It may be Michael Harvey's debut novel, but it reads like a classic crime story. I hadn't intended to start a new book today; I intended even less to finish it. I picked up The Chicago Way as a quick distraction, imagining that I would read a few pages and then put it down for a few years until I had the time again. Instead, I found myself flying through the pages and finishing the book in a few hours.Michael Kelly, a former Chicago cop and current private detective, is hired by his old partner to work on an almost decade-old rape case. Almost immediately after Kelly is hired, however, his partner is found dead and the real mystery begins. This was satisfying for all the reasons that I read mysteries. The characters were intriguing and engaging. The mystery was quick yet intricate enough to not be obvious. The city was dark and gritty. And there was a damsel in distress, with her dark, brooding detective and a history of his own. The perfect mystery for an afternoon of rain and tea.
Recommend to anyone who enjoys a mystery.
FOUR of five stars.
