Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon
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Book Reviews of Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Book Review: Intense
Summary: 5 Stars
Being a police officer espically,In a large city.Like New York,LA or Baltimore [The city where the book takes place.] Is psychologically and phyiscally draning,An existential threat to ones pysche and without any glamour what so ever.So why do they do it John Kelly a character on NYPD Blue did it because his old man was a cop.Who was killed in the line of duty when he was 11.The same with Clarice Starling the fictional FBI agent who is Hannibal Lector lover in the novels of Thomas Harris and the films of Johnathan Demme and Ridley Scott.[Not that Iam comparing the two characters.] Some because they see as an adventure after it`s no surprise it has been glorified on shows such as Dragnet,Starsky and Hutch and Miami Vice and in films such as Leathal Weapon.But in really Stephen Spielberg isn`t around to say cut thats a rap.It`s much more intense the cases Psychologically effect the first case in the book is the murder of an 11 year old girl who was also sexually assulted.[The case is still unsolved.]There is also an episode of the tv show which based on this book called ''Homicide;Life on the Street'' in which the detectives are stuck inside there precint on Saturday Night no case is investigated they just sit around and talk about life [The Camera doesn`t even leave the squad room during the episode.]So what I`am trying is the life of a police officer is not what see on television or in movies.Every day you are reminded of the fact that human beings of Raping Women,Killing each other in cold blood and Molesting Children.I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to know about the day to day psychological struggles of a cop.Espically a homicide detective.Book Review: Amazingly Well-written Account!
Summary: 5 Stars
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. Simon writes brilliantly and frank. 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. 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. 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. The murders. I mean, you'll write about the murders so you have stuff to write about. But that's all just the [b.s.]...you're gonna write about us. About the guys. 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? He's right, and it's why this book will continue to marvel readers for generations.
Book Review: This Book Is Deep!
Summary: 5 Stars
I feel compelled to write a review of this book and nearly could not wait until I was finished reading to do so. This book is a comprehensive account of the work of a homicide detective in an urban environment. As a former downtown Detroiter, I can directly relate to the street scenes described by the author. But this isn't just a story about cops and killers. I was entranced by the depth of the writing and the fascinating details of a homicide investigation and the interpersonal dynamics of the men (mostly) who do this kind of work. There isn't really any such thing as a boring murder. While educating us as to just what goes in in an investigation, the author tells some pretty unbelievable stories along the way. Its always amazing how the murderers kill their victims and thoughtlessly throw their own lives away in the process a good deal of the time. The author also goes into detail about how to do an interrogation, what goes on in the medical examiners domain, the political forces at work - mostly against the police, how crime labs work, the role of a good prosecutor, and the tragically flawed jury system that must judge the work of the detective as well as the accused. All of this is done in a highly engaging and personal manner infused with human nature. At times this book will be shocking, sometimes tragic, sometimes hilarious or revolting, sometimes a weird mix of those descriptors. This book is one of my all time favorites.Book Review: A Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1998, David Simon got unprecedented access to the Baltimore's homicide unit, and shadowed its detectives during the entire year. It was a tough year in a tough city, with a total of 234 murders. It would be easy to describe Simon's approach as "a fly on the wall," but that would be to belittle the extraordinary work he did.
Simon manages to give us both the large picture (how the homicide unit works, the flaws and strengths of the judicial system in Baltimore, the meaning behind the crime statistics) and the small picture (the greatness and pettiness of this group of detectives, the emotional detachment they need to have in order to face homicide after homicide, the heartbreaking effects that the murder of one little girl has on a veteran detective). During his year of reporting, and the two years he spent writing the book, he was able to see the cases from a distance, and also from inside the skin of the detectives trying to solve them.
"Homicide" is a tremendous achievement and, in my opinion, a true-crime classic. Anybody interested in learning more about crime or police work--or simply interested in an excellent work of non-fiction--should read Simon's book.
Book Review: Thoroughly fascinating expedition into the killing streets
Summary: 5 Stars
I was a reluctant late-comer to the series, "The Wire" on HBO. I read about the show on several websites, saw it in the news, and heard from friends. I finally decided to give the first few episodes a chance. Well, I immediately ordered the entire first season, then the entire five seasons on DVD. I consumed 60 hours of the show in a matter of a month or so. I was hooked.
After finishing "The Wire," I felt like I still wanted to know more. So I ordered Homicide and The Corner to see if Simon wrote as well as he produced television shows. I was not disappointed.
Homicide is a great companion to The Wire. Many of the stories that unfolded in The Wire turned out to be real life stories of things that Simon witnessed or heard about when writing Homicide. For example, the shooting of the mouse in Bunk Moreland's wife's closet was told by a real detective in the book. Many of the colloquialisms from the show are explained and used with regularity in this book.
This is a book that I could not put down. I stayed up well past my bedtime every night with this book until it was done. If you like true crime, if you like The Wire, you will love this book.