In this fourth entry to the Sergeant Brant series Roberts' wife dies and he goes off the deep end. Meanwhile, Blitz is the name the media gives a serial killer who is killing cops. New characters introduced (who stick around in later books) include Porter Nash, gay, a dapper dresser, cultured and intellectual, but still able to get along with the other lunatics at the station.

I'm finding that the plot and the crime-solving aspects of this series are less important than getting to know these deranged people (the cops). And I really enjoy the style of writing we are treated to.

Recommended.

3 1/2 stars ( )

Just like the title would indicate this was a quick read.
Having already seen the movie I was surprised how faithful it was to the book
Though I thought the character and motivations of the killer were better fleshed out in the film and the plot was a bit more streamlined.
Bruen manoeuvres about a dozen characters in this book and somehow he makes them come alive with only a few lines of description. This was my first Brant book and it was a lot faster and less contemplative than the Jack Taylor novels, which almost seem like Dostoevsky in comparison. The literary references were absent as well, mainly because Brant is more a man of action and he only reads Ed McBain.
There was a lot of violence but it was softened by the author's usual wit. Bruen's characters are quite unlikeable but somehow he always manages to find some humanity in them.
Although I enjoyed Blitz, I feel like it could have been better with a bit more effort. It felt a bit rushed, almost like a skeleton of a book or a screenplay. I hope this is not the direction Bruen will be taking in the future. Still, you forgive the man a lot, because he is so damn funny. ( )