Guardian Angel (The Jimmy McSwain Files #4)

Another fine installment in the Jimmy McSwain saga that moves Jimmy’s personal story along to the conclusion that will come with volume 5.

I loved all of the character work the author did in this volume. Personal growth for Jimmy, for his sometimes-lover Captain Frisano, for Jimmy’s mother, and for Jimmy’s sister Meghan is intermingled with the introduction of extended family (Jimmy’s Uncle Paddy has been a supporting character all along; we finally get to meet his sons) to really remind us that while Jimmy is a private eye on a personal crusade to learn the truth of his father’s murder, he’s also a person with a family that loves and cares for him … and a person whose work life interferes with his personal life on a regular basis (as it does for so many of us in the real world). I think this is the strongest aspect of “Guardian Angel,” the personal developments for Jimmy and his supporting cast.

If I’m being honest though, I have to admit that neither the main case Jimmy finds himself involved in (the murder of a rich womanizing playboy with a violent streak) nor the secondary case that relates to Jimmy’s lifelong obsession (the return of a childhood neighborhood foil) pulled me in the way the cases in previous volumes did. The former, while it has some interesting developments along the way, feels a bit too similar to the “rich people” cases Jimmy has already been involved in (but at least has a different resolution than the previous cases). The latter storyline feels a bit too much like the author is just moving chess pieces around, setting up for the big finale coming up in book #5 (which of course, he is) while not giving me any real reason to connect with the center of that conflict (Mickey Dean).

Despite those minor quibbles, I really did enjoy the book. I recommend the series as a whole to mystery/thriller fans, and I’m looking forward to the next installment.

I love Jimmy McSwain. I love his pride, his love for his family, his frustrated love for Frank Frisano, his dedication to seeking justice.

I love the way Adam Carpenter uses imagery of New Yorks Hells Kitchen (a neighborhood I know well in my own bridge-and-tunnel way) as a metaphor for the entire city; the counterpoint of dark and light repeatedly echoing both Jimmys emotional state and the insistent urban dichotomy of evil and good, crime and punishment.

Jimmys never-ending quest to solve his fathers fifteen-year-old murder carries on as a backdrop to the front-of-story case into which Jimmy is dragged the grisly slaying of a lecherous society parasite on the front steps of a glamorous Upper East Side brownstone. At the same time, another murder, one that hits closer to home, triggers a whole new set of questions in Jimmys mind. All three killings, new and old, keep Jimmys thoughts swirling as he walks the streets of the City in the encroaching winter. The writing pulls the reader relentlessly along, deep in Jimmys mind, helpless to do anything but look and listen as Jimmy tries to unravel all the puzzles, and come to grips with his own need for love and resolution.

There are moments when Carpenters hard-boiled detective style gets a little clunky, only because it is at odds with the Jimmy McSwain he has given us. The real gift to the readers is the characters and their finely nuanced psyches. Jimmy is not a tough guy, although he plays one on the street. He is loving and gentle and kind but also bottled up and bruised and unable to grab for happiness. The only other characters who get a lot of play in this episode are Maggie, the McSwain matriarch, and (interestingly) Francis X. Frisano, ambitious police captain who would be Jimmys best chance at happiness if he werent in the closet. But every character, whether family, friend, or enemy, is used with precision to move the story along and to help the reader further understand the complex young man at the narratives center.

I am getting ready for this series to reach its conclusion, which will be a doozey. Although the chronological time in the four books so far is probably less than a year, it has been a long and tortuous road. I remember feeling this way with the Adrien English series by Josh Lanyon. I know it will be hard for Carpenter to relinquish his character, whom he must cherish deeply. What a rich font of material young Mr. McSwain has been! But its coming time for Jimmy to take his fathers place, for good, at the head of the McSwain family table. And whos to say that the end of this series couldnt spawn a whole new series with a happy Jimmy at the helm? New York will never be uncomplicated. Murder will out. Theres always work for a smart detective.

There was a good plot, interesting characters, well developed. The novel did not revolve around scenes, but like most detective stories sex is part of who the detective is. The rating for the book dropped for two reasons. One being over explanations, and repeatedly telling of the close knit family when it was well developed by the family’s interactions and the setting in the life long family home. Jimmy returned to it for a sense of who he was and for a sense of belonging. One didn’t need to be repeatedly told. Second was the lack proof reading. There were constant errors such as: words left out, wrong words inserted, misspellings. Spell check inserted correctly spelled words but the wrong words. These errors were disruptive and frustrating. It made it read like a pot boiler: how many of these can I quickly write and get on the market. A sad thought.

Jimmy is hired by another very wealthy client, Serena Carson. He has to try and prove that she wasn’t responsible for the eviscerated body of her ex-lover found on her front steps. Add to that, he is still wrestling with ghosts of the past, his father’s murder and the return of a neighborhood thug.

Another amazing addition to this series. The story is brilliant. The characters are complex in their goodness and villainy. The descriptions of New York and it’s Burroughs, makes you believe you are walking beside Jimmy, sharing in the uniqueness that is this city. 5 stars are not enough for this fantastic series.

I think Adam Carpenter is just an excellent writer. I have read all of the Jimmy McSwain novels, and this is the best one so far. Carpenter gets better with each novel in this series, and Jimmy McSwain becomes an even more attractive and endearing character. All of the characters are fleshed out really well. The stories well-paced and totally compelling, as well as believable. The ending totally surprised me. I also like it that there is enough sex to keep things interesting without becoming redundant. I couldn’t put this one down. I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

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