A mystery buff, I find the Edgar award a strong clue toward a satisfying writer. Thomas Adcock, a recent winner, fits that catagory to a T. "Thrown-Away Child" , his new book, is strong, violent and at the same time a probing story of the "lost boys" whose pain translates into much of the agony we see in our streets today (and in our prisons) With subtlety and insight, Adcock takes us to the heart of the family - Hockaday's newly acquired inlaws -who are New Orleans African-American; the "father of us all" - Joe Never Smile; and Neil's beloved mother-in-law ,Violet. The "Shamrock" Irish-American NYPD detective, Hockaday, finds himself working a murder in the center of New Orleans, tracing the terrorist group - MOMS (they brand their victims with those letters) , while gaining insight into himself and the racism which fuels the flames of our urban hells. "What's worse: living with a bad conscience, or knowing the peace of mind that comes from being hanged for what you done?" The dialogue is tasty. A joy of a book

I went into Grief Street with high expectations (I guess that's where I went wrong), but found it difficult to get involved in the book. I found the characters lacking in depth. The plot line is interesting but I found myself having a difficult time getting through the book. The action and suspense came through at times but was not enough to make me want to keep reading to find out what happens next. The action and drama picked up at the end as everything started to come together, but by than I had fallen asleep several times.

Grief Street and the entire Neil Hokaday series, is original, compelling and completely enjoyable. I can hardly wait for the next novel. Thomas Adcock manages to tackle tough subject matter with courage, humar and heart. After reading Grief Street, I could not rest until I had read the entire series. I am now a FAN of this writer.

Grief Street is not pretty but you still should go there. Learn a little from Adcocks view of our world where things are not always what they seem and life is certainly not fair