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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780312966645
ISBN number: 0312966644
Label: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: October 15, 1998
Publishing house: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Sale Popularity Level: 140347
Studio: St. Martin's Paperbacks
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Bill Smith is going undercover again as a favor to an old friend who wants him to investigate thievery on the 40-story Manhattan site of Crowell Construction's latest project. His bricklaying is a little rusty, but passable as he checks out the foreman who's under suspicion. A crane operator has disappeared--along with some heavy machinery. But when a well-orchestrated riot causes the foreman's “accidental” death, Smith plunges into a morass of bribery, blackmail and blood looking for answers. With the help of his Chinese-American partner Lydia Chin, he follows a trail of twisted loyalties, old-fashioned greed and organized crime to its heart-stopping conclusion. Murder--with no end in sight.
Amazon.com Review:
S. J. Rozan is a New York architect who knows how to design a fine mystery novel: by doing her homework, using the best quality materials, and keeping the surprises coming until the very end. In her fourth book about unlikely detective partners Lydia Chin and Bill Smith, Rozan plants Smith high up in the clouds, laying brick on a troubled building site while Chin gets a job as a secretary in the construction bosses' trailer. Both see plenty of action, as what at very first appears to be a simple case of a few crooked construction workers becomes a much more complicated story of twisted family relationships. Previous Chin/Smith outings available in paperback include Mandarin Plaid, China Trade, and Concourse.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
In this fourth in the series of Smith/Chin investigators, it's time for Bill Smith to be in the spotlight and Lydia to play the supporting role. When asked by an ex-cop who is now a PI, to find out what's going on at a building site in Upper Manhattan, Bill goes undercover as a Mason (actually a bricklayer). The story then revolves around goings on at the site and three murders that occur. The guy that was originally suspected as being in on the scams, ends up dead too, making it tougher to figure out where Rozan is going with the story.
Knowing that SJ Rozan is a professional architect, lends credibility to the talk about what goes on at a large (a forty story) building site. She is not only knowlegable about what each of the 'trades' do, but also in how they relate to each other and the GC (General Contractor). Lastly, it gives her special insight into how scams are operated, and how some are dangerous, while others just mean the building will deteriorate faster and will be shabby in places from the start.
The murders and the back story are really not that novel (no pun intended) nor are they very involving. The true story is the relationship among the different workers on the site; and the way that Bill and Lydia relate to each other. It's a fine story, and makes a nice addition to the series but it's got nothing that differentiates it from lots of other books.
Rated by buyers 
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As a heavy reader, lover of complex mysteries, and female landscape architect, I was SO looking forward to this book since the author is a woman and an architect. I was so dissapointed and was unable to plod through the heavy, stilted, unnatural conversation. I thought a contemporary book featuring a woman in a traditionally male industry written by a woman who is actually in a traditionally male industry would feature stronger female characters that reflect reality (we work, make decisions, are equals with our partners). I didn't think the characters were realistic at all for contemporary times, conversation was awkward and the women in the book were wimpy dependant characters. It takes a lot for me to put a book down before I'm done, but this was so plodding and awkward and sad.
Rated by buyers 
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I loved this book and found the setting of the construction site very interesting. This author obviously has knowledge of these areas, and puts them together to make a wonderful mystery.
Rated by buyers -
I want to preface my review of "No Colder Place" by stating that this is the FIRST book I've read in the series, and that I quite enjoyed it, even though, at times, I felt.... That the book had some flaws.
Bill Smith (yes, this is his real name), is a Private Investigator, hired to help a friend with a problem at a construction site with employee theft. Bill and his Chinese-American Partner Lydia (no readers we cannot forget that Lydia is Chinese, this is mentioned at least a half a dozen times), go on the job to investigate.
Employee theft, is just the tip of the iceberg, and as Bill and Lydia investigate, they uncover a sinister web of corruption and betrayal.
I really enjoyed the writing style of Ms. Rozan. Her female characters are especially well done. Bill on the other hand, seemed a bit.... Stereotypical. He has no love life, drinks, and smokes (his smoking is described again and again to the point of tedium), (PLEASE get this guy the patch), and just seems like every other tough-guy detective I've ever read... With one exception. Even though he's tough, he seems a tad.... Feminized. This isn't a bad thing, it just seems strange. Also, I couldn't understand why Bill was so reticent to admit his feelings for Lydia. It just seemed odd.
Overall, a great story. Well worth the read. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for more Rozan books.
Rated by buyers -
No Colder Place was my introduction to S. J. Rozan's books (I have subsequently read all of her work), and it's a breathtakingly fine piece of writing. Of her two leading series characters, Bill is, by far, my favorite. This talented, clever, brooding, somewhat lovelorn man is a superb creation. Bill lives; he breathes audibly. When he sits down to his piano to learn a piece of music, you can almost hear the melancholy classical notes pouring into the atmosphere.
In this book, his undercover role as a bricklayer is so real that you can almost feel the ache in his spine and the soreness of his hands. It remains, to date, my favorite of Rozan's books. It has my highest recommendation. This is an author at top form, doing what she does best--giving us the wonderful Bill, deep in his element.
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