Best for: People who know that there’s a deeper problem with the police than most of our society will acknowledge, but don’t have all the evidence at their fingertips. In a nutshell: Sociology professor Vitale offers a logical and thorough examination of the many different areas where police are seen as necessary but are, in reality, making things worse. And, more importantly, offers alternatives to police involvement in those areas. Worth quoting: “At root, they fail to appreciate that the basic nature of the law […]
Satisfying end to the series
This is the third book in Stephen King’s Bill Hodges trilogy, so if you haven’t read the prior two I would skip this review to avoid spoilers. Full disclosure, I am a huge King fan, and while I wouldn’t say I have a bias when it comes to his stuff (he has certainly written things I haven’t enjoyed) I am naturally inclined to like his work. End of Days brings the Bill Hodges trilogy to its completion, starting with Mr. Mercedes and then […]
You’d have expected me to be just a minor character in this saga
This is a tough one to review. I really liked reading it, but in the end, it felt as though the exposition was finally wrapped up, and now I was ready for the story. But actually, the book was over. Not that there isn’t enough movement in Eileen, it’s just that the narrator tells us very early in the book that this is the story of her final days trapped in her terrible and sad life as she was raised – or more accurately, grew […]
For a terrifying moment I thought he was going to hug me, but fortunately we both remembered we were English just in time.
Wait, hang on a second. [Looks up how many PC Peter Grant novels there are so far.] [Discovers Ben Aaronovitch wrote a few serials for “Doctor Who,” in the late Eighties. Light bulb.] [Discovers that although the book jackets say “PC Peter Grant Series,” whoever edited Wikipedia last prefers to refer to them as the “Rivers of London Series.” Huh, makes sense. Also: spoilerish.] [Discovers there are 6 “Rivers of London” novels so far, and what’s this, now? 9 spin-off graphic novels? And 4 companion […]