Category: Book Reviews - A.B.PATTERSON

June 27th, 2023

27/6/2023

Time to get back into some book reviews and here's a hell of a place to start! This is a truly superb crime read from a Canadian indie author I've recently discovered.
This cornucopia of corruption and conflicted characters Canadian-style paints a gritty and uncomfortable picture of Toronto and its underbelly, but it would be equally accurate of any Western metropolis. Smith lays bare the insidious and layered hypocrisy of respectable officialdom, and society more broadly, with graphic realism, bursts of humour, and a refreshingly complete absence of any polite façade. What a sweet departure from the sanitized, timid, and vanilla volumes of mediocrity that permeate so much modern fiction. Smith conjures up a cast of memorable characters, all flawed and many despicable, but all drawn with vivid detail and humanness to deftly expose the brutal, seedy nature and cost of organized crime and corruption. As in life, everyone’s in the mix, hand-in-hand waiting for the payoffs: politicians, police, lawyers, journalists, and criminals. And the police personalities and dialogue are bang on, amongst the very best I’ve read from an author who hasn’t actually served in law enforcement. Bravo, Mr Smith, for a hell of a ride.
Cheers,
ABP

Book Review - "All Things Violent" by Nikki Dolson.

17/3/2019

I've been sampling the crime and noir offerings published by Fahrenheit Press, and All Things Violent by Nikki Dolson is one of a bunch of Fahrenheit titles I bought late last year.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella from Dolson, whose female protagonist, Laura Park, goes through a brutal journey into a career as a hired killer. I do love a really tough female protagonist (thinking writers like Christa Faust) and Dolson delivers a very fine tough character. Naturally, the disappointments Laura faces from men become a driving force for her, but there is a well-balanced mixture of emotions played out here. For me, this adds to the dark realism of the narrative. Dolson's prose is crisp and direct, and she makes great use of sensory images, especially taste and smell. The first person narrative does much to strengthen the impression of Laura and, given this is a story about her, nothing is lost by using her POV alone. We get all we need of the other characters from their actions and the dialogue. I certainly found myself urging Laura on, and I'd be keen to read any follow on stories.
A good, solid piece of noir. I recommend it, and I'll be coming back for more of Dolson's work.
Cheers,
ABP

Book Review - "10-33 Assist PC" - superb police realism from Canadian ex-detective Desmond P. Ryan

12/3/2019

I always love reading crime fiction from those fellow ex-cops from my Cops Writing Crime project - The Squad, as I've named us.
My normal crime reading is down the hard-boiled and noir avenues (and all those glorious gutters of depravity!), but I do love police procedurals from fellow ex-cops (at least all the ones I've read so far). Having walked those streets in those boots, there's something that reaches out viscerally, I find. And so I do occasionally venture from one variety of mean streets to another - a bit of variety in my genre sex life!

I actually read this debut novel from Canadian author Desmond P. Ryan at the end of last year, but I'm a tad behind in my book reviews. Apologies.
Ryan is a former long-serving Toronto detective, and his debut novel, 10-33 Assist PC, is a superb police procedural just basting in the realism that one hopes to get from ex-cops writing crime fiction.
All of the brush strokes of police life are here, as we follow the protagonist, Det. Mike O'Shea, through the underbelly of Toronto, doing his best to take down a prostitution ring of enslaved girls. We have the police partner with the annoying habits, the glimpses of family life and its second place to "the job" (my Aussie slang, there), the obsession with getting a result, the conflict with those cops not equally sharing the passion, the internal police politics and petty rivalries and oneupmanship, the ensuing clusterfucks (if you thought police departments were well-oiled machines, they're usually not, and Ryan nails this aspect), and the tragic end results.
Never any spoilers from me on the story - if you love police procedurals, then I strongly recommend you read it.
Ryan's realism evoked many memories for me, and I've been out of the cops for 20 years now. But so much came rushing back, especially as I worked vice, and this is the litmus test for me when I'm looking for realism in crime writing about police work. If those memories come flooding back (some of them unwelcome, I have to say), then I know the author has done a very fine job.
Take a bow, Mr Ryan, you're off to a flying start as a crime author.
And I've just gone online this afternoon to buy your next. Looking forward to the epilogue to this novel, and the next novel.
Cheers,
ABP
P.S. You can check out the Cops Writing Crime here - The Squad.

Book Review - "Breaking Glass" - a masterful dose of noir.

20/2/2019

I’m happy to shout from the rooftops that I love Alec Cizak’s work, and this latest masterpiece of hard-boiled noir is incontrovertible proof that he is at the top of his game.
We met the female protagonist, Chelsea Farmer, in the excellent Down on the Street, where you could be forgiven for thinking young Chelsea had had it pretty much as bad as it gets – used, abused, and exploited by every man in her life, and derided by other women.  But, of course, life can always get worse – the best noir thrives on downfall and tragedy. Without giving anything away, by the time we meet Chelsea again in this novel, she’s tumbled down the tunnel from sexual exploitation to chronic drug addiction.  Sadly this is so often the trajectory from what I’ve seen in my professional life.  And Chelsea is hanging out with the bottom rung – anarchically violent robberies paying for all the drugs.  She’s in her version of Hell.
But Chelsea’s got innate verve and courage hiding in the haze of opiates.  She grabs for some higher rungs, or what the righteous types in society (namely the power Establishment) dictate as the ladder.  The façades of modern society are laid bare by Cizak in his true manner: caustic, penetrating, and brutally honest, but with palpable empathy for the genuine human beings out there, as flawed as they (we) all are.  It’s the “American Nightmare” in Cizak’s words.  All the sacred cows of societal hypocrisy and the Establishment’s “respectable values” are rounded up, slaughtered, and then barbecued.  How’s this for a great quote: “Surrounded by mansions, by people who’d landed in the good dimension, the one where they had enough useless shit around them to convince them their lives had meaning.”  And as for the political zeitgeist, Cizak captures the crisis of western liberal democracy perfectly: “Every four years the same two parties ran miserable, rotten candidates, and people wasted their time going to the polls to pretend they had any say in who ran the country.”  He’s talking about the USA, but, hell, sounds to me just like Australia as well.  And, no doubt, most of our comparable countries. A tragedy in itself.
Cizak’s writing is the perfect weaving of story with social commentary, and he deserves a place amongst the great writers of socially incisive fiction. Aside from riotously entertaining storylines and richly drawn characters, Cizak’s work makes you read and think, then re-read and think a whole lot more.  Not to mention the regular punches in the guts.  I cannot recommend Breaking Glass highly enough.  And when you’ve savoured it, go back for his other works.  I’ve done that and read them all, for now.  I’m just quietly willing Mr Cizak on with his next project – but I’m a patient man, especially when something is so worth the wait.
Cheers,
ABP

Book Review - "Sydney Noir"

18/2/2019

I've read some of the other "(Insert city) Noir" series over the last few years, so was keen to see the very recent offering from my own city (current home, at least), especially being a writer of hard-boiled and noir crime myself.
So, this is an eclectic collection - some well-known names on the crime writing scene here, others I'd never heard of, in the crime genre anyway. Overall, the writing is good quality and the book is an entertaining read. Being a local here in Sydney, many of the stories definitely conjure up the local scene and feel pretty well. I enjoyed all the stories, without exception, although some resonated more with me than others. My stand outs are those by Mark Dapin and Leigh Redhead. There are certainly some beautifully drawn characters in various of the tales, and there are some lovely twists, as one would hope for from a "noir" label.
My only reservation is one of personal taste - I like my noir reading to be gut-punchingly dark and with little regard for sensitivities. I like controversy, discomfort, and brutal rawness. For me, this collection erred towards the tamer side of noir - I didn't come across pages which leapt out and smacked me in the face, unlike the hard-core noir I'm used to reading from Americans (and some Brits). This is very much a personal opinion, but I tend to find Australian fiction these days does seem to be preoccupied with not causing offence or upset. I guess that may be the result of this country's obsession with political correctness. And that's something which, in my view, is incompatible with the harder side of noir.
However, that said, if you're happy with your noir on the tamer side, then you'll probably find this a 5-star read. The storytelling is solid, after all.
Cheers,
ABP

"Switchblade - Issue Sixx" - The excellence of this anthology simply accelerates every issue!

2/10/2018

It's always utter bliss when the post delivery arrives with the next issue of Switchblade. And despite the issues with Amazon and Australia, I can still get my fix, just slightly delayed from the way it used to be. But this is a magazine anthology that is worth pursuing to the ends of the Earth.
William R. Soldan’s dark, urban poetry starts this volume off, setting the scene perfectly for the hard-boiled and noir tales to follow. As always with Switchblade, I really, really enjoyed every piece I read here; it’s another stellar collection of the hard-boiled and noir talent out there.
Three pieces of flash fiction follow the Soldan poem.
“Down Payment” by George Garnet: You’re never too young to protect your mummy, even with only a water pistol.
“Hooked” by Aidan Thorn: Grief and craving for intimacy are not a good state of mind when the world is full of predators.
“On The Way Home” by Rex Weiner: A twisted tale with very twisted humour. And this gem of a line: “The sun is setting over the hills like final judgment in some forgotten language.” Superb!
Then we’re into the 11 excellent short stories.
“Cold Comfort” by John Bosworth: Well, it does take all sorts to make the world go round. And this is prostitution on a whole new level, or not so new, depending on how you look at it!
“The Vice Aisle” by Mike Payne: Yeah, mix swingers' parties, drug supply, and child support – what could possibly go wrong?
“Dead Men Tell Tales” by Jim Thomsen: Lovely twist here, and if you’re into hiring a contract killer, then you really need to understand that nobody can be trusted. But rich, arrogant people will still behave the way they do. Loved this line: “He nodded to the couch, a horror of bright flowers and burnt orange that looked like it had died and gone to hell in 1974.”
“The Usher” by E.F. Sweetman: This was my personal favourite. Aside from the great writing, this piece is the epitome of the missing young female traveller tale. Mix those Scandinavian girls with twisted predators in a foreign country, and it’s gruesome. The skill of Sweetman here is to leave that haunting chill with you well after the read. Seriously loved this piece. And it haunts, it really does.
“Chowda” by Travis Richardson: Fish soup has never been high on my list, but even less so now, and even if it is cooked by family. Because not all families live on Walton mountain, that’s for sure.
“Implement of Destruction” by Rusty Barnes: The great twist here is the feisty girlfriend you didn’t see coming. And it’s a new take on a golden shower, oh yes. Add in the dog’s tongue…just read it, you’ll understand exactly what I mean. This is my second favourite piece here.
“Lost Girl” by Scot Carpenter: PIs take pretty well most jobs that come their way. So does this PI. And his torture techniques are inventive! He does also have an unconventional way of wrapping a case up.
“Road Rage” by Danny Sophabmisay: This is the gutter of life at its darkest best. This girl should have tried harder with Narcotics Anonymous, but then we wouldn't have this great story. Mix drugs, cash and Disney characters. Yeah, a hell of a ride. And this line sets the scene perfectly: “All she wanted was a hit of crack – just one little rock to unwind after a long shift at The Foamy Beaver.” Love it!
“The Bargain” by Tom Barlow: Buyer beware, what more can I say? But drugs and cash are powerful motivators. Throw in a blow job and guns, and it’s a hoot.
“The Magician’s Left Hand” by Tais Teng: Over to Holland for a contract killer who needs to have a better recollection of his clients and targets, but this one is a real professional.
“Violet” by Evelyn Deshane: Transgender porn shop worker fantasizing about female porn star in a porno snuff movie – of course, this is looking good. Throw in a filmic re-enactment, and this is a great story to round out the volume.
The Switchblade editor, Scotch Rutherford, has quickly established himself and his magazine anthology as a leader in the hard-boiled and noir crime writing space. Every issue of Switchblade so far has been an immense treat, and the quality just keeps getting better. If you are a fan of this sub-genre of crime, then I cannot recommend Switchblade enough – it is, quite simply, mandatory reading for connoisseurs of noir.
Cheers,
ABP

"Between Juárez and El Paso" - a great hard-boiled read by Alec Cizak.

20/9/2018

I'll confess up front that I am already a rusted-on fan of Alec Cizak's work - if you follow my blogs, you'll probably have read my reviews of others of his books.
This novella is one of the Drifter Detective series with a common protagonist, but produced by different authors. This strikes me as an interesting approach, one which I haven't encountered before in my reading (and I haven't read any of the other authors).
However, this offering from Mr Cizak is outstanding. I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Whilst at first feeling quite different on a number of levels from his other work I've read, at the same time it's a classic hard-boiled tale, with a tough and cynical PI, Jack Laramie. The setting is not long after WW2, which Laramie and his client, Shel Eastman, served in together, the effects of that awful experience lingering in their minds and infecting their lives and choices. As always, no spoilers from me, but the tale is gripping and dark. The tough PI works the case, but with dark, tragic events - not unusual for Mr Cizak's work. Plus, as I always love with his work, the social commentary is rich, incisive and damning.
If you like hard-boiled and noir, then I highly recommend this book. And its slightly alternative slant on the hard-boiled genre is a delicious surprise.
Cheers,
ABP

"I-5" - A compelling and insightful crime story of sexual slavery.

13/8/2018

This was my first encounter with the work of Summer Brenner. I took an interest when I happened upon this title as it involved crime and sex, two of my favourite story themes. It also involves sex trafficking, an area I did some work in in my final months in the police back in the day, so I always like to read about vice matters.
The level of insight which Brenner achieves in her work here must surely have come from some direct interviewing of girls caught up in the revolting and cruel world of sexual slavery. The characterization of the lead girl, Anya, is as absolutely compelling as it is tragic. And the insight into other personalities in the cast is equally perceptive, not that you're likely to have much empathy for most of the others.
My only reservation reading this was the present tense narrative, a writing style that I always find somewhat annoying, but that's just my personal taste. Here, it certainly didn't detract a jot from what was a riveting read with twists and turns aplenty. As always, no spoilers in my reviews, but you won't see the ending before it hits you.
But aside from the solid, tight plot, which keeps you entertained, for me it was the poignancy of the characters, especially Anya, and the clear understanding of the psychologies in the sexual slavery world, that made this a truly memorable read.
Cheers,
ABP

"Sunk Costs" - another excellent noir tale from Preston Lang.

10/8/2018

I've become a huge fan of Preston Lang's work - he consistently delivers superb hard-boiled and noir crime fiction. And this latest release is no exception.
Sunk Costs sees Dan, a wandering con man, getting picked up hitchhiking by a female driver. To quote: "...all Dan's instincts told him she was dangerous". Yeah, always good to listen to those gut feelings, but then we wouldn't have had the great story that follows. No spoilers here, but hapless Dan, on the quest for cash like all con men, ends up messing with not one, but two, decidedly treacherous femmes fatales! Yes, Lang is a master at depicting the base instincts of people scrabbling around the lower end of the social heap, and his characterization here is wonderful as always. You're never quite sure where to land your sympathies with Lang's motley crews, and that's part of the fun of reading him. And it's noir at its best - the ugliest parts of society, but they are all out there, they really are.
If you love your hard-boiled and noir crime, then Sunk Costs is a definite candidate for your reading list!
Great work again, Mr Lang.
Cheers,
ABP

"Invisible Women" - my review of one of the best true crime books I've ever read.

31/7/2018

I don't read a great deal of true crime - I guess having investigated it for a hefty chunk of my career, reading it doesn't attract me as much as it does many people.
I got on to this title from chatting with one of the authors, Ruth Wykes, for one of her current book projects. Combined with my last year and a half as a detective being in the Vice Squad, the subject of murdered sex workers was immediately of interest to me.
This book is simply excellent. It is horrendous to read of one murder after another of these women, generally street-based sex workers and therefore some of the very most vulnerable women in society. The authors, Kylie Fox and Ruth Wykes, tackle this difficult subject with skill, writing in an informative and objective way, but displaying great compassion. A book like this, in less adept writing hands, could all too easily become a feminist-style polemic, but Fox and Wykes avoid this pitfall, and instead deliver a very readable, although incredibly sad, collection of accounts of the lives and brutal deaths of 65 sex workers around Australia since the 1970s. The appalling violence in these deaths, almost exclusively perpetrated by males, is spelled out, as it should be to illustrate its horror. The fact that only about half of these murders have ever been solved is also highlighted, with the point being clearly made that society as a whole, and the media and the cops in particular, often regard the lives of sex workers as somehow less valuable than other people. This, of course, is the central tragedy in the lives of these women and girls. Along with the perils of drug addiction, which walk hand-in-hand with sex work for many. Fox and Wykes have the breadth of understanding to see the true tragedy of the drug problem: that it is a health and welfare issue above all, rather than the crime problem that the Establishment in our society dictates it should be. As an ex-cop who has believed in drug legalisation, combined with harm-minimisation strategies, for a very long time (and whilst I was still in the police), these accounts of the dead women so strongly underscore taking a radically different approach to drugs in our society. If drugs had been legally available to these women, many of them would not have been street-based sex workers, and therefore many of them would probably still be alive, enjoying their families and friends and a much better life. There is a very sad irony here: the conservative forces, usually male-dominated, which control Australian society and create the moral taboo around sex work (despite so many of them being customers of the industry), are also the same forces who insist on prohibition of drugs (some of them are major beneficiaries of the drug trade, too). And the authors here manage to capture the hypocrisy of those in power with the corrupt links between police, politicians and the sex industry.
On a final note, there was an added poignancy for me with this book: one of the murdered girls, Clare Garabedian, was a street-based sex worker in Perth when I was working vice there in the late 90s. I met Clare several times, another very young, drug-addicted human tragedy; someone whose life could potentially have been so different. I remember when she was murdered. Fortunately, those who killed her were caught and brought to justice.
I can't recommend this book enough. All credit to the authors for their delivery: they have illustrated all the brutal and tragic aspects of these 65 cases, made many valid points of social commentary, highlighted the hypocrisy and failings in our society, and yet none of these aspects have been overplayed. Rather, the lingering effect of this book for me is the sheer humanity of it - this book is about many themes, but overwhelmingly it is about 65 people, women and girls, who tragically are no longer with us.
ABP

"I Let You Go" - superb crime thriller from ex-cop Clare Mackintosh.

29/7/2018

I came across Clare Mackintosh during my research for my Cops Writing Crime project (which you can find elsewhere on my website – I call us “The Squad”). I have decided to try and read more of my cousins in The Squad, as I love realistic police/crime writing.
Mackintosh’s debut novel was the second read for me this year from The Squad, and “I Let you Go” delivers in spades. This is quite simply a tremendous crime thriller – one of those it is difficult to put down, even as the clock ticks past one in the morning! The story is well-crafted and keeps you guessing with plenty of suspense and twists. Mackintosh’s depiction of the psychology of domestic violence is chillingly on the money, and her characterization is excellent across her cast. As you’d expect, her police characters are realistic and all-too-human, and she delivers an engrossing cross-section of society.
I loved this book – it’s a 5-star read – and will definitely be buying her next one which is now available.
Cheers,
ABP

"Manifesto Destination" - a superb hard-boiled dystopia from Alec Cizak.

28/7/2018

If I had to name my favourite two genres, then they would be hard-boiled crime and dystopias. As a writer, I wouldn’t have initially thought of blending the two together. However, that is just what Alec Cizak does in Manifesto Destination, and boy does he do it well.
Elmore Johnson is a classic hard-drinking PI who’s a sucker for the dames, but also, like any good PI character, he’s got an inherent sense of justice, and that’s what he goes looking for. I won’t give any spoilers here, but Cizak’s weaving of a tale of corporate conspiracies and social control combined with the PI quest is beautifully executed. Throwing in corrupt cops and a healthy dose of the porn industry really propels us into classic hard-boiled and noir territory. And the whole corporate nightmare scenario doesn’t take very much of a leap of imagination whatsoever – like all the best dystopias, it’s not too far in the future and it’s entirely believable, as scary as it is. As I’ve come to expect from Cizak (I’m now a rusted-on fan, I’m very happy to admit!), his prose is wonderful and there are some delicious lines that have been copied into my quote books. Try the following as a sample. The PI: “When I was bored, which tended to coincide with the lack of a bottle…”. The dames: “The illusion I allowed myself in Amber’s arms the night before worked like morphine on the soul”, and “Her voice dripped through my ears like honey and molasses eased over warm flapjacks in the middle of winter”. And society: “I couldn’t help but wonder if life might have been a little bit better before corporations decided they had a right to run the whole goddamn world.”
I really love Cizak’s work, and I’m looking forward to getting his latest release which is due out anytime soon. I’ve previously reviewed one of his other novels and a collection of his short stories, so you can see them in my blog archive. He’s also the editor of the superb Pulp Modern magazine anthology.
If you love your crime hard and gritty and dark, read Mr Cizak!
Cheers,
ABP

"Switchblade" Issue # 5 - This anthology gets darker and finer every time! It's a must read for crime connoisseurs.

26/7/2018

Oh, yes! Another volume of hard-boiled and noir that should be on every crime connoisseur’s shelf, and looking well-read! All the pieces are really good, as we've come to expect from Switchblade. I've highlighted my personal favourites, but must stress at the outset that I loved them all.
Lisa Douglass opens the volume with a superb piece of noir poetry, “The Hidden”.
Then we’re into the 12 short stories, all a damned fine read.
“A Good Week’s Work” by Rob Pierce: Card games, money, guns, greed and doublecrossing. Not every one can walk out a winner, that’s for sure.
“Nasty Habits” by Alec Cizak: And habits don’t come any nastier than paedophilia. To use a quote from this piece: “A toucher. Lower than a chunk of petrified dog shit loitering between Satan’s toes.” Well, in this town, you really, seriously need to be careful what you ask for. And what you actually get? Dark, violent justice here. It’s great writing by Cizak, and definitely one of my top choices from this excellent Switchblade collection.
“Discretion” by Court Merrigan: Giving a blow-job without your hubby watching can be a problem. But with your hubby watching – this is one violent and twisted tale – excellent!
“Play Your Hand” by Danny Sophabmisay: An adultery case for a nasty PI with a gambling problem. What could go wrong? So much, and it’s so well written. A sample: “…he stopped to put a song on the jukebox. ‘Come on Eileen’. It was a bold choice for someone whose wife had been covered in frat semen.” My first taste of Sophabmisay’s work, but one of the highlights here for me.
“Chemo Queen” by Tom Barlow: Everyone has secrets, some are just much dirtier than others. And what do you get when two con artists go up against each other? A hell of a story.
“Daughter of Diamonds” by Jack Bates: Competing women, hungry for diamonds, and a gun thrown into the mix. Our man here is in serious trouble.
“The Comforter” by Rick Risemberg: The comfort of revenge, one you never see coming. What happens when you mess it up with organized crime.
“Crossing Lines” by Tony Genova: When you’re paid to transport bags, don’t let your curiosity get the better of you. The bags are closed for a reason.
“China Township, MI” by E.F.Sweetman: A sociopathic college dropout, discreet package deliveries, and a neo-Nazi guy wanting a blow-job. Yep, the motto is not to run out of petrol. This piece by Sweetman, my first read of her work, is right up there for me.
“These Hills” by Chris McGinley: Misery and addiction in Appalachia, poaching, death, musings on heaven, and a preacher who says he’s never going to get there. This is a bitingly dark look at a small town.
“Vanishing Girl” by Robb T. White: Strippers, spiked drinks, rapists, clueless cops, and serial killers. A nice girly joint, this one, and a terrifically twisted noir tale. And this is up there with my favourites, too.
“Bad Dog” by Timothy Friend: Canine noir? Yes, and the bite is well worth the bark. This is an out-there POV shift that works beautifully.
Then we round the issue out with three flash fiction pieces.
“The Big Blind” by David Rachels: A card game with the ultimate high stakes.
“Lama Todd” by Preston Lang: Religion, fraud, and a lovely twist. Mr Lang is one of my favourite indie crime authors.
“Lights of San Francisco” by Tom Andes: Delicious double deals, and then say goodbye to those lights.
Switchblade’s editor, Scotch Rutherford, again excels himself with his curation of superb hard-boiled and noir crime writing. This anthology really has grown into a haven of some of the best indie crime writing around, and it’s a crime reader’s wet dream!
Can’t wait to get my hands on Issue #6.
Cheers,
ABP

An excellent crime thriller from an ex-cop - "Among the Shadows" by Bruce Robert Coffin.

17/5/2018

If you follow my blogs then you'll know about my project "Cops Writing Crime" - so far I've collected over 100 crime fiction authors who have been cops or law enforcement. See the page here Also: Cops Writing Crime
I've only read a small handful of these authors, so one of my reading goals for this year was to start getting into the works produced by my fellow former officers from around the world.
So, number one on my Cops Writing Crime TBR pile was Bruce Robert Coffin, a former cop of nearly 30 years service in the US.
Coffin's debut novel is Among the Shadows, and centres on Detective Sergeant John Byron. It sits pretty firmly in the crime thriller camp, and it has that very most important quality any novel in this sub-genre should have - I didn't want to put it down. I don't do spoilers, so you're not going to get bits of the story here. Suffice to say the plot is gripping.
Of course, my interest with my Cops Writing Crime project revolves around the sheer realism cops-turned-authors can, and do, bring to writing crime fiction, whichever sub-genre they're creating in. The great Joseph Wambaugh was my first ever exposure to this, whilst still a serving officer myself. It resonated so much.
Coffin's work is right up there on the realism scale. Hardly surprising given his long service as an officer. But aside from the realistic crime story and details, it is all those brushstrokes of police life that define such writing. Among the Shadows is right up there with Wambaugh in its superb characterization of police and how they interact, both with their "clients" and with each other. And each other on so many levels - professional and personal are inseparable in real police life, and Coffin captures this flawlessly. What's not flawless, of course, are the cops themselves, and again this aspect is perfectly crafted in this novel. The conflicts for the characters here are both external and internal, and drive their motivations, for good and bad. There's no shortage of corruption in this tale, just as there isn't in real policing. No doubt Coffin had to survive that dark side of the Force, and I can relate to that. In fact, every aspect of this novel simply oozes evidence of bearing personal witness.
I really, really enjoyed this novel and Coffin's direct and realistic prose. If you like your police thrillers realistic, it doesn't come better than Bruce Robert Coffin. Read him.
His second novel is out now, so I'm ordering that ASAP.
Cheers,
ABP

A great pulp and fantasy read - Broadswords and Blasters Issue 2!

16/5/2018

Pulp across the spectrum is the name of the game here, and the editors deliver a great selection of work, once again. I really enjoyed Issue 1 of Broadswords and Blasters, so what does one do then? Get online and buy further issues, of course! So I’ve now read # 2 and # 3, with two more on my TBR pile.
So here’s my wrap for # 2. The cross representation of different types of pulp is in full swing again, ranging from fantasy to sci-fi to crime to western. Yes, I did say western: “A Western Promise” by Calvin Demmer is one of my favourites, with the tough man hero having to keep an awful promise whilst fighting aliens – just excellent.
And I’m loving being taken outside of my normal reading zones. I think I mentioned that in my review of Issue 1, but it was certainly reinforced this issue, too. It's even inspired me to put pen to paper, away from my usual hard-boiled PI yarns.
I enjoyed all the stories here. If I were to pick other highlights for me, they were the stand alone tough female protagonist yarns: “The Oath Breaker” by Grey Harlowe, and “The Eye of the Sun” by D.J.Tyrer. I love a kick-arse female lead, and these both served that up. Being a crime writer, the crime sample did it for me, “Kane and Grable” by Michael T. Best, with an ex-girlfriend of an entirely different type! And then up there as equal top billing for me was “The Soul Plantation” by Sara Codair. This was a human/alien story turned on its head, but in the great tradition of an allegory which stirs your inner thoughts and stays with you.
So, Mr Gomez and Mr Mount, bravo again for editing such an excellent magazine.
My review of Issue 3 will follow in a few days.
Cheers,
ABP