In the start of a new series from Tom Piccirilli, THE COLD SPOT gives us a new character in the mold of one of the true greats of crime fiction. The best way to sum it up: What if Richard Stark’s Parker became a grandfather, and raised his grandson in the same way of life, only for the two of them to come head to head at some point?
As a young boy, Chase served as his getaway driver for his grandfather Jonah, who’s a take on Parker with a heavy dose of alpha male thrown in. This was the life Chase grew up in after his mother was brutally shot to death, and his father died soon after, not being able to deal with the grief.
Then comes the job that causes Chase to leave his grandfather for good, for reasons that become apparent to the reader. He goes from town to town working with other gangs, all the time just working as getaway man and staying off the criminal radar that ties him to Jonah. Then, during one of these jobs, a young female cop catches him by surprise with a group of criminals he couldn’t care less about, to the point that he shoots them all in the knees so he can escape.
However, still smitten by this female cop, he goes back to the town to meet up with her. Talk about opposites attracting, since it becomes love at first sight for both of them, with Chase doing whatever it takes to make this girl his wife, even going toe to toe with his future father-in-law.
Life goes on happily for the couple, who relocate to Long Island, where she takes up a position on the local force. Then a truly tragic event happens, changing Chase’s life from that point on, to where he has to bring someone into his life he never wanted to deal with again: Jonah.
Piccirilli writes this for a generation that never got to read the Parker novels when they originally came out. This is definitely a new take on that character archetype, with Chase slowly becoming like his grandfather by the end, except with a conscience. THE COLD SPOT is truly a great ride for crime fans. I understand that the second book will be out probably by year’s end. Let’s hope Piccirilli lets this series breathe since there is so much more territory to cover between these two characters. –Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• THE FEVER KILL by Tom Piccirilli
• FIVE STROKES TO MIDNIGHT by Tom Piccirilli, Gary A. Braunbeck, Deborah LeBlanc, Hank Schwaeble and Christopher Golden
• FOUR DARK NIGHTS by Bentley Little, Douglas Clegg, Christopher Golden and Tom Piccirilli
• HELLBOY: EMERALD HELL by Tom Piccirilli
• THE MIDNIGHT ROAD by Tom Piccirilli
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