Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets

Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets

First off, I'm a huge fan of both The Wire and it's creator David Simon, who wrote this book. This is a non-fiction book, and one of the best ones that I have read at that. Simon is such an amazing reporter and his observations into the regular life of a "Bawlmore Murder Police" is uncanny. Homicide is a masterpiece of journalism and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the criminal justice system. This, and anything else that Simon does, is anti-Law and Order/CSI, two shows that should be taken as an accurate portrayal. And as a fan of either of these shows may rebut, they may just be viewed as mere entertainment, but Simon writes about the real police in a fashion that is incredibly more entertaining and real.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great read

Recommended to anyone who enjoys the true crime genre. Well written and compelling storytelling.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Tremendous!

I read this book after watching the last 2 seasons of the Wire (which this book is the source material for). It gave me a lot more understanding of how the "murder police" think and operate. It was then a real treat to watch the entire Wire series from episode 1 and then to watch the old series Homicide: Life on the Street (which again is derived from this book). Mr. Simon clearly did a tremendous amount of research and has a great way of conferring real stories and situations. As a stand alone, this book is pretty hard core, but quite entertaining, educational, and just fun. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in real crime stories.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Worthwhile

Original, straightforward, fascinating account of writer who shadows a homicide squad and their cases. Well done.

Never loses its touch

I picked up this book because I was a fan of the TV series, but Simon's book is a whole universe of its own. It draws you under the skin of the city and its detectives with a cold, clinical approach that lets you make the judgements. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. And even though I have read this book over and over, every time it still has immense emotional impact and punch. You learn something new every time. Even if you've just read the book minutes before, it's as if you're reading it for the first time. Classic crime writing!

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