Probable Cause [Paperback]

Theresa Schwegel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 24, 2008

Ray Weiss is a third generation cop. All he’s ever wanted is to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps. But when he finds out what the senior officers in Chicago’s District 20 have planned for his “initiation” into the brotherhood, he faces a difficult choice. Ray’s senior partner, Jack Fiore, asks him to rob a jewelry store. It’s just a little fun—especially because they’re set up to “discover” the crime. Besides, Fiore gets the jewelry, Ray gets to be one of the boys, and the storeowner collects insurance. Ray doesn’t want to do it, but Fiore leaves him no alternative. . . . When Ray breaks into the store, he finds a corpse instead of his promised reward. Is it coincidence, or payback for being a reluctant rookie? Detective Sloane Pearson is on the case, and if Ray doesn’t help her find the killer, she might discover something even more dangerous: the truth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seems like everyone in Chicago is crooked, and starry-eyed rookie patrolman Ray Weiss learns the cops are no exception when he's told to rob a jewelry store as part of his initiation onto the force in Edgar-winner Schwegel's fast-paced second crime novel (after 2005's Officer Down). When Weiss breaks in, he finds the owner on the floor, shot dead. The discovery plunges him into a whirlwind of double-crosses, illegal immigration and coverups. Weiss's father is also a cop, but that makes unraveling the murder harder rather than easier. Weiss's need to prove himself holds him back from using his father's connections or asking advice. Readers who liked the sympathetic female characters in Officer Down may be disappointed, as Weiss sees women mostly in terms of his chances of getting them into bed. It's hard to keep someone so oversexed and error-prone from becoming either slapstick or annoying, but the genuinely intriguing story leaves no time for impatience or disengagement. Author tour. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Praise for Officer Down

"Readers at last can enjoy a tough-gal yarn with heaps of moral ambiguity and good guys gone bad."
---San Francisco Chronicle
"An excellent choice for contemporary noir fans."
---Baltimore Sun on Officer Down
"A powerful and compelling first effort that promises good things to come from Schwegel."
---Chicago Sun-Times
"Schwegel, who writes about police work with authority, has also created a tough and original character."
---Chicago Tribune
"A terrific debut mystery with a hard-edged take on the police novel."
---Rocky Mountain News
"Instantly engrossing . . . Smack's voice is rough and real, conveying both her tough cookie persona and the authentic emotions behind her street face. . . . An impressive, gripping first novel."
---Publishers Weekly

"Theresa Schwegel makes an impressive debut with this dark and gritty thriller."

---San Diego Union-Tribune

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur (November 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1429943718
• ISBN-13: 978-1429943710
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,333,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Probable Cause, May 6, 2007

By 

Joyce E. Holmes "Dragon Lady" (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Probable Cause (Hardcover)

All over the place, did not make sense most of the time.
Should have closed the book after the first 5 pages but
keep thinking it had to get better, it didn't.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This Chicago police novel begins with a break-in, August 27, 2007

By 

jt52 "jt52" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Probable Cause (Hardcover)

but the perps aren't criminals. From this engaging and surprising beginning, rising crime writer Theresa Schwegel constructs an exciting account of rookie cop Ray Weiss' first murder case. The first half of "Probable Cause" is very effective - in fact, admirable -- with a series of events eventually forcing Weiss to a new awareness of the situation around him.

I'm rating this three stars because I didn't think the conclusion of the novel lived up to the first half. The eventual confession by the guilty party seems unmotivated by any pressure and the rationale for the crime seems forced. Logical conclusions to thrillers always seem to be the hardest part and Schwegel has problems with it here.

That said, I'm looking forward to the next Schwegel book. The subtle and unexpected way in which the mystery is set up took talent and ability. So this is a promising if flawed effort.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb police procedural, January 14, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Probable Cause (Hardcover)

In Chicago rookie patrolman Ray Weiss joins the 20th District. He feels great as he always dreamed of becoming a cop. However, his aspiration turns bitter when Field Training Officer Jack Fiore demands he complete his OJT by fulfilling the ritual that will make him a true member of the force. He must rob Rytoi Jewelry on Argyle Avenue so Jack can give his wife a present and Ray can become one of the guys.

Reluctantly Ray breaks into the store with Jack following him inside where they find the murdered corpse of the Lithuanian owner Petras Ipolitas. Knowing they are in trouble as Homicide Detective Sloane Pearson wonders why they were there, Fiore sets in motion a plot to hide their activity. He tracks down an illegal Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Ambrozas, who is found with a trunk filled with firearms who is to take the fall. Ray worries about his future and how his dad a dedicated ethical police officer, proud of his son's joining the force, will react. Unable to stay on the sidelines Ray digs on his own and with Sloane, which upsets his district peers especially his "mentor".

Readers initially will have mixed feelings towards Ray for his part in the robbery, but his attitude especially towards females will lose him some of the audience's empathy until he redeems himself with his efforts to do the right thing. His metamorphous makes this a superb police procedural though the story line has been used before. As with OFFICER DOWN, Theresa Schwegel writes a deep character study of a beleaguered cop struggling as his world spins out of control starting with that first mistake.

Harriet Klausner