- Hardcover
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0517023407
- ISBN-13: 978-0517023402
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.5 x 3.8 cm
Man With a Gun
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Review
After moderately effective side-trips into Riviera caper, crime (The Dangerous Edge) and rape-case psychology (Hands of a Stranger), Daley returns to a close-up focus on the New York Police Department at work. And though this slow-moving study of NYPD politics doesn't have the taut, visceral power of Daley's best fiction (Year of theDragon) or nonfiction (Prince of the City), it's steadily absorbing in its slightly meandering blend of Machiavellian maneuvers, contemporary issues (e.g., charges of police brutality and racism), and moody character-portraits. The hero here, noble yet a bit ambiguous, is young Phil Keefe, a prize-winning journalist who has recently become a Deputy Commissioner to the NYPD's progressive PC, Tim Egan. Ambitious, naively idealistic, Keefe dives head-first into his new job, annoying girlfriend Sharon (a bicoastal TV-soap producer) with his workaholic, midnight jaunts to dangerous police-action spots. He even does some independent sleuthing, pinpointing the center of an auto-theft operation - and, with media in tow, he personally leads a successful raid on the "chop shop." Unfortunately, however, among those rounded up in the raid is an innocent but unstable black truck-driver named Joshua Brown, who goes berserk at the courthouse, taking a cleaning-woman hostage. And, because most of the shrewd NYPD brass makes itself scarce, it's Keefe who winds up in charge of the crisis - and winds up shooting madman Brown dead in heroic self-defense. . .or maybe in foolhardy terror. In the ensuing proceedings, Keefe finds himself betrayed by one self. serving colleague after another; he's victimized by the press. He's soon bitter and isolated, alone except for Sharon and loyal Sgt. Rainey, a maverick, can-do veteran who's going through a messy, ultimately tragic midlife-crisis. So, to defend himself at trial, Keefe will need a ruthless lawyer, some dogged investigation, and all his powers of persuasion - appealing to the decency at the core of a few key NYPD biggies. Keefe is never as compelling or credible a half-hero as was the informer-cop of Prince of the City. Daley's loose-ended plot sometimes drifts uncertainly between documentary-like plainness and novelistic contrivance; the dialogue, often stiff, lacks Wambaugh's flavorsome zest. But connoisseurs of Police Plaza intrigue will find this another persuasive, disturbing scenario from a reliable source, laced with knowledgeable details and balanced insights. (Kirkus Reviews)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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3 reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Gritty, Realistic Police Drama
17 Jun 1999
Format:Hardcover
An exciting story centered around the high echelons of the NYPD. The author, a former New York Deputy Police Commissioner, took me inside the stress, politics and drama of Police Headquarters. Daley's characters are all flesh-and-blood, caught up in circumstances beyond their control. The story centers around a new Deputy Police Commissioner that finds his well-intentioned plans go awry, placing him in great peril. A good read for those that demand more than simply a good plot.
Great Plot; Poor Execution
19 Oct 2007
Format:Hardcover
Ok - picture this: Reform minded big city police commissioner selects a trusted policy wonk to aid him in cleaning up the force. Wonk, the "Man With A Gun," dives in with both feet, and finds himself immersed in the jealousy, intrigue, and bureacracy that is a force filled with career officers. Wonk screws up by forgetting that he is not a cop, and it takes more than a badge and a gun to become one. Suspicious career officers don't help him, and set him up for failure instead. Add a streetwise police sargent as advisor, a hot and experienced mistress, and some political intrigue, and you've got yourself the makings of a great book. Someone besides Daly should have written it. I picked this up on the strength of the excellent movie Prince of the City (starring Treat Williams), which was based on a Daley novel. Well, one movie doesn't mean that the other book is so hot. Great plot and ideas - just embarrassingly stupid storytelling in places. Skip it.
An insightful look into the politics of a large police department
1 Feb 2006
Format:Hardcover
A Man with a Gun is a fine read! The characters are developed well, the story is gripping and the look inside the walls of a large city Police Department is revealing and fascinating. If you want a thought provoking book that will carry you along, spellbound, to the end, get Daley's top notch book.
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