Dark Lady: Amazon.de: Richard North Patterson, Patricia Kalember: Englische Bücher

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Dieser Titel ist in englischer Sprache.
Dashiell Hammett, ein Meister des Großstadt-Kriminalromans, hätte seine wahre Freude an Richard North Pattersons jüngstem Krimi gehabt. -- Dark Lady spielt in der fiktiven Stadt Steelton im mittleren Westen Amerikas, einem heruntergekommenen Ort, der durch die Politik tief gespalten ist. Der Bau eines 275 Millionen Dollar-teuren Baseballstadions droht, statt Steeltons Rettung zu dessen Ruin zu werden. Arthur Bright ist der Bezirksstaatsanwalt von Erie County, trägt sich jedoch mit der Absicht, Bürgermeister von Steelton zu werden. In seinem Wahlkampf greift er das neue Stadion als Verschwendung von Staatsgeldern an, "eine schändliche Umleitung öffentlicher Mittel von dringenden Notwendigkeiten wie besseren Schulen, besseren Wohnungen und sichereren Straßen".

Sein Protegé, die stellvertretende Bezirksstaatsanwältin Stella Marz, ist 38 Jahre alt, ehrgeizig und wurde von einigen Strafverteidigern "The Dark Lady" -- "die dunkle Frau" -- getauft. Sollte Arthur Bright die Wahl zum Bürgermeister gewinnen, will sie selbst zur Bezirksstaatsanwältin aufsteigen. Zwei Morde, bei denen es um Drogen und abartigen Sex geht, drohen allerdings, ihre Zukunftspläne zunichte zu machen.

Zuerst wird Tommy Fielding, der Projektleiter von Steelton 2000 -- wie die neue Heimat der Steelton Blues heißen soll -- tot in der Gesellschaft einer Prostituierten aufgefunden. Beide hatten offenbar eine Überdosis Heroin abbekommen. Die Tatsache, daß Fielding homosexuell war und noch nie etwas mit Drogen zu tun hatte, beunruhigt Stella und Hauptkommissar Nathaniel Dance.

Ihre Sorgen werden bald durch einen weiteren, noch entsetzlicheren Mord beiseite geschoben: Jack Novak, ein Strafverteidiger, wird an der Tür seines Wandschranks erhängt aufgefunden -- kastriert und in Frauenkleidung. Jack war einmal Stellas Geliebter; er war auch einer von Brights größten Geldgebern.

Stella fühlt sich durch die Morde persönlicher berührt als ihr lieb ist: "Vielleicht sind sie an meine Adresse gerichtet. Aber ich muß da durch." Die Dark Lady ist von dunklen Wolken von Betrug und Habgier umgeben, und die eleganten Umrisse von Steelton 2000 beherrschen die Landschaft wie das Schloß eines Dr. Frankenstein mit Ehrenlogen. --Dick Adler -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .

Amazon.co.uk

Dashiell Hammett, a master of big-city crime fiction, would have enjoyed Richard North Patterson's latest thriller, set in a fictional Midwestern city called Steelton. This burnt-out burg is located on the shores of Lake Erie, and is a place bitterly divided by politics. The construction of a $275 million baseball stadium threatens to be Steelton's downfall, rather than its redemption.

Arthur Bright is Prosecutor of Erie County, but wants to become mayor. His campaign attacks the new ballpark as a sham, "a shameful diversion of public financing from such pressing needs as better schools, better housing, and safer streets." His protégé, Assistant County Prosecutor Stella Marz, is 38, ambitious and has been dubbed "the dark lady" by various defence lawyers. If Arthur wins the mayoral race, she intends to become Prosecutor herself. But two murders involving drugs and twisted sex threaten her future.

First, Tommy Fielding, the project manager for Steelton 2000 (as the new home of the Steelton Blues will be called), is found dead in the company of a hooker--both apparently overdosed on heroin. The fact that Fielding was gay and had never used drugs before bothers Stella and Chief of Detectives Nathaniel Dance. Their worries are soon pushed aside by another, more shocking murder--Jack Novak, a defence lawyer is discovered hanging from his closet door, castrated and dressed in drag. Jack was once Stella's lover--and was also one of Bright's largest contributors. For Stella, the murders are too close to home. "Maybe this is about me. But I have to see it through."

Dark Lady is shrouded by the clouds of deceit and greed, and the sleek structure of Steelton 2000 dominates the landscape like a Dr.Frankenstein's Castle with luxury boxes. --Dick Adler -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Gebundene Ausgabe .

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This "dark lady" is one we've already met. 18. September 2000

Von R. L. MILLER

Format:Taschenbuch

She's Stella Marz, the D.A. who prosecuted Tony Lord's client/ boyhood buddy in "No Safe Place". But now Patterson has done a Scott Turow number, taking our attention out of the courtroom and focusing it on the raw psyches of our cast of characters. Not to mention giving a supporting character in a previous book the lead role in a new book. Like Marz, who's investigating the bizarre murder of her old flame in a dysfunctional romance. As you'd expect, colleagues are advising her not to handle this one because she probably can't maintain the detatchment she needs. As the story wears on, we can't help but think she should have listened. She's sleeping lousy and having bad dreams. She's getting threatening phone calls to back off. She sees real and/ or imaginary stalkers in nondescript cars. Her apartment's getting broken into. There's also a Grisham-like element here where corruption surrounding a new stadium project involves Marz's old boyfriend, organized crime, and even her crusading boss. Peripherally, Marz starts to get sweet on one of the cops who works for her, builds a rapport with his little daughter that seems like it's just as meaningful as the emerging relationship with Daddy--then she finds out that Daddy plays a small role in the stadium corruption scheme. Myself, I liked Patterson when he was still Patterson handling basic crime with maybe an odd aspect to it--not a Turow clone who psychoanalyzes his cast of characters or a Grisham clone who does a quasi-tabloid/ quasi-fiction number on sticky fingers in high rise offices.

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Fast-paced 29. Juli 2000

Von Pamela Stone

Format:Gebundene Ausgabe

I found this to be a fast paced book with true to life, believable characters and most certainly a provocative, suspenseful stunner. In Steeltown, a struggling midwestern city on the verge of an economic turn around, two important men are found dead within days of each other. The author has created a woman as fascinating as her world is haunting. Stella Marz is the Assistant County Prosecutor. She is so driven by her job; the defense attorneys call her "The Dark Lady" because of her relentless, sometimes ruthless style. Stella has earned the title because she has only lost one case in seven years. Tommy Fielding is the first death. He was a senior officer of the company that is building a new baseball stadium, which is the cities hope for a new future. Jack Novak, a former love interest of Stella's is the second death. Feeling that someone is already following and watching her every move, Stella must make her way through all the facts before it is too late. I really loved this book because it was fast paced. I loved the ending and I am confident you will too. Honestly I feel this is a superbly crafted, must-read thriller. Richard North Patterson has written 10 other novels and he is one suspenseful author that you should look up.

You have to be stubborn to finish this book 29. April 2000

Von John R. Linnell

In Maine, as I write this, it is "Mud Season", which was an appropriate time, as it turned out, for me to read Dark Lady. It appears that Richard North Patterson is going through his Mud Season period with this effort. I agree with those that point out that he is unable to write convincingly in the mind of a woman. I agree with those who have said that the plot of this book is confusing at times; that the characters are not fleshed out and in the end you really don't give a damn about Stella or the problems and issues she is dealing with. In a word, it is a tedious read. I have usually enjoyed this writer. Many of his earlier novels were first rate, but this is not one of them. I hope that the next effort will be more succesful and that he gets back to the type of writing he is clearly capable of.