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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a fast-paced police procedural, 31 Jul 1999
By A Customer
It is difficult for lovers of police procedurals to go wrong with The Investigators or indeed with any of the titles in W.E.B. Griffin's fast-paced Badge of Honor series. A college professor friend of the reviewer had not only recommended the series but had given him copies of nearly all of them. They sat unread on his shelf for a few years. One day on a whim he picked one up, started to read, and could not put it down. Once finished, he immediately went on to the next. Within a short time, he had finished the Investigators, the lastest in the series. Now he cannot wait for the next in the lineup to appear in his bookstore! The books are set in the Philadelphia of the 1970s and build on each other. Indeed, the typical book in the series will pick up only weeks or months after its predecessor left off. One weakness in this approach is that a not insignificant portion of each book recounts events in earlier works. This recap is necessary to bring first-time readers of a particular book up to speed; however, it does get repetitive as the same events reappear in book after book. The best approach is to read the series in order. Griffin's characterizations, while not deep, are deft. He seems to favor policemen who do not look like policeman, like Detective Matt Payne and Inspector Peter Wohl. Indeed, the concept of an upper-class WASP (or WASP-like) male working as a policeman is irresistable to Griffin. Griffin's plots are well-constructed; he usually has a number of story lines interwoven in a single book, and many continue on into the next book in the series (another reason for reading them in order). One problem is that Griffin tends to let his plots run on til the end of the book, and then to resolve them abruptly in the last page or two. It's as if he can't decide how to wrap things up and then washes his hands of the matter with an excess of brevity. The series concept is excellent; we enjoy seeing our old friends return in a new book. One problem is that Griffin sometimes has trouble keeping his facts straight. Matt Payne, for example, is sometimes described as a cum laude graduate of Penn; sometimes, he graduated summa cum laude. Chief Inspecter Dennis V. Coughlin, as another example, is usually described as a life-long bachelor who suffers from unrequited love for Matt Payne's mother. In one of the books, however, he announces that "I'll have to check that out with the wife!" These examples, although not overly common, could be multiplied. Griffin, who seems to be a bit of a recluse or at least an intensely private person, could use a fact-checker! These caveats aside, Griffin has put together a fine series which one hopes the 70-year old author will be able to supplement substantially over the years. The reviewer has read all of them twice; they are that compelling. For readers interested in police procedurals, adventure stories, urban grit, and simple narrative excellence, The Investigators (along with the entire Badge of Honor series), is a must read.
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by W.E.B. Griffin
by W. E. B. Griffin
by W.E.B. Griffin
by W.E.B. Griffin
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