Kiss of Evil

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating thriller, not for the faint of heart--or stomach
Review: "Kiss of Evil" is a grim thriller exploring the twisted intersection of sex and violence. The nominal hero is Cleveland homicide detective Jack Paris, a troubled man trying to survive life, divorce, and fatherhood, all while attempting to solve a series of brutal murders which seem to be connected to the mysterious death of a brother officer.

Author Richard Montanari has the stark images of hard-boiled noir down pat. His story is fairly gruesome, somewhat confusing, and quite interesting. His prose is dark and sparse, but thankfully ungimicky. He plays with the structure a bit, intercutting the first person POV of the killer with the more standard third person narrative following the investigator. This technique--one I'm not often fond of--works well at heightening both the tension and the revulsion factor. Definitely not for the weak-stomached.

Although the dust jacket bills "Kiss of Evil" as "a novel of suspense" it's not particularly suspenseful or gripping. The emphasis is more on character and the psychological aspects of the case. There are elements of "cat and mouse" detection, but those aren't the focus. Montanari is more concerned with plumbing the depths of the psycho-sexual morass that Paris encounters, and the book is the better for it.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating thriller, not for the faint of heart--or stomach
Review: "Kiss of Evil" is a grim thriller exploring the twisted intersection of sex and violence. The nominal hero is Cleveland homicide detective Jack Paris, a troubled man trying to survive life, divorce, and fatherhood, all while attempting to solve a series of brutal murders which seem to be connected to the mysterious death of a brother officer.

Author Richard Montanari has the stark images of hard-boiled noir down pat. His story is fairly gruesome, somewhat confusing, and quite interesting. His prose is dark and sparse, but thankfully ungimicky. He plays with the structure a bit, intercutting the first person POV of the killer with the more standard third person narrative following the investigator. This technique--one I'm not often fond of--works well at heightening both the tension and the revulsion factor. Definitely not for the weak-stomached.

Although the dust jacket bills "Kiss of Evil" as "a novel of suspense" it's not particularly suspenseful or gripping. The emphasis is more on character and the psychological aspects of the case. There are elements of "cat and mouse" detection, but those aren't the focus. Montanari is more concerned with plumbing the depths of the psycho-sexual morass that Paris encounters, and the book is the better for it.

Rating:
Summary: Kiss of Evil
Review: For those liking the mystery and suspense of a great detective novel, this book is for them. It ranks top in all the detective novels I've read over many years. It's definately a candidate for the top ten best seller list.

You'll be enthralled with the characters, and the twists and turns of the plot will keep you reading until you finish the book. Detective Jack Paris is sure to become a legendary character in the literary world.

Richard Montanari is a gifted writer. I've read his other two books, Violent Hour and Deviant Way and I anticipate his next book with exuberance.

Rating:
Summary: Kiss of Evil
Review: For those liking the mystery and suspense of a great detective novel, this book is for them. It ranks top in all the detective novels I've read over many years. It's definately a candidate for the top ten best seller list.

You'll be enthralled with the characters, and the twists and turns of the plot will keep you reading until you finish the book. Detective Jack Paris is sure to become a legendary character in the literary world.

Richard Montanari is a gifted writer. I've read his other two books, Violent Hour and Deviant Way and I anticipate his next book with exuberance.

Rating:
Summary: Another Hannibal Lector?
Review: In this story, we meet another evil psycho who not only likes to kill his victims, but mutilate them as well. Pursuing this monster is the jaded cop, Jack Paris. This is an engrossing tale, with a down to earth hero who has his own share of problems in addition to tracking down an elusive, vicious murderer. The story is frightening and graphically violent, so if you are the least bit squeamish, think twice about reading the book. Interesting characters, fast moving plot and a monstrous villian make for a quick, tension filled read.
This is the first book I've read by Mr. Montanari. I plan to read the others to find out what I have been missing.

Rating:
Summary: Another Hannibal Lector?
Review: In this story, we meet another evil psycho who not only likes to kill his victims, but mutilate them as well. Pursuing this monster is the jaded cop, Jack Paris. This is an engrossing tale, with a down to earth hero who has his own share of problems in addition to tracking down an elusive, vicious murderer. The story is frightening and graphically violent, so if you are the least bit squeamish, think twice about reading the book. Interesting characters, fast moving plot and a monstrous villian make for a quick, tension filled read.
This is the first book I've read by Mr. Montanari. I plan to read the others to find out what I have been missing.

Rating:
Summary: Kiss a few hours good-bye!
Review: Once you pick up Kiss of Evil by Richard Montanari, you won't be able to put it down, so you might as well plan on putting aside a few hours for reading this thriller. I really didn't think Montanari would ever top the wonderful "Deviant Way", but he sure did with Kiss of Evil. The writing was to-die-for, the pace relentless, and the character came to life and told their story. If you like your thrillers on the dark side, you'll fall in love with Kiss of Evil.

Rating:
Summary: An intricate weave of suspense
Review: Rick Montanari's "Kiss of Evil" is his best yet, and his two previous novels, "Deviant Way" and "The Violet Hour" were pretty damn good to begin with. Detective Jack Paris (who debuted in "Deviant Way") returns in "Kiss," this time in a manhunt for a serial killer who executes his victims in gruesome, quasi-religious rituals. In the midst of the present-day chase, though, Paris is also obsessed with the mysterious circumstances surrounding a fellow detective's death a couple years earlier. Montanari expertly weaves present-day narrative and flashback in a tale that's guaranteed to throw even the sharpest reader off the scent until the very last page. And in those brief moments when he does let up on the pace and let you catch your breath, he adds satisfying layers of depth and humanity to his original sketch of Jack Paris. If you're into Thomas Harris, or John Sanford's "Prey" series, you'll dig "Kiss of Evil."

Rating:
Summary: I Am Disgusted
Review: This book was by far the worst book I have ever read, and for those of you that haven't read it, I suggest you don't waste your time.
There is nothing even slightly interesting about this book; the only thing I got from it were its raunchy characters and poorly constructed and under developed storyline.
As a writer myself, I was beyond disappointed and am glad that I only paid a dollar for this at a dollar store. Mr. Montanari isn't worth my time, or anyone else's.
My only hope is that his writing improves over time - for not only his sake, but for the sake of literature.
The thing that sickens me is that people actually enjoyed not only the gruesome nature of this book, but the writing in itself.
I've read the reviews on this website, and I agree that this book isn't for the weak-hearted - nor the intelligent, for that matter.
For those of you who are considering ordering this book, I advise you not to waste your money. There are other good books out there that are better than this, and cost less.
Thank you.
-Summer, age 15

Rating:
Summary: A dark psychological masterpiece....
Review: Two years ago in Cleveland, model Sarah Weiss allegedly murdered police detective Michael Ryan in a local hotel. Sarah beats the rap and Michael's reputation is destroyed in the process. Michael's partner John Paris knows that the media, the brass, and the justice system "raped" a good cop unable to defend himself while his killer is free.

However, John feels better about that case when Sarah dies in a car fire because he feels she deserves what she finally got. However, more vicious murders linked back to Michael soon occur, leaving John to wonder what is the real link between the brutal deaths of five people and counting.

When it comes to psychological suspense, no one does it better than Richard Montanari (see THE DEVIANT WAY). His latest police procedural, KISS OF EVIL, is exciting and filled with non-stop action as he takes his audience on a joy ride of Cleveland that is a bit different than say a trip to Jacobs Field. John makes the story as readers feel his frustration, shock, and near obsession with the case. Though the plot is a bit graphic yet apropos for the spine tingling story line, fans will clamor for Mr. Montanari to return with more Paris psychological police procedurals in the near future.

Harriet Klausner