Posted by Leslie Pratch; written by Mark Johnson
“Black Dog” sounds like a villain—maybe one of those nicknames that serial killers are given in novels like this.
But it’s not: The black dog is Chicago Det. Lt. Jimmy Parisi’s late-career burnout, the fatigue and frustration of fighting a lifelong war against bad guys that can never be won.
At the moment, two cases have got Jimmy down: a serial killer who drains all the blood from his victims (yeah, he gets one of those nicknames: The Count, as in Dracula); and a series of “low-profile” killings in the city’s west side ghetto that Jimmy can’t figure out but that point to his bitterest enemy. There are family problems, too.
Jimmy, Laird’s series character, is vivid enough, and the police work is fine. The “vampire” villain is highly creepy, but after all the buildup his end seems curiously underplayed
There are a few odd glitches, too. For example, Jimmy and his partner spend Chapter 24 chasing down a cocaine dealer who offers the whereabouts of a guy the detectives are looking for in return for a deal, an offer they apparently accept. But the deal is never mentioned again and the detectives don’t find the guy they want until later, using a different source. What was all that about?
This review was originally published in the San Jose Mercury Times.
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Leslie Pratch, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist from Northwestern University with an M.B.A. in Strategy and Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a B.A. in Religion from Williams College. She works with boards of directors and private equity investors to select and develop executives. She can be reached at (312) 464-7919, leslie@pratchco.com, or visit her at www.pratchco.com.
Mark Johnson is a retired book reviewer for the San Jose Mercury Times.
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