Night Game

by Kirk Russell

Book Overview

The tough, caring, and distinctive John Marquez is back. Booklist lauded him as "far and away the most inventive new detective hero." The San Francisco Chronicle raved "readers may find themselves wanting to buy this guy Marquez a drink just to keep him talking." And The Chicago Tribune gave high praise to the way author Kirk Russell "makes us quickly believe in Marquez and his cause." In this gripping new crime novel, former...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081184112X
• ISBN13: 9780811841122
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.8" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Playing For Keeps in "Night Game" by Kirk Russell

In this sequel to "Shell Games" John Marquez returns and this time he is on the hunt for bear poachers. Marquez runs a Special Operations Unit within the California Department of Fish and Game. Trafficking in bear parts and products of bears, such as bear bile, is very illegal and as such, can be very lucrative. To stop such actions, undercover operations are needed and take considerable time to build cases under intense risk to personnel. Marquez along with his team have been undercover working a case built from a tip Marquez does not entirely trust. Clearly, somebody is trafficking in bear parts and could be connected to a bear farm and Marquez has managed to gradually work his way into a shadowy network of paranoid sellers. At the same time, he doesn't trust the snitch who gave him the tip as some of the pieces of information he passed on simply don't add up. Along with bear trafficking, El Dorado County California seems to be having a bit of a murder problem. A couple of years ago a murder occurred and Detective Jack Kendall was unable to solve it. Now, another murder has happened and there are links between the two cases. This time a geology student, known for involving himself with pro bear support groups against bear farming, bear poaching and the like while working on his thesis was killed and his body was found in the area known as the Crystal Basin, behind Barrett Lake. Kendall wants to know everything Marquez has in case there is overlap with his case. What follows is a strong and increasingly complex mystery much in the mode of the books written by C. J. Box. While the locations are different, the issues confronting the game wardens involved are the same. Politics also soon becomes an issue as the heard headed Kendall is much more concerned with his murder case than what Marquez and his team are doing. As the cases lead back and forth through the high country of California, around Lake Tahoe and through Western Nevada, Marquez and his team quickly become more than characters in a book. They take on a flesh and blood substance as they work to solve a case with far reaching implications while juggling the demands of their personal off the job lives. While occasionally a little slow in spots, the overall read is good with strong character development, multiple storylines and plenty of action moving the work forward. Readers new to this series should definitely start with the first book "Shell Games." Not only does it set up the characters, several events including how that case was resolved, are explained in detail in this novel. Kevin R. Tipple (copyright)

Wow--Fantastic eco-thriller

I really enjoyed Shell Games, Russell's first book in this trilogy, but I like Night Game at least twice as much. His development of hero John Marquez is the main reason, especially the psychology that compels him to place himself at risk again and again. The author uses point-of-view narration to excellent effect. There are lots of other compelling characters here, too, perhaps most notably Sophie, an almost a feral woman in tune with violence and sex and able to use them to her advantage to gain power over a life that has left her powerless. The plot deals with a ring that captures wild bears and holds them in cages to milk their bile, which is worth a fortune on the black market because of its uses in traditional Asian medicine. Russell slowly (and without preaching) builds the case for why this activity is unnatural and should be prosecuted. I also like the noir element that few people seem to care besides Marquez and his team; his undercover unit's budget is continually being cut, and poaching charges are often bargained away to get to something "more serious." I also find it fascinating that these illicit animal products tie into brutal, global crime rings because the products bring such a high price. As an avid hiker/mountain guy, I loved spending a book's worth of time in the backcountry around Placerville, Calif., through Russell's beautiful description and narration. The book's just fantastic. I bought this one for my father-in-law for Christmas.

fabulous thriller

California Department of Fish & Game Special Operations Chief Lieutenant John Marquez and his undercover team investigate poachers using torturous devices to capture, and slaughter bears to sell body parts to healers. The violators are organized, professional, and one step ahead of the game wardens because they hacked into the law enforcement computers. No one interferes with this shadowy group's lucrative business and if threatening the wardens and their families fails, murder will follow and may have already occurred. Meanwhile as he struggles to do his job without endangering his loved ones, John investigates disgraced game warden, Bill Petroni at the same time that homicide detective Jack Kendal suspects Bill for murder of a camper last year. The link is Bill's live in lover Sophie Broussard, who has ties to bear poaching and other illegal activities. Could Bill have provided insider information to a deadly group intent on keeping their profits the envy of the Fortune 500 firms? The atmosphere is incredible as the picturesque Northern California Mountains come across as sinister and dangerous as any urban noir scene. John is terrific with his ethics pulled in several directions due to concern for his family, his team and their family, the bears he is supposed to protect, and doing his job. The enemy is the key as they are shadowy yet successful, which leads to intrigue balanced against cruelty and cynicism from government officials whose vision is a paraphrase from the Eisenhower administration that what is good for business is good for the USA. This is a fabulous tale in which justice and morality struggles against making a buck at any cost (as long as someone else pays the tab). Harriet Klausner

A Compelling, Fast-Paced Read

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the second installment in the John Marquez crime fiction series. Intelligent characters, well-paced plot, an insight into a world I knew nothing about, the illegal trafficking in bear bile (just as the first Marquez explored the world of abalone smuggling, another world previously unknown to me) - plus, to top it all off, good writing. One could hardly ask for anything more, except a third installment. As to that, I understand one is on the way, one focusing on caviar and sturgeon trafficking, with a special appearance by Russian mobsters. I'm looking forward to it already. In the meantime, though, check out Night Games. You won't be disappointed.

highly inventive and intriguing crime fiction

Night Game combines action and mystery, is excitingly paced, the crisp prose is strong and augmented by great turns of phrases and well evoked scenes. You'll see what I mean when you find yourself in John Marquez's domain of natural settings populated by the ambiguously motivated and sublimely remorseless. Who to trust remains a big question. Most importantly, the characters and story feel real, and I didn't guess the end.