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mfraise05's review
3.0
I am new to the police/detective mystery genre so I don't have any real insight into how this compares to anything else in the genre. That being said, I gave this three stars because it was well-written but could have been better. I was interested in the storyline; the narrator Detective Trevor Finnegan was interesting enough, and the whodunnit was enough to keep me reading. However, it read like an "edited for tv" version of what should have been a more fleshed out book. Maybe too much was cut by editors? Characters could have been given more development, things felt rushed when they didn't need to be, Finnegan was so freaking naive it was annoying - I grew increasingly irritated by his refusal to admit that the LAPD was(is) more bad than good and his insistence on excusing or defending shitty cop behavior with the tired "the job wears on you" excuse; and even though race is main factor in the storyline and Finnegan's experience as a cop, the author doesn't really dig deep into it, choosing to keep the racial experiences just at surface level. Also, Finnegan isn't super likeable. He doesn't treat anyone in the book particularly well, not his high school best friend/crush, not his father, not his lover; he acts like he's morally better than most of the rest of the department; and he's just generally unpleasant.
It looks like there's going to be more of this series but don't think I'll read them and if this is what cop mysteries are like, I'll skip those, too.
It looks like there's going to be more of this series but don't think I'll read them and if this is what cop mysteries are like, I'll skip those, too.
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
Under Color of Law was a very eye opening mystery thriller. In today's world, it's not hard to see anyone in power not being corrupt. Especially when it comes to the police. In it, you will meet Trevor. He is a detective thrown into a case that links him back to a case where he was a rookie.
Each twist and turn kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked how things were tying back to when he was first starting. It definitely made things interesting and it hurt my heart at times too. The deep and dark things that are kept hidden but are brought into the light definitely makes you sit back and think on all the hard things in life.
If you can't trust a police officer when you are in trouble.. who can you trust?
In the end, I liked what Trevor did in the end because people thought they wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of their actions. It was definitely worth the read/listen and I'm so happy that I dove into this one.
Each twist and turn kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked how things were tying back to when he was first starting. It definitely made things interesting and it hurt my heart at times too. The deep and dark things that are kept hidden but are brought into the light definitely makes you sit back and think on all the hard things in life.
If you can't trust a police officer when you are in trouble.. who can you trust?
In the end, I liked what Trevor did in the end because people thought they wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of their actions. It was definitely worth the read/listen and I'm so happy that I dove into this one.
mltokars's review against another edition
5.0
This one took me some time to get into. Looking back I don’t think that was due to the writing, I think it was because this book addresses some heavy topics. And honestly life has been full of heavy topics for the last 2 years now and I didn’t know if I’d get through the book because I’ve turned to reading to veer away from those topics.
That being said, this book is many things. A mystery. A tool to inspect societal norms. An insight to human emotion in different capacities. A hope that justice does prevail eventually.
Great read.
That being said, this book is many things. A mystery. A tool to inspect societal norms. An insight to human emotion in different capacities. A hope that justice does prevail eventually.
Great read.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Giving this one the first book bump. There’s a lot to like here with setting and intrigue. Plus the notion of a Black LAPD Detective navigating a tricky murder of a Black LAPD trainee is a demanding setup and I think Aaron Philip Clark does a great job with it. What a relief for a writer to allow their MC to be truly complex. The plotting stalled in spots, characterization wasn’t great, and the love angle and ending respectively left a lot to be desired. But huzzah for a writer who shows great confidence with their first book.
jlbrainard79's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I decided to pay the two dollars for the audiobook. This is a well written story told from the unique perspective of a black detective who is imperfect, but likable. The story is fast paced and full of suspense and surprises. The narrator has a nice voice that I enjoyed listening to. My only regret is not reading this book sooner.
wyrmdog's review against another edition
3.0
I must give Clark credit for creating such a flawed and realistic character. Finn juxtaposes abject (yet disturbingly understandable) cowardice with self-sacrificing bravery, but seems to hew a little too close to the ugly side of the character to make Finn truly worth embracing. He's a cipher and more of a plot device than a character.
Never sentimental, Under Color of Law is also never as assured as it should be. It eschews the soapbox but can't quite find its footing, leaning heavily into a story that feels tepid in spite of its explosive subject matter. We see and hear Finn's thoughts but we never really get into his head. Internal monologues with the potential to illuminate are sublimated to a sense of detachment that comes directly from the writing. We contrast curated cosmopolitanism with sudden tribalism that feels like box-checking in spite of the authenticity of the viewpoint. It's a strange narrative to find yourself in.
The greatest, and perhaps only true sin of the novel, is that it is not entertaining. It isn't fun the way I want my crime novels to be. Every novel must entertain and novels that fail to entertain fail to deliver any other message they might have. Under Color of Law commits exactly this sin. By failing to deliver a compelling story, a story where things happen and the reader both cares and is perhaps concerned, all the messaging, all the pertinence is lost and worse, any desire to keep going with this series flutters away on a breeze I never even felt.
I prefer crime novels that embrace the crazy and lean into the wind. Westlake, Leonard, Rucka, Hayder, Cross...I suppose I have plenty like that available, given that list. But I am finding that the more procedural ones like those from Connolly or Uhnak just aren't really my thing. Clark falls into the latter category. That doesn't really mean it's bad, just that isn't what I'm looking for.
Never sentimental, Under Color of Law is also never as assured as it should be. It eschews the soapbox but can't quite find its footing, leaning heavily into a story that feels tepid in spite of its explosive subject matter. We see and hear Finn's thoughts but we never really get into his head. Internal monologues with the potential to illuminate are sublimated to a sense of detachment that comes directly from the writing. We contrast curated cosmopolitanism with sudden tribalism that feels like box-checking in spite of the authenticity of the viewpoint. It's a strange narrative to find yourself in.
The greatest, and perhaps only true sin of the novel, is that it is not entertaining. It isn't fun the way I want my crime novels to be. Every novel must entertain and novels that fail to entertain fail to deliver any other message they might have. Under Color of Law commits exactly this sin. By failing to deliver a compelling story, a story where things happen and the reader both cares and is perhaps concerned, all the messaging, all the pertinence is lost and worse, any desire to keep going with this series flutters away on a breeze I never even felt.
I prefer crime novels that embrace the crazy and lean into the wind. Westlake, Leonard, Rucka, Hayder, Cross...I suppose I have plenty like that available, given that list. But I am finding that the more procedural ones like those from Connolly or Uhnak just aren't really my thing. Clark falls into the latter category. That doesn't really mean it's bad, just that isn't what I'm looking for.
desidevabookworm's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Detective Trevor 'Finn' Finnegan is no more." This book is raw, real and amazing. Aaron Phillip Clark's writing is chef's kiss. Finn is such a deep character and is every single one of us struggling between right and wrong. Career or family. I can say this, everything that happened led him where he needs to be. And I can't wait to see his next chapters in the second book! Thank goodness Finn was there. Otherwise Brandon nor Ruben would have gotten justice. 10/10 would recommend!
kthrynthegreat's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0