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| Newsday, Sunday, April 9, 2000 |
| Plot Twist |
| Politics is just crime on a grand scale, argues cop-turned- novelist John Westermann. Which explains why, after four police novels, he wrote a mystery about Nassau County. |
| By Sidney C. Schaer Staff Writer |
IN THE FICTIONAL world of Long Island
according to novelist John Westermann,
Republicans are the bad guys who always win,
cops (at least below the rank of captain) deserve
our loyalty and respect, and life in the suburbs is
filled with surprise, murder and mayhem.
Of course, according to Westermann, that's all
true in the real world here, as well.
"Everybody knew the unexplainable happened
with remarkable frequency on Long Island," he
writes in "Ladies of the Night" (Pocket Books,
1998), his fifth book. All have been set within the
villages and towns of Nassau and Suffolk
according to novelist John Westermann,
Republicans are the bad guys who always win,
cops (at least below the rank of captain) deserve
our loyalty and respect, and life in the suburbs is
filled with surprise, murder and mayhem.
Of course, according to Westermann, that's all
true in the real world here, as well.
"Everybody knew the unexplainable happened
with remarkable frequency on Long Island," he
writes in "Ladies of the Night" (Pocket Books,
1998), his fifth book. All have been set within the
villages and towns of Nassau and Suffolk
From Publishers Weekly
On Long Island, Vietnam vet and Nassau County cop Orin Boyd (returning from
Exit Wounds) is still only a uniformed cop, largely because of his frank contempt
for authority. Breaking up an apparent assault, Boyd knocks around crooked
right-wing State Senator Tommy Cotton (aka "Senator Sewer"). Cotton wants
Boyd's head. But Police Commissioner David Trimble has a plan of his own: in
exchange for Boyd copping a plea for assault, thus satisfying Cotton, and doing six
months in the county's "country club" jail, he'll grant Boyd a gold shield?on the
further condition that, while in jail, Boyd investigate the death of Trimble's son, who
allegedly hanged himself with one day left in an 18-month sentence. Shortly after
Boyd's arrival at the "farm," there's another "suicide" and the surfacing of many
motley suspects. The top con there, an ex-PBA leader looking for Boyd's
legendary stash of ill-gotten money, begins a computer campaign to dry up Boyd's
bank accounts and to frame his wife for embezzlement. Boyd's boat is sunk, his
house is torched and his wife and little daughter are stalked by a hit man.
Westermann, who worked 20 years as a Long Island cop, brings plenty of colorful
detail to the novel and to Boyd, who's smart, funny and not above taking the law
into his own hands. The pacing is relentless, and the uncovering of secrets old
and new will keep readers glued as they're plunged into a Long Island that's way
beyond Levittown. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text
refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
On Long Island, Vietnam vet and Nassau County cop Orin Boyd (returning from
Exit Wounds) is still only a uniformed cop, largely because of his frank contempt
for authority. Breaking up an apparent assault, Boyd knocks around crooked
right-wing State Senator Tommy Cotton (aka "Senator Sewer"). Cotton wants
Boyd's head. But Police Commissioner David Trimble has a plan of his own: in
exchange for Boyd copping a plea for assault, thus satisfying Cotton, and doing six
months in the county's "country club" jail, he'll grant Boyd a gold shield?on the
further condition that, while in jail, Boyd investigate the death of Trimble's son, who
allegedly hanged himself with one day left in an 18-month sentence. Shortly after
Boyd's arrival at the "farm," there's another "suicide" and the surfacing of many
motley suspects. The top con there, an ex-PBA leader looking for Boyd's
legendary stash of ill-gotten money, begins a computer campaign to dry up Boyd's
bank accounts and to frame his wife for embezzlement. Boyd's boat is sunk, his
house is torched and his wife and little daughter are stalked by a hit man.
Westermann, who worked 20 years as a Long Island cop, brings plenty of colorful
detail to the novel and to Boyd, who's smart, funny and not above taking the law
into his own hands. The pacing is relentless, and the uncovering of secrets old
and new will keep readers glued as they're plunged into a Long Island that's way
beyond Levittown. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text
refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
This wildly funny caper set in the most corrupt precinct of suburban Long Island is
dark, anguished and (despite occasional strokes of swashbuckling adventure)
authentic--the author is himself a 14-year police veteran. Orin Boyd, the antihero,
is a boozed-out bad boy cop whose experiences in Vietnam have rendered him
incapable of holding down a normal job but very adept at life on the edge. In short
order, Boyd's marriage crumbles, his longtime partner (and friend) dies a slow
death from cancer, and higher-ups in the department decide it's time for him to
snitch on his brother cops. Forthwith he's transferred to the notorious 13th
precinct in Belmont. Retreating into the dark bars and back alleys of decrepit
suburbia to drink his troubles away, Boyd accidentally discovers the precinct's
payola system. His choices: to snitch, knuckle under, or shoot the moon: take the
dirty money and hope to get away with it. Westermann has an extraordinary eye
for the tawdry, writes unbeatably funny dialogue, and his sense of the practical
joke is highly refined. Despite its occasional bumpy transitions in points of view,
this first novel is a must for any devotee of raunchy burnt-out cop sagas. Copyright
1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or
unavailable edition of this title.
This wildly funny caper set in the most corrupt precinct of suburban Long Island is
dark, anguished and (despite occasional strokes of swashbuckling adventure)
authentic--the author is himself a 14-year police veteran. Orin Boyd, the antihero,
is a boozed-out bad boy cop whose experiences in Vietnam have rendered him
incapable of holding down a normal job but very adept at life on the edge. In short
order, Boyd's marriage crumbles, his longtime partner (and friend) dies a slow
death from cancer, and higher-ups in the department decide it's time for him to
snitch on his brother cops. Forthwith he's transferred to the notorious 13th
precinct in Belmont. Retreating into the dark bars and back alleys of decrepit
suburbia to drink his troubles away, Boyd accidentally discovers the precinct's
payola system. His choices: to snitch, knuckle under, or shoot the moon: take the
dirty money and hope to get away with it. Westermann has an extraordinary eye
for the tawdry, writes unbeatably funny dialogue, and his sense of the practical
joke is highly refined. Despite its occasional bumpy transitions in points of view,
this first novel is a must for any devotee of raunchy burnt-out cop sagas. Copyright
1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or
unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
In this amateurishly written police procedural, two slothful neophyte detectives in
the fictional Long Island town of Seaport, N.Y., run afoul of a Jamaican drug lord
and police brass. Street cops Tree Nelson and Jimmy Tibaldi have still not passed
their probationary period as detectives, but they're doing little to advance their
careers. They treat their superiors with disrespect, hit the bars and come home
with different women every time, and are believed (mistakenly) to be on the take.
When they confront a thief on a rooftop, they really get into trouble. The man
jumps to his death and his brother, Rastafarian drug dealer Gladstone Lanier,
swears revenge. After Jimmy is shot in an ambush, it is up to Tree to stop Lanier
and to salvage their reputations. Although Westermann is himself a policeman, in
this first novel he is unable to translate his experience into a suspenseful story that
conveys the many dimensions of real-life police work. What stands out about his
policemen is their vulgarity, conveyed in their raunchy dialogue, crass behavior
and absence of integrity. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This
text refers to the Hardcover edition.
In this amateurishly written police procedural, two slothful neophyte detectives in
the fictional Long Island town of Seaport, N.Y., run afoul of a Jamaican drug lord
and police brass. Street cops Tree Nelson and Jimmy Tibaldi have still not passed
their probationary period as detectives, but they're doing little to advance their
careers. They treat their superiors with disrespect, hit the bars and come home
with different women every time, and are believed (mistakenly) to be on the take.
When they confront a thief on a rooftop, they really get into trouble. The man
jumps to his death and his brother, Rastafarian drug dealer Gladstone Lanier,
swears revenge. After Jimmy is shot in an ambush, it is up to Tree to stop Lanier
and to salvage their reputations. Although Westermann is himself a policeman, in
this first novel he is unable to translate his experience into a suspenseful story that
conveys the many dimensions of real-life police work. What stands out about his
policemen is their vulgarity, conveyed in their raunchy dialogue, crass behavior
and absence of integrity. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This
text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Grisly murders, corruption, sex, love, madness and heroism all become strangely
humdrum in this lackluster police thriller. After years of cushy public relations duty,
officer Jack Mills wants to earn some respect as a homicide detective. A
handsome, 36-year-old divorced ex-lacrosse star who is both promiscuous and
selfish, Mills strives to reform himself as he investigates the murders of two corrupt
fellow cops in Nassau County, Long Island. Mills runs the investigation with Claire
Williamson, a tough, sexy Suffolk County detective from a family of cops. Together
they search out the connections between the victims, Artie Backman and Richard
"Dicktop" Mazzarella, two widely despised police captains. Westerman ( Exit
Wounds ) initially succeeds in making his protagonist credible, but his evolution is
less convincing: Mills breaks his handsome nose, falls in love with Claire and ends
up a decorated hero. The novel's other cops are just so many catchy nicknames,
difficult to differentiate among from one chapter to the next. Ultimately the caper
itself is unsatisfying, its resolution leaving many questions but little desire to dig for
the answers. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to
an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Grisly murders, corruption, sex, love, madness and heroism all become strangely
humdrum in this lackluster police thriller. After years of cushy public relations duty,
officer Jack Mills wants to earn some respect as a homicide detective. A
handsome, 36-year-old divorced ex-lacrosse star who is both promiscuous and
selfish, Mills strives to reform himself as he investigates the murders of two corrupt
fellow cops in Nassau County, Long Island. Mills runs the investigation with Claire
Williamson, a tough, sexy Suffolk County detective from a family of cops. Together
they search out the connections between the victims, Artie Backman and Richard
"Dicktop" Mazzarella, two widely despised police captains. Westerman ( Exit
Wounds ) initially succeeds in making his protagonist credible, but his evolution is
less convincing: Mills breaks his handsome nose, falls in love with Claire and ends
up a decorated hero. The novel's other cops are just so many catchy nicknames,
difficult to differentiate among from one chapter to the next. Ultimately the caper
itself is unsatisfying, its resolution leaving many questions but little desire to dig for
the answers. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to
an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Lustful, greedy, ambitious and none too bright, the politicos of Nassau County,
N.Y., trip over themselves in this irreverent send-up of machine politics and good
but Machiavellian cops. When his deputy disappears during election month (along
with the chair of the Republican Women's Caucus), bumbling Nassau County
Executive Martin Daly is behind in the polls, out of favor with his machine boss and
battling press coverage of his tippler wife and pot-smoking no-show employee son,
Junior. Police Commissioner Frank Murphy puts the unflappable homicide duo
Maude Fleming (a lesbian with an attitude) and Rocky Blair (a bodybuilder with an
attitude) on the case and lets the chips fall where they may. The team digs up
enough real estate scams and musical beds to have nervous pols covering their
butts and slinging back dirt of their own, but the detectives grind on toward a
perfect ending in which Westermann's (The Honor Farm) trademark black humor,
sharp ear and eye for setting are all on display. If the portraits of political power
brokers border on caricature, the cops and ethnic characters are rock solid and
totally engaging. Indeed, Westermann gives readers so much cynical fun that they
may almost forget there's a body or two to account for. (Aug.) FYI: Westermann
spent almost 20 years as a Long Island policeman.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print
or unavailable edition of this title.
Lustful, greedy, ambitious and none too bright, the politicos of Nassau County,
N.Y., trip over themselves in this irreverent send-up of machine politics and good
but Machiavellian cops. When his deputy disappears during election month (along
with the chair of the Republican Women's Caucus), bumbling Nassau County
Executive Martin Daly is behind in the polls, out of favor with his machine boss and
battling press coverage of his tippler wife and pot-smoking no-show employee son,
Junior. Police Commissioner Frank Murphy puts the unflappable homicide duo
Maude Fleming (a lesbian with an attitude) and Rocky Blair (a bodybuilder with an
attitude) on the case and lets the chips fall where they may. The team digs up
enough real estate scams and musical beds to have nervous pols covering their
butts and slinging back dirt of their own, but the detectives grind on toward a
perfect ending in which Westermann's (The Honor Farm) trademark black humor,
sharp ear and eye for setting are all on display. If the portraits of political power
brokers border on caricature, the cops and ethnic characters are rock solid and
totally engaging. Indeed, Westermann gives readers so much cynical fun that they
may almost forget there's a body or two to account for. (Aug.) FYI: Westermann
spent almost 20 years as a Long Island policeman.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print
or unavailable edition of this title.
Counties where he has lived his whole life, a life that began as a child of privilege
in Huntington and included a dozen years as a village cop in Freeport.
"Bimbos shot housewives, nut-jobs riddled commuter trains, predators stalked the
Internet, and planes fell from the sky," he writes. "Nothing you could do but clean
up and shrug."
Except Westermann doesn't shrug. Instead, he uses fiction as a weapon. His
targets have evolved from the corrupt cops, petty criminals and inept police brass
of his first four books to -- of all things on which to base a mystery novel -- Nassau
County politics. (read the rest of this article)
in Huntington and included a dozen years as a village cop in Freeport.
"Bimbos shot housewives, nut-jobs riddled commuter trains, predators stalked the
Internet, and planes fell from the sky," he writes. "Nothing you could do but clean
up and shrug."
Except Westermann doesn't shrug. Instead, he uses fiction as a weapon. His
targets have evolved from the corrupt cops, petty criminals and inept police brass
of his first four books to -- of all things on which to base a mystery novel -- Nassau
County politics. (read the rest of this article)
