We pick up shortly after Shooting For The Stars ends. Gil Mallory is, as usual, looking for his next big story. So are the paper's e-editor and the print edior. The NY Daily News' coarse receptionist, Zeena, is tired of acting as Gil's personal secretary and is extremely annoyed at being asked to be Malloy's wall against the public.Today's walk-up asking to see Gil is an exception. Vanessa Issacs, aka Houston.
Houston was perhaps Malloy's biggest success and more horrific failures. Not long ago, Malloy wrote a series about high-end prostitution in NYC. His inside information was named Houston. While the woman existed, Malloy fabricated the bulk of the story. And when Houston turned up, Malloy's reputation was down the tubes, nearly lost his job, and his wife divorced him. He's been trying to distance himself from that nightmare, but won't abandon Vanessa/Houston.
Vanessa's husband, a normal and fairly dull lawyer, is missing. She was curious about his comings and goings so she hired a PI who told her it looked like he was running around on her. He hasn't been missing long enough for the cops to get interested, so she asks Gil to help her out.
And he turns up. Dead in a hotel room. Beaten horrifically and shredded with a very sharp knife. One of the worst murder scenes the NYC detective has seen. This wasn't the act of a jealous husband or boyfriend. The scene argues something more, something seriously sick. The hotel's security cameras seen him enter with this stone-cold knockout blond. The type that turns everyone's head when she crosses a room.
Gil is also doing a TV show, per the New Media editor. And it's pretty good. Well watched and flexible enough to change show topics on the fly or do an in-depth feature on politicians and socialites alike. The mayor has appointed a new Crime Czar, Bob Wylie, the former St. Louis top cop. Polished, competent, and in charge. no matter what room he's in. Rumor is he is the top candidate for mayor. He is the subject of a future show for Gil and he has interviews set up with Wylie n preparation for the on-air interview. These interviews go so well that Malloy is offered a job in the new administration. Malloy said he'll think about it.
Then another guy is killed. Same MO. Picked up by a stunning blonde, tortured and murdered. Of course, Malloy has the exclusive and NYC eyes are watching the print and online Daily News editions.
A third is killed. This time, it's a departure from the others. This guy was not running out on his wife. He was abducted but was still killed the same way. Viciously. And he was Wylie's chief of staff.
Meeting with the editors, Gil has to work up storylines that will captivate the public. NYC has a serial killer. But this is no Son of Sam or Ted Bundy. This is a woman, a knock-out at that. And she needs a name. The print editor comes up with it: Blonde Ice.
The police and Gil track back through the victim's wives a common link - a women's empowerment group held at a local college. From the group leader, the identify a female PI who works on infidelity cases. A stunningly gorgeous PI, and she's blond. Now all they have to do is flush her out in the open.
Then she turns up dead.
I really like Belsky and the Gil Malloy character. Irreverent, cocky, and damaged. Every day he is reminded of his failure with the Houston story, which he has to deflect at every turn. Belsky takes a serial killer plot and takes it well beyond what I've ever read. Heck, the main suspect turns up dead halfway through the book. The true identity of the Blonde Ice killer is the real mystery here and Belsky's takes us up and down one blind alley after another. Is it really just a nut woman, or do the clues that point back to St. Louis and Ohio mean they likely next mayor is somehow mixed up in this.
I was excited when I opened up the package from Atria Books cuz I certainly like the previous two Gil Malloy books. Belsky's style is addictive and highly readable where he develops an interesting character study of a talented writer who became damaged goods. Terrific. Highly recommended.
ECD
available October 18, 2016
This is my first R.G. Belsky book and I too enjoyed his work. The protagonist, reporter Gil Mallory is flippant and immature but uses it as a cover for his guilt over past indiscretions in his life… always an endearing quality. The plot is complex and dynamic… introducing and supporting one misleading scenario after another. The only flaw I thought is Mallory’s relationship with the police. Belsky paints the police as inept and secondary in capturing a notorious serial killer and forgiving and cooperative even when the hot shot reporter receives and withholds information for his own benefit. This doesn’t ring true to me but nonetheless a good read.
ReplyDeleteThanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance look.