BODIES IN WINTER

Review

New York cop David Lodge is a drunk. His partners usually cover for him, but when he beats bad-boy pimp Clarence Spott to death after arresting him, his colleagues want nothing to do with him. Landed with a jail term, Lodge serves his time and is eventually released, only to be shot dead in a Mafia-style killing. Catching the case are Detectives Harry Corbin and Adele Bentibi--Corbin, a by-the-books career cop who's awaiting promotion to the Homicide Squad; Bentibi, with a strong need to achieve justice, whatever the cost. The pair concludes there's been a gross miscarriage of justice suggesting that those who should be the most trusted are the most corrupt. As they begin to ferret out the truth, their jobs and lives are threatened, but this only spurs the pair on. Knightly's more than 20 years as an NYPD cop lend a gritty authenticity to his book, and his deft storytelling, high-octane action, and genuinely surprising twists make the novel a gripping read from beginning to end. Joseph Wambaugh fans need to know about Knightly: he looks like the real deal.


--Booklist Starred Review, 15th October 2009


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