Angel's Tip (Ellie Hatcher)

The main character, Ellie Hatcher, is a likeable and believable character. She's a straight shooter who can do things the easy way or the hard way. Regardless, she'll get results. She's smart, tough, aggressive, calculated, and pretty darn hot. But she also likes to drink Margaritas with friends and relax.I liked the chemistry with her brother Jess and new partner JJ Rogan. I appreciated the balance as its no fun to have a completely wound up protagonist. The minor characters were engaging and fun to watch develop. The victims were humanized and not treated as a prop to further the plot.

Angel's Tip is a classic whodunit. Could the killer be someone from within the police force or one of the affluent young party boys in the elite Manhattan night club called the Pulse? Burke skillfully hides clues and integrates red herrings along the way to keep the reader guessing until the end of the book. The story took numerous twists and turns, as one by one the characters looked as if they could very well be the serial killer, until finally there was one man left standing.

I like to write down the names of the characters, who they are, and what they do, then try to identify the killer as I progress through the book. Sometimes I can correctly identify the killer halfway through. Not this time. Although there were only two actual murders in Angels Tips, Burke did a wonderful job recalling three similar murders from the past and intertwining them throughout the story. Ellie, of course, made the connections and concluded there had to be only one killer resposnible for all five killings.

Alafair Burke's background as a deputy district attorney and as a teacher of criminal law is demonstrated in her ability to weave inner workings of a criminal mind, how the justice system works, the investigative process, and what works and what doesn't work into her story.

Angel's Tip is based on real life murders of young women after a late night of partying in New York City and developed into a "What if" scenario. What if Ellie Hatcher caught cases like these and saw a connection where no one else did?

A great and well written thriller, Angel's Tip, does not disappoint. Alafair Burke is a strong writer bringing together believable characters, dialogs, and story lines in a strong piece of fiction that combines elements of cop drama, who dunnit, and derangement.

I was especially pleased with the style of writing that unlike many modern authors wasn't self centered or egotistic and spoke to the reader in plain English and did well to craft a great story.

From the first page you care about the characters, the story, and everything about it. Masterfully written by an up and coming crime author. I highly recommend this book!!

This thriller didn't entirely convince me. While I liked the heroine, Ellie Hatcher, I was a bit disappointed by the development of the storyline.

At first the story sounds interesting: A serial killer strangles party girls in New York, chopping off their hair as a trophy. Ellie, an NY detective, is first on the scene of the latest murder and thus assigned the case.

I really enjoyed the first pages, but then felt like the story somehow ran out of steam. It wasn't fast-paced enough for my taste nor did it have enough twists or layers to keep me interested, so this was definitely not a page-turner for me.

I liked that Ellie is portrayed as a real person, not like super woman: She enjoys eating Nutella by the spoon-full, isn't too keen on early-morning exercise, and also hasn't found Mr. Right yet. She also comes with some baggage from her past, concerning her dad, who, too, had been a cop. But the rest of the characters in my opinion lacked depth, which held especially true for the killer.

The solution to the case left me dissatisfied because Ellie by and large catches the murderer by relying on her gut instincts. This is not what I expect from a well-written thriller. On the contrary, I enjoy clues and logic, and to have everything just magically fall into place in the end left me quite disappointed. Also - we never find out about the killer's motives. If almost felt as if the author herself had lost interest and wanted to bring the story to a quick end.

It was an ok read but nothing more.

ANGEL'S TIP by Alafair Burke A first rate police procedural from the daughter of James Lee Burke. In this second Elli Hatcher outing, the newly assigned NYPD homicide detective is first on the scene at the discovery of the mutilated body of a college student. She and partner J.J. Rogan have an abundance is suspects that come into and then out of the picture as more evidence is unearthed that finally leads to a manhunt for a serial killer. Very nicely done and suspenseful to the end. Lets hope we continue to see more of Ms. Hatcher in the months and years ahead. Completely different from, but potentially as enduring as her dad's Dave Robicheaux.

When a serial killer strikes it seems odd that Ellie Hatcher would find the body on her early morning run. As the story unfolds the connects between the nightlife in Manhattan and select party girls remains a bit foggy. However, Detective Flynn McIlroy (deceased) seemed to have discovered a connection between several cold case files--all of which have eerie similarities. So why were his suspicions dismissed? And is this a copy cat or why did the serial killer reemerge after a hiatus of many years? You'll find out all the answers in this captivating story.

The author puts together a solid police procedural. I liked the writing style and the plot of a maybe serial killer. You read inside the killer's mind, but yet you don't know who he is. Some of the major characters, especially Detective Hatcher's brother, could be more fully fleshed out. He is featured in the front of the book but mostly neglected in the back. The last two chapters are a little weak compared to the rest of the book but I enjoyed reading the book and will surely want to read some more of the author's work.

Angel's Tip is captivating -- a great read and hard to put down. Burke pulls the reader into the book immediately with scenes that grab the reader from the start. Ellie Hatcher is a compelling character, but even more so, are the characters brought to life in this story which starts out with a murder of a young girl taking in Manhattan's night life. The plot clicks at a fast, engaging pace with well-written and thought out prose and dialog. The plot twists will surprise even the most seasoned of mystery readers who love crime fiction. It's clear that Burke has a gift. She cooked up this hard boiled, tasty morsel and I, for one, am glad I took a big bite.

I really enjoyed this story. The author pulls the reader into the action immediately and gives a little time to get to know the victims. So many murder mysteries like to make it seem the victim deserved their fate, but in this book the victims are made more human. My only complaint was that the main character had been in her job only a week, but her relationships with coworkers and superiors were written as if she'd been there quite a while. She was way too familiar with everything and seemingly nearly infallible! She was the only one coming up with ideas to solve the murders. That said, I didn't want to put this book down and would welcome another installment.

Angel's Tip is the second book featuring the beautiful detective Ellie Hatcher and the introduction to her sharply-dressed male partner JJ Rogan. While Alafair Burke's latest novel is a relatively short, easy-read and will definitely keep you reading, it is not a fingers-clenching, all-night-reading marathon-because-you-just-have-to-know kind of book.

At times, the writing style really detracts from the story. I don't want to give any plot lines away - but, for example, the author reserves several lines to describe the popular serial-killer protagonist show Dexter. I found such breaks in text distracting and unnecessary and lacking the flair of Harlan Coben who weaves such explanations seamlessly into the text. At times, the writing is choppy - for instance JJ Rogan's nameless girlfriend appears without even two-words devoted to her appearance, despite having dialogue. Character development felt equally incomplete/out of synch. I found them to quite frankly be unrealistic. I had a very difficult time placing them as NY homicide detectives - a beautiful young female previously thrust into the media spotlight due to her last case and the death of her father and a young $3000-suit-wearing African American male - yep, sounds typical of two of NY's finest to me.

The POV of the book shifts character-to-character, which in this book works (but barely). It most noticeably did not work early in the book, when it shifted so frequently that I felt difficulty getting into the book and story line. One of my largest problems with the shifting POV is that the character development of the serial killer fell flat on its face here. The serial killer character and his/her actions just were not believable when the identity was revealed - a reveal, which frankly did not make a great deal of sense and had a rushed feel (I would add details but don't want to be a spoiler). However, there would be no way to figure out who the killer was - none whatsoever because the character and plot build-up is lacking.

A bit more time spent on character development, some refinement of the dialogue, and removal of rambling explanations and this book would have read much smoother. I do believe Ms. Burke's editor dropped the ball on this one. This book reads just like an episode of Law and Order - so if you like the original or SVU, I think it is a fairly safe bet that you will be entertained by this book. She is a promising author, and I would not hesitate to read her future work.

I read the first book in Ellis Hatcher series and wanted to read more. Ellis is a detective in NYC, smart, sassy, funny and determined to get the bad guy. If you like mystery novels with strong, independent and slightly flawed women, I highly recommend this series. Looking forward to my next read.

With the proliferation of general interest in cold cases and forensics, Angel's Tip is a timely new entry in the thriller genre. As protagonist, Ellie Hatcher is smart and assertive, building her confidence with every new case and carving out a niche in the man's world of homicide investigation. But she isn't arrogant, and she realizes that she still has a lot to learn. When she literally jogs her way into a serial murder case, she's got to learn fast. Fortunately, she's been paired with a great partner, and it's a pleasure to watch their relationship develop.
Watching Hatcher and Rogan navigate the complex, interwoven minefields of the city of New York, its law enforcement agencies, its media, and its ever active criminal population, is both intriguing and satisfying. As an insider, author Burke strengthens her story with realistic procedural detail far removed from TV portrayals of similar situations, much as Patricia Cornwell did for forensics. The plot of Angel's Tip holds together well up until the final chapters, when her involvement of Hatcher as potential victim seems contrived. Nevertheless, fans of tautly written police procedurals will find much to like in this novel.

James Lee Burke is arguably one of America's best mystery writers, giving an brutal elegance to his prose that raises his novels above the rest. His daughter Alafair, once a lawyer, is following in his footsteps as a novelist. "Angel's Tip" is hardly a bad novel but it's very cookie-cutter as far as plot, dialogue, etc. If you read mysteries regularly I can guarantee you've seen everything in "Angel's Tip" before. Still, there's small glimmers that Alafair Burke is improving as a writer so she may be one to keep an eye on in the future.

I really enjoy reading anything Alafair Burke writes. She is an extremely good author. The Ellie Hatcher series are some of my favorites. The twists and turns and characters flow through every page. Gripping and entertaining, I find them hard to put down. If you have not read this author you are missing out. Her stand alone books are also very well written.

Detective Ellie Hatcher catches a homicide one morning while she's out jogging in the park with her brother/roommate Jess. They find the murdered and mutilated body of 19-year-old college student Chelsea Hart from Indiana. Chelsea and her friends had come to Manhattan for spring break, and Chelsea disappeared on her last night in town after partying it up in a VIP room with some yuppies. All the evidence points to the least man to see her alive, obnoxiously coiffed Jake Myers, but when Ellie comes across some similar cold cases that Jake would have been too young to commit, she has doubts. When more evidence surfaces with another new victim, Ellie fears she may be the killer's next target.

Though it lacks any qualities to really make it stand out from other police procedural series, this book did star a very likeable lead character and a decent mystery. Ellie has just enough angst in her life, between her job and her love life, to make her likeable. The story twisted and turned, with enough red herrings to keep me guessing until the end. This is a classy murder mystery that stops short of giving too many gory details while vividly describing the New York nightclub scene. Chasing serial killers is popular in fiction these days, and this is one of the better books in the genre.

Paired up with her new partner and officially part of the homicide squad she investigates the murder of a college girl on her spring break vacation. Enlisting some help from her brother, Ellie and Rogan connect the case to some previous murders. Another great book and the development of each character keeps on improving.

I read the first book in Ellis Hatcher series and wanted to read more. Ellis is a detective in NYC, smart, sassy, funny and determined to get the bad guy. If you like mystery novels with strong, independent and slightly flawed women, I highly recommend this series. Looking forward to my next read.