Legends of Winter Hill: Cops, Con Men, and Joe McCain, the Last Real Detective

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From Publishers WeeklyBestselling author Atkinson (_Ice Time_) has produced an unhappy blend of hagiography and true-crime reporting as he presents the story of Joe McCain, a classic old school Boston detective, as well as Atkinson's own experiences tagging along as a private eye with the firm McCain founded. Clichés and labored writing frequently distract from the narrative and impart a false urgency to a fairly run-of-the-mill story ("It's 4:00 A.M. and as black as a dirty cop's soul..."; "Our sandwiches arrive, the blunt, aromatic bread sliced into triangles..."). McCain certainly comes across as a dedicated cop, open to bending rules and risking his life and professional reputation in the cause of truth and justice, but the subtitle's hyperbole will probably be viewed as insulting by the many dedicated professionals still serving the public throughout the country's police departments. The pedestrian cases Atkinson describes will add little to most readers' knowledge; those interested in thoughtful ruminations about what being a private investigator involves would be better served by tracking down a copy of Josiah Thompson's Gumshoe. Gratuitous literary references fit awkwardly with gritty descriptions of street brawls and mob hits, and leave the impression that the author—whose knowledge of McCain is all secondhand—found himself with less material, and less material of significance, than he had anticipated. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistAtkinson immerses readers in the world of Boston-area mobsters via the career of the late detective Joe McCain, one of Beantown's most decorated police officers. From 1959 to 1988, when a drug dealer shot and severely injured him, McCain was on the force of the Metropolitan District Commission, a since-dissolved entity whose multijurisdictional purview allows McCain's story to travel the breadth of the metropolis. Its geographical base, however, is the suburb of Somerville, the hometown of McCain and his son, Joe Jr., also a police officer. McCain's forte was handling informants, and the adventures of one named "Black Jimmy" furnish many hair-raising war stories. McCain also crossed the so-called blue line to testify against bad cops, earning him enmity that, according to Atkinson, might underlie the bad blood Joe Jr. has encountered in his career. In a Plimpton-like move, Atkinson also worked as private eye for the investigation firm McCain founded, and the author integrates gritty visual description of his gumshoe experience into his burly biography of a notable Boston cop. Gilbert TaylorCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved