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Detective Jack Leightner #2
The Graving Dock
In the chill of winter, a homemade coffin drifts ashore in New York Harbor, containing the body of a boy with the letters “G.I.” written on his forehead. As a detective with Brooklyn South Homicide, Jack Leightner finds that corpses are a part of every working day. But today his attention is riveted on a considerably smaller box, containing an engagement ring for his girlfriend Michelle.…
In his second mystery featuring Detective Jack Leightner, Edgar Award--nominated author Gabriel Cohen vividly captures New York’s most fascinating borough.
The relatively gentle treatment of the victim in Jack’s new case leads him to believe that the boy may have been subject to a strange type of mercy killing. But when a new body appears, it’s clear that no mercy was involved.
Meanwhile, Jack can’t figure out his new partner, Tommy Balfa. The man seems fixated on some mysterious trouble of his own, leaving Jack to find out why the unknown boy was sent adrift. Eventually, Jack is forced to take on a second, unofficial investigation into his own partner’s shady activities. And both cases keep interfering with his attempts to propose to his girlfriend. As all three plots thicken, Jack’s pursuit of the killer takes him on a whirlwind tour of hidden parts of New York Harbor, from the secret world of Governors Island to the dilapidated shipyards of the old Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Red Hook, Cohen’s debut, was called “outstanding” (The New York Times), “accomplished” (Publishers Weekly), and “compelling” (Booklist). The Graving Dock, the eagerly awaited sequel, is a triumph, even richer in atmosphere, action, and the mysteries of the human heart.
In his second mystery featuring Detective Jack Leightner, Edgar Award--nominated author Gabriel Cohen vividly captures New York’s most fascinating borough.
The relatively gentle treatment of the victim in Jack’s new case leads him to believe that the boy may have been subject to a strange type of mercy killing. But when a new body appears, it’s clear that no mercy was involved.
Meanwhile, Jack can’t figure out his new partner, Tommy Balfa. The man seems fixated on some mysterious trouble of his own, leaving Jack to find out why the unknown boy was sent adrift. Eventually, Jack is forced to take on a second, unofficial investigation into his own partner’s shady activities. And both cases keep interfering with his attempts to propose to his girlfriend. As all three plots thicken, Jack’s pursuit of the killer takes him on a whirlwind tour of hidden parts of New York Harbor, from the secret world of Governors Island to the dilapidated shipyards of the old Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Red Hook, Cohen’s debut, was called “outstanding” (The New York Times), “accomplished” (Publishers Weekly), and “compelling” (Booklist). The Graving Dock, the eagerly awaited sequel, is a triumph, even richer in atmosphere, action, and the mysteries of the human heart.
- GenresMysteryFictionProcedural
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2007
45 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Gabriel Cohen
12 books15 followersGabriel Cohen’s debut novel Red Hook was nominated for the Edgar award for Best First Novel, and he is also the author of The Ninth Step, The Graving Dock, Boombox, Neptune Avenue, and the nonfiction book Storms Can’t Hurt the Sky: A Buddhist Path Through Divorce. He has written for The New York Times, Poets & Writers, Gourmet.com, Shambhala Sun, the New York Post magazine, and Time Out New York. He teaches in the Writing Program at the Pratt Institute; has taught writing at New York University; and lectures extensively.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 4, 2023
( Format : Audiobook )
"This world exists entirely in our mind."
Seen entirely from the point of view of homicide detective Jack Leightner, recently shot but recovered, mostly, in the aftermath of 9/11, and now in love with the girlfriend who helped him through it, the reader follows his life through both personal and police events starting with the discovery of the body of a ten years old boy found floating in an homemade woven coffin. Cleverly written, to incorporate Jack's hopes and expectations as he works the cases which come his way and his desire to propose marriage to Michelle, plus fears of vulnerability as he goes about his job, this feels like an authentic peek inside Jack's head. Chris Sorensen narrates, finding authentic and different voices for each character. A good performance, if a little slow in delivery.
Free to download with the Audible Plus programme, this book, part two of a series but fine as a stand alone, is definitely recommended.
"This world exists entirely in our mind."
Seen entirely from the point of view of homicide detective Jack Leightner, recently shot but recovered, mostly, in the aftermath of 9/11, and now in love with the girlfriend who helped him through it, the reader follows his life through both personal and police events starting with the discovery of the body of a ten years old boy found floating in an homemade woven coffin. Cleverly written, to incorporate Jack's hopes and expectations as he works the cases which come his way and his desire to propose marriage to Michelle, plus fears of vulnerability as he goes about his job, this feels like an authentic peek inside Jack's head. Chris Sorensen narrates, finding authentic and different voices for each character. A good performance, if a little slow in delivery.
Free to download with the Audible Plus programme, this book, part two of a series but fine as a stand alone, is definitely recommended.
August 17, 2020
Loving characters and interesting locations. Looking forward to reading more of Mr Cohen.
November 4, 2022
Another great read! Gabriel Cohen is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Very much looking forward to reading the next two in the series.
December 30, 2023
I absolutely bought this for the title, but it was a decent murder mystery and it was well written. And the final showdown is at the BNY.
September 26, 2024
An unqualified 4-star read.
As good as, or better than the last you.
As good as, or better than the last you.
June 2, 2011
This is one of those books that I picked up for a dollar at the Dollar Tree last year. Thankfully, I finally got around to reading it recently and I'm now thinking that the Dollar Tree is the coolest place to buy books. What I did not know at the time, and what has added to my wish list, is that this was the second book in the Jack Leightner series. Other than referencing a few incidents from the first book, this is okay as a standalone read. I've never been a fan of police procedurals, but ever since reading In the Woods by Tana French, I've been a little more open about them. That doesn't mean I'm sold on the genre, as I like detective stories more, but if I keep reading books like this one, I'll get there.
Jack, who is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained in the first book, is a who is trying to find his equilibrium again. He has a new relationship that started right before the shooting and has progressed since then. What I found interesting about it was.....okay, this is going to take a little off the wall thinking. One thing that I've always found annoying about movies, let's take "Speed" for example, is that a traumatic event brings people together and by the time the credits start to roll you are left with the impression that everything is going to be perfect afterwards. Now logically, what the hell kind of sense does that make. Do you really think a relationship based of need or adrenaline is really going to work out once the normall day-to-day events start to happen? Come on, that's just dumb.
Now while Jack and Michelle's relationship is not exactly like Jack and Annie's, it's pretty damn close. Jack and Michelle did go on a few dates before the shooting, but they really didn't KNOW each other. Once Jack is shot, Michelle is by his bedside and helping him recover once he's out of the hospital. The book starts off on a date, where Jack is ready to propose to her, though a missing ring gets in his way. Jack, who is in his forties, and Michelle seem happy but they are now having to adjust their lives to accommodate Jack going back to work and being away form home for long periods of time. Michelle, who I think really does love him, just doesn't seem to be able to deal with who Jack is and ends up flaking out on him. Now this is a series, and I've read the synopsis of some of the proceeding books already, so it looks like things may work out, but in this book, things just kind of blow up in Jack's face. What I loved about them as a couple though, is watching them struggle with trying to get to know each other outside of crisis mode. The give and take was a treat to read even if things didn't quite go as planned.
As far as the mystery goes, I found it to be well crafted and done in such a way that I actually cared about he reasons the killer was going around killing people, some more mercifully than others. Jack comes across as a smart, dedicated detective who truly cares about the dead. He wants to find out what happened to them, to give them their voice back and allow justice to be done. He, along with a troubled new partner, are trying to catch the killer before he strikes again. The case takes them to Governors Island, which was used by the U.S. military for basing for over 200 years and had only been empty since 1996 when the U.S. Coast Guard closed it's base. The case keeps bringing them back to the island; it's the place the coffin was put into the water from, the second body is discovered there, and as Jack keeps digging deeper, he realizes the killer has ties to the island.
As the case progresses, Jack is forced to deal with Michelle and ends up investigating his partner who keeps showing some rather guilty behavior. It's doesn't help that since it's Brooklyn, Jack is constantly in rotation for new cases which must be worked at the same time. Like a lot of good cops though, Jack is able to multitask and he works every lead he can to make sure he solves them before it's too late. He is thrown some serious curve balls during the investigation, both professional and personal, but like anyone who is dedicated to his job, he doesn't let them derail him. By the end of the book, he has solved both homicide cases he was working and makes sure the young boy is given a proper burial.
I loved this book and this character, so much in fact that I'm going to have to go out and buy the rest of the books, despite my need to buy other books as well. Jack is a terrific character and I'm looking forward to getting to know him even more.
Jack, who is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained in the first book, is a who is trying to find his equilibrium again. He has a new relationship that started right before the shooting and has progressed since then. What I found interesting about it was.....okay, this is going to take a little off the wall thinking. One thing that I've always found annoying about movies, let's take "Speed" for example, is that a traumatic event brings people together and by the time the credits start to roll you are left with the impression that everything is going to be perfect afterwards. Now logically, what the hell kind of sense does that make. Do you really think a relationship based of need or adrenaline is really going to work out once the normall day-to-day events start to happen? Come on, that's just dumb.
Now while Jack and Michelle's relationship is not exactly like Jack and Annie's, it's pretty damn close. Jack and Michelle did go on a few dates before the shooting, but they really didn't KNOW each other. Once Jack is shot, Michelle is by his bedside and helping him recover once he's out of the hospital. The book starts off on a date, where Jack is ready to propose to her, though a missing ring gets in his way. Jack, who is in his forties, and Michelle seem happy but they are now having to adjust their lives to accommodate Jack going back to work and being away form home for long periods of time. Michelle, who I think really does love him, just doesn't seem to be able to deal with who Jack is and ends up flaking out on him. Now this is a series, and I've read the synopsis of some of the proceeding books already, so it looks like things may work out, but in this book, things just kind of blow up in Jack's face. What I loved about them as a couple though, is watching them struggle with trying to get to know each other outside of crisis mode. The give and take was a treat to read even if things didn't quite go as planned.
As far as the mystery goes, I found it to be well crafted and done in such a way that I actually cared about he reasons the killer was going around killing people, some more mercifully than others. Jack comes across as a smart, dedicated detective who truly cares about the dead. He wants to find out what happened to them, to give them their voice back and allow justice to be done. He, along with a troubled new partner, are trying to catch the killer before he strikes again. The case takes them to Governors Island, which was used by the U.S. military for basing for over 200 years and had only been empty since 1996 when the U.S. Coast Guard closed it's base. The case keeps bringing them back to the island; it's the place the coffin was put into the water from, the second body is discovered there, and as Jack keeps digging deeper, he realizes the killer has ties to the island.
As the case progresses, Jack is forced to deal with Michelle and ends up investigating his partner who keeps showing some rather guilty behavior. It's doesn't help that since it's Brooklyn, Jack is constantly in rotation for new cases which must be worked at the same time. Like a lot of good cops though, Jack is able to multitask and he works every lead he can to make sure he solves them before it's too late. He is thrown some serious curve balls during the investigation, both professional and personal, but like anyone who is dedicated to his job, he doesn't let them derail him. By the end of the book, he has solved both homicide cases he was working and makes sure the young boy is given a proper burial.
I loved this book and this character, so much in fact that I'm going to have to go out and buy the rest of the books, despite my need to buy other books as well. Jack is a terrific character and I'm looking forward to getting to know him even more.
June 28, 2023
3.5 because I like the protagonist. I like the setting. Nothing fancy. Just a police procedural story.
September 12, 2016
Would like to read more of this police series--unfortunately, my library has no more. Nice balance of policing and personal story, and not too much violence, at least no torture porn!
January 16, 2014
Although this is my first book by Cohen, he is now one of my favorites and I will be reading more. The main character is a New York police homicide detective who we get to see become more self-reflective as he struggles with his life. This is a complicated mystery with complicated characters, with no simple or trite results. Pretty real relationships also. I learned a bit about how complicated the interactions of river currents and tides are, an old island near Manhattan that was once a small town with a life and culture of its own, and also a tiny touch of Buddhism and Judaism. I had no idea where this story was going and couldn't put it down until I found out. This was a five star read for me and I look forward to more by this author.
November 27, 2016
Brooklyn 's Finest
This is my second read of The Jack Leightner Crime Novels. I know I will read the next sometime soon. The main reason I will do so is that I like the character. This is one of the good cops. He is very human and believable. The crimes get solved. There is action and suspense including the suspense of love. The second reason I like this series is that I know and love Broolkyn.
This is my second read of The Jack Leightner Crime Novels. I know I will read the next sometime soon. The main reason I will do so is that I like the character. This is one of the good cops. He is very human and believable. The crimes get solved. There is action and suspense including the suspense of love. The second reason I like this series is that I know and love Broolkyn.
August 8, 2008
A good quick mystery. I'm familiar with the setting, so that was an added bonus. I liked the way that things often weren't done ad infinitum and often left a bit bare and not fleshed out, the style really worked. A bit different and refreshing, but still accessible and in the same mold.
Or something.
;-)
Or something.
;-)
August 18, 2015
Not your typical cop worshiping tale
So, I found myself waiting for the next Elvis Cole novel and looking for something to read. I took a chance on this one and it helped pass the time. I was surprised that the cops were not all perfect or honest, just like the cops you encounter in real life. It was a complicated,tangled story with few winners. Read this one while you wait.
So, I found myself waiting for the next Elvis Cole novel and looking for something to read. I took a chance on this one and it helped pass the time. I was surprised that the cops were not all perfect or honest, just like the cops you encounter in real life. It was a complicated,tangled story with few winners. Read this one while you wait.
April 11, 2016
Good story
It was a little slow at first, but after I got acquainted with the characters, it picked up. It has a lot of history about the area which was nice. There were some twists, plot lines that you thought were going to resolve one way but went very differently than expected.
It was a little slow at first, but after I got acquainted with the characters, it picked up. It has a lot of history about the area which was nice. There were some twists, plot lines that you thought were going to resolve one way but went very differently than expected.
February 13, 2008
Excellent! Highly recommend!
June 24, 2009
Set in Brooklyn not long after 9/11. Not as good as the first in the series Red Hook.
May 22, 2010
RATING: 3.75
September 20, 2010
Second in a series of Cohen's set-in-Brooklyn mysteries. This was better than the first; however the setting remains the highlight.
October 5, 2010
I am following Alan in reading these mysteries set very locally here in Brooklyn. Entirely entertaining, especially given the local details. Clearly I'll end up reading some more of these books!
November 5, 2010
Very good plot, good story, interesting characters. Well-written. Liked it.
September 20, 2011
I enjyed this one better than Red Hook. I think it takes awhile to get into his style of writing, but it's worth the effort!
March 13, 2013
Good fast paced New York mystery.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews