22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The New Kid on the Block, March 11, 2008
This review is from: Calumet City: A Novel (Paperback)
Approximately seven years ago, Charlie Newton contacted me and asked for a little technical advice on a manuscript he had just written about a series of murders occurring in Chicago's Rush Street area. Now, on several previous occasions, other aspiring writers had asked me to review their manuscripts and, quite honestly, some of them were harder to choke down than a large bowl of undercooked chitterlings. But I couldn't put Charlie Newton's manuscript down. And, here's the good news, that manuscript was NOT "Calument City". In fact, Charlie Newton has written six novels in between that first novel and "Calumet City", one better than the other. I'd be hard pressed to say which one I like best. Nobody in the business, bar none, writes an action scene like Charlie Newton. If you like police fiction, you'll love "Calumet City", and when you're done reading it, you'll be clamoring for the release of one of the other seven novels Charlie Newton has in the oven.
Lt. Dennis Banahan (retired)
Chicago Police Department
Author of "Threshold of Pain"
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20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent writing . . . unappealing plot, April 28, 2008
This review is from: Calumet City: A Novel (Paperback)
People I respect such as Lee Child and Jeff Abbott gave this book high praise. When I concentrate on Charlie Newton's writing alone, I can agree with them. Newton is a solid writer, though his faux noir style becomes grating over time. The talent is there, but it clearly needs to be polished.
Evaluating the plot and characters, though, leads me to a different place. I didn't find the plot compelling or persuasive and the characters struck me as lacking depth and credibility.
Patti Black is supposedly Chicago's most decorated police officer. Too much is made of the character's being a woman. She spends way too much time engaging in machismo posturing that adds nothing to the story.
A career officer, Black is hiding a horrible story of being orphaned when her alcoholic parents die in a car wreck and being abused by foster parents, carrying the child of her foster father. The child is taken from her. Supposedly the foster father died a couple of decades back - supposedly. A raid on a gang turns deadly and Patti learns that a skeleton in the wall of a neighboring building is that of her foster mother. Than an assistant State's Attorney is kidnapped. Just happens that the guy is Patti's foster brother. Next an imprisoned murderer asks for Patti to visit him. Gee golly, it's a reunion. He too is from the foster home.
All of it is more than too much. Patti is frightened of being found out for her youthful sins, wants to reclaim her long lost son, has an aggressive and utterly unconvincing FBI agent on her case and so on.
If Charlie Newton had left out about half his plot, he would have produced a novel four times better, in my opinion. Newton's writing is strong, but not strong enough to carry the Byzantine plot.
Still, there are repeated flashes of brilliance and near-brillance throughout the book. As I mentioned, Newton tries too hard for a noir style, his imitation noir simply coming off as imitation. His characters are painted too broadly and lack depth, a couple of them approaching the ludicrous.
I caution that all this is simply my opinion of this particularly story: from the outset I was uncomfortable with it and quickly grew bored with the plot. But I suspect that many will find the story a compelling read and the characters more believable than I did.
It's that kind of book. My suggestion is that you browse it before you buy. Although it wasn't mine, it may be your cup of tea.
Jerry
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Thank you, sir, may we have another?!", April 11, 2009
Charlie Newton's debut novel CALUMET CITY left me one satisfied reader - happy, exhausted and ready for more! Lee Child summed it up in his review - "the best cop noir in years". Patti Black is my new favorite heroine - tough, vulnerable, complicated. Just the way I like them, only better. The other characters are equally unforgettable (especially Sonny - be still my heart - how can you not fall for a stand-up guy like that?).
Beware, CALUMET CITY is not a gentle ride. It's "E-ticket" thrills all the way - definitely worth the price of admission - and I'm ready to go again! Charlie Newton, if you're reading this - are you sure we can't get more of Patti, Sonny and company before 2010?! That's a long wait for a devoted fan and eager reader...
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