Book Description

Intricately plotted and surprisingly moving, THE BLUE HOUR is T. Jefferson Parker’s most compelling—and satisfying—thriller yet, from the NYT bestselling author and three-time Edgar Award winner. Tim Hess is a semi-retired homicide cop staring at his own death sentence—lung cancer. Time is running out. Thrice divorced and childless, Hess is the classic loner cop—so he’s happy to accept the difficult job offered to him: find and stop a serial killer who’s been abducting beautiful young women in Orange County. His new partner, and boss, is the brash, ambitious Merci Rayborn. She’s unpopular and unloved by her fellow cops, but she’s also relentless, smart and principled. Hess, challenged by the investigation and by his own disease, isn't happy about taking orders from Merci, and he certainly isn't planning for her to fall in love with him… “What distinguishes this moving book are the finely defined characters, the author’s accomplished style (which sketches his Orange County turf and surf in vivid strokes) and the tale’s unexpected twists.” —Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal “The crimes are sickening, the killer is a monster, and the gadgets of destruction are truly bizarre. Solid police work, beefed up with some ingenious devices from Parker’s bottomless bag of tricks, makes it all come out right—but not before the wondrously weird characters have taken this lurid plot to its outer limits.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review “Unpredictable and dynamic… far more gripping than your average serial-killer thriller … Sure-handed thriller writer Parker proves ever-surprising.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A richly metaphoric and suspenseful ride to the end … Ah, Parker in top form.” —Kirkus Reviews “Parker pulls off a rare juggling act in The Blue Hour. He combines the fast pacing and titillating elements of a bestseller with the more meaningful searchings of a John Updike novel. Parker is often compared to Michael Connelly because both men write tautly crafted police procedurals. But Parker has only one rival—Thomas Harris—when it comes to averting the clichés of the serial killer book by characterization… . If you’re seeking a thinking man’s bestseller, T. Jefferson Parker is the writer for you.” —Katy Munger, Washington Post Book World “A man much praised doesn’t need more encomiums; but T. Jefferson Parker deserves all he gets. The Blue Hour adds one more chilling thriller to a long, grim, and scary list: ingenious, intricate, complicated yet credible, a real page-turner.” —Eugen Weber, Los Angeles Times “Parker’s best work.” —Edvins Beitiks, San Francisco Examiner “Has enough chills and twists to keep the pages turning, but the real story here is the surprising love match Parker manages to pull off with realistic characters and true emotion. This will be another hit for Parker’s fans and will appeal to Michael Connelly’s as well.” —Rececca House, Library Journal “Takes you where you’ve been and it seems like the first time.” —Richard Fuller, Philadelphia Inquirer