599 pages
English language
Published Nov. 8, 1991 by Houghton Mifflin.
The scene is Baltimore. Twice every three days another citizen is shot, stabbed or bludgeoned to death. At the centre of this hurricane of crime is the city's homicide unit, a small brotherhood of hard men who fight for whatever justice is possible in a deadly world. David Simon was the first reporter ever to gain unlimited access to a homicide unit, and his remarkable book is both a compelling account of casework and an investigation into out culture of violence.
I could only make it through about seven months of human depravity and violence, but that was probably enough
This book is good writing and good reporting. The dialogues are Delillo-esque, and Simon's deft sentences capture the poetry, dark humor, and tragedy of the everyday life of a homicide detective in Baltimore. This book will give you an entirely new perspective on law enforcement.
