Read This
Rating:
5 / 5
Taking a chance on a new author often disappoints--this one doesn't. In the cop drama genre, this book is fast paced and funny at times, sad at others. I kept wanting to sit down and read to find out where the story was going and what was going to happen to the two main charcters, Wes and Bell. The story didn't rely on predictability and kept me surprised. It is gritty in language and imagery but it worked well for me.
Gritty Cop Drama
Rating:
5 / 5
"Officer Bell raised his baton over his head and, using all the leverage of a long arm on a tall body, RANG the crown of the naked man's skull like a ball peen hammer on a ten penny nail." - - from Crystal Meth Cowboys Authenticity is vital for any good cop story. Too many novels written about police officers and how they do what they do read like the author's only expertise comes from watching reruns of the television show "Law & Order." Not so with John Knoerle's excellent "Crystal Meth Cowboys," a gritty thriller written with the kind of detail that could only come from having spent time riding around in a squad car. It is a quirky, hard-boiled novel in the tradition of Elmore Leonard, filed with moments of graphic violence, but also warmth and humor. As the story begins, we meet rookie patrolman Wes Lyedecker during his first night working the streets of Wislow, California. His partner, Officer Thomas Bell, is the most colorful cop on the force, a man with a sharp wit and a natural instinct for trouble. The two men bond quickly after a routine disturbance call brings them face-to-face with a wildly deranged suspect overdosing on methamphetamine. Alerted by this deadly confrontation to a surge in the local supply of the drug, Bell begins to suspect that a meth lab is operating in the area. When he and the young Lyedecker investigate, they start to unravel a deadly conspiracy. Knoerle gets all of the details just right, especially the descriptions of law enforcement procedures and nomenclature. He gives his police characters realistically colorful dialog, including an amusing bit in which the experienced Bell bewilders the neophyte Lyedecker with a barrage of unexplained acronyms. The two protagonists are quirky and unique, especially Officer Bell, yet the story is not all about life on the job. In the background are a romantic subplot and a mayoral election that the two officers become intimately involved in. "Crystal Meth Cowboys" is the first of what should be many successful novels for Mr. Knoerle. A relatively short book (204 pages in paperback form), it's a must read for anyone who enjoys police stories with a strong dose of realism. A Futures Magazine Book Review
A brutal & shocking novel of drug use and reckless violence
Rating:
5 / 5
Crystal Meth Cowboys is a brutal and shocking novel of drug use and reckless violence. Candid, direct language and explicit description mark this savage yet darkly compelling tale. The prevalence of deadly drugs makes for a chilling core theme. Not just another police procedural, John Knoerle is here documented as an outstandingly gifted writer with a keen and wicked since of humor, a superbly crafted storyteller timing, and distinctive originality.
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