I wanted to like this one, since it's set in Oregon, by an Oregon author. I couldn't get into it and found it hard to follow. I've heard that his other books, County Line in particular, are much better and might give them a try. ( )

I read this book as slowly as I could to savor it and it's quirky cast of characters. I have always thought that Stephen King wrote female characters really well. I never thought any other male writer came close until now. I loved all of these characters, good and bad. None of them were flat or cliche. I loved the use of jumping back and forth in time. Never too far back and always conscious of the present. I even loved simple things like the perfect chapter lengths for reading in chunks and the interesting graphical use of drops of liquid at the start of each chapter. A wonderful book I would highly recommend. ( )

Day One by Bill Cameron is a fascinating read both for the well-crafted story and the style in which it’s written. It’s a complex tale, rich with dark characters that, thankfully, most of us don’t meet in our daily lives. It’s literary without pretension, well-paced and never formulaic.

The tone is noir with many shades of composite gray. The writing pulls you in without gimmicks, the dialogue and characters are interesting and compelling. There's a genuine and talented author's voice speaking through these pages. I stopped more than once to reread a sentence for the pure thrill and jealousy of great writing.

This is a complex story about strange crimes with deep origins. The narrative glides through the past and present in a engaging manner as a series of interconnected personal stories and interlocking puzzles unfold and pick up steam until they converge with a resonant bang. The story drives forward with one eye on the rear view mirror until the past and present collide and intersect. Cameron does a great job of keeping the reader's mind engaged trying to piece the story's intriguing puzzles together.

Painstakingly set in rural Oregon and urban Portland, the scenery, smells, and regional quirks are conjured with equal doses of sun, mist, and shadows. The author does an excellent job with the basic forensics and police procedures as well as the inner stories and conflicts that drive his good, bad, and ugly characters forward.

Day One is the third book in Cameron’s series. I've only read this one and found that it stands firmly on its own. ( )