Synopses & Reviews
Michael Harveys sizzling follow-up to
The Chicago Way (“A wonderful first novel . . . Harvey has studied the masters and put his own unique touch on the crime novel . . . Heralds the arrival of a major new voice” —Michael Connelly) opens with a murder in contemporary Chicago and winds its way back to Mrs. OLearys cow and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Private investigator Michael Kelly, the Windy Citys answer to Philip Marlowe, is back in another page-turner that revives a tantalizing mystery buried in Chicagos past. When Kelly is hired by an old girlfriend to tail her abusive husband, he expects trouble of a domestic rather than a historical nature. Life, however, is not so simple. The trail leads Kelly to an old house on Chicagos North Side. Inside it, he finds a body, and perhaps the answer to one of Chicagos most enduring mysteries: who started the Great Chicago Fire and why. The ensuing investigation takes Kelly to places hed rather not go: specifically, City Halls fabled fifth floor, where the mayor is feeling the heat. Kelly becomes embroiled in a scam that stretches from current politics back to the night Chicago burned to the ground, and along the way, he finds himself framed for murder, before finally facing a killer bent on rewriting history.
The Fifth Floor is fast-stepping, intricately woven suspense, rich with the lore and atmosphere of a great city. A marvelous successor to Harveys critically acclaimed debut.
Review
"PI Michael Kelly digs into the history of the Great Chicago Fire for his second case in what's shaping up as a strong series....Dry wit, delectable clues and tricky leads hallmark this trenchant tale of the Windy City." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
"[A] page-turner with a damaged yet interesting hero worth rooting for....Vivid writing, snappy dialogue and fast-paced drama, along with the mystery and intrigue of Chicago and its legendary fire, make The Fifth Floor an end-of-summer sizzler." BookReporter.com
Review
"In The Fifth Floor, Michael Harvey gives us a tale of murder, bare-knuckle mayoral politics, and historical catastrophe–in short, the perfect Chicago detective story, complete with a loving tour of the city's funkier locales that'll make any displaced Chicagoan long for home." Erik Larson, author of The Devil In the White City
Synopsis
Michael Harvey's sizzling follow-up to
The Chicago Way ("A magnificent debut that should be read by all" — John Grisham; "This book heralds the arrival of a major new voice" — Michael Connelly) opens with a murder in contemporary Chicago and winds its way back to Mrs. O'Leary's cow and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
When PI Michael Kelly is hired by an ex-flame to tail her abusive husband, he expects trouble of a domestic rather than a historical nature. Life, however, is not so simple. The tail leads Kelly to an old house on Chicago's North Side. Inside it, the private investigator finds a body and, perhaps, the answer to one of Chicago's most enduring mysteries: who started the Great Chicago Fire and why. The ensuing investigation takes Kelly to places he'd rather not go, specifically, City Hall's fifth floor, where the mayor is feeling the heat and looking to play for keeps. Ultimately, Kelly finds himself in a world where nothing is quite what it seems, face-to-face with a killer bent on rewriting history and staring down demons from a past he never knew he had.
A fast-stepping, intricately woven narrative, rich with the history and atmosphere of a great city, The Fifth Floor is a worthy successor to Harvey's critically acclaimed debut.
Synopsis
A fast-stepping, intricately woven narrative, rich with the history and atmosphere of a great city, The Fifth Floor is a worthy successor to Harvey's critically acclaimed debut, The Chicago Way.
Synopsis
Harvey's sizzling, intricately woven follow-up to The Chicago Way opens with murder in contemporary Chicago and winds its way back to Mrs. O'Leary's cow and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
About the Author
Michael Harvey is the author of The Chicago Way, as well as a journalist and a documentary film producer. His work has won numerous national and international awards, including multiple Emmy Awards and an Academy Award nomination. Mr. Harvey earned a law degree from Duke University, a masters degree in journalism from Northwestern University, and a bachelors degree in classical languages from Holy Cross College.