Rain Will Come is a unique twist on a cat and mouse story. The narrative switches between Czarcik, a hardened Chicago detective with numerous vices, and the killer, who continues to elude being caught.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I was enthralled by this novel. I couldn’t put it down. The duality of the detective and the killer make for a thrilling read from start to finish. Rain Will Come is noir meets the movie Heat in a fantastic way.

I will warn those with queasy stomachs that this may not be the novel for you. The depictions of violence are very gritty and graphic.

I’d definitely recommend this book to those who love crime noir. I’d discuss more detail, but then I’d spoil the book, so I’ll just leave it at this: read the book!

The cat and mouse genre requires delicate calibration to work. If a reader is going to have two opposing forces driving a book’s narrative, it is often better to know one intimately and the other only in passing. Ran Will Come, the pseudonymous debut of screenwriter Thomas Holgate, gives near equal footing to its leads. It’s a bold move, and it pays off in places and confounds in others.

After preternaturally intuitive cop Detective Paul Czarcik investigates a double homicide, he makes a connection with a torture murder scene across the country. Going off book, Czarcik searches for the “rush” that comes from knowing precisely where a serial killer is going to be next but not knowing whether he can stop him.

Rain Will Come opens with a scene emblematic of the lead character: Czarcik likes the platonic company of escorts and is more than partial to cocaine. He is otherwise a misanthrope, and he prefers to work from home. This establishes the character well, although one wonders how well he is paid if he is able to afford $500 escorts on an almost daily basis.
As the book progresses, Holgate loses some of the laser focus that defined his character in the outset; while a case is integral to a detective novel, much of the work’s success relies upon how willing a reader is to spend time with its protagonist. The pro-activeness engaged in early scenes seems suddenly to be swapped for a narrative leading by the nose, and Czarcik suffers from it.

The reader knows from chapter two what the killer’s motive is, and his identity from chapter four; from our perspective, there’s no mystery to be solved, only justice to be meted out. We know almost all there is to know about this killer almost immediately, and his actions are deliberately telegraphed. Holgate makes multiple ballsy moves in the developmental stage of the novel but not all of those balls stay suspended mid-air; the killer’s case study is significantly weaker than Czarcik’s and laying out the entirety of his plan so early on plays havoc with the suspense.

Holgate writes with a firm grasp of what is expected of the genre, repeatedly pointing out the difference between movies and the “reality” of Czarcik’s investigation. The adherence to a general realism (albeit one with reference to legitimate psychic powers and a literal gut reaction to key information) is welcome, but somewhat undone when one character says to another “we’re not so different, you and I,” a phrase that needs to be banned from all storytelling in perpetuity.

Chapters are structured dynamically, with Holgate able to pivot between character viewpoints mid-scene without compromising flow or integrity. The multiple viewpoints help to establish that Holgate's own narrative voice isn’t quite as cynical as Czarcik, who is often pointedly rude for the sake of it. Paradoxically the killer is written as a bit of a weenie, but he is afforded the dignity of mostly logical motivation — even if he should have kept some of it to himself.

Rain Will Come reveals too much of itself too soon, and thinks that its final development is surprising rather than the inevitability that it turns out to be, but Czarcik is a strong enough character to ride again. Whether Holgate has already written him into a corner remains to be seen.

I love a good mystery thriller, and this one did not disappoint!
Told in alternating points of view between Paul, the flawed investigator from the Bureau of Judicial Enforcement, and the serial killer, I plowed through it in one day - just couldn't put it down.
The more I learned about the killer, I found myself almost empathizing with him and his cause, which was in itself, a very interesting twist. I liked the twist at the end too!
I can't wait to read more by Thomas Holgate - this was a fantastic debut and if you are mystery reader you will definitely want to check this quick read out.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

Rain Will Come provides an alternative twist on cat & mouse, detective vs serial killer. The relationship which builds between the two really stands out and a few chance (or not so chance) encounters in-between gives a quick thrill.

Detective Czarcik a man with many vices, makes it his mission to bring down a new serial killer, the difficult part about the case - is the killer in the wrong? Both men are at the end of their lives, one literally and one figuratively, and determined to complete their final tasks.

Oddly, my favourite character was the killer, Daniel. Holgate did a very good job explaining the justifications of Daniels crime and you feel yourself almost cheering him on in hope that he will succeed.

This uncomplicated, easy read would be a perfect holiday book. With a mix of love and crime the book should appeal to many.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Thank you #netgallery for the eARC!

This is a remarkable debut novel for Holgate. It was very fast pace and kept me hooked. It transitioned seamlessly and was easy to read.

I'm going to be honest I'm not sure I liked this book, I finished it a few days ago, but was still mulling over what to write for the review.

The main police character Paul Czarcik, is a troubled character, drinks copious amounts of alcohol, takes cocaine, and hire's prostitutes, merely to chat to. I didn't find him very likeable and had no empathy with him at all, didn't care what happened to him.

Now as for the killer, I liked him, probably the only character I did like in the book! All very strange

The book opens with the killing of a judge, from there we meet Czarcik who is investigating a double, very gruesome homicide, he connects the two deaths, which is only the start of serial killer spree, but the reasons for the killings are also disturbing

The books are very gruesome and really not for the squeamish.

Rain Will Come was well written, and I am sure it will appeal to a lot of people.

Rain Will Come is the debut from Thomas Holgate. A cat and mouse Detective thrill featuring a serial killer playing mind games with the police. The writing is good and the books is fast paced. Fans of the genre will enjoy this one for sure. Those who aren’t fans probably won’t be converted by this one.

Rain will come was an excellent, fast paced thriller which drew me in from the very beginning. This was an excellent debut and I look forward to reading more books from Thomas Holgate.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC which I received for free in exchange for the honest review which I posted above.

Rain Will Come is a tightly written and plotted thriller by Thomas Holgate. Looking forward to this being sold for the movie rights!

ARC FROM NET GALLEY

Paul Czarcik detective vs. Daniel Langdon avenging angel. That is all I can give you of a great debut, fantastic pieces that fir if you pay attention. Gruesome in parts but winner winner chicken dinner here for all who read!!

I was given a free advance copy for my honest review

There are many crimes that are so heinous that we imagine killing the perpetrator. However, we don’t do it because it is not morally acceptable. But how many times do we read about a criminal who got what he/she deserved and did an internal victory fist pump? Now imagine being the detective responsible for apprehending someone, who to us, deserves a medal. Paul Czarcik is that detective.

Rain Will Come makes us ask ourselves some tough questions:

Is it wrong to rejoice when evil people experience what they inflicted on their victims? Does it make you just as evil as them to find pleasure in their suffering?

Daniel Langdon decided to become an avenging angel and he did it with as much blood, gore, and pain as possible. How many wrongs can he make right in his own twisted way before Detective Czarcik catches up?

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. The writing was excellent. The author was very adept at descriptions without being too wordy. The story flowed and the action was tight. Even the love story within was perfectly placed so the focus was not taken away from the main gist of the story. The only thing I disliked was his misconception about tattoos and members of unsavory societies. I saw that this is the author's first book and in that case, I would definitely read more of his work.

However, a word of warning: If you are squeamish, you probably should not try this book. Mr. Holgate spared no details when describing the blood and gore present at the murder scenes.

This was a good book featuring multiple genres with enough plot hooks to keep you interested.
It was a good solid read

This was a good book. It had some crime aspects, some suspense aspects, and some romance aspects. It was a great mixture of my usual favorite genres into one great read! I believe this is the first novel by this author, definitely the first of his that I have read, but I am looking forward to what else he puts out. I would definitely recommend this read to a friend.

A dark cat & mouse game!

The first words that came to mind when I start reading this book were dark and seedy. The main character is so deeply flawed, yet in the beginning, you really don't know why. As a seasoned Detective with Chicago PD, he spends his days drinking and spending his free time in the company of call girls, "just to talk". This is his life, until a string of grisly murders forces him to hunt for a killer, hell bent of achieving his own ghoulish goals before it's too late.

I found the writing in this book to very descriptive and if you enjoy cop dramas like Bosch or Dexter, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book. It certainly kept my attention and, while there really wasn't much of a twist (as a seasoned thriller reader, you'll spot it coming), you are entwined with the characters and compelled to finish This book is not for the faint of heart and is extremely descriptive in the way the killer maims and tortures his victims. I didn't find it overly done and thought it fit in well with the story. What I didn't love, was the romance, which really felt unnecessary and contrived. As someone who tries to put myself in the characters shoes, I just had a hard time finding the romantic element believable.

Overall, I would recommend this book and found it thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

Holgate’s debut novel is a rather good one. In fact it’s one of the better novels I’ve read this year.

I liked the back and forth between the protagonist and the serial killer. What I found fascinating was the crooked moral compass of both the cop and killer. In many respects they had more similarities than differences.

The author definitely doesn’t shy away from the grotesque but doesn’t overstuff with too many details. Felt like it was a good mix.

Fast paced and definitely a quick read. I can easily see this becoming a tv series or movie. Here’s hoping for a sequel.

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me a copy of #RainWillCome

Rain You Come is a fantastic gruesome thriller. The book will book you from the first chapter and is fast paced. Well written and well developed characters. A must read.

WARNING: GRISLY, GRUESOME DETAILS!!
Thomas Holgate starts off running. The first murder pulls you into the drama. It then slows down for a bit, but keep reading because it gets a lot better. I wouldn’t quite call this a thriller because I am not on the edge of my seat, yet! (This is at 25 percent.)
If you have a weak constitution or are squeamish, please do not read this book. Mr. Holgate gives us very graphic descriptions of his crime scenes. I thought the first one was shocking but this second scene, gory!
At about 40 percent this book picks up drastically! The killer pays Czarcik a visit, and in the next scene, his boss is telling him he needs to retire (and it isn’t a suggestion). As you have read in the description, the detective is broken, which equates to alcohol, drugs, and hookers. At this point I don’t want to go into any more detail. No spoilers here.
WOW what a great debut novel! The writing had some parts that could’ve been left out and would not have affected the story in the least, but it was what I would call an old-fashioned hard-boiled detective novel. And the ending had a real twist.
I would rate this about a 3.5 star, leaning towards 4. I am very happy I persevered and read through to the end. I recommend this book as long as you are not squeamish. This book was quite graphic in its torture-to-death scenes.
Thank you to Thomas Holgate, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me an ARC.

I think I will be in the minority here with my review. I will agree, fast paced, and yes, kept my attention. I looked forward to reading it and finishing it. Yet, I can’t say I enjoyed the ride. I did not like any of the characters. Their moral compasses beg the question, how can people act so egregiously? Not just the “bad guys” but the “good guys too.” The entire story did not bode well for my taste and I’m not being puritanical when I say that. I think the story line was far fetched and not believable. Three stars because it kept my interest. Thank you Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Paul Czarcik, the longest-tenured detective in the Illinois Bureau of Judicial Enforcement, puts the rest of the team to shame. Ruthless and riddled with vices, Czarcik always gets his man. And fast. Until now…

A double slaying isn’t the open-and-shut case of urban crime he’s used to. Connecting it to a high-profile Texas judge, Czarcik realizes something bigger is going on. It’s the work of a serial killer for whom Chicago is just the beginning. Now he’s inviting Czarcik to play catch-me-if-you-can on a cross-country murder spree.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book