The Blue Edge of Midnight

by Jonathon King

Book Overview

The Edgar Award-winning debut of the bestselling Max Freeman mystery series: A tormented ex-cop's mission to solve a grisly murder and earn redemption for his dark past After a shootout during a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525946438
• ISBN13: 9780525946434
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 259 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Death in the Glades

Max Freeman, damaged cop, flees Philadelphia for the tranquility and solitude of the Everglades. His pursuit of privacy is short-lived as his discovery of a child's body draws him in as an investigator, crime victim, and sometime subject into the pursuit of a cunning serial killer working on the marge of civilization and Everglades.In a much darker sense this impressive first novel is reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen's early classic Tourist Season, and like it pits development against nature with the bad guys on the side of nature. Even as the frantic chase to catch the shadowy foe quickens, Freeman's own grim past returns to haunt him and confuse the investigators. It is not hard to see why Jonathan Kind won an Edgar for this novel. If the others in the series are as good, he should have a pair of Raven bookends in no time.

A very worthy Edgar winner

One of the year's most polished debuts concerns a retired Philadelphia police officer, Max Freeman. Freeman was responsible for gunning down a black youth during a robbery attempt. In spite of the fact that he was almost killed, he lives with the guilt and retires from the police force. He decides to flee civilization and travels to the Florida Everglades where he purchases a desolate house in the midst of the swamp. One day, as he canoes along the waterway, he discovers the body of a missing child who was abducted from home. It appears a serial killer is on the loose kidnapping and killing children in the new developments bordering the Everglades. Of course, with his unstable past, suspicion is initially thrown on Max who finds he getting closer and closer to the crimes. He must solve them himself or he might very well go down for the murders. In reading a first novel such as THE BLUE EDGE OF MIDNIGHT, one is immediately struck by the strong sure style of writing that is quite reminiscent of an individual who makes a living using language. Jonathon King is a journalist and has been for over twenty years. It almost isn't fair to compare the beauty of these smooth flowing passages to other debut authors who do not write for a living. King may remind the reader of another journalist who decided to pursue a writing career through the crime fiction genre, Michael Connelly. Yes, he is that good. The description of the locale lends it a great deal of immediacy. The characters are true to life and their dialogue quite natural. However, the most important thing is Mr. King knows how to tell a compelling story and does so without very much filler material. The book is the length it must be-no shorter and no longer. The reader must truly appreciate that. This is one of the best debuts I have read so far this year.

Finding the Edge

Max Freeman is desperately trying to get his previous life as a police officer in Philadelphia behind him. Hiding out in one of the last solitary places on Earth, the Florida Everglades, Max has finally found some peace. Still haunted by his shooting on a nasty night as well as the aftermath, Max has learned to cope by canoeing through the dark hours from midnight to dawn when he can't sleep. The dreams don't come as often anymore but as the book opens, his inability to sleep has driven him once more into the night. His quest for peace this night ends when he finds a child's body in the roots of a tree just down river from his home. Not only does this dead child bring his past to life once again internally for Max, it also brings him to the attention of a task force. A task force chasing a child killer who has killed before and of which Max knew nothing about thanks to his self imposed exile. Already considered a suspect because of what happened in Philadelphia along with his finding the body, Max soon finds that the killer is planting additional clues, all pointed towards Max. The killer seems to have target Max as the fall guy and begins to manipulate him toward a violet confrontation. This is a first novel by this author and was simply an incredible read. Using very descriptive language in the style of James Lee Burke to create intense imagery, along with strong characters, and steady pacing, this author works all the angles for the enjoyment of his readers. Missing the flaws that often weaken a first novel, this book at 259 pages becomes a fast intense read and well worth the effort. There are not too many books that get me to stay up late to finish and this was the first one in a very long time. The author has created a sequel featuring Max Freeman entitled " A Visible Darkness." If as good as the original, this author has created a new series well worth reading. I will be reading and reviewing this book soon.

Redemption in the Everglades

It seems profane to use the word `lovely' when discussing a book about a serial murderer of children, but Jonathan King brings to this subject precisely the right elegiac tone, a mood of wounded sorrow, that permits in the end a lasting sense of genuine humanity and, ultimately, grace. That he does so while still fashioning a compelling tale of a desperate hunt for a sadistic menace testifies to his expert handle on his craft. The story follows a damaged man needing both to scour his own conscience and prove himself innocent of the worst of crimes. It manages to effortlessly move back and forth between past and present, following not just the actions played out in its eerie and sumptuous Everglades locale, but also the far darker corridors of the human heart. All the while, King leads the reader along with such deft assurance and calm confidence that the effect becomes hypnotic and irresistible. His characters have weight and wit, his details are telling and right, his pacing perfect both in moving the action along and in never forgetting its steamy south Florida setting. Not just a great debut, a great book. Read this.

taut, fast-paced debut

The Blue Edge of Midnight has it all. This taut, fast-paced debut is certain to put Jonathon King on high on the crime series favorite lists. This is one of those thrillers where time just flies by and pages turn effortlessly. Max Freeman is an ex-cop from the gritty streets of Philadelphia. Caught in a life-or-death shootout, his career ended at the same moment a bullet from his service weapon ended the life of a twelve-year-old suspect. Taking a lump-sum payment to leave the force, Max lives to the life of a hermit in an isolated shack in the middle of the Florida Everglades. He's made himself so far removed from people that he must paddle his canoe through canals and streams to get to the nearest civilization - an Everglades ranger station. But Max's world is turned upside-down as he finds the corpse of a child on his river. The demons he's beaten back return to push Max to find the killer(s). King is a master at mixing and matching the high-tech world of helicopters and GPS systems with good old boy Florida gator poachers. The book keeps you guessing `till the end and is filled with just the right amount of twists and turns. Jonathon King is a new novelist to watch. He earned a "starred review" from Publishers Weekly for this book, which should get him noticed.