Customer Reviews

Chains of Command

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have read all of Caunitz's other books, however I thought that I read his last with Pigtown. Sometimes publisher's print questionable efforts after an author's death just because they can get away with it. Chains of Command is one of Caunitz's best books.

The bad news here is that the author died while working on this book and it was skillfully completed by Christopher Newman. Nevertheless it snaps and crackles with the dialogue and insider information that only Caunitz (a 30-year cop) could provide. You can read all of the police novels you want but you will NEVER find an author that gives you as much of the inside scoop on police work, language, and character. His plots are fascinating, his characters different yet utterly believable, and his mastery of giving a lot of information in a few words is unmatched. Caunitz was, quite simply, the best of them all at this kind of a novel. Rest In Peace, William J. Caunitz...I'll be re-reading your books from time to time until (hopefully) we meet in the beyond.

Read this book quickly or you might lose track of the plot. It is a bit confusing and maybe not all that believable. I've really enjoyed Caunitz's other books. I don't know how much of this was finished before he died and I'm not a reader of Newman but it is not quite up to One Police Plaza, Black Sand and Pigtown. If you like NYPD books though it's well worth the price of a paperback.

Before I wrote this, I read a lot of my fellow reviewers notes & their is a lot of apt criticism. I have read several of Caunitz's books. He is an old time Hollywood script writer who dabbled as a successful novelist on the side. His work, as far as I have read, always reads like a good action movie from the middle 80's. The characters are no more complex than Bruce Willis in Die Hard or Charleston Heston in Earthquake.

The criticism here is pretty harsh. People are blasting the writing, the story, the racism and sexism. All of this is at fault to one degree or another. Caunitz basically pulls out every minority and stereotypes them into criminal types. And of course it seems that the white guys are the good police officers saving the day. But beyond all of this, Chains of Command is a fairly decent pop corn thriller that sweeps across a epic story.

This book follows several characters. Like a miniseries on TV, you follow story arcs that intersect and eventually merge into one. Its kind of nice to see all of this flow.

I would not recommend this story to anyone. Its not that good. But if your looking for a breezy action book to pass some time with, you could do a lot worse than Chains of Command.

Chains of Command was my first book that I read by William J. Caunitz and I could not put it down. I loved it from the begining to the end and could not point out a boring part of the book or a dry part. Caunitz escribed Lt. Matthew Stuart to be a real charmed police officer who allowed me to feel how Matt was feeling and to see what Matt was seeing, as if you were actually there with the lieutenant. I really loved the book and would suggest it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/police novel. Matt Stuart was a real good guy.

I must agree with Ikvley from CT. There are too many unbelievable plot elements. Such as, a half-black, half-italian, blond, dreadlocked "undercover" cop who drives a blue cab? Could he get any more distinctive or stand out any more?

Also, how does the mafia boss blackmail the deputy commissioner? By threatening to tell that she has withheld evidence that would send him to prison?

Somehow I know people are going to say I took this too seriously, but this book was bad. What made it worse is that the writer paints anyone and everyone of color in this books as animalistic and sub-human. I dare anyone to show me one positive reference to a african american in this book. Can you use the [N-word] more !?! It uses all of the stereotypes that plauge our police forces today and makes no excuses for them. He seems to embrace them. Perhaps if the writer (an x-police officer) actually knew some real black or hispanic people (away from the police force) his book could actually be something better than the bad rantings and fantsies of a x NY cop. Really, anyone in this book that ancestory was anything other than northern european is portrayed as inheriently flawed to down right scum. This was my first and last book by W. Caunitz and if I could get my [money] back I would. If I wanted to hear myself (yes I am an african american male) portrayed as blacks were in this book, I'd go to my local Klan rally. In my opinion this book is no better than the god awful black gangster rap music video that portray black people in this same unrealistic manner. Maybe if Mr. Caunitz wants to meet real black people he'll drop me a note. I can introduce him to the doctors, lawyers, garbage men, Secratries, construction workers and cops who he seems to have no regard for. Well now that I've ventend I think I'll go read something that is both entertaining and realistic. Hey can I get my [money] back.. I'll even take pennies and you know everybody hates pennies. I just hate this book more.

In my humbler opinion, this book is a piece of garbage, finished by another writer because the publisher was sure that he could palm it off on the public. A First Deputy Commissioner in line for the top job and who is a woman? And is not Irish? And has a publicized love affair with a lieutenant? And her mafia-connection background was never checked out? Come on! Get real! And then she drives off all over the place in her own car, without an escort? These things do not happen in the real life of the NYPD. Besides, that constant cop talk - whether true or invented - really gets on your nerves and surely is overdone. Forget about this one.

The writing was just bad. The author may be a veteran of the NYPD, but he is just not a convincing writer. A lot of the word choice was inappropriate. The writing struck me as forced. The plot, particularly the ending, was wholly unbelievable. There are better books out there. Give this one a miss.