Outstanding mystery thriller. Detective Ari is accused of murdering the one woman he loved. Now he has to clear his name

Princess Fuzzypants here:
I do enjoy my cozies but sometimes I just want a really good suspenseful mystery that is gritty and realistic. Heart of the City is one such book. It literally oozes with atmosphere. I think Ari Greene is a most compelling hero. Once a Toronto homocide detective until he is arrested by his colleagues for the murder of his lover. He might have been convicted had he not discovered the real culprit. But it was an awkward situation and from which he needed both time and space.
When he learns he has a 20 year old daughter in England of whom he knew nothing, the two meet and she returns with him to Toronto where they try to build a life together. He is working on a construction site and she is supposedly going to college. He is unaware of the double life she is leading until the murder of the developer for whom he is working propels both of them into a maelstrom. They approach the murder from different directions but arrive at the conclusion together.
Ari, Alison, his daughter and all the other characters are three dimensional and very human. Toronto is well drawn warts and all. The reader is pulled into the mystery and there is no let up until the end.
I give this five purrs and two paws up.

This was my first of the series, thank you Net Galley for the opportunity. I will definitely revisit this author again, starting with the first in the series.

Ari Greene had been a homicide detective in Toronto but after he was charged in the murder of his lover his employment was no longer certain. He's a good detective and was able to clear his name and bring to prosecution the real killer. But staying in Toronto was not an option, so he ran to London where he discovered his 21 year old daughter, Allison. They moved back to Canada and Ari was determined to support his daughter and find a way to survive without the police force.

He's working in the construction industry when he discovers the body of Toronto’s vilified (and very successful) developer, Livingston Fox. It's the end of Ari's first week of work and when his boss drops off the side of the building, Ari goes to clean it up, glances in the workshop and there's the body. Anxious not to make the mistake that lead to his arrest, he quickly calls 911 and then he susses out the crime scene independently. Once a detective, always a detective.

The detective who shows up is Ari's former protege, Daniel Kennicott. Try as he may, Ari just can't keep his hands off the case, he uses his connections to run an investigation alongside Daniel, providing information as he can. Ari had no way of knowing that his daughter is involved in the scenario as well. Allison has not learned to trust and everything she does works her farther and farther into the realm of suspicion.

I liked this book, I liked Ari and Daniel. Allison was a bit annoying and I'm sure she'll improve as she loses a bit of her accent and stops obsessing about it. This was my first but won't be my last.

Robert Rotenberg has written another great detective story, another loving ode to the city of Toronto. The series' characters, including the city itself, are terrific - interesting and complex. The author is very careful and sparse with the text - it's a very quick read with a good plot and some twists. I love the very specific locations and mentions of Toronto's history and the fact that you can actually visit the spots (including a shout out to my home town!) Looking forward to the next in the series. Thank you Simon and Schuster and Net Galley for the advanced copy though I'm going to buy my own copy as well to keep the set complete!

I have been a big fan of Robert Rotenberg, having thoroughly enjoyed his first three books. I have not yet read the fourth but when the fifth was made available to me I was thrilled to read it. While I liked it (3.5/5 stars), I was a little disappointed in the explanation of the motivation behind the culprit. Without adding any spoilers, money is usually enough of a motivation. I will have to go back and read the fourth book, although be warned this one gives away some of the plot of the previous novel, so I recommend reading them in order.

Ari Greene was a detective in Toronto until he was charged with murder. When they eventually cleared his name, he went to England and met the daughter he never knew existed. Now he is working at a construction site in Kensington markets. His daughter, Alison, is supposed to be in journalism school, but she dropped out to start the blog, Kensington Confidential. She writes about the controversies in that neighbourhood, including the condos being built by Livingston Fox. When Livingston Fox is murdered, Greene finds his body. Greene goes back to working alongside his former coworker Kennicott so solve this murder.

This story was fast paced and thrilling. I read it in just a couple of hours.

Being from Toronto, I loved all the references to the city. I could picture where everything was happening, including most of the stores that were mentioned. I felt a close connection to this story.

I haven’t read any other books in the series, but it was easy to pick up. Things in their past were explained quickly, so the story could move forward. At the same time, I learned enough about the characters to understand them.

This was a great read, especially for Toronto residents!

Former homicide detective Ari Greene has started a new life with his adult daughter, Alison, back home in Toronto. Two days into his new job on a construction site, Ari stumbles upon a murder victim, and unwittingly begins to solve the crime. The plot moved quickly, and the characters were relatable and realistic. I enjoyed following up on clues with Greene, as well as the detectives. A great mystery, as well as a great police procedural thriller.

Heart of the City
Robert Rotenberg
Simon & Schuster Canada 2017
simonandschuster.ca
robertrotenberg.com
netgalley.com




Former Homicide Detetctive Ari Greene has returned from an extended visit to the UK, bringing with him a very unexpected surprise… the daughter he never knew he had. Instead of returning to Homicide, Ari is working in the construction field. Desirous of nothing more than to make a life that is both comfortable and happy for his daughter, Ari has gone to work for an old high school friend on a downtown development site. It is a day like any other day, until he discovers the body of the site’s developer, the man the city loves to hate, Livingston Fox. Then things start to get a little crazy.

The last time Ari had found a body, he had fled the scene and was subsequently arrested for the murder. He had cleared his name and found the real killer, then left for England. This time Ari was going to make certain there was no such mistake. Unfortunately the discovery will force him right back into a life he wanted to leave far behind, as well as a reconciliation with Daniel Kennicott, his former partner and protégé.

The world of downtown development is far more corrupt than Ari would have thought. It is a world of high stakes and huge gambles, but the pay off can be immense. The web of corruption is utterly amazing to the uninitiated, leaving Ari and Kennicott to battle the deceptive double-dealing industry powers. Fox was reviled by almost everyone in the industry, and there are even shadows of intrigue and mystery surrounding his family. The list of suspects is certainly not difficult to put together.

The plot writhes about like a living thing, taking unexpected turn after unexpected turn. Shadows and secrets abound, both expected and not. While ‘Heart of the City’ isn't what I'd call a heart stopping race for the finish, it is a solid read that must be seen through once it has begun.

Glimpses of Toronto are fruitful throughout the novel, adding a depth of wonderful realism to a fictional work. Rotenberg is one of Toronto’s top criminal lawyers, and while his experience gives him the fodder for some excellent stories, his talent allows him to create some fantastic characters, believable and appealing. The same can be said for the plot line, it is solid and very well paced, reaching a wonderful and not quite expected crescendo at the end.

This is title #5 in the Ari Greene series, however it is a great standalone novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC

I absolutely love this mystery series. I was introduced to them a few years ago, and I quickly read them all because I was fascinated with how Canadian centered they were. Not only did we get to see how Canadian homicide detectives handled cases, we also got a healthy dose of courtroom drama centered around the Canadian legal system. The author, Robert Rotenberg, is a criminal lawyer based in Toronto, so I assume that he knows of what he speaks.

I liked this story, but not as much as previous novels. I just didn’t think the plot was as strong, and a lot of my favourite characters weren’t present in this novel. The new character introduced, Ari’s daughter, Alison, was a good character, but I didn’t see the point of introducing a random daughter into his life. It just seemed so out of the blue and highly…unnecessary? Daniel Kennicott was also not as interesting to read about this time around.

The mystery was really well done, and once again, I had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. It was a satisfying plot and a meaty mystery, but it felt a little rushed at times and there were a lot of threads that were left open. I assume they will be further fleshed out in future novels, but it was a little dissatisfying at the end of this book. There were also no courtroom scenes, which are my favourite scenes in the book.

Of course, I will continue to follow this series until the very end, but I hope the next book has the same magic the first four books in the series had.

Detective Ari Greene returns home to Toronto after spending time abroad following his acquittal for the murder of his lover. Attempting to avoid the world of homicide for a while, he takes a job on a construction site only to stumble across another corpse. The victim is Livingstone Fox, a successful developer whose projects have raised protests among local community activists.

While not the most memorable of mystery novels, this was an enjoyable light read, well-written with interesting characters and an unpredictable ending. As always Rotenberg gets bonus points from this Torontonian for his very recognizable settings and topical themes. It's always a treat to walk well-known streets with characters who could easily have stepped forth from a CityPulse24 newscast.

Ari Greene was a cop in Toronto. He fled to England last year to take some time away after he'd been charged and acquitted of killing the love of his life. While in England, he discovered he had a twenty-year-old daughter named Alison from a relationship he'd had with an Englishwoman years ago. When he returns to Toronto with Alison, he gets a job on a construction site as a labourer. When the developer of the site is found murdered on there, Ari can't help but get involved (the lead detective is Daniel, who Ari had mentored). The developer wasn't well-liked so it could have been many who wanted him dead.

This the fifth book by Rotenberg I've read and I enjoyed it. Though it's the fifth in a series, it works as a stand alone because there is enough background information provided. It is written in third person perspective with the focus on wherever the action is. I like the writing style and it moves at a good pace. I didn't really buy the "whodunnit" and the why but I went with it. As a head's up, there is swearing.

I like that this series is set in Toronto. The author is quite specific about the locations so I know exactly where the action is taking place and I have been to a lot of these places. The construction site was in the Kensington Market area, for example, as were protests. I think I was recently at the bakery on Dundas Street where Ari and Daniel meet. I've had lunch at the Fresh on Spadina, south of Queen where the developer had supper with his dad.

I look forward to the next book in the series!

This is number five in the series of books, but was easily read as a stand-alone without needing too much prior knowledge of the storyline.

Detective Ari Greene has just come back to Toronto from a self-imposed exile in London after having been falsely accused and acquitted of murder with his previously unknown English daughter Alison in tow. Unwilling to return to police duty, he takes up work as a labourer for a construction company under the leadership of his good friend, who in turn, words for Livingston Fox, boy wonder developer of the construction world. That is, until Fox is found brutally murdered on the very same work site that Greene is working on. What follows is Greens reluctant return to working out the mystery of who murdered Fox on an unofficial basis as a ‘concerned citizen’ rather than on the approved police line-up.

This is not a long book and is fairly easy to fly through in a sitting or two. It’s not quite a cosy mystery, but maybe a close cousin of one. The clues are laid out clearly from the start, it’s a matter of how quickly you pick up on them and put the pieces of the puzzle together. Character development is drawn out and not very detailed, but perhaps that is because there are four previous books and more planned in which to take the series forward. The underlying progression of Alison and Ari becoming closer as a newly formed family is gently played out. There are enough characters in this book to create possible villains but not so many as impossible to keep track of.

This was entertaining enough to fill in a rainy summers day, but it does not ignite the passions to make the reader want to go back and read the series from the start.

For fans.

My favourite thing about 'Heart of the City' by Robert Rotenberg is the setting. The city of Toronto was rendered so well it was almost a character itself. It was the actual characters in the novel had me debating whether this should be a three or four-star review.

They are…
Ari Greene, the wise and world-weary former Toronto detective.
Daniel Kennicott, Greene’s former partner who had once arrested Greene for murder.
Alison Gilroy, the grown daughter that Greene never knew he had.

Each character was appealing, but it often felt like they were vying to be the focal point of the book, with no one character emerging as someone I could fully embrace. I found myself wanting one of them to take control of the narrative and make it his (or her) own.

Still, this is a well paced thriller and an enjoyable read.

First, a thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Robert Rotenberg for providing me with a copy of this novel.
This is the fifth novel in the Ari Greene series. After returning from an extended, Greene is trying to reinvent himself by leaving the police department and working on a construction site and settling into the new role of father, helping his 20 year old daughter adjust to her new life in Canada. Greene find the body of the developer of the condo construction job he is working on, and his detective skills kick in and once again, he is back into the life he tried so hard to leave behind, butting heads with his former college, Daniel Kennictott.
The novel is a quick read. An interesting murder plot reflecting the contrast between lucrative real estate transactions and the strong need for housing complexes for lower income families. The supporting cast was very strong and leads the story into different and interesting plots, which kept me guessing who the actual killer might be. The story moved quickly, with the help of short chapters.
It could be read as a stand-alone if you have not read any of the other series, though the other storylines are mentioned frequently throughout this novel.
It wasn’t my favourite police procedural novel, though being Canadian, it is refreshing to read a novel set in Toronto.

The impending release of "Heart of the City" by Robert Rotenberg came as a surprise to me = a pleasant one.

Heart of the City - like the previous books 'Old City Hall', 'Guilty Plea', 'Stray Bullets' and 'Stranglehold' - features Ari Greene and Daniel Kennicott and is set in Toronto (my current hometown); most specifically Kensington Market and environs.

Ari Greene, after being exonerated for murder in the previous book, is back in Toronto after spending time in England (and meeting a relative he never new). He's left the police force to work for an old friend. But as luck would have it, he becomes embroiled in a murder that hits close to home.

All in all, I would certainly recommend this book to people who have read the prior novels - but it's not imperative (although the history between the two main characters has progressed throughout the series).

The ending did come as a surprise - which is refreshing in police procedurals.

Thanks Netgalley and publishing house for providing me with this ARC.

This was a good quick read. I did not see who the killer was coming. i was surprised. It was a good little mystery. I read it in less than 24 hours. This book is able to stand alone. What else? Simple, easy to read... nothing complicated. Good book

An enthusiastic high 4 stars! I love this series. I don't know if Rotenberg has developed much of an audience outside of Canada, or even outside of Toronto, but he certainly deserves it. Like Rotenberg's previous mysteries, Heart of the City is set in Toronto's downtown core. Through the story, Rotenberg takes on one of Toronto's ongoing urban issues -- the impact of expanding real estate development on the urban core and access to low cost housing. While I love this series because it takes on familiar issues and takes place right in my stomping grounds, I especially like it because Rotenberg has created smart complex characters and great plots. The lead investigator is Ari Green, who is currently on the outs with the Toronto police department and has recently discovered a 20 year old daughter. He is doing construction work on a worksite in Kensington market, when the developer of the project is found dead. Green finds a way to become involved in the investigation even though he's not working as a detective. In the tradition of Bosch, Green is far from perfect but he has a strong moral compass and uncanny instincts. This wasn't my favourite in the series -- the last one was -- but it was close. I'm not sure the end quite worked for me, but I loved everything leading up to the end. I hope Rotenberg doesn't take as long to write his next book. As you can tell, I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes character and plot driven mysteries, even if you have no connection to Toronto. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

I got the sense that the author was more concerned with verifying his familiarity with the city's setting, rather than developing the characters' psyches.

This is the 5th in this great series set in Toronto and after waiting 3 years for the author to return to this wonderful cast of characters, the results are in and the wait was worth it. Detective turned construction worker Ari Greene stumbles across the murdered body of a young, hot shot urban developer.......a man with enough enemies to start a small country. Greene's protégé, Detective Daniel Kennicott leads a tight police procedural as the authorities investigate the many suspects. Along with these 2 stalwart leads, Rotenberg pens a very strong supporting cast of compelling characters and a tightly woven plot that unfolds at a perfect pace. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5* rounded down. I read the first three instalments of this series a while ago (although I have only vague memories of them), but have not read the fourth book, where Detective Ari Greene is apparently accused but then absolved of murdering his married lover. This is referenced a lot and has led to him quitting the police. Nevertheless, he gets very involved when he discovers the body of a prominent Toronto developer on a construction site.

There were lots of things to like about this story; it was a quick read with vivid characters and the plot moved quickly. There was a nice array of potential suspects with plausible motives, who were gradually eliminated from suspicion.

However, I was thrown off by the opening scene, which failed to convince me - maybe the author has knowledge I lack of immigration procedures, but the balance of power in that exchange seemed wrong. Then there was Ari's involvement with the defence of the prime suspect, despite the fact that he was a witness in the case and also failing to stop himself investigating as if he were still on the police force. Conflict of interest alarms were going off in my head and again, maybe this was all acceptable legally, but it made me mistrust Ari. Allison was a character I could have done without; she was also drawn in a slightly morally ambiguous way and I think we were supposed to feel sympathy for her, but I couldn't really get on board with her blogging ambitions.

Finally there was the ending, with the perpetrator descending into madness before our very eyes. I struggled with the motivation of the murderer and "madness" didn't wholly convince me. I think I'd borrow this one from the library, but not buy it myself.