SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile
Not an audiobook for the faint of heart, this taut detective thriller is replete with explicit sexual dialogue. To her credit, narrator Christina Delaine does not flinch from the frequent descriptions of the sexual adventures of Valerie Hart, a police detective who is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a prosecutor. Delaine masterfully delivers the charged dialogue, telling the story of a broken woman who is waging an inner war against her unsavory past and her urges. It doesn’t help that the murdered victim, Adam Grant, was a former lover. Saul Black’s skill as a writer keeps the listener guessing. The gritty realism in this work removes any glamour from the world of a homicide detective. M.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
08/05/2019
Black’s third thriller featuring SFPD homicide detective Valerie Hart (after 2017’s LoveMurder ) offers an intricate puzzle. What makes Valerie so uneasy about a case with as much evidence as the slaying of prominent former prosecutor Adam Grant and the stabbing of his wife, Rachel, in their Pacific Heights home? Maybe it’s the fact that the guy the forensics finger—ex con Dwight Jenner, recently paroled after six years in San Quentin, courtesy of Adam—is nowhere to be found. Or perhaps it’s just Valerie’s somewhat guilty conscience at not recusing herself from the case because of her “abortive one-night stand” four years earlier with the victim, during her heavy-drinking days after separating from her husband, with whom she has since reconciled. Whatever the cause, her gut proves golden in this glossy game of mirrors from Black, who exploits multiple narrative perspectives and extended flashbacks to heighten the suspense. In the end, his sleight of hand may make some readers feel a bit played—but only after they’ve stayed up late into the night to discover the tale’s final twists. Agent: Jane Gelfman, Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Anything For You:
“A terrific thriller made more luminous by its refreshingly human detective.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Skilled story crafting…will appeal to fans of Carol O’Connell and Chelsea Cain.” —Booklist
“[A] glossy game of mirrors …readers [will stay] up late into the night to discover the tale’s final twists.” —Publishers Weekly
"A first rate suspense novel." —Peter Blauner, bestselling author of Sunrise Highway
Praise for Saul Black:
"Shockingly good writing." —The New York Times Book Review
"State of the art." —The Washington Post
"Compelling...Black utilizes the psychological edge of his characters to elevate the story." —Associated Press
“Unbelievably good...this one has it all.” —Lee Child
"This novel breaks brilliant." —Jeffery Deaver
“The Killing Lessons is a dark, twisted, and deeply compelling read. Saul Black perfectly inhabits each of his characters, even the most deranged among them, and weaves a breathless thriller that is as beautiful as it is terrifying.” —Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Love You
"Black writes tension-release like a rock-ballad composer...a high-grade thriller." —Kirkus Reviews (starred)
"A taut, smart thriller guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats." —Library Journal (starred)
"A master class in suspense." —Bookpage
“Puts a fresh spin on the familiar...Black explores themes of love and trust, and doesn’t shy away from Valerie’s complex emotional world. Sharp plotting and snappy dialogue propel the action to an exciting conclusion.” —Publishers Weekly
SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile
Not an audiobook for the faint of heart, this taut detective thriller is replete with explicit sexual dialogue. To her credit, narrator Christina Delaine does not flinch from the frequent descriptions of the sexual adventures of Valerie Hart, a police detective who is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a prosecutor. Delaine masterfully delivers the charged dialogue, telling the story of a broken woman who is waging an inner war against her unsavory past and her urges. It doesn’t help that the murdered victim, Adam Grant, was a former lover. Saul Black’s skill as a writer keeps the listener guessing. The gritty realism in this work removes any glamour from the world of a homicide detective. M.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2019-08-19
Detective Valerie Hart is hiding secrets of her own as she tries to solve a murder that becomes more opaque with each new revelation.
When an insomniac glimpses a masked intruder fleeing his neighbor's house, the police discover the bloody aftermath of a brutal attack: a husband dead and his wife barely clinging to life. The husband turns out to be Adam Grant, a former state prosecutor with no lack of enemies—and no lack of secrets. One of which is the fact that on a drunken night several years ago, Adam nearly slept with Valerie despite being married. Valerie knows she should recuse herself from the case, but she's stubborn and tends not to do the things that would be best for her. She's dealing with her own personal drama, in fact, as she and her husband have recently decided to try for a child even though all of Valerie's self-destructive impulses are driving her toward sabotage. The Grant case seems like a slam-dunk when an ex-con's fingerprints are found all over the room, but the suspect himself is nowhere to be found. As Valerie digs deeper into his disappearance and Adam's life, she keeps running into reports and evidence of a mysterious blonde. From the first gruesome scene of the novel it's clear that this is a thriller with ragged edges, haunted characters, and graphic violence. Yet Black (LoveMurder, 2017, etc.) transforms this rawness into a strength through the character of Valerie. We see her wounded heart and her self-deprecating awareness of her own darkness, layers that illuminate the truth of the novel: that the actions we take for love are not always beautiful, or right, but they still carry meaning. It's in learning to accept the consequences of our decisions that even the most troubled heart can find a kind of peace.
Gritty and grim, this is a terrific thriller made more luminous by its refreshingly human detective.
