Criminal Investigation, book review

Criminal Investigation by Karen Hess is a textbook used in criminology courses throughout the USA. I studied this book carefully as part of my research for writing one of my novels. The book is a thorough primer on the subject, starting with the basics and going all the way through to advanced techniques. Here’s my video review.

What I found most useful about this book was it’s organization. Without realizing it, I learned a bit about order and structure in the course of an investigation that applies to other areas of life, including writing a novel. Not that I always follow proper or even a logical procedure because part of writing is organic, taking its own course as it moves along. Nonetheless, a bit of formality improves the likelihood of success and I’m pleased to have received a tune-up in this area. So, if you’re someone who loves detective stories or just wants to have a look at the way a criminal investigation should be done, give this book a try.

Published in: on October 13, 2011 at 12:36 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Up Close and Personal

In Clandestine, James Ellroy takes the reader inside the world of one ambitious cop. Fred Underhill is a young LAPD officer who cleverly dodged service in World War II and makes no bones about his desire to climb the rungs of the police department. He finagles and manipulates, breaks the law and justifies his actions, all in a quest to advance his career. His foibles are many, including an early penchant to pursue women for one night stands and a desire to maintain his golf game.

One of Underhill’s female conquests turns up dead and he notices a pattern in this and another murder. At this point the fuse is lit. Underhill goes beyond the law to catch a killer. In the process, he falls for an assistant district attorney, Lorna, who looms large in everything he does. He also encounters a future James Ellroy larger than life but entirely believeable character: Dudley Smith. Smith and his crew co-opt Underhill, leading him down the road of self-destruction at full speed. Underhill soon implodes as his case evaporates based on new evidence. He subsequently loses Lorna but never his desire to solve the case. Toward the end, the story goes on a rambling quest half way across the USA as Underhill, the crusader turned knight errant, redeems himself by ultimately catching the killer.

Where Clandestine excels is in the vividness of the characters. Underhill, his early partner, his commanding officer, his lovers, and his golf partners, all of them are drawn with the skill of a master. James Ellroy pulls no punches, dilutes no dialog, and reveals everything raw in the course of this story. At times, the emotionally intensity may seem overwrought, but the setting is 1950’s LA, a place where the bloom was off the rose and the thorns sharper than ever. Read, enjoy, and contemplate why other authors don’t measure up, especially the recent slew of flat, thinly worded mystery/thrillers that lack any measure of proper development. Ellroy is a master of the genre. This early example of his work proves the point.

Published in: on July 9, 2011 at 12:31 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Wicked Winds Down Under

Truth, by Peter Temple, is as much a character study as it is a crime story. At the center of a whirlwind of crime, family dysfunction, and political corruption is Inspector Stephen Villani. Villani is a well-schooled detective, capable of hunting down the bad guys. His wit and wisdom lend credibility to this side of his character. Then there are the added dimensions of his estranged wife, daughter on the streets, and varied affiars. Through it all, Villani makes tough decisions, weaving between the difficult and the impossible with varied results.

This being the second Peter Temple book I’ve read, I was ready for the clipped sentences, odd references to things not properly explained, and insider jargon. Temple does a fine job of authenticating his police dialog, but at times this can be challenging if one is not tuned in to subtleties. While I appreciate the desire to render things accurately, a bit more clarity would have gone a long way. And this book will take you a long way. From a guy who steps into multiple murder scenes, who juggles his emotionally inaccessible father, who wrestles with how to handle a drug addicted daughter, and who somehow manages to do his job. There’s a morality play in here, one that demonstrates how the world rarely forgets and less often forgives, but continues on, carried by people like Villani who never give up.

Published in: on July 5, 2011 at 12:38 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , ,

Hard Knocks Down Under

The Broken Shore is the first Peter Temple book I’ve read. It features Joe Cashin, a detective haunted by a splintered family, nagging injuries, and his own questions about justice under the law. The story begins with the attack and subsequent death/murder of a wealthy local man. As Cashin is on and off the case, societal tensions are exposed as well as old wounds in his own personal history. The story careens around odd corners and meanders through Cashin’s past and present, revealing the details about a place where the friction is no longer under the surface. I would have preferred a bit more plot and a bit less interdiction for family heartstrings.

Much has been made about Temple’s writing style. It does have a staccato beat, which at times can be distracting. Chapter endings are a bit like stepping off a cliff. His sparse dialog may leave you guessing sometimes, too. However, he does paint the picture of a portion of Australia many American readers may not know. I’m going read another of his books because this installment has piqued my curiosity.

Published in: on June 23, 2011 at 3:03 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , ,
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »