By Marcus Sakey (’06)
[St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2007. 320 pages, $22.95 hardcover]
Reviewed by Rebecca Mielcarski (B.A. ’05)

Any story can be set in Chicago, but Marcus Sakey’s nail-biter novel really puts us there. He doesn’t waste time describing every city-centric detail (i.e. “El train” is not used; instead, he references the Orange Line, or simply the El). It’s refreshing to read a Chicago-based story that doesn’t feel the need to define all the details for out-of-towners.

The Blade Itself is set in the South Side, Irish-Catholic heart of the Bridgeport neighborhood. The unassuming hero, Danny Carter, and his childhood pal, Evan McGann, get busted during an attempted robbery—the first heist in their lifelong career to ever go wrong. Evan is caught and does seven years, while Danny goes free and makes a new, blue-collar life for himself—he moves to Lincoln Park, holds a legitimate job, and pairs up with a long-term, live-in girlfriend. When Evan is released, there’s hell to pay. Justice was not served, as far as Evan’s concerned, and he’s bound to tie the loose ends and make it count by dragging Danny back into “the life” to settle the score.

With the page count past 300, it’s a surprisingly fast read—chapters are small and include witty headings that tie in or are referenced later in the story. The realistic, three-dimensional characters are enhanced with very visual descriptions that make them all feel very familiar. It’s hard not to get invested in this suspenseful page-turner.