The first time I heard Marcus Sakey read at Twilight Tales, I knew that it wouldn't be long before his fiction would be prominently displayed on the shelves of bookstores everywhere. His characters were memorable, the plots were intriguing, and every time he left me wanting more. I was happy to hear of his two-book deal with St. Martin's Press. I even cried when I saw his book on the shelf at Barnes & Noble (not out of jealousy that I didn't have my own two-book deal, but because Marcus is a damn nice guy and it's nice to see good things happen to good people.)

Anyway, enough chatter about the man. Let's get down to the story...

THE BLADE ITSELF is the story of Danny Carter, a former criminal, who has worked hard to overcome his past and build a good life for himself. His new life is threatened when his former best friend, Evan, is released from prison and resurfaces in Danny's world. How far will Danny go to protect his future from his past?

I don't like book reviews where the reviewer tells the reader the plot of the book, so my commentary is bound to be vague. I enjoyed the story on many levels. The characters felt very real to me and I cared from the outset about what would ultimately happen to Danny. The pacing was tight. I read the book in the course of an evening and didn't want to put it down until I hit "THE END." I may have lost a couple of hours of sleep that evening but it was worth it. There is one point (a legal question I had about the set of circumstances that the book opened with) that has been bugging me but since I can't find the answer to that question, I'll have to assume that Marcus was right and if that's the case then everything else plot-wise falls into place nicely. I like the way Marcus describes Chicago, everything from the setting to the dialogue rang true. Suffice it to say, that if you like David Morrell, you will probably like Marcus Sakey.

Marcus's second book, AT THE CITY'S EDGE, is due to be released early next year. For more information, check out his website at www.marcussakey.com or for some entertaining reading check out the blog he participates in at http://theoutfitcollective.blogspot.com/

I finally figured out a way to update my blog on a more frequent basis. I am going to start posting thoughts on the various books I am reading. If nothing else, it will be good writing practice. Maybe I'll even throw a haiku in there now that I'm on a haiku writing kick. I think I will start with my thoughts on Marcus Sakey's "THE BLADE ITSELF." Marcus writes thrillers and "THE BLADE ITSELF" is his debut novel. More to come on that tomorrow...