Say Goodnight to the Boys In Blue [Hardcover]

James McEachin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2000

December, . A different kind of night for the boys in blue is slow-town New Jersey.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

McEachin's most original and strangest plot yet unfolds in his fourth novel (after The Heroin Factor), a bizarre tale of murder, mayhem, and poetic justice in a small New Jersey town in 1950. At once a dark satire and a black comedy, this clever thriller has the wacky police force of Elton Head beginning the midnight shift in a town where nothing ever happens. And it's a good thing the town is slow, because the cops are so inept they couldn't catch a cold. Danny Carlsson is a rookie on the force, a walking beat patrolman with conscience and heart who hates his job, stuck on the graveyard shift with the seven laziest, most corrupt colleagues. But on the night of December 19, 1950, everything changes. Danny befriends an old black wino named Soldier Boy, puzzled by the wino's prophecy that Danny will soon "be the last man standing." After Soldier Boy is brutally beaten to death by a racist tavern owner, Danny is outraged when his fellow cops let the killer (their pal) go free, citing self-defense as the whitewash for murder. As the winter night wears on, however, peculiar events occur that give Danny an indirect but effective chance to seek both justice and revenge. The other seven policemen reveal themselves to be drunks, liars, philanderers, thieves and criminally stupid, but it's plain bad luck that does them in. The oddball characters are drawn with verve and textured well beyond stereotype. Na?ve Danny is also flawed enough that he's not simply Mr. Do-Nice. Then there's a gruff desk sergeant with a bad heart, an alcoholic officer who won't wear his dentures, a cop who sports a white tuxedo and dreams of being a tap dancer and another who wears pajamas and carries a pillow. In this delightfully loony and suspenseful story, everybody gets exactly what they deserve, and Elton Head will never be the same again. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In the shadow of New York City, the calm and placid setting of Elton Head, New Jersey, in the 1950s provides deceptive cover for the dark underside of human nature. On the surface, the night shift of the police department is preoccupied with the typical work of law enforcement in a small town, but below the surface personal demons eat at the local boys in blue. On a single December night, the darker elements, starting with the typical clout and corruption and advancing to a literal beast, will test the mettle and humanity of the night-shift personnel: Scandinavian-born Danny Carlsson, with more American pride and idealism than the locals; Dempsey O. McShayne, the widowed desk sergeant who provides the moral weight and support to the men; and a drunken outcast who is befriended by no one other than Danny. In fact, Danny proves the only source of hope for the tragic deception and ironic judgment to be rendered against the boys in blue. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 282 pages
• Publisher: Rharl Publishing Group; First Edition edition (September 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965666158
• ISBN-13: 978-0965666152
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,331,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dark Comedy, June 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Say Goodnight to the Boys In Blue (Hardcover)

The author, James McEachin, continues to amaze me with his writing style. This book is a great departure from previous works which include, Farewell to the Mockingbirds and Tell Me a Story. The author presents a surprising twist to viewing law enforcement. The story takes place in New Jersey during a cold wintery night. It is the perfect backdrop of what is to unfolds as the authors presents a very amusing tale of what can happen will happen on a given night. This is not a lengthy book but it explores several themes includng sexism, racism, classism, isolation and cultural. These themes are explored through the eyes of the "...Men in Blue". It is without a doubt, a very entertaning and amusing account of what might happen during the course of an eight hours shift on this local police squad given the right circumstances. The story unfolds gradually but the pace picks up after a somewhat slow introduction. It is worth the read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dumbest, June 4, 2001

By 

Pokey (Ramona, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Say Goodnight to the Boys In Blue (Hardcover)

I'm glad I didn't pay for it, but just borrowed it.

The cops are portrayed as more unintelligent than is credible by any wild stretch, even though it is set in New Jersey. It falls well below humor into something unsettling, and seems to be a black author having his revenge on white cops. I could enjoy that if it were funny, but it is just dismal.