Where It Hurts (A Gus Murphy Novel)

This story begins with a retired Suffolk County (New York) police detective whose world fell apart with the loss of his twenty year old son two years prior. He becomes involved in a mystery that gradually absorbs him and acts as an agent whereby he can emerge from his depression.The author, Reed Coleman, is a very good writer and has created a that novel stands out in a very crowded genre. One thing that seems unique is that his protagonist, Gus Murphy, did not seem to have lapsed into alcoholism as a result of his plight. The other distinctive quality is the setting of the novel on Long Island, New York. He does not write about the familiar Gold Coast north shore, nor does he write about the East End enclaves of the rich and famous. Mr. Coleman has chosen to write about the grittier center of the Island in Suffolk County.In writing about central Suffolk, Mr. Coleman risked limiting the appeal of his novel. For me though, as a lifelong resident of Long Island who currently resides in the area he writes about, this was a huge part of my enjoyment of the story. His descriptions are spot on, especially the opening scenes featuring our dreary winter weather. He obviously has lived here for a long time and certainly is able convey a sense of the local residents through small anecdotes and scenes. For this, alone, I nearly added another star to my rating.The novel is not without its faults. I felt that Gus' seemingly endless internal dialog concerning the loss of his son is at odds with his development as a strong, self reliant, interesting pursuer of clues and suspects. We are reminded of Gus' life tragedies and victimhood at every turn in the novel and certainly on every page. This became monotonous and frustrating to me as a reader. I found myself muttering "we get it..." by page twenty. We Long islanders are not known for our patience.All things considered, I enjoyed the novel and have recommended to friends and family. I would certainly seek out and purchase the next one in the series. My hope is that Mr. Coleman dispenses with Gus' tragedies early on and then gives us a plot that allows Gus to continue moving on with his life and developing as a true "Lawn Guy Land" character.

I think this is his best book. Better than the Pragers which is high praise. The tragedy that makes Gus Murphy, and the struggle it creates is more powerful, more primal, more creditable as an ongoing motive--and risk--more tragic and yet far more potentially redemptive. I think (and hope) that Gus will progress as a character in a way Moe, terrific as he was, could not. Moe was pinned in place by a lie, Gus is crushed by a tragedy. We can move forward from Tragedy, or at least move somewhere. Also, though right now Gus is furious at God and manifests this fury by not believing, I'm not sure this is a permanent or at least settled condition. Coleman, Jewish himself, but growing up in Brooklyn, living on long Island and married to a Lutheran, has an excellent grasp of Christianity and especially Catholicism. He surely grasps that a Christian character finally cannot be tragic in the Greek sense--a mere victim of fate. Thus Gus's Catholicism, however much in abeyance, is ultimately a great resource, not only to Gus the person, but to Gus, Coleman's character and to Coleman as author. Take away fate--at least as a final reality from which there is no appeal--and a character can live forever. I don't think Coleman will waste that resource.

I was looking for something to engage me (but not challenge me) and this was it. A good story, complex enough to keep me interested. My favorite character was Slava, the Russian. Still a bit of a mystery. I assume he will show up in future books in this series and look forward to that. Some of the emotional exchanges between the characters ( especially the male/female relationships) seemed forced and trite. That is why I gave it a four star rating. All in all, a good read for its genre.

Reed Farrel Coleman is a good writer. His Moe Prager series speaks for its self. Now we get Gus Murphy, and a pretty darn good book one, WHERE IT HURTS. Retired cop gets his world turned upside down and he is trying to deal with it. Drawn back in, this book gives the read a good new guy to root for in the new series. Highly Recommended

I love this author and couldn't wait for his new book. In it he introduces Gus Murphy, a sad, ex cop now working as a shuttle at a hotel. Really. This is, sadly, a very one dimensional story with way to many unimportant details. No character development and overall a boring story. I really got sick of Gus fast and his constant mess of a life. I thought that the details on every street he drove down, every town he entered, every bar he had a meeting in, every backyard was written to death. At one point two pages were dedicated to him driving somewhere. You don't care about his son his wife or his poor daughter. I read 60% in my kindle and then had to fast forward to 90% and I didn't miss a beat. The ending was a complete let down too. This book was not for me, and I am sorry I spent 13.99 on it. Please don't let that distract you from his other books which are fantastic, . 2 stars. 1 Star because he is Reed Farrel Coleman and 1 star because he actually got this published.

Product came quickly and was exactly what I ordered and expected. Thank you!

If you like well-written mysteries or suspense novels, then this is a book for you. The character development is rich and Gus Murphy is an sympathetic and relatable protagonist. He starts the novel as a broken man, struggling with the grief of his son's death. As the novel continues, the author shows us how the grief has robbed Gus of his very essence and how pursuing the truth can help bring him back to himself. While not a unique theme, the plot is creative and unpredictable and the writing is superb. I hope Coleman writes more about Gus because I truly cared about him by the end.

Very well written story of inner city turmoil, drugs, murder and mayhem. The mail character is a retired cop tormented by the untimely death of his young son. He gradually finds his way out of self pity to a better place. He hopefully can find the faith in God that he lost because it wasn't strong enough anyway.

Another award winner that I - surprisingly - did enjoy. Set on 21st century Long Island, Where It Hurts by Reed Farrel Coleman may be compared to hard-boiled classics written by Chandler or Hammett. The main protagonist is a middle-aged, grieving and cynical guy with some resemblances to Philip Marlowe. I didn't like the romantic aspect, but other than that the book was a very good and gripping read. I liked how the author portrayed both the Long Island setting and the multiple characters therein, and how some of them find it hard to wrap their heads around the political correctness of this day and age.

enjoyable

Not bad, it took a long time to get going but I enjoyed t.

Gritty read on the people who run the dirty underbelly of the police world with those who redeem it. Real.

I liked it for the recurring reflections on grief and loss in the parallel the storylines