Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jun 2009
288 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
Ex-boxer Joe Grundy is embroiled in the intrigues of his own boss, millionaire Leo Alexander, the owner of Vancouver's Lord Douglas Hotel. Somebody has murdered Leo's live-in servant and not-so-secret lover, and Grundy has to get to the bottom of the incident in order to clear the man he's forged a bond with since first coming to work for him as security for the hotel. But Leo's past serves up more surprises than Grundy bargained for.
It seems Leo has had a life full of death, jilted mistresses, spurned spouses, sharp business deals, and explosive relationships with estranged children. Another corpse pops up, Leo is arrested and jailed, and Grundy takes more hits to his body and psyche than perhaps even he can handle.
Thoughts of real and imagined death are stalking the corridors of the Lord Douglas, and Joe Grundy has to keep swinging to stay alive and remain sane.
Edgar Awards, 2010
"The plot of Body Blows zips along as smoothly and cleverly as Marc Strange's first Joe Grundy novel, Sucker Punch...but the real charm of what's turning into a series is Joe Grundy himself, a quasi-tough guy who's smart, loyal, shrewd but easy-going, and blessedly witty-a pleasure to hang out with for a few hours inside a book." - The London Free Press
"Strange tells the story in a clear, energetic style with astute timing for action, reflection and heart. Body Blows is a knockout." - The Hamilton Spectator
"Strange, an actor as well as a television writer, knows how to keep the dialogue moving, and while his characters are light, they're not slight. The action keeps moving and Vancouver is the perfect backdrop. Body Blows is a great light novel for a weekend away." - The Globe & Mail
"This is a catchy story with a great setting." - National Post
"Fast-paced and hard-hitting, Body Blows is classic hard-boiled, with colourful characters, snappy dialogue and a cynical point of view. If you like Hemingway, you"ll like Marc Strange." - Sherbrooke Record
"This tough, non-nonsense novel has a lot going for it. Marc Strange...has produced an excellent plot, terrific characters and steely dialogue. They all meld nicely." - The Record
This information about Body Blows was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Marc Strange was the co-creator of the long-running television series The Beachcombers. As a character actor, he has appeared in numerous television shows and films, most recently in the cable television science-fiction show ReGenesis. His first book, Sucker Punch was nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award for best first mystery novel. His novel Body Blows followed in 2009 and won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best original paperback.
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