Homicide by David Simon

Homicide by David Simon

This week's nonfiction buffet for me- and what a feast. Simon's wry, understated writing style captured me far more than any episode of the television show ever did ( most of what I recall was the deadpan acting of Andre Braugher). Thanks to the web, I discovered that one of the seminal characters/real cops in the book, Jay Landsman, is now an actor on HBO's The Wire , and followed up on others such as Donald Worden, the 6'4" prternatural detective with the photographic memory.

One of the rare books to accurately capture the gritty, foul-mouthed nature of police work, particularly the atmosphere around a station. It stands a a tribute to the mind-dumbing detail and persistence required of real detectives.