The KILLING SEASON

Rating:
Summary: Poor cousin to "Homicide"
Review: A must read for anybody interested in homocide or detective work. This was a real eye-opener regarding the schedules these incredible people endure. Non-stop action! By the time I finished reading I felt I knew the featured detectives. It is in my library and remains my favorite out of some seventy-plus titles.

Rating:
Summary: Must read for native angelenos
Review: As a native angeleno, I found this book about the daily lives of homicide detectives in South-Central Los Angeles to be fascinating. Corwin also provides an insightful look into the history of animosity between the LAPD and minority groups in the city, thereby providing some enlightenment into the etiology of the 1992 riots. This book is a must read for native angelenos as well as a quick page-turner for anyone fascinated with homicide detectives and their investigations.

Rating:
Summary: Must read for native angelenos
Review: As a native angeleno, I found this book about the daily lives of homicide detectives in South-Central Los Angeles to be fascinating. Corwin also provides an insightful look into the history of animosity between the LAPD and minority groups in the city, thereby providing some enlightenment into the etiology of the 1992 riots. This book is a must read for native angelenos as well as a quick page-turner for anyone fascinated with homicide detectives and their investigations.

Rating:
Summary: I't was ok.
Review: Corwin gives us the real-life look of policing in the inner city -- not the 30-minute sensationalized "Cops" version. The book looks at all the players caught up in crime. Corwin's work on describing the Mexican background of one victim is above and beyond the call of duty. The book moves quickly and stays on focus.

Rating:
Summary: About par for the course
Review: I can't help but think I've read this book before, because a lot of it seems really familiar. As far as the genre goes, this book is above average--not uninteresting, but not fantastic either.

What really irks me about it is Corwin's insistence on making little cracks and judgments about the LAPD--he may think he's being sly, and/or maintaining his "journalistic detachment," but when he writes about felon Rodney King, about how the arresting officers "fractured Rodney King's cheekbone, cracked his right eye socket, [and broke] 11 bones at the base of his skull," he conveniently neglects to mention that King was a felon, that he was evading the police, and that he resisted arrest. No, King comes off like some poor innocent citizen walking his little puppy who was viciously set upon for no reason by evil killer cops. This omission is unforgiveable, because it's journalistically dishonest. If you want to give us the story, Corwin, give us the WHOLE story.

My sympathies always have been, and always will be, for the police. We pay them too little to do too much, and if some "poor innocent citizen" got his clock cleaned, well, maybe we should consider whether the citizen wasn't in fact guilty before condemning the cops. The Monday-morning quarterbacking doesn't help.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book for both cops and civilians
Review: I must say this book is as close to the "real thing" as you can get. I am a homicide detective in California, and I will tell you that Mr. Corwin writes the truth! His coverage of the LAPD's now defunct South Bureau Homicide is done in a journalistic style that keeps you turning the pages and not want to put the book down.

I have met Mr. Corwin and can only say that I am looking forward to his next book!!!

This is a great read for both cops and civilians who want a look at what homicide cops go through day in and day out.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book for both cops and civilians
Review: Where David Simon's HOMICIDE succeeds in sounding in prose, THE KILLING SEASON succeeds in speaking the truth. I have read most of the "True Cop" genre, which is mired in cops with axes to grind, journalists with careers to further, and others constrained by their lack of literary talent. As a cop, I was so relieved to see that at least one journalist could shed his skepticism of police officers' motivations and just sit, watch, listen, and reflect.

The shock, sadness, and resignation Corwin expresses so eloquently and easily are the constant companions of even the most idealistic cop. Most, however, can't master the vocabulary to express their motivations to the general public, who seem to think we are all power-hungry, single-minded, and without empathy. We think the same of journalists, and Miles Corwin goes a long way to bridging this gap of mutual understanding. If you want to know what cops are like, read this book.