The Mercy of the Night

I very rarely give up on a book, this one made the list. I tried listening twice gave up at about the half way point, just didn't hold my interest. A lot of dialogue with little action or suspense, fell far short of the expectations listed in the summary/details. At least it was a read & listen for free. Oh well, on to another audio book.

Corbett has serious writing chops, there's no doubt about it. This story flows well with no awkward hitches. But his real talent lies in his ability to "keep it real" with his reader and still keep the story mostly interesting. I say mostly because there was a point in the book where I realized that Corbett was veering dangerously into character study territory.

Grain of Salt Warning: Understand, this is purely my taste, I prefer books that have a good balance between plot and character - too far in either direction and I lose interest. Corbett definitely flirted with making this book almost entirely about what was going on in the psyche of his characters, which muddied the middle of it a bit for me. But right around the end he popped back in to move the plot along to a good conclusion.

If you're thinking about getting this book, know what you're getting into. Whether or not you like Mercy of the Night will depend largely on where your preferences lie.

Corbett delivers nuanced characters from a diversity of races, ages, sexes, background in this detective yarn. His rendition of the present day is authentic and modern, sparkling with lean, apt descriptions, rippling with embedded social commentary. His command of metaphor delights, his story pacing thrills, and his themes continue to echo long after the last page.

The reader does a superb job of bringing the characters close, managing dozens of unique voices and somehow staying consistent through the telling; a great performance.

Mr. Corbett really made me feel the heart of the different characters. Made my heart ache and cry at times.