Friday, May 11, 2012

A Review of "Blue Eyes" [41]

Blue Eyes by Jerome Charyn
MysteriousPress.com/Open Road,
e-book ISBN 0747563594
April 10, 2012



Where would Manfred ‘Blue Eyes’ Coen have ended up as a young man if Coen’s mentor, then the NY City Police First Deputy, Isaac Sidel had not taken him under his wing? Singled out in the police academy to do an undercover assignment, he was soon on the fast track, moving up quickly in the department. But now Sidel has been forced to resign in a scandal and Coen is a cop without a home, being move from precinct to precinct, trusted by no one, resented by all.

But now there is a dirty, dangerous job that seems to have Coen's name all over it. It appears that someone may be kidnapping young girls and sending them into slavery in Mexico. And it appears that Coen's childhood friends, the Guzmann family from his old Bronx neighborhood, may be involved. Sidel is the one that first sniffed this out and if he can crack the ring open, Coen may have a chance to not only prove himself as a good cop but also to rehab the reputation of his mentor as well.
If he doesn't get killed first.

This book, written in 1973, was Charyn's first mystery and the first in what became know as the "Isaac Quartet", although the series finally ended up with 10 books. Charyn has gone on to write a great many other books, a wide variety of other books, including "The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson" in 2010. But now with the possibility that the Issac books will become the basis for Hard Apple, an adult animated series, Blue Eyes and the rest of the series, has been re-issues as e-books.

If you are a fan of gritty police procedurals, this is one you may want to pick up..or download as it were. This book is set in NY city of the 70's and it certainly has a very 70's feel. I will warn you, it is not the most PC of books but I think that rather than be offended by some of the language and characters, you consider the time and setting, an even more violent and dangerous city than it is today. I read that when writing this book, Charyn rode with his brother, who was a homicide detective in the Bronx, and the reality shines through the pages.

It is very well written, if in a style that took a little getting used to for this reader. And the intersecting storylines, along with a fascinating, sometimes bordering on the bizarre, often sleazy, cast of characters and a variety of setting, including a ping pong parlor, will keep you engaged.
And remember, if you love it, there are nine more e-books in the series, available to download.




My thanks to Tribute Books and the Tribute Books Blue Eyes Book Tour for a copy of this book to review. Head over and check out a few more reviews!
 

9 comments:

  1. Nooooooo! That would be my biggest fear, that I would love it! I need a mystery series obsession like I need a hole in the head. But I find it curious that they have resurrected this series in e-book form.

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    1. what, you don't nee another 10 book series? really? are you sure? ;-)

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  2. i am adding this to the list .. as I mentioned to "Beth Fish" I cant seem to read fast enough to keep up with all the good books you two review

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    1. it is a terrible burden. maybe I will start reviewing the books I don't like and help you out.

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  3. I'm not into gritty, which makes me happy, because as Sandy says, a new series is the last thing I need! LOL

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  4. If you read just one ten-book series this year, make it Isaac Sidel IF you loved Pulp Fiction and Chinatown and can't get enough vintage New York City crime noir. I'm halfway through the series (book #5 was a TV movie starring Ron Silver) and am very happy I have five more to go. But I promise, one is enough to satisfy - well, maybe two (the second one is a prequel with lots of shall I say romance?)
    Sandy, I loved your review - you really got it. - Lenore

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  5. Thanks for the review! It encouraged me to download the book to my Kindle. I absolutely love crime thrillers.

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  6. Caite, thanks for the review and for adding 10 more books to everyone's to-read list :) *wink*

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  7. The 70s weren't the most politically correct times so it seems appropriate the book wouldn't be. This sounds great!

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