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by: Richard North Patterson
Binding: Audio CD
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780375408304
Format: Abridged, Audiobook
ISBN: 0375408304
Label: Random House Audio
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
Number Of Items: 5
Publication Date: August 31, 1999
Publisher: Random House Audio
Release Date: August 31, 1999
Sales Rank: 1782102
Studio: Random House Audio
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Read by Patricia Kalember
5 CDs / 6 hours
In Steelton, a struggling Midwestern city on the cusp of an economic turnaround, two prominent men are found dead within days of each other: the general manager of the company that is building a new baseball stadium, the city's hope for the future; and the local drug dealers' attorney of choice. In each case, homicide is suspected but not immediately provable; in each case, the character of the dead man seems contradicted by the horrific particulars of his death. But Stella Marz--Assistant County Prosecutor, head of the homicide division of the prosecutor's office--is about to discover that these deaths are connected in less obvious, more insidious ways. Her investigation will lead her into a terrifying, dizzying maze of corruption, greed, and murder, involving not only Steelton's dark history but also her own complicated, difficult past as well. And the closer she comes to the truth, the higher and more personal the cost she will be forced to pay...
Richard North Patterson's uncanny dialogue, subtle delineation of character, and hypnotic narrative, have earned his comparisons to John O'Hara and Dashiell Hammett. Now, in Dark Lady, he has created a woman as fascinating as her circumstances are frightening. It is his signature work.
Amazon.com Review:
Dashiell Hammett, a master of big city crime fiction, would have enjoyed Richard North Patterson's latest thriller, set in a fictional Midwestern city called Steelton. This burnt-out burg is located on the shores of Lake Erie--and is a place bitterly divided by politics. The construction of a $275 million baseball stadium threatens to be Steelton's downfall rather than its redemption.
Arthur Bright is the prosecutor of Erie County, but he wants to become mayor. His campaign attacks the new ballpark as a boondoggle, 'a shameful diversion of public financing from such pressing needs as better schools, better housing, and safer streets.' His protégé, Assistant County Prosecutor Stella Marz is 38, ambitious, and has been dubbed 'the dark lady' by various defense lawyers. If Arthur wins the mayoral race, she intends to become prosecutor herself. But two murders involving drugs and twisted sex threaten her future.
First, Tommy Fielding, the project manager for Steelton 2000 (as the new home of the Steelton Blues will be called), is found dead in the company of a hooker--both apparently having overdosed on heroin. The fact that Fielding was gay and had never used drugs before bothers Stella and Chief Detective Nathaniel Dance. Their worries are soon pushed aside by another, more shocking murder--Jack Novak, a defense lawyer, is discovered hanging from his closet door, castrated and dressed in drag. Jack was once Stella's lover--and he was also one of Bright's largest contributors. For Stella, the murders are too close to home. 'Maybe this is about me. But I have to see it through.'
Dark Lady is shrouded by the dark clouds of deceit and greed, and the sleek structure of Steelton 2000 dominates the landscape like a Dr. Frankenstein's Castle with luxury boxes. --Dick Adler
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - As entertaining as watching paint dry.
I can't wrap my brain around that RNP actually wrote this book. It's slow, boring, and hard to follow. I bought this book because I really liked Stella marz from Silent Witness, but to be honest, she doesn't seem anything like the character RNP created in Silent Witness. Overall, take a pass on this snoozer.
Rating: - Hard for me to follow
I did manage to read the entire book but had difficulty making all the connections between different characters. Maybe it was just me but there is a possibility it was also the plot.....In case you find yourself not understanding what is going on, just keep plugging along as it all does come together eventually.
Rating: - Sleazy politics
In a financially struggling Midwestern town,ambitious Assistant County Prosecutor Stella Marz, known to her colleagues as the dark lady, is hoping that her boss, County Prosecutor Bright, will be elected mayor, clearing a path for her to succeed him as County Prosecutor. Two horrific murders are committed, involving leading lights in the town,s new building project, a huge football stadium. In the process of investigating the murders, which are both ritualistic in the extreme, Stella becomes aware ... Read More
Rating: - Overlong for its substance
Mr Patterson -a normally reliable and entertaining writer -has seemingly entered a period of persiflage and ponderousness if this novel is any guide as to his future literary development .A basically routine story of political intrigue and corruption is here larded over with excess of detail and a moralistic sententiousness that makes reading it a wearisome experience .
The eponymous heroine is Stella Marz , a prosecuting attorney in the fictitious town of Steelton ,once a prosperouus town founded ... Read More
Rating: - Just promotes seterotypes !
I read Silent Witness by JNP and loved it so I moved on to this one. Boy what a waste of my time. The story moved S L O W. First of all it gives the impression that the construction industry is just ripe with scandels and corruption. I work for one of the oldest land developers in the nation and am here to tell you that is just not true. It seems to be the reputation that the industy has gotten over time but it is not the norm. Another thing I was offened by was that MBEs just show up to collect ... Read More
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