Fallen Angels [Hardcover]

Connie Dial (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 2012

Kirkus Best Fiction of 2012

Captain Josie Corsino has seen plenty of dead bodies during her twenty-one years with the Los Angeles Police Department, but the discovery of Hillary Dennis's beautiful smiling corpse begins one of the most unusual and dangerous investigations of Josie's career. The troubled teenage movie star is found murdered in a Hollywood Hills party house, a notorious location for vice and drug orgies. While the investigation provides little evidence, there are plenty of suspects including a city councilman's son, several Hollywood police officers and even members of Josie's family.

As the case progresses, Josie realizes there aren't many of her subordinates or bosses she can trust other than homicide detective Red Behan and Lieutenant Marge Bailey, the vice supervisor; relying on them as she reluctantly takes charge of the homicide case, dodging interference and political pressure from both inside and outside her department. The situation isn't much better at home where her husband Jake and her talented but unemployed son David expose her to the sort of scrutiny that could damage or even terminate her career.

The brutal killing doesn't end with Hillary's death. Josie soon finds herself in those dangerous and deadly situations typically not considered suitable for an LAPD captain, but she's a tough cop who can run her station and still do solid police work. To catch a killer, she's willing to jeopardize her position as a commanding officer and risk losing her life - and possibly the husband and son she loves.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Two ex-cops are currently turning out mysteries centering on the LAPD’s Hollywood Division: Joe Wambaugh, who left the job fairly early after establishing the genre of gutsy, raucous police procedurals, and Connie Dial, who retired as commanding officer of the Hollywood Division after 27 years, including patrol, undercover, and narcotics work. Wambaugh gives readers a totally wild ride, often veering off into tangentially related war stories and cop humor, careening back into plot limits just in time. Dial’s ride (this is her third novel) is much more controlled when it comes to obeying conventional limits with plot and characters. Captain Josie Corsino, beset at home with an absentee husband and a troubled adolescent son, almost finds working in the byzantine politics of the L.A. police a relief. The plot focuses on how Corsino oversees the investigation into the murder of a 17-year-old Hollywood starlet at a notorious “party house” in the Hollywood Hills. The investigation quickly uncovers a netherworld of connections that can destroy careers. As with Wambaugh, the great thing about Dial is that readers know her take on the LAPD and the craziness of Hollywood crime is based on long reflection. --Connie Fletcher

Review

Fallen Angels kind of sneaks up on you in a way that s hard to define... This is what gives Fallen Angels its insidious quality. While the story, like most crime novels, is focused on the who-done-it-and-how plotline, each scene has an emotional subtext that seeps into the reader s heart and mind. It feels like we re implanted in Josie s head or riding around on her shoulder, getting an up close and personal view of life as a real captain of a real police force dealing with the dark side of human nature. --NY Journal of Books

Behind the scenes of a police officer s life never gets old. Thus mystery/thriller remains a popular genre Law and Order and CSI remain highly watched television programs not to mention 48 Hours. Dial hits on after-hours, cops marriages, working off-duty, office politics and daily minutiae. Fallen Angels unravels in a slow, steady spiral. Entertainment Realm

A veteran cop herself, Dial does authenticity to the max, and readers will like that. But it s tough, vulnerable, never-say-die Josie that they ll love. Kirkus Starred Review

Authentic, well paced, and deftly written, this is a great addition to the police procedural crime fiction subgenre. --Library Journal

Connie Dial takes the reader into a world where police business is handled at its highest level. Josie Corsino is a seasoned professional who knows every aspect of her job including its political ramifications She works long, hard, unglamorous hours, drinks too much, carries a gun at all times and uses it when necessary and is far from being a dutiful wife. In these and other ways, she is a certain kind of modern, mature woman. Josie may not be everyone s cup of tea but she is realistic, and readers will be able to recognize parts of themselves in her. Strand Magazine

Connie Dial masterfully writes a compelling thriller. She draws on personal experiences, giving the reader a true glimpse into the world of policing and the corruption that is unfortunately a part of the system. She keeps her readers engaged and guessing at the identity of the killer until the reveal. --Suspense Magazine

Behind the scenes of a police officer s life never gets old. Thus mystery/thriller remains a popular genre Law and Order and CSI remain highly watched television programs not to mention 48 Hours. Dial hits on after-hours, cops marriages, working off-duty, office politics and daily minutiae. Fallen Angels unravels in a slow, steady spiral. Entertainment Realm

A veteran cop herself, Dial does authenticity to the max, and readers will like that. But it s tough, vulnerable, never-say-die Josie that they ll love. Kirkus Starred Review

Authentic, well paced, and deftly written, this is a great addition to the police procedural crime fiction subgenre. --Library Journal

Connie Dial takes the reader into a world where police business is handled at its highest level. Josie Corsino is a seasoned professional who knows every aspect of her job including its political ramifications She works long, hard, unglamorous hours, drinks too much, carries a gun at all times and uses it when necessary and is far from being a dutiful wife. In these and other ways, she is a certain kind of modern, mature woman. Josie may not be everyone s cup of tea but she is realistic, and readers will be able to recognize parts of themselves in her. Strand Magazine

Connie Dial masterfully writes a compelling thriller. She draws on personal experiences, giving the reader a true glimpse into the world of policing and the corruption that is unfortunately a part of the system. She keeps her readers engaged and guessing at the identity of the killer until the reveal. --Suspense Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: The Permanent Press (April 20, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579622747
• ISBN-13: 978-1579622749
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,693,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Prior to her 27-year career with the Los Angeles Police Department, Connie Dial was a journalist who worked as a reporter and photographer for a chain of newspapers in the San Gabriel Valley and later as an editor for a trade magazine. She briefly wrote news for a local television station.

She joined the LAPD as a policewoman in 1969 but left because at that time women couldn't promote higher than sergeant and were given very limited assignments. When she returned in 1973 as a police officer, she was among the four women in the first academy class who would be allowed to work as patrol officers and whose promotional opportunities would be unlimited.

She worked patrol for a year and was asked to be an undercover officer for the intelligence division where she reported on groups who planned the overthrow of the U.S. government. After being arrested during a riot in downtown L.A. she left that assignment to testify on behalf of officers who were injured during the melee.

After being promoted to detective, she was assigned to narcotics division where she was the first woman to work the field enforcement section. She arrested street drug dealers, served search warrants and made undercover buys. With her partner she arrested several members of the Black Guerilla Family, a notorious prison gang. As an undercover officer she bought heroin from Jimmy Lee Smith, the paroled Onion Field killer, and he was returned to prison.

In 1985, she was asked to join a new special surveillance squad for Internal Affairs Division. The unit investigated police officers accused of using or selling narcotics or participating in other criminal activities.

As a lieutenant watch commander in the Newton Division in South Central L.A., she was on duty the night the Rodney King riots started and worked 12-hour shifts for a month following the riot. She has always admired the hard-working men and women of Newton Division who kept the city intact and innocent citizens safe during that very difficult and dangerous time.

Her career as a commanding officer began in West Los Angeles as a patrol captain. She was there during the earthquake and was the commanding officer who responded to the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman homicides. She spent most of the early morning hours watching the WLA detectives do a thorough and professional job at the crime scene before the decision was made to give the investigation to the Robbery Homicide Division.

After returning to the Narcotics Division as the captain for the Field Enforcement Section, she was promoted as the area commanding officer for the Hollywood Division. Hollywood was a productive, high-energy division where she promoted community policing and had an active successful youth program as well as one of the best Community Police Advisory Boards in the city. She received several commendations for community policing and recognition for her work in the community including the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Women of Distinction award. She was rated highly by her officers and at the time of her retirement was the only female area commanding officer in the department.

She graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA and is a member of the FBI National Academy Associates; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the California Police Officers Association; and a lifetime member of the California Narcotic Officers Association. She serves on the board of directors for the Los Angeles Police Relief Association and on the Los Angeles Police Relief and Assistance Foundation board.

She lives in Southern California with her husband, retired Police Detective Jon Dial and two Yorkshire Terriers, Bogart and Bacall.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Police Captain Tries to Navigate Problems at Home, in the Squadroom and in the Community April 28, 2012

By Bonnie Brody TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Fallen Angels by Connie Dial is a police procedural of the best kind. Written by a veteran police officer who spent 27 years with the LAPD, the author knows the in's and out's of the Los Angeles Police Department. The novel is written with Captain Josie Corsino at the center. She heads one section out of four of the Hollywood police department and she has a lot resting on her shoulders, shoulders that are weighed down with ethical decisions, problems at home and problems in the squad room.

The novel opens up with the murder of Hillary Dennis, a teen-aged actress and heroin addict who is found shot in the head at a party house in the Hollywood Hills. Hillary's agent is found shot in the mouth shortly after. Shockingly, Josie finds out that her son, David, knows both the prime suspect, Cory, who is the son of a councilman, and the actress's dead agent, Misty Skylar. Bringing David even closer to the crime is the fact that Misty is David's agent too, for David is a musician and artist who Misty signed on a few weeks before her murder. Josie is "trying not to panic about the avalanche of events coming perilously close to smothering her family."

Josie is also worried about her squad. She has some dead weight working for her and she also finds out that two of her squad members may have been involved with the actress prior to her death. Where is she to turn? There are very few members of her squad that she trusts. Her husband of 22 years, Jake, is leaving her to find himself - translation: there is another woman in the picture. He is in the midst of a mid-life crisis and Josie is left alone at home and at work. She understands "how politics worked in L. A. Money had the loudest voice in public policy decisions.

As Josie jeopardizes aspects of her life to remain a good Captain and police officer, the reader wonders what will happen to her? Will Jake return? Will they catch the bad apples on the force? What is David's role in the murder? Will HIllary and Misty's murderer(s) be found? As Josie navigates political pressures from all sides, she tries to retain her inner strength and north star, doing her job in the very best way she can. That is what makes this book exceptional. It examines the ethics, morals, and daily crises that Josie encounters and explores there impact on her decisions and her life.

My only problem with this book is that there are so many characters and so many side issues that it was difficult at times for me to keep things straight. I'd forget names and who was who. I think that the novel could have been written with more focus and less rabbit trails. Other than these concerns, the novel was interesting and a good read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars From a Retired LAPD Commander September 6, 2012

By Keith Bushey

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Connie Dial really knows her stuff! As a retired fellow LAPD command officer, everything she writes about is plausable, reflects real locations, and most accurately describes the type of culture and political intrigue that often occupied the upper levels of that police department during our service together. She has moved to the top of my "favorite auithor list!"

4.0 out of 5 stars Betrayal and redemption enticingly combined March 18, 2013

By S. Deeth TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

When a beautiful starlet is murdered in a Hollywood mansion and all the witnesses claim to have seen nothing, Captain Josie Corsino's first thought is, why is the victim smiling. Investigation soon reveals a growing list of suspects, from hapless young men to possible prostitution rings and renegade cops. Meanwhile Josie's son plays music in bars instead of going to college, and her husband flies into mid-life crisis, turning his and her futures on their heads.
Josie's investigation plays out against a backdrop of betrayals large and small, personal and pervasive. Every step she takes involves decisions whose consequences might betray another. Every trust she places might end with trust betrayed.
The writing tugs the reader into Josie's world and doesn't let go. Whether you agree with her politics or not, whether you'd make the same demands of your children, whether you'd trust the same people or behave the same way, there's no denying Josie's thoughts, decisions and actions ring powerfully honest and true. The playing out of her life against a background of murder, police investigation and abuse of power provides a potent contrast between minor and major betrayals, and between honesty and brutal deception. The whole lends clarity to the bedrock of rules and law that underlie society. And the depiction of Los Angeles is so clear readers might almost feel they're there.
The punishment may not fit the crime in the end, but the players fit their parts, and the reader is warmed by a knowledge that not all angels fall, and not all falls are fatal after all.
Disclosure: I received a free bound galley of this novel from the Permanent Press in exchange for my honest review.