The Son of John Devlin

by Charles Kenney

Charles Kenney has written an authentic, compelling, morally complex novel of the men and women of law enforcement, penetrating the very heart of police culture--and bringing the powerful, tumultuous brotherhood of cops brilliantly to life. In The Son of John Devlin, a determined detective fights to clear his father's tarnished name.

The U.S. Justice Department has declared war on the widespread corruption in Boston's police force, turning up the heat big time for detective Jack Devlin, assigned to snare cops on the take and root out vice in the rank and file. "The dirty cop will inevitably reveal himself. He'll always give off a sign, an indication."

Tough words to hear for Jack Devlin, whose father was tied to the biggest scandal in Boston's history. Stripped of his honor, Jock Devlin died disgraced, a suicide, before his case went to trial--an act of cowardice that forced young Devlin to grow up in the shadow of his father's shame, creating personal demons that would drive him from a promising career as a Harvard-educated lawyer into the unlikely field of law enforcement.

Now, more than twenty years later, a letter from his father surfaces, pushing Devlin to reopen old wounds. Through conflicting emotions of anger and devotion, he searches for truth, hoping to uncover the secrets behind his father's infamous fall from grace and tragic death. But what he finds could bring the Boston police force to its knees--and there are some who would kill to keep history silent.

Flesh and blood characters in a page-turning plot. The gritty language of cops under fire. The explosive tension of the precinct. Charles Kenney weaves these elements into a tight, intelligent novel of people and principle that is also an absorbing, unforgettable thriller.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

308 pages, Hardcover

First published January 3, 1995

Reviews

[Nemo Erehwon]

I got a hold of an uncorrected proof, so maybe the difficulties were solved in the final print.

It's an interesting book. Parts of it are beautifully written.
The first half is good, with interesting characters.
The protagonist Jack Devlin is driven to clear up the mystery of why his father allegedly committed suicide upon being charged with corruption.

But the book looses coherence towards the middle, and by then Jack Devlin wavers between cold-blooded cunning to extremely naivety.

It portrayal of the moral dilemmas of crooked police officers measures up nicely to the other non-fiction police corruption books I have read.
It's also good a primer on the interesting Boston bar owners/police dynamics.

[John Devlin]

Flat and insipid in its story design, deliberately not provocative in its characterizations, a book for those who want their protagonists w/ less dimension than a Law and Order.

[Carol Evans]

I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. The main character was a little too good for me, caring, religious, smart, "honorable," etc.

[Ladyjexie]

Good book for anyone interested police department culture.