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Alastair Ransom #1
City for Ransom
Welcome to Chicago, 1893 -- where new wonders are being unveiled . . . and a monster feeds on the unsuspecting. Tens of thousands are flocking to a bustling, wind-swept metropolis in the middle of America for the great Exposition of 1893 -- to seethe future and to ride Mr. Ferris's remarkable wheel. A city of hope and hardship has caught the attention of the world -- and a maniacal killer has made it his hunting ground. Inspector Alastair Ransom carries the burden of the dead on his shoulders. But a demon far worse than Ransom's own is loose -- a bloodthirsty killer who preys on Chicago's most vulnerable citizens, his grisly handiwork masked by the glitter and frenzy of the World's Fair. But a haunted detective doesn't realize how desperate his search has become -- for each passing hour brings the slayer closer to his next intended Alastair Ransom.
324 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Robert W. Walker
184 books75 followersAka Geoffrey Caine, Glenn Hale, Evan Kingsbury, Stephen Robertson
Master of suspense and bone-chilling terror, Robert W. Walker, BS and MS in English Education, Northwestern University, has penned 44 novels and has taught language and writing for over 25 years. Showing no signs of slowing down, he is currently juggling not one but three new series ideas, and has completed a film script and a TV treatment. Having grown up in Chicago and having been born in the shadow of the Shiloh battlefield, near Corinth, Mississippi, Walker has two writing traditions to uphold--the Windy City one and the Southern one--all of which makes him uniquely suited to write City for Ransom and its sequels, Shadows in White City and City of the Absent. His Dead On will be published in July 2009. Walker is currently working on a new romantic-suspense-historical-mainstream novel, titled Children of Salem. In 2003 and 2004 Walker saw an unprecedented seven novels released on the "unsuspecting public," as he puts it. Final Edge, Grave Instinct, and Absolute Instinct were published in 2004. City of the Absent debuted in 2008 from Avon. Walker lives in Charleston, West Virginia.
Master of suspense and bone-chilling terror, Robert W. Walker, BS and MS in English Education, Northwestern University, has penned 44 novels and has taught language and writing for over 25 years. Showing no signs of slowing down, he is currently juggling not one but three new series ideas, and has completed a film script and a TV treatment. Having grown up in Chicago and having been born in the shadow of the Shiloh battlefield, near Corinth, Mississippi, Walker has two writing traditions to uphold--the Windy City one and the Southern one--all of which makes him uniquely suited to write City for Ransom and its sequels, Shadows in White City and City of the Absent. His Dead On will be published in July 2009. Walker is currently working on a new romantic-suspense-historical-mainstream novel, titled Children of Salem. In 2003 and 2004 Walker saw an unprecedented seven novels released on the "unsuspecting public," as he puts it. Final Edge, Grave Instinct, and Absolute Instinct were published in 2004. City of the Absent debuted in 2008 from Avon. Walker lives in Charleston, West Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 10, 2011
This is a great historical mystery and one wonders right off the bat, if the title is a play on words. Is the city (Chicago) being ransomed by the police inspector sworn to free it from the terror of a maniacal killer, or has Chicago been placed by Inspector Alistair Ransom under his personal protection?
The historical background to the story is as much a character as the human ones. It’s interesting to see mention of inventions and items we considered ordinary and everyday here described as new and innovative or just plain novelties, such as the flush toilet, and the telephone. Fingerprinting is considered mumbo-jumbo, though the Bertillon method of identification has been accepted as standard practice, and police call-boxes, where officers needing assistance may telephone for help have been installed throughout the city.
The search for the killer himself could almost be a Turn of the Century version of Criminal Minds or Law and Order. The identity of the killer is cleverly kept hidden until the denouement. One cleverly-placed sentence gives away his identity, but if the text isn’t followed very closely, that sentence will be overlooked by the reader.
There are, of course, a few clichés—but that doesn’t make those moments any less tense or frightening.
All in all, this is a most enjoyable book, taut, fast-paced, full of action and historical tidbits and interesting trivia which shows that criminals and crime-fighters haven’t changed so much except in the methods they use. Neither, it appears, is human nature so different then, from now. My only complaint is the cliff-hanger ending. I won’t say more about that without giving a spoiler so I’ll just suggest that if you want a good mystery read which will make you want to go on to the second story in the series, make City for Ransom your choice.
The historical background to the story is as much a character as the human ones. It’s interesting to see mention of inventions and items we considered ordinary and everyday here described as new and innovative or just plain novelties, such as the flush toilet, and the telephone. Fingerprinting is considered mumbo-jumbo, though the Bertillon method of identification has been accepted as standard practice, and police call-boxes, where officers needing assistance may telephone for help have been installed throughout the city.
The search for the killer himself could almost be a Turn of the Century version of Criminal Minds or Law and Order. The identity of the killer is cleverly kept hidden until the denouement. One cleverly-placed sentence gives away his identity, but if the text isn’t followed very closely, that sentence will be overlooked by the reader.
There are, of course, a few clichés—but that doesn’t make those moments any less tense or frightening.
All in all, this is a most enjoyable book, taut, fast-paced, full of action and historical tidbits and interesting trivia which shows that criminals and crime-fighters haven’t changed so much except in the methods they use. Neither, it appears, is human nature so different then, from now. My only complaint is the cliff-hanger ending. I won’t say more about that without giving a spoiler so I’ll just suggest that if you want a good mystery read which will make you want to go on to the second story in the series, make City for Ransom your choice.
November 10, 2016
This was an awful book, and I would have toss it aside by the tenth page if I hadn't required a book in this setting for a readers challenge I am participating in.
The dialog was stilted and tedious, the setting barely existent, the characterisation two-dimensional at best and the plot, worst fault of all, was boring.
I would hesitate even to call this a "mystery", as there was no mystery to it - the murderer was telegraphed long before the first third of the book was over and every piece of foreshadowing attempted was performed with all the subtlty of a sledge-hammer between the eyes. The villain may as well have been carrying about a sign in flashing lights saying "I done it."
The story was full of wordy exposition - in an ironical twist the main character is described as a man who "shows by his actions who he is not his words" in the middle of one such rambling blocks of text that serves as an alternative to actual showing the characters doing anything beyond drawn out argumentative dialog in an obvious, though unsuccessful, attempt to create some sort of chemistry between the main character and the love-interest in waiting.
Finally, for a book with so few real plot threads, it seems criminal that those few that do exist were left hanging at the end without any sort of final conclusion, no doubt in an attempt to drive curious readers to the next book in the series.
I'm not sure what is more terrible in the end - the book itself, or that fact that the acknowledgements at the end reveal that the author has written more than forty other books. One would think that repetition alone would have improved his ability.
The dialog was stilted and tedious, the setting barely existent, the characterisation two-dimensional at best and the plot, worst fault of all, was boring.
I would hesitate even to call this a "mystery", as there was no mystery to it - the murderer was telegraphed long before the first third of the book was over and every piece of foreshadowing attempted was performed with all the subtlty of a sledge-hammer between the eyes. The villain may as well have been carrying about a sign in flashing lights saying "I done it."
The story was full of wordy exposition - in an ironical twist the main character is described as a man who "shows by his actions who he is not his words" in the middle of one such rambling blocks of text that serves as an alternative to actual showing the characters doing anything beyond drawn out argumentative dialog in an obvious, though unsuccessful, attempt to create some sort of chemistry between the main character and the love-interest in waiting.
Finally, for a book with so few real plot threads, it seems criminal that those few that do exist were left hanging at the end without any sort of final conclusion, no doubt in an attempt to drive curious readers to the next book in the series.
I'm not sure what is more terrible in the end - the book itself, or that fact that the acknowledgements at the end reveal that the author has written more than forty other books. One would think that repetition alone would have improved his ability.
July 31, 2008
Thos who read a lot of crime/mystery fiction will recognise elements of stories and characters in this one. Still, Alastair Ransom is an intriguing hero and I'll read the sequel.
Chicago in 1893, during the great Exposition, has the eyes of the world on it and a bloodthirsty killer loose within it.
Inspector Alastair Ransom is burdened by his own past and haunted by his own demons. Still, he is determined to solve these crimes and becomes even more determined when he realizes that the killer is moving closer to him and those he cares about.
While this novel is uneven in parts, it blends some interesting characters with grittily depicted action. Ransom himself combines the strengths, flaws and angst of some of the best and most interesting detectives. I worked out who the killer was sometime before the end of the novel but by then the tension was well established and the question was when the killer would be caught.
Chicago in 1893, during the great Exposition, has the eyes of the world on it and a bloodthirsty killer loose within it.
Inspector Alastair Ransom is burdened by his own past and haunted by his own demons. Still, he is determined to solve these crimes and becomes even more determined when he realizes that the killer is moving closer to him and those he cares about.
While this novel is uneven in parts, it blends some interesting characters with grittily depicted action. Ransom himself combines the strengths, flaws and angst of some of the best and most interesting detectives. I worked out who the killer was sometime before the end of the novel but by then the tension was well established and the question was when the killer would be caught.
March 10, 2008
Walker has upped the bar for solid historical mysteries. With twists and turns galore, this is one story that earns its keep in the genre. Ransom is a character as smooth as Doyle's Holmes, as bold as Stout's Wolfe, and as vivid as Hammett's Charles. City for Ransom puts the reader right where they should be, in the thick of things. Outstanding!
February 25, 2016
I wasn't sure of the book at the beginning but I grew to root for the unusual lead character. Loved the historical setting and the history of old Chicago. Only slight drawback is the cliffhanger end, which didn't bother me a lot since author mentioned it was coming (publisher wanted it). But am looking forward to the sequel.
June 3, 2017
Being an author, television/stage actor, stand-up comedienne, and former web-designer for high-profile, famous authors, I constantly find myself in a very precarious position. Just what is one supposed to do when faced with having to review a book that was written by its author, a person you are now fortunate enough to refer to as 'close friend'?
On one hand, I certainly don't wish to offend them; after all, they're artists with tender sensibilities--this is something I understand all too well. But on the other, I wish to give other potential readers my honest opinion, which is, after all, the reason we give these reviews: to share our opinions with others. As to whether they'll be swayed by such is known only to those reading both the review and the book. And sometimes, they also serve as valuable feedback to the author himself. And surely, the author must know that their work will not resonate with everyone, including close friends, right? Will that matter as they read the verbal knife you placed squarely in their back? I doubt it.
So, on we go. Give me a second while I adjust my kevlar....
I have to start by saying, sadly, I couldn't make it all the way through this book. I wanted to love it, I truly did. A nice whodunit, set in Victorian Chicago, where the characters are forced to use good old-fashioned detective work without modern STEM technology; where all they have at their disposal is a magnifying glass and critical thinking skills? Normally I'd be ALL over that! Hells, I designed the web-site that announced this book's publication! Of course I wanted to love it!
But not here. From what I understand, this book was one of the first books Walker wrote for his Kindle readers, without being under contract to a large-house publisher, and since he bills himself as "The Knife"--a book doctor/editor with skills for hire, the only editorial skills he used on this novel were his own. Sadly, he would have benefitted from less ego and more editor. The grammar was poor, the topic of his paragraphs weren't seamless and made little sense in introducing new material, and his sentence construct was clunky, which made it difficult for me to read. I get into books where the narrative simply flows, but Walker's style doesn't flow for me. This could entirely be one of mere preference, and once you begin the first few pages, you may not find it to be that way for you.
But if none of the above doesn't deter you from finishing, then perhaps the run-on sentences and unnecessarily-long expository style just might. Possibly the reason he's publishing for Kindle readers now instead of shopping his books to the big-5 is because one successful style for modern readers is to use alternating sections of tension and release. Something I learned early in my own writing training was that everything is about conflict. The way to hook readers is to keep building conflict; keep throwing obstacles in their way and keep making everything more and more impossible for your protagonist. The reader is naturally rooting for him, so it's this tension and not knowing if the protag is going to make it that keeps you turning those pages. The conflict doesn't always necessarily have to be external or in the form of physical fighting. There are plenty of types of conflict, but the main three are: Man against the World, Man against Man, and Man against Himself. Within that simple paradigm masterpieces have been crafted, some so well as to be seamless, making you forget you're actually reading about a fictional world.
Then after the times of conflict are periods of release and relaxation. It's usually in these scenes in which the exposition and internal character dialogue is inserted. Again, it must be in a way so the reader forgets he's reading boring exposition, which could be backstory, future prediction, or just scene description.
Again, I don't know if it's a style-preference thing, but Walker doesn't do this, and there just didn't seem to be enough true conflict to balance the endless passages of exposition.
But the use of at least a line editor would have nicked those bothersome typos that seemed to crop up when you least expected them.
So, there it is. I've skewered a friend I credit for getting me into the right place at the right time for my first DTB publication in 2002. BUT, Rob was also the one who taught me that in the age of social networking, there just isn't anything anymore as a bad review. Living in the age of digital and voyeurism means that a rotten review usually piques the curiosity of a reader so much, if only to prove you wrong, that it spells inevitable sales for that book.
So Rob, if you see this, please know I still love you and wish you every success, and I hope this rotten review spells nothing but a run on your books so huge that it will equal a TOS attack on Amazon.
<3 <3 <3
On one hand, I certainly don't wish to offend them; after all, they're artists with tender sensibilities--this is something I understand all too well. But on the other, I wish to give other potential readers my honest opinion, which is, after all, the reason we give these reviews: to share our opinions with others. As to whether they'll be swayed by such is known only to those reading both the review and the book. And sometimes, they also serve as valuable feedback to the author himself. And surely, the author must know that their work will not resonate with everyone, including close friends, right? Will that matter as they read the verbal knife you placed squarely in their back? I doubt it.
So, on we go. Give me a second while I adjust my kevlar....
I have to start by saying, sadly, I couldn't make it all the way through this book. I wanted to love it, I truly did. A nice whodunit, set in Victorian Chicago, where the characters are forced to use good old-fashioned detective work without modern STEM technology; where all they have at their disposal is a magnifying glass and critical thinking skills? Normally I'd be ALL over that! Hells, I designed the web-site that announced this book's publication! Of course I wanted to love it!
But not here. From what I understand, this book was one of the first books Walker wrote for his Kindle readers, without being under contract to a large-house publisher, and since he bills himself as "The Knife"--a book doctor/editor with skills for hire, the only editorial skills he used on this novel were his own. Sadly, he would have benefitted from less ego and more editor. The grammar was poor, the topic of his paragraphs weren't seamless and made little sense in introducing new material, and his sentence construct was clunky, which made it difficult for me to read. I get into books where the narrative simply flows, but Walker's style doesn't flow for me. This could entirely be one of mere preference, and once you begin the first few pages, you may not find it to be that way for you.
But if none of the above doesn't deter you from finishing, then perhaps the run-on sentences and unnecessarily-long expository style just might. Possibly the reason he's publishing for Kindle readers now instead of shopping his books to the big-5 is because one successful style for modern readers is to use alternating sections of tension and release. Something I learned early in my own writing training was that everything is about conflict. The way to hook readers is to keep building conflict; keep throwing obstacles in their way and keep making everything more and more impossible for your protagonist. The reader is naturally rooting for him, so it's this tension and not knowing if the protag is going to make it that keeps you turning those pages. The conflict doesn't always necessarily have to be external or in the form of physical fighting. There are plenty of types of conflict, but the main three are: Man against the World, Man against Man, and Man against Himself. Within that simple paradigm masterpieces have been crafted, some so well as to be seamless, making you forget you're actually reading about a fictional world.
Then after the times of conflict are periods of release and relaxation. It's usually in these scenes in which the exposition and internal character dialogue is inserted. Again, it must be in a way so the reader forgets he's reading boring exposition, which could be backstory, future prediction, or just scene description.
Again, I don't know if it's a style-preference thing, but Walker doesn't do this, and there just didn't seem to be enough true conflict to balance the endless passages of exposition.
But the use of at least a line editor would have nicked those bothersome typos that seemed to crop up when you least expected them.
So, there it is. I've skewered a friend I credit for getting me into the right place at the right time for my first DTB publication in 2002. BUT, Rob was also the one who taught me that in the age of social networking, there just isn't anything anymore as a bad review. Living in the age of digital and voyeurism means that a rotten review usually piques the curiosity of a reader so much, if only to prove you wrong, that it spells inevitable sales for that book.
So Rob, if you see this, please know I still love you and wish you every success, and I hope this rotten review spells nothing but a run on your books so huge that it will equal a TOS attack on Amazon.
<3 <3 <3
March 22, 2017
I love this series...I sure wish he'd write more....
February 14, 2017
Incredibly thrilling! Incredibly good! May favorite mysteries seem to be those based in historical eras and on historical fact. This author really knows how to weave a darn good yarn and gives the reader several hints as to who the murderer is as the novel roars to an exciting climax.
It's the World's Fair in Chicago and in the shadow of the newly developed and widely promoted ferris wheel murder after murder is committed. Does it diminish attendance at the exposition? Of course not. It increases traffic as the CPD tries its hardest to find and arrest the murderer. His victims come closer and closer to Ransom, one of CPDs finest whose reputation is touted throughout the city. Would that his reputation be as admired by his superior who seeks only to "catch" Ransom working outside the law he has sworn to protect. Caught between his dedication to this case and the warnings that he must beware of his supervisor, Ransom storms ahead to investigate each murder until at last he figures it out. The best clue comes to him after his best friend, freelance photographer, Philo Keane is arrested for the murders. Preposterous! How he does it remains for the reader to discover.
It's the World's Fair in Chicago and in the shadow of the newly developed and widely promoted ferris wheel murder after murder is committed. Does it diminish attendance at the exposition? Of course not. It increases traffic as the CPD tries its hardest to find and arrest the murderer. His victims come closer and closer to Ransom, one of CPDs finest whose reputation is touted throughout the city. Would that his reputation be as admired by his superior who seeks only to "catch" Ransom working outside the law he has sworn to protect. Caught between his dedication to this case and the warnings that he must beware of his supervisor, Ransom storms ahead to investigate each murder until at last he figures it out. The best clue comes to him after his best friend, freelance photographer, Philo Keane is arrested for the murders. Preposterous! How he does it remains for the reader to discover.
March 12, 2008
City for Ransom
Robert W. Walker
Avon Books – Harper-Collins Publishers, 2006, 324 pps.
ISBN: 0-06-073995-9
Step back in time to The White City-the term used for the world’s fair held in Chicago. The fair is a beautiful dreamland where a person could experience the thrill of riding the new invention called the Ferris wheel. But a killer walks the streets of Chicago. This is a man that has both a mental and a physical defect. A vicious killer that beheads his victim with a garrote and as this isn’t enough he sets the body on fire. The newspapers call him The Phantom of the Fair.
Inspector Alastair Ransom is determined to find the killer and free Chicago of this terror. When the killer begins to strike closer and closer to people who have touched Ransom’s life he becomes even more determined. Ransom was injured in the Haymarket Riot and has never fully recovered. The Haymarket Riot is always there at the back of his mind.
The city of Chicago in Ransom’s time is corrupt and he is never sure who he can trust. He knows that he can’t trust Chief Kohler, his superior. Sometimes he wonders if he can trust his partner Griffin Dimmer. He calls Philo Keane, a photographer, his friend but Ransom isn’t even positive of that fact at times.
To make matters even worse Ransom has to cope with Dr. James Phineas Tewes who purports to be a Phrenological and Magnetic Examiner. Dr. Tewes seems to appear at every crime scene wanting to do a phrenological diagnosis on the victim’s cranium to determine magnetic levels at time of death.
Consider the roadblocks in the way of a detective in the 1800’s. No DNA, no fingerprint base, not even a sure way to tell if the blood on a suspect’s clothing is animal or human.
Robert W. Walker presents a lot of history in this novel. He works in facts that you may have known and forgotten and gives you a few others to think about.
I totally enjoyed the book and I can’t wait for the next Inspector Ransom book. I am looking forward to reading more about Ransom, the Tewes family, and other characters that Walker brings to life in this book.
Robert W. Walker
Avon Books – Harper-Collins Publishers, 2006, 324 pps.
ISBN: 0-06-073995-9
Step back in time to The White City-the term used for the world’s fair held in Chicago. The fair is a beautiful dreamland where a person could experience the thrill of riding the new invention called the Ferris wheel. But a killer walks the streets of Chicago. This is a man that has both a mental and a physical defect. A vicious killer that beheads his victim with a garrote and as this isn’t enough he sets the body on fire. The newspapers call him The Phantom of the Fair.
Inspector Alastair Ransom is determined to find the killer and free Chicago of this terror. When the killer begins to strike closer and closer to people who have touched Ransom’s life he becomes even more determined. Ransom was injured in the Haymarket Riot and has never fully recovered. The Haymarket Riot is always there at the back of his mind.
The city of Chicago in Ransom’s time is corrupt and he is never sure who he can trust. He knows that he can’t trust Chief Kohler, his superior. Sometimes he wonders if he can trust his partner Griffin Dimmer. He calls Philo Keane, a photographer, his friend but Ransom isn’t even positive of that fact at times.
To make matters even worse Ransom has to cope with Dr. James Phineas Tewes who purports to be a Phrenological and Magnetic Examiner. Dr. Tewes seems to appear at every crime scene wanting to do a phrenological diagnosis on the victim’s cranium to determine magnetic levels at time of death.
Consider the roadblocks in the way of a detective in the 1800’s. No DNA, no fingerprint base, not even a sure way to tell if the blood on a suspect’s clothing is animal or human.
Robert W. Walker presents a lot of history in this novel. He works in facts that you may have known and forgotten and gives you a few others to think about.
I totally enjoyed the book and I can’t wait for the next Inspector Ransom book. I am looking forward to reading more about Ransom, the Tewes family, and other characters that Walker brings to life in this book.
July 21, 2008
I really, really wanted to like this book. It is exactly the type of story I like, serial killer, historical setting, Chicago and the World's Fair. Yet, I couldn't finish this one mostly because I couldn't like the main character. I skimmed it but just couldn't keep interested.
May 24, 2009
Author gives the reader a real sense of what Chicago was like in 1893. Especially intriquing since this setting includes Columbian Exposition. Depth of detail a credit to author's research. Since I love all-things-Chicago, I was able to look past the flat characters and unimaginative plot.
decided-not-to-read
January 2, 2012Apparently I am not in the mood for gloomy noir mysteries just now.
April 30, 2012
This was a switch from Walker's thrillers in present day to a mystery series set earlier in time. It wasn't what I was expecting and it didn't stand out to me.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews