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beaufortbooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
booksuperpower's review
4.0
The Squad Room by John Cutter and Robert Nivakoff is a 2016 Beaufort Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book as a part of the LibraryThing Early Review program.
With a title like “The Squad Room”, I got the impression this novel would be a died in the wool police procedural, and it is that, but not in the way most of us are used to.
Bill Morrison is a dedicated cop, devoting his whole life to putting criminals behind bars. But, as the story opens, Bill is on the brink of burnout and despair after losing his son in the line of duty and the breakdown of his marriage.
With a serial killer on the loose, Bill finds the support and camaraderie of his fellow officers gives him the strength to stay sober and fight against dirty politics within the ranks, to keep the city safe.
The story gets off to a pretty rough start as the squad members are introduced, and there is a pretty large cast of characters, many of whom tell a ‘war story’, if you will, regarding a past experience on the force, or about the effects the job has had on their personal lives, while the murder case slowly builds in the background. I got lost as it seemed like I was reading small vignettes, there for a while, but a rhythm soon developed and I finally settled into the plot. From there it was a pretty fast read, detailing the day to day procedures and roadblocks Morrison and his comrades faced, with a few surprising twists along the way.
I liked the gritty feel of the story, which lent it an air of authenticity, and the plot is clever in many ways, but I struggled with Morrison’s involvement with Claudia. I try to avoid this trope in the wake of its massive popularity, because it’s just not my thing at all, so I was disappointed to find it showing up in my mystery novels being treated like a positive thing, not an abusive relationship, and I have some real problems with that. I found it troubling that this type of relationship was the only way Morrison could feel alive, as he put it, indicating he found normal, healthy relationships couldn’t quicken him.
The writing was a bit jarring and seemed a little amateurish at times, and the delivery of the dialogue was often flat and unemotional, but there was a bit of understated or wry humor from time to time.
Still, I appreciated the approach, the homage to the men in blue, the good guys, and the unique bond they share, which seems to be the point of the story more so than the solving of a crime. Morrison’s character is in a really bad place as the book begins, but by the end he’s found a modicum of peace, a renewed sense of purpose and feeling of belonging that had been missing from his life.
Overall, this story is a little off beat in some ways, but traditional in others, making it a unique crime story and Bill Morrison certainly makes an interesting character study.
I was a little on the fence about how I should rate this one, leaning towards the middle ground, but after some thought, I think it’s a little better than just okay, so how about a 3.5 rounded to 4
With a title like “The Squad Room”, I got the impression this novel would be a died in the wool police procedural, and it is that, but not in the way most of us are used to.
Bill Morrison is a dedicated cop, devoting his whole life to putting criminals behind bars. But, as the story opens, Bill is on the brink of burnout and despair after losing his son in the line of duty and the breakdown of his marriage.
With a serial killer on the loose, Bill finds the support and camaraderie of his fellow officers gives him the strength to stay sober and fight against dirty politics within the ranks, to keep the city safe.
The story gets off to a pretty rough start as the squad members are introduced, and there is a pretty large cast of characters, many of whom tell a ‘war story’, if you will, regarding a past experience on the force, or about the effects the job has had on their personal lives, while the murder case slowly builds in the background. I got lost as it seemed like I was reading small vignettes, there for a while, but a rhythm soon developed and I finally settled into the plot. From there it was a pretty fast read, detailing the day to day procedures and roadblocks Morrison and his comrades faced, with a few surprising twists along the way.
I liked the gritty feel of the story, which lent it an air of authenticity, and the plot is clever in many ways, but I struggled with Morrison’s involvement with Claudia. I try to avoid this trope in the wake of its massive popularity, because it’s just not my thing at all, so I was disappointed to find it showing up in my mystery novels being treated like a positive thing, not an abusive relationship, and I have some real problems with that. I found it troubling that this type of relationship was the only way Morrison could feel alive, as he put it, indicating he found normal, healthy relationships couldn’t quicken him.
The writing was a bit jarring and seemed a little amateurish at times, and the delivery of the dialogue was often flat and unemotional, but there was a bit of understated or wry humor from time to time.
Still, I appreciated the approach, the homage to the men in blue, the good guys, and the unique bond they share, which seems to be the point of the story more so than the solving of a crime. Morrison’s character is in a really bad place as the book begins, but by the end he’s found a modicum of peace, a renewed sense of purpose and feeling of belonging that had been missing from his life.
Overall, this story is a little off beat in some ways, but traditional in others, making it a unique crime story and Bill Morrison certainly makes an interesting character study.
I was a little on the fence about how I should rate this one, leaning towards the middle ground, but after some thought, I think it’s a little better than just okay, so how about a 3.5 rounded to 4
beaufortbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
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