Playing the Dozens (Signet) [Paperback]

William D. Pease (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signet | Publication Date: February 1, 1992

When the man accused of killing a cop is found hanging in his cell, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Holden investigates a bizarre case involving drugs, money, sex, and corruption. Reprint. NYT.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Vivid characters and strong writing keep this thriller moving briskly. The murder of a Washington, D.C., cop puts an assistant U.S. attorney on the trail of drugs and corruption in Pease's stylishly gritty debut. Apprehended immediately, the killer asks to speak with Michael Holden, whose investigation of Washington's mayor had failed to bury either the pol or his pal Milton Higgs. The killer, who promises to hand over the goods on Higgs, is found hanged before the night is out. Holden is freshly determined to nail both Higgs and the mayor, and to find out who in the P.D. is in their pockets. With the help of veteran detective Eddie Nickles and a bright rookie, Holden orchestrates an investigation of money-laundering that uncovers Higgs's involvement in a huge heroin shipment; Higgs is also connected to the murder of a male prostitute. The many angles of the case are neatly resolved as the story ends with a seamlessly introduced, thought-provoking surprise that is not a tribute to the legal profession. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; author tour. (Sept).
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- When an apprehended cop-killer says he'll talk only to Assistant U. S. Attorney Michael Holden, a trail of politics, drugs, money-laundering, and murder begins to unravel. As the trail widens, Holden worries about whom he can trust with the growing information: his boss, never seen without a glass in his hand or an aide by his side; the seasoned detective who pursues the investigation in a menacing yet effective way; or the new detective, an unknown who goes by the book. Snitches talk, but they too play a game. The well-crafted plot moves briskly and steadily and is peopled with an assortment of good guys, bad guys, and those you just can't figure out. YAs won't put the book down until the last page, which holds the final surprise.
- Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Pub . Lib . , VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Signet (February 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451169867
• ISBN-13: 978-0451169860
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,735,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading without many surprises, March 27, 2000

By 

HW Lam (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing the Dozens (Signet) (Paperback)

This book is easy to read. There are not many characters which may confuse you. There are not many ups and downs in the process of getting the bad guys either. The only mishap to the hero is what happened to his girl friend and a FBI agent. The circumstances of this "accident" is, predictably, the result of mistaking the agent for the hero. It seems that it is a bit too easy in the round up of the drug dealers and indeed the author could put in more actions there. I would expect (1) more twists in the plot, and (2)the ending is at a climax of higher altitude.

2.0 out of 5 stars OK Read, December 15, 2010

By 

Bonner '62 (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Playing the Dozens (Signet) (Paperback)

This book just kinds of plods along. It kind of lulls you. I used it for bedtime reading and it was perfect. A lot of the action that turns out to be relevant happens off stage and you don't know about it until the very end. But that's fine it doesn't really detract from the humdrum story. The story (when it finally get around to it) is about wrapping up major international drug dealers protected by all kinds of corrupt Wash DC cops. That sounds real enough. That sounds interesting but the reality is in this book it is at best diverting. The orginal receipt was in the book as a bookmark. Someone paid $2.98 for it in the Crown Books (RIP) bargain bin in 1993. My wife got it as part of a box of books for $5 from our local library. At that price it was fine. Listen the author tried writing a couple of books 15-20 years ago and then dropped the idea. After finishing this I can see why. No one will ever read this review but what the hey. It can't hurt.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Play Somewhere Else, April 9, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playing the Dozens (Signet) (Paperback)

Average. I felt like this was a book in search of a story. The author certainly filled the prerequisite of putting a lot of words on the pages but unfortunately they do not do anything together. I was looking for a tight, risky book - much as the dust jacket implies, but I got something much less entertaining. The only good thing I can say is that not many of the words had over 5 letters in them.