Chicago homicide detective Jake Phillips skirts that fragile line separating cops and criminals in this new entry in the highly acclaimed, hard-edged series. After risking all he had to clear his partner, Mondo Mondello, of murder, rookie homicide detective Jake Phillips now faces a tough decision: whether or not to turn in a slew of corrupt cops on the Chicago police force.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The third work (after Special Victims and Mr. X) in the pseudonymous series from Chicago crime writer Eugene Izzi features all the raw talent that makes Izzi/Gaitano downright irresistible, plus the nagging idiosyncrasies and overwrought mannerisms that hinder this author's ascent into the top rank of crime-fiction writers. The pacing is, as always, bruising, as Chicago Special Victims police officer Jake Phillips goes deep undercover. Jake is taking payoffs from crooked cops. He's also assigned the deathwatch as thief Jimmy Duette spends his last few seconds of life fingering the cops who beat him senseless in the basement of the precinct station. Jake thus garners the goods, but in the process looks dirty to the rest of his colleagues, his estranged wife and a crusading woman journalist. Jimmy's beating and an incidental court scene are two marvelous virtuoso sections. Yet the story is overloaded with similar characters awash in psychological ticks who spout the same self-help platitudes. A slew of criminals live and scheme and die on the narrative margins, and a final trick near the end of the tale is clumsy. Gaitano remains a ferocious and original talent, but he doesn't seem in charge of this pulsating and morally ambiguous novel.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
When a second-rate thief named Jimmy Duette is beaten, tortured, and left for dead on the edge of Chicago's Grant Park just before one of the city's biggest festivals, Detective Jake Phillips of the elite Special Victims unit takes the case. But before Phillips can devote himself to the investigation, he has to get his own life in order. His wife has left him, taking their infant daughter; he's drinking heavily; and he's taking payoffs from two dirty cops with ties to organized crime. Add a former partner--now boss--who suspects Phillips' shady doings, and we have one stressed-out cop. There are also subplots involving the murder of a gambling-addicted radio personality and a high-level investigation of police corruption. It's a very busy roller-coaster ride through Chicago's dangerous streets, and Gaitano--aka Eugene Izzi--pulls it off with flair. Everyone portrayed here has an angle and rides close to the edge. Even the good guys' higher moral ground is relative; virtually everyone looks down on scum. The dialogue is great, and the characters, though nasty, come across as believable and carefully drawn. There's also a gut-wrenching conclusion that will leave readers open-mouthed with surprise. Great reading for cop-shop fans. Wes Lukowsky
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