False Stature [Paperback]

Dennis Mcgowan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2003

Discretion is the key word two young rookies on the New York Police Department must employ. The West Bronx natives have dreamt of becoming members of the prestigious NYPD since childhood, but their reality is turning into a nightmare. Jim Mackery subdues a cop killer in his road to detective, but his best friend Frankie Driscoll ends up in prison. Driscoll's undercover detail must be kept from Mackery and mistrust creates a rift in the friendship until a rogue police sergeant, pedophile priest and shared childhood secret loom large in the investigation of a runaway's murder." an imaginative, fast-paced thriller with ironic twists and surprises a-plenty. Dennis J. McGowan is a stand-out writer with a future in an already highly competitive field."-Dan Mahoney, former NYPD Captain & Author: Detective First Grade; Edge of the City; Black and White"Dennis McGowan writes like a runaway train-fast and powerfully."-Lewis Frumkes, author of How to Raise Your I.Q. by Eating Gifted Children"The sense of time and place is so palpable you can smell and taste it well written, fast paced, heart felt, and dramatic. The author's most stunning accomplishment was to evoke a world that is so real it's impossible not to believe. A great first novel."-Ed Dee, former NYPD Lieutenant, author of Nightbird and 14 Peck Slip

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dennis J. McGowan, born in Manhattan, graduated cum laude from St. Thomas Aquinas College with degrees in both social and police science. He went on to be Commander of the Detective Bureau, member of the Statewide Narcotics Task Force, and Police Officer in the town of Suffern, New York. He was also an instructor at Rockland Community College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: IUniverse (October 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595295002
• ISBN-13: 978-0595295005
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,565,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars False Stature is the best cop story I have read in some time, March 1, 2001

By 

Donna F. (Maybrook, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: False Stature (Paperback)

Fast paced story with totally believable characters! You can almost smell and hear NYC as you read this story! The plot is so believable..you`ll think it came from the front page of any major city newspaper!! I couldnt put it down..kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. I can hardly wait until Mr. McGowan`s next installment, and you won`t be able to either after reading this one! A great book for any fan of police or whodunnits! Very dramatic, fast paced, well written story!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spine-Tingling Crime Thriller!, March 14, 2002

By 

Natalie R. Collins (Kaysville, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: False Stature (Paperback)

Secrets drive this fast-paced police thriller. Two young men, childhood friends, with dreams of serving on the prestigious New York Police Department, find their lives headed in opposite directions. ...

Author Dennis J. McGowan is a natural storyteller, and his characters are finely-drawn and believable. As surprise after surprise is sprung on the reader, a bond forms between his characters and the reader, particularly the vulnerable Frankie, who cannot tell anyone that he is working as an undercover officer. His angst grows as his buddy receives accolades and achievements, while Frankie is consorting with criminals in the course of his undercover work. He begins to act rashly, desperately wanting to be known as "one of the good guys," yet realizing that if he tells anyone all his hard work will be destroyed.

This first book by retired police detective McGowan offers the promise of even more wonderful, and authentic, work to come.

This book is a keeper.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars McGowan is an excellent yarn spinner!, February 12, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: False Stature (Paperback)

Dennis J. McGowan has had a distinguished career in law enforcement, including being a member of the Village of Suffern Police Department; holding posts in the Rockland County Patrolmen's Benevolent Association; as an instructor in Criminal Justice at Rockland Community College; and as liaison to various legislative branches of government. He is also a member of the Mystery Writers of America and National Writers Union, as well as Police Writers Association and the Retired Police Association of New York State.

McGowan's compelling story begins with two West Bronx friends, both who dream of entering the police academy. But their story diverges when they both witness a bizarre murder as kids. When a corrupt policeman comes after Frankie Driscoll's relative Joey, Frankie suddenly finds himself in Sing Sing on a trumped-up charge. He knows who killed his cousin; a corrupt cop named Reardon. Frankie's friend, Jim Mackery, makes it through the academy and catches a cop killer the first day on the job. Thus their paths diverge, until Frankie agrees to work undercover after his release from Sing Sing to catch "wise guys." Frankie and Jim team up together to catch Reardon, when it becomes apparent that the vendetta has something to do with a shelter called "the Castaways" and Frankie and his cousin Joey's involvement in it when they were young:

"'Wilson told me he was a security guard there,' Driscoll said. "Told me about a cop who had the run of the place. Said Reardon was up in the executive offices all the time.' 'Then we're probably right. The Castaways could be the connection between Joey and Reardon,' he said. 'Reardon was looking for Joey the night he killed him. Why else would he be out of his command?'"

McGowan sets up almost a stream of consciousness plot full of action and dialogue, to build up tantalizing characters so real the reader squirms throughout the entire book. His knowledge is incredible, and the inside story he concocts is a page-turner. Instead of the reader waiting for the book to produce results, False Stature fairly drags the reader through a wringer of adventure, mystery, and action. Beware to anyone who opens this book...it is impossible to put down once it is started. McGowan is an excellent yarn spinner!

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer