The Blue Hour

Book Description

T. Jefferson Parker returns with an explosive new thriller that pits an unlikely team of detectives -- who become an even more unlikely pair of lovers -- against a ruthless serial killer.

Customer Reviews:

Parker is one of the best and this is one of his best.......2006-08-02

Jefferson Parker is one of the most dependable writers working today. His books are full of memorable characters, and those characters drive the story -- the plot never feels imposed upon them (or upon the reader). Instead, the story arises out of the people; what drives them, drives the events. The primary characters in "The Blue Hour," Marci Rayburn and Tim Hess, are both flawed, idiosyncratic people, not necessarily likable on the surface, but Parker never stays on the surface. The story moves like a freight train at times and then slows to allow us to see these people even more deeply, and by the end of the book we not only know them but we also care about them. If you haven't read Jefferson Parker, this is a great place to start.

Left Me Breathless.......2006-06-18

A very disturbing serial killer is on the loose in Orange County, California. But that isn't what drew me into this story. It was the characters Parker has developed here. Tim Hess is an older detective who comes out of retirement to work this case while at the same time undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for lung cancer. Merci Rayborn is a young, prickly female detective who is Hess's superior for the case. It's a tense partnership that develops into a heartwarming relationship. The story moves along at a fast clip then explodes toward the conclusion. I was skimming words, trying to read as fast as I could. I found myself actually holding my breath at times. This was an exceptionally good read. I had this book in my embarrassingly large stack of unread books for too long. Now I have ordered three more of Parker's books to catch up. I am really looking forward to reading his more recent publications.

Did I read the same book as all the folks who gave it 4 and 5 stars?.......2006-03-13

I read the book first and then read the customer reviews. Lately, I've done the opposite, which has spared me from getting stuck with some really bad books. But it wouldn't have mattered with this one, which drew raves. I don't get it. I thought this book was ridiculous. I couldn't get past the 67 year old detective, who was dying of cancer and being treated with chemo, energetically hooking up with a much younger detective, not to mention his superman abilities of running, chasing, and breaking down doors, among other such feats. Every now and then, the author would throw in a sentence about how "tired" Hess was. Well, yeah! And at the end, there was that long soliloquy. . . Well, I won't spoil it for you, but all I could think was "For crying out loud, call 911 and stop with the blathering philosophy."

This is a really good book.......2005-07-25

`The Blue Hour' is in many ways a first-rate detective novel. Unlike so many contemporary thrillers, Parker packs in a trove of deductive reasoning by the protagonist team of Hess and Merci. So the whole novel feels like it is formed under the sure hands of an author capable of building an engaging puzzle. I say this with admiration because it has become very commonplace to find novels where supposedly great investigators really don't piece together clues ala Mr. Holmes or Mrs. Christie. Instead authors for the most part these days just allow for the protagonists to walk into breaks via chance. I for one often find myself cringing at the silly leaps of implausibility you might find in most thrillers. That does not occur here in Parker's novel.

I really just want to urge you on... give this novel a chance. It has a couple of faults, but it is still vastly superior to a lot of what is out there. My main beef with this novel is that it is written from the perspective of four different points of view... Hess, Merci, and two characters's that Parker throws in to confuse matters. I could have done without the two characters that Parker sets up as possible suspects. I think that this took much of the suspense away from the ultimate resolution of the novel. I found myself guessing the ending a third of the way through the book, though Parker did throw a few red herrings into the mix and I was never %100 sure if I was reading the signs correctly. One last thing that got me was the Hollywood ending. I think that this book did not need such a typical resolution.

If you have read this book and are looking for other authors to test, I constantly thought of early Patricia Cornwell novels while reading this. If you have not read her you might like her first five or so books. Another good author is Denis Lehane, I have enjoyed pretty much everything he has written; in fact he just might be the very best genre writer of our day.

a good murder mystery/police drama that makes you think.......2004-03-07

It was hard for me to decide whether to give this book four stars or five. The strong story and suspense as well as the drama which unfolded between two unlikely police partners in a search for a serial killer was about as good as one would expect from the genre.

The reason I finally decided to give this book four stars instead of five however, was because I really was not very fond of one of the main characters (Merci). Merci is a tough ambitious police woman who is partnered with a semi-retired hard-boiled cop (Tim Hess) who is dieing of cancer. I think the relationship between Merci and Tim is believable. But I just didn't find Merci very likable because it seemed as though she was just driven by rage and hate (nothing more). People like her undoubtedly exist in the real world (I've met some like her). I'll even go so far as to say that under some circumstances, I've had some characteristics of Merci.

The story revolves around the relationship between Merci and Tim but the main theme is the search for a serial killer called the purse snatcher who kills young women (attractive professional types) and drains all of the blood out of their bodies. The story moves relatively fast with a number of suspects and leads being interrogated by the police. I thought however that it was easy to figure out who the killer was. I figured out who the killer was very early, but assumed later that the author wouldn't make it so easy for readers to figure it out, but it was.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader

Wonderfully Atmospheric Writing

substantially overrated

good story

Distinctive Character

Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins Mysteries)
Walter Mosley
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A Red Death : Featuring an Original Easy Rawlins Short Story "Silver Lining"

White Butterfly

Black Betty : Featuring an Original Easy Rawlins Short Story "Gator Green"

A Little Yellow Dog : Featuring an Original Easy Rawlins Short Story "Gray-Eyed Death"

Little Scarlet

ASIN: 0743451791

Amazon.com

Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins has few illusions about the world--at least not about the world of a young black veteran in the late 1940s in Southern California. His stint in the Army didn't do anything to dissuade him from his belief that justice doesn't come cheap, especially for men like him. "I thought there might be some justice for a black man if he had money to grease it," Easy says. Fired from his job on the line at an aircraft plant, he's in danger of losing his home, symbol of his tenuous hold on middle class status. That's a good enough reason to accept a white man's offer to pay him for finding a beautiful, mysterious Frenchwoman named Daphne Monet, last seen in the company of a well-known gangster. Easy's search takes the reader to an L.A. few writers have shown us before--the mean streets of South Central, the after-hours joints in dirty basement clubs, the cheap hotels and furnished rooms, the places people go when they don't want to be found. Evocative of a past time, and told in a style that's reminiscent of Hammet and Chandler, yet uniquely his own, Mosley's depiction of an inherently decent man in a violent world of intrigue and corruption rang up big sales when it was published in 1990 (although the movie version, with Denzel Washington as Easy, never found the audience it deserved). The minor characters are deftly and brilliantly developed, especially Mouse, who saves Easy's life even as he draws him deeper into the mystery of Daphne Monet. Like many of Mosley's characters, Mouse makes a return appearance in the succeeding Easy Rawlins mysteries, such as A Red Death, Black Betty, and White Butterfly, every one of which is as good as Devil in a Blue Dress, his first. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Los Angeles, 1948: Easy Rawlins is a black war veteran just fired from his job at a defense plant. Easy is drinking in a friend's bar, wondering how he'll meet his mortgage, when a white man in a linen suit walks in, offering good money if Easy will simply locate Miss Daphne Money, a blonde beauty known to frequent black jazz clubs....

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-04

Easy Rawlins is an ex-military man looking to get by after the war. He loses his job, and is looking to do something else to pay the bills. He falls into a private investigator type of job, being asked to track down a white woman that likes to hang out in black clubs.

It is all not quite as simple as that of course. Time for some music, violence, and the other usual bits and pieces.

Wonderfully Atmospheric Writing.......2007-06-01

DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS is the first in Walter Mosley's "Easy Rawlins" mysteries, featuring a black private detective in 1940s Los Angeles.

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS is incredibly well written for a first novel, and features some of the best dialogue I've ever read in a book of this type. Mosley does a great job of portraying the atmosphere of the 1940s, and how the races related to one another during that time period. In many ways, this is what great fiction is about -- transporting the reader to a completely different time and place. Mosley succeeds admirably in doing exactly this.

Unfortunately, Mosley stumbles a bit with his incredibly convoluted plot. DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS is a relatively short novel, but it's overstuffed with a series of minor characters who all have complex interrelationships with one another. Toward the end, when Mosley begins explaining these relationships, the plot gets incredibly confusing. As a result, I felt the ending lacked punch.

Still, this book is superb in many ways. I was enormously impressed with Mosley's skill with language, characterization and dialogue. I will definitely be purchasing some of his other books.

substantially overrated.......2007-03-11

'Devil in a Blue Dress' has a oodles of atmosphere and quirky characters but the plot is so convoluted that this reader was bored with it all half way through. Kudos to the author for capturing the feel of 1940s Los Angeles. But I think he went a bit haywire in trying to stitch together a story with too many odd characters and mini plot twists,

Bottom line: rather disappointing after a promising start. 'Devil in a Blue Dress' does not inspire me to read anything else by this author.

good story.......2006-11-10

Not sure why but I wasn't as taken with this novel as I have been with the other of his books. Don't get me wrong, this was a good book but it's wasn't up to his usual standards.

Distinctive Character.......2006-09-16

I read Devil in a Blue Dress in one sitting. Obviously, writer Jonathan Kellerman did too, because he later wrote, "I read Devil in a Blue Dress in one sitting and didn't want it to end. An astonishing first novel." Fortunately for Mosley fans, there are more Easy Rawlins mysteries. Devil in a Blue Dress remains my favorite. It's set in 1948 in Los Angeles. Easy Rawlins is a war veteran just fired from his job at a defense plant. (This is the role Denzel Washington plays in the movie.) Devil is much more than a hard-boiled mystery. The book left me wanting to read more about Easy Rawlins whereas many of the Hammett/Chandler/Cain novels are so formulaic that I have trouble remembering which ones I've read. Not a problem with Devil in a Blue Dress.

My Blue Heaven: Life and Politics in the Working-Class Suburbs of Los Angeles, 1920-1965 (Historical Studies of Urban America)

Average customer rating:

Am I Blue?
A Must-Read
My Blue Heaven - a fascinating history of L.A. Suburbia

My Blue Heaven: Life and Politics in the Working-Class Suburbs of Los Angeles, 1920-1965 (Historical Studies of Urban America)
Becky M. Nicolaides
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226583015

Book Description

In the 1920s, thousands of white migrants settled in the Los Angeles suburb of South Gate. Six miles from downtown and adjacent to Watts, South Gate and its neighboring communities served as L.A.'s Detroit, an industrial belt for mass production of cars, tires, steel, and other durable goods. Blue-collar workers built the suburb literally from the ground up, using sweat equity rather than cash to construct their own homes.

As Becky M. Nicolaides shows in My Blue Heaven, this ethic of self-reliance and homeownership formed the core of South Gate's identity. With post-World War II economic prosperity, the community's emphasis shifted from building homes to protecting them as residents tried to maintain their standard of living against outside threats—including the growing civil rights movement—through grassroots conservative politics based on an ideal of white homeowner rights. As the citizens of South Gate struggled to defend their segregated American Dream of suburban community, they fanned the flames of racial inequality that erupted in the 1965 Watts riots.

Customer Reviews:

Am I Blue?.......2004-07-12

Though I've read many books on obscure topics, Becky Nicolaides' 'My Blue Heaven' surely tops them all for being a conversation-stopper. Telling someone you're reading a history of a blue-collar suburb of Los Angeles through the middle decades of the 20th century nearly guarantees eye-glazing, if not outright abandonment. Yet, if a reader has even a passing interest in any of the ambitious ground Ms. Nicolaides covers--urban trends, suburban sociology, the political emergence in the 1960s of the famous "silent majority," among many others--I wholeheartedly recommend this work. Only some thready allegations in the final chapter mar an otherwise superb survey.

I'll also admit to a personal interest. Both my parent's families--at least two generations worth--hail from these neighborhoods. Beyond some sketchy childhood memories from the 60s, I don't have any solid impressions of how my immediate ancestors grew up and therefore found myself riveted by--in essence--a detailed family history.

So beyond supplying a nearly endless string of familial "ah-ha!" moments for me, Ms. Nicolaides also blankets her study with incredible (and often myth-puncturing) detail; among them:

* Impressive majorities of pre-WW2 homeowners actually *built* their own homes in the south LA "suburbs." Prototypical developer housing arrived much later.

* In the late 20s (*before* The Depression) the average household spent over a third of its income on food--but only a quarter on housing

* As soon as LA residents could drive, they did: 50% of residents owned a car by *1925* (concurrently compared to 16% nationwide, and 9% in Chicago), and as many commuted to downtown as took (excellent and cheap) public transit. This early automotive embrace neatly skewers the "Roger Rabbit myth," i.e., that evil oil companies "forced" Angelenos into smog-belching cars and conspiratorially drove the beloved streetcars out of business

* Teenagers commonly hitchhiked (!) to popular hangouts like movie theaters and the beach

This list could go on and on. The author is nothing if not comprehensive--and, as shown, she backs up her claims with reams of statistics. A more nuanced and revealing portrait of emerging suburban America would be hard to find.

But the book reaches far beyond strings of lifestyle anecdotes, however fascinating and well-supported. The formation and consolidation of local political attitudes provide both the strongest and most contentious parts of her thesis. The author rarely misses a chance to show how these blue-collar suburbanites swung from being 1920s "Republicans" (boot-strapping home-builders and farmers) to 1930s/40s "Democrats" (New Deal-embracing proponents of post-war government expansion)--and finally back to 1960s "Republicans" (anti-Civil right protectionists), the so-called "silent majority." Her best work shows the underpinnings of these political transformations, fleshing out how they were both formed at the local level and reflected nationally.

My strongest objection to her political theses comes in her final chapter--on race. Leaving aside any sensitivities about my south LA relatives being natural bigots (I can personally attest that many were), I'll only note that the author fails to connect some obvious dots about neighborhood segregation. For example, after a withering critique of blatant bigotry shown by the New Deal-spawned Home Owners Loan Corporation--their notorious loan appraisal maps included such lovely language as "blighted," "menace," and "subversive racial elements" while denying loans to blacks and hispanics--she conveniently neglects mentioning this government segregation complicity in any later contexts. This omission struck me as especially curious since she saves her strongest venom later for white homeowners who opposed many civil rights measures on economic grounds. Whether whites were segregationist bigots or trying to protect their property values (or both), to neglect the money-loaning agent who initially subsidized these conditions struck me as selective at best.

A further racial swipe perhaps comes closer to the author's philosophical biases. After noting that Southern migrants to the area brought "a new style of working-class populism, melding racism, economic populism, and anti-elitism," (a point I'll surely concede) she notes in the same paragraph that "self-help, Americanism, homeowner rights, and a distaste for activist government persisted as core values (among residents); in the new context of economic prosperity and racial encroachment, they *blended easily with the southern political style*." (Italics mine.) We're to conclude that racism and populism "blended easily" with self-help and "Americanism" (whatever that is)? To be fair, Nicolaides sets the context ("The values forged in the distinctive context of working-class suburbia during the interwar years fused smoothly with these imported ideals"), but unlike the rest of the book she provides no evidence for these profound statements.

Ultimately, I found 'My Blue Heaven' a five star effort with a severe markdown for these objections. Aside from an occasional anti-capitalist sneer ("the vagaries of the free market subjected working people to lives of economic instability ...")--almost *de rigeur* from an academic, I suppose--I found her scholarship sound, her organization tight, and her supporting data nearly overwhelming. (Indeed, she is her own worst enemy as topics lacking evidence clearly stand out.) I discovered more here about my parents and relatives than I could have probably ever unearthed on my own and for that Ms. Nicolaides has my utmost gratitude and respect.

A Must-Read.......2003-12-15

I was absolutely riveted by Ms. Nicolaides' study of LA suburban culture and how the struggles therein eventually culminated into the Watts riots. This is a must-read for anyone searching for answers about how these neighborhoods developed and how the families within them struggled from poverty to middle-class. It is written beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed every page.

My Blue Heaven - a fascinating history of L.A. Suburbia.......2002-12-08

I loved this book! I never thought of suburbs as being all that
interesting or important, thinking that cities were important, and suburbs were minor satellites around them. This book, however, tells the real story of the working class suburbs of L.A. and how they developed. Often, one hears that the purpose of studying history is to understand why things are the way they are today. As a history buff, this book motivated me to travel to LA and ride around the streets of South Gate and some of the other suburbs, visualizing the events of days gone by. Ms. Nicolaides shows how these suburbs changed from street after street of self-built houses inhabited by struggling workers, chicken coops, and makeshift stores into the dynamic communities of today. Once I started it, I was totally engaged through the last chapter.

Average customer rating:

Where is Book # 3 ??
Outstanding
Dark
Confusing

Done for a Dime
David Corbett
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0449007154
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Amazon.com

Satisfaction is a commodity in short supply for the myriad characters populating Done for a Dime, private eye-turned-author David Corbett's affecting follow-up to his debut novel, The Devil's Redhead. Among the significantly short-changed is Raymond "Strong" Carlisle, an irascible black saxophonist who used to play with the giants of blues music, but now does only about four gigs a year, "if he's lucky, with a bunch of sorry old men the business forgot long ago." When Carlisle is shot dead at his home in Rio Mirada, an increasingly crime-plagued burg north of San Francisco, the cops, including lead detective Dennis Murchison and his racist partner, Jerry Stluka, figure it's the tragic result of a nightclub fight he'd provoked the evening before. Their two prime suspects: Arlie Thigpen, a gang tough employed by a local drug dealer; and Toby Marchand, Carlisle's musician son, who'd chafed under his elder's incessant tauntings, and whose white teenage lover, Nadya Lazarenko, witnessed the homicide--but is too traumatized to remember anything about it. However, Carlisle's death is merely a harbinger of worse troubles to come, among them a neighborhood-destroying fire engineered by greedy developers.

Regrettably, that cinematic hillside conflagration diverts attention from Corbett's more interesting study of people trying to cope with the inequitable vicissitudes of life. Murchison, for instance, comes off as a conflicted mix of determination and desperation, a man terminally unable to fulfill the expectations of his wife and parents. For Marchand, the challenge is to reject his late father's cynicism and find hope in Nadya's embrace, even as she refuses to trust in something so ephemeral as happiness. Other well-formed players here--from a suspect's strong-willed mother, to a smart and fetching lawyer who confuses Murchison's heart, to a cop-turned-hired killer who isn't so transparently evil as he initially appears--struggle to achieve their own forms of justice in an unjust world. Corbett has a sharp ear for street dialogue and an even sharper understanding of human emotion and pain. For a book that's all about dissatisfaction, Done for a Dime is decidedly satisfying. --J. Kingston Pierce

Book Description

Raymond “Strong” Carlisle made his mark as an ace sideman to the biggest names in R&B. Now he lies in the mud outside his home, shot dead from behind. He’s the first official casualty in a dirty war for control of Rio Mirada: a low-rent “city in transition” at the northernmost point of the San Francisco Bay, beset by drug dealers, arsonists, squatters, and restless developers. And now a murderer.

In Rio Mirada, the truth is in short supply. What’s plentiful are people with all the reasons in the world to make sure the murder of Strong Carlisle remains unsolved. And the harder Detective Dennis Murchison pushes for answers, the clearer it becomes that this single, brutal homicide is just the tip of an iceberg in a town where small-time crime and big-time corruption are about to collide with explosive consequences.

Download Description

David Corbett's first book, The Devil's Redhead, was hailed by critics as a searing work of suspense. Now, one of the hottest new names in modern crime fiction is back with a riveting and soulful new noir.

Back in the day, Raymond "Strong" Carlisle made his mark as an ace sideman blowing baritone sax alongside all the biggest names in R&B. Now he lies in the grass outside his home, shot dead from behind and pelted by the heedless rain that mingles with his own blood. He is the first official casualty of a dirty war being lethally waged for control of Rio Mirada: a low-rent, "city in transition" of clashing subcultures at the northern tip of the San Francisco Bay, beset by drug dealers, arsonists, squatters... and now murder.

Detective Dennis Murchison -- white, weary, home-grown -- has two possible perps: Arlie Thigpen, a teenage lieutenant in the crack-and-smack army of a local dealer; Toby Marchand, a straight-arrow, old-school, jazz horn player with some big shoes to fill: those of his father, Strong Carlisle. The smart money says the shooter is Arlie, a two-time loser who tangled with Carlisle the day he died, is the shooter. But too many things about Toby -- his shaky alibi, suspicion that he's not really who he claims to be, the fact that his girlfriend witnessed the killing but can't remember it -- have Murch doing a double take.

They say there are three sides to the truth. But in Rio Mirada, honesty is in short supply. What's plentiful are people with angles, hidden agendas, and all the reasons in the world to make sure the murder of Strong Carlisle remains a mystery. And the harder Murchison pushes for answers, the clearer it becomes that this single, brutal homicide is just the tip of an inverted iceberg, casting its massive shadow over a town where small-time crime and big-time corruption are about to collide... with explosive consequences.

A harrowing, heartbreaking portrait of life on both sides of the law -- and the gray place in between -- Done for a Dime pays off powerfully on the promise of David Corbett as a writer to watch.

"Done for a Dime is even better than The Devil's Redhead. At once staccatto and melodic, it's tough as hell without sacrificing the tenderness that was at the heart of the first book. This one should put David Corbett into the front rank of American crime writing, where he belongs."
   SCOTT PHILLIPS, AUTHOR OF THE ICE HARVEST AND THE WALKAWAY

"Here's a man who writes with his heart on his sleeve, daring to deepen and enrich the genre. Done for a Dime is shot through with a quality rare to crime fiction -- compassion. It's what makes David Corbett such a soulful storyteller."
    EDDIE MULLER, AUTHOR OF THE DISTANCE AND DARK CITY: THE LOST WORLD OF FILM NOIR

Customer Reviews:

Where is Book # 3 ??.......2005-11-07

David Corbett, when is your next book coming out? I have just reread , "Done for a Dime". Now I an eargly waiting for the next novel. For those who have not experienced Mr. Corbett, I would encourage you to read his two books. I have been fortunate to hear Mr. Corbett read from his book. He has a great personality and a wonderful reading voice!

Outstanding.......2005-11-03

David Corbett's first book, The Devil's Redhead, was fantastic, and Done for a Dime is even better. The numerous characters are all well-drawn, distinct, and believable. The realistic description of the neighborhood and its various inhabitants, together with the jazz theme which winds through the novel, combine to create a strong sense of atmosphere and place. The plot races forward, much like the fire which is a central part of the story, to a conclusion which was not predictable, but which becomes inevitable. And, in addition to these large elements, there are innumerable shorter scenes--e.g., the rescue of a child during the fire, the description of a family which was murdered during the fire--which are so well-painted that they remain with you and add layers of depth to the main story. For anyone who wants their novels, mystery or not, well-written and thoughtful, with unusual characters and a story to tell, Done for a Dime is the perfect choice.

.......2005-10-04

I noticed that David Corbett has a short story in the Akashic Books anthology "San Francisco Noir" and that's absolutely fitting, as this guy is a master of contemporary Bay Area noir. Corbett isn't afraid to plumb the dark side, and those who like their crime capers cozy won't be enthralled. But for unvarnished reality, for street poetry, for those who want an insider's tour through the lush life, corruption, racism, real estate manipulations, rootsy R&B and the tarnished souls who play this music, Done For a Dime delivers. Yet it's also studded with moments of redemptive and tender beauty, especially in the love story between Slavic white girl Nadya and African-American musician Toby. It's brave of him to tackle this, and he pulls it off with sensitivity and finesse. Corbett was a private investigator for many years and it shows in the detail, depth and gritty realistic sense of his plot and characters. I especially liked the music which ran through this book like an old sax riff, what Toby's murdered father called "The Deep Sweet." You could almost taste the smoky bar.

Dark.......2005-04-28

Jazz saxophonist Raymond "Strong" Carlisle is a cranky, irascible old has been, living on his past glories as a top musician and keeping at arms length, anyone who tries to get close to him. His son Toby, also a musician, can never live up to his father's expectations, and almost meekly submits to the old man's taunts and jibes. "Strong" has only recently had a kidney removed but is back hitting the bottle again, despite Toby's best efforts to keep him reasonably healthy. Toby's white girlfriend Nadya takes "Strong" to a club to hear Toby and his band performing but has to leave with him when the old man picks a fight with members of a drug gang. Later that evening, "Strong" is shot at his own house and dies, despite all of Nadya's efforts to revive him. At the same time, a group of developers organises a fire to be lit by an arsonist so that the whole hillside of houses can be destroyed, enabling the developers to buy up the land cheaply. An angst ridden detective, Dennis Murchison is given the case to investigate and becomes involved in a world of drug dealers, arsonists and psychos. I couldn't really empathise with anyone in this book which probably explains why I just didn't like it !

Confusing.......2004-04-09

The author has presented what, on the surface, seems like a
murder mystery as an older musician is shot in the back and
killed, for no apparent good reason, and the local cops start
their tedious process of questioning everyone.
But he goes much beyond that, and the story becomes quite complex, as to both the characters, as well as their motivations. So, in those senses, this can be a good read, and
many people will enjoy the complex story and the serious development of many characters.

Book Description

Get the real skinny on the Bay Area's most illustrious rock and-roll, jazz, and blues musicians and their favorite digs from the one cat who should know -- the San Francisco Chronicle's longtime music critic Joel Selvin. Here are the stories, legends, and secrets behind the clubs, recording studios, famous homes, and final resting places of dozens of music greats, from Jimi Hendrix to Linda Ronstadt. With rare archival photographs of pivotal events and places, this lively compendium will ?captivate both resident and visiting music fans.?

Book Description

Fred Claire, the former general manager who spent 30 years in the Los Angeles Dodgers front office, offers a look into the inner-workings of one of baseball's most storied franchises.

Customer Reviews:

Eye-opening look at the Dodgers in the 80's and 90's........2007-09-24

Claire's book on his time with the LA Dodgers is a great read for any baseball fan. He provides a clear picture of the behind the scenes events in the front office of one of the most revered sports franchises.

One of the best baseball books.......2007-07-18

Fred Claire writes about his days with the Dodgers-- and does it well. The book flows together in a way that makes you love reading, with in-depth stories and experiences, one of the best GMs of all-time amazes baseball fans with his profound book.

A Blockbuster of a Book.......2007-06-09

How many times have true baseball fans wanted to be a fly on the wall in a baseball general manager's office? Fred Claire's book, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue," does just that. It is an interesting, informative and very entertaining look at baseball from the inside out.

This behind the scenes look at how a baseball organization operates includes an insiders look at the game. Much like a ballplayer who does more for his team than shows up in the box score, Claire's book takes into account the personalities that make up an organization. He explains player transactions and some of the politics that are part of every team.

In short, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue" is a must read for die-hard baseball fans as well as casual fans who would like to learn more about the game. After reading this book, I sincerely hope that Fred Claire will grace us with another book about baseball. It would be well worth reading.

Interested book and easy read.......2007-04-24

I am a big Dodger fan and found this book very interesting. The book focuses mostly on the 1987/88 seasons and the Mike Piazza trade. I don't read a lot of books and I found this one interesting and an easy read. The chapters are short and the language is very easy to read. I actually read the whole book over a weekend.

True Blue.......2006-12-04

Fred Claire's story is a virtual travelogue of 30 years of baseball history, a blast for anyone who loves baseball, especially Dodger fans. He brings a variety of perspectives to his story, falling for the game as a boy in Ohio, covering the game as a beat writer for the Angels and Dodgers, becoming an insider as the Dodgers' publicity director, and building a world championship club as a general manager.

Along the way, Claire recounts unforgettable stories, everything from his own one-game Spring Training "tryout" to signing World Series hero Kirk Gibson, from the release of Orel Hershiser to the day Tommy Lasorda nearly gave up bleeding Dodger Blue to join George Steinbrenner's Yankees. Claire also shares a behind-the-scenes look into the business side of baseball, tracing the Dodgers' evolution from a family-owned business under the legendary O'Malley family to a piece of Rupert Murdoch's Fox empire.

Claire remains connected to the game through a radio show and column for [...] If you've heard or read his work there, "My 30 Years in Dodger Blue" won't disappoint.

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blue knight
As usual, Wambaugh delivers.
NOT his best book
A Journey Behind The Scenes.
Wambaugh's Best Novel

The Blue Knight
Joseph Wambaugh
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316921467

Book Description

He's big and brash. His beat is the underbelly of Los--Angeles vice--a world of pimps, pushers, winos,--whores and killers. He lives each day his way--on the--razor's edge of life. He was a damn good cop and--LAPD detective. For fifteen years he prowled the--streets, solved murders, took his lumps. Now he's--the hard hitting, tough talking best selling writer--who tells the brutal, true stories of the men who--risk their loves every time a siren--screams.

Customer Reviews:

blue knight.......2005-09-04

one of Wambaugh's earliest which I had missed. It flowed well but the ending was very depressing.

As usual, Wambaugh delivers........2003-04-14

Joseph Wambaugh never ceases to entertain me. ýThe Blue Knightý is one of his earlier works, and so far itýs a very close second to ýThe New Centurionsý for my favorite Wambaugh novel.

The novel tells the story of Bumper Morgan, a Los Angeles beat cop who is three days from retirement. Bumper is a big, fat, loveable glutton with a bit of a sadistic streak. We follow his last few days on the police force while he begrudgingly drives his patrol car through his long time beat in LA. Bumper explains that he prefers walking the beat, but since heýs too old and fat he is forced to drive ý his legs arenýt what they used to be.

Bumper tells his own story, and everything is told through his eyes. As usual, Wambaughýs gifted use of sharp, witty dialogue and scathing ýcommon-maný analysis of the streets brings Bumperýs story to life. Everyone on his beat loves him. Restaurant owners pile heaps of culinary delights in front of him on a daily basis, and itýs obvious Bumper LOVES to eatý many times my mouth started watering while reading the descriptions of a wide variety of foods laid out for this loveable cop.

When heýs not eating (a rare occasion, or so it seems), Bumper meets with other locals: strip club owners, convenience store managers, even homeless bums whom he pays for info on the local crooks. Bumper is proud of himself for paying his informants out of his own pocket rather than paying out of the PDs ýkittyý; he thinks it keeps his sources anonymous and safe.

As warm, loveable and thoughtful our hero is, there is a sadistic side to Bumper Morgan as well. Heýs not above turning up the heat on the undesirables, and it seems to me that itýs considered to be part of the job for him; certainly nothing to think twice about. Witness the bookie that nearly gets his arm broken after trying mail his ýbooký back to himself. This bookie stands by a mailbox and as soon as he sees the heat coming, drops his stuff in the slotý this time, he didnýt get his arm out of the box fast enough, so Bumper takes the opportunity to crush his arm into the box while pumping for info. Youýd think incidents like this would make the reader dislike Bumper; not so. His matter-of-fact tone and the fact that he doesnýt dwell on his use of physical force makes you feel as if brutality is a part of his status quo. It is this attitude that proves to be Bumperýs undoing once you get to the surprise ending. There is another stunningly crafted scene in which Bumper embellishes the truth in court. Heýs not above fibbing a little to get these goofs behind bars.

Sharp witted, thoughtful, funny, human, brutal, warm, disturbing, violent, and truthful, ýThe Blue Knightý is a bright spot for Wambaugh. His police stories are far beyond your average ýpolice proceduralý; in fact, I havenýt read any novel by Wambaugh which follows a set formula. Those unfamiliar with his writing style may note that Quinton Tarantino follows a similar vein when it comes to script writing. The difference is that while the wit is similar between the two, it is Wambaugh who has a more clear idea of how to make the slick verbiage work to establish realism, rather than Tarantinoýs more tongue-in-cheek approach. Bumper Morgan is REAL. Recommended.

NOT his best book.......2003-03-04

although the usual elements are there--defender of the faithful searching the heart of darkness (his own) at a crucial point in life (middle age); the good-as-gold woman who gets away; the woman who doesn't--sprinkled with stories cops tell each other. But it drags, as if written to a formula not fully developed. Wambaugh writes well, part Hemingway, part Joseph Conrad. But this adventure story for men misses in all but the gastronomical department.

A Journey Behind The Scenes........2001-02-13

Who better to tell a cop's tale than an old cop? Wambaugh was there. He's able to translate his experiences in the LAPD into words we can feel and smell. The Blue Knight is a refreshing detour in the world of crime writing, a genre overloaded with static police procedurals and gory murder mysteries. The Blue Knight is a simple tale that humanizes a typical beat cop. At a time when cops were unpopular and routinely tagged as abusive Nazis or ignorant "fuzz" or "pigs," Wambaugh takes the other side, realistically describing the unique ups and downs of an LA beat cop by delivering his good-guy protagonist, Bumper Morgan.

Bumper is human, likeable. He walks his well-worn beat, meting out justice not by the book, but by common sense. This book works well at all levels. -- ....

Wambaugh's Best Novel.......2000-06-28

Wambaugh's ability to put you in the novel is superb. You feel the heat of mid-day and the scratchy wool suit Bumper Morgan wares. Bumper hides from real relationships by being the great blue protector the people on his beat. He is running from the pain of the death of his yong son so many years ago. He does open his heart to his best friend who chides him "your soul's in danger if you do not love."

Customer Reviews:

BLue in Black and White is Stunning.......2007-04-12

"The truth is most people don't like the police. They need 'em. They just don't like 'em." Peter Thoshinsky examines the delicate and brutal world of the San Francisco Police Department in his book, Blue in Black and White, sharing pictures he has taken over his 25-year tenure as a cop. These stark, graphic images show San Franciscans from all walks of life, fighting, demonstrating, and pleading to be released from their handcuffs, and always close by is the officer who has to deal with the civilian's actions. Each subject is treated with respect, no matter the crime or event shown, and Thoshinsky writes free verse and prose poems next to the shots explaining the unseen or unknown, giving the reader a window into a world few rarely see.

The subject is San Francisco and the boys and girls in blue who walk her streets, but the book transcends location. Market Street, 200 Leavenworth, Broadway, Union Square, North Beach, Candlestick Park, and McAllister Street all make appearances to remind us where the pictures were taken, yet the reader gets a sense that these images are everywhere, in each skid row alley of every great American city, and these are the men and women who risk their lives for their job. Capturing the mixed emotions most officers feel protecting citizens who also despise them for who they are, the book humanizes the police force for those who have never understood the weight that goes with the occupation.

Peter Thoshinsky investigates the realities of homelessness, mental illness, drugs, and cops' use of force with the integrity of someone who is there firsthand, and he wrestles with the truth and justice each officer tries to bring to a workday while trapped under a hot Kevlar vest, badge, radio, belt, and ammunition somewhere below the San Francisco skyline. He tells us that the police remind themselves every day, "That could be your brother, sister. Given a change of fortune, that could have been you." Thoshinsky reserves judgment of the characters he meets on his beats, and instead captures their portrait with a sense of anticipation, the reader left curious what happens next in the scene. Blue in Black and White educates with cop lingo like "B Caper," "Four Boys," and "Hondels" and memorializes fallen officers with a picture and a line or two in their honor.
This pictorial set in San Francisco shows the heart of the city and the people who live in it and protect it. It is accessible and moving for both officer and civilian, honestly examining the lives of the police as they move from the academy to the streets. The reader comes away knowing more about what it means to be in the line of duty performing a job no one wants to give credit for.

Seeing policemen on the job from the perspective of a policeman.......2007-04-05

One of the most interesting things about loving books is that one never gets to the end of ideas for them. While there are indeed mountains and continents of sameness that can be safely ignored, one should never get blasé because someone will always find some way of surprising you and giving you something fresh to look at. I am not saying that in the history of printing there has never been a book like this one, but it is a very fresh look at something I have not seen.

And what is that? You say that it is just another book of pictures of cops? Well, it is a book of pictures of cops, but there is a big difference. This is a book of pictures of cops TAKEN by a cop. What difference does that make? Because we see the police officers the way a man who knows them and knows their job sees them rather than the way we usually see them depicted on TV and in the movies. We learn which assignments the cops like, which they don't, what some of the problems are, and even the tedium of the job.

Peter Thoshinsky was on the "Tenderloin Task Force" of the San Francisco Police Department. He shows us cops on the job and provides captions that help us appreciate the pictures. Some of the captions are merely informative, some are insightful, some are funny or ironic, and some are touching. And they all enhance the photographs.

I was particularly struck by the caption for "The Good Son"

Cop: "When was the last time you spoke with your father?"
Son: "Well, I call him every Sunday, `ya know, just to make sure he's ok."
Cop" "OK"
Son: ... "and so when he didn't answer the phone on Sunday, I thought something might be wrong".
Cop: "Yeah."
Son: "Yeah, so I come over and I found him dead just like that."
Cop: "So, when you called your dad on Sunday he didn't answer?"
Son: "Right."
Cop: "You must have been worried?"
Son: "Uh-huh."
Cop: "Today is Thursday."
Son: "Uh-huh."

Or the next picture of a female arm with wrist tattoos in handcuffs entitled "Tattoos and Bracelets".

Or: "The first rule of police work, the very first rule. Everyone lies. "I ain't got nothing officer, I swear it". See rule number one.

There are dozens of more like this. Fresh, insightful, and even touching. Not only for the cops (one picture is of an old women in a wheel chair flipping the bird to a cop), but also for the lost souls who are so lost they see the cops as the enemy rather than someone trying to help them (few people see being taken into custody as a help).

Very much worth having and lingering over.

A moving and unforgettable visual tribute.......2006-04-11

Blue in Black and White is a photography book of San Francisco's law enforcement officers, by police sergeant, experienced photographer, and native San Franciscan Peter Thoshinsky. Each two-page spread features a black-and-white, larger-than-life photograph of people keeping the peace on San Francisco's streets on the right, and a brief poem, caption, or insight on the left. A moving and unforgettable visual tribute, as well as a window into the daily routine of a difficult yet rewarding public duty.

This book nails it!.......2006-02-03

Ever been curious about what it's like?...

Have a friend or family member who is one of 'them'?...

Think you already know what this calling is all about?...

It often seems impossible to express just exactly what it's like. With simple, stark and poinet photographs, as well as sparse, direct and accurate words, Pete Thoshinsky's, Blue in Black and White, comes about as close as one can.

Short of donning armor, girding weapons, and riding thanklessly into harms way in defense of others everyday, this is as close as you are going to get.

Thank you Pete,
Oro en Paz, Fierro en Guerra!

Great book, wonderful phots.......2006-01-05

Sergeant Pete Thoshinski's book, BLUE, Black and White, about the SFPD is wonderful. It illustrates the sad, funny, dangerous and shocking aspects police work using photos and quotes of people .

West Coast Jazz: Modern Jazz in California, 1945-1960

Average customer rating:

From Central Avenue to Something Else!
A excellent book, an incredible bargain
This is a truly great book.l

West Coast Jazz: Modern Jazz in California, 1945-1960
Ted Gioia
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520217292

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

From Central Avenue to Something Else!.......2005-03-25

This is a highly distinguished book on the history of West Coast jazz, a phenomenon that existed from the mid-40's until about 1960--at least in terms of it being a special brand of jazz distinct from other styles (East Coast, Traditional, etc.).
It developed in the black section of Los Angeles along Central Avenue where clubs abound, and mainly followed the flowering of bebop as created by Bird and Diz and Bud Powell, among others. The Cool School, led by Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan, is dealt with fully, and there are chapters on important West Coast highlights such as the Lighthouse groups, Shorty Rogers, Art Pepper, and Shelly Manne. There are even a couple of chapters on the San Francisco scene, especially Dave Brubeck. Gioia's writing is excellent, scholarly but lively and interesting. A must-have jazz book.

A excellent book, an incredible bargain.......1998-09-24

The best book on jazz (or any other topic!) I've read in the past few years. The author manages to sustain a wonderful balance among scholarship, human interest, and serious criticism. I thought I knew something about this topic -- found out I knew very little. The section on Brubeck's early years is, by itself, well worth the price of the book.

This is a truly great book.l.......1998-09-11

I have a rather large selection of albums from this era and this book covered many of them. I could seem to hear them in my mind as I read the book. This book not only explores the music well, but the people who played it. Would like another copy for a friend.

Proud to Be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern California (American Crossroads)

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Proud to Be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern California (American Crossroads)
Peter La Chapelle
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520248899

Book Description

Proud to Be an Okie brings to life the influential country music scene that flourished in and around Los Angeles from the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s to the early 1970s. The first work to fully illuminate the political and cultural aspects of this intriguing story, the book takes us from Woody Guthrie's radical hillbilly show on Depression-era radio to Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee" in the late 1960s. It explores how these migrant musicians and their audiences came to gain a sense of identity through music and mass media, to embrace the New Deal, and to celebrate African American and Mexican American musical influences before turning toward a more conservative outlook. What emerges is a clear picture of how important Southern California was to country music and how country music helped shape the politics and culture of Southern California and of the nation.

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