Rating: 
Summary: Good writing, terrific characters and dumb, gory plot
Review: I have read 3 or 4 of Parker's books, and he has definitely developed some very interesting char- acters, but not necessarily the villains. In this latest book Hess and Rayborn, the old and the newer cop, he has shown us how well developed characters can hold your interest, even in less than a good book--and that's where the rub comes in. It seems that everyone is trying to out-Hannibal Lector, the real and still undisputed champ of the scary, but at least somewhat believable villain. Here, the perp, whose idea of a good time is to "field dress" and perserve young women, commits acts so repulsive that you almost stop turning pages(though I did finish). To what what purpose? To outgross Thomas Harris, whose sequel to Silence, Hannibal, is out next month. It will probably sell a couple of million copies, and everyone, including Parker is trying to outdo him. The villain here is flawed and based on what you are told about him, seems incapable of the acts described. And the last 40 pages or so are very confusing, the time line is fuzzy(making some of the acts impossible to imagine being accomplished from a pure time standpoint), and more importantly, the the explanation of how the perp was able to accomplish the acts under the circum- stances is totally unbelievable. This writer has some problems in this area. In his last book, Where Serpents Lie, he never explains how the perp was able to move a 31 foot, 450 pound anaconda from Texas to California--possibly the trunk of his car?His panel truck? Give me a break!!
Rating: 
Summary: Another great Parker novel. He gets better all the time.....
Review: I have read all of his books, and I can say like 'Where Serpents Lie', The Blue Hour is a real page turner....So much so, that I finished the book in about 2 days. What is so amazing about his novels is his character development. His characters are not cookie-cutter super detectives, but real people with real problems, sometimes even tragic problems. This lends a lot more to a stories credability. In addition, being a resident of Southern California, I know many of the places he writes about, and he nails them to a 'Tee'. I have noticed that Mr. Parkers novels as of late have taken a darker tone to them. The more horrific side of homicide, almost tickled the musings of Rod Serling. No, this is not fantasy like the Twighlight Zone, but the crimes are bizarre and so real... The Blue Hour had many plot twists near the end and reached a climatic stage that really made you want to read faster and placed you right in the middle of things. The nice (or not so nice thing) is that Mr. Parkers novel's always have an unexpected ending, and they are not always happy endings! Why this didn't rate 5 stars in my eyes is that there were two incidents in the book I had a hard time getting over: 1) The very end <didn't quite understand the relevance>, and a brief interlude about 2/3rds of the way through that sets up the very end. I think it was somewhat unlikely, though possible. Also, anyone out there that knows how I can get in touch with Hyperion Books for fan mail to Mr. Parker, please let me know. Looking forward to his next novel 'The Red Light'
Rating:
Summary: This is how mystery books must be written
Review: I just finished the book and I have to conclude it was a good read. The main characters are Vess(the old and experienced) and Merci (the unexperienced hard) in chase of the purse snatcher. The purse snatcher leaves a pool of blood on the crime scene with no futher evidence. It hunts on young females in malls and make them his prey. Pick it up if your a real mystery reader.
Rating: 
Summary: Laguna Intrigue
Review: I read T. Jefferson Parkers's earlier book many years ago and lost track of him. I happened to pick up a copy of The Blue Hour and loved it. I am reading both Where Serpents Lie as well as the Red Light. He's my favorite now and I read all the Michael Connelly, Patterson, Cornwell (what's up with her?), Ridley Pearson, Lee Child, David Wiltse etc. I'm so glad I picked him up again. Too bad Tim Hess isn't in the sequel to this book he's great.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. There aren't many that I feel compelled to recommend, but this book delighted me on so many levels. I'm buying the author's others that I haven't already read.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful!
Review: I typically get all fired up and write a review on a book I can't stand. I'm finally writing one for a book I loved. This is one marvelous read. It works wonderfully as a thriller but it's the depth of the characters that really makes this a special book. On top of that Parker has a great way of creatively moving the story along that keeps you guessing right up to the end. Merci Rayborn's character is not very likeable yet she never becomes annoying. She's argumentative and abrasive and completely tactless and non political but the truth is that I know many people just like that...including me! She often say's just what I had been thinking. I was hoping that she would grow up a little bit and be less self absorbed, sort of my wish for myself as well. I found this book after discoving T Jefferson Parker with Silent Joe, which I also loved, and I've become a confirmed fan! He is truly gifted and it'll be fun to continue reading his books.
Rating:
Summary: Just your usual serial killer novel
Review: I've read Parker's early novels and thought he had promise, so I thought I'd try out his new one. I'm also a connoisseur of serial killer novels so am always hoping for excellent new ones. The older cop, Tim Hess, is a great character. Merci Rayborn not so great. She's supposed to be in her mid-30s, and very ambitious but she behaves more like a rookie in her 20s. Then the author tortures a "relationship" out of these two characters who couldn't be more mismatched. Sorry, buddy. I don't buy it. I didn't buy the requisite May-December romance in my 20s (who would want to date someone twice their age?), my 30s or my 40s. It would be much more realistic to have them develop a "relationship/friendship" of mutual affection. Oh well. The killer is a typically twisted mess committing typically beastly crimes. Nothing new there. Rapidly changing point of views can often work beautifully, but for me it didn't in this book. I found the story unbelievable on too many levels to enjoy it. I'm afraid this one makes me want to skip Parker's next book. Very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Unique police duo and terrific plot make this a winner
Review: In this police procedural, the partner combo of young, ambitious, abrasive Merci Rayborn and retired, insightful Tim Hess make a terrific partnership. Merci has planned out her path to being police chief but this plan was interrupted by her lawsuit charging sexual harassment by her former partner. This assignment, to track down a henious serial killer who leaves behind only the purses of the women he abducts and supposedly kills,may be Rayborn's last chance to redeem herself on the force. Hess is also familiar with last chances as he is undergoing chemotherapy for pervasive lung cancer and his call back from retirement is another chance for him as well. This unlikely duo really works and complements each other. It is really fascinating to see how the veteran Hess deduces what the killer is doing with the phantom bodies and how both Rayborn and Hess track down the clues. Meanwhile we are led on several false goose chases where the killer is supposedly revealed. Hess also mentors Rayborn to be more insightful and less compulsive, something really needed as she is a very unlikable person. A relationship develops between the two and comes into play when one of them is threatened by the killer. The ending is exciting and unusual, to say the least, but satisfying. I look forward to reading more of this series.
Rating:
Summary: Mastery of the written word abounds
Review: in this serial killer mystery. Parker has such great definition of the characters and such mastery ot the plot that it becomes impossible to put it down. Tim Hess and Merci Rayborn are at different ends of the spectrum in emotions and temperment.She is young with much to learn...he is older and has learned too much of life which colors his attitude but also makes him much more knowledgeable,patient and understanding. At the time of the killings he is fighting a caner, and one cannot help but fight with him. I felt all along that a romance would and should happen between the two.Sorry but you must read it to find out. Parker's knowledge of the many facets of the law and criminology add zest to the story and I find him fascinating as well as his characters,Tim and Merci. The ending is suberb and soooo unexpected and that in itself is refreshing. Thanks for a great read..I will read Red Light next..then Silent Joe..and on to the newest Merci adventure.
Rating:
Summary: a good murder mystery/police drama that makes you think
Review: It was hard for me to decide whether to give this book four stars or five. The strong story and suspense as well as the drama which unfolded between two unlikely police partners in a search for a serial killer was about as good as one would expect from the genre. The reason I finally decided to give this book four stars instead of five however, was because I really was not very fond of one of the main characters (Merci). Merci is a tough ambitious police woman who is partnered with a semi-retired hard-boiled cop (Tim Hess) who is dieing of cancer. I think the relationship between Merci and Tim is believable. But I just didn't find Merci very likable because it seemed as though she was just driven by rage and hate (nothing more). People like her undoubtedly exist in the real world (I've met some like her). I'll even go so far as to say that under some circumstances, I've had some characteristics of Merci. The story revolves around the relationship between Merci and Tim but the main theme is the search for a serial killer called the purse snatcher who kills young women (attractive professional types) and drains all of the blood out of their bodies. The story moves relatively fast with a number of suspects and leads being interrogated by the police. I thought however that it was easy to figure out who the killer was. I figured out who the killer was very early, but assumed later that the author wouldn't make it so easy for readers to figure it out, but it was.
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