Meh, it was ok. Mercy is really NOT a likable character. Don't think I'll read the following two books in the series ( )

Good detective book, with an unlikely pairing. First of three starring Merci Rayborn. Personalities galore. ( )

This is the first in the Merci Rayborn series. Tim Hess is a retired cop who's hired to work with Detective Rayborn to find a serial killer. There are some kind of half-baked plot things going on here that were not too satisfying but over all it was ok. ( )

First class crime fiction. Would have given it a full five star rating except for those eleven paragraphs. I will say only that they are consecutive. If you have a search in mind as you pick up the book it shouldn't be hard to find them. Or to enjoy the story. Mr. T Jefferson Parker is one helluva writer. ( )

The Blue Hour. T. Jefferson Parker. 1999. I have seen this author’s books for years in libraries and book stores but this is the first Parker I have read and it won’t be the last. Tim Hess, a retired detective who is battling lung cancer, is called by into service by the sheriff to help identify a serial killer. He is paired with Merci Rayborn, a young female detective who has chip on her shoulder and who is determined to make a name for herself. At first there are no bodies, no clothes, and no bones, just blood and purses. Hess brings the experience to the case that Merci lacks and Merci brings energy and determination. They gradually begin to trust each other as they search for a truly vicious murderer in the woods and malls of California. This is not for the fainthearted. Parker is an excellent writer and I’ll read more of his works. This is the first of a series of novels featuring Merci Rayborn. ( )