Helpful Score: 2
James Hall has written a number of books in the Thorn series and while I have not read them all as yet, Red Sky At Night has got to rank very close to the top of that list. The usually moody Thorn is up to his usual tricks, of course, poking his nose in where it doesn't belong; but there's a tenderness to him this time that helps to take the edge off. Not that this book is lacking any 'edges', given we are introduced to a psychotic doctor determined to relieve his own phantom pain by experimenting on other vet amputees in his search for the perfect pain killer. His henchpersons slaughter dolphins for their endorphins and also happily dispose of anyone who gets in their way. A good cast of characters, none of whom are as outlandish as some others he's dreamed up, and Hall's usual flair for pacing make this a true page-turner.
