Continued excellence...
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Whilst not an instant classic, this latest novel is mesmerising reading. Beautifully described characters operating in the high octane environment of L.A. utterly grip the reader. The characterisation is wonderful, the humour subtle and there is no doubt that the reality of modern policing, US-style, is overlaid and interwoven in this tale. It leaves the reader wanting more. Recommended to fans of Michael Connelly and Jack Kerley in particular.
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L.A. Law and Disorder
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Having read this novel, my Wambaugh total is now up to - well - one, to be exact. It's about LA Cops and LA people, and provides a little peek into the sordid underbelly (apologies, but I always wanted to get an opportunity to say that) of life on the Hollywood streets.
The story isn't about the famous sign or the stars on the pavement, and it's not about black birds or old women, and to be quite honest, the plot isn't really that good in the first place, but the black humor and the low morality level is what keeps the reader turning the pages.
On the side of law and order (chung-chung!) we meet Matthew McConaughey-type surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, who have a knack for finding trouble and a lot of true grit (from the beach). There's veteran Bix Ramstead, a loving family man coasting towards retirement, and then there's potentially famous actor Nate Weiss biding his time before being discovered. There's a trio of strong female officers named Cat, Ronnie and Gert, and a few others including the officious and clueless Sergeant Treakle, but you can read about them for yourself.
On the civilian side, there's a weaselly little cokehead named Leonard, a strip club owner named Ali Aziz, his ravishingly beautiful wife (and ex-employee) Margot, and a Mexican pharmacist who's willing to turn the other cheek for a treat and a trick. You'll also find out what goes on behind the scenes with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and all the other characters on the strip.
Naturally, some of them come into contact while Wambaugh turns his all-too-human characters into the terribly obvious story-line, and although he blows most of the suspense by straight-out telling you most of the details, there are one or two little twists he keeps until the right time. He also hits pretty hard at police procedure and bureaucracy in the light of the need to maintain an untarnished image after the Rampart affair.
I'm gathering that he's written better books, and although I don't think this is one of them, it has enough juicy stuff to make you look.
Amanda Richards
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Classic as ever
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There is no reason why I should be drawn to tales of Hollywood vice, but I find this work utterly addictive, enlightening, and rewarding. He's also the only author that can make me laugh outloud, despite the human tragedy infusing the book. I really hope there are more in this series, this one is a classic.
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Excellent reading
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This is a followup to Wambaugh's "Hollywood Station" and follows essentially the same formula (and some of the same characters) highlighting the bizarre, touching and horrifying experiences of a group of LA police trying to keep law and order in Hollywood. Clearly based on true accounts, these anecdotes are fascinating in themselves, but there is also a well worked out plot holding the book together.
It doesn't end neatly - but that fits the overall mood.
Easily as good as the earlier volume: I hope there'll be more
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Hollywood Stars
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Once again, Joe Wambaugh has come up with the goods; `Hollywood Crows' is absolutely jam-packed with the type of characters readily associated with his fascinating style of writing; a middle-Eastern strip club owner who wants his wife dead who, in turn, weaves a Machiavellian plot with the unwitting assistance of a besotted cop to murder her husband. Then there's the two surfing cops who speak their own private language, a spineless supervisor - a must in any Wambaugh book! - and a massive woman officer, Gert von Braun, whose reputation for possessing both an explosive temper and sharp-shooting precedes her. And with Leonard Stilwell, with a reliance on Crystal Meth and a seller of stolen liquor, surely the seediest character to emerge from the pages of a Wambaugh novel, the scene is set for a labyrinthine plot of sex, betrayal, violence and, as always, outrageous humour.
Wambaugh's latest novel is, I believe, his best yet.
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