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May I also recommend: Soothing Music for Stray Cats by Jayne Joso, a London novel; and The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood by David Simon A massive credit to the writer for the complexity and depth of this novel because it's nail biting stuff. Sheer literary brilliance. The social and criminal scope of this book is breathtaking, showing what is happening in American society at a truly profound level.
I came upon this book after finishing The Wire, and like many others, I was so thoroughly impressed with that series that I wanted more.and I am happy to say I was not disappointed in the least with this book. The murders. But that's all just the [b.s].you're gonna write about us. Though many of the cases in the book range from compelling to heartbreaking, to hilarious and sometimes just plain unbelievable, they truly aren't what really makes this piece astounding. About how we act and the [stuff] we say to each other, about how pissed off we get and how funny we are sometimes and the [stuff] that goes on in the office." And you know what. It's the character with which these men handle the calls and the amount of work they put in, even when there isn't necessarily a light at the end of the tunnel. Simon writes brilliantly and frank. I mean, you'll write about the murders so you have stuff to write about.
I never pictured myself becoming engrossed in a 600 page homicide book, but this stands as a testament to how much life Simon gives the individuals who selflessly spend countless hours doing the impossible job of investigating wrongful deaths in a city where murder is seemingly a common occurrence. His work is so comprehensive, in fact, that I feel no journalist/writer need bother with the topic again.Just like McLarney says in the epilogue, "It's not about the cases. About the guys. He's right, and it's why this book will continue to marvel readers for generations.
But be warned - like The Wire, this book may ruin you for all police procedurial shows like Ultimate CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or Criminal Minds: The Complete Third Season. Along the way he brings in the racial factors and the way the city of Baltimore.
I knew that this book and The Corner was the basis for at least the first season. Of course, I came to this book through The Wire: The Complete Series.
David Simon captures all aspects of homicide detective work including the gallow's humor, the frustration, the interrogation room, the courthouse shenanigans and the daily grind. But I didn't know how much I'd enjoy the thing.
Beyond the moments that I recognize from The Wire ("you gotta man, this is America" and the photocopier lie detector) there are great moments throughout this book. He even manages to bring up that old bugaboo of the way some murders are more "important" than others in a way that makes it understandable (as opposed to an easy sermon).All in all this is an amazing book that should be read by anyone interested in criminal justice and police procedurial.
When the reality is so entertaining, there really is no reason to waste your time with the attempts at "relevancy" that pervade these shows.
While the topic is serious (nothing is as serious as death, right)., I frequently found myself laughing out loud at the antics of detectives and criminals alike. Some of them are laughably obvious, others require weeks of leg work, and a few never get solved.
This book was incredible. Seriously.
Beyond that, it is just so well written that it was almost impossible to put down.This book is the ultimate fly-on-the-wall for some 260 Baltimore murders in 1988 and the men who investigated those murders. First off, it's a fascinating insight into the workings of a major city homicide unit.
Secondly, it so perfectly relates the attitudes of the detectives that is both interesting and amusing. David Simon pulled off something here that has likely never been done before and may never be done again.
One of the most enjoyable and satisfying books I've read in a long time.
Somewhere, somehow, the Baltimore Police Department, to its credit, was convinced to permit this sometimes-thorn-in-their-side to spend a year shadowing one of their homicide units. Fiction can't touch these guys (and gals). I was living in Baltimore at the time and I remember being impressed by his easy prose and meticulous attention to detail. Before the acclaimed television series "Homicide - Life on the Street", "The Corner", and, of course, "The Wire", there was this book. I no longer live in Baltimore but the story rings as true and fresh as it ever did. And what a world.
As it turned out, after the expected false starts and mutual suspicions, a working relationship began and Simon's entry into the genuine world of the homicide detective commenced in earnest.
You had to wonder how this arrangement was going to work out.
This old friend is one of those books and I fondly remember the first reading back in 1992.
Before this book, David Simon was known as a sincerely talented newspaper journalist who specialized in detailed investigative pieces.
Simon's well-tuned ear picked up all of the bravado, the inappropriate remarks, the WAY-larger-than-life characters, and, when faced with the murder of a child, the heartbreaking tenderness and dedication of the squad.I read this book long before I discovered amazon.com and started writing reviews but, once in a while, I like to go back to my favourite books and revisit them.
Would Simon really have unlimited access.
And would he use his inside access to do a deconstruction job on the Department.
When I finished it, I turned back to the first page, grabbed a Baltimore map, and started all over again.
And I wonder.where are those homicide detectives today.
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