Review: THE FORCE by Don Winslow

Publisher Harper Collins
Length 498 pages
Format softcover
Published 2017
Series standalone
My Copy I bought it

My Review

The Force is an excellent book. 

Really, there's nothing more to say other than that one sentence but for the sake of reviewing, I'll provide some commentary;

As the synopsis indicates, The Force is about corrupt cops, criminals, and elected officials bending the law to serve a fit for purpose justice system that is as rotten as the morals of the fictitious kings who run the streets. 

The cornerstone is Denny Malone, head of Da Force, an elite special unit that does whatever it takes to ensure justice is dispensed, rightly or wrongly. The book follows his trajectory in a displaced time-capsule-like narrative from beat cop to rat, spilling a whole lot of blood along the way. 

Denny as a character is flawed and exceptionally well written; author Don Winslow goes to great lengths to give Denny a story that's deep and tragic - from his formative police years through to his failed marriage, to the unmistakable bond he shares with his fellow officers - there's a richness to his story which makes The Force all the more better. 

With a subject matter such as this, a happy Hollywood ending was never on the cards; it's this darkness that resonates with the reader long after the last page has turned. 

My rating: 5/5, one of the best crime fiction books of 2017.