At The City's Edge by Marcus Sakey
At The City's Edge by Marcus Sakey
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Saturday, 30, May 2009 04:20
Published by Penguin Books, out now, paperback, 448 pp, £7.99.
In a nutshell...
Superior crime thriller. Gripping.
What's it all about?
Jason Palmer is an ex-soldier, sent home from Iraq with an 'other-than-honourable' discharge. Now, back in Chicago, he's trying to get his life back on track. Elena Cruz is a rising star in the Chicago Police Department, the first female officer to make the prestigious Gang Intelligence Unit. When Jason's brother, a prominent community activist, is brutally murdered in front of his young son, the two are thrown into the middle of a plot that runs from the city's streets to its corridors of power. Caught between a cast of ghetto hoods and bent cops, Cruz and Palmer must unravel this conspiracy, whilst protecting a child that somebody is very keen to see dead.
Who's it by?
Award-winning crime writer Marcus Sakey. In an occasionally far-fetched genre, Sakey strives for realism by doing his homework. So far his research has included going shooting with the Special Forces, riding with gang cops and touring several morgues.
As an example...
"Jason pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, curled his legs under, and put his head down. A long, terrible day. A day with no sense to be found. Maybe sunlight would make things clearer. He was almost asleep when he heard glass breaking."
Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster
Looks a safe bet, with The Departed producer Gianni Nunnari already having snapped up the film rights. And with Hollywood royalty Ben Affleck and Matt Damon optioning previous novel The Blade Itself, we should soon be seeing a lot more of Sakey's characters on the big screen.
What the others say
"Nothing short of brilliant... Sakey's latest solidifies his position as the new reigning prince of crime fiction." - Chicago Tribune
"Gritty and compelling, packed with action, At the City's Edge crackles and sears like a rip-roaring fire." - Tess Gerritsen, bestselling crime author
So is it any good?
Taking a look at the macho cover art of guns and bullet casings, and you could be forgiven for dismissing At The City's Edge as just another run-of-the-mill airport thriller. However, despite bursting at the seams with gunfights and punch-ups, this is a far more considered tale than your standard genre fare.
In the style of urban storytellers Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos, Sakey's second novel tells the story of a city in crisis, his Chicago a mess of social problems. Under-subsidised schools become training camps for wannabe gangsters, whilst bureaucrats and politicians line their pockets with public money. Fans of The Wire will recognise the themes of race and class explored here, with the book, like the show, unwilling to provide any easy answers.
The all-action plot is gripping stuff, and despite the occasional genre stereotype, the lead characters are sufficiently human to keep things believable. All told, you're left with a cracking crime thriller with genuine depth.
7/10
George Wales