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Southampton #3
Voyeur
One-time private investigator Remer is a man so secretive no one knows his first name. Six years ago he was “persuaded” to trade in his prosperous career as one of New York City’s most sought-after PIs for the quieter life of proprietor of a Southampton liquor store. Living in his small apartment on the edge of town, Remer watches always for any indication that his past is about to catch up with him, guarding himself and those few people close to him carefully. But when he is approached by the wealthy mother of a former lover—the lover who robbed him of his savings as she fled his life two years before and is now missing—Remer has no choice but to risk exposing his past and search for the woman who has become his obsession, a woman as broken and tormented as himself. Unable to do this alone, however, Remer must trust a former employee named Kay Barton, now a Southampton detective, and an ex-PI named Tommy Miller—a man seemingly as secretive as Remer. Set during Christmas week, 2008, Voyeur, the conclusion of the Southampton Trilogy, was nominated for a Shamus Award for Best Novel, topped Bookreporter.com’s “Best 10 of 2010” list, and was hailed by Mystery Scene Magazine as “a dark, deft, little noir.”
Daniel Judson, a Shamus Award winner and four-time finalist, is the author of seven acclaimed works: The Southampton Trilogy, comprised of The Darkest Place, The Water's Edge, and Voyeur, as well as The Gin Palace Trilogy, comprised of The Poisoned Rose, The Bone Orchard, and The Gin Palace. He is also the author of a stand-alone novel, The Violet Hour.
Daniel Judson, a Shamus Award winner and four-time finalist, is the author of seven acclaimed works: The Southampton Trilogy, comprised of The Darkest Place, The Water's Edge, and Voyeur, as well as The Gin Palace Trilogy, comprised of The Poisoned Rose, The Bone Orchard, and The Gin Palace. He is also the author of a stand-alone novel, The Violet Hour.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2010
42 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Judson
19 books149 followersDANIEL JUDSON, a Shamus Award winner and a four-time finalist, is the author of five previous novels, most recently The Violet Hour. He attended Southampton College, and his time in the Hamptons (particularly the parts that don’t make the society pages) was the inspiration for the setting and characters in Voyeur. He now lives in Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 14, 2018
I so thoroughly enjoy Daniel Judson's work. I truly am saddened that there aren't more books in his library. I am fairly certain I had read this book years ago as certain little details were oddly familiar to me and I was sure I'd read all his books, but I had no idea of the who, what, where, when, and why, so it was like a brand-new read. And what a wonderful read it was! Super suspenseful, engaging, paranoia-inducing. GREAT read!!
July 27, 2022
I enjoyed the story very much. The main character was engaging and very human. The storytelling was well paced and I read through this in a single sitting, something I haven't done in awhile. I give it 4 stars because I saw the ending coming a mile away, but that still didn't detract from the story imo.
May 20, 2019
Well this isn’t Ina Gardens Hamptons. Also another story of a deeply flawed young woman. The Tommy Miller character is the thing that ties this trilogy together. It also seems to rain or snow all the time.
July 19, 2016
PROTAGONIST: Remer, former PI
SETTING: Southampton, NY
SERIES: Standalone
RATING: 4.5
It’s early 2003, and a Manhattan PI named Remer has a cheating couple under surveillance. He’s using state-of-the art monitoring equipment, and the evidence that he’s gathered will prove without a shadow of a doubt what the pair has been up to. As he’s preparing to set up a directional microphone, he is ambushed by four men. Disabled by a 25,000 volt stun gun, Remer is taken to another location. One of the men informs him that he is going to teach him a lesson about prying into the business of others, of being a “voyeur”. Using a soldering iron, the man brands a word into Remer’s chest.
Indeed, Remer learned a lesson. He quickly relocated to Southampton and gave up the private investigative business. It’s almost six years later, and he now owns a liquor store. He has never returned to New York City. He mostly keeps to himself, although he has a relationship with a divorcee who goes to school in New York and comes to Southampton to work over the weekend. They have a standing date every weekend where they share some “blend”, a potent hallucinogenic that Remer concocts, and make love. Although Remer and Angela clearly enjoy each other’s company, there are no strings attached.
Then the world changes, and Remer is thrust into the voyeur role once again. At the behest of Kay Barton, a female cop who is a close friend, Remer agrees to look for a missing woman, Mia Ferrara, who was once his lover. The client is Mia’s mother. It’s not an easy quest; Remer suspects more than once that he is being set up. He more or less witnesses Mia’s murder but questions what he has seen. Could the situation be an elaborate case of insurance fraud? Or is the loving mother really not so loving and up to no good as far as her daughter is concerned? Together with Barton’s lover, Tommy Miller, Remer reconstructs exactly what happened and why.
VOYEUR is a dark and engrossing book. As the plot unfolds, there are several possible scenarios that could explain what is going on. There are times when it looks like Remer is being framed; he often engages in questionable behavior in order to save his own skin. After all, he is a man who has learned to adapt to survive. He’s a fascinating character. Remer is not only a voyeur in his professional life, but also his personal life. He always seems to be outside himself. Clearly lonely, he doesn’t want anything more than what he has. As a result of the branding incident, he is understandably paranoid. And yet, he is also quite surprised to find himself relating to Angela and wishing for more than what he has been able to give so far. Is it even possible for someone so damaged to relate to another?
VOYEUR is an excellent book. The plot is nicely complex with psychological terror and suspense driving it forward from almost the first page. The strong portrayal of Remer as a hard man with an appealing fragility adds a wonderful dimension to what could otherwise be a very dark book.
SETTING: Southampton, NY
SERIES: Standalone
RATING: 4.5
It’s early 2003, and a Manhattan PI named Remer has a cheating couple under surveillance. He’s using state-of-the art monitoring equipment, and the evidence that he’s gathered will prove without a shadow of a doubt what the pair has been up to. As he’s preparing to set up a directional microphone, he is ambushed by four men. Disabled by a 25,000 volt stun gun, Remer is taken to another location. One of the men informs him that he is going to teach him a lesson about prying into the business of others, of being a “voyeur”. Using a soldering iron, the man brands a word into Remer’s chest.
Indeed, Remer learned a lesson. He quickly relocated to Southampton and gave up the private investigative business. It’s almost six years later, and he now owns a liquor store. He has never returned to New York City. He mostly keeps to himself, although he has a relationship with a divorcee who goes to school in New York and comes to Southampton to work over the weekend. They have a standing date every weekend where they share some “blend”, a potent hallucinogenic that Remer concocts, and make love. Although Remer and Angela clearly enjoy each other’s company, there are no strings attached.
Then the world changes, and Remer is thrust into the voyeur role once again. At the behest of Kay Barton, a female cop who is a close friend, Remer agrees to look for a missing woman, Mia Ferrara, who was once his lover. The client is Mia’s mother. It’s not an easy quest; Remer suspects more than once that he is being set up. He more or less witnesses Mia’s murder but questions what he has seen. Could the situation be an elaborate case of insurance fraud? Or is the loving mother really not so loving and up to no good as far as her daughter is concerned? Together with Barton’s lover, Tommy Miller, Remer reconstructs exactly what happened and why.
VOYEUR is a dark and engrossing book. As the plot unfolds, there are several possible scenarios that could explain what is going on. There are times when it looks like Remer is being framed; he often engages in questionable behavior in order to save his own skin. After all, he is a man who has learned to adapt to survive. He’s a fascinating character. Remer is not only a voyeur in his professional life, but also his personal life. He always seems to be outside himself. Clearly lonely, he doesn’t want anything more than what he has. As a result of the branding incident, he is understandably paranoid. And yet, he is also quite surprised to find himself relating to Angela and wishing for more than what he has been able to give so far. Is it even possible for someone so damaged to relate to another?
VOYEUR is an excellent book. The plot is nicely complex with psychological terror and suspense driving it forward from almost the first page. The strong portrayal of Remer as a hard man with an appealing fragility adds a wonderful dimension to what could otherwise be a very dark book.
February 6, 2012
Daniel Judson brings us the third book in his Southampton Trilogy. Shamus award winner and three-time nominee, Daniel Judson draws us into the world of Southampton’s elite with a good dose of the seedier side thrown in.
In the preface we find lead character Reimer—a private investigator—in the middle of a case to prove infidelity. Reimer finds himself in the hands of a group of thugs intent on beating him down to show how dangerous his chosen profession can be to his life and inevitably forcing Reimer into retirement. Fast forward six years where we find Reimer living a quiet life running a liquor store in downtown Southampton chasing the dragon to keep demons from his every waking moment. Reimer keeps to himself and avoids trouble. The only relationship he gave himself to was with a troubled woman named Mia who breaks his heart and takes off with his life savings.
Reimer is called by a friend and employee to take one last case to find a missing person who turns out to be no other than Mia. Her mother is desperate to find the daughter she has not seen since she ran from Reimer. Reluctantly he takes the case, which is when his trouble begins. He tracks Mia to a bar called Pintauro’s where Mia allegedly works. Turns out she jumped ship with her new boyfriend Dave Brazier, again stealing money from the case register. Following leads along the way Reimer finds himself in the middle of murder and a plot to scam hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Judson weaves a dark tale in this suspense novel, capturing the reader and keeping their attention until the thrilling conclusion. Whether you are a long time reader of Daniel Judson or have just been introduced to his writing, you need to run out and buy this book. It is noir at its very best.
Reviewed by Jodi Hanson for Suspense Magazine
In the preface we find lead character Reimer—a private investigator—in the middle of a case to prove infidelity. Reimer finds himself in the hands of a group of thugs intent on beating him down to show how dangerous his chosen profession can be to his life and inevitably forcing Reimer into retirement. Fast forward six years where we find Reimer living a quiet life running a liquor store in downtown Southampton chasing the dragon to keep demons from his every waking moment. Reimer keeps to himself and avoids trouble. The only relationship he gave himself to was with a troubled woman named Mia who breaks his heart and takes off with his life savings.
Reimer is called by a friend and employee to take one last case to find a missing person who turns out to be no other than Mia. Her mother is desperate to find the daughter she has not seen since she ran from Reimer. Reluctantly he takes the case, which is when his trouble begins. He tracks Mia to a bar called Pintauro’s where Mia allegedly works. Turns out she jumped ship with her new boyfriend Dave Brazier, again stealing money from the case register. Following leads along the way Reimer finds himself in the middle of murder and a plot to scam hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Judson weaves a dark tale in this suspense novel, capturing the reader and keeping their attention until the thrilling conclusion. Whether you are a long time reader of Daniel Judson or have just been introduced to his writing, you need to run out and buy this book. It is noir at its very best.
Reviewed by Jodi Hanson for Suspense Magazine
November 27, 2011
Aaaaargh, this had so much potential. A stoic, effective Manhattan Private eye is brutally assaulted. He retreats to long island where lives has a shutaway until he is called to get "back in the game" to find the girl the broke his heart and stole his $40,000.
The thing I really found disappointing is that the novel was filled with little hooks--there is a rash of violent armed robberies occurring at the same time as the main mystery, there are hints that the mystery might be connected to the violent incident that begins the novel--that seems like they ought to be connected to the major mystery. But this never actually materializes.
Now that I think about it, there isn't really all that much too the plot. The detectives proceed with their investigation in a methodical manner, they figure out the mystery, and then they deal with the consequences.
There are no real twists, no red herrings, (except maybe the ones I mention in the 2nd paragraph), and no real surprises.
The one thing I like about all this is that it means that unlike so many private eye novels (even some really good ones) there no Deus ex Mafia (get it?). Everything here happens because of the simple greed of small-time, unconnected individuals, which makes it imminently plausible that a private detective working alone could figure it all out and interdict it. So that was good, but, I think I like my detective fiction with a few more delusions of grandeur.
The thing I really found disappointing is that the novel was filled with little hooks--there is a rash of violent armed robberies occurring at the same time as the main mystery, there are hints that the mystery might be connected to the violent incident that begins the novel--that seems like they ought to be connected to the major mystery. But this never actually materializes.
Now that I think about it, there isn't really all that much too the plot. The detectives proceed with their investigation in a methodical manner, they figure out the mystery, and then they deal with the consequences.
There are no real twists, no red herrings, (except maybe the ones I mention in the 2nd paragraph), and no real surprises.
The one thing I like about all this is that it means that unlike so many private eye novels (even some really good ones) there no Deus ex Mafia (get it?). Everything here happens because of the simple greed of small-time, unconnected individuals, which makes it imminently plausible that a private detective working alone could figure it all out and interdict it. So that was good, but, I think I like my detective fiction with a few more delusions of grandeur.
November 17, 2011
This book was a special gift from a friend since I read The Violet Hour and enjoyed it.
I thought Voyeur was better and flowed nicely between Remer’s 2003 past and present day 2008.
PI Remer is caught and harmed after a job on Valentine’s Day in 2003. He leaves the city and heads to Southampton to a simple quiet life as owner of a liquor store. Then he gets a call to help track down his ex-girlfriend Mia (who stole $80K from him). The week of Christmas he is once again involved in his old PI lifestyle with a few more bruises and twists involving a plot that connects murder, betrayal, and a large sum money. Set against the abandoned Hamptons, Remer is caught up in a complicated case during the bleak holiday season. His Marine background and survival tactics are put to the test.
Intense, fast paced and exciting, Remer and his friends solve the puzzle of missing Mia and once again Remer is able to return to his quiet weekend routine in his modest apartment.
I thought Voyeur was better and flowed nicely between Remer’s 2003 past and present day 2008.
PI Remer is caught and harmed after a job on Valentine’s Day in 2003. He leaves the city and heads to Southampton to a simple quiet life as owner of a liquor store. Then he gets a call to help track down his ex-girlfriend Mia (who stole $80K from him). The week of Christmas he is once again involved in his old PI lifestyle with a few more bruises and twists involving a plot that connects murder, betrayal, and a large sum money. Set against the abandoned Hamptons, Remer is caught up in a complicated case during the bleak holiday season. His Marine background and survival tactics are put to the test.
Intense, fast paced and exciting, Remer and his friends solve the puzzle of missing Mia and once again Remer is able to return to his quiet weekend routine in his modest apartment.
June 16, 2012
3.5
Remer,who gave up a successful career as a PI after a very traumatic event, is leading a quiet life out in Southampton. Six years have passed since the trauma and he continues to numb himself physically and emotionally.
Reluctantly, he agrees to find a former girlfriend for her mother. Events ensue; some more easily foreseen than others. But it's not about the crime being solved; it's about Remer waking up again after being emotionally dormant. Will that be successful?
Some of the writing might be described as cool and detached, but I think that fits with the way the character is portrayed.
Overall I enjoyed it.
Remer,who gave up a successful career as a PI after a very traumatic event, is leading a quiet life out in Southampton. Six years have passed since the trauma and he continues to numb himself physically and emotionally.
Reluctantly, he agrees to find a former girlfriend for her mother. Events ensue; some more easily foreseen than others. But it's not about the crime being solved; it's about Remer waking up again after being emotionally dormant. Will that be successful?
Some of the writing might be described as cool and detached, but I think that fits with the way the character is portrayed.
Overall I enjoyed it.
May 3, 2019
I enjoyed this entire Trilogy.
As with every Daniel Judson book I've read, these three books were engaging, complex, and full of memorable characters. Although each seemed to lag a bit in the middle, it didn't deter me from the interest, nor curiosity, in getting to the end, and solving all the questions that I'd been asking throughout. If I haven't figured out the ending by the third quarter of the book, I consider that a good mystery, or suspense novel. Such was the case with all three of these books.
As with every Daniel Judson book I've read, these three books were engaging, complex, and full of memorable characters. Although each seemed to lag a bit in the middle, it didn't deter me from the interest, nor curiosity, in getting to the end, and solving all the questions that I'd been asking throughout. If I haven't figured out the ending by the third quarter of the book, I consider that a good mystery, or suspense novel. Such was the case with all three of these books.
June 13, 2013
A private eye chased from his chosen profession gets sucked back in, based on his affection for a woman who stole a large sum of money from him.
Interesting characters, fast paced, and about as predictable as these kinds of books get.
Still, a good quick read.
Interesting characters, fast paced, and about as predictable as these kinds of books get.
Still, a good quick read.
January 31, 2016
Probably between 3 and 4 stars. I like Judson's portrayal of the underside of the East End of Long Island. A page turner, one that feels like you are not reading trash, and a great choice after something heavier. But still not in the league of the better Nordic writers.
February 27, 2011
Not really a mystery, and not really a noir. A little of both but I felt offstage with this one.
September 23, 2012
I thought this book was just ok. not as good as his other books. it lacked a little something but I am not sure what. overall it still kept my attention.
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April 4, 2015Remer, an ex-PI
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June 3, 2018Remer was an effective Manhattan P.I. until one of his targets found a nasty way to force him into an early retirement. Since then, he has been living an anonymous life, running a liquor store in Southampton, and doing his best to stay in the shadows without ties to anyone or anything. Then a voice from his past reaches out for help, and he agrees to work one last case---a missing person---in order to escape the threat he’s lived under for six years.
Trouble is, even if he finds Mia Ferrara, even if she’s safe, that might not be enough.
Shamus Award winner Daniel Judson’s irresistible noir styling and impeccably drawn heroes---so beset and so human---make Voyeur his most searing thriller yet.
Trouble is, even if he finds Mia Ferrara, even if she’s safe, that might not be enough.
Shamus Award winner Daniel Judson’s irresistible noir styling and impeccably drawn heroes---so beset and so human---make Voyeur his most searing thriller yet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews