The Blade Itself

Sakey has done it again by creating edgy yet believable characters and placing them in what seems like no-win situations that force them to make difficult decisions. The ethical and moral dilemmas are compelling and the action keeps the pages turning. Highly recommend.

Got this free on Bookbub and liked the crime novel with a twist...told from the criminal's viewpoint. Now I'm going to have to spend money buying more books from this guy! This would make a good movie!

A collection of irritating little flaws--such as calling a dashboard-board mounted police strobe light a "siren," repetitiously referring to el trains as rattling, and identifying a diner as being on "West Diversey" when every Chicagoan knows that if there were an East Diversey it would be under Lake Michigan--mar an implausibly conceived mystery that in a hectic ending miraculously ties a neat bow around its multiply twisted plot and characters.

This book had all the ingredients but no depth. It had a plot, characters, a beginning, middle and end but there was nothing to hold you or involve you. I know this is not much of a review but it is typical of the book..it is not quite right and not quite wrong.

The protagonist is supposedly a supremely street smart, savvy guy but this is sadly not in evidence as the entire plot pretty much hinges on his being stupid time after time after time. I would have liked it better if he had been portrayed as an average bloke who finds resources within himself, who learns from his mistakes. Reading yet another instance wherein he acts cluelessly began to wear and became annoying so I skimmed to the end which held no surprises.

Having seen author Marcus Sakey on television hosting a true crime series I was curious to see what type of thriller writer he was. With a new author I try to start with their debut book. "The Blade Itself", was a solid and enjoyable thriller to say the least. Coming in at just over 300 pages, it was a yarn that started off strong and got better as it went along. Set in the south side of "Chicago, the baddest part of town":(Jim Croce), where crime is an everyday thing in life. Small time thief Danny Carter and his criminal partner Evan McGann are in the process of robbing a pawn shop late one night when it all goes to hell. Badly planned and a desire to get more than what they came for turns this job into a nightmare. Danny manages to slip away but Evan gets a twelve year reservation in Statesville Correctional. Luckily for Danny, Evan doesn't drop a dime on him. As the years pass Danny gets him life together thanks to his live in girlfriend Karen. Karen is tough on Danny to keep him walking a straight line. Danny works in construction and becomes the number two in his company behind the boss Richard O'Donnell. Although times are tough and the business is not in great shape Danny is making out pretty good. However after just seven short years Evan is released due to overcrowding. Evan travels back to Chicago to team up with his old partner Danny. Danny is horrified that Evan is back and keeps trying to get him to realize his days in crime are long over. But Evan will not take no for an answer. Evan begins to stalk Danny and Karen. He has a big score to pull off with Danny. Evan promises to leave Danny be after this one big job. When Danny finds out it involves his boss Richard he's stuck in a no win situation that will surely put him into prison. Local detective Sean Nolan who grew up in the old neighborhood with Danny and Evan knows something is going to happen. When Danny's "brother" Patrick Connolly steps in to help Danny the crimes begin to start stacking up. In a very quickly moving plot, "The Blade Itself", was well crafted and featured some pretty interesting characters. Protagonist Danny Carter seemed very life like as he jumped off the pages in a dilemma that has no good choices. The supporting characters were very developed and interacted with Danny for a smooth enjoyable read. I did think the dialog was a bit vanilla for a yarn taking place in the south side of Chicago. Not that a huge number of cuss words were needed, they did seem inconspicuously missing. Maybe author Marcus Sakey kept his first book PG over R for a broader audience. Clearly a superior read for, "The Blade Itself", easily four stars out of a possible five stars. The ending maybe a little too neat and far fetched but worked with the plot very well. I'm sure I'll be reading another Marcus Sakey book pretty soon based on how much I liked his first book. Author Sakey has a trilogy that sounds extremely interesting itself. "The Blade Itself", is a do not miss read for sure. Author Marcus Sakey is a story teller to keep an eye out for.

THE SETUP
"The Blade Itself" begins when young thug Evan kills the shop-owner of a pawn shop, and is caught by the police. Co-thief Danny manages to run away. Seven years later Evan is released from prison, and wants to go back into "the life" with Danny, but Danny has gone straight. That's the setup.

If you have trouble confusing Evan and Danny, as I did, I suggest a mneumonic device, think "E" as in "Evan" is for "evil". "D" for "Dumbxss" also works---except that Danny is supposed to be bright.

COMMENTS
I am tempted to say that the story is contrived and implausible, but real life is often illogical. Truth is often "stranger than fiction", but nevertheless, readers have the right to expect fiction to be minimally plausible.

Screaming at Dumbxss (oops, I mean "Danny"), "Don't do it you idiot!" for every single page of the novel becomes tiresome. Evan is clearly twisted, but his motivations or "evil" just doesn't ring true.

I did not find the novel enjoyable, because I found no-one to relate to or care about. Danny is supposed to be a flawed hero, but too consistently makes excessively poor judgments. This is particularly inconsistent with the premise that Danny is "the brains", and which is why Evans needs him. Evan is portrayed as a stupid thug, but shows himself to be far brighter and more clever than Dannt. Danny is portrayed as a very bright fellow, who can't think his way out of a wet paper bag. It just doesn't track.

The novel also contains disconcerting discontinuities. At several points I said to myself "Opps, I musta missed something" and flipped back several chapters but did not find the events I was looking for, because Sakey simply skips over them.

CRITIQUE
Objectively, the novel is well written with a difficult but interesting premise, and may be "educational" for some sheltered readers. For a first novel, it is a very admirable effort. Too many young authors concentrate too much on "breaking literary ground" rather than writing a story which typical readers will enjoy.

I grew up in a somewhat similar neighborhood. Most of my childhood friends got their GEDs in prison. But Sakey's characters do not feel authentic to me, and I found no other elements of the novel to be compelling.

> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

I really enjoy Sakey's writing. He finds a pacing which keeps you really interested and also develops the characters thoroughly enough so you care. I think he did a great job of showing how hard it would be to have a past like Danny's and be in a tough spot. It makes you sympathize and feel like you can back the character in his decisions. I think the internal struggle Danny goes through is very enveloping, and I think other reviewers' summaries of "bad guy turns good" is a gross oversimplification. What's more interesting is the escalation and development of the adversary character. Overall, a very exciting and well-written read that leaves you wondering how the protagonist will make it out of his situation unscathed. I would call Sakey one of my new favorite contemporary authors.

I almost stopped reading at 48%. It affected me that much. I am from one of those neighborhoods and know that sometimes only luck or an experience gets you out. The writing is so powerful and the imagery so graphic I wasn't sure I could read any more. I came to this book kind of backwards. I read the authors Brilliance Saga and was looking for more. This is nothing like that series. Before purchasing I read the blurb and realized that, but not how different. Not for those looking for a casual read. The characters are raw, vivid sometimes brutal. However there are moments of kindness and goodness even in seedy chapters. Reminds me of real life in the inner city even though mine was not Chicago but the south Bronx, NYC.

First experience of this guy.Didn't realise it was his debut until after I finished, and....Good, really, really good. A plot & characters to die for( literally ) Flows like silk, twists,turns and full of surprises. Upgrade that comment good, should read stunning !!! If you haven't read this guy yet, settle down and lose yourself for a few hours in the hands of a born storyteller.

The tale weaves so intricately and yet, so plainly. Poor kids, from a bad neighborhood grow up and find lives of crime. One bad night puts one in prison and the other flees the scene and remakes himself. Years later the one gets out of prison and sets about getting revenge on his old partner.
Sakey writes a gritty story that drags you in and keeps you turning the pages. I read a review that said this book is "un-putdownable". I don't know if that's a real word but god damn if it isn't dead on accurate. This book was incredible

I usually prefer books with a strong hero, and with a sense of humor. I enjoy rooting for a good guy, like a Harry Dresden or a Joe Pickett. I usually despise the trendy "flawed hero" and books that revel in the lead character's weaknesses and vices. For several chapters I thought I'd drop the book because I thought I couldn't root for these guys...but the excellent pace and the development of the character continued. Danny becomes someone who by the end of the book I was seriously rooting for. I highly recommend this book and recommend you stick with it to the end. The brisk pacing will lead you through to the payoff.

Exciting, well written tale. Characters are a little flatter than in some other books by this wonderful writer, but you do end up caring for them anyway... The only thing I didn't care for was that it read like it was made for a big screen to begin with, not to stay in the book form.

Some have complained about THE BLADE ITSELF that its female characters are uninspired. Actually I found them full of life and in fact they sort of run away with the honors for characterization. Certainly they were more interesting than the menacing, amoral Evan, who was just like a carbon copy of Robert De Niro in CAPE FEAR (not even Robert Mitchum in CAPE FEAR). And Danny, I felt for him to some degree but I have to say he got himself in the fix he wound up in pure and simple. Patrick, the best friend, was a little on the whimsical side, while Sean, the good cop who emerged from a bad neighborhood, was sanctimonious, with none of the moral complexities James Ellroy might have given such a character. He was there to be scornful and that's all. I hear that Ben Affleck is going to direct this film as a followup to his successful adaptation of Dennis Lehane's GONE, BABY, GONE. While Marcus Sakey doesn't have the plotting skills of Lehane, nor his feeling for the tragic inevitabilities of life, he's not a bad writer, and I expect next time around he will improve all the way around.

THE BLADE ITSELF, with its title taken from Homer of all people, reads like another iteration of the famous plot well described by Al Pacino in the last GODFATHER movie: "Just when I thought I was OUT--they pull me back IN!" Now, if I'd saved a dime for every thriller I've read with this plot, I could buy the store, so you know Sakey had better start making with the fireworks when it comes to fleshing out the old chestnut of a story. To a certain degree, he succeeds, and once or twice he fooled me, going zag where I expected zig. Best of all I thought were his women--Karen, the beautiful club owner who (insanely) has thrown her lot in with Danny's--and Debbie, the round-heeled dame of the underclass whom Evan treats as a slave. Ben Affleck won't even have to go to the casting couch, he can just repeat Michelle Monaghan (as Karen) and Amy Ryan (as Debbie) from the Lehane picture, they'd be excellent in their new roles just as they were in their last parts.

I've read several books by Sakey and enjoyed them. This book was not one of his best but nevertheless it kept my interest. It was very suspenseful even if the plot was somewhat farfetched. It's so hard to find a good book. I'm glad I read this one.

Danny and Evan grew up together in the South Side of Chicago where reputation, being tough and street-wise determined whether they stayed out of prison. The two friends earned their living by theft.

On a night, much like many others, the friends rob a pawnshop. When the shop owner shows up with a young woman, Evan pulls a gun and uses it. Danny walks away from the scene and Evan is caught. Evan serves seven years in prison and never talks about Danny's involvement in the crime.

Danny turns his life around, has a great job, a wonderful woman and a bright future. That begins to unravel when Evan, who has become a bitter man, is released from prison and the two men meet in a local bar. Evan believes that Danny 'owes' him and he's determined to collect. Danny doesn't believe he has many choices and must decide how far he'll go to protect himself, his loved ones, and his future.

The Blade Itself is Marcus Sakey's debut novel and it sizzles. His plot is intriguing, his characters are rich, with all the flaws seen in life. The good guys aren't completely good and the bad guy is truly evil. The dialogue is taut and the pacing is impeccable. I love Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane and Robert Crais, and while Sakey's work is no imitation of these authors, he's quickly joined their ranks. I suspect he's going to be a major player in the future.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended.

Marcus Sakey's debut novel has been the subject of advance buzz of such volume that I feared there was no way it could live up to such high expectations. But I am pleased to report that it does --- and even surpasses them.

THE BLADE ITSELF does not merely hint at greatness from the first page; this top-shelf crime novel delivers it. The opening --- a pawnshop burglary that just feels as if it's going to go wrong, even before one starts reading (if such a thing is possible) --- is perfect. Sakey effectively transmits the deep contrasts between the two hooligans about to carry out the deed: the reluctant Danny Carter and the loose cannon named Evan McGann. The opening also introduces the author's attention to minor details --- in this case, how the false bottom of a cabinet drawer sounds different from a real one, and what true vertigo really is --- and continues throughout the book.

It is the story contained within THE BLADE ITSELF, however, that is the star here. The burglary does indeed go badly, at least for McGann, who winds up doing hard time in a hard place. But Carter escapes, and thanks to an ultimatum by Karen, his lady love, he gets out of the life. Seven years after the burglary, Carter has reinvented himself, becoming the de facto manager of a construction company and settling into quiet domestic bliss with Karen.

McGann's return into Carter's life is sudden and unexpected; McGann has been released early for good behavior and, as we see rather dramatically, is eager to pick up precisely where he left off --- with Carter as his partner.

For Carter, McGann's reappearance is a waking nightmare, an all-too-vivid reminder of the life he left behind and to which he promised Karen he would never go back. He initially rebuffs McGann, but McGann is in no mood for rejection. From McGann's point of view, McGann did stand-up time for Carter and is owed big time for the years that were lost --- years during which Carter prospered as a free man. McGann turns up the pressure on Carter, until Carter feels he has no choice but to go along with McGann's scheme, which threatens to upset and destroy everything that Carter has worked toward since turning his life around.

To make matters worse, just when you think that Carter's situation isn't going to go any further south, Sakey plunges him into latitudinal depths heretofore unexplored. Sakey's talent, however, isn't limited to sending Carter deeper and deeper into the concentric rings of his own personal hell. The author sets up a subtle, and troubling, moral dilemma for the reader. There is a legitimate question as to whether or not McGann is all wrong here or, conversely, if Carter is 100% virgin pure. After all, McGann did stand-up time, refusing to implicate Carter in the burglary. And while McGann's impulsiveness brought about McGann's own downfall, it was not as if Carter was unaware of his friend's tendency to go sideways when he agreed, however reluctantly, to accompany McGann on a burglary run.

These issues complement, rather than interfere with, the storyline, which hurdles toward an explosive confrontation, a chance for redemption and, against all odds, a satisfying climax.

THE BLADE ITSELF is far more than an impressive debut; it is a milestone in what is sure to be a marvelous career for Sakey, the mark of a talent that demonstrably runs long and deep. Stick this one on your must-read list.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Initially seeme like a straightforward heist/caper novel, but wound up being way more involved and complex than I imagined. Explored some challenging areas of morality and humann relationships that I really enjoyed. Maintained pretty high tension throughout.

Marcus Sakey's books continue to memorize me. His characters are well developed. You either love, hate or tolerate them. The storylines in all of his books are so well thought out and so engaging you can't stop reading, even though you need to do other things! Thanks for another action packed story with endings that still surprise you.

This is an interesting story about reform, betrayal and conscience. I felt the title character striving to be a better person. He had a few missteps and almost lost it all. The book is well written and the characters interesting and likable.

In the Irish Bridgeport section of Chicago Danny Carter and Evan McGann became friends as kids and teamed up over the years starting with shoplifting before turning to robberies. However, on their last pawnshop job, Evan is caught by the cops while Danny manages to escape. Evan goes to prison for seven years but is finally freed on parole.

Evan returns to Chicago looking to reestablish his partnership in crime with Danny. However, the near incident scared Danny straight into being a "soccer mom". He works construction and lives with his girlfriend Karen, who runs a nightclub. Evan insists Danny owes him and expects him to help him with a crime caper or else. Danny sees his options as limited between returning to the life of crime by assisting his former best friend, ignoring Evan only to have him come after him or worse Karen, or turn him in to the cops which goes against the neighborhood code of ethics.

This exciting gritty street thriller starts off at an incredible pace with the failed pawn shop robbery and never slows down as the two former partners go their separate ways until the convicted one comes home with demands. The characters, especially the mean streets of Chicago, which is so alive it feels like protagonists, make the story line exciting and fresh though Evan's planned caper is nothing new. Urban crime readers will appreciate this debut work that in some ways is reminiscent of Cagney's Public Enemy.

Harriet Klausner

Good tension-packed tale about a career small-time criminal (Danny) that can't seem to leave the life. He finally makes the decision to leave when is partner (Evan) goes overboard, breaking their protocol and getting violent during a simple burglary. Danny gets away as Evan is caught. Danny vows to go straight and does while Evan goes to prison for several years.

Danny starts a new life as a construction manager living with his girlfriend. Little does Danny know that Evan was let out of prison early. Also, prison has hardened Evan to the point where he doles out violence without any thought. Evan comes back looking for Danny expecting that they would resume their criminal partnership. He approaches Danny but Danny lets him know that he has left the "life" and wants to continue on the straight path. Danny offers Evan a job in construction. Evan just flat out refuses and tells Danny that you never leave the life.

This is not the end of it as Evan has sinister plans in mind and he forces Danny to help him kidnap the son of Danny's boss. Danny is in a very delicate situation because he can't tell his girlfriend anything, he can't go to the police because Evan will turn him in from his participation in their last job and he does not want a violent confrontation with Evan because besides being his childhood friend, Evan is now pretty scary.

The tension mounts as Danny learns that there is not rational way of dealing with Evan and that he better face up to his own past life and deal with Evan before he loses his girlfriend and innocents are harmed.

It was an entertaining read, no question about it. Seemed Elmore Leonard influenced. Perhaps the ending was a little tidy, and there was another scene or two that seemed a little pat, but I appreciate a book that can keep me glued to it and after mid-way I pretty much was. Not that the beginning was hard getting through either. This book moves quick. I like sit-coms and fast food for the same reason. There's obviously an art to this kind of writing and maybe it's not great literature, but for killing a train ride or two, this one won't let you down.

The book started out well enough, but for a character who the 3rd person omniscient narrator is trying endlessly to convince us is a super-smart planner, Danny makes more cliche mistakes than a comic book villain caught monologging. I was half the book ahead of Danny at every twist and turn in the tale - if you want me to believe your protagonist is so brilliant, he'd better be smarter than the reader.

Marcus Sakey is a master of suspense. He starts with characters we care about and then puts them through hell. As much as I love Danny, Evan is a villain to remember. He's sympathetic and simultaneously terrifying. I found myself thinking about him long after I had stopped reading the book. But if you start even one page of this great book, you better have the time to finish it because you won't be able to do anything else until you've read this story to its end. Highly recommended.

The book started out well enough, but for a character who the 3rd person omniscient narrator is trying endlessly to convince us is a super-smart planner, Danny makes more cliche mistakes than a comic book villain caught monologging. I was half the book ahead of Danny at every twist and turn in the tale - if you want me to believe your protagonist is so brilliant, he'd better be smarter than the reader.

Marcus Sakey is a master of suspense. He starts with characters we care about and then puts them through hell. As much as I love Danny, Evan is a villain to remember. He's sympathetic and simultaneously terrifying. I found myself thinking about him long after I had stopped reading the book. But if you start even one page of this great book, you better have the time to finish it because you won't be able to do anything else until you've read this story to its end. Highly recommended.

A creatively written crime thriller complete with crime, kidnapping and murder all unfolding on the streets of Chicago.. This would have rated 5 stars, but I found it to similar in style to Accelerant, another of Sakey' novels.

Sakey makes Chicago one of the characters in the book, which I really enjoyed...and I felt myself really pulling for Danny and Karen.. And I enjoyed how scary and twisted Evan became, and the back story made it all make sense. I thought I had the ending figured out but I easily pleased to be wrong. Really enjoyed the book!

For a first novel this is an excellent effort, and its strength is the breakneck pacing of the plot. Sakey has a real gift for this, and you will find yourself hooked from minute one.

On the down side, the character development leaves something to be desired -- the female characters in particular are flat, uninteresting, and oversentimental. Hopefully a writer of Sakey's promise will improve on this with time and effort, I'm certainly looking forward to the next one.

Another story by Marcus Sakey that kept me up too late finishing it. Although I guessed parts of the story before they happened, Danny and Karen were compellingly characters who I cared about and had to follow to the end of their story.???

First Sentence: The alley wasn't as dark as Danny would've liked, and Evan was driving his crazy, spinning the snub-nose like a cowboy in some Sunday matinee.

Seven years ago, Danny Carter and his friend Evan were living their lives on the wrong side of the law. During a break-in, Danny escaped but Evan was caught and served seven years in prison.

Now he's out and, although Danny has been legitimate and now successful, he feels Danny owes him. Evan wants Danny to plan and partner with him on the kidnapping the son of Danny's boss.

I was so incredibly disappointed in this book. It has one of the most beginning-to-end predictable plots I've read in a long time. I even saw the final twist coming. And what the predictability of the plot couldn't do, coincidences did.

Even the characters were predictable, stereotypical and, for most, without a lot of development. Unfortunately, I've already bought Sakey's next book. I hope the library sale enjoys them both.

If you like heart-pounding, non-stop action combined with angst-ridden characters, you're gonna love this story. A former petty thief caught up in a maniac best friend's recklessness becomes embroiled in a crazy, dangerous scheme and barely escapes with his life...and the lives of his loved ones.