Triple Homicide [Hardcover]

Charles Hynes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 12, 2007

The debut novel from longtime Brooklyn district attorney Charles "Joe" Hynes, Triple Homicide is the gritty saga of two generations of New York City police officers fighting to stay on the right side of the law.
In the early 1990s in New York, easy money stands to be made at every turn, and temptation proves a bitter struggle for the young and much-decorated NYPD Sergeant Steven Holt---and for Steven and his uncle Robert, an officer before him, an increasingly violent mess endangers their careers and the reputation of the entire department.
Born out of real stories of corruption and centered around two men who ultimately dare to challenge the fabled "blue wall" of silence, the novel works toward a majestic courtroom on Long Island, where Sergeant Holt is about to stand trial for triple homicide and where, as he comes to know his past, he'll learn that nothing he's known has ever been as it seemed.
In its intense telling by one of the only writers who could write it with such realism, the story uncovers decades of deceit and corruption that infiltrate families and threaten to ruin the force. Reflecting the proud yet troubled history of the NYPD, Charles Hynes's debut is a searing, up-close portrait of the men and women who live---and die---in the pursuit of criminal justice.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Incumbent Brooklyn district attorney Hynes, best known for his service as the special prosecutor in the 1987 Howard Beach murder case, doesn't succeed in translating his considerable law enforcement experience into a compelling fiction debut. The force of the main plotline-the trial of idealistic young NYPD Sgt. Steven Holt for the murder of a corrupt fellow officer and two other men-is dissipated by interspersed flashbacks to the experiences of Holt's uncle, Robert Mulvey, whose career in the NYPD hit a few bumps after he was tapped to serve as a tool for his superiors to expose rampant corruption inside the force. Few readers will wonder whether Holt is really guilty, and the 11th-hour trial tactic employed to exonerate him will strike many as improbable. Hynes has a great store of knowledge regarding the history of police graft and efforts at reform, but this novel proves an unwieldy way to convey it.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

When a New York City cop is accused of murdering three people, including another cop, the charge sets off a lengthy investigation that peels off the protective layers surrounding a network of corruption extending back for decades. The accused cop might be innocent, but proving it could take down the entire police force. In many ways, a fictionalized version of such true-crime tales as Prince of the City and Serpico, this first novel by Brooklyn district attorney Hynes makes excellent use of a documentary-like style that perfectly suits the material. The book is not a traditional mystery (although there is a strong whodunit element) so much as an exploration of the nature of corruption and its far-reaching, and frequently devastating, consequences. Recommend this one to mystery fans, of course, but also to readers of true crime: the characters here may be made up, but, as the author acknowledges, many of the key plot elements are based on real events. A strong debut. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (June 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312338600
• ISBN-13: 978-0312338602
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,019,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointing Effort, November 24, 2007

By 

J. Caldwell (Sharon, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Triple Homicide (Hardcover)

I saw the book, looked at the dust jacket and subject and immediately bought it. I am a law enforcement professional and looked forward to a good read. I was extremely disappointed. The book was poorly written. The research was sloppy. The plot jumped from decade to decade. The characters were not well developed. The courtroom scenes were incredible. The few pieces of "insider trial tactics" can be found in any John Grisham novel. The author, whose record of public service is remarkable, could have written the definitive history of NYPD cycles of corruption in either a fiction or non-fiction format. Unfortunately he did not. I recommend Peter Maas (Serpico), Barbara Gelb(Varnished Brass), James Lardner (Crusader),Mike McAlary (Good Cop,Bad Cop-Buddy Boys), any of Robert Daley's novels (or his classic non-fiction Target Blue and Prince of the City) and/o Robert Jackall(Street Stories and Wild Cowboys), all of which are available, for a coherent view of the NYPD from the 1960's to date. The lessons learned in NYC are universally applicable to law enforcement today. I hope the author tries again. He could tell an engrossing, valuable story.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars triple homicide, November 22, 2007

By 

Joseph Rooms (Washington, D.C., DC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Triple Homicide (Hardcover)

Charles Hynes now joins the ranks of such masters of "True Fiction" as Joseph Wambaugh and Scott Turow. The author's detailed description of legal procedures, obvious knowledge of the mystique entailing the NYPD's impenetrable "blue wall", and his gift of distinctive copspeak prose, assures we readers that the writer is familiar with the fully developed characters he introduces us to, and the harrowing envirorment he guides us through. I can't wait to see what happens next in the sequel that begs to be written. Perhaps I'll find out when the movie comes out.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gritty and riveting novel of crime, corruption, and ultimate justice, October 27, 2007

By 

Sol Wachtler (Manhasset, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Triple Homicide (Hardcover)

If you are looking for a gimicky mystery with predicable outcomes and implausable plot lines, this book is not for you. Triple Homicide, a novel written by Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn District Attorney,does more than tell the engrossing story of an idealistic NYPD Sergeant who is accused of committing a triple homicide. The book gives us an in depth look at a world which is uniquely a part of New York's criminal justice system -- a world understood so well by the author who is and has been a prominent and distinguished part of that system. Whether plumming the depths of police corruption, or the dedication and tradition of New York's Finest, District Attorney Hynes has opened up to the reader an unparelleled view and understanding of the myriad aspects of law enforcement. The novel is also a suspenseful mystery which, if you keep it at your beside, is guaranteed to keep you awake.