bogged down in the middle. Lincoln’s introspection nearly overwhelmed the pace and appeal of the story, even though some of it was well done…”It stacked up on you, after a while. The violence.”

I understand wanting to focus on a single protagonist in a series where the protagonists have been a team. In this case, having Lincoln with Joe reminded me of soda without carbonation; flat. I like Lincoln as a character. I appreciated learning more about is background, particularly his mother. At the same time, without Joe, an older, ex-cop who brought Lincoln into his PI agency, Lincoln’s inexperience showed in a frustrating way. The scenes where Joe is present, is when the book came back to life.

The biggest challenge was that beyond Joe, Lincoln and his girlfriend, Amy, none of the rest of the characters was appealing or interesting. There was nothing in them to make me care whether the case was solved.

If you've not read Koryta, I do recommend the first four books in the series and his standalone "Envy the Night." Shall I continue reading Koryta? Probably, but I'll hope the next book is much better.

THE SILENT HOUR (PI-Lincoln Perry-Cleveland, OH-Cont) – Good
Koryta, Michael – 5th in series
Minotaur Books, ©2009, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780312361570

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Jul 26, 2009

Patricia rated it:

Read in July, 2009

Just a great book and I've just ordered the previous books.

Parker Harrison is a convicted murderer but has served his time and has been out of prison for years. He is determined to hire Lincoln Perry and Perry is just as determined that he won’t take Harrison’s case. After throwing away Harrison’s letters and ignoring his calls, Perry and Harrison finally meet face to face.

Parker Harrison tells Lincoln the story of a house called Whisper Ridge. The house is now ...more Just a great book and I've just ordered the previous books.

Parker Harrison is a convicted murderer but has served his time and has been out of prison for years. He is determined to hire Lincoln Perry and Perry is just as determined that he won’t take Harrison’s case. After throwing away Harrison’s letters and ignoring his calls, Perry and Harrison finally meet face to face.

Parker Harrison tells Lincoln the story of a house called Whisper Ridge. The house is now empty and Harrison wants Lincoln to find the owners. Although still not convinced that he wants to work for a murderer Lincoln does go visit the house because he is curious. He finds a beautiful home, different from anything he has ever seen. He decides to do a little checking on the property and soon finds out that Parker Harrison has not been completely honest with him. Parker isn’t the only one in this story with something to hide.

The Silent Hour is the story of a couple that built a beautiful home and one day just disappeared. The couple, Joshua Cantrell and Alexandra Cantrell, were as unusual as the house they built. The couple took in ex-convicts and hired them in the hope of rehabilitating them. Lincoln found out after his visit to the home that Joshua Cantrell was dead. His body had been found and the case was still open. Alexandra Cantrell had simply disappeared leaving no trace. Alexandra is the sister of a man with ties to the mafia and suspected of many crimes.

Even though Lincoln decides against involvement on more than one occasion, he finds himself deeply involved in this cold case. As more and more of the background surrounding the case comes out, there are many questions needing answers.

Then there is the mystery of Lincoln Perry and his goals for his future. The events in the story cause Perry to rethink his present lifestyle and make some decisions as to his future.

The Silent Hour is a book that grabs the reader’s attention and doesn’t let go.

Reviewed for www.armchairinterviews.com (less)

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Jun 05, 2009

Evelyn rated it:

bookshelves: mystery, thriller

Read in June, 2009

The Silent Hour is the fourth book in the Lincoln Perry private detective series set in Cleveland, OH. It is by far the best book in the series.

Former Cleveland police officer, Lincoln Perry is now a private investigator with retired cop Joe Pritchard. Joe got shot in the last book, went to Florida to recuperate and hasn't returned so Lincoln is working alone.

When a mysterious man who is also a convicted murderer, asks Lincoln for help with a 12-year-old cold case invol...more

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Jan 14, 2010

Dorie rated it:

bookshelves: crime-fiction

Read in January, 2010

Koryta knows how to weave a fantastic story. In this one Perry investigates a cold case, the disappearance of a married couple after the husband’s body is found in Pennsylvania. The wife’s brother is a supposedly reformed mobster. Perry is hired by a felon who once worked as a groundskeeper for the couple. Although the crime and its resolution were fascinating in this book, Perry’s private life was not. There was a little too much angst for me. I’ll admit I grow weary of some crime...more

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Nov 05, 2009

Susan rated it:

Read in October, 2009

This was just an average thriller by this author. I found the premise hard to swallow and the denoument was easy to see coming. Read only if you love this author.

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Feb 18, 2010

Mom rated it:

Read in February, 2010

The audio book version was not kind to this complex mystery. Its many plot turns and twists are rendered laborious by a plodding, melodramatic narration.

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