Calumet City

by Charlie Newton

Among the most self-assured and sharply crafted debuts in recent years, Calumet City detonates a Molotov cocktail of character-driven suspense and ghetto-Chicago intrigue.Meet Patti Black, the most decorated cop in Chicago. On her ghetto beat, Patti Black redefines the word badass. But her steel-plated exterior -- solitary, stoic, loveless -- belies the wrenching legacy of her orphan childhood. Haunted by the horrifying abuse she suffered at the hands of her foster parents, Patti Black sublimates past torments into a meticulously maintained tough-gal persona.When a series of unrelated cases -- a drug bust gone bad, a mayoral assassination attempt, the murder of a state attorney, the exhumation of a long-concealed body from a tenement basement wall -- all point in Patti Black's direction, she finds herself facing the dark You can't hide from your history, no matter how far into the fog you run. For Patti Black, that history didn't die in the tenement wall; it's alive -- and riding her down.In researching this electrifying thriller, Charlie Newton rode in the squad car with real-life street cop Patti Black. The result is a powerful fiction debut that captures the precise emotional landscape of one cop's hard-bitten life in the trenches. This first-time author joins that rare breed whose fiction is suffused with profound authenticity

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime

563 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Charlie Newton is a Chicago native, a writer known for a global life on the road and extended MIA absences. When he does publish, Newton’s heart-pounding, gritty, and witty realism has been a starred-review favorite of the critics and a finalist for the Edgar, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, the Macavity, and the International Thriller Writers awards. Newton is the author of Calumet City (Simon & Schuster, 2008), Start Shooting (Doubleday, 2012), Traitor’s Gate (Thomas & Mercer, 2015), and Privateers (BlackType Press, 2020).

Reviews

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Calumet City” by Charlie Newton, published by Touchstone Books.

Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – March 04, 2008.

If you are looking for a crime noir story this book fits the category to a T.

Calumet City is just east of Chicago; one might even call it a suburb of Chicago. It is a town that was built on the steel industry that has fallen on hard times with the collapse of the steel industry.

Patti Black, a decorated police officer, in the Chicago Police Department is one of a kind. She has a storied past and works in the worst crime areas of Chicago.

Several incidents, an attempted assassination, a failed drug bust, a murder, and the finding of a concealed body ala “The Cask of Amontillado”, send Patti on a search, not only for a killer, but her son.

Memories haunt Patti that include rape and abuse by her for foster parents and having to give up her son for adoption.

This story is based on a true life character and Charlie Newton accompanied Chicago Police in the worst neighborhoods to obtain background for this book.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty awesome. Patti Black is a tough cop with a dark past, abused as a foster child, escaping to an alcohol-soaked life on the streets. She clawed her way back, only to be threatened by the evil from her past.

She is threatened by Gangster Disciples, who vow revenge for fellow gang members killed in a shootout. Internal Affairs want to destroy her career. The Feds are trying to tie her to a corruption case they have going against the department and the mayor. Plus, she suspects that the man who sexually abused her is back to kill her.

Charlie Newton does an excellent job of portraying the way good people can be compromised by an environment of corruption. The Chicago PD has a long history of honorable service tainted with corruption and brutality. Patti Black's character show how these aspects can coexist in one person.

Newton also looks at how caring about the people around us both humanizes and makes us vulnerable. Over the years, Patti has hardened herself, made herself emotionally autonomous; the image of the child she gave up for adoption keeps her connected to humanity. When that child is threatened, Patti decides she must eliminate anyone who might bring harm.

This book is extremely well-written; it had me hooked by the end of the first chapter. Newton absolutely captures his Chicago setting - the near-hopeless awfulness and grinding poverty of ghetto neighborhoods infested by gangs; the competing corruption of machine and ghetto politics; the Northside/Southside divide; and the 100-year futility of the Chicago Cubs.

The book does have a couple of weaknesses. There is a plot twist or two toward the end that seemed a little too neat to me. Also, the author did "info-dumps" at a couple of points. By that, I mean he had a character sit and explain a lot of stuff at once, rather than revealing the information through exposition. It's a common practice of mystery writers. Still, these are quibbles relative to the skill this author brings to a first novel. I'm looking forward to his next book.

[Frederik · Rating 4 out of 5]

tahaks midagi öelda aga täitsa sõnatuks võttis
algus oli ähmane ja keel igal pool laiali
kuid lugu oli sünge ja lõpp niitis jalust

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

DIRTY HARRY HAS A SISTER
"Calamet City" by Charlie Newton was nominated for an Edgar Award this year for the best 1st novel of 2008.
Patti Black survived a childhood that could only be described as horrific. Her parents died in an auto accident and she was placed in a children's home where she was raped numerous times before escaping at age 16.
After a few career turns she joined the Chicago PD and becomes one of the most decorated cops on the force.
She's assigned to raid and uncover stolen merchandise in a seedy section of the city. When they order the occupants to open the door, the police are met with machine gun fire. Dirty Harry, I mean Patti returns fire, killing two members of the street gang called the Gangster Disiples.
As an example of her grit, after the shooting, she goes to the station, files her reoprt, goes home and changes and then goes to practice with her rugby team. "Go ahead make my day."
A body is found in the basement of the building and this opens the door to the foster home where Patti had been abused.
Soon after there is an attempt on the mayor's life. This might be racial since the next in line is a black alderman. Patti is sent out to see what she can find about the attempt on the mayor's life and issues develop.
Newton has told a wale of a tale. The characters are well developed and I would love to see Patti depicted in a movie.
The story does go on and travels out west where there are added developments but if the reader has patience it will be rewarded.
Recommended.

[Tom Arthur · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have often used the Edgar Awards as a means of finding new writers in the mystery genre to read. After finishing this book I can only say that 2009 must have been a bad year as Mr. Newton's effort garnered him an Edgar nomination for Best First Novel. The plot is all over the map and lacks any semblance of cohesion, purpose, or direction. The book is rife with undecipherable acronyms and cop speak buzz words.

I visited Mr. Newton's website to look for perhaps his take on what this novel is about and to make sense of it all. I didn't find any answers but what I did find was honesty. As he puts it ". . . being a bit impulsive, I drank a ninth Guinness, staggered off the grid, and began writing full-time." If ever I was to read another work by Mr. Newton it would only be after consuming the requisite number of Guinness. I really don't think it would make a difference, but it might provide some degree of enlightenment.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The momentum is relentless. It hits the ground running and rarely lets up with some very powerful and tense moments throughout the story.

It can get a little heavy-handed at times. I felt like every page had at least one paragraph reminding me that Patti Black was a cop on the edge and how intense everything was for her.

This gripe is purely a personal one, not a flaw. I am more drawn to stories that retain a certain amount of ambiguity in the motivation of characters rather than Oliver Stoning me to death with it. Even in a first person narrative, I like stories that let the actions speak for the character.

An intense, entertaining read. I'll definitely keep my eyes out for Charlie Newton's next book.

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started slow, but got really good as I finished it.... Read it if you like cop dramas.... this one's pretty dark.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent debut -- and I was impressed how he handled a lead female character.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read Calumet City three times. Each time for a different reason with a different focus. 1st time was for sheer enjoyment. Result = great read. 2nd time was to study character development. Result = master class. 3rd time for voice. Result = most authentic gritty credible cop noir I have ever read. David Price books are a close second. When I complete my first novel I only hope it is half as good.

[Catriona Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this about 13 years ago actually but it was such a brilliant read. Such strong characters and a great story. Charlie has such an amazing turn of phrase sometimes you're stopped in your tracks to savour it, like your first mouthful of ice cold Guinness that requires total concentration for the pleasure to sink in. A must read.

[Nefty123 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting plot but confusing writing.

[Charmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for Chi-town novels and female leads. But tge authors over exuberance left me wondering what direction the protagonist was going.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Patti Black is the most decorated cop in Chicago, but unrelated cases including a mayoral assassination attempt point in her direction.

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Utilizing the mean streets of Chicago and the “sin city” hamlet of Calumet City (a town known for strip clubs whose colorful past has included the likes of Al Capone) as the backdrop for this violent noir, Charlie Newton gives his readers a look at the big city that the Chamber of Commerce is definitely not featuring in it’s “Spend Your Vacation With Us” promotions. Calumet City exposes readers not only to the dark underbelly of the big city, complete with crooked politicians (so what’s new) and real life thugs like the Gangster Disciples, it also gives us an inside look at the tension and challenges confronting cops like the books protagonist, Patti Black and her loyal sidekicks.

Patti is a complex character who, in addition to battling the bad guys, is also battling the horror of her nightmare past as an innocent foster child placed in an abusive and terrifying Calumet City home. Current incidents are bringing back her repressed memories and causing her to react in a way that is not only relentlessly frightening but at times shows us a failed coping mechanism and behavior that is nothing short of manic.

Raids in gang held territories, assassination attempts; racial tension, headline grabbing radicals, political hacks and a plethora of grisly murders abound in this dark and twisted work. At times dramatic and over-the-top, Calumet City still manages to provide its readers with a cutting commentary on the inner workings of big cities today as well as the almost insurmountable societal problems confronting many of our communities . I myself am an ex-Chicago south-sider and lived for several years in a town adjoining Calumet City, so I know of what I speak……….and so does Charlie Newton.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patti Black is the central character of this tale. She is a decorated, seventeen year veteran of the Chicago Police Department who works in one of the toughest districts in the city. Events quickly turn her attention from her regular police work to some very scary stuff from her past, a past she has hidden from everyone who knows her now. The past she thought she had buried was in CALUMET CITY and she is forced to revisit her past in order to stop a series of current day murders.

The atmosphere is bleak both physically and mentally in Black’s world and things are rapidly spinning out of control. So out of control that I had difficulty believing she wasn’t killed by her own stupidity on multiple occasions. Newton keeps twisting the screw, ramping the tension up with each page, but some of his scenarios really tested my credulity. I grew up in this vicinity and CALUMET CITY had a dark reputation even then, so when I saw this book in a local used bookstore, it seemed like a fitting setting for a noir crime thriller, (Plus there was a recommendation from Lee Child, one of my favorite authors on the cover), but overall I was a little disappointed. I did like traveling down some of the familiar streets of my youth and for me this was a saving grace. This novel is heavy on the psychological side of thriller and the question here seems to be, can you stop an insane killer without being driven insane.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a polished debut- heavy on characters, plots, and style! Newton really excelled in all three of these areas, making this book a pleasure to read. The narrative style is very distinct, which may take a little bit of getting used to, but once you grow accustomed to it, coupled with the nonstop action, this became a very fast read! Though I live in Chicago, this showed a side of the city that I had never read about before in fiction. The digs from the North/South division of the city, made me laugh, which was a good break in the tension - especially some of the rather grisly violence. The book was so firmly rooted in the city, that though it came out in 2008, it already felt dated reading it in 2012. Non-Chicagoas, I am sure, would most likely not notice the details that stuck out, but to me it added an entirely new layer of authenticity to the novel.
Not only did the city really come to life, but Patti Black, our narrator, really felt like a real person - she was frustrating, funny, and ultimately so sympathetic. I really did not want her to story to end, so I am hoping that his second novel, Start Shooting, will include some updates on her life. I am so thrilled to find such a new and distinctive writing style set in Chicago!

[Scott E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awfully good for a first book. I'd like to give it a high 3, but can't give a 4. Everything happens exactly where you expect it to, and the "escape" scenes are too simple that take up too many pages. There are large scenes in this 388pg book that add at best very little to the overall story. Could have benefited from tighter editing.

On a general note, a book that is told completely in 1st person where the writer is the opposite sex always loses a few believability points to me. And this is the perfect example. Patti Black is void of virtually all femininity. I don't think there has ever been a tougher cop in all of crime fiction...after a while, it starts to wear really thin. And yes, I read the epilogue where Patti's fortunes turn. That's another picky point for me: sold as "noir fiction", but the ending removes it from that category, and leaves it with "noir elements".
Rating: 3.7

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calumet City starts with a bang and the pace continues to build from there, the tension being steadily ratcheted up as Patti bounces from one crisis to the next whilst slowly disintegrating mentally as the pressure mounts. The writing is taut, and Newton quickly hooks the reader in and drags them along; compelled to find out what happens next. Whilst the story relies on too many coincidences and entanglements, at one level it doesn’t really matter - the entertainment and the realism of ghetto policing compensates for the lack of overall plot realism that blends gang violence, city politics, child sex abuse, torture, murder, religious fervour, and one woman’s attempts to maintain her sanity and protect her unknown son. For my money it’s more a thriller than a police procedural, but it certainly blends the two. Overall, a flawed but compelling edge-of-the-seat, rollercoaster of a story.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm trying to think of saving graces, which probably isn't good for any endorsement. "Calumet City" is maybe, maybe an average pulp novel. Being a Chicago guy, the heroine's travels back and forth across the city made for good reminiscing, and maybe that's the saving grace, but only if you're a Chicagoan.
Growing up on the South Side I spent enough time listening to people who couldn't complete a sentence without using the f-word that I'm sure the street-talk that permeates "Calumet City" is still as real as ever. But it really doesn't make for great writing.
I will give author Charlie Newton credit for an ending I didn't see coming. But that doesn't make up for the time lost reading this book.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes you find a book by a new author that you have not read before. So you decide to give it a whack. That is what I did with this find on the library shelf. When I checked the reviews it did pretty well. And I was not that impressed. That is why opinions are like a**holes, we all have one. The style of writing seemed choppy from the get go. And while the story was decent the author decided to add some twists. And then the author decided to add some more twists, and more and more and more. Soon it seemed he got exhausted by adding twists and the book flatlined for a bit. Not to worry though because he was soon back at it, adding some more twists and some more, and so on. Not quite my cup of tea so I am now moving on to my next reading adventure.

[Tony Acree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calumet City, by Charlie Newton, is by far the best "first book" by any of the authors I've read, and I've read a ton of them. The book tells the story of Chicago police officer Patti Black, from her troubled past to her all to real present. Newton takes you on a pure adrenaline ride. If you like your thrillers safe and sunny, read a different book. If you want a book that will make you want to read parts of it with the doors locked, the lights on and a gun by your night stand, then read Calumet City. This book is NOT for the faint of heart as there are some very gruesome scenes. But the payoff for reading this book is well worth it. Highly recommended.

[Michael Kelberer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's dark. It's ultimately good. Mr. Newton has a style where the first person narrative is so true that it's hard to follow. He's verbed so many nouns that I often don't know what just happened. "He buttoned the remote" for example. So when I read at my normal pace I often found myself into a new scene and aware that something important had happened without any idea of what.
I'd dismiss it out of had, but I know another mystery writer who has this same style, guy by the name of James Lee Burke.
Let's see if Mr Newton can smooth things out for us poor readers in the next book.(less)

[Dariosk · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a perfect 2 and a half stars.
for a site for readers, the 5 star rating system
is kind of moronic, isn't it?
Patti Black is interesting, and Charlie Newton writes
pretty well.
My problem with this novel is that it is all too much.
She goes through too much, constantly, and the persistent
drops of her horrifying past instead of being intriguing
become extremely annoying.
coulda been a good one.

[Nicgetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie may have left Chicago but it is clear Chicago has not left Charlie. His descriptions and the general feeling of the city are as accurate as could be. I'm a life long Chicagoan and can say with certainty he captures the city in this book. He also captured my attention. I could not put it down. It could have been set any where and I'm sure I would have felt the same. Raw,gritty and real. I felt I was there. Can't wait to pick up another work by him.

[Doug Branscombe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very strange book for me. There was a little too much of an ugly past coming back to haunt people in the present time. Characters are all linked a little too cleanly and Patti Black, the main character is a lot too "flawed" for me. She's fighting inner demons that I never completely understood.......

[Sandy Kell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started off really liking this; the writing, the main character, the energy and the Chicago setting is terrific and original. But the the pace and angst never let up (like being stuck on a rollercoaster and you can't get off) and by halfway, I felt exhausted just trying to follow the plot. That said, I will still give his second book, "Start Shooting", and try.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty, realistic, hardboiled. Patti Black is a real character and Charlie Newton has brought her to life so the reader knows her and feels for her. I felt I knew Calumet City and Chicago through Charlie's eyes. Terrific first novel. Highly recommend.

[Abholler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good female lead (a highly decorated cop) -- surprisingly, written by a man. The writer's debut novel, but it's very assured. The story is not new, but it's very well told and exciting, moves along.

[Mereman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice and Dark! Hard to put down since the action never stops. I don't get creeped out too easily but this one gave me the chills at times. One of the better crime/suspense books i've read lately. Looking forward to the release of his other books.

[Sandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather disappointing. For whatever reason I had a really hard time with the author's prose style. It became a chore to read which was too bad since I think there may have been a decent plot buried in there.