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ekcje's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mereman's review against another edition
5.0
Great characters and plot. Very well written and thought out. I enjoyed this enough to pick up all his other books. Nice balance overall.
boothby738's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Slow starting. At least 1/3 of the way in before there was any character development to be interesting. The mid part was good, but then there was 5-10 years as flashback/epilogue to conclude which felt rushed.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
Walking the Perfect Square is the first installment in Reed Farrel Coleman's crime series about Moe Prager, an ex-cop who is asked to look into the disappearance of college student who disappeared one night after he left a Manhattan bar. Set in the mid-seventies, this is a classic hard-boiled, with the hard-nosed but tender Prager going up against various shady characters who are out to either intimidate him or to use him for purposes of their own.
What fun to read a novel that both respects the rules of the genre, while keeping the story feeling fresh and interesting. Prager is an interesting character and I'll be looking for other books in the series.
What fun to read a novel that both respects the rules of the genre, while keeping the story feeling fresh and interesting. Prager is an interesting character and I'll be looking for other books in the series.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Set mostly in 1978 New York City this book introduces Moe Prager a former NYC policeman who has been invalided out of the force with a bad knee. The author is one of my favorite Bouchercon panelists and I was a bit worried that his work would not live up to my expectations but I ended up really enjoying it and look forward to continuing on with the series.
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.
srturner's review against another edition
4.0
"Walking the Perfect Square" is just a good mystery. No gimmicks. Nothing flashy. The detective is not super-human nor does he have superior powers of detection, but he is very likeable. The story swings between 1978 and 1998, but the segues are not jarring. A very well written, easy read.