Not Your Ordinary Joes:
Two Book Reviews by Garrett PeckA couple of guys named “Joe” have dropped fine new books on store shelves recently. One is a certified Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and the other is a promising newcomer presenting his debut. Both have created riveting reads sure to keep you up late at night.
HOLLYWOOD STATION
Joseph Wambaugh
Little, Brown
353 pages
First up is Joseph Wambaugh, generally credited with creating the modern police novel. He’s previously published 11 novels, as well as five true crime books. His latest, HOLLYWOOD STATION, is his first novel in 10 years—the last being Floaters, published in May of 1996. A new novel by Wambaugh is cause enough for celebration, but there’s even more reason to cheer this one because it finds the author returning to his roots. A former officer with the LAPD, Wambaugh writes about the day-to-day lives of policemen (and women) with rare authenticity.
As the title indicates, this novel follows the lives of several officers (and criminals) in the Tinseltown division. Wambaugh employs an ensemble cast of characters depicting the diversity of people who serve on the force protecting the social melting pot of Los Angeles. Among the officers are two aging surfers, known to their comrades as Flotsam and Jetsam (Wambaugh never reveals their real names) who engage in “pit bull polo.” There’s female officer Budgie Polk, returning to the force after birthing her daughter, who is reluctantly partnered with Officer Fausto Gamboa, a surly veteran who pines for the old days before women were on the force. There’s “Hollywood Nate,” an officer who seems more interested in his work as an extra on films than his career on the force. Another female officer, Andi McCrea, is working on a bachelor’s degree in hopes of winning a promotion to lieutenant, hoping not to be torpedoed by her “socialist” professor. All these, and others, are watched over by the 68-year-old sergeant known as the Oracle. On the other side of the thin blue line are arrays of “tweakers” (methamphetamine addicts) who employ everything from mail theft to counterfeiting to feed their habits, gangs of various ethnic heritages and tons of street crazies. There’s never a dull moment on this beat.
Wambaugh excels at nearly every element of storytelling. His characterizations are brilliant, his evocation of place is topnotch, his dialogue crackles and his plotting is intricate, yet easy to follow. As fascinating as his prevailing storylines are, he is often at his best at vignettes that pop up along the way. And as a major bonus, Wambaugh is often laugh-out-loud funny. Don’t be surprised to catch your self cackling or even guffawing as you read, even as you grimace at some of the tragic events that occur in the seamy underworld of L.A. not often glimpsed by tourists. HOLLYWOOD STATION finds Wambaugh back at the top of his form, returning to the type of book he justly became famous for.
CHASING THE DEAD
Joe Schreiber
Ballantine Books
196 pages
The only thing as good as getting a new book by a favorite author is discovering a book by a new author worth watching in the future. Such a book is CHASING THE DEAD, the first novel by Joe Schreiber. Ballantine Books is showing confidence in Schreiber’s prospects by offering his debut in hardcover at a special value price of $16.95. They know folks who take a chance on this new author are likely to come back for more after blazing through this gripping horror/suspense thriller.
Barring a prologue, epilogue and a few flashbacks along the way, CHASING THE DEAD all takes place in a compact 24-hour frame, barely giving readers a chance to catch their breath. It begins when young mother Susan Young gets a phone call informing her that her two-year-old daughter has been kidnapped. If she wants to see her daughter again, the evil voice on the phone tells her, she must not call the police and follow all instructions to the letter. The mysterious stranger sets her off on a journey across the lonely back roads of Massachusetts. As her travels through little-known towns continue, what began as a standard non-supernatural thriller unexpectedly morphs into a nightmarish tale of horror from which there’s seemingly no escape. To say much more about the plot would be a disservice to reader and author alike.
CHASING THE DEAD is a lightning-paced story designed as a single-sitting read. It’s a relatively slender volume—only 196 pages—so fortunately it can be comfortably read in a single gulp. Just make sure to start it with enough time to finish it before you go to sleep. It may not let you sleep until you have. And even when you finish it, sleep may not come so easily.
