Father’s Day: A Mystery
Keith Gilman’s provocative debut is a dark and atmospheric tale of an ex-cop from Philadelphia who must face old ghosts.
Louis Kline, PI, is asked to track down the missing teenage daughter of an old friend. In doing so, he uncovers truths about the alleged suicide of his friend, a fellow officer with the Philadelphia Police Department. They shared accusations that ended both their careers, and a love for the same woman. As Louis further investigates, he comes to understand the tortured life of the girl he’s trying to find, and some truths about himself.
Keith Gilman knows how cops think and he pulls back the curtain on a disturbing vision of a decaying urban world, haunted by shadows of deceit and death. Father’s Day, a novel of great psychological depth and stark visual imagery, is a terrifying exploration of what lies at the heart of our deepest fears.
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Keith Gilman’s novel is a powerful, evocative noir character study. With great skill, he draws a picture of retired policeman Lou Klein, a memorable protagonist, then surrounds Klein with a cast of characters that keeps the reader turning pages until the end. Maybe it’s his own experience as a veteran cop, but Gilman’s extraordinary ability to convey the raw emotions of his characters and the dark places they inhabit make reading FATHER’S DAY a must.
Rating: 5 / 5
Louis Klein and Sam Blackwell were partners on the Philadelphia Police Department. Knowing how dangerous their jobs were, they not just had each other’s back, they vowed to take care of each others dependents if something happened to one of them. Sam ultimately committed suicide while Louis left the force.
Sam’s widow Sarah begs Louis to help her. Her teenage daughter, Carol Ann has disappeared somewhere on the streets of Philadelphia. Mindful of his vow to Sam and having a free spirited daughter of his own, Louis begins the search for Carol Ann, but soon finds out some sleazy information about the Blackwell family.
Though some of the crime scenes detract from an otherwise terrific investigative Noir as they have been overused in books and movies, FATHER’S DAY will hook readers once Klein works the mean streets of the City of Brotherly Love. Klein makes the tale work as he is propelled to find Sam’s daughter as much from their joint vows as from the nightmarish thought that this could be his late partner searching for his offspring. Fans will agrees FATHER’S DAY is a worthy winner of the Minotaur Books/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel award.
Harriet Klausner
Rating: 4 / 5