Synopses & Reviews
One of
The Boston Globe's Best Mysteries of 2011
ALEX MCKNIGHT IS BACK in Misery Bay, the long-awaited return of one of crime fiction's most critically acclaimed series by Steve Hamilton.
On a frozen January night, a young man loops one end of a long rope over the branch of a tree. The other end he ties around his neck. A snowmobiler will find him thirty-six hours later, his lifeless eyes staring out at the endless cold water of Lake Superior. It happens in a lonely corner of the Upper Peninsula, in a place they call Misery Bay.
Alex McKnight does not know this young man, and he wont even hear about the suicide until another cold night, two months later and 250 miles away, when the door to the Glasgow Inn opens and the last person Alex would ever expect to see comes walking in to ask for his help.
What seems like a simple quest to find a few answers will turn into a nightmare of sudden violence and bloody revenge, and a race against time to catch a ruthless killer. McKnight knows all about evil, of course, having faced down a madman who killed his partner and left a bullet next to his heart. Mobsters, drug dealers, hit men—hes seen them all, and theyve taken away almost everything hes ever loved. But none of them could have ever prepared him for the darkness hes about to face.
Review
Praise for Misery Bay:
"I'm often asked to recommend a detective series readers might have missed. This is it." --Harlan Coben
"Misery Bay showcases Hamilton's dark vision and his talents as a sturdy plotter. ... Hamilton's view of the harsh, bleak landscape of winter in Michigan's Upper Peninsula will have readers grabbing their coats and gloves as the frigid air seems to seep through the pages. Misery Bay is like a visit with an old friend with whom you can't wait to catch up."--Sun-Sentinal
"A triumphant return for McKnight. Misery Bay is as good as the previous ones in this critically acclaimed series. The plot is as suspenseful as they come, with lots of unpredictable twists and turns."--The Associated Press
"Superb.... Assured prose, a thrilling plot, and a surprising, satisfying conclusion make this a winner."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Hamilton's prose is straight and clean, as devoid of pretense as the author's name — Steve, just Steve, with no accompanying initials. The book's complexity comes in Hamilton's gift for layers and the slow reveal."--Seattle Times
"The best mystery novel Ive read in a while."--John J. Miller, The National Review
"This new entry in Hamilton's Alex McKnight series is one of his best. ... You'll not put this down willingly, and when you do, you'll still be thinking about it."--Romantic Times
"Outstanding."--Yahoo! Shine
"A solid, character- and conflict-driven procedural with one of his twistier plots."--The Boston Globe"
Hamilton is as good as anyone out there when it comes to fast-paced dark mysteries."--City Pulse
Praise for Steve Hamilton:
“Hamiltons compelling, vigorous prose doesnt allow the option of taking a break.” —Los Angeles Times
“Steve Hamilton writes the kind of stories that manly men and tough-minded women cant resist.” —The New York Times
"Hamilton writes tough, passionate novels.... This is crime writing at its very best.” —George Pelecanos
“Hamilton gives us mysteries within mysteries as well as a hero who simply wont be beaten down.” —The Miami Herald
“Already one of our best writers.” —Laura Lippman
“Hamiltons prose moves us smoothly along and his characters are marvelously real.” —Publishers Weekly
“Hamiltons prose...remains an unself-consciously terse pleasure.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Hamilton... paints a rich and vivid portrait of a world where the chill in the air is often matched by that of the soul.” —The Providence Journal
“Hamilton never misses a beat.” —Rocky Mountain News
"I really like his main character, Alex McKnight, and I'm ready to re-visit Paradise, Michigan."--James Patterson on North of Nowhere
Synopsis
On a frozen January night, a young man hangs himself in a lonely corner of the Upper Peninsula, in a place they call Misery Bay. Alex McKnight does not know this young man, and he wont even hear about the suicide until two months later, when the last person Alex would ever expect comes to him for help.
What seems like a simple quest to find a few answers will turn into a nightmare of sudden violence and bloody revenge, and a race against time to catch a ruthless and methodical killer. McKnight knows all about evil. Mobsters, drug dealers, hit men—hes seen them all, and theyve taken away almost everything hes ever loved. But none of them could have ever prepared him for the darkness hes about to face. A New York Times bestseller, Michigan Notable Book, and Boston Globe Best Crime Book of the Year, Misery Bay marks the return of one of crime fiction's most critically acclaimed series.
About the Author
STEVE HAMILTONs first novel, A Cold Day in Paradise, won the Private Eye Writers of America/St. Martins Press Best First Private Eye Novel Contest before becoming a USA Today bestseller and winning both an Edgar and a Shamus Award for Best First Novel. His stand-alone novel, The Lock Artist, was named a New York Times Notable Book, received an Alex Award by the American Library Association, and went on to win the Edgar Award for Best Novel, making him only the second author (after Ross Thomas) to win Edgars for both Best First Novel and Best Novel. He attended the University of Michigan, where he won the prestigious Hopwood Award for writing, and now he lives in Cottekill, New York, with his wife and their two children.