A Time Gone By by William Heffernan

A Time Gone By (2003) is a excellently written noir thriller spanning the years 1945-1975 with a good atmosphere, sense of place and time, plot and pace but unfortunately, it did not draw me in because it can sometimes seem contrived;  nevertheless, it is a powerfully evocative piece of work which is worth checking out including the author's other works, eg, the New York Times bestseller, The Dinosaur Club (1997), published by Hale.   For more information on William Heffernan, do check out his Wikipedia page.

Hardback:  William Heffernan is one of the most respected and critically acclaimed authors writing today.  Now, in his sixteenth novel, he uses his powerful, atmospheric style to pay homage to the noir thriller and the great mystery writers of the forties and early fifties.

A Time Gone By begins in the glitter of cafe society in the 1940s as it weaves a complex tale of murder and corruption involving one of New York City's most powerful political families.  Crime fighting judge Wallace Reed, destined to be the next governor of New York, is found bludgeoned to death in his post East Side townhouse.  Thirty years later, Chief of Detectives Jake Downing is still haunted by that murder.  It is the very crime that launched his meteorite police career.  But it is also the crime that sent an innocent man to the electric chair and destroyed Downing's personal world by driving away everyone he had ever loved.  Now, as he faces retirement, Downing decides to set the record and his conscience straight - no matter what it costs;  no matter whom it hurts.

What really happened on that rainy night in 1945?  Who wanted the judge killed?  Certainly the sultry young widow, Cynthia Reed, had questionable reasons for marrying the judge - but did she also want him dead?  Jake Downing knew Cynthia was trouble the moment he saw her;  he knew, but he didn't care.  She was beautiful and vulnerable, and it was Jake's responsibility to protect her.  It was an assignment that would forever alter his life of an idealistic young detective.

Now, three decades later, as he struggles to find the real murderer of Judge Reed, Jake Downing is opening a door he will never be able to close.  But is it the truth Jake really wants, or is it revenge?

Rating:  4/5