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3rd out of 13 books
—
18 voters
Final Atonement (Doug Orlando Mystery #1)
New York Police detective Doug Orlando had a few things going against him as he hunted a killer. Blacks didn't trust him because he was white. Jews didn't trust him because he was a goy. Liberals didn't trust him because he was a cop. Fellow cops didn't trust him because he was gay. His partner was a cop who liked to shoot and kill and who hated him as a snitch. And one of...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
December 1st 1992
by Onyx
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New York police detective Doug Orlando isn't going to have an easy time solving the murder of Rabbi Avraham Rabowitz. First, because the Rabbi was a right-wing sect leader who was the enemy of quite a few groups - pro-choice women, African Americans, Hispanics, and even fellow Jews.
And second, Orlando is a gay cop in the macho world of the police force (this was written in the early 1990s). Not only that, he is reviled by his fellow cops for testifying against his former partner. Never mind that...more
And second, Orlando is a gay cop in the macho world of the police force (this was written in the early 1990s). Not only that, he is reviled by his fellow cops for testifying against his former partner. Never mind that...more
This book is all about hate. Everyone in this book is full of hate except the protagonist and his lover (well, maybe not his mom). I like what he's doing, and the book is well written and tight, but it's hard to take. It's pretty extreme.
There is a lot of really interesting information about conservative Judaism, stuff I didn't know despite my degree. Very cool.
One part that bothered me: I don't think people would be quite as tolerant of a cop who was indicted for shooting a suspect in the back...more
There is a lot of really interesting information about conservative Judaism, stuff I didn't know despite my degree. Very cool.
One part that bothered me: I don't think people would be quite as tolerant of a cop who was indicted for shooting a suspect in the back...more
I first read these books almost twenty years ago when they first came out. I loved them then but I have to say, they've actually improved with age because they do such an incredible job of evoking what NY was like back in the early 1990s. It's so fascinating to see how some of the neighborhoods have changed, and how some things never change, like hostilities and prejudices between the different minority groups all squeezed together in a high-density area like Brooklyn.
I fell in love with the characters in these books, not just the protagonist, tough homicide cop Doug Orlando and his romantic partner Stewart, but the whole lively cast of supporting characters. Steve Neil Johnson shows such a love for his characters and the varied neighborhoods in Brooklyn where the mystery takes place. Hard hitting and strongly written, with a sharp eye for the foibles of humanity, but also laced with humor.
I've never even been to Brooklyn but I feel like I've lived there and have hung out in the diverse neighborhoods after reading Final Atonement and False Confessions. The descriptions are so vivid and the characters so real, and even though the books are on serious subjects Steve Neil Johnson lightens them with humor. I found these books to be clever, razor-sharp, and just so enjoyable.
Absolutely loved both the Doug Orlando Mysteries, FINAL ATONEMENT and FALSE CONFESSIONS. The author does an amazing job of capturing New York City life in the early 90s. I lived there then and everything in these books rings so true. I'm also a big fan of Steve Neil Johnson's occult thriller, THIS ENDLESS NIGHT, and his gay YA novel, RAISING KANE. Highly recommended.
This is one of the best mystery series I've ever read. Nobody does a better job of capturing the tentions between minority groups in New York City than Steve Neil Johnson in the Doug Orlando mysteries. These classic books recently came out in a new edition (Kindle and Nook, too) and I recommend them to anyone who likes gritty politically astute crime fiction. Sharply written, fast paced, with great characters.
I enjoyed this traditional mystery. I have to say, though, that I found it a little overly dramatic at moments, Some examples: "[Orlando] looked directly into one of the cameras in the corner. 'I'll be back,"" "'I won't [be back], Orlando said. He turned and his eyes were tired. 'Unless I have a warrant for your arrest.'" "'Don't think MacNamara will go to jail for you. Put that lug under pressure, he'll sing.'"
"Lug?" "Sing?" Very Chandleresque, but a bit out of place for a novel set in the 198...more
"Lug?" "Sing?" Very Chandleresque, but a bit out of place for a novel set in the 198...more
Hmm... It was okay, but not my cup of tea. And really freakin expensive at Barnes & Noble for how short it was. I don't think I'll read the next one.
A friend recommended these books and I'm so glad he did. I loved them both.
Good series that never got off the ground.
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A terrific series!
3.5 stars. Good gay mystery set in NYC in the early 90s about a cop, ostracized by his peers for trying to do the right thing, who's trying to figure out who murdered a universally disliked rabbi.
Apr 16, 2013
Plainbrownwrapper
marked it as to-read
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review of another edition
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Feb 20, 2013
Gay City LGBT Library
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Steve Neil Johnson is a novelist and screenwriter who has written 25 scripts for television and is the author of the Doug Orlando mysteries, FINAL ATONEMENT (Lambda Literary Award nominee) and FALSE CONFESSIONS. His other books include the thriller THIS ENDLESS NIGHT, the young adult novel RAISING KANE and the middle-grade book EVERYBODY HATES EDGAR ALLAN POE! He was honored by The ONE Institute/T...more
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