Michael Koryta, The Silent Hour

The Silent Hour

Michael Koryta

Minotaur, Aug 2009, $24.95

ISBN 9780312361570

Convicted killer but freed Parker Harrison sends a series of letters to private investigator Lincoln Perry asking for his help; the sleuth simply ignores them. Exasperated by no response Parker arrives at Perry's Cleveland, Ohio office to cop a plea in person.

Harrison explains that twelve years ago he worked at a rehabilitation program for violent offenders run by Alexandra and Joshua Cantrell. The couple abruptly vanished without a trace. He wants Perry to find them. Perry is suspicious of the motive since a dozen years in a long time to wait to begin an inquiry. He soon learns that Joshua's remains were found in A WELCOME GRAVE near Pittsburgh. Not long afterward, Pittsburgh based private investigator Ken Merriman comes to Cleveland to ask Perry to assist him in finding who killed Joshua; a homicide that Alexandria's mob chieftain brother wants left interred.

This is a super dark yet redemptive investigative thriller that grips the audience from the onset with Harrison's persistence and never lets go with Perry's persistence as the focus. The story line is fast-paced throughout with readers wanting to know the truth while so does Perry and Harrison though they fear what he will find as things are never quite like they seem in THE SILENT HOUR after death.

Harriet Klausner