94-1

Suspects is a gritty crime novel set in 1986 New York around the 93rd Precinct. Detective Lt Tony Scanlon is assigned to the double murder of an LPD LT. Joe Gallagher and the owner of a candy store where the crime took place. Was this a robbery gone bad or were one or both victims the intended victim? Was Gallagher just a victim or were aspects of his life he kept secret the reason for his death? ( )

Police procedural solving the shooting of 4 people in New York. An amputee detective faces his insecurities. ( )

Caunitz's work is incredibly detailed when it comes to the procedurals of police work, but the problem with this is that the details also make the work incredibly dated. But, that aside, it is enjoyable. This is more of an average every-day whodunit than the high-stakes suspense tales that we see coming out every day now, which is rather refreshing. On the other hand, while the tale has plenty of twists, it also has a few too many subplots, and the dialogue is sometimes fairly contrived, if not simply unbelievable. Still, the story is enjoyable, and it provides a decent escape, albeit one you may well feel detached from. It's just not a suspense novel which you can be so sucked into as to feel as if it really is happening at the moment or something which could mean life or death. ( )