THE COLD ROOM - REVIEW BY KIRKUS REVIEWS

Author: ROBERT KNIGHTLY

Title: THE COLD ROOM

Publication: KIRKUS REVIEWS

2/15/2012

The Cold Room, Author: Knightly, Robert, Severn House, Pp256, $28.95
PubDate: February 1, 2012, ISBN 978-0-7278-8085-7

A disgraced cop seizes an unexpected opportunity to redeem his reputation.
Hardboiled narrator Harry Corbin catches the case of a dead Jane Doe found
along the East River by a beat cop. Noting that rigor mortis has not yet set in and that the victim has been gutted, Harry takes some photos and concludes that the woman was killed elsewhere and dumped here. Clyde Kelly, an elderly ex-con with a prosthetic leg whom Harry finds near the scene, nervously protests his innocence while describing a 50ish thug with "eyes like slits." Harry sees an opportunity for much-needed redemption in this crime. He's been a pariah ever since blowing the whistle on a clutch of dirty cops in his department. While trying
to clear Harry's name, his partner Adele Bentibi, who is also his live-in lover, was beaten by a bad cop named Linus Potter, though she managed to put him away. Now working as an investigator for the Queens DA, she's the ideal sidekick for Harry in the case—and he badly needs her help, since he's iced out of murder investigations by the department. Brooklyn's large immigrant community and a charismatic Catholic priest called Father Stan, who feels a duty to protect them, figure prominently in Harry's probe, which proceeds piece by (initially) baffling piece. As the picture becomes clearer, so does the danger to Harry. Knightly's gritty prose is sometimes marred by an awkward formality, but his second Harry Corbin novel (Bodies in Winter, 2009) moves with dark deliberation and feels authentic in every detail.

REVIEW ON MARILYN MEREDITH BLOG

http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

The Cold Room by Robert Knightly as reviewed by Marilyn Meredith

This is the second book of Bob Knightly's I've read, the first being Bodies in Winter. What I liked best about both books is they are more authentic as a police procedural than many I've read. NYPD detective Harry Corbin is a different kind of cop. He's not a super hero nor is he loved by all of his fellow cops. In Bodies in Winter, Corbin exposes a twisted web of corruption among the police ranks and superiors which didn't endear him to anyone. When The Cold Room opens, Corbin is still being shunned by his co-workers and bosses. Even though he's a detective, he hasn't been allowed to work on any homicide cases for a year. When he stumbles upon a dumped and mutilated
female murder victim, he immediately decides to find out who she was and work on solving the case.
Following Corbin as he tries to learn the victim's identity with scant help from his superiors is like going on a ride-along. The big difference is as a reader, we're allowed into Corbin's mind not only as he pieces together the puzzle to find out who the murdered girl is, but who killed her.  Along the way, the reader is introduced to a neighborhood priest and a nun, both who play important parts in the investigation though not always in a cooperative manner. The interaction between Corbin and Father Stan is intriguing, both trying to outfox the other. Following Corbin through rich neighborhoods and poor, sitting with him during stake-outs, learning about the exploitation of female illegal immigrants, a horrendously screwed-up family, and how he pieces together what happened to the murder victim and
who did it, has the stamp of true police work. Following clues from one place to another, intensified action, a touch of romance, and a surprising ending, make The Cold Room a most satisfying read. Highly recommended to lovers of mystery and police procedurals.

Marilyn

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THE COLD ROOM

The Cold Room, Knightly, Robert (Author), Jan 2012. 256 p, Severn, hardcover, $28.95. (9780727880857)

“Unorthodox,” “unethical,” and “unreliable” are among the kinder epithets bestowed on NYPD cop Harry Corbin by his colleagues, several of whom he has put behind bars following a major corruption scandal involving some of the top cops in the department. Exiled to low-priority cases, Corbin stumbles on the body of a young woman, naked, battered, and gutted. With nothing much on his agenda, Corbin vows to find the girl’s killer and bring him (or her) to justice, despite the fact that the higher-ups don’t want Corbin anywhere near the case. His investigation soon draws him into a complex web involving human trafficking, the Catholic Church, Eastern European immigrants, Chechen rebels, and one of New York’s richest families. Clever plotting, plenty of unexpected twists, high-octane action, taut suspense, and a hero who is as admirable and daring as he is rude and gutsy make this compelling new installment in the Harry Corbin series a must-read.

--BOOKLIST, December 1, 2011
PURCHASE AT AMAZON.COM; THE BOOK HOUSE at STUYVESANT MALL; BLACKWOOD & BROUWER BOOKSELLERS, KINDERHOOK

REVIEW BY STEPHEN SOLOMITA, AUTHOR OF MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE

"As sure-footed as it is authentic, Bodies in Winter is without a false note. Robert Knightly, taking full advantage of his long experience in law enforcement, has effortlessly cast himself into the ranks of the NYPD's ablest chroniclers. This novel is a gem".  

Stephen Solomita, author of Monkey in the Middle.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - Queens Noir (Akashic Noir) Review

Review:

"The ethnically diverse New York borough of Queens is the setting for this solid entry in Akashic's noir anthology series (Brooklyn Noir, etc.). Rather than featuring big name authors only loosely connected to Queens, Knightly has brought in a crew of local writers that includes many unknowns. The result is a satisfying if unspectacular volume, with protagonists ranging from a young woman out for revenge (Denis Hamill's 'Under the Throgs Neck Bridge') to a trigger-happy cop protecting her cousin from an abusive ex-husband (Stephen Solomita's 'Crazy Jill Saves the Slinky'). The husband-and-wife team writing as Tori Carrington (Sofie Metropolis) weighs in with a gritty whodunit set in a Greek diner in 'Last Stop, Ditmars.' The standout by far is 'Hollywood Lanes' by Megan Abbott (The Song Is You), a bleak and masterful story of passion and betrayal set in a Forest Hills bowling alley. There's plenty to enjoy here for Akashic completists and anyone who's ever cheered (or jeered) the Mets."

Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - Bodies in Winter

Review:

Knightly, a former New York City police officer, makes a solid debut with this novel of crime and corruption. Seven years after Brooklyn cop David Lodge pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Clarence Spott, who was bludgeoned to death in a precinct cell, Lodge leaves prison only to be gunned down shortly thereafter. Det. Harry Corbin and his partner, Det. Adele Bentibi, have trouble with the official theory of the case. They believe that evidence has been manipulated to finger Spott's brother as the murderer, and both buck their superiors by pursuing other leads. For Corbin, his unwillingness to simply go along to get along jeopardizes his long-held dream of a transfer to the homicide division. The trail, somewhat predictably, leads the pair to reopen the issue of Lodge's guilt. While no one will mistake this portrayal of police work with those of masters like Joseph Wambaugh and Michael Connelly, it's good enough to make further books from Knightly a welcome prospect. (Nov.)

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All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.