Rating: 
Summary: Parker at the Top of His Game
Review: T. Jefferson Parker writes multi-layered mysteries that read like the finest literature. The unfolding of the complex Merci Rayborn is as intriguing as the case at hand. Merci's clearly a real cop, with all the accompanying and conflicting emotions borne of years seeing what she's seen. Parker's such a master at every level -- plot, characterization, pacing, prose, dialogue that just roars of real life -- the others in the genre can only riff on his wake.
Rating: 
Summary: A lighter crime, a darker tone for Merci Rayborn
Review: T. Jefferson Parker's 'The Red Light' I found, was a return to classic mystery writing for this author. Unlike his previous two novels that were much darker and horrific in terms of the crimes, this had a lighter tone and actually really had me guessing all the way towards the end. I have read all of Mr. Parker's novels and he had a tendency to reveal the perpetrators about half way through, and it was up to the good guys to catch them. The Red Light revolves around two mysteries actually: the current murder of a 19 year old escort, and the mysterious death of a blackmailing prostitute some 20 years earlier who had connections in local politics and law enforcement. This one, however, had many twists, and though it was obvious from the beginning that the main suspect was setup, I couldn't figure out who was the real bad guy was or the angle. Interesting the development of theories based on evidence and forensics as they develop. Great job.Also, unlike other of Mr. Parker's novels, this had a returning character in Merci Rayborn. It is now a few years after the events from 'The Blue Hour' and Merci has tried to move on in her life. We pick up at this point and learn how much more of an isolationist she has become. If there is any dark tone in this book at all, it is Merci's outlook on life through her own eyes. She refers to events that happened in The Blue Hour, and you can see how her character has been altered from that time. The story's settings themselves should be familiar to Parker's readers; actual locals in Orange County, CA. The murder takes place in Dana Point, the sheriff's are out of Laguna Beach, and the characters frequent Tustin, Irvine, San Juan Capistrano and others. There is also a history lesson in this book as Merci also tries to solve a crime from 20+ years earlier. How times have changed, not only in politics and attitude but landscapes as well. Little does Merci know at first that the two crimes are connected, and the players are much closer than she ever would have thought. Though this story definitely revolves around Merci, she is somewhat balanced from her sometimes partner, Zamora. He is an older officer that has his own problems going on that he must deal with, but they end up helping each other in more than just solving crimes. They learn from each other's examples and Merci benefits from this much more. The ending was good, very realistic in that even though it was a happy ending, the reader must ask "Was it a happy ending after all?" I truly enjoyed the guesswork here.
Rating:
Summary: MERCY FOR MERCI.....
Review: The Blue Hour was the beginning of Merci Rayborn. I would read that book before this one. Merci is investigating the murder of a prostitute. The clues all lead to her boyfriend Mike McNally. But, did he do it? He says no. Merci keps digging. She is given an old unsloved case to clear up and they seem to connect. How could a case that old and this one be anything alike???? But they are!!!!!!!!! Merci is great as she tries to find the right killer of the prostitute. If is is Mike, will she report him or not? If the old case involves people she is close to will she report it or let it slide?? Parker does a good job on keeping you attention. I did not want to put the book down. The ending arrived to quickly. Hopefully there will be more of Marci Rayburn, I do not want it all to end like this. Please Mr. Parker, bring her back in another book. If you like a very, very good mystery you will like this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A book to put you to sleep
Review: The book opening story line of a murder, including the victim, the suspect, and the police investigator are all interesting and promise a good story. But readingt it thereafter, I quickly found it tedious and boring. If you have difficulty falling asleep, takes this book to bed with you. My problem with this author is his inconsistency. I have found his books to be hit and miss affairs. Some are really good reading while others simply are not and this is one of the latter.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Mystery Suffering of Improbabilities
Review: This story of a police officer's homicide investigation is spellbinding. I will not discuss the plot events, which have the usual theme of the murder that will be solved -- in this case, two murders. The characters and settings are better developed than in most books of this genre. The writer knows enough about crime investigations and Orange County, where the story plays, to give his work credibility. His command of the language is also superior to what usually passes for literary prose in thrillers. I recommend this book, with the caveat that ultimately the plot turns out to rest on a foundation of improbabilities. It would have been nice if the unraveling of the crimes had the same realism and credibility as the investigative work, which although not perfect is very good. As it is, the reader will feel somewhat let down because the author after presenting an intriguing story cannot keep it glued together any longer in the end. Nonetheless, the tale is superior to what is found in the great mass of detective thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Mystery Suffering of Improbabilities
Review: This story of a police officer's homicide investigation is spellbinding. I will not discuss the plot events, which have the usual theme of the murder that will be solved -- in this case, two murders. The characters and settings are better developed than in most books of this genre. The writer knows enough about crime investigations and Orange County, where the story plays, to give his work credibility. His command of the language is also superior to what usually passes for literary prose in thrillers. I recommend this book, with the caveat that ultimately the plot turns out to rest on a foundation of improbabilities. It would have been nice if the unraveling of the crimes had the same realism and credibility as the investigative work, which although not perfect is very good. As it is, the reader will feel somewhat let down because the author after presenting an intriguing story cannot keep it glued together any longer in the end. Nonetheless, the tale is superior to what is found in the great mass of detective thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: A WINNING THRILLER
Review: Two years have past since the death of Tim Hess, her partner and father of her child, and Merci Rayborn is about to be thrust into a whirlwind murder mystery that reaches as far back as the sixties. Merci, doing the best she can to put the pieces of her life back together, is back living with her father, and in the start of a romantic relationship with Mike McNally, a fellow officer. The death of a young prostitute puts Merci at the heart of a twisted conspiracy. When the murder of the prostitute has her boyfriend Mike as the main suspect, Merci must do the unthinkable...arrest her lover. Going through every piece of evidence, Merci is looking for clues to clear Mike's name, but as she is doing this an old case is thrown on her desk-the murder of another prostitute, Patti Bailey,an unsolved case from the sixites. The deeper Merci goes, the two seperate cases become one, one with direct ties to the police force. As these two murder investigations explode, Merci will turn the police force upside down, and make a shocking discovery that hits close to home... 'Red Light' is an intricately plotted suspense novel that grabs hold of the reader early on. Although, NOT as good as the previous novel 'Blue Hour', 'Red Light' does maintain good pacing, excellent suspense, and enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing. It is good to see Merci Rayborn back, and fans will anxiously await her next appearance. Another winner from bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: Merci Returns
Review: Warning: Before reading this book, it is strongly advised that you have already read The Blue Hour. Without this previous experience, a lot of Red Light will be very confusing and would probably ruin your enjoyment of both books. Red Light sees Merci Rayborn investigate two murders that were committed 30 years apart. The victims were both prostitutes, but apart from that they don't really seem to be related. Her investigation severely tests her relationship with her boyfriend, Mike McNally, and brings to light a few dirty secrets that were buried by the sheriffs department three decades ago. Merci is not a particularly likable character, but she does have qualities that are very admirable. Her fierce determination to see justice done, no matter who gets hurt, seems to override just about every one of her emotions. The only exceptions to this are her love for her son and father, and the dominance of Hess' memory in her mind. While I found this to be an interesting story with a well-constructed mystery to be solved, it never really reached any exciting moments as The Blue Hour had. Too often we were forced to witness Merci's self-doubts and continual dwelling over the past. For me, these moments only served to interrupt the more interesting investigative processes without really adding much value to the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Good suspense novel, but not without its faults
Review: What first impressed me about "Red Light", my first T. Jefferson Parker novel, was the depth of his characters. My usual hesitation in reading suspense/detective novels is that the main characters have a tendency to be mere one-dimensional stick figures, who serve no purpose in the novel except to move the plot along. Not so with this novel. Mr. Parker takes great care to fully bring these detectives/policemen to life, and makes them seem like real people with real problems. They have an existence outside of their work, which is something that cannot be said of the characters in many novels of this type. As far as a suspense novel goes, this had about all you could ask for in terms of keeping you guessing as to who the killer was. I have to admit, during much of the middle portion of the novel, I felt like the author had insulted my intelligence since he was making it totally obvious who the "real" killer was going to turn out to be. Of course, it turned out I was 100% wrong, which is fun, and even better, Parker surprises us while still playing fair. Parker is able to make the identity of the killer a surprise, while still keeping with the logic of the story, so it still makes sense with regards to everything we've read already. Then there are the bad parts. The first negative thing that stuck out for me was how poorly T. Jefferson Parker writes dialogue. Not having read any of his other works, I don't know if this is a common problem for him, or if he just had an off-novel this time out. The dialogue in the police interrogation scenes sounds like it came out of some bad B-cop movie from the 50's. The regular dialogue was even worse. No one that I have ever met actually talks as formally as the characters in this novel do. Instead of sounding like they are having conversations, it too often sounds like they're making a speech. Major points also had to be taken away because of the handling of the novel's climax. While trying my best not to give too much away, this novel contains one of the oldest suspense/thriller cliches in the book: "The Fallacy of the Talking Killer" (credit to Roger Ebert), in which the villain has the perfect opportunity to kill the protagonist, but chooses instead to explain to him or her, detail by detail, exactly how he was able to fool him or her and get away with his crimes for so long. I would hope that a writer as respected in this genre as Mr. Parker could come up with something a little more original than that.
Rating:
Summary: Not Bad, But Not His Best!
Review: You really had to THINK in this book! No distractions to get the plot, which was very complicated and thorough. Merci Rayborn is back again after the death of Tim Hess, her lover and partner, to connect a recent prostitute murder with one 35 years ago. Tough one, huh? Well overall, this was a good book. If you are a cop, I don't know if you would like it with all the police corruption. Looking forward to your next one Mr. P!
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