The City When it Rains: A Mystery

by Thomas H. Cook

There's nothing special about the woman's death. It comes over the police radio like any other sad story: a woman found on the sidewalk, killed after plunging from her apartment. But something about the gruesome scene grabs David Corman's attention. A freelance photographer with a defunct marriage and a career on the skids, he fixates on this mysterious death. But learning the truth behind this futile suicide will teach David that New York is even uglier than he imagined.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 1991

About the author

There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.

Thomas H. Cook has been praised by critics for his attention to psychology and the lyrical nature of his prose. He is the author of more than 30 critically-acclaimed fiction books, including works of true crime. Cook published his first novel, Blood Innocents, in 1980. Cook published steadily through the 1980s, penning such works as the Frank Clemons trilogy, a series of mysteries starring a jaded cop.

He found breakout success with The Chatham School Affair (1996), which won an Edgar Award for best novel. Besides mysteries, Cook has written two true-crime books including the Edgar-nominated Blood Echoes (1993). He lives and works in New York City.

Awards
Edgar Allan Poe – Best Novel – The Chatham School Affair
Barry Award – Best Novel – Red Leaves
Martin Beck Award of the Swedish Academy of Detection – The Chatham School Affair
Martin Beck Award of the Swedish Academy of Detection – Red Leaves
Herodotus Prize – Fatherhood

Reviews

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful story brilliantly written. Cook's use of language is superb. I'm envious!

The story is very creatively conceived and written. I can't say much without spoiling the read, except that the solution to the "crime" leads to the solution to the protagonist's personal issues. Fathers and daughters take note.

If you're a photographer, you will appreciate the photographer's "eye" that appears on almost every page. If you're a New Yorker, you will really appreciate the images seen by that eye.

I'm looking forward to meeting the author when he appears at the Key West Literary Seminar next month.

[LOUISE FIELDER · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mystery novel is rich in charcter descriptions taking place in the dark wet streets of New York City.
A young woman leaps to her death from an abandoned tenement building with only a doll for comfort.
A free-lance photographer cannot shake the images of the scene and wonders if this is the story that can save him financially.
Faced with problems of his own, of eviction, and an ex-wife threatening to reverse the custody of their nine year old daughter and take her away from him, he struggles to come to grips with what is right and why someone could be driven to such a tragic end ?
As he delves deeper and deeper into the mystery of her death he unearths the truth about his own failings and realizes far more than he thought was possible.
It seems to rain the whole book long and you are wishing for it to turn out bright as you turn the pages one after the other.

[Jeremiah Seyrak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, puts you in the shoes of a New York freelance photographer. I didn’t like the ending.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark., depressing and difficult to read. A crapload of trigger warnings are needed here especially the description and outcome of mental illness. The sections about photography are worth rereading but for now I just need a drink. 2 1/2 stars.

[benja levy · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was very solemn, and consistent in mood. despite this, the plot was pretty secondary to the vibes which is cool but sometimes the hype moments and aura get to a point and you do crave genuine story. nonetheless I liked the characters and the depth of his life. good book, probably way better in January anyways

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as intriguing as the two others books by this author I have recently read. I skimmed through it to the end because I wanted to know the conclusion, but was not engaged by characters or plot.

[Peter Toeg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has the feel of a book written just for me, someone who knows the "city" and the atmosphere, and a protagonist who personifies the classic "Everyman" victim of life's misfortunes. Down but not out, an everyday hero.

Cook is a master, and having read all his books at least once, I can attest to his brilliant prose and plotting. Nearly every page has at least one memorable phrase that testifies to the human condition.

Corman, the MC, is a dogged photographer seeking one photo better than the next—photos of crimes, victims, or urban situations to be sold to newspapers. One particular event, a young woman's suicide, draws him into a search for the truth surrounding it. Using his instinct and savvy, he gathers all the facts surrounding the tragedy, believing the story must be told. Cook's riveting pose takes us on that journey that brings Corman face-to-face with his own soul.

To avoid giving away anything, I challenge any reader to take the story to its satisfying ending. If you are a city dweller, expect even more. The grand stage is dreamlike.

[Clarice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric, slice-of-life type of novel. Cook's writing is brilliant, as usual. It is amazing how he can bring the visual art of photography to life with his descriptions. Following the main character, a freelance photographer, through Manhattan gave me a real feel for the streets and the people who inhabit them.

The "mystery" isn't really the main focus of the novel, and it will probably be a disappointment for readers craving a real "who done it". The mystery is more of a vehicle for the stories of the characters.

[Didi]

Excellent

[Joe Nicholl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of an odd book...and a drama fest...and that's all I have to say about this one...3.0 outta 5.0...

[Deb W · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up listening to this one. Too dreary. I may read the ebook at some time, but I doubt it.

[Kathleen Hagen]

The City When It Rains, by Thomas H. Cook, Narrated by R. C. Bray, Produced by Highbridge Audio, Downloaded from Audible.com.

David Corman is a freelance photographer living in an apartment with his daughter, Lucy. Freelance work isn’t really bringing him in enough to live on. He is being evicted for owing back rent, his ex-wife has decided to sue for custody of their daughter because she believes that her wealthy second husband and she can provide a better home in a safer neighborhood and private upper class education for Lucy. David gets many of his ideas for pictures from listening to the police radio and following crime reporters onto crime sites. While listening one night, he hears that a woman has jumped from a window in Hell’s Kitchen in a gutted tenement. It’s only a few blocks from his home, so he gets a neighbor to watch his daughter and goes to take pictures. He gets the idea that maybe he can really investigate this death and make a story in pictures of the disintegration of this girl’s life. So he starts digging. In the meantime, his mentor freelance photographer is dying, and he also has the opportunity to replace the society photographer who is retiring. As he keeps digging into the story of the woman’s death, the exploration ends up being more about himself, especially as he becomes more familiar with the father of the woman who jumped and his struggles to protect his daughter. So, how much will he compromise to keep custody of his daughter? Will he accept money from his ex-wife’s current husband, who doesn’t really want Lucy to live with them? Will he accept money from his brother as a loan to help him? Will he accept this day job as a society photographer in order to have a steady income? This is, as usual, an excellent book full of atmosphere from Thomas H. Cook. It’s New York City which in this book is in constant rain.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The setup is extremely intriguing and it works as a literary novel, which is a direction Cook definitely has always leaned toward - as an exploration of father-daughter relationships and the tension between "compromise" for the sake of a greater good and personal integrity. If you go into it as a mystery, however, the "solution" is a bit underwhelming, to be honest.

I've now listened to the audiobook of this twice - I'm not sure if I've ever read the physical version or if so, what my opinion was, but I find two weaknesses in the audio. YMMV. First, there just seem to be way too many male characters of a certain age to keep track of - I felt like I needed a scorecard. Also, while the narrator seemed to do a pretty good job doing different voices for each, I didn't seem to find that helped me keep them straight from one another. I also found his take on Corman's daughter Lucy to be kind of annoying. I get that she's supposed to be "wise beyond her years" to a certain extent, but I didn't find that it worked in the narration.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

worth reading, I think, but not a "great" Cook novel.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read better Thomas H. Cook books. Still, better than most mystery/suspense novels. I probably need to move on to others for a while and circle back later.

[Charlie Bouchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a real bell ringer.

[Billie Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cook breaks your heart while you're not looking