Rating: 
Summary: DARK CORNERS
Review: After the less than compelling LAST SANCTUARY, Holden returns to the territory he did so well in THE RIVER SORROW. The relationship between our two protagonists here is painstakingly drawn, and evokes feelings of anger, sorrow, and love. The parallelisms between the disappearance of Bank's daughter and the apparent abduction of Tamara are fascinating to unfold. The use of the time shifts is intriguing, although at times a little confusing. But the story is so captivating, you find yourself spellbound by Holden's web. While I can't agree with Sarah's actions, I can understand her motivation. There's always an underlying feeling of what's really going on here that helps the novel move toward it's inevitable climax. A very good psychological thriller.
Rating: 
Summary: Intertwined Plot
Review: I enjoyed Four Corners of the Night though at times I found the time sequence somewhat confusing.The auther cleverly uses two abductions to highlight the relationships of two police detectives Bank Arbour and Mack Steiner who have been life long friends. He uses these events to provide a deeper insight into both their interpersonal relationships and themselves. The story starts with the second abduction a teenager from below the tracks Tamara Shiply, and compares this to the disappearans ten years before of Bank Arboughs stepdaughter Jamie. In theory this is a clever construction , to use the second event to explain the first but it is here that the the book looses its fifth star. At times I found the switching back and fourth very confusing and as one reviewer has stated leaves too many loose ends. There are occasions where Craig Holden really impresses with his writing. His comparison of the police officer and cornered suspect to that of a priest and confessor. He also highlights the impossibility of absolute evidence in conviction. Another strand concerns the relationship of Banks exwife Sara with both himself and Mack.This is another way of linking these two charecters. The auther appears to have a relgeous view as other than entertainment, this is a novel of the destructiveness of overbearing love and when it crosses the threshold of possession and abuse. Without giving away the plot after this very compex narritive reaches its climax we realise that both the detectives are both tied to each other by them both having secrets. To summarise, this is a very complex and rewarding book written by a way above writer in this gendre. The only book to compare is Mercy by David Lindsey. THis is real praise indeed.
Rating: 
Summary: Agrre With Suzzinclaremont
Review: I'll chime in and agree with Suzzinclaremont's review. However, I could only make it through about the 1st 120 or so pages. I found the narrator's first person style boring, as well as his descriptions of Bank, who really seems to be the main character. Of course, this is a matter of taste. I generally don't like books written in this style, which are short on dialogue and long on narrative descriptions.
Rating:
Summary: Completely absorbing
Review: I'll give it 3 stars for some good writing in patches and some suspense. But there are plenty of pages of forgettable writing in here and nothing particularly ingenious or new about following 2 crimes, one past, one present (check out the master, Ross MacDonald)...
Rating: 
Summary: Four Corners Of Boredom
Review: If you want a taut, suspensful thriller with interesting characters, zippy dialogue, and a twist ending, do not read this book. Its a plodding story about a missing girl in, of all places, Toledo, Ohio. One of the reviewers above put it best when he said he had to force himself to finish the book. Stay away!
Rating:
Summary: Craig Holden - Best in Class
Review: Since discovering Craig Holden's "The Last Sanctuary", I have become an enthusiastic fan. Holden's books are serious works of literature that happen to be exciting thrillers. While there are other great thriller/crime writers (Sanford, Connelly, Patterson, Grisham, Crichton to name a few), very few of their books make us a wiser person for having read them. With each book that Holden writes he addresses serious topics (child abuse, cults, drug addiction), develops substantial characters, and gives us insight into the human condition. While I wouldn't say that his work is on par with Ibsen in this regard, I get the feeling that he is not done yet. In "Four Corners of Night" Holden introduces two characters, lifelong friends, whose complexities are revealed gradually as the story progresses. The story poses many moral questions, "Are crimes justifiable if they prevent a more aggregious crime?" "Can you still love and respect a friend despite or because of their frailities?" Holden does not present a black and white world where the course of action is obvious, but rather presents a world that we are a part of. He challenges us to make up our own mind, while giving us insights into the thoughts, dreams, failings, grief, and guilt of others. This is among the best works of fiction I have enjoyed. I would put it in the same class as Ayn Rand and Jack London. Holden has a very promising career ahead of him. I hope it is long and fruitful.
Rating:
Summary: A wake-up call to Americans
Review: This book, FOUR CORNERS OF NIGHT, is about a typical American family in the late 20th century. Sad as it is, most families are forced to deal with a member/s who are unfortunately illegal drug abusers, undisciplined teenages, dysfunctional adults and overall families without God as the head of their household. So, pick any household in USA and this story is about thier extended or neculus family. The author, Craig Holden, does a find job of showing the impact of rape, drugs, adultry, prostitution, gangs, and all other manners of social unrest on the USA society today. With over 1 million families in America suffering, our nation is quickly going down, down, down and gone. Our American government sold us out to the lure of illegal drugs which begat the destruction of the American family. Without the family, there is no military, no society and ultimately no America as we have grown to love. Therefore, before we start to lay the blame on the individuals who fall captive to the above stated vices, give due consideration to the powers to be who made all of this uglyness available. I am as much American as any patriate, but we must root out the cancers which our government has allowed to flourish if we are to survive.
Going to War with Asia is not the way to survive but another of the cancers that must be remove from the American's agenda. So, thank you Craig Holden, for making it painfully simple for any American to understand what must be done to save our country today. Be sure to forward your book to the members of Congress with my book review attached. Prayerfully, we are not too late to make a difference.
Rating:
Summary: A wake-up call to Americans
Review: This book, FOUR CORNERS OF NIGHT, is about a typical American family in the late 20th century. Sad as it is, most families are forced to deal with a member/s who are unfortunately illegal drug abusers, undisciplined teenages, dysfunctional adults and overall families without God as the head of their household. So, pick any household in USA and this story is about thier extended or nucleus family. The author, Craig Holden, does a find job of showing the impact of rape, drugs, crime, prostitution, gangs, and all other manners of social unrest on the USA society today. With over 100 million families in America suffering, our nation is quickly going down, down, down and gone. Our American government sold us out to the lure of illegal drugs which begat the destruction of the American family. Without the family, there is no military, no society and ultimately no America as we have grown to love it. Therefore, before we start to lay the blame on the individuals who fall captive to the above stated vices, give due consideration to the powers to be who made all of this ugliness available. I am as much an American as any patriot, but we must root out the cancers which our government has allowed to flourish if we are to survive. Going to War with Asia is not the way to survive, but another of the cancers that must be removed from America's agenda. So, thank you Craig Holden, for making it painfully simple for any American to understand what must be done to save our country today. Be sure to forward your book to the members of Congress with my book review attached. Prayerfully, we are not too late to make a difference.
Rating:
Summary: Damn, but this book was great!
Review: This was the first book I've ever read by Holden, and it was an immense pleasure. It's a story of two cops, both flawed in their own different ways, tracking down a missing child. The twist is that one of the cops had his own child disappear years earlier. The characters in this book are so human, so real, so utterly believable...and the prose is just a dream. Holden writes like a poet, with supreme skill and depth. If you enjoy the literary suspense thrillers of folks like James Lee Burke and the better works of Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos, you'll get a kick out of this one. It's got action, it's got heart, and it's a just a damn good read.
Rating:
Summary: Damn, but this book was great!
Review: This was the first book I've ever read by Holden, and it was an immense pleasure. It's a story of two cops, both flawed in their own different ways, tracking down a missing child. The twist is that one of the cops had his own child disappear years earlier. The characters in this book are so human, so real, so utterly believable...and the prose is just a dream. Holden writes like a poet, with supreme skill and depth. If you enjoy the literary suspense thrillers of folks like James Lee Burke and the better works of Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos, you'll get a kick out of this one. It's got action, it's got heart, and it's a just a damn good read.
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