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Vic Varallo Mystery #13
Chain of Violence
At the Glendale, California Police Department things are apparently normal--the usual dope dealers and an unidentified body--until a weird hair thief and an apologetic rapist make their appearances
- GenresMystery
178 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 9, 2019
Police procedural based in Glendale, California, 1985. Multiple detectives pursue multiple cases and Egan (Barbara Elizabeth Linnington) does an excellent job of maintaining distinct characterizations and plot elements so that there is little likelihood the reader will get lost. I have read several of Linnington’s books written under a variety of pseudonyms and they are always well paced with the stories and dialogue earning a recommendation for realism and authenticity, at least to the extent I can judge, never having been a policeman or criminal.
Linnington’s themes are consistent throughout her books and include the difficulty of criminal apprehension, frustration with laws and judges that recirculate criminals as quickly as possible to add to their victims total and the dedication of most of the cops with their fingers in the dike.
CHAIN OF VIOLENCE is typical of her work. The detectives seek to solve crimes ranging from the totally brutal to the bizarre and sometimes comic. One detective, Delia Riordan, receives the most attention regarding her personal life, while Vic Varallo, a series regular, also receives some characterization development. The personal lives of the detectives are interwoven using brief (one to two page) segments, so the personal drama does not overwhelm the plotting of the crimes and portrayal of the criminals. The author is more interested in crime and its consequences than with the personal lives of those involved, but there is enough characterization to make both police and criminals resemble actual human beings.
Linnington, as usual, paints a chaotic picture as the crimes portrayed are often simple in nature, but sometimes border on the incomprehensible to the victims, the police and (sometimes) the perpetrators themselves. Events are rapidly paced and several of the cases have an element of oddity that makes a nice counterpoint to the more mundane crimes. Not all the crimes are solved. The author is clearly sympathetic to the police, but once again typically, the criminal’s motivations are (when warranted) treated with sympathy. The public and sometimes the criminals themselves provide what humorous moments pop up in the story. The crimes provide a bleak background characterized by tedium, stupidity, cruelty and deeply flawed societal and justice systems, only somewhat ameliorated by the steady and methodical efforts of a police force whose members are more plodding than brilliant and whose internal lives are haunted by the near futility of it all.
Linnington’s themes are consistent throughout her books and include the difficulty of criminal apprehension, frustration with laws and judges that recirculate criminals as quickly as possible to add to their victims total and the dedication of most of the cops with their fingers in the dike.
CHAIN OF VIOLENCE is typical of her work. The detectives seek to solve crimes ranging from the totally brutal to the bizarre and sometimes comic. One detective, Delia Riordan, receives the most attention regarding her personal life, while Vic Varallo, a series regular, also receives some characterization development. The personal lives of the detectives are interwoven using brief (one to two page) segments, so the personal drama does not overwhelm the plotting of the crimes and portrayal of the criminals. The author is more interested in crime and its consequences than with the personal lives of those involved, but there is enough characterization to make both police and criminals resemble actual human beings.
Linnington, as usual, paints a chaotic picture as the crimes portrayed are often simple in nature, but sometimes border on the incomprehensible to the victims, the police and (sometimes) the perpetrators themselves. Events are rapidly paced and several of the cases have an element of oddity that makes a nice counterpoint to the more mundane crimes. Not all the crimes are solved. The author is clearly sympathetic to the police, but once again typically, the criminal’s motivations are (when warranted) treated with sympathy. The public and sometimes the criminals themselves provide what humorous moments pop up in the story. The crimes provide a bleak background characterized by tedium, stupidity, cruelty and deeply flawed societal and justice systems, only somewhat ameliorated by the steady and methodical efforts of a police force whose members are more plodding than brilliant and whose internal lives are haunted by the near futility of it all.
July 17, 2011
Slow moving more police procedural than mystery story. Story follows police in a couple of departments of the Glendale, CA police department as they deal with on going crimes. It is day-by-day story following whatever cases pop up and are on going. By the end of the book, most of the cases have been solved.
The story deals with day-to-day efforts by police to solve cases focusing on the repeatative routines they go through in dealing with a case. To humanize the story more, your see more personal sides of three of the offices in their daily lives.
The story deals with day-to-day efforts by police to solve cases focusing on the repeatative routines they go through in dealing with a case. To humanize the story more, your see more personal sides of three of the offices in their daily lives.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews