Rating: 
Summary: Red Light Stops the Action
Review: I have always listed T. Jefferson Parker as one of my "must read" authors.This attempt at a creative police procedural set in Orange Co began with intrigue and promise. Merci Rayborn, talented star investigator is found trying to start a new life following the death of her partner and love interest in The Blue Hour. She is assigned to solve 2 cases of murdered prostitutes. The more recent is the point blank shooting of a young and beautiful call girl with all the evidence pointing toward Merci's current boyfriend and fellow police officer. The older case is the 35 y.o. homocide of a prostitute with known connections to the police force when Merci's father worked there. The emotional conflict and doubt in which Merci finds herself has numerous plot possibilities. The story presents a challenge to the reader to guess how the two cases are related and how the solutions to the crimes will effect Merci and those she cares deeply for. However, relating the characters in each case to each other is no simple task and I found it confusing.The story became tedious and the slowly mounting suspense seemed to drag as the story became more complicated. I wanted desperately for there to be a mind numbing surprise as the story neared its conclusion but instead Red Light ground the action to a stop.
Rating:
Summary: Red Light Stops the Action
Review: I have always listed T. Jefferson Parker as one of my "must read" authors.This attempt at a creative police procedural set in Orange Co began with intrigue and promise. Merci Rayborn, talented star investigator is found trying to start a new life following the death of her partner and love interest in The Blue Hour. She is assigned to solve 2 cases of murdered prostitutes. The more recent is the point blank shooting of a young and beautiful call girl with all the evidence pointing toward Merci's current boyfriend and fellow police officer. The older case is the 35 y.o. homocide of a prostitute with known connections to the police force when Merci's father worked there. The emotional conflict and doubt in which Merci finds herself has numerous plot possibilities. The story presents a challenge to the reader to guess how the two cases are related and how the solutions to the crimes will effect Merci and those she cares deeply for. However, relating the characters in each case to each other is no simple task and I found it confusing.The story became tedious and the slowly mounting suspense seemed to drag as the story became more complicated. I wanted desperately for there to be a mind numbing surprise as the story neared its conclusion but instead Red Light ground the action to a stop.
Rating: 
Summary: Parker's Best Yet
Review: I have read all of Parker's books and so feel qualified to say that this book may very well be the best yet. It continues the story of Merci Rayborn, whom we met in Blue Hour. She is face with betrayal in all areas of her life at a time when she is also trying to rebuild her life. Parker goes deep into her psyche and takes us along as Merci finally has to make impossible decisions in a world in which not much is as it seems.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but dull at times
Review: I have read all of Parkers books, and I would say that Where Serpents Lie is the best, with Red Light in the middle. It is a follow up to The Blue Hour, but not as enjoyable. Merci Rayborn is not the most likeable character, lacking in warmth or affection towards others. However she does undergo change over the course of the novel, especially compared to the previous book. But whether likeable or not, she is well drawn, as is most of the supporting cast. As far as the plot is concerned, it basically concerns the murder of two prostitutes, one current and one 30 years in the past. The investigation of the current murder is interesting, with Merci eventually being forced to arrest her lover and fellow oficer Mike McNally. Although whether he is guilty or not remains in doubt. The problem lies with the old murder. You know that in the end the two murders will somehow be connected, but the connection is very hard to see until the conclusion. This causes you to lose interest in anything to do with that case, and breaks things up, undercutting any build up of tension or suspense involving the main case. Also the ending becomes somewat anti-climatic due to the tying together of the cases. The writing is good as usual, and the potential was there for a better book, but in the end it is only pretty good, and not great.
Rating:
Summary: No More Merci
Review: I thought that in light of my fondness for T. Jefferson Parker's past novels if I just kept reading this one I would like it more, but it just didn't happen. Merci Rayborn is an ambitious, single-mom cop assigned to investigate the murder of a young call girl, Aubrey Whittaker. Merci's boyfriend and fellow cop, Mike McNally, soon emerges as the #1 suspect. Merci's partner, Paul Zamorra, is a man of ridiculously few words, never mind that he is preoccupied with a dying wife. There is something to be said for the strong, silent type, but these people are as silent as zombies -- and about as animated. Merci is working simultaneously with Aubrey's case a 30-year-old cold case involving the murder of a young prostitute. The two cases intertwine with overtones of the common thread of police corruption, and Merci's methodical approach to solving both cases is interesting to watch unfold. We are given a great deal of insight into Merci's past and the personal losses she has suffered. While I found her lacking in warmth and likeability, she is a good cop. Still, her cold-blooded approach to building a case against her ostensible lover left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I found it impossible to empathize overmuch with any of the characters with the exception of Aubrey, and equally impossible to like them. About the best that can be said of Merci, et al., is that they get the job done.
Rating: 
Summary: Preposterous!
Review: I understand this is fiction but I have never read such an absurd crime novel. It is a bit hard to believe that practically all the higher ups in the department for the previous generations are corrupt. And to even involve her father in the scheme. PLEASE! I was waiting for her toddler to somehow be involved as well. This was my second, and last, Parker read. What a disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Preposterous!
Review: I understand this is fiction but I have never read such an absurd crime novel. It is a bit hard to believe that practically all the higher ups in the department for the previous generations are corrupt. And to even involve her father in the scheme. PLEASE! I was waiting for her toddler to somehow be involved as well. This was my second, and last, Parker read. What a disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Merci Rayborn is Back!
Review: I was surprised and not so surprised that T. Jefferson Parker brought back Merci Rayborn. After all, the ending for the book that introduced her, THE BLUE HOUR all but demanded that she return. In this book, Merci is two years older and still mourning the loss of her partner (and father to her son) Tim Hess. She has named her little boy after his father and is now involved with another detective sergeant on the Orange County (CA) Sheriff's department, Mike McNally. Parker provides the reader with a multi-leveled mystery and police procedure novel that uses spare but biting prose to make its point. In this story, Merci Rayborn, a single mother and crack homicide investigator is involved in two homicide investigations. One is current and may involve her fellow officer and lover, Mike McNally and the other is over thirty years old and involves the murder of a prostitute who had had connections with local political and law enforcement officials. In the more recent of the murder cases, Merci initially investigates the death of another young prostitute, this one who also had conections, but those closer to home. Initial evidence begins to point to Merci's erstwhile lover and would-be husband. Merci, never one to shy away from pursuing justice or the truth follows the trail of evidence with a dedication bordering on fanatical. More and more, the evidence points at Mike McNally. But is he really the killer or is he being framed? And if so, by whom? I have read almost all of Parker's previous novels and have enjoyed them all. His common denominator is the setting, Orange County, CA. However, with each new book installment, he shows that he has climbed rapidly into the ranks of true masters in this genre. He is spare with his prose and in this he makes me think of what Hemingway would have been like had he written mysteries and police stories. He gives us flawed but interesting characters. Some we come to like and have hopes for and others we don't. I have to say that I did NOT like Merci Rayborn when I read THE BLUE HOUR. But perhaps motherhood, the loss of Tim Hess and the personal and political problems she faces in the Sheriff's Department have mellowed her to the point that she has become more human and less disagreeable. In RED LIGHT, for all of her flaws and self-doubts, Parker has made her a much more agreeable and yes, a more sympathetic character. This book has some slow points and then, the plot and the level of action pick up. I do not know if this was a deliberate device by Parker or not but either way, the book does become a page turner. When Merci must decide for herself whether Mike McNally is guilty or being framed is where the book really took off. It is where I knew that Parker had planned and timed the story line for just such a reason. Parker's intimate knowledge of police procedures is displayed at its best in this novel. His former career as a journalist and his extensive background in the history of Orange County also serve him well in RED LIGHT. Although this is the first time that he has used a recurring character, I hope it will not be his last. Merci Rayborn still has a lot to say and I hope Mr. Parker will let her speak in upcoming works. Thank you Mr. Parker for many hours of enjoyable reading. I hope you won't dispense with Merci Rayborn just yet. I'd like to think of her as your version of Robert B. Parker's SPENSER. And we all know how many novels he has mined from that character. I look forward with anticipation to your next novel and hope that we will all see one or more adapted for the screen. Paul Connors
Rating:
Summary: A NOVEL THAT GRIPS YOU IN THE FIRST CHAPTER!
Review: In RED LIGHT, T. Jefferson Parker's sequel to THE BLUE HOUR, Sergeant Merci Rayborn of the Orange County Sheriff Department returns to investigate the murder of a prostitute. It's been two long years since the Purse Snatcher killed her partner and lover, Tim Hess, and the emotional pain and guilt still haven't gone away. Her father has moved in with her to help with little Tim, Jr. and to try and ease the fears that have overwhelmed her during the past twenty-four months. As she and her new partner, Paul Zamorra, dig deeper into the dead prostitute's life, the crime scene evidence starts to point to another police officer, Mike McNally, as the perpetrator...a man she has been dating for several months. Merci doesn't want to believe that her lover could be the killer, but as the evidence begins to pile up, she soon realizes that there may be no choice but to take him down. If that wasn't enough, Merci is asked by her boss to take a look at a thirty-year-old case in which another prostitute was murdered. As she works on the second case, it soon becomes clear that the death of the two prostitutes may be connected and that higher-ups in the Sheriff Department could be involved. It won't be long before Merci will have to make a choice as to whether or not to betray her lover and to risk her life and career by going after the men who murdered a woman three decades ago out of greed and political gain. RED LIGHT is a powerful character study of a female police officer who must combat her own personal demons, while at the same time seeking revenge against those who murdered two women over a thirty-year time span. Merci will find herself in a position of not knowing whom to trust and will even begin to question her own judgment. Filled, however, with an inner strength and a dog-like determination, our heroine will throw caution to the wind and plow ahead in order to find the truth. At the end of this journey for retribution, Merci will finally discover that truth has its price and that betrayals may take years to heal and to forgive. T. Jefferson Parker has written a stark novel about life, death, and what it means to be a human being, demonstrating his unique gift at being able to create primary and secondary characters that live and breath...characters that come alive in such a way as to draw the reader into the story as if they were actually participating in it themselves. All of his characters are flawed and must learn to deal with the obstacles that life throws at them. Some will succeed and others will not. The one theme that comes across so strongly in RED LIGHT is that we can't always do it by ourselves and must occasionally allow others to offer us a helping hand. It demands a certain element of trust and sometimes that's the hardest thing to give. RED LIGHT is not an action-packed novel, but rather a hard, poignant look at what it's like to be a woman who also happens to be a mother and a police officer and the choices that have to be made in a man's world. This novel will definitely leave you wanting more, and I hope Mr. Parker will bring back Merci Rayborn for at least one more outing.
Rating:
Summary: A NOVEL THAT GRIPS YOU IN THE FIRST CHAPTER!
Review: In RED LIGHT, T. Jefferson Parker's sequel to THE BLUE HOUR, Sergeant Merci Rayborn of the Orange County Sheriff Department returns to investigate the murder of a prostitute. It's been two long years since the Purse Snatcher killed her partner and lover, Tim Hess, and the emotional pain and guilt still haven't gone away. Her father has moved in with her to help with little Tim, Jr. and to try and ease the fears that have overwhelmed her during the past twenty-four months. As she and her new partner, Paul Zamorra, dig deeper into the dead prostitute's life, the crime scene evidence starts to point to another police officer, Mike McNally, as the perpetrator...a man she has been dating for several months. Merci doesn't want to believe that her lover could be the killer, but as the evidence begins to pile up, she soon realizes that there may be no choice but to take him down. If that wasn't enough, Merci is asked by her boss to take a look at a thirty-year-old case in which another prostitute was murdered. As she works on the second case, it soon becomes clear that the death of the two prostitutes may be connected and that higher-ups in the Sheriff Department could be involved. It won't be long before Merci will have to make a choice as to whether or not to betray her lover and to risk her life and career by going after the men who murdered a woman three decades ago out of greed and political gain. RED LIGHT is a powerful character study of a female police officer who must combat her own personal demons, while at the same time seeking revenge against those who murdered two women over a thirty-year time span. Merci will find herself in a position of not knowing whom to trust and will even begin to question her own judgment. Filled, however, with an inner strength and a dog-like determination, our heroine will throw caution to the wind and plow ahead in order to find the truth. At the end of this journey for retribution, Merci will finally discover that truth has its price and that betrayals may take years to heal and to forgive. T. Jefferson Parker has written a stark novel about life, death, and what it means to be a human being, demonstrating his unique gift at being able to create primary and secondary characters that live and breath...characters that come alive in such a way as to draw the reader into the story as if they were actually participating in it themselves. All of his characters are flawed and must learn to deal with the obstacles that life throws at them. Some will succeed and others will not. The one theme that comes across so strongly in RED LIGHT is that we can't always do it by ourselves and must occasionally allow others to offer us a helping hand. It demands a certain element of trust and sometimes that's the hardest thing to give. RED LIGHT is not an action-packed novel, but rather a hard, poignant look at what it's like to be a woman who also happens to be a mother and a police officer and the choices that have to be made in a man's world. This novel will definitely leave you wanting more, and I hope Mr. Parker will bring back Merci Rayborn for at least one more outing.
|
