Customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
24 global ratings
5 star
55%
4 star
20%
3 star
10%
2 star
4%
1 star
12%
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Review this product



Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Alison McMahan
4.0 out of 5 stars A Struggle to Overcome Moral Injury after War
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2015
Verified Purchase
Phelan Tierney is a lawyer who rides in like Shane to rescue the seemingly unrescuable, a veteran named Raymont who killed a good cop in cold blood.
But before you assume this is another PTSD story, keep reading. It's not. It's about moral injury, and how committing evil acts and hurting other people, even in war, leads to the warping of the mind, of the personality, of the soul.
Corbett does a magisterial job of depicting the scenes of battle, and of approaching battle (which in some ways are more harrowing) in Iraq. The veterans that Tierney speaks to are warped men who are seeking redemption, each in their own way, while trying to re-join a society that is sympathetic but not empathetic. How could they be?
It helps us, the civilians who stayed at home, to empathize a little by reading this book. I'll never hear the buzzing of a drone over my head the same way!
I did wish that Tierney was less a Nick to Raymont's Gatsby and more personally engaged in the battle before him. That he had some psychic debt of his own to pay, or that he helped someone who owed him moral restitution to get it by granting forgiveness.
Read more
Vince Keenan
5.0 out of 5 stars the war at home
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
Phelan Tierney, one of the protagonists of David Corbett's beautiful, bruising THE MERCY OF THE NIGHT, takes a solo first-person turn in the spotlight in this novella. Tierney, a lawyer-turned-investigator with a soft spot for lost causes, signs on to help defend a man seen as indefensible: a veteran of the Iraq war turned thief charged with killing a heroic police officer. As Tierney works with the man's sister, his sole ally, and digs into his service history, he unearths the heartbreaking story beneath a horrific act. As always with Corbett, it's tough, compassionate, and well-written.
Read more
Michael Radesky
5.0 out of 5 stars A book to make you think.
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
Intriguing story about the murder of a highly respected police officer by an ex-soldier decorated for gallantry in the Middle East. Gets deeply
into how a mind can be changed by the experience of 21st C. combat, but avoids cliche in so doing. Based on an actual case, the book
intelligently attempts to explain a tragic event that, at the time, seemed inexplicable.
By the way, kudos to Amazon for publishing three of the West Coast's best crime fiction writers; David Corbett, Johnny Shaw, and G.M.Ford.
Read more
F. Blythe
5.0 out of 5 stars Why A Writer Writes
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2015
Verified Purchase
If you are an aspiring writer this is the book to read and use as inspiration on every level. David Corbett demonstrates writing excellence in character development through the words, actions, descriptions, and thoughts of his characters. The settings are apt and germane to the story. Every word counts. These skills create a work of art that allow the reader to see, hear, touch, feel, and think about the complexity of the characters' experiences beyond the novella and into our here and now. This is a work to be studied and discussed.
Read more
Andrew C. Wallace
4.0 out of 5 stars You won't regret it...
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
This was my first David Corbett book, but not my last. Gripping and intelligent, and surprising in many ways. The story ain't pretty, but it feels as real as you can get. It's a quick read - the writing is spare and at times stark. Recommended!

Note: I have met David, and had drinks. I still stand by this review
Read more
Carol Reeves
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
I am amazed at the depth of conscious compassion without judgement in this tale of a soldier returned from the horror and ordinary suffering of war. The weather conditions alone would scar anyone much less a trained "killer". The humanity of the teller of the tale is fantastic. The tribulations of our military personnel in this war unspeakable.
Read more
R. Terrell
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend this !
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is a great combination of a crime thriller and a military thriller. Neither of these is usually my first choice of genre to read, but I'm REALLY happy I picked this one up. Highly recommend it... Mr. Corbett has done something special here.
Read more
DiAnn Mills
5.0 out of 5 stars Characterization is amazing.
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
Corbett set the stage for a thriller that kept me awake and thinking about the minds of those who are hit hard with tragedy. Characterization is amazing.
Read more

See all reviews