Cop Job

Cop Job (Murder Mystery)

By Chris Knopf

The Permanent Press www.thepermanentpress.com

ISBN #978-1579623937

Price $29.00

288 Pages

Rating 4-Stars

“Good Mystery, Well Written, But Slow.”

Alfie Aldergreen, confined to a wheelchair, is found floating in the bay with his hands strapped to the chair. He was an Army veteran suffering from PSTD, and delusional. Why would anyone kill him? Sam Acquillo and Jackie Swaitkowski, two of his friends, are asked by the police chief to find out what they can about the murder. It seems that the victim was a police informer, and he wasn’t the only police informer murdered recently.  Then the DA calls them in. She believes there may be bad cops involved. 

The case has twists and turns, with enough suspects to fill an Army platoon, and strangely there is an Army connection hidden somewhere deep in the mystery, but what does that mean?

This well-written mystery novel kept my interest throughout, though the action was infernally slow. Oh, there was a bit of a wrestling match in the first 100 pages, then a short battle on a boat at the end of the story. It’s definitely character driven, with a well worked out plot.  I was able to stay with the story to the end, though at times I wanted to toss the book in the trash. Besides being slow, the dialogue left me cold. I cannot believe men and women throw the “f” word about in ever-day normal conversation, and in mixed company, as if it goes on everywhere. Made me wonder if there is a quota for the “f” word now. For me, it made the characters appear unrealistic, and left me wishing I hadn’t read the book.  Mystery lovers who can accept the unbelievable dialogue will love the mystery, however.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories