Declare Books In Favor Of Cold Case
Original Title: | A Cold Case |
ISBN: | 0330485059 (ISBN13: 9780330485050) |
Edition Language: | English |
Philip Gourevitch
Paperback | Pages: 136 pages Rating: 3.34 | 422 Users | 57 Reviews
Describe Based On Books Cold Case
Title | : | Cold Case |
Author | : | Philip Gourevitch |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 136 pages |
Published | : | April 1st 2003 by Pan MacMillan (first published 2001) |
Categories | : | Nonfiction. Crime. True Crime. Mystery. Emergency Services. Police |
Interpretation Supposing Books Cold Case
The fictional nature of the police procedural was brought home to me a summer or two ago when my neighborhood began to experience a rash of break-ins. The thieves were casing houses, marking habits and routines, and striking in broad daylight with a remarkably coordinated efficiency. Anxiety was running high - its partner, paranoia, not all that far behind. One of the recent robbery victims arranged a brief seminar with two of our local patrolmen; a sunset talk that even these seasoned men-in-blue were surprised to find so well-attended. The standard precautionary measures were relayed (fences, dogs, alarm systems, increased awareness of strangers), and then the floor was opened to discussion.There were a lot of silly questions. Frightened people have a tendency to cycle pretty quickly from rational inquiry to emotional redress. One rattled family man thought it might be a good idea to have the cops come by his house every so often and join him for a cup of coffee. (The theory being if they knew him better they'd be better able to protect him.) One woman felt her next-door neighbors should be assigned the responsibility of keeping a close eye on her home while she was at work during the day. She offered no quid pro quo, however, and saw no shade of entitlement in the request. This went on for awhile. The conversation eventually shifted to how best to respond to suspicious behavior and the witnessing of a criminal act. You might think calling 911 was a no-brainer, but a whole bunch of people thought taking pictures with their phones was an equally pro-active option and had to be told in no uncertain terms, by the now visibly weary officers, that facial recognition software was not standard equipment down at the precinct, and that this wasn't really at all like Law & Order or CSI, and that it was far, far more important to get an officer on-site as quickly as possible than to gather up photographic evidence for trial.
And this would be why Philip Gourevitch's book is a meaningful addition to the field of true crime.
A Cold Case is the story of Andy Rosenzweig, chief investigator for the Manhattan District Attorney's office, and his resurrection of a murder case abandoned decades ago by the NYPD. The bodies of the victims were available and had been autopsied. The facts of the case were clear. The identity of the murderer was known. Eyewitnesses existed. But the killer was on the run, and the reality of urban policing is one of priority and manpower. A few years go by and the file sinks lower and lower in the stack. Were it not for Rosenzweig's bulldog character and his familiarity with one of the deceased, there's every reason to believe this case would have gone unresolved. Gourevitch, in his telling, presents not a single bell or whistle; no melodramatic twist, clinching truth or brilliant last-minute revelation. His is the flat and very ordinary tale of diligent detective work - written, it must be said, with fierce directness and a flair for personality that compels.
As an account of modern-day detection, I found it genuinely fascinating and a refreshing return to police work as it is actually practiced by experts in the field.
Rating Based On Books Cold Case
Ratings: 3.34 From 422 Users | 57 ReviewsRate Based On Books Cold Case
A short book (100 pages that began life in New Yorker magazine) about a detective who locates a missing murder suspect after 27 years, long after everyone else had given up on the case. The book runs out of steam after the perpetrator is caught, but it remains a worthwhile read.A small, nonfiction account of a New York murder case where the identity of the killer was known, but his whereabouts were not, leading to an easy case that stretched on for years. Cold Case doesn't have a crazy, twisting story and trial to account for, so instead the focus is placed on the small party of cops trying to track down Frank Koehler (the killer) and the life and personality of Koehler himself. It's short, it's simple, it's an interesting and unsensationalized look at police work. I
A quick read with some depthThis is about a small time hood, Frank G. Koehler, who got mad at a couple of guys and shot them both to death in cold blood while wounding a third party. That was in 1970. He escaped and was never brought to justice. Eventually the case was closed because somebody (Gourevitch doesn't tell us who) was of the "opinion" that Koehler had to be dead since (according to others) it was "virtually inconceivable that a man with such a violent disposition and criminal history
A true crime story that tries, and fails, to avoid idolizing the murderer. Very short, though!
"Cold Case" started as an article in the New Yorker and maybe there isn't really enough there to justify a book (as short as this one is). Nonetheless Gourevitch manages to deliver a multifaceted and interesting story. The book shows us that solving a crime is about luck, hunches, looking over the tedious paper trail and working people. The really interesting part of this book isn't so much the actual crime or the investigation years after the fact but the detective investigating it. Through
This should be titled, "Manhunt", or something along those lines. This is more of a search for a known killer who had been identified, versus a true "cold case" in terms of not having identified an offender in a murder. A quick, easy read, sort of similar to reading a case file on a police report. It provides some detail on procedures for conducting surveillance and follow-up on an investigation; but it really is no different than a thousand other homicide stories that play out in the United
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