The Force by Don Winslow

‘Probably the best cop novel ever written’ Lee Child From the New York Times bestselling author of The Cartel – winner of the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for Best Thriller of the Year – comes The Force, a cinematic epic as explosive, powerful, and unforgettable as The Wire.

Very good overall. Plot twist at the very end was hard to believe.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Our ends know our beginnings but the reverse isn't true.

The Bonfire of the Vanities

Wiseguy

Because the real truth that they both know is that without cops “testilying,” the DA's office would hardly get any convictions at all.

This doesn't bother Malone.

If the world played fair, he'd play fair. But the cards are stacked against the prosecutors and police. Miranda, Mapp, all the other Supreme Court decisions, give the advantage to the skels. It's like the NFL these days–the league wants touchdown passes, so a defensive back can't even touch a receiver. We're the poor defensive backs, Malone thinks, trying to keep the bad guys from scoring.

Truth, justice and the American way.

The American way is, truth and justice maybe say hello in the hallway, send each other a Christmas card, but that's about the extent of their relationship.

A fast-paced cinematic novel (20th Century Fox bought the rights to it I believe). An elite crime fighting unit in NYC led by Sgt. Denny Malone battle crime, their own deep involvement in corruption and the more complicated corruption at higher levels of government. Lots of intrigue, violence and a story that is in the hands of an author who can really move the plot along. If you liked books or movies like Serpico or The Departed you'll most likely love this novel.