January 28, 2012

Superbia by Bernard Schaffer

Superbia by Bernard Schaffer is a super fast pasted, adrenaline laced story about the life of a cop.

Frank O'Brian is a newbie in a relatively small town that basically only handles misdemeanors.  After only being on the job for a few short years, he was injured in a robbery gone wrong arrest.  When he got back from recovery, he was placed in the unit's Detectives team... that consisted of just one lonely hard ass, Vic.  Together Vic and Frank work on a few cases that come into the station... one a drug bust, the other a molestation charge. The cases wear down on them.  It affects their personal lives, their family lives and their sanity.

This book goes into the dark, behind the scenes evils that cops have to deal with on a daily basis... and it's not pretty.  I really appreciated how Vic and Frank were real people.  They were't super hero cops... they weren't pompous or over righteous.  They were messed up!  The job got under their skin, as I'm sure it does in real life.  It's clear that Schaffer is/was a cop... the details about the job and the politics within are too close to home to not be real.

I read this book in just 3 days... leisurely.  I had no intention to rush, but it was too good to put down.  Schaffer's writing is top notch.  He is funny, dark and tortured throughout.  I was laughing at one page and then crying at the very next.  The dialogue and relationship that blossoms between Vic and Frank is both rich and deep.  My only complaint would have to be that it ended too suddenly.  I would have liked a little more... but maybe that's just me being greedy?

Overall, Superbia offers a very interesting look behind the dark and gory curtain of life as a cop.
4.5 stars

I was offered a complementary copy of this book in return for my honest review. 

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