Una mujer aparece muerta en un edificio que ha ardido hasta los cimientos. Los vídeos de seguridad muestran que un hombre la acompañaba. El hombre en cuestión no es otro sino Ed Gradduk, el mejor amigo de la infancia de nuestro investigador privado. Sin pensárselo mucho, Lincoln comienza a investigar y encuentra a Gradduk, que permanece huido de la policía. Gradduk insiste en que es inocente, pero antes de que pueda contarle a Lincoln qué ha pasado, ocurre un accidente y Gradduk muere. Lincoln, que sigue sintiéndose culpable por haber arrestado a Gradduk años atrás, está determinado a descubrir la verdad. Con la ayuda de su compañero, el policía retirado Joe Pritchard, Lincoln recorre su antiguo vecindario en busca de respuestas.

This is a solid procedural with great, believable characters and a twisting story that keeps the pages turning. The one problem? Koryta is even better now than he was then. And that really is the one problem. I discovered Koryta through his more recent works, so I went into this book with incredibly high expectations. I've since discovered that he wrote this when he was only 22--TWENTY-TWO!--and the debut book before it when he was only 21, which is remarkable, and as a procedural or mystery, it really is a great book. The problem, though, is that Koryta has gotten better over time, and his more recent books are fantastic. Call this an 8 on the procedural scale, and call his more recent works 12 (on a 10-point-scale) of thrillers.

So, would I recommend this book? This series? Absolutely. But if you've discovered Koryta through his more recent works, know that the books in his Lincoln Perry series are more traditional procedurals, and written when he was a younger, still developing writer--albeit an incredibly talented one already. And if I'd discovered him through this book, I'm sure I still would have picked up more of his work, which is probably all that needs to be said. ( )

I liked it better than the first book in the series - it has a better (more believable) plot, no weird attempt at romance, no female characters so there were none there to be objectified.

Perry is not Robichaud or Reacher and the writer is not as noir as I had been led to believe. The dialogue is a bit too wordy and it could probably use a bit more action and a bit less chatting.

This is a decent 3 star book but that's it. I wouldn't read it again, and don't think I'll read more in the series - they are just average and there's not enough time to read all the average books out there. ( )

Long repressed emotions erupt when Cleveland PI Lincoln Perry learns that former friend Ed Gradduk has been accused of arson and murder. Feeling pangs of regret from the results of a well meant past gesture gone bad, the ex-cop seeks his childhood pal out to offer his assistance. He eventually locates Ed, only to see him run down by a police car moments later.
Motivated primarily by guilt and shame, Perry strives to uncover the truth behind the accusations, hoping to clear his friend's name. Investigating, he starts poking around at the edges of a conspiracy that includes members of a local police precinct. Unfortunately for him, the conspirators are willing to go to any length, including murder, to protect their secrets.
For such a young author, Koryta shows amazing insight into regrets of the past, loss and personal sacrifice, expressed by Lincoln's melancholy reflections about his childhood and lost friendship with Ed Gradduk. Lincoln Perry is the perfect PI - an ex-cop, a loner, a man with a past and a man who feels strongly about justice and is not afraid to fight for it and risk his own life for the sake of uncovering the truth. He and Joe Pritchard make a strong pair, with Joe, the older and wiser partner, offering a word of caution and reigning Lincoln in when he gets swept away in the heat of the investigation. Their personalities complement one another, setting a strong groundwork for many more books to come.
I’ll certainly be seeking out more by this author. ( )

Book two of the series, suffers from #2itis. A well crafted plot has Lincoln Perry attempting to help a childhood friend who is then killed. This story wove in and out, with players added all the time--who really did it? It was hard to keep them all straight. Koryta is a great writer of urban action.That said, I'm in for the third episode. ( )