The Killing Breed

Rating:
Summary: No one will wilt with this excellent post Civil War mystery
Review:

In 1874 Philadelphia, police detective Wilton McCleary enjoys his job, protecting his fellow citizens from the criminals. However, the former Civil War vet soon finds himself embroiled in two different cases that take him to the seamier side of the city.

A valuable canine, Jocko, has been dognapped....

THE KILLING BREED is an impressive debut novel that will elate fans of historical mysteries. The two prime plots intelligently blend into a cohesive and highly intelligent story line. Wilton is a fabulous character and the secondary cast helps bring post Civil War Philadelphia into clear focus. If this novel is any indication of the future, Mark Graham has a long career ahead as the author of the Wilton McCleary historical police procedural.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: An ingenious mystery in a fascinating historical setting.
Review: I am a fan of historical mysteries but have always yearned for a book that realistically recreates the past rather than paint it with a cozy glow. I have finally found what I've been looking for in Mark Graham's The Killing Breed. Graham masterfully evokes the rich squalor of nineteenth-century Philadelphia in this murder mystery featuring police detective Wilton McCleary, a Civil War veteran with no illusions about his city or its inhabitants. The period detail feels so real that I would swear the author had lived there. I wholeheartedly recommend The Killing Breed to lovers of historical mysteries, of mysteries in general, and of historical suspense novels such as those by Caleb Carr. This book is the first of a series featuring McClearly. We are in for a treat! Mark Graham is a major new talent.

Rating:
Summary: A gripping detective story with an intelligent edge.
Review: I found The Killing Breed to be a very enjoyable read that engaged my imagination as well as my intellect. Unlike other more celebrated authors who turn out banal, formulaic reproductions, Graham writes a realistic story with realistic people doing realistic things. The reader is educated through the story as well as entertained. I read the book in two sittings and almost missed my train stop in the process, so engrossing was the story! I hope this author keeps up the good work.

Rating:
Summary: No one will wilt with this excellent post Civil War mystery
Review: In The Killing Breed, Mr. Graham introduces Wilton McCleary, a Civil War veteran who survived a journey through the Hell of Andersonville. Now working as a detective on the Philadelphia Police, McCleary is investigating his first case: to find out who kidnapped "the greatest ratting dog in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" from one of the city's premier politicians, Alderman Bunker. He barely gets a lead in the Bunker case when a more sinister kidnapping occurs, involving the youngest son of a local businessman named Archibald Munroe. With the reputation of the police force on the line, McCleary quickly takes the lead on the Munroe case and learns it has more in common with the Bunker case than just the criminal act of kidnapping. And before either investigation can be closed, McCleary must descend into Hell once more to uncover a past corrupt with the deceit of innocence and the treachery of power.

Following this treacherous course of events, Mr. Graham's well-paced mystery creates an atmosphere that permeates Philadelphia's antique charm with a physical awareness of the muggy summer haze and gaslight noir in which the story unfolds. The Killing Breed's pages come to life with cast of characters -- from the compelling, self-assured McCleary to the imposing, self-confident Bunker, and the tormented Munroe to the demented kidnappers -- that bustle about the streets of late Nineteenth Century Philadelphia in search of ransom, solace, power, and the successful closure of two crimes. An intriguing look into the darker side of The Quaker City in the 1800's, The Killing Breed blends the dark finesse of Poe with the terse dialogue of Chandler; it is sure to appeal to the tastes of hard-boiled fanatics, mystery lovers and anyone who enjoys a thoroughly entertaining read.

Rating:
Summary: Informative and entertaining mystery
Review: Killing Breed is a tightly plotted mystery, with a surprising, but logical, ending. The writing brings 1870s Philadelphia alive; it's almost a character in the book. The reader can feel (and smell) what it was like to walk the streets of an American city 130 years ago. I hope this series has a long life, so we will have many more chances to walk those streets.

Rating:
Summary: Graham's afterword was better than the whole novel!
Review: My goodness, this is the worst book I've read in a long time. The characters were so shallow, it was hard to know any of them. Even McCleary, the main character, was quite 2 dimensional. McCleary saves a child and it's all very matter of fact. Like a superman comic: hero comes, saves the child and flies away. zzzz. Even his attraction to Leah was quite bland. He was attracted to a good looking woman we know nothing about except she's the mother of a kidnapped boy. What's to be excited about? He flings his fists about like a tough man. Well, why is he a tough man? All we know is he was a POW. Paint us a picture, man! For those of us who have never been a POW in the civil war, maybe you could've let us know how it hardened him...made him have fists of steel and run around the streets an invincible man.

Maybe on his next novel, he can work on a little more depth to the characters so more of an attachment can be formed for them. There was not a lot of art to his use of words. The only redeeming quality was the very end. I was grateful it ended interestly so I wouldn't have had to pull my hair out for wasting my time on such an insipid book. I don't usually like to talk badly about any book, but this really could have used a lot more tune up. Graham has a lot of potential for being a good writer, but needs to concentrate on NOT making his novel read like an un-illustrated comic book.

P.S. The afterword WAS interesting.

Rating:
Summary: Graham's afterword was better than the whole novel!
Review: The first in a series involving a civil war veteran of Andersonville prison is an interesting history lesson of the start of organized police forces, this in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the author, trying to be fair with the reader, gives too much away, too early. The next installments will be interesting to see.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Setting and Time
Review: This looks like a promising new series to watch for. For those who like period mysteries, this author is definitely a good one to keep in mind. The setting in late 18 century Philedelphia is different, but a good one just the same. I like the hero - McLeary is a believable and entertaining narrator. I look forward to seeing more from Mr. Graham