The Blue Edge of Midnight - Hardcover

King, Jonathon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525946438 ISBN 13: 9780525946434

Publisher: Dutton, 2002

Synopsis

Haunted by the past, ex-cop Max Freeman arrives in the Florida Everglades to start a new life, only to find himself embroiled in a murder investigation when he discovers the corpse of a child beside an ancient river, and fueled by the need to find redemption, Max races against time to catch a killer amidst distrust and suspicion. 15,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

Jonathon King, a journalist for 20 years, began his career at the Philadelphia Daily News. He has covered crime and criminal courts and is now a national award-winning news feature writer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The Blue Edge of Midnight is his first novel.

Reviews

Adult/High School-Once a street-savvy Philadelphia cop, Max Freeman now spends his time canoeing in the Everglades where he uses the physical exertion of paddling to battle the nightmares he carries with him. His last active duty involved the accidental killing of a 12-year-old who was helping to rob a convenience store, and he still suffers from psychological wounds. When he finds a child's body on one of his nightly canoe trips, he becomes a suspect. Questioned by local police, he learns that this murder is one of a series recently committed close to his area and he begins the long, complex task of tracking down the perpetrator. King paints a vivid picture of the Everglades, intense enough to conjure up the hum of mosquitoes before they bite. Scenes come clearly to mind as he describes the heat, ever-present moisture, thunderstorms, and reptiles. The sense of place and the memorable main characters carry the plot without major doses of intense violence or language.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

With his first novel, King jumps into James W. Hall territory and lands firmly on his feet. Ex-Philadelphia cop Max Freeman, haunted by his killing of an adolescent robber, has retreated to an isolated cabin in the Florida Everglades. When he discovers the body of a kidnapped youngster, the victim of a serial killer, Freeman becomes a suspect who can clear his name only by finding the murderer. Although this is an often-used plot device, the author's stylish prose and insider's knowledge of the sinuous, dangerous Everglades give the gimmick a fresh twist. Especially fine are the passages showing the different faces of Florida as Freeman travels between his austere cabin and the plush penthouse apartment of his Palm Beach lawyer, Billy Manchester. A scene in which Freeman seeks out a group of furtive Everglades natives in their natural habitat reeks with atmosphere. In fact, King uses descriptions of places and environment to reveal character and attitude, much as Hall, James Lee Burke and Robert B. Parker do, if not as smoothly as those established masters. While fans of Carl Hiaasen's black humor or Lawrence Shames's wacky characters may not find this novel to their taste, most readers should hail Freeman as an appealing addition to the already large roster of independent-minded Florida investigators. Skillful writing, original characters and evocative settings initiate a welcome new series. (Apr. 1)Forecast: With a prominent blurb from Michael Connelly, this crime debut by a feature writer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel should get off to a strong start. Based on his ruggedly masculine author photo, King would seem a natural for the TV talk show circuit.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

In this gripping first novel by longtime crime reporter King, a Philadelphia cop finds himself reading the swamp the same way he used to read the street. Max Freeman thrived as a street cop for years, but he had his life knocked out from under him the night a robbery turned sour, and he shot and killed one of the robbers, a 12-year-old kid. Freeman quit the force, moving as far away from his memories as he could, to an abandoned research base on the edge of the Florida Everglades. On one of his nocturnal canoe trips, Freeman stumbles upon the body of a five-year-old child wrapped in sailcloth. He learns that this strange discovery fits into a string of child abductions from Palm Beach homes. Freeman, now a suspect, must sink his lethargy to clear his name. A fine fit of setting with action. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Just when you thought the Florida Everglades couldn't possibly sustain another detective, along comes Max Freeman in this fiction debut by King. About a year and a half before the start of the story, Max had moved to the swamps of southern Florida from Philadelphia to forget. A career cop until he shot a very young, armed black convenience-store robber, Max happens on the dead body of a child as he makes his obsessive rounds of the Everglades. Because this is the third such murder in the insular community recently, Max comes under suspicion himself and, in self-defense, starts investigating. Included among the suspects are the hunters and trappers, who are hurting from encroaching development; longtime residents, who detest the new arrivals; and environmentalists, who are regarded as loonies anyway. However, even such hot-button topics as serial murder and environmentalism can't keep this vessel afloat under the weight of the morose, obsessive, and totally humorless Max. An optional purchase in an already crowded field. Bob Lunn, Kansas City P.L., MO
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0525946438
• ISBN 13: 9780525946434
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 259