Saturday, May 8, 2021

PLAYING THE DOZENS by William D. Pease

 Refinished We 5/5/21

This is one of my ancient paperbacks that I last finished on Sa 10/12/96 at The Club during a 3 day weekend.

"Crime and Corruption on Both sides of the Law...Hard-edged, cynical and sophisticated"- New York Times. The author, William D. Pease was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., then became a partner in a Washington law firm specializing in federal white-collar crime defense litigation. 

Excellent Opening Scene: A man is drinking beer in a local tavern on a lazy afternoon. A cop walks up to him and the man at the bar turns and shots him in the face. Then he gives himself up. 

"These people terrify me, but I am one of them"- George Smiley in John Le Carre's, THE HONORABLE SCHOOLBOY.

The man will only speak to Assistant US Attorney Holden. They uncover a plot involving the mayor and a deal for two hundred kilos of heroin. And a 'grisly' alcoholic cop, Eddie Nickles is central tot he story.

***One reader commented that the author used 'grizzled'- referring to a bear instead of 'grisled'- that which inspires disgust or gray and old. I'm not that sure which one is right, but it's a heck of a stupid criticism of the book. 

Pease only wrote two more books, and I feel he really could have been a more popular writer. I thought it was a great Cop Procedural. 

Funny quote:

A woman was so dumb that she thought 'The Civil Rights Act' was a bunch of jugulars that she saw on the Ed Sullivan Show. 

No comments:

Post a Comment