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McCabe & Savage Thriller #2
The Chill of Night
Glamorous young Portland attorney Lainie Goff thought she had it all—brains, beauty, and a fast-track to a partnership in a top-ranked firm that was going to make her rich. But then one cold winter night she pushed things too far, and her naked frozen body is found in the sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier.
The only witness to the crime: a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who mysteriously disappears the very same night.
With the discovery of Lainie Goff ’s body and the disappearance of Abby Quinn, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself on the trail of a relentless and clever killer. A killer he must find before another life is lost.
The only witness to the crime: a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who mysteriously disappears the very same night.
With the discovery of Lainie Goff ’s body and the disappearance of Abby Quinn, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself on the trail of a relentless and clever killer. A killer he must find before another life is lost.
340 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
James Hayman
8 books371 followersLike one of the heroes of my thrillers, Detective Sergeant Mike McCabe, I’m a native New Yorker. McCabe was born in the Bronx. I was born in Brooklyn. And we both grew up and spent much of our working lives in the New York City before eventually moving to Portland, Maine. However that’s where the similarities end.
McCabe, after spending a couple of years at NYU Film School, dropped out and decided to join the family business and become a cop first for the NYPD and then for the Portland PD.
For my part, I graduated from Brown University without having any idea whatsoever of what I wanted to do. All I knew was that the one salable skill I thought I possessed was the ability of dreaming things up and writing them down. After looking around I realized the only companies I could think of that would pay me to do both were on Madison Avenue. I joined a major New York advertising agency as a cub copywriter. Over the next few years I drifted to a couple of other agencies and finally settled in as a senior creative director at the agency I considered the best of the lot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ad business and was good at it. I was well paid and spent my days dreaming up sometimes weird, sometimes funny, sometimes dopey ideas for mostly TV ad campaigns.
But before I knew it, more than 30 years had passed, my hair had turned from dark brown to silvery gray and I began to realize that Madison Avenue, like the Texas/Mexico border in Cormac McCarthy’s great thriller, was No Country for Old Men. My wife and I decided to pull up stakes and move full-time to a house we’d built right on the ocean on an island a mile and a half from the city of Portland.
Up in Maine I spent a couple of years writing freelance marketing pieces. But in 2005 I decided that if I didn’t start writing the suspense thriller I’d been itching to write for years, I probably never would. My first effort which I called The Cutting told the tale of an villainous surgeon who killed people to steal their hearts for use in illegal transplants. It took me nearly two years to write. But I stuck with it and when I’d finally finished with writing, polishing, editing and reediting I started looking for an agent. Wanting to shoot for the stars, I sent the manuscript and a cover letter to one of the top agents in the business, Meg Ruley of the Jane Rotrosen Agency in New York. Meg represented such top best selling thriller writers as Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner and Michael Palmer among others. Sending the book to Meg first was kind of a Hail Mary play on my part.
Hail Mary’s rarely work so a little more than a week later I was stunned when Meg called me in the UK where my wife and I were vacationing and after telling me she how much she liked the book, she asked “Have you sent this to any other agents?”
“Nope. None,” I replied. “You were the first.”
“Well don’t send it anyone else,” she said. “I’d like to represent you. That is if you’re interested.”
I’m not sure how I kept my cool but after no more than a few stutters and stammers, I did manage to let her know that yes, indeed, I was very interested in having her represent me.
Meg quickly sold The Cutting to major publishers in the both the US and seven other countries and I was off and running. Over the next seven years, I followed up on the success of that first book by writing five more McCabe/Savage thrillers: The Chill of Night, Darkness First, The Girl in the Glass, and The Girl on the Bridge, which collectively sold over half a million copies and made a bunch of best seller lists including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and my home town paper, the Portland Press Herald. My latest McCabe/Savage thriller, A Fatal Obsession, is the first of the series set outside of Maine, partly in New York City, partly in rural Connecticut. My publisher, Harper Collins, is bringing it out on August 21st both in paperback and e-book form.
McCabe, after spending a couple of years at NYU Film School, dropped out and decided to join the family business and become a cop first for the NYPD and then for the Portland PD.
For my part, I graduated from Brown University without having any idea whatsoever of what I wanted to do. All I knew was that the one salable skill I thought I possessed was the ability of dreaming things up and writing them down. After looking around I realized the only companies I could think of that would pay me to do both were on Madison Avenue. I joined a major New York advertising agency as a cub copywriter. Over the next few years I drifted to a couple of other agencies and finally settled in as a senior creative director at the agency I considered the best of the lot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ad business and was good at it. I was well paid and spent my days dreaming up sometimes weird, sometimes funny, sometimes dopey ideas for mostly TV ad campaigns.
But before I knew it, more than 30 years had passed, my hair had turned from dark brown to silvery gray and I began to realize that Madison Avenue, like the Texas/Mexico border in Cormac McCarthy’s great thriller, was No Country for Old Men. My wife and I decided to pull up stakes and move full-time to a house we’d built right on the ocean on an island a mile and a half from the city of Portland.
Up in Maine I spent a couple of years writing freelance marketing pieces. But in 2005 I decided that if I didn’t start writing the suspense thriller I’d been itching to write for years, I probably never would. My first effort which I called The Cutting told the tale of an villainous surgeon who killed people to steal their hearts for use in illegal transplants. It took me nearly two years to write. But I stuck with it and when I’d finally finished with writing, polishing, editing and reediting I started looking for an agent. Wanting to shoot for the stars, I sent the manuscript and a cover letter to one of the top agents in the business, Meg Ruley of the Jane Rotrosen Agency in New York. Meg represented such top best selling thriller writers as Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner and Michael Palmer among others. Sending the book to Meg first was kind of a Hail Mary play on my part.
Hail Mary’s rarely work so a little more than a week later I was stunned when Meg called me in the UK where my wife and I were vacationing and after telling me she how much she liked the book, she asked “Have you sent this to any other agents?”
“Nope. None,” I replied. “You were the first.”
“Well don’t send it anyone else,” she said. “I’d like to represent you. That is if you’re interested.”
I’m not sure how I kept my cool but after no more than a few stutters and stammers, I did manage to let her know that yes, indeed, I was very interested in having her represent me.
Meg quickly sold The Cutting to major publishers in the both the US and seven other countries and I was off and running. Over the next seven years, I followed up on the success of that first book by writing five more McCabe/Savage thrillers: The Chill of Night, Darkness First, The Girl in the Glass, and The Girl on the Bridge, which collectively sold over half a million copies and made a bunch of best seller lists including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and my home town paper, the Portland Press Herald. My latest McCabe/Savage thriller, A Fatal Obsession, is the first of the series set outside of Maine, partly in New York City, partly in rural Connecticut. My publisher, Harper Collins, is bringing it out on August 21st both in paperback and e-book form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
September 30, 2015
Total dude book. Characters were basically defined by how good looking they were or sexual they acted. Some of the descriptions used to describe the victims were, in my opinion, another physical attack based on physical appearance. Nope. No more James Hayman. I'll leave those to men who are completely insecure.
November 30, 2018
The Chill of Night is book two of McCabe and Savage series by James Hayman. The latest murder case of Detective Sergeant Michael McCabe and Detective Margaret Savage the murder of Lainie Goff who was founded in the boot of her a car and from the start it was causing headaches for them. More Detective Sergeant Michael McCabe and Detective Margaret Savage delve into this case more complicated it became for them. The readers of The Chill of Night will continue to follow the twist and turns in Detective Sergeant Michael McCabe and Detective Margaret Savage investigation into the death of Lainie Goff.
I enjoy reading books in the McCabe and Savage series and The Chill of Night did not disappoint me. The plot of The Chill of Night was fast moving and keep me engaged until I turn the last page. I like James Hayman writing style and the way he portrays his characters that encourages his readers to enjoy reading the book. James Hayman did a fantastic job of describing his settings that allow me to feel part of the story.
The readers of The Chill of Night will start to understand the problems and stress that families of law enforcement have when family members go on duty every day. Also, the readers of The Chill of Night will learn about mental illness and how it can affect everyone around them.
I recommend this book.
I enjoy reading books in the McCabe and Savage series and The Chill of Night did not disappoint me. The plot of The Chill of Night was fast moving and keep me engaged until I turn the last page. I like James Hayman writing style and the way he portrays his characters that encourages his readers to enjoy reading the book. James Hayman did a fantastic job of describing his settings that allow me to feel part of the story.
The readers of The Chill of Night will start to understand the problems and stress that families of law enforcement have when family members go on duty every day. Also, the readers of The Chill of Night will learn about mental illness and how it can affect everyone around them.
I recommend this book.
July 27, 2010
Even though this book is the second book in the Detective Michael McCabe series, it read also as a stand alone. It is a murder mystery novel with believable characters and spine tingling suspense. A story of a young up and coming lawyer, Lainie Goff, is killed and stuffed in the trunk of her car naked and found frozen. There is a witness to this murder, who turns up missing. Does the killer have this person?? That is what McCabe and Detective Margaret (Maggie) Savage have to figure out before there is a second murder. Both detectives work for the Portland Police Department Crimes against People unit. As they follow the clues, they find that this is not a simple case of murder. McCabe is haunted by the fact that Lainie bears a striking resemblance to his ex wife. The forensic work is made harder to figure out because of the very cold weather in Portland, Maine and Hart's Island where the story takes place. McCabe has a photographic memory and is full of little tidbits and a stickler for detail and he is determined to find the truth of what happened to Lainie Goff. Among the cast of characters is his girlfriend, Kyra, who McCabe has deep feelings for and his daughter, Casey, who's mother wants to send her away to boarding school. So besides solving this case he has personal issues to deal with.This an action packed story with a twist to it that I never saw coming. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I will definitely read more of Mr.Haymans work.
December 1, 2018
Another good police procedural from James Hayman. I enjoyed the mystery plot. I think those who read this type of story will guess "who did it" although there are a couple of good red herrings.
I did grow tired of McCabe's fixation with his ex-wife. And for the most part, his daughter Casey and his girlfriend Kyra were mostly absent. The focus is the case not his personal life.
Still I enjoyed reading this one and hope to get my hands on the next in the series.
I did grow tired of McCabe's fixation with his ex-wife. And for the most part, his daughter Casey and his girlfriend Kyra were mostly absent. The focus is the case not his personal life.
Still I enjoyed reading this one and hope to get my hands on the next in the series.
June 24, 2019
This is the first McCabe and Savage thriller I have read by James Hayman. I have the first one ready to read within the the next month or so. I had not been aware of this series until sometime the last month. They all take place in Portland, Maine and this particular one I have just finished reading is an engrossing story of a young female lawyer working at one of the most prestigious law firms in Portland. On the night of December 23rd, Lainie Goff is getting ready to leave on a two week vacation to Aruba. She walks to the parking facilities where her car is, and is greeted by an unknown (to the reader) who tells her they have some unfinished business. This is the last time we hear from Lainie. She grew up in a terribly abusive foster home and was sexually and emotionally abused. Because of that experience, she is on the board of a safe haven place for teens and feels very deeply about the cause. In the ensuing days, her car is found parked at the end of a pier, with (presumably) her body found frozen in the trunk. McCabe and Savage are both working on the case, and they have many possible leads to follow. Unbelievably, a witness is found, who saw the actual murder happen. Unfortunately, although she is on meds like Zyprexa, McCabe and Savage know that they must get additional evidence because of the fact that a witness who has a mental illness like schizophrenia is not enough to convince a jury of a perpetrator's guilt. I was very 'into' reading this book, and I happened to guess the identity of the murderer. I thought the book well written and I really liked Hayman's description of the scenery and ambience of Portland, Maine. I am just happy I have found another enjoyable series to read!
February 5, 2016
Absolutely Amazing!
I have now read books One and Two, and if One was wonderful, Two was glorious. This author is a real find. No, that's a tad condescending. I will be forever grateful to myself for finding this author; not hidden away, but in no way highlighted or calling attention to himself. Just "The luck of the Kindle!" But, quite seriously, this man is WAY up there, with the best of the best, the Sherlock Holmes books, the Woman With The Dragon Tattoo books, John Irving, the best of John Grisham, Gillian Flynn. He is brilliant, his stories are complex in the best possible way, he is a writer working a genre for all it's worth, yet with the full use of his highly unusual, and astonishing gifts of insight, empathy, humanity and love. The characters, particularly McCabe, of course, are ALL distinct, layered, flawed, human, worthy of our attention, and are all fascinating unto themselves, not just as cogs moving the machine forward. I feel like, I don't know, maybe the world could be okay, reading a book of this quality. I know that's goofy. But, be it crime fiction, "mere" fiction, or any other labels and generalities one might make about works of art, that is what this book is; a work of art. And, art, created by a true artist, not only engages us, but changes us. I'm just grateful that this author, who is clearly brilliant enough to have succeeded at any number of high-paying professions, chose, instead, to be a story-teller. A profession of the heart and soul, not of the reasoning mind and the expanding bank balance (although some authors become deliciously wealthy, and may that be the case here).Just a couple of personal notes; the book is elegant. Its architecture is classic, it's design utterly intentional and seemingly effortless. Which takes a great deal of effort. I know that "elegant" is an odd word to use for a crime novel involving multiple "pithings', but none-other will do. Also, as a gay man, I very much appreciate the authors inclusion of gay people among his characters; sometimes because they fit the narrative, and sometimes because the world also includes, among its characters, gay people. The author's lack of condescension, and his avoidance of the sensational, regarding gay characters, adds a lovely thread to this masterly tapestry - a thread too often left unchosen or dyed far too garish a color. I shall now immediately begin reading book Three, just as I immediately began book Two after book One, creating in my mind a single, singular, highly marvelous and engaging experience. Onward!
I have now read books One and Two, and if One was wonderful, Two was glorious. This author is a real find. No, that's a tad condescending. I will be forever grateful to myself for finding this author; not hidden away, but in no way highlighted or calling attention to himself. Just "The luck of the Kindle!" But, quite seriously, this man is WAY up there, with the best of the best, the Sherlock Holmes books, the Woman With The Dragon Tattoo books, John Irving, the best of John Grisham, Gillian Flynn. He is brilliant, his stories are complex in the best possible way, he is a writer working a genre for all it's worth, yet with the full use of his highly unusual, and astonishing gifts of insight, empathy, humanity and love. The characters, particularly McCabe, of course, are ALL distinct, layered, flawed, human, worthy of our attention, and are all fascinating unto themselves, not just as cogs moving the machine forward. I feel like, I don't know, maybe the world could be okay, reading a book of this quality. I know that's goofy. But, be it crime fiction, "mere" fiction, or any other labels and generalities one might make about works of art, that is what this book is; a work of art. And, art, created by a true artist, not only engages us, but changes us. I'm just grateful that this author, who is clearly brilliant enough to have succeeded at any number of high-paying professions, chose, instead, to be a story-teller. A profession of the heart and soul, not of the reasoning mind and the expanding bank balance (although some authors become deliciously wealthy, and may that be the case here).Just a couple of personal notes; the book is elegant. Its architecture is classic, it's design utterly intentional and seemingly effortless. Which takes a great deal of effort. I know that "elegant" is an odd word to use for a crime novel involving multiple "pithings', but none-other will do. Also, as a gay man, I very much appreciate the authors inclusion of gay people among his characters; sometimes because they fit the narrative, and sometimes because the world also includes, among its characters, gay people. The author's lack of condescension, and his avoidance of the sensational, regarding gay characters, adds a lovely thread to this masterly tapestry - a thread too often left unchosen or dyed far too garish a color. I shall now immediately begin reading book Three, just as I immediately began book Two after book One, creating in my mind a single, singular, highly marvelous and engaging experience. Onward!
August 6, 2010
Why I read this: I received a copy of this from the author through Pump Up Your Book Promotion. I jumped at the chance to review The Chill of the Night because I reviewed The Cutting by James Hayman last year, which was his first novel and I loved it. You can find the review here.
How is the novel driven: The Chill of the Night is mostly plot-driven but there is more character development of McCabe in this one as well as there was in the first one. I love getting to know McCabe more and seeing how his mind works. I'm most fascinated with his eidetic memory.
My thoughts:
After reading several young adult novels in a row, it's nice to get back to an adult thriller book. And what better way to do that with an author I fell in love with last year with his first book, The Cutting. And even better than that, In the Chill of the Night continues the story of the main character from The Cutting, Michael McCabe.
The action starts from the beginning. We are introduced to the first victim and the next thing you know it's two weeks later and that victim is found murdered. Of course the murder has a twist and that twist takes Detectives McCabe and Savage through the twists and turns of solving this before more victims are found.
Great action and suspense, I was intrigued and kept intrigued through the book. I loved also that I learn more about McCabe. He is not just McCabe the detective as some mysteries do, but he is also Father, ex-husband, boyfriend, and friend. I love all sides of him and the fact that he tries no matter what to do what is best.
I found this one a little more gritty than the first one. There are more sexual references (due to the crimes), the language seems a little harsher. I remember this because I gave the first book to my dad to read and I don't give him ones that are too rough, because he prefers to stay away from those. However I don't feel it was too gratuitous in this book and I still highly recommend it. It really wasn't meant to titillate, it's more the nature of the crimes.
Overall a wonderful thrill ride. If you enjoy police procedural type thrillers with great characterization then this is the book for you. No real need to read the first one, this stands on it's own, but reading the first one does give a stronger understanding of McCabe and his life.
One thing I really loved: McCabe - he's probably my second favorite character in a suspense book and I look forward to reading more books about him in the future.
How is the novel driven: The Chill of the Night is mostly plot-driven but there is more character development of McCabe in this one as well as there was in the first one. I love getting to know McCabe more and seeing how his mind works. I'm most fascinated with his eidetic memory.
My thoughts:
After reading several young adult novels in a row, it's nice to get back to an adult thriller book. And what better way to do that with an author I fell in love with last year with his first book, The Cutting. And even better than that, In the Chill of the Night continues the story of the main character from The Cutting, Michael McCabe.
The action starts from the beginning. We are introduced to the first victim and the next thing you know it's two weeks later and that victim is found murdered. Of course the murder has a twist and that twist takes Detectives McCabe and Savage through the twists and turns of solving this before more victims are found.
Great action and suspense, I was intrigued and kept intrigued through the book. I loved also that I learn more about McCabe. He is not just McCabe the detective as some mysteries do, but he is also Father, ex-husband, boyfriend, and friend. I love all sides of him and the fact that he tries no matter what to do what is best.
I found this one a little more gritty than the first one. There are more sexual references (due to the crimes), the language seems a little harsher. I remember this because I gave the first book to my dad to read and I don't give him ones that are too rough, because he prefers to stay away from those. However I don't feel it was too gratuitous in this book and I still highly recommend it. It really wasn't meant to titillate, it's more the nature of the crimes.
Overall a wonderful thrill ride. If you enjoy police procedural type thrillers with great characterization then this is the book for you. No real need to read the first one, this stands on it's own, but reading the first one does give a stronger understanding of McCabe and his life.
One thing I really loved: McCabe - he's probably my second favorite character in a suspense book and I look forward to reading more books about him in the future.
July 9, 2010
Abby is a paranoid schizophrenic who is currently on medication. When she sees a naked man strike a woman with a knife, she takes off to the police station. The cops can't help but ask themselves if it really happened or if the witness is delusional. Having a mentally ill person as a witness will hinder the decision of a jury, so they have her carted off to the hospital.
Determined to solve this case, Detective McCabe tries to find the killer while keeping an eye on Abby. She may be crazy but she may also be in danger. Can he put the puzzle pieces together and capture the murderer before he strikes again?
I loved this book! James is such a talented writer. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Two thumbs up!
Determined to solve this case, Detective McCabe tries to find the killer while keeping an eye on Abby. She may be crazy but she may also be in danger. Can he put the puzzle pieces together and capture the murderer before he strikes again?
I loved this book! James is such a talented writer. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Two thumbs up!
July 30, 2016
Young Portland attorney Lainie Goff had it all - brains, beauty, and a fast track to
a partnership in a top ranked firm. But one night she pushed things to far and her
naked frozen body was found at the end of the Portland Fish Pier. The only witness
is a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who disappears the same
night. With the discovery of Lainie's body and the disappearance of Abby, Portland
detective Michael McCabe finds himself on then trail of a clever killer. This is book
two in the Mike McCabe series. It's a decent story with sort of a surprise ending.
I gave it a 4.
a partnership in a top ranked firm. But one night she pushed things to far and her
naked frozen body was found at the end of the Portland Fish Pier. The only witness
is a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who disappears the same
night. With the discovery of Lainie's body and the disappearance of Abby, Portland
detective Michael McCabe finds himself on then trail of a clever killer. This is book
two in the Mike McCabe series. It's a decent story with sort of a surprise ending.
I gave it a 4.
August 26, 2013
I didn't think this was a good as the previous book. It could be that I was a bit distracted with other things but...
There was supposed to be a twist but I guessed it heaps early so the red herrings didn't play for me. Overall well written police procedural with no outstanding features, a plot that wasn't particularly original but still an enjoyable bit of escapism.
There was supposed to be a twist but I guessed it heaps early so the red herrings didn't play for me. Overall well written police procedural with no outstanding features, a plot that wasn't particularly original but still an enjoyable bit of escapism.
April 14, 2016
This is the second book in the McCabe/Savage series, and....wow! In the first one the writing seemed slightly stilted and unimaginative, though the story was very good. Whether it is just me or my perception...this book gave me none of those kinds of feelings. Riveting, chilling, edge of my seat, hard to put down....in short, 5 stars!
June 30, 2016
LAINE HAD A HORRIBLE CHILDHOOD, HER STEPFATHER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRAWN & QUARTERED ALONG WITH HER MOTHER. . . SHE KNEW . . .HAD TO. MCCABE’S EX-WIFE IS A REAL COLDHEARTED B*TCH. OUCH! ;)
February 6, 2019
A friend told me about a new audiobook website and this was the first book I tried. I was very pleasantly surprised. I like police driven murder mysteries and have some favorites so am always a little worried I'll be disappointed. Not so. I loved all the little "tidbits" of information that added a lot of "extra" to this kind of story. This had a good narrator and a very good and interesting mystery. It seemed everyone was truly a suspect but I didn't figure it out until the end. I both liked and didn't like the main character Michael McCabe. I thought he was a good detective and and a good person. The part I didn't like were his interrogations of witnesses and suspects. A couple of times I wondered how "real" his behavior was. Maybe I don't want to know. Aside from that, a few of his techniques seemed contrary to what he was trying to achieve, but what do I know? I'm not a cop or a criminal! Maybe because he generally seemed like a good person and father and partner, these things bothered me. Maybe I will see him differently, and he will grow on me in future books because I plan to read more. Oh, and I really enjoyed the setting. It was the exact month and weather I was experiencing at the time! Exciting find.
January 30, 2019
Anfangs hatte ich Sorge, dass es ein typischer Ermittler-Duo-Thriller ist. Er der chaotische Polizist mit Fauenproblemen, sie die taffe Ermittlerin, die nur für ihren Job lebt. War es auch! Aber zum Glück wurde mein Vorurteil schnell durch die spannende Geschichte widerlegt. Hayman's Schreibstil ist einfach klasse und die Kapitel sind nur so an mir vorbeigeflogen! Ich werde definitiv auch noch die anderen Teile dieser Reihe lesen, denn das McCabe & Savage- Fieber hat mich gepackt!
November 16, 2021
James Hayman’s debut novel The Cutting was excellent. The sequel, while quite good, falls a little short in comparison. It’s well-written and entertaining, but it’s also predictable. The bad guy is exactly who you think it is. It’s just too obvious.
Unfortunately, the writer thinks that bullets have the magic ability to throw people around like rag dolls. It only works like that in Hollywood.
Unfortunately, the writer thinks that bullets have the magic ability to throw people around like rag dolls. It only works like that in Hollywood.
July 16, 2020
I had high hopes for this book after reading another book by Mr Hayman .
The initial 30 pages were very pedestrian and started to make me doubt why I started this book .
The story picked up but didn’t reach the zenith I had expected .
I don’t want to add spoilers but it was a letdown.
The initial 30 pages were very pedestrian and started to make me doubt why I started this book .
The story picked up but didn’t reach the zenith I had expected .
I don’t want to add spoilers but it was a letdown.
May 5, 2017
This one started a little slow but soon picked up steam. I really enjoyed it, am enjoying the series. Even though I guessed the killer about half way through it was fun watching the detectives do their work and ferret out the guilty party. I especially liked having Abby, a known schizophrenic, be a witness to the crime and ending up being the killer's next target. While no jury would believe her testimony, its obvious what she saw when she describes exactly what happened to the victim. McCabe knows this which is why he's got to have more evidence than just her say so.
He and partner, Savage, have a ton of questions they need answers to. Like where was high-powered attorney, Lainie Goff, killed, her naked body stuffed in the trunk of her car, then said car abandoned at the docks in plain sight where someone was sure to get suspicious and take a look at it? Was she having an affair with one of the partners at her law firm? If so, did she threaten to out him to his wife after being denied a partnership herself? Was that motive enough for the guy to have killed her? And what of her creepy, pervert of a landlord? McCabe caught the guy in Lainie's apartment pilfering a pair of the woman's thong underwear. Then there's the former priest who runs Sanctuary House, a charitable organization Lainie supported, dedicated to helping teenage runaways, drug addicts and prostitutes get off the streets. They're the sole beneficiary named in her will to the tune of a hundred and eighty thousand dollars. Motive for sure when you were struggling to keep the doors open.
As McCabe and Savage dig deeper into the case, Abby is on the run, trying to escape the monster she refers to as Death while desperately attempting to silence the voices in her head. I wish there had been a bit of interaction between the detectives and Abby other than just that scene toward the end but, given the plot, I can see where it would have been difficult under the circumstances. She was such an interesting character. For me, it set the book apart from the standard everyday thriller and gave me a glimpse into the life of someone suffering from schizophrenia. What a horrible way to live, not being able to tell what is real and what isn't and unable to trust anyone to tell you the truth. She was constantly tormented when she failed to take her medication and even then she often hung on by a thread.
I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Kudos to the author for coming up with these characters and for giving them such interesting backgrounds and intriguing work. Once McCabe gets on a case he's like a determined bloodhound hot on the trail of its prey. He'll literally work day and night to solve it and pretty much mow anyone down who gets in his way. Savage is a little more laid back and a good match for him. If not for his current girlfriend, Kyra, and his feelings for her, I would love to see McCabe pair up with Savage personally as well as at work. However, what he and Savage have now seems to fit so maybe its best for any future novels that they don't cross that line. Anyway, if you like a good thriller and are a fan of man and woman detective teams then I recommend this series. While the books can be read as standalones, you miss out on all the personal details of the characters' everyday lives as well as the little nuances in their working relationship by not reading the series.
He and partner, Savage, have a ton of questions they need answers to. Like where was high-powered attorney, Lainie Goff, killed, her naked body stuffed in the trunk of her car, then said car abandoned at the docks in plain sight where someone was sure to get suspicious and take a look at it? Was she having an affair with one of the partners at her law firm? If so, did she threaten to out him to his wife after being denied a partnership herself? Was that motive enough for the guy to have killed her? And what of her creepy, pervert of a landlord? McCabe caught the guy in Lainie's apartment pilfering a pair of the woman's thong underwear. Then there's the former priest who runs Sanctuary House, a charitable organization Lainie supported, dedicated to helping teenage runaways, drug addicts and prostitutes get off the streets. They're the sole beneficiary named in her will to the tune of a hundred and eighty thousand dollars. Motive for sure when you were struggling to keep the doors open.
As McCabe and Savage dig deeper into the case, Abby is on the run, trying to escape the monster she refers to as Death while desperately attempting to silence the voices in her head. I wish there had been a bit of interaction between the detectives and Abby other than just that scene toward the end but, given the plot, I can see where it would have been difficult under the circumstances. She was such an interesting character. For me, it set the book apart from the standard everyday thriller and gave me a glimpse into the life of someone suffering from schizophrenia. What a horrible way to live, not being able to tell what is real and what isn't and unable to trust anyone to tell you the truth. She was constantly tormented when she failed to take her medication and even then she often hung on by a thread.
I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Kudos to the author for coming up with these characters and for giving them such interesting backgrounds and intriguing work. Once McCabe gets on a case he's like a determined bloodhound hot on the trail of its prey. He'll literally work day and night to solve it and pretty much mow anyone down who gets in his way. Savage is a little more laid back and a good match for him. If not for his current girlfriend, Kyra, and his feelings for her, I would love to see McCabe pair up with Savage personally as well as at work. However, what he and Savage have now seems to fit so maybe its best for any future novels that they don't cross that line. Anyway, if you like a good thriller and are a fan of man and woman detective teams then I recommend this series. While the books can be read as standalones, you miss out on all the personal details of the characters' everyday lives as well as the little nuances in their working relationship by not reading the series.
April 29, 2020
A very good suspense thriller. Sans background music or facial expressions, it's a wonder that the author maintains to portray different nature of conversations and plant suspicion in reader's mind wherever necessary. There are portions of the book where you can't stop reading at all. Also, there are few portions where the story feels like a drag as it dwells into too much unnecessary specifics/ details. Pruning them would have made the book much more crisp.
Nevertheless, a very good read.
Nevertheless, a very good read.
October 15, 2018
Thrilling
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was solved by sneaking up on you. There were so many twists and turns that you don’t see it coming.
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was solved by sneaking up on you. There were so many twists and turns that you don’t see it coming.
July 19, 2010
Detective Michael McCabe receives a phone call to come down to the pier. A woman’s body has been found in the trunk of an abandoned car. The woman is attorney Lainie Goff. Detective McCabe knows the first several hours are critical in a murder case. That is why McCabe jumps into his investigation right away.
McCabe comes upon one witness but there is just one problem…she is considered crazy. Her name is Abby Quinn. As McCabe digs into who Lainie was, he enters a dark world. Also can he figure out what is real versus fake with Abby?
The Chill of Night is the second novel by Mr. Hayman. The Cutting was his first. I have to admit that I liked The Chill of Night a little better. This is because I got to know Detective McCabe better and really liked him. He wasn’t just a character. He was also a human, who experienced things just like the rest of us like…dealing with his ex-wife and finding more time to spend with his daughter. I like that McCabe’s never quit attitude and dedication to his job. The only criticism I had with this book was that I wanted to killer to be a bit more prominent in this story. I wanted to get to know the killer, so that I could fully understand who McCabe was up against. The Chill of Night will give you chills.
McCabe comes upon one witness but there is just one problem…she is considered crazy. Her name is Abby Quinn. As McCabe digs into who Lainie was, he enters a dark world. Also can he figure out what is real versus fake with Abby?
The Chill of Night is the second novel by Mr. Hayman. The Cutting was his first. I have to admit that I liked The Chill of Night a little better. This is because I got to know Detective McCabe better and really liked him. He wasn’t just a character. He was also a human, who experienced things just like the rest of us like…dealing with his ex-wife and finding more time to spend with his daughter. I like that McCabe’s never quit attitude and dedication to his job. The only criticism I had with this book was that I wanted to killer to be a bit more prominent in this story. I wanted to get to know the killer, so that I could fully understand who McCabe was up against. The Chill of Night will give you chills.
July 18, 2016
My first book by Hayman and his detective McCabe series. Lainie Goff is a beautiful young lawyer in Portland, Maine. Right before the Christmas holiday, Laine is waiting to hear about being made a partner in her law firm. Since she is sleeping with the much older and wealthy partner who is on the decision committee, she feels sure she will get it.
Meanwhile, Detective McCabe is dealing with an artist girlfriend who is scared to commit, a teenage daughter and a ex-wife with an agenda, when he receives notice about about a body found frozen in the trunk of an expensive car. Throw in a place called Sanctuary for troubled teens, and a bi-polar young woman on the run, and you have the characters for a mystery.
I found the characters to be kind of stereotypes (the sensitive yet hard detective with the difficult ex-wife who comes home and drinks scotch from crystal glasses, the ex-priest who works with troubled teens yet has issues of his own, the lawyer who tries to sleep her way to the top). I was interested enough to finish and the who dun nit part was layered well, just wasn't excited about the novel overall.
Meanwhile, Detective McCabe is dealing with an artist girlfriend who is scared to commit, a teenage daughter and a ex-wife with an agenda, when he receives notice about about a body found frozen in the trunk of an expensive car. Throw in a place called Sanctuary for troubled teens, and a bi-polar young woman on the run, and you have the characters for a mystery.
I found the characters to be kind of stereotypes (the sensitive yet hard detective with the difficult ex-wife who comes home and drinks scotch from crystal glasses, the ex-priest who works with troubled teens yet has issues of his own, the lawyer who tries to sleep her way to the top). I was interested enough to finish and the who dun nit part was layered well, just wasn't excited about the novel overall.
October 18, 2016
I started this series with the first book, The Cutting. I really enjoyed it. So, naturally, it is to be expected that I enjoy this too. Between James Hayman and Joe Conlan, I may turn in to a huge fan of serial killer themed thrillers! These books keep me on the edge of my seat! It's like reading from a script of Criminal Minds.
First, you don't necessarily need to read the first book to read this one. They are two separate stories. The only reason I would suggest reading the first one is to get to know McCabe and crew first. You don't get a whole lot of character development in this one, like you do in the first one.
This book dives right into the new case. There is no build up. The starts right off and continues through the book. It's more down and dirty than the first book. There's more detail in the action. More mental images that will keep you grimacing and wanting more!
If you are a thriller fan or looking for a little change, James Hayman is the man for you! He will not disappoint in either area!
First, you don't necessarily need to read the first book to read this one. They are two separate stories. The only reason I would suggest reading the first one is to get to know McCabe and crew first. You don't get a whole lot of character development in this one, like you do in the first one.
This book dives right into the new case. There is no build up. The starts right off and continues through the book. It's more down and dirty than the first book. There's more detail in the action. More mental images that will keep you grimacing and wanting more!
If you are a thriller fan or looking for a little change, James Hayman is the man for you! He will not disappoint in either area!
August 12, 2014
This is the second in James Hayman's mystery series set in Portland, Maine and environs. Detective Sergeant McCabe, a transplant from the NYPD following an ugly, unexpected, divorce, and Maine native Detective Maggie Savage, are the continuing protagonists--investigators for the Crimes Against Persons Division of the Portland Police Department, who seemingly never sleep.
I raced through this novel in two rapid sittings, totally engrossed. The killer sought is one very perverted Individual, and I couldn't have guessed in advance the identity. That made the denouement all the more powerful.
Author Hayman weighs in strongly on certain vulnerable topics--childhood abuse, mental disorders, and criminal perversions. His characters are realistic and draw the reader's empathy.
I raced through this novel in two rapid sittings, totally engrossed. The killer sought is one very perverted Individual, and I couldn't have guessed in advance the identity. That made the denouement all the more powerful.
Author Hayman weighs in strongly on certain vulnerable topics--childhood abuse, mental disorders, and criminal perversions. His characters are realistic and draw the reader's empathy.
January 19, 2015
As McCabe and Savage try to figure out who killed and stuffed a beautiful lawyer in the trunk of her car, they encounter a host of potential killers and a victim who becomes more sympathetic, the more they learn about her past. Complicating the situation is the need to search for a schizophrenic witness who saw the murder and wasn't first believed by the police even as the killer stalks her. Things get even crazier as they find evidence of a sexual sadist and need to track him down as well. This thriller will keep you guessing to the very end.
January 27, 2014
A female attorney is murdered and the only witness is a disturbed woman.
The basic story is a good idea, but the execution is poor – in particular the writing is laboured / repetitive (a good edit removing 50 odd pages could have made it a better book). The only character that felt real was Abby, the ‘schizophrenic’.
I found the killer to be obvious about half way through, but the book did pick up from around page 300.
I rated it 3 stars but it was (in my opinion) really a 2.5.
The basic story is a good idea, but the execution is poor – in particular the writing is laboured / repetitive (a good edit removing 50 odd pages could have made it a better book). The only character that felt real was Abby, the ‘schizophrenic’.
I found the killer to be obvious about half way through, but the book did pick up from around page 300.
I rated it 3 stars but it was (in my opinion) really a 2.5.
May 31, 2016
Great Ending
For some reason I always think book 2 of any series does not have the holding power of book 1. Sadly, this book lived up to that. The story tended to drag a bit in the middle. Putting this book down was not difficult. Mr. Hayman saved the book with its ending. Not so much for plot, that was almost Jessica Fletcher predictable. The quality of the writing returned to book 1 level.
For some reason I always think book 2 of any series does not have the holding power of book 1. Sadly, this book lived up to that. The story tended to drag a bit in the middle. Putting this book down was not difficult. Mr. Hayman saved the book with its ending. Not so much for plot, that was almost Jessica Fletcher predictable. The quality of the writing returned to book 1 level.
January 8, 2015
crime series
I love that I have been able to find a crime series that keeps my attention. I enjoy the characters and the plot and pacing of the story.
I love that I have been able to find a crime series that keeps my attention. I enjoy the characters and the plot and pacing of the story.
April 5, 2016
too slow moving.
April 29, 2017
ENJOYING this 2nd in the McCabe & Savage Mystery series !
May 6, 2017
Another excellent book by James Hayman.
It's Christmas and Attorney Lainey (Elaine) Goff is ready for her vacation trip to Aruba but first, she has to receive a phone call - the one that tells her the managing partner is coming to the office - to tell her she will receive the partnership offer. All those many time in his office are going to pay off and she will be able to justify the purchase of her new BMW or the lavish vacation trip. Except she doesn't make the flight; instead her body is found in the trunk of her new car frozen solid. Now, the rush to find the killer is on and leads McCabe and Savage on a chase that points straight at the ex-priest that has opened a safe house for runaway teens.
It's Christmas and Attorney Lainey (Elaine) Goff is ready for her vacation trip to Aruba but first, she has to receive a phone call - the one that tells her the managing partner is coming to the office - to tell her she will receive the partnership offer. All those many time in his office are going to pay off and she will be able to justify the purchase of her new BMW or the lavish vacation trip. Except she doesn't make the flight; instead her body is found in the trunk of her new car frozen solid. Now, the rush to find the killer is on and leads McCabe and Savage on a chase that points straight at the ex-priest that has opened a safe house for runaway teens.
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