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59th out of 88 books
—
147 voters
Red on Red
A gripping debut work of crime fiction, from the author of the bestselling memoir about life as a New York City cop, Blue Blood. (“May be the best account ever written of life behind the badge.” —Time)
In Red on Red, Edward Conlon tells the electrifying and suspenseful story of two NYPD detectives, Meehan and Esposito: one damaged and introspective, the other ambitious and...more
In Red on Red, Edward Conlon tells the electrifying and suspenseful story of two NYPD detectives, Meehan and Esposito: one damaged and introspective, the other ambitious and...more
Hardcover, 464 pages
Published
April 5th 2011
by Spiegel & Grau
(first published March 27th 2011)
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SUMMARY:
I listed to this as an audio book.
Two detectives work together in New York City. The main character agreed to work with Internal Affairs in exchange for transfer to the precinct where he grew up and where his father lives. He gets the transfer and all he has to do is watch and report on the activities of another detective who Internal Affairs in interested in catching doing something, apparently anything, wrong.
Of course the two men are paired up as partners. The story starts on a dark...more
I listed to this as an audio book.
Two detectives work together in New York City. The main character agreed to work with Internal Affairs in exchange for transfer to the precinct where he grew up and where his father lives. He gets the transfer and all he has to do is watch and report on the activities of another detective who Internal Affairs in interested in catching doing something, apparently anything, wrong.
Of course the two men are paired up as partners. The story starts on a dark...more
On a cover blurb, the Wall Street Journal says this book is, “Full of adrenaline.” And Kirkus Reviews called it, “One of the best novels of the year.” They must have read a different book than I did.
Red On Red starts off great with the main character Nick at crime scene then pace slows to a crawl with an in-depth detailing of his thoughts and feelings. And from there the book is almost a minute-by-minute recording of his life and thoughts.
On the plus side, Red On Red contains some beautiful ima...more
Red On Red starts off great with the main character Nick at crime scene then pace slows to a crawl with an in-depth detailing of his thoughts and feelings. And from there the book is almost a minute-by-minute recording of his life and thoughts.
On the plus side, Red On Red contains some beautiful ima...more
'Red on Red' is a gritty, introspective mystery that takes readers into the mind of detective Nick Meehan and his partner, detective Esposito, whom the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) has recruited Meehan to keep an eye on. I found it slow to get into but ultimately quite rewarding, with a few points of note that make it a departure from other mysteries I've read.
First of all, unlike most books in the genre, there isn't really one central mystery that the detectives devote all their time to solvi...more
First of all, unlike most books in the genre, there isn't really one central mystery that the detectives devote all their time to solvi...more
This is one novel that will resonate with all fans of thriller, suspense, and stories about the inner-workings of a human mind when it comes to loyalty, belief, and the need to be the absolute ‘best’ in their chosen field.
Although this is a complicated tale, this author was the one who gifted the world with the amazing memoir, “Blue Blood,” and once again challenges the reader by offering up a clear vision of how tough, strong, and relentless one must be if they are living the life as a member...more
Although this is a complicated tale, this author was the one who gifted the world with the amazing memoir, “Blue Blood,” and once again challenges the reader by offering up a clear vision of how tough, strong, and relentless one must be if they are living the life as a member...more
This book is so much better than the many lukewarm reviews I have read of it; I think it is mainly a problem of expectations. This is emphatically not a plot driven story. There are many threads involving several cases which are more improbably connected than is strictly believable. That's why we gladly suspend our disbelief. None of that matters as much, anyway, if you get into the actual story here, which is the story of a partnership, begun out of a kind of betrayal but growing, in spite of t...more
Having been a regulator in my past life, I found this novel to be very meaty in its content.
From the back cover: In 'Red on Red', Edward Conlon captures the vibrant dynamic of a successful police partnership between two NYPD detectives-the tests of loyalty, the necessary betrayals, the wedding of life and work. Meehan and Esposito: one damaged and introspective, the other ambitious and unscrupulous. Meehan is compelled by haunting and elusive stories that defy easy resolution, while Esposito is...more
From the back cover: In 'Red on Red', Edward Conlon captures the vibrant dynamic of a successful police partnership between two NYPD detectives-the tests of loyalty, the necessary betrayals, the wedding of life and work. Meehan and Esposito: one damaged and introspective, the other ambitious and unscrupulous. Meehan is compelled by haunting and elusive stories that defy easy resolution, while Esposito is...more
{3.5 stars}
RED on RED has so many admirable and dissatisying aspects to it that it's hard to decide how many stars it really earns. Unlike many authors in this genre, Edward Conlon can definitely write, and, being an NYC detective himself, shows impressive authority on his subject. The police lingo and wisecracking NYC humor are very real, without the overdoings that we often see in this setting, and Conlon's metaphors and similes are frequently just plain brilliant. Yet, he often tries a bit to...more
RED on RED has so many admirable and dissatisying aspects to it that it's hard to decide how many stars it really earns. Unlike many authors in this genre, Edward Conlon can definitely write, and, being an NYC detective himself, shows impressive authority on his subject. The police lingo and wisecracking NYC humor are very real, without the overdoings that we often see in this setting, and Conlon's metaphors and similes are frequently just plain brilliant. Yet, he often tries a bit to...more
Remember in your college comp class when you had that one story read aloud that seemed like the author had a checklist of literary conventions and worked tirelessly to hammer each and every one of them into the ground throughout the piece to where you wanted to scream, "OKAY! WE GET IT! YOU'VE PAID ATTENTION!"
Yeah. Well, imagine if that short story assignment was extrapolated into a fairly lengthy novel!
Fun?
No.
I got to a point with this book where I was tired of all the heavy-handed allusions an...more
Yeah. Well, imagine if that short story assignment was extrapolated into a fairly lengthy novel!
Fun?
No.
I got to a point with this book where I was tired of all the heavy-handed allusions an...more
2 likes · like · see review
Two most unlikely NYPD detectives work to solve cases. Meehan is by-the-book and is to spy on his partner, Esposito, who is known to take liberties to solve his cases. Rumor has it that he even accepts bribes. What is the truth? As the relationship develops between them, one begins to understand both men who are unpopular with the rest of the squad.
Meehan's marriage is falling apart but his partnership with Esposito is strengthening as the two find that they work together well. Their cases inclu...more
Meehan's marriage is falling apart but his partnership with Esposito is strengthening as the two find that they work together well. Their cases inclu...more
Smart, funny, compelling first novel by a cop about cops. I have no idea why all the lukewarm reviews here; this was a great debut novel. The author is a Harvard-educated NYPD detective, and his protagonist seems like one too, an introspective and philosophical man who is always thinking at several levels and would have done well in philosophy or semiotics courses at a top-end university. Teamed with a less cerebral partner who may or may not be corrupt, tasked to ferret out the partner's corrup...more
A gritty literary epic of police life as it often is, rather than the fiction of TV and film.
The title comes from street lingo for criminals killing other criminals. But it might as likely be applied to the relationship between Meehan and Esposito. The former, in limbo as a result of marital difficulties and insecurity about his life, has accepted assignment as an Internal Affairs “field associate” in order to transfer to this squad. Ironically, the change has him partnered with the IAB target....more
When I read the cover blurb by Joseph Wambaugh I knew this wasn't going to be a slam-bang thriller. It was like a Wambaugh novel. Very psychological. Emphasis on the boring day-to-day details of a police squad. But it had a way of weaving in some very interesting plot lines that seemed to emerge throughout the book. Very cleverly put together. I just got a little bored with the little mind games the author narrates that Nick, the main character, goes through. He traces his development as a cop t...more
I really liked this book. It was a bit like watching a long episode of "Law and Order" but was much better than that. I don't usually like a lot of description, but the author handles it wonderfully; he really made "place" come alive for me. This is partly police procedural (although on the "shady" side) and partly what seemed to be an authentic look at what it's like to be a New York City police detective. Which makes sense, because that's what the author is. I'm a mystery fan, and this wasn't...more
Red on Red is a gritty noir detective novel by Edward Conlon, a detective with the New York City Police Department and Conlon writes about what he knows best!
Here you'll find a dark psychological story centered on the shooting death of a young man who is mistaken for his criminal brother, which leads to more death and anger. The other mysteries he deals with include an immigrant suicide, a serial rapist, and a Catholic schoolgirl…all of which provide a glimpse of the seedier side of this big cit...more
Here you'll find a dark psychological story centered on the shooting death of a young man who is mistaken for his criminal brother, which leads to more death and anger. The other mysteries he deals with include an immigrant suicide, a serial rapist, and a Catholic schoolgirl…all of which provide a glimpse of the seedier side of this big cit...more
This book caught and held my attention. It didn't read like a tv cop drama, even though the action could have easily been written for a show. I liked the complexity of the characters, their relationship with each other and as new players came into the picture. I felt sorry for the victims...and could see how someone can become jaded in their jobs to just go through the motions and wonder why go through it at all. I did appreciate that this book was written from Nick's perspective and followed hi...more
Ambitious cop novel by actual NYC detective. The story revolves around Nick Meehan, who is bored and at loose ends in several aspects of life, and his partner Esposito, who is under investigation by Internal Affairs. Nick is helping, sort of, but is conflicted about it.
We're talking drug dealers and street thugs, psycho rapists and hottie florists.
And we're also talking a lot of time in Nick's head, where no thought is too weird or insignificant to go unexplored. At length.
Strong points: Good d...more
We're talking drug dealers and street thugs, psycho rapists and hottie florists.
And we're also talking a lot of time in Nick's head, where no thought is too weird or insignificant to go unexplored. At length.
Strong points: Good d...more
1 like · like · see review
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Other readers have commented that it's not plot-driven and that the author overuses and unnecessarily draws out literary techniques from creative writing class. I am very much a plot-driven reader and I enjoyed the detailed, moment-to-moment pace of the novel and how the detectives' crimes and investigations gradually unfolded and connected to each other. I also thought it conveyed a sense of place of upper Manhattan, and I am willing t...more
I can't read this book. I enjoyed Edward Conlon's first book Blue Blood about being a NYC detective, but I can't get through this one. It's the best example of overwriting that I've ever seen. Conlon doesn't know when to stop with a description or a scene or anything. He uses a lot of commas and slows down the pace of the book with excessive words. Stop, Conlon! I think the characters will be interesting and the plot (well, he kinda hasn't gotten to the main plot yet) seems interesting but I can...more
Red on Red is the fiction debut of Edward Conlon, author of the memoir Blue Blood. He is a detective with the NYPD, and it shows in the structure of Red on Red. The novel follows two NYPD detectives, Meehan and Esposito, who get along despite, or perhaps because of, their very different styles. We meet them as they work a night shift and catch several cases. These cases play out over the course of the novel.
Most crime novels I’ve read are clearly about a single crime from the very beginning. The...more
Most crime novels I’ve read are clearly about a single crime from the very beginning. The...more
written by a for real new york city detective, red on red reads as much like a diary as a novel. red on red is cop speak for bad guy on bad guy crime, which is not easy to care too much about. filled with toughness, grit, and black humor, it gives you a real feel for what cops deal with on a daily basis, trying to do their jobs when it seems that the laws are trying to prevent them from doing just that. even with the book being fiction.you know that it has to be based on a lot of reality. I don'...more
FirstReads Giveaway-thank you! The writing and storylines in "Red on Red" are original and vividly written. Occasionally it's so honest in its descriptions, that you cringe. Conlon gives you more peeks into real police life than most authors usually dare. The characters are wonderfully flawed and realistic. I often wondered if the author pulled them from the NYCPD and if so, would they recognize themselves in the novel? Conlon didn't pull any punches so you'd like the characters. They were who t...more
Be warned, those readers thinking that they are about to read a straightforward “this is the crime committed, this is how the crime was solved” type book will be disappointed. This book is really about relationships, particularly the relationship between Nick Meehan and his partner, Esposito, but to a lesser extent the other cops in their precinct as well as the criminals they encounter.
I really appreciated Conlon’s depictions of the life of a cop. He spotlights not so much the excitement of wh...more
I really appreciated Conlon’s depictions of the life of a cop. He spotlights not so much the excitement of wh...more
I sometimes think I spoil a book for myself with anticipation. I had read a review about Red on Red and could hardly wait until it was released. When I went to the bookstore to purchase the book I wanted to sit and begin reading it right there.
Ultimately I was disappointed. There was a very good premise – bad cop, bad guys, good cop, good guys. The author did a very good job of developing the characters. You felt like you could see them, at times even hear them. After that the story fell short....more
Ultimately I was disappointed. There was a very good premise – bad cop, bad guys, good cop, good guys. The author did a very good job of developing the characters. You felt like you could see them, at times even hear them. After that the story fell short....more
I pulled this off a library shelf kind of at random (it fulfilled my basic criteria: nice and thick, no cats or swastikas on the cover, and it didn't seem to involve vampires). And I enjoyed it immensely. In TV terms, it's more "The Wire" than "Law and Order" -- sharp characterization, great dialogue, no neat conclusions. It's very realistic, not surprising since the author is a working detective. Don't read it if you're looking for a traditional police procedural or thriller, but if you're a fa...more
1 like · like · see review
Thanks to Goodreads for this advance copy from the giveaways! This book is about two NYPD detectives. One is secretly partnering up with the other as a narc for the internal affairs division. The story follows them through several cases that are somewhat interwoven. Their relationship grows and the IAD cop becomes disenchanted with his role and starts to feel more and more protective of his partner until he is entangled in a situation from which they both must "bend the rules". I found the book...more
2 likes · like · see review
Red on Red is a cop book, but not in the traditional police procedural vein. While there is a thread of related and unrelated crimes none of these take precedence in this novel. Instead, Mr. Conlon offers us a lyrical look at the city he loves and reveals what it's like on the job.
Throughout this book we get to ride along with two homicide detectives - Meehan and his new partner, Esposito (Espo). Theirs is an unlikely pairing - Meehan, Irish, withdrawn, dragging himself through the days; and Esp...more
Throughout this book we get to ride along with two homicide detectives - Meehan and his new partner, Esposito (Espo). Theirs is an unlikely pairing - Meehan, Irish, withdrawn, dragging himself through the days; and Esp...more
2 likes · like · see review
Edward Conlon is a New York City detective and a Harvard graduate whose first book, the memoir Blue Blood, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award. The man can write. This is his first novel, a fine study of the complex relationship between disparate NYPD partners. There are crimes, but it is primarily character driven rather than plot heavy. It is complex, brutal, sometimes funny, the best, most realistic portrait of police partners I have read in years.
I would like to thank Goodreads for selecting me to receive an advance reader copy of this book.
This book might best be described as a sort of "literary cop novel." It's long, complex and short on dialogue. If you like your books to be snappy and move right along, this is not a good choice for you. However, the reader does become quite invested in the main characters. The book feels like it is an authentic portrayal of several months in a NYPD detective's life.
This book might best be described as a sort of "literary cop novel." It's long, complex and short on dialogue. If you like your books to be snappy and move right along, this is not a good choice for you. However, the reader does become quite invested in the main characters. The book feels like it is an authentic portrayal of several months in a NYPD detective's life.
This book was depressing.
I guess police officers can make up their own rules to get the "bad guy".
I guess when it comes to women, sex, and playing mean spirited jokes on their co-workers
some of them have the maturity of a 13 year old. I guess they have a really hard job and
sometimes they have to be bullies to reach their objective or maybe just to let off steam.
I just don't enjoy reading about it.
Jan 31, 2012
Debra
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
mystery-thriller-suspense
Another of the Edgar nominees that I missed this year....
I found this a fascinating examination of two men's unlikely friendship, born out of a betrayal, nurtured through danger and deception and culminating in an unlikely denouement.
Conlon's time in the NYPD gives his writing authenticity and therefore, a certain feel of watching a documentary. Because I grew to care about the characters, flaws and all, I was able to overlook some incredible coincidences.
I found this a fascinating examination of two men's unlikely friendship, born out of a betrayal, nurtured through danger and deception and culminating in an unlikely denouement.
Conlon's time in the NYPD gives his writing authenticity and therefore, a certain feel of watching a documentary. Because I grew to care about the characters, flaws and all, I was able to overlook some incredible coincidences.
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Edward Conlon was born in the Bronx. Conlon spent most of his childhood in nearby Yonkers. He attended Regis High School and graduated from Harvard in 1987 before joining the NYPD in 1995.Mr. Conlon's family background is also in law enforcement. Mr. Conlon's great-grandfather was a police sergeant in Brooklyn, and his father was at one time an F.B.I. agent.
Conlon's police experience focused on pa...more
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Conlon's police experience focused on pa...more
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Jun 02, 2011 02:16pm