Customer Reviews

Probable Cause

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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

Schwegel is one of the best new (to me) authors that I have read in a long time. I was so sad to learn that she has only four books out.
Hope she writes another one soon.
I look forward to her books with the same anticipation that I do for a new Emore Leonard novel.
Go Therese!! Write ON!!!

Theresa knows how to tell a story. She keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Hard to put the book down.. This is a great addition to my library. OFFICER DOWN was my first .. I will continue looking for more books by her..

Probable Cause is a straight forward police novel. The bad guys are the police. There's no fancy police investigation with dashing cops. This is a novel that would be filmed in black and white. If I didn't know the author's name, I would have sworn it was a man who wrote.
It's good .

This is the "type" of novel I go for; well researched, thrilling, and a real page-turner. I love "could happen" type, edge of your seat drama books like those of Vince Flynn, John Grisham, et. al. and Theresa Schwegal does NOT disappoint. Great book. She's one to watch!

Rookie cop Ray Weiss, Chicago PD, participates in an "initiation" led by his fellow officers, including his partner Jack Fiore. Ray robs a jewelry store and picks up a few pieces for his partner's wife. Once inside, Ray virtually trips over a corpse, the murdered storeowner. The cops close ranks behind the thin blue line and concoct a plausible cover story. Trouble first crops up when hard-nosed homicide detective Sloane Pearson pokes around in the case. Doubts and guilt threaten to undo Ray, and the brotherhood-in-blue view him with suspicion as being unreliable and untrustworthy. This edgy narrative exhibits the psychological makeup, both the tough and vulnerable sides, to a cop. Masterful pacing, an eye for true detail, and an insistent voice make this an enjoyable read.

Theresa Schwegel is the author of Officer Down that won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was short listed for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel.

In Probably Cause, Ray Weiss is a rookie cop in Chicago. His decided to enter the 'brotherhood' because his father is a lieutenant on the force and Weiss craves his approval.

To be accepted into 'the brotherhood,' Weiss takes part in an initiation that requires him to break into a jewelry store and steal a ring for his partner, Jack Fiore. His problems begin when he finds the body of the store owner. Weiss finds himself involved in the cover-up of the robbery and murder with no way to escape, without implicating himself in the crime.

Fiore makes a quick arrest for the murder, but Weiss doesn't believe the suspect committed the crime. Weiss is unable to let an innocent person be charged with the crime and reluctantly joins forces with Det. Sloane Pearson to break the case.

Weiss receives no support from his fellow officers and becomes the target of numerous acts of violence. He's convinced his 'brothers in blue' are behind the attacks. There doesn't seem to be any way out of the mess he's created for himself, and the most he can hope for is that he escapes with his life.

Schwegel spins a compelling story of the dark side of police work where the 'good guys' are not always good and it's difficult to tell who the 'bad guys' are. Her voice is distinctive; the story is gritty and dark.

Armchair Interviews says: Probably Cause is a riveting read.