An Alex McKnight Mystery (Alex McKnight Novels) - Winter of the Wolf Moon

After I finished reading "A Cold Day in Paradise" by Steve Hamilton, I was ready to read the sequel. It didn't turn out to be as good as the first, but it still isn't that bad. The first problem I had with "Winter of the Wolf Moon" was the pacing of the story: the entire novel was slower, and a bit less stimulating than the original. Another problem I had with "Wolf Moon" was the way everything unfolded. I was mildly disappointed how everything turned out. From Dorothy's white bag to Molinov's brutal actions, I didn't find here the shocks and thrills that I had found in "Paradise."

Still, I enjoyed it. Alex McKnight and Leon Prudell do seem to make a great duo, and the supporting characters make it all more intriguing. I'm ready to read "The Hunting Wind" now.

Grade: B+

Steve Hamilton lives up to his Edgar for best first novel with the second Alex McKnight, "Winter of the Wolf Moon."
It is uncanny how he holds your attention. It is a fast read that captivated me immediately. A great whodunit where the unexpected is par for the course.
There is a bit of Travis McGee in McKnight, a fiercely loyal non-PI surrounded by an outstanding supporting cast (especially Leon Prudell).
There is plenty of fear in WOTWM as Russian mobsters, DEA types and a psychotic villain may or may not be what they appear to be. Full of action and wonderful descriptive passages that place you right in Michigan's UP.
Steve Hamilton has a bright future.

...Alex McKnight (boy, a clever name) comes across as a complete idiot. Let's see - drive up to your remote cabin and see the door open, so just mosey on in. I mean, it's not like he has any reason to suspect anything's wrong.
The guy who tried to kill you has been spotted in Canada? Well, since you're just out of the hospital with a collapsed lung, why not drive on up there for a showdown? To be really clever, let your moron partner give you zero information before you go in for the confrontation.
And then ultimately, the plot in these McKnight books is so obvious, material for one book is stretched over three, McKnight bumbles around and then has a gestalt in the last few pages and everthing is so formulaic. Gee, I wonder if Alex and police chief Maven (hey, another clever name) will end up with a grudging respect for each other? I'll never find out, though, because after reading two of these awful books I, unlike Alex, won't be bumbling back for more.

While Mr. Hamilton's style of writing is clear and expressive, I just don't like his main character all that much. In my opinion, Alex McKnight is far too passive and the site of the stories on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, just doesn't scream out to me "Murder mystery hotbed!".

Still, if you'll looking to cool down on a hot Florida beach, this series just might give you shivers from his discription of winter around the Great Lakes.

This is the second entry in the series for author Steve Hamilton and he delivers. His protagonist, Alex McKnight is a likeable fellow with some problems stemming from his years as a cop, yet he doesn't slip down into the complete abyss, causing himself and the reader to become depressed. Alex is intelligent, funny and has a chivialrous streak that is endearing. Hamilton has written a well paced mystery that reads fast, his characters are beliveable and interesting, the dialogue snappy, intelligent and often humorous. All in all, a winning combination.

Steve Hamilton's novels are so enjoyable to read. I just love the feeling of having one in my hand. This time Alex McKnight gets mixed up with a woman named Dorothy who asks for his help. Abused by her boyfriend, she just wants to get away. After letting her stay at one of his cabins, she turns up missing. Alex thinks her violent boyfriend may have kidnapped her and feels personally responsible for her disappearance. Later he finds out that she had a bag full of drugs and her boyfriend isn't the only one looking for her. Fast-paced and always a joy to read, Alex's personality leaps from the pages. I can't get enough of his wry humor.

This 2nd book by Steve Hamilton, with the return of ex-cop turned sometime p.i., Alex McKnight, was surprisingly good...since this was Hamilton's 2nd book I was not expecting alot (thought he might live on his laurels since he won the 1999 Edgar, well..you all know how it goes)However, you need not have read A Cold Day in Paradise to quickly become absorbed in this novel.. Quick plot, frantic at times,his descriptive tones of winters in the upper peninsula make you want to grab a blanket. I eagerly look forward to the next Alex McKnight tome, however I wish his books were better edited: spelling errors

That's where Steve Hamilton's "Winter of the Wolf Moon" takes place--just across The Bridge from my home. And I'm sitting here by my fire, reading this book, thinking that Alex McKnight could be my next door neighbor, the one with the small cabins and far too many snowmobiles screaming on the cold night air. I know those Indians, those casinos, and even the bars with the fireplaces and greasy hamburgers.
I didn't relate too well to the plot, I guess: I couldn't figure out why Dorothy Parrish had all those men chasing her around, including Alex. I didn't understand the presence of Molinov, or why a Russian was sitting in the middle of a Northern Michigan lake in an ice shanty, jigging with corpses and plugging his own men.
But somehow, I didn't care. The action was exciting, and Steve Hamilton's sense of place and detail and his excellent prose style kept me sitting right there by my fire, finishing this novel in one sitting while outside the snowmobiles roared through the night.

Winter of the Wold Moon was the first Alex McKnight book I read, and I immediately started looking for the rest of the series. I love the descriptions author Steve Hamilton uses of the wild north country, it makes me cold just to read there pages! This is an excellent series, check it out!

I liked thiis book because it has some action and it is a mystery. The book was never really boring to me, it always made me wonder what was going to happen next. When all the action finally started the book got even better. Usually I do not like to read but this book is something I didnt mind reading. Another thing I liked was how the author wrote this book in first person from the main characters point of view. The main character of this story, (Alex) seemed to be really cool and very strong. acting as if he would never give up made him appear even more strong mentally. Physicaly he proved he was strong after being pulled behind a snowmobile and thrown into a tree and survived . mostly, I liked this book becase it was a mystery that had guns, drugs, and somewhat a small gang. This is a really good book and I highly recomend it.

It all starts out with Alex McKnight playing goalie in the over-30 hockey league where he runs into hotshot player Lonnie Bruckman. Bruckman is bad news and when McKnight agrees to shelter Bruckman's ex-girlfriend, McKnight agrees. But the girl goes missing and McKnight goes looking for Bruckman.
Very good plot. There are twists and turns as Alex McKnight hunts for the missing girl. Just when it looks like he has a handle on what happened something new occurs that throws his whole theory out the window. McKnight is a good solid character but so are the other people that inhabit McKnight's world. A good solid mystery that you won't be disappointed with.

Although I found A Cold Day in Paradise fresh and engaging, too often the author's second effort made me feel as if I'd come upon Donald Westlake having a bad hair day. Obviously, anyone who has never read Donald Westlake wont't have this reaction and may find the goings on other than cartoonish. On the major plus side, Hamilton does have a way with cold.

A disturbing disappointment from a promising author. Hamilton asks us to suspend disbelief just a little too far. The work is full of unbelievable incidents, not the least of which is the presence of (anti)hero,Alex McKnight. The author gives us nothing on which to build a belief in the characters or the scenario of the book. Raymond Chandler should sleep soundly. A random piecemeal work, not given to luring the unsuspecting reader into the mistake of expecting drama, excitement or a finely honed, masterfully crafted mystery. This one goes to the local library second -hand sale table.Two stars is, I believe, being charitable.

Read in the daytime!! I usually read only at night but this book had me hooked so badly that I broke my 'reading rule' and put aside my work and finished it in the afternoon...decadent! This is a wonderful book, seems better than the first only because it appeared to have more humor in it. But I was entralled all the way thru. I hope Hamilton continues with Alex but just once, could he write about Michigan in the summer??? And keep up the witty repartee, it only adds to the enjoyment of the mystery.

excellent sense of place-upper peninsula of michigan. engaging cast of small town characters. tone is that of an outdoor men's club. comic interplay of p.i. partners. main character has a nearly insuffrable tolerance for pain.

The only problem with this series is that Mr. Hamilton cannot possibly write the books fast enough to keep me happy! Once again he evokes my home territory with love and with fear- his descriptions of the weather and its effects on his human characters are dead on perfect. This is a man to watch because his books are just going to get better and better. I am just waiting to see how he handles an Upper Peninsula summer because he wrote so well of the awful winters we have that I actually turned the heat up in the house as I read the book.

Having just finished A Cold Day In Paradise, I was anxious to see if Hamilton could equal the quality of his first effort. Happily, his second book is even better! His ability to evoke the stark atmosphere uf the UP and the power of his narration have both improved and intensified to a marked degree. If he keeps this up, he will become one of our premiere writers of mystery fiction.

This was "THE" most disappointing murder-mystery book I ever had the displeasure of reading.

Gimme a break - a guy who has been a police officer, had the daylights beaten out of him and going into danger - forgets his gun!!!!! This book is relete w/this crap.

Putrid at best - not even good for toilet paper.

Authors I consider worthwhile Baldacci, Lee Child, Deaver, Thor, Crais, Higgins. This guy, Hamilton may have his fans BUT I'll NEVER waste my time on his stuff again.

I never wanted a protagonist to get killed so bad.

The second Alex McKnight series book from author Steve Hamilton was even more intense and riveting than the first book of series. (Cold Day In Paradise). Having met author Steve Hamilton in March at this year's Tucson Festival Of Books, I happened to read the sixth book of this McKnight series over this now past summer. Intrigued I sought out and really enjoyed the opener of this series. The second book easily surpasses the first as a mystery suspense thriller. Published in and around 1999, Alex now 48 (Born 1950) is snookered into playing goalie for best friend Vinnie Leblanc's team in a "slow' hockey game. After tangling with Lonnie Bruckman, the other teams top scorer and top goon the game ends 2-2. Alex stopped Lonnie from getting a hat trick and win in final seconds of game. Set in the cold cold dark of Michigan's upper peninsula (The UP), guys like Lonnie view Indians like Vinnie and his team as second class citizens. A very sore and out of shape Alex is nursing his aching muscles at his favorite bar and eatery when Lonnie's girlfriend approaches asking for help. Dorothy (Also an Indian) fears for her life and heard Alex was a private eye, needs help getting away from Lonnie for good. Armed with an autographed puck by Gordie Howe and having a mysterious white bag over her shoulder Alex hides Dorothy in one of his empty log cabins. Before what Alex knows what's hit him Dorothy vanishes along with that white bag. Naturally every gangster, and federal cop in the U.P. is anxious to get their hands onto that white shoulder bag. Between stays in the hospital Alex manages to finally agree to partner with hapless P.I. Leon Prudell to be partners. It seems at every turn Alex makes he's beaten to pulp and hospitalized with Leon popping up to save his life. Alex the reluctant P.I. must track down Dorothy to save her life and find out what she did with the elusive white shoulder bag. A very hard hitting and relentless plot this one slows down for no one. Hard hitting and seemingly every page action packed. I read this thriller in just a couple sittings. Coming in at just under 300 pages, "Winter Of The Wolf Moon" gets five stars out of a possible five stars. without question a series not to be missed. Alex McKnight delivers. Although I've only read three of the eleven book series I know they all are going to be solid suspense thrillers. Check it out and soon ! Also remember the 'wolf' moon is the first full moon of the year. We all know the what the full moon seems do to normal people......