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NORTH OF NOWHERE is the fourth in the Alex McKnight series, set on the Michigan/Canadian border where water and wilderness abound and people are few. Alex, a retired cop with a bullet in his chest has, after three tough cases, decided to retire from being a PI and has spent months holed up in his cabin. His best friend, Jackie, who owns the nearest hostelry finally manages to drag Alex out of his cocoon and to a poker game in the next town of Soo at the home of wealthy gambler, Win Vargas. Unfortunately for Alex his re-entry into society does not go smoothly as this is the night that armed men burst into the house and rob the upstairs safe, the safe only the other people around the table know about. As Alex is the new guy to the group, Vargas immediately suspects him, however it is three of Alex's fellow players and friends, including Jackie, who are arrested. The police having cinematic evidence to suggest that the three planned the robbery means that Alex has to slip into his old PI role to prove his friends' innocence. It is not an easy job and there are few other suspects. Worse, one of the actual robbers is convinced that Alex has some of the money from the robbery and will go to great lengths to frighten Alex into paying up. As Alex says it was 'the summer of secrets' and before Alex can get to the unwelcome truths, a kidnapping leads to a tense gun battle in the middle of Lake Superior which will change everything. This series has won numerous awards. Is this due to; the quality of the writing that makes reading this so easy; the strong characterisation which allows the reader to know and empathise with the cast; the plotting which initially appears straightforward but soon twists and spins away, or is it the well evoked setting, a place north of everywhere, where different rules apply and is not for the fainthearted. It is rare that the main elements of a novel are so well balanced that it will appeal equally to those who prefer character over plot and vice-versa. Another deserved hit for Mr Hamilton.
Reviewed by Karen Meek, January 2003
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