Chicago crime reporter Milo Rigg must uncover a brutal serial killer to restore his battered professional reputation in this first in a new mystery series.
Fredrickson...is a sneaky stylist. On the one hand, he deftly engages in classic, hard-boiled tropes ... [yet] not many journalism thrillers get as much right as this one does. Rigg’s inserted stories read like actual reportage. Fredrickson skillfully documents the anxieties of a threatened industry ... For all that, The Black Cage boasts a subtle modernist streak. If most crime novels cut sharp, crooked paths to their resolution, this one moves slowly, as if finding its way through a fog. There are no sudden breakthroughs to provide excitement; revelations arrive via the local line, not the express ... If in the early parts of the novel the young victims get a bit lost in the narrative shuffle, their absence ultimately leaves a deep imprint.
... [a] perplexing novel ... A perfect setup for a procedural, and Frederickson delivers a solid one, although readers will need to be patient with some exasperating overwriting that drags down the momentum. Still, the clues are well camouflaged, and there’s a blast of an ending begging to be argued about.
... [a] strong series launch ... Readers will look forward to spending more time with the complex, intriguing Milo. This skillfully crafted and richly nuanced crime novel bodes well for future entries.
