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Codes of Betrayal
The world occupied by New York police officer Nick O'Hara in Dorothy Uhnak's Codes of Betrayal is a dark one, indeed. The grandson of a Mafia don, Nick walks a fine line between family loyalty and professional ethics--a line that blurs even more when his young son is killed during a shootout in Chinatown. Eventually Nick finds himself between a rock and a hard place as he is forced to choose between saving his own life or betraying his beloved grandfather. Uhnak, a former police officer, knows the territory she describes, and Codes of Betrayal strikes an authentic note.
- GenresFiction
Paperback
First published October 1, 1997
About the author
Dorothy Uhnak
30 books17 followersUhnak's first book was autobiographical Policewoman (1964), written and published while she was still a New York Transit Police detective.
Her debut fiction, The Bait (1968), received a 1969 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel (in a tie with E. Richard Johnson's Silver Street). ,The Bait was also made into a 1973 made-for-television film of the same title. It was followed by The Witness and The Ledger, which was adapted for the TV-movie and series Get Christie Love! starring Teresa Graves. All three novels featured Christie Opara, an NYPD detective assigned to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, where Uhnak herself was assigned for many years.
Later works included Law and Order, which was made into a TV-movie starring Darren McGavin and The Investigation, which was adapted into a TV-movie, "Kojak: The Price of Justice", with Telly Savalas.
In her later years she suffered from depression. She committed suicide by a self-administered drug overdoes in 2006. She was seventy-six at the time of her death.
Her debut fiction, The Bait (1968), received a 1969 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel (in a tie with E. Richard Johnson's Silver Street). ,The Bait was also made into a 1973 made-for-television film of the same title. It was followed by The Witness and The Ledger, which was adapted for the TV-movie and series Get Christie Love! starring Teresa Graves. All three novels featured Christie Opara, an NYPD detective assigned to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, where Uhnak herself was assigned for many years.
Later works included Law and Order, which was made into a TV-movie starring Darren McGavin and The Investigation, which was adapted into a TV-movie, "Kojak: The Price of Justice", with Telly Savalas.
In her later years she suffered from depression. She committed suicide by a self-administered drug overdoes in 2006. She was seventy-six at the time of her death.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 8, 2022
Moves quickly enough, and I enjoyed continually picturing Eric Roberts as the main character in this trashy mafioso narrative, but i mean it's not great, it was good enough tho, it kept me turning the pages! Sometimes that's all you can really ask for!
February 23, 2013
What's the point? There's better stuff out there.
Codes of Betrayal is about betrayal (thus, the title) and family and it ultimately left this listener (I heard it as an audiobook, narrated by Bruce Weitz of 'Hill Street Blues' fame) wondering what the point of the novel was. Nick O'Hara, our protagonist and NYPD detective, is upset when he discovers that his grandfather on his mother's side ordered the killing of his father when he was a boy and was obliquely responsible for the death of his son in a gangland dispute.
So, Nick goes after his grandfather by becoming a spy in the family organization. Along the way, he betrays his own wife and breaks his relationship with his father's brother - his only blood relative he trusts. So, while avenging part of his family he ends up screwing up the rest of his family.
So, when I finished this dark novel I had to wonder, "What was the point?" If you like to watch a man self-destruct - this is your book.
Not my favorite piece of literature.
Codes of Betrayal is about betrayal (thus, the title) and family and it ultimately left this listener (I heard it as an audiobook, narrated by Bruce Weitz of 'Hill Street Blues' fame) wondering what the point of the novel was. Nick O'Hara, our protagonist and NYPD detective, is upset when he discovers that his grandfather on his mother's side ordered the killing of his father when he was a boy and was obliquely responsible for the death of his son in a gangland dispute.
So, Nick goes after his grandfather by becoming a spy in the family organization. Along the way, he betrays his own wife and breaks his relationship with his father's brother - his only blood relative he trusts. So, while avenging part of his family he ends up screwing up the rest of his family.
So, when I finished this dark novel I had to wonder, "What was the point?" If you like to watch a man self-destruct - this is your book.
Not my favorite piece of literature.
January 9, 2014
My View:
Masterfully written – I expect no less from Ms Uhnak.
This is a narrative of complex plotting, of secrets, lies and crime. This is a spotlight on The Mob; the narrative begins in 1960’s in the USA and relates to repercussions of a violent incident that spreads its dirty, grubby fingers into relationships thirty years on .This is ultimately a novel about power, influence, corruption, relationships and honour that asks the question, “no matter whose shoes you wear how do you lead an honourable life?”
As I read this book I kept having flash backs to the Johnny Depp film, Donnie Brasco ( a film I loved), both the characters Brasco and Nick O’Hara going undercover and being put in very difficult positions where other peoples life and deaths are in their hands. This was a very well written, well plotted, well executed novel that had elements of the classic police procedural, had an authentic voice and was ultimately a very sad story. I really enjoyed this glimpse of the underworld.
Masterfully written – I expect no less from Ms Uhnak.
This is a narrative of complex plotting, of secrets, lies and crime. This is a spotlight on The Mob; the narrative begins in 1960’s in the USA and relates to repercussions of a violent incident that spreads its dirty, grubby fingers into relationships thirty years on .This is ultimately a novel about power, influence, corruption, relationships and honour that asks the question, “no matter whose shoes you wear how do you lead an honourable life?”
As I read this book I kept having flash backs to the Johnny Depp film, Donnie Brasco ( a film I loved), both the characters Brasco and Nick O’Hara going undercover and being put in very difficult positions where other peoples life and deaths are in their hands. This was a very well written, well plotted, well executed novel that had elements of the classic police procedural, had an authentic voice and was ultimately a very sad story. I really enjoyed this glimpse of the underworld.
January 24, 2014
Books about gambling and mobsters make me nervous, fidgety. Stayed up way too late last night reading because I couldn't sleep with all the images floating around in my head.
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September 2, 2013Read 11/98
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews