Wall of Brass [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert Daley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1995

When the police commissioner of the city of New York is shot to death while jogging, the mayor gives Chief of Detectives Bert Farber ten days to solve the crime, but top players immediately begin to block the investigation. Reprint. NYT. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The murder of a top cop and the political infighting that ensues form the focus of Daley's first-rate new thriller. When New York City Police Commissioner Harry Chapman is shot while jogging on Manhattan's Upper West Side, his former patrol-car partner, Bert Farber, now chief of detectives, is assigned to find the killer. Farber is also one of three top contenders to replace Chapman as commissioner, and his two chief rivals are doing their best to roadblock him in his search for the killer. Complicating the situation are Farber's torrid romance with Chapman's wife, Mary Alice, growing doubts about the dead man's true character and personality-and a deadline: by law, the mayor has only 10 days to name Chapman's replacement. Balancing Farber's investigation with chapters detailing his and Chapman's past relationship and their early competition for Mary Alice's affections, Daley constructs his mystery as an absorbing character study, concentrating mainly on Farber but soon revealing that Chapman was less than the paragon he appeared. Tight and tautly told, this novel is much more satisfying than Daley's last, Tainted Evidence, because it's built around a character that readers will care about and that Daley seems to care about as well. As in his best work, moreover, the author displays his bone-deep knowledge of New York cops and criminals (manifest most enjoyably here in a vividly portrayed mob boss chipped off the block of John Gotti)-a knowledge surely gained in part when, in the early '70s, Daley served as the city's deputy police commissioner. Readers' Digest Condensed Books.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Former New York deputy police commissioner Daley, author of best sellers like A Faint Cold Fear (LJ 9/15/90), here aims a bullet straight at the heart of the commissioner himself. Chief of Detectives Bert Farber wants the murderer and the murdered man's job, but he might just end up as a suspect.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Vision (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446365661
• ISBN-13: 978-0446365666
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,077,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They don't get any better than this, January 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Wall of Brass (Mass Market Paperback)

Robert Daley has crafted a smart, heartfelt mystery with plenty of twists and consummate professionalism. Skip the lessers in this field and check this book out. I haven't read any better mysteries this year.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Muted Thunder, Wall of Brass, May 18, 2002

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wall of Brass (Mass Market Paperback)

Robert Daley knows his New York City and the NYPD hierarchy. Neither does well under close inspection. Chief of Detectives Bert Farber has the unenviable job of being point man in investigating the street murder of new Police Commissioner Harry Chapman. With the unexpected vacancy, Bert and two others are possible candidates for the PC job. The mercurial mayor must make the appointment within ten days. Bert hopes for a sensational arrest to cement his worthiness with the mayor. The problem is the more we find out about the late Harry Chapman, the less willing the higher ups of NYPD are to have the investigation go forward.

This is a character driven novel where no one is very nice. Bert, our dedicated detective, is stubborn, rude, and a bully. His rivals for the PC job are wily old survivors of a seniority system, masters of the art of covering-your-a**. The victim, a Kennedyesque figure, is a ruthless politico and womanizer. The ladies are by turns heartless, stodgy, or foul-mouthed, but all reasonably good looking if we are to go by Bert's assessments. Because the entire cast is so unpleasant, the reader has a glorious opportunity to suspect everybody of doing the deed. No one is exempt.

The book gets off to a slow start because the flashbacks of Bert and Harry almost overwhelm the present day action. But once the book hits its stride, the tension and suspense are high. Bert walks an exquisite tightrope between over zealousness and out-and-out criminal behavior, and even Bert cannot fathom his own obsession for the truth. The ending was a small failure in that the pervading curtain of irony lifts to provide a sunny ending. All in all, a worthwhile read. I will look for more books by this author.