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bethnellvaccaro's review
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment in the Amie Prager series. Looking forward to reading more. I think I like reading books set in the 1970s.
gawronma's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't know what to expect, but this was a very good read. The characters were vivid and what engaging plot. This is Reader's Group selection and I'm looking forward to the discussion.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
As an avid book reader who appreciates a good series to dive into, it’s fun when you discover a writer whose voice you really enjoy. Though there are many issues with Walking the Perfect Square, I liked this one a lot.
Reed Farrel Coleman has a great sense of time. His version of 70s New York City feels real and lived in. His main character, Moe Prager, is an interesting one. An Jewish ex-cop moonlighting here as a private eye for a high profile mystery case, Prager makes for a fun tour guide throughout the world Coleman is building.
The mystery itself is compelling and kept me guessing. And as with many good PI novels, the layering of the mystery is the most important thing, as mysteries in this genre are rarely stone-cold whodunnits. Coleman builds this one well, making it deep and guessable but not too confusing or ridiculous.
Also, the racial, sexual and gender politics of this book are surprisingly good. I know the old joke “A male feminist walks into a bar, it’s low” somewhat applies but since I endure so many eyeballing moments at a genre dominated by white people, especially men, I appreciated it.
The book has plenty of shortcomings, namely a tragic homosexual angle. Without giving too much away, there are some potentially triggering moments of homophobic violence. And again, even if there weren’t, the tragic homosexual is a tired trope in books. It really needs to die.
Also, I didn’t care much for most of the characters outside of Moe. The love interest one is written thinly; she’s given stuff to do but mostly kowtows to Moe’s mansplaining. And the bad guys here are reallllllly evillllll (rubs hands) which is kind of annoying.
So take those for what it’s worth but it wasn’t enough to diminish how much I enjoyed this book and how I will look forward to diving into this series.
Reed Farrel Coleman has a great sense of time. His version of 70s New York City feels real and lived in. His main character, Moe Prager, is an interesting one. An Jewish ex-cop moonlighting here as a private eye for a high profile mystery case, Prager makes for a fun tour guide throughout the world Coleman is building.
The mystery itself is compelling and kept me guessing. And as with many good PI novels, the layering of the mystery is the most important thing, as mysteries in this genre are rarely stone-cold whodunnits. Coleman builds this one well, making it deep and guessable but not too confusing or ridiculous.
Also, the racial, sexual and gender politics of this book are surprisingly good. I know the old joke “A male feminist walks into a bar, it’s low” somewhat applies but since I endure so many eyeballing moments at a genre dominated by white people, especially men, I appreciated it.
The book has plenty of shortcomings, namely a tragic homosexual angle. Without giving too much away, there are some potentially triggering moments of homophobic violence. And again, even if there weren’t, the tragic homosexual is a tired trope in books. It really needs to die.
Also, I didn’t care much for most of the characters outside of Moe. The love interest one is written thinly; she’s given stuff to do but mostly kowtows to Moe’s mansplaining. And the bad guys here are reallllllly evillllll (rubs hands) which is kind of annoying.
So take those for what it’s worth but it wasn’t enough to diminish how much I enjoyed this book and how I will look forward to diving into this series.
heyalisa's review against another edition
5.0
npr was right, it is a really great hard-boiled mystery. i'm ready to read the other ones.
redbecca's review against another edition
2.0
I like murder mysteries and I like stories of NY in the 1970s, but this mystery didn't work for me. It was too easy to figure out the main mystery and the detective character wasn't especially interesting.
grywhp's review against another edition
3.0
A solid start to a series. Makes me want to read the next book.
jeanetterenee's review against another edition
4.0
I was torn between three and four stars for this one, but the book REALLY held my interest, so I went with the higher rating. I finished it in 24 hours! Outstanding choice for those times when you want something fairly easy to read that sucks you in right away and keeps you reading. Beach, airplane ride, bad day at work, hangover, vacation, or all of the above.
I liked this enough that I went right out and got the next one in the series, so that's a good sign.
I liked this enough that I went right out and got the next one in the series, so that's a good sign.
ericwelch's review against another edition
3.0
I ran across Coleman when I read his continuation of Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series. I liked that a lot so I thought I would take a look at Coleman’s Moe Prager series.
Moe Prager has been invalided out of the NYPD after having knee surgery. How it happened depended on how drunk he was during the retelling. The truth was he slipped on a piece of carbon paper in the squad room. Having fortuitously found a missing girl while on the beat, he is approached by Francis Maloney, a haughty anti-semite (“your people”) to help search for his son, Patrick, who has disappeared. Agreeing only because Francis says he can help (or hinder) Moe’s application for a liquor license, Moe soon wonders as to Maloney’s seriousness. after a more recent picture than the one Francis is plastering all over town surfaces. It shows Patrick with tattoos and rings in several orifices. It’s a picture Francis categorically refuses to acknowledge and proscribes Moe from using it in the search.
Most of the book takes place in 1978 but is connected to events in 1998 (somewhat awkwardly) and revolves around issues of homosexuality within families and familial relationships. The disappeared boy was known to have walked backwards in perfect squares while he thought no one was watching. He’s also known to have wanted to marry at any cost and became extremely upset when one of his girlfriends insisted on terminating her pregnancy from their intimacy.
Aside from some sections that read like a psychiatry textbook and that felt very dated, it’s a good story that handles changing mores quite deftly.
Moe Prager has been invalided out of the NYPD after having knee surgery. How it happened depended on how drunk he was during the retelling. The truth was he slipped on a piece of carbon paper in the squad room. Having fortuitously found a missing girl while on the beat, he is approached by Francis Maloney, a haughty anti-semite (“your people”) to help search for his son, Patrick, who has disappeared. Agreeing only because Francis says he can help (or hinder) Moe’s application for a liquor license, Moe soon wonders as to Maloney’s seriousness. after a more recent picture than the one Francis is plastering all over town surfaces. It shows Patrick with tattoos and rings in several orifices. It’s a picture Francis categorically refuses to acknowledge and proscribes Moe from using it in the search.
Most of the book takes place in 1978 but is connected to events in 1998 (somewhat awkwardly) and revolves around issues of homosexuality within families and familial relationships. The disappeared boy was known to have walked backwards in perfect squares while he thought no one was watching. He’s also known to have wanted to marry at any cost and became extremely upset when one of his girlfriends insisted on terminating her pregnancy from their intimacy.
Aside from some sections that read like a psychiatry textbook and that felt very dated, it’s a good story that handles changing mores quite deftly.
ctgt's review against another edition
4.0
I read [b:Gun Church|13057061|Gun Church|Reed Farrel Coleman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329199208s/13057061.jpg|18222203] a week ago and had to go out and pick up the first book in the Moe Prager series. I loved GC and I wasn't disappointed with WtPS.
Definitely not your typical PI book, I mean, he's not even a PI. Prager is an ex-cop now retired because of a knee injury. Prager gets a call from a hospice nurse saying that a patient wants to see him and only him even though Prager doesn't know the patient. The story then jumps back and forth in time to a period right after his injury when he became involved in a missing persons case. He starts out as a very reluctant participant and doesn't really consider himself a legitimate investigator because in the one case that made his name, he believes he just got lucky.
The case involves a college student who basically falls off the grid at a party and his family is still searching for him.
Moe is introduced to the father by a former colleague who just so happens to be bucking for a bump in rank. He instantly dislikes the father but is still drawn slowly into the case. He becomes more entangled after he meets the missing students older sister...and well, you need to read the rest yourself.
I'm very interested to see where the series goes from here. Many of these PI types are the rough and tumble type and can easily take of themselves. With his bum knee, it's not quite as easy for Prager.
I'm always looking for something a little different in the detective or PI genre, because let's face it, there are plenty of these stories out there and frankly many of them are mediocre.
Definitely not your typical PI book, I mean, he's not even a PI. Prager is an ex-cop now retired because of a knee injury. Prager gets a call from a hospice nurse saying that a patient wants to see him and only him even though Prager doesn't know the patient. The story then jumps back and forth in time to a period right after his injury when he became involved in a missing persons case. He starts out as a very reluctant participant and doesn't really consider himself a legitimate investigator because in the one case that made his name, he believes he just got lucky.
The case involves a college student who basically falls off the grid at a party and his family is still searching for him.
Moe is introduced to the father by a former colleague who just so happens to be bucking for a bump in rank. He instantly dislikes the father but is still drawn slowly into the case. He becomes more entangled after he meets the missing students older sister...and well, you need to read the rest yourself.
I'm very interested to see where the series goes from here. Many of these PI types are the rough and tumble type and can easily take of themselves. With his bum knee, it's not quite as easy for Prager.
I'm always looking for something a little different in the detective or PI genre, because let's face it, there are plenty of these stories out there and frankly many of them are mediocre.
redbecca's review
2.0
I like murder mysteries and I like stories of NY in the 1970s, but this mystery didn't work for me. It was too easy to figure out the main mystery and the detective character wasn't especially interesting.