Books: The Big Fear - By Andrew Case

(Drivebycuriosity) - Are you afraid of cops? You might be, if you live in New York and you read the book "The Big Fear" (amazon).  Playwright Andrew Case paints in his debut novel a cynical and dark picture of New York´s police force. The plot is set in the recent years and focuses on a cop and a bureaucrat, who both are drawn into a vertigo of murder, corruption and conspiracy (this is spoiler free blog).

The novel is written in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett`s hard boiled thrillers and reminds a bit of James Ellroy´s pessimistic American crime fiction, which is set in Los Angeles. But New York City is darker and colder than the Californian metropolis. And Case brings a new twist into the crime genre: His novel evolves around a serious Wall Street crime which is neglected by other authors (explaining this would spoil the story).

The plot is (almost) believable in spite of some gaps and logical leaps. The plot has suspension and mystery, Case shows a talent for action scenes and I really cared about the characters and their fate.

"The Big Fear" is a promising start and a solid cop thriller.