Friday Fiction: The Third Rail by Michael Harvey (April 2010)

Truth Makes The Best Fiction
Review by Kim Cantrell

Tragedy strikes Chicago when an unknown suspect decides who will live and who will die as lies in wait along the El train and the freeway.

While the victims may be of his choosing, the reasons why are not.

Cop-turned-private-investigator Michael Kelly is determined to get to the bottom of it. Especially after learning he’s more involved than he’d like.

Although the third book in the Kelly series from author Michael Harvey, The Third Rail was the first one I read.

The story line is AWESOME. The reality of domestic terrorism and the truth behind those involved is thought and fear provoking, yet nonetheless intriguing.

Yet I found Harvey’s style of writing to be a bit of annoyance. Seldom does one scene tie into another. With an abrupt resolution, it’s over then on to the next.

And I personally found that there were a couple of loose ends that were never tied up in that pretty little package that us fiction readers love. Although, I was left with a slight impression these unresolved cliffhangers are a basis for a fourth novel.

Overall, I’ll give three out of five stars. Excellent plot, interesting characters, but needs a little more development.

Add it to your reading list. Harvey is only going to continue to improve and his Michael Kelly character is here to stay, so jump on board now. {And, yes, that pun was intended.}

The Third Rail releases April 20, 2010 and is available for pre-order from Amazon.