The Renegades

Charlie Hood #2

by T. Jefferson Parker

Patrolling a section of the American West that he finds just as untamed as those depicted in early pulp novels, Charlie Hood is assigned to partner with a popular county veteran whose subsequent murder reveals sinister truths behind the man's stellar reputation.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook

507 pages, Hardcover

First published February 10, 2009

About the author

T. Jefferson Parker is the bestselling author of 26 crime novels, including Edgar Award-winners SILENT JOE and CALIFORNIA GIRL. Parker's next work is coming-of-age thriller, A THOUSAND STEPS, set for January of 2022. He lives with his family in a small town in north San Diego County, and enjoys fishing, hiking and beachcombing.

Reviews

[Karl]

This hardcover is signed by T. Jefferson Parker.

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Hood, a veteran of the Iraq War, is a modern-day lawman with the soul of a 19th century western sheriff. Charlie is a deputy in the L.A. Sheriff's Department, and he cruises the Antelope Valley in the desert north of the city. Charlie loves to drive, preferably alone, and preferably late at night.

One night however, Charlie is paired with another deputy, Terry Laws, known to the rest of the department as "Mr. Wonderful," because of the great job he's done raising his daughters, because of his dedication to the job, the bodybuilding titles he's won, and the charitable work he does in his off-duty hours. Hood and Laws respond to a routine Housing Authority complaint and as they are returning to the patrol car, a gunman appears from behind a tree and murders Laws in a hail of bullets. Hood survives, perhaps because the gun jammed or perhaps the gunman deliberately spared him.

Shortly thereafter, Hood receives a visit from Internal Affairs. The IA people suggest that perhaps "Mr. Wonderful" wasn't so wonderful at all and they want to add Hood to the team and have him investigate Laws. Hood is reluctant; he wants to patrol the county and catch bad guys. He has no taste for investigating fellow cops. But IA offers the usual rejoinder: somebody's got to police the police and, sadly, not all of the bad guys are civilians.

Hood begins his investigation and soon discovers that Laws had an awful lot of money for someone earning a deputy's wages. As he probes deeper into the situation, Charlie is drawn into a sordid world of drugs, money laundering and other illegal activities. But Hood is resolute; he has a strong moral compass, and he will pursue this mess to its conclusion, no matter how distasteful or violent.

This is the second of Parker's books to feature Charlie Hood, and as is always the case in Parker's books, the characters are unique, interesting and sharply drawn. The investigation is intriguing and the climax suitably violent and hair-raising. Parker has written a third book in the Charlie Hood series, Iron River, and one hopes that he will write a lot more.

[Mike French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second verse better than The first! The Renegade is the second book of the Charlie Hood series and I give it 5 1/2 stars. T.Jefferson Parker knows how to keep the reader turning pages from start to finish! I highly recommend his books to my Goodreads friends!!!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2! Parker has his own style, writing succinct prose that says alot with a little. Hood is a deputy near L.A. patrolling Antelope Valley with a partner, Laws. After intervening in a Housing Authority dispute, his partner is shot to death in the patrol car, and Hood is invited into Internal Affairs to help find the reason.

There is a sort-of dual storyline with Law's sometime reserve helper, involving a Mexican cartel, and the son of Hood's former love balancing being a bad guy and a lawman.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This latest from T. Jefferson Parker is another cop and robber tale. Charlie Hood, is assigned to Antelope Valley, in California, and is riding with his partner Terry Laws, when they go to a housing project to join to Housing Authority case workers, who are investigating a report of drugs in an apartment.

On leaving, the housing project, Laws is gunned down and Hood believes he recognizes the assailant.

Hood is approached by Internal Affairs to investigate the Laws murder, and takes the case. Naturally, even though Laws is named Laws, he was not a lawful man.

This novel is a sequel of sorts to Parker's last novel entitled L.A. Outlaws, in that Hood, one of the main characters and Bradley Jones, the son of a main character in L.A. Outlaws, are two of the main characters in this book. It is not necessary to read L.A. Outlaws, but it sure helps as Hood broods for part of the book about Alison Mureitta (sp) the heroine/villain in L.A. Outlaws, who was killed, and Hood testifies about a crime that he witnessed in that novel. It also explains how Hood would be asked to join I.A., as the crime that Hood testifies about is about a dirty cop.

In any event, Hood, finds that Laws lived in a very large house purchased in part with money from a charity that does not seem to be collecting any money from anywhere. Hood zeroes in on the money and begins to question Laws life, his relationships and his most famous collar, that of a mental case named Shay Ehrodt (sp) who supposedly murdered two men in cold blood, and then was subdued by Laws and his partner Coleman Draper, a sheriff reservist. The fight between Laws, Draper and Ehrodt led to his mental problems.

Soon we can see that Draper is a pretty dirty character - a Renegade

The story is told from Hood's POV, then Draper's POV, then an anonymous person explaining to an equally anonymous party, what happened with Draper and Laws.

Even though Hood is a little dry, the book moves along fast, and is a really great read. Parker's insights into Draper's evilness, as shown from Hood's ivestigation and Draper's own actions is great. We also are left with some open issues with Bradley Jones and Hood, leaving the possibility of another story in this series.

I cannot wait.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read the Hood stories not in order. It is very nice to see how Hood grows when I already know wheee he ends up.

[Leon Aldrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another novel where Parker proves once again he is at the top of his game and deserving of all the accolades. Are you a "Charlie Hood" fan yet? If not this, then what?

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second adventure of Charlie Hood, a young Iraqi war veteran now plying his NCIS skills as a Sheriff's Deputy for LA County. After his traumatic - and to this reader farcical last case - our hero has transferred out to the barren and quiet environ of Antelope Valley. And all seems to be going well until Charlie's partner is brutally gunned down - right in front of Charlie. So quicker than the reader can say "transfer" Charlie is "drafted" by Internal Affairs to solve the crime. And this being southern California this becomes a case of drug money and police corruption.

This last bit is not a spoiler, for the author explains this puzzle early on in the book and we the readers wait for Charlie to catch up. Which if Charlie was a mildly interesting character wouldn't be a problem, but unfortunately Charlie isn't. In fact Charlie is kind of a dolt. Add to this mix a one dimensional supporting cast; all the "good" cops are the same; bad cops too; Mexican banditos - ditto; even the "gray" characters - which includes Charlie - interchangeable. The result is a very mediocre book.

Parker has been a favorite author of mine for years - excellent plotting with very real, if flawed characters; his books anything but "mindless". I honestly don't know what to make of the Charlie Hood series. It resembles Sandford's Prey books, but without the humor and camaraderie. There's also a James Lee Burke feel to the series, minus the depth. I believe with Charlie the reader is to hearken back to days gone by - the "Old West" with tumbleweed and frontier justice - but that never gels either. I'll give this series one more book and hope for the best - but right now Parker and Hood are 0-2.

[Cathy DuPont · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie Hood Rides into the Sunset, for me that is

After reading seven T. Jefferson Parker novels, I can say I'm familiar with Parker's writing.

The first of the Charlie Hood series L. A. Outlaws was just great and was almost given five stars, but I have such a hard time coughing up that fifth star, so it ended with the usual four from me. Yes, it was a good, good book. I fell in love with the Charlie Hood character so couldn't wait to read the second in the series, this book, The Renegades.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Charlie simply didn't have the verve, charisma and likability that he possessed in L. A. Outlaws. All those attributes that I loved in L. A. Outlaws.

Parker's writing was up to par but the story line was shaky for my likes. And Charlie, well, he just seems to have changed into a not quite so likable and interesting guy as I left him in L. A. Outlaws.

The upside? A short review which allows me more reading time and a name I can strike off my series list. That makes me happy with the list being so long, however, I will definitely miss the old Charlie from LAO. Glad I didn't get to know him all that well, like five books well.

[Peg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dandy good Cop story set in L.A. It deals with drugs, cops both good and bad and some very nefarious people. This is the second book dealing with Charlie Hood as our main character. He's a cop that wants everyone to be either on the good side or the bad side - sides can't have both. He learns differently.

This one also introduced a new character that will be very interesting to watch in future Charlie Hood stories.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Hood of the L.A. Sheriff's...the writing is great..strong characters..

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read 2012

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, at least a four star read. Just enough carryover of characters from book 1 to provide sufficient continuity to draw the reader into a new series. Parker is able to paint realistic sworn cop/reservist trust issues and give a sense of tautness between the two cohorts. The story really drives home a sense of how crappy and abusive some reservists might be. The only motive the reservist here has is stroking his own ego and taking advantage of his position of authority, but Parker nicely under plays the sociopathy of his villains and still manages to treat the reader to some very scary stuff! Gives a frightening sense of how corrupt things might become with continued privatization of enforcement and detention. I’m getting to like Hood more and more as a character. Somewhat like Jack Reacher but thankfully less a superman. On to the next one!

[Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very predictable book with very few action sequences. I hate it when an author names a book that has very little or nothing to do with the book. I like the character of Charlie Hood, but the storyline was drab, dull and just plain boring. The story about the Renegades would have been far more interesting. Unfortunately, they are mentioned only briefly and I did not feel that the author tied them into the story very well. The ending was lame and did not have any real thought.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bring lawyers, guns, and money,
The shit has hit the fan...

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 3 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “SOMETIMES THE GOOD GUYS ARE WORSE THAN THE BAD GUYS!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charlie Hood is an enigmatic member of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) who has transferred from Los Angeles to Antelope Valley which is north of L.A... Hood figured heading out to the barren desert would help him emotionally adapt and recover from the inner and outer turmoil that his life had been reduced to… both on… and off… the job. In Hood’s not too distant past… not only did the woman he love die… but Hood had “talked to Internal Affairs (IA) about a superior he mistook for an honest man, and who was soon to stand trial for eight felonies. Hood would be called as a witness by the prosecution, which he dreaded.” So in addition to nursing a broken heart… he also had to disregard the perceived scorn of other Sheriff’s… who as a long standing principal disowned anyone who cooperated with IA against one of their own.

For many reasons Hood was a unique individual. He liked just driving in his car… in fact… he liked it so much… that in addition to driving all day in a patrol car… he kept his home in L.A. even after transferring to Antelope Valley… so he could enjoy the hour plus ride back and forth to work each day. The additional fact that he was a military veteran… and a man of few words… for any Robert Crais fans out there… Hood’s vibes are eerily similar to Joe Pike. Hood’s new partner is Terry Laws… known to almost everyone as “Mr. Wonderful”. He’s a champion weight lifter… runs a charitable organization… collects toys for underprivileged kids… and is murdered with a spray of bullets from a machine gun while on duty with Hood. Hood for some reason is spared. Hood vows revenge… and as fate would have it… he is assigned to the hated IA with the task of finding his partners killer. From that point on it is non-stop action as Hood quickly and continually… discovers that “Mr. Wonderful”… was anything but wonderful. As Hood researches Laws complete file… things start smelling funny. One of Laws arrests was Shay Eichrodt, “age thirty-four, six-feet-eight, three-hundred pounds. A felon, Aryan Brother, later determined to be very high on crystal meth and alcohol.” Shay was beaten to a pulp by Laws and his former partner LASD reservist Coleman Draper. The report also stated that Shay had been pulled over and “conveniently” arrested for the murder of two drug-money-mules Vasquez and Lopes earlier that evening. Hood finds that from that night forward Laws was depositing over $7,000.00 per week… every week… into the bank. This amount of money was certainly not from his Sheriff’s salary. From there the author describes weekly money deliveries to Mexico in excess of $300-400,000.00 per week to the scary head of a drug cartel. The investigative work and surveillance detailed throughout these pages keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Hood eloquently summarizes his personal situation: “SIX MONTHS AGO HE HAD HELPED TO BUST A FELLOW DEPUTY, AND FAILED TO HELP A RECKLESS WOMAN STAY ALIVE. HE HAD VOLUNTARILY LEFT L.A. FOR ANTELOPE VALLEY, WHERE HE HAD HOPED FOR QUIETER DAYS AND TIME TO REFLECT. BUT NOW HE WAS IA AND DEEP INTO A COLD CASE INVOLVING MURDERED DRUG COURIERS, SUSPECT DEPUTIES, MYSTERIOUS PILES OF MONEY AND A MACHINE-GUNNED PARTNER. HOOD FELT LIKE A WRECKING BALL.”

The only problem with the overall flow occurs periodically as the author switches narrators with no warning or introduction… and the reader is left scratching their head for awhile. Other than that… the author clearly has as much fun with words as a child has with opening presents on Christmas morning. Here are a few tidbits: “THE DAY WAS COOL AND THE BREEZE CAME AND WENT LIKE A DOUBT.”… “THE YELLOW CRIME SCENE TAPE HAD TORN LOOSE FROM THE PEPPERTREE AND NOW IT FLAPPED IN THE WIND LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE.”… “THEIR WEIGHT VIBRATED THE METAL STAIRCASE, AND THE SNOWFLAKES ON THE RAILING WOBBLED AND FELL.”… “THE SUN SAT ON THE OCEAN LIKE A FAT RED HEN, THEN SANK IN THE NIGHT.”… “THE WORLD DIES A LITTLE WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING.”

[Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I was praising Michael Connelly with a friend, he suggested I try T Jefferson Parker, and that suggestion led me to The Renegades. I'm glad for the recommendation because I enjoyed the book though I still prefer Connelly's Harry Bosch stories to Parker's Charlie Hood novels (admittedly based on a sample of only one).

In The Renegades, Parker shows he knows how to tell an interesting story; he pulls you in from the beginning, and he reveals details one-by-one as if assembling a puzzle. Throughout I was interested in the characters and anxious to know the outcomes of their various stories. And the alternating narrators is a fresh take on the typical police procedural. Overall, there's good reading here.

One negative: There are too many characters, creating temporary confusion from time to time. The multiple characters add depth to the story, but I'd prefer a leaner, more linear approach. (There's also more violence than I like, but that's on me, not Parker.)

Why the preference for Connolly? Though Parker writes well, Connelly has a relaxed way of telling his tales; it's comfortable, easy (and largely unmatched) reading. Perhaps I'm just more familiar with the Harry Bosch stories, having read many of them. There's a simple remedy. I'll try another Charlie Hood novel and get to know him--and Parker--better. I look forward to the opportunity.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was enamored with Parker's first book featuring Charlie Hood, an Iraq War veteran, now a deputy for the Los Angeles sheriff's department. So, here we have issue #2, with Hood transitioning from deputy to working for IA after a violent ambush takes the life of his partner and miraculously leaves Hood alive. Who wanted Terry Laws dead? And why? Hood aims to find out, despite joining the department that "polices the police."

The story offers a sharp, fast paced plot featuring new characters and some held-over from the first book. All are well drawn and fleshed out, with varying degrees of sympathy. Hood, being the star of the show, continues to be a very interesting fellow, but another stand-out is Bradley Jones, the son of Alison Murietta, of first book fame. This novel definitely is better enjoyed as part of a series, not as a stand-alone, for this reason if no other. There are a few stretches of credulity, as well as criminals and heavies that are not particularly memorable, but that's beside the point. The interplay among the few central characters makes for the real entertainment.

As for comparing the first two of this series, I definitely rate book #1 higher, both in terms of the story and the characters. Nevertheless, Mr. Parker clearly has something here-- something to be enjoyed and explored. I know there is a third book in the series, and I look forward to reading that as well.

[Sherman Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about Parker's writing that appeals to me. This isn't high brow lit in any sense. But it is intelligent middle-brow crime/mystery work. Charlie Hood is an appealing protagonist--solid moral compass, courageous, smart, effective. Bad guys with plenty of "bad" in them.

The structure was novel, where we knew pretty early on who the bad guy was. The story revolved around Hood pulling on strings to figure stuff out a chapter or two after the reader knows. It worked for me.

One minor complaint. The romantic relationship between Hood and the assistant DA rang hollow. The feelings developed artificially, without any substantive foundation.

[Mark Simpkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became aware of T Jefferson Parker through his San Diego based Roland Ford PI series. His prose is beautifully descriptive yet spare and definitively masculine. The main protagonists are complicated but move in primarily principled orbits. Though pulled by lust and desires they unerringly move toward justice. Parker writes about California, Mexico, and the desert with loving accuracy that fills you with an ache to see the land as he does. The stories are compelling and filled with the breadth human experiences. I’m very much ready to fall into another of his worlds and be swept away.

[Phil Sageser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good cop/bad cop, hard-boiled story line. Characters are multidimensional without being very complex. The traits they display tend to be pretty extreme. There's no real mystery about what's going on, so the while the specific events are only revealed as we go along, the outcomes are all pretty predictable.

[Bubba · Rating 2 out of 5]

with a caveat that one of the one star reviews noted which I can't seem to find. It's readable but there is a completely unbelievable section where a sane person would not go. I kind of skipped that to get to the end.
I thought it was ok but wouldn't recommend this book. There are too many others in the genre that are much better.

[Julene Lind · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic

I just loved this story
I love Charlie hood! This crazy page turner kept me reading night and day whenever I had a few minutes!
I messed up with the order of the books so now I need to go back to book one.
The Southern California desert descriptions are so beautiful. I just loved this book.

[PaulC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started with The Famous and the Dead which is the final book in the Charlie Hood series. I then went back to read the others. I liked the first book the least and the others including this one I rate mostly at 3 or 3.5/5 stars.

[Margo Allore · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay for a summer escape novel - a bit far fetched some of the characters. Involved crooked police and a crooked deputy sheriff - money running (drug money) from USA to Mexico. Not very believable.

[Larry Azuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging Story

Hood is a likable character. Some aspects of the story are “to neat” but overall it’s a good book. Bradley is not a believable character. The book is better than your typical murder mystery who done it which is the reason for the rating.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Another Californian author obsessed with what road takes you where. It’s a police procedural without any black or white. It’s all shades of gray with complex plot intertwinings and indefinite solutions. Not a bad book but requires attention and concentration.

[David G. Waddington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok but not great

It was ok but way too much blather. I like many of his books but this will be the last of this series I read. On e I start a book rarely do I not finish it but all through this I was hoping it would be done.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by T. Jefferson Parker is a really solid read. It features the character of Charlie Hood who investigates the death of an officer that then leads to a Mexican drug cartel. A story that is really told well!

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story about Charlie and the mysterious death of his new partner, shot down in the line of duty. Behind lots of bad stuff is Draper, a guy with no conscience and lots of connections with others with no conscience.