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Hollywood Station Series #4
Hollywood Hills
The legendary Hollywood Hills are home to wealth, fame, and power--passing through the neighborhood, it's hard not to get a little greedy.
LAPD veteran "Hollywood Nate" Weiss could take or leave the opulence, but he wouldn't say no to onscreen fame. He may get his shot when he catches the appreciative eye of B-list director Rudy Ressler, and his troublemaking fianc e, Leona Brueger, the older-but-still-foxy widow of a processed-meat tycoon. Nate tries to elude her crafty seductions, but consents to keep an eye on their estate in the Hollywood Hills while they're away.
Also minding the mansion is Raleigh Dibble, a hapless ex-con trying to put the past behind him. Raleigh is all too happy to be set up for the job--as butler-cum-watchdog--by Nigel Wickland, Leona's impeccably dressed art dealer. What Raleigh doesn't realize is that under the natty clothes and posh accent, Nigel has a nefarious plan: two paintings hanging on the mansion's walls will guarantee them more money than they've ever seen.
Everyone's dreams are just within reach--the only problem is, this is Hollywood. A circle of teenage burglars that the media has dubbed The Bling Ring has taken to pillaging the homes of Hollywood celebutants like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, and when a pair of drug-addled young copycats stumbles upon Nigel's heist, that's just the beginning of the disaster to come. Soon Hollywood Nate, surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and the rest of the team at Hollywood Station have a deadly situation on their hands.
"Hollywood Hills" is a raucous and dangerous roller coaster ride that showcases Joseph Wambaugh in vintage form.
LAPD veteran "Hollywood Nate" Weiss could take or leave the opulence, but he wouldn't say no to onscreen fame. He may get his shot when he catches the appreciative eye of B-list director Rudy Ressler, and his troublemaking fianc e, Leona Brueger, the older-but-still-foxy widow of a processed-meat tycoon. Nate tries to elude her crafty seductions, but consents to keep an eye on their estate in the Hollywood Hills while they're away.
Also minding the mansion is Raleigh Dibble, a hapless ex-con trying to put the past behind him. Raleigh is all too happy to be set up for the job--as butler-cum-watchdog--by Nigel Wickland, Leona's impeccably dressed art dealer. What Raleigh doesn't realize is that under the natty clothes and posh accent, Nigel has a nefarious plan: two paintings hanging on the mansion's walls will guarantee them more money than they've ever seen.
Everyone's dreams are just within reach--the only problem is, this is Hollywood. A circle of teenage burglars that the media has dubbed The Bling Ring has taken to pillaging the homes of Hollywood celebutants like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, and when a pair of drug-addled young copycats stumbles upon Nigel's heist, that's just the beginning of the disaster to come. Soon Hollywood Nate, surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and the rest of the team at Hollywood Station have a deadly situation on their hands.
"Hollywood Hills" is a raucous and dangerous roller coaster ride that showcases Joseph Wambaugh in vintage form.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 16, 2010
About the author
Joseph Wambaugh
59 books708 followersJoseph Wambaugh, a former LAPD detective sergeant (1960-1974), is the bestselling author of twenty-one prior works of fiction and nonfiction, including The Choirboys and The Onion Field. Wambaugh joined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in 1960. He served 14 years, rising to detective sergeant. He also attended California State University, Los Angeles, where he earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees.
In 2004, he was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. He lives in southern California.
In 2004, he was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. He lives in southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
September 19, 2011
Have you ever wanted to read a scene in which Superman gets his ass kicked by Marilyn Monroe and Catwoman while the Hulk holds a purse and pleads for everyone to stop fighting? Then this is the book for you.
Breaking up fights among the people dressed up as movie stars and superheroes outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theater is just one of the weird and sometimes dangerous situations the cops of Hollywood Station have to deal with. In Wambaugh’s fourth entry into the series, there’s the usual parade of stupid criminals, idiotic bosses, bureaucratic bullshit, pain in the ass citizens and occasional life threatening situation to keep the police busy. There’s also a scheme to switch a couple of valuable paintings for fakes and a couple of oxy addicts who stumble onto the plan and try to cut themselves in on the action.
Wambaugh does his usual good job of mixing funny and tragic stories from the police beat while humanizing both cops and criminals. There’s nothing wildly original or different from what he’s done in the other three books, but it’s another solid story about the reality of police work.
Breaking up fights among the people dressed up as movie stars and superheroes outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theater is just one of the weird and sometimes dangerous situations the cops of Hollywood Station have to deal with. In Wambaugh’s fourth entry into the series, there’s the usual parade of stupid criminals, idiotic bosses, bureaucratic bullshit, pain in the ass citizens and occasional life threatening situation to keep the police busy. There’s also a scheme to switch a couple of valuable paintings for fakes and a couple of oxy addicts who stumble onto the plan and try to cut themselves in on the action.
Wambaugh does his usual good job of mixing funny and tragic stories from the police beat while humanizing both cops and criminals. There’s nothing wildly original or different from what he’s done in the other three books, but it’s another solid story about the reality of police work.
April 6, 2019
Carl Hiaassen humor set in LA instead of Florida!
July 31, 2023
3 Stars. OK 3.5. Many exciting moments, yet there was something missing. I liked the policing issues that make LAPD's Hollywood Station different: the petty criminals found near Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the individual police officers such as "Hollywood Nate" who play a role on the periphery of the movie business, and the proximity of the beaches at Malibu. There's humour too. Jonas and his maltreated girlfriend Megan are down on their luck, and need a score of Oxycodone, "Ox," to survive another day. At the same time, Leona Brueger, she's the cougar who fancies Hollywood Nate, and her current fling, Director Rudy Ressler, are leaving for a vacation in Italy. Enter Leona's new butler Raleigh Dibble and art dealer Nigel Wickland who believe the art collection in her Hollywood Hills mansion will make them rich. You just know it will all collide in the end. Another point of enjoyment - from start to finish, none of the characters seem to know what is going on. That includes the police and the justice system. One wonders if the denouement in real criminal matters is as random as in fiction. (March 2018)
December 16, 2010
Back in the day I used to read all of Joseph Wambaugh’s novels: The New Centurions, The Blue Night, The Choirboys, The Black Marble, The Glitter Dome, The Onion Field (non-fiction). It seems I have missed nine novels since and four non-fiction books. I am not going to list them; you can see them on the inside of the novel, Hollywood Hills when you crack it open. Let’s get into the action shall we?
“The legendary Hollywood Hills are home to wealth, fame, and power--passing through the neighborhood, it's hard not to get a little greedy.
LAPD veteran "Hollywood Nate" Weiss could take or leave the opulence, but he wouldn't say no to onscreen fame. He may get his shot when he catches the appreciative eye of B-list director Rudy Ressler, and his troublemaking fiancée, Leona Brueger, the older-but-still-foxy widow of a processed-meat tycoon. Nate tries to elude her crafty seductions, but consents to keep an eye on their estate in the Hollywood Hills while they're away.
Also minding the mansion is Raleigh Dibble, a hapless ex-con trying to put the past behind him. Raleigh is all too happy to be set up for the job--as butler-cum-watchdog--by Nigel Wickland, Leona's impeccably dressed art dealer. What Raleigh doesn't realize is that under the natty clothes and posh accent, Nigel has a nefarious plan: two paintings hanging on the mansion's walls will guarantee them more money than they've ever seen.
Everyone's dreams are just within reach--the only problem is, this is Hollywood. A circle of teenage burglars that the media has dubbed The Bling Ring has taken to pillaging the homes of Hollywood celebutants like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, and when a pair of drug-addled young copycats stumbles upon Nigel's heist, that's just the beginning of the disaster to come. Soon Hollywood Nate, surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and the rest of the team at Hollywood Station have a deadly situation on their hands.”
My little siesta from his work I think worked to my advantage as far as my enjoyment level of this novel. How can you say that Giovanni, really? Joseph Wambaugh was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 2004 so it isn’t that he can’t write. My angst and the reason why I stopped reading his work, I think, comes from the old adage that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Everybody has a style, and I enjoy his style; it is pretty awesome. I just think I got into a rut where everybody wanted to be him, the next Joseph Wambaugh. There is only one that I know of.
Hollywood Hills helped me rediscover my enjoyment for what he brings to the table: witty repartee between his characters, off the wall characters, sub-plots galore, and a way to weave them altogether in a very interesting way. Did I keep up with his literary mimics? No. I don’t remember any of them, but after I cracked this open, the reason why he is The Man in this genre came back pretty quick and hard. Being the OCD reader I am, I have just received a wake-up call that I am not going to miss and backtrack to the novels I have passed on and enjoy them. Don’t be like me, be a choirboy and read Hollywood Hills, it won’t leave you crying in The Onion Field over time lost.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
“The legendary Hollywood Hills are home to wealth, fame, and power--passing through the neighborhood, it's hard not to get a little greedy.
LAPD veteran "Hollywood Nate" Weiss could take or leave the opulence, but he wouldn't say no to onscreen fame. He may get his shot when he catches the appreciative eye of B-list director Rudy Ressler, and his troublemaking fiancée, Leona Brueger, the older-but-still-foxy widow of a processed-meat tycoon. Nate tries to elude her crafty seductions, but consents to keep an eye on their estate in the Hollywood Hills while they're away.
Also minding the mansion is Raleigh Dibble, a hapless ex-con trying to put the past behind him. Raleigh is all too happy to be set up for the job--as butler-cum-watchdog--by Nigel Wickland, Leona's impeccably dressed art dealer. What Raleigh doesn't realize is that under the natty clothes and posh accent, Nigel has a nefarious plan: two paintings hanging on the mansion's walls will guarantee them more money than they've ever seen.
Everyone's dreams are just within reach--the only problem is, this is Hollywood. A circle of teenage burglars that the media has dubbed The Bling Ring has taken to pillaging the homes of Hollywood celebutants like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, and when a pair of drug-addled young copycats stumbles upon Nigel's heist, that's just the beginning of the disaster to come. Soon Hollywood Nate, surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and the rest of the team at Hollywood Station have a deadly situation on their hands.”
My little siesta from his work I think worked to my advantage as far as my enjoyment level of this novel. How can you say that Giovanni, really? Joseph Wambaugh was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 2004 so it isn’t that he can’t write. My angst and the reason why I stopped reading his work, I think, comes from the old adage that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Everybody has a style, and I enjoy his style; it is pretty awesome. I just think I got into a rut where everybody wanted to be him, the next Joseph Wambaugh. There is only one that I know of.
Hollywood Hills helped me rediscover my enjoyment for what he brings to the table: witty repartee between his characters, off the wall characters, sub-plots galore, and a way to weave them altogether in a very interesting way. Did I keep up with his literary mimics? No. I don’t remember any of them, but after I cracked this open, the reason why he is The Man in this genre came back pretty quick and hard. Being the OCD reader I am, I have just received a wake-up call that I am not going to miss and backtrack to the novels I have passed on and enjoy them. Don’t be like me, be a choirboy and read Hollywood Hills, it won’t leave you crying in The Onion Field over time lost.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
January 11, 2020
I’ve enjoyed this series and while this one started a little on the slow side, Wambaugh brought it home nicely. This group of cops isn’t nearly his best, but they are good nonetheless. Wambaugh is simply one of the best. You can tell he’s slowing down a bit but he’ll always be one of, if not the, best cop writers around.
January 29, 2011
This is Joseph Wambaugh’s twentieth book. Of the twenty, I have read twenty, and I am eager to read numbers twenty-one, twenty-two, and following. Five of the twenty have been works of “literary journalism,” true-crime explorations after the fashion of Truman Capote’s “non-fiction novel,” In Cold Blood. Hollywood Hills is among Wambaugh’s fifteen works of fiction. Whether fiction or non-fiction, all his books are true to life. And all his books are about cops on “the job.”
Wambaugh was himself a cop. He served in the LAPD for fourteen years (1960–1974), rising through the ranks from patrolman to detective sergeant. His first novel, The New Centurions (fiction, 1971) is one of the four books of his I rate as literature. (I mean that in a good way!) The other three are The Blue Knight (fiction, 1972), The Onion Field (non-fiction, 1973), and Lines and Shadows (non-fiction, 1984). His books can be profound, trashy, comical, disturbing, irreverent, provocative, incisive, tender, and heart-rending. Come to think of it, each of his books is some mix of all of that.
His four most recent books are works of fiction that comprise a series about the cops of LAPD’s Hollywood Division: Hollywood Station (2006), Hollywood Moon (2008), Hollywood Crows (2009), and now Hollywood Hills (2010). This series is pure Wambaugh. As with all his books, he puts you in the shoes of a cop, and he allows you to walk around for a little while in the world of cops.
Having walked a mile or so in the shoes of a cop, you won’t feel any better the next time a cop writes you a traffic ticket, but afterwards, you might calm down just a little sooner. The next time you hear a report of police brutality, you won’t be any less horrified, but you will have a much better understanding of the very human dynamics at work—on all sides. And you might be a little less likely to jump to conclusions. The next time you see a cop in uniform, you won’t be any less intimidated. That uniform, which comes with a badge and a gun, is a symbol of power and authority specially designed to intimidate. But you might meet the cop’s eyes, and in doing so, you might catch a glimpse of yourself.
Wambaugh was himself a cop. He served in the LAPD for fourteen years (1960–1974), rising through the ranks from patrolman to detective sergeant. His first novel, The New Centurions (fiction, 1971) is one of the four books of his I rate as literature. (I mean that in a good way!) The other three are The Blue Knight (fiction, 1972), The Onion Field (non-fiction, 1973), and Lines and Shadows (non-fiction, 1984). His books can be profound, trashy, comical, disturbing, irreverent, provocative, incisive, tender, and heart-rending. Come to think of it, each of his books is some mix of all of that.
His four most recent books are works of fiction that comprise a series about the cops of LAPD’s Hollywood Division: Hollywood Station (2006), Hollywood Moon (2008), Hollywood Crows (2009), and now Hollywood Hills (2010). This series is pure Wambaugh. As with all his books, he puts you in the shoes of a cop, and he allows you to walk around for a little while in the world of cops.
Having walked a mile or so in the shoes of a cop, you won’t feel any better the next time a cop writes you a traffic ticket, but afterwards, you might calm down just a little sooner. The next time you hear a report of police brutality, you won’t be any less horrified, but you will have a much better understanding of the very human dynamics at work—on all sides. And you might be a little less likely to jump to conclusions. The next time you see a cop in uniform, you won’t be any less intimidated. That uniform, which comes with a badge and a gun, is a symbol of power and authority specially designed to intimidate. But you might meet the cop’s eyes, and in doing so, you might catch a glimpse of yourself.
November 13, 2010
Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Station Series #4
Joseph Wambaugh
November 2010 - Little, Brown & Company - Hardcover, 356 pages
ISBN-13: 9780316129503
This series stays fresh and exciting and this book proves it
Every city has its story and is filled with every manner of character willing to tell you all about what makes them tick, the more personal the better. In Joseph Wambaugh’s latest Hollywood Hills series he explores this theory and writes the story from every perspective possible in rapid fire succession. He starts with the police officer who wants to be a movie star, the struggling director that wants to be an Oscar winner, the drug addict trying to figure out how to get the money for the next score, an ex-con working a new angle, the art thief plotting his next idea, all the police officers on the beat dealing with all of this and still getting up the next day to do it all over again.
There are so many people coming and going in this book and the chapters are fast reads and come at you from every point of view. You are interjected with thoughts, feelings and desperate acts that you at times feel you need to be writing the characters down just to keep up but just as you are saying “who is that guy” Mr. Wambaugh pulls everything together so that you know what this character is up to, thinking and figuring out their next move along with them. It is fascinating reading and everyone in this book completes it and without each of them it would not work as well which is something this author is the master of.
Every person has a reason for being in the story and every reader will be mesmerized as they follow the plot of all these lives. As a fan of the police procedural book that Joseph Wambaugh writes this one stands out for me because he has taken the core characters and expanded them and pulled in new ones in such a way you can’t put this book down until you figure out what is going to happen. I am thrilled to have read this and been able to hopefully sell a few copies with this review.
Hollywood Station Series #4
Joseph Wambaugh
November 2010 - Little, Brown & Company - Hardcover, 356 pages
ISBN-13: 9780316129503
This series stays fresh and exciting and this book proves it
Every city has its story and is filled with every manner of character willing to tell you all about what makes them tick, the more personal the better. In Joseph Wambaugh’s latest Hollywood Hills series he explores this theory and writes the story from every perspective possible in rapid fire succession. He starts with the police officer who wants to be a movie star, the struggling director that wants to be an Oscar winner, the drug addict trying to figure out how to get the money for the next score, an ex-con working a new angle, the art thief plotting his next idea, all the police officers on the beat dealing with all of this and still getting up the next day to do it all over again.
There are so many people coming and going in this book and the chapters are fast reads and come at you from every point of view. You are interjected with thoughts, feelings and desperate acts that you at times feel you need to be writing the characters down just to keep up but just as you are saying “who is that guy” Mr. Wambaugh pulls everything together so that you know what this character is up to, thinking and figuring out their next move along with them. It is fascinating reading and everyone in this book completes it and without each of them it would not work as well which is something this author is the master of.
Every person has a reason for being in the story and every reader will be mesmerized as they follow the plot of all these lives. As a fan of the police procedural book that Joseph Wambaugh writes this one stands out for me because he has taken the core characters and expanded them and pulled in new ones in such a way you can’t put this book down until you figure out what is going to happen. I am thrilled to have read this and been able to hopefully sell a few copies with this review.
March 4, 2011
I had not read a Wambaugh in many years. I had a little trouble getting into it as it's not the type of mystery I usually read. The police team in the first chapter were surfers and I felt like I was reading a foreign language ... I'm from the midwest after all! They became 2 of my favorite characters in the book!! I enjoyed how the characters developed through each chapter focusing on them & their interactions with each other. I knew early on what the main crime was going to be, but not how it was to be accomplished. It was obvious, as I think it was meant to be, that all of these characters ... police officers, crooks, drug addicts ... were eventually going to "collide". I thought it was quite a good story & had many very funny moments. I was caught by surprise at a very emotional moment toward the end when I was brought to tears. I did not expect that. Nor did I expect to like this book as much as I did. I recommend it & I will probably read the other books in this series.
I just won this book in a free Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I'm excited to read it. I understand it part of a series, the 4th maybe.
I just won this book in a free Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I'm excited to read it. I understand it part of a series, the 4th maybe.
February 12, 2023
This was the perfect vacation read. There were a lot of laughs, especially the description of practical jokes the cops play. On the other hand, something I appreciate with all the humor, is that Wambaugh doesn't play down the danger of the position. I always enjoy reading his books.
June 14, 2020
More fun. Love the surfer dude cops and Hollywood Nate. I hope Wambaugh continues this series.
December 27, 2010
I was delighted to win this book in the Goodreads Giveaway. I had never read any of Joseph Wambaugh’s Hollywood Station novels and was eager to do so.
Wambaugh weaves the lives of the cops of Hollywood Station into the story. The reader gets a true-to-life taste of the craziness that a Hollywood cop sees in a typical night.
In Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills, there are a string of robberies going on by a teenage group of burglars known as “The Bling Ring.” Raleigh Dribble, an ex-con (fraud and tax evasion) takes a job working for a wealthy widow, Leona Brueger, and her fiancée, Rudy Ressler, a struggling B-list movie director, in her house in the Hollywood Hills. While the couple vacation in Italy, Raleigh, who is trying to stay on the straight and narrow, is approached by Beverly Hills gallery owner, Nigel Wickland, who has a surefire plot to make a million dollars. He wants Raleigh to allow him access to photograph two paintings that he will then replace with fakes. He tells Raleigh he has buyers for the originals in Europe and will cut him in on a 50/50 split after expenses.
Raleigh, reluctant to get involved, eventually concedes to Wickland’s plan. Meanwhile, a couple of young drug addicts are casing the homes of Hollywood Hills, trying to emulate the actions of the “Bling Ring.” when they stumble upon the Brueger home while the painting switch is in action.
Add the painting switch, the young drug-addicted burglars, greed, the motley cast of policemen and women, and the sights and sounds (and humor) of Hollywood, and you get the absorbing story that is Joseph Wambaugh’s Hollywood Hills
What I especially liked about this book was that I got a great feel for the characters. In other books of this sort that I’ve read, the characters have not been as distinct as I would have liked, and the stories have been hard to follow. Wambaugh writes a rich, easy-to-follow stories with characters that are unique and memorable. This isn't a literary classic, but isn't supposed to be. It's an action-packed, page-turning story. If that's what you're looking for, I think you'll enjoy Hollywood Hills.
Wambaugh weaves the lives of the cops of Hollywood Station into the story. The reader gets a true-to-life taste of the craziness that a Hollywood cop sees in a typical night.
In Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills, there are a string of robberies going on by a teenage group of burglars known as “The Bling Ring.” Raleigh Dribble, an ex-con (fraud and tax evasion) takes a job working for a wealthy widow, Leona Brueger, and her fiancée, Rudy Ressler, a struggling B-list movie director, in her house in the Hollywood Hills. While the couple vacation in Italy, Raleigh, who is trying to stay on the straight and narrow, is approached by Beverly Hills gallery owner, Nigel Wickland, who has a surefire plot to make a million dollars. He wants Raleigh to allow him access to photograph two paintings that he will then replace with fakes. He tells Raleigh he has buyers for the originals in Europe and will cut him in on a 50/50 split after expenses.
Raleigh, reluctant to get involved, eventually concedes to Wickland’s plan. Meanwhile, a couple of young drug addicts are casing the homes of Hollywood Hills, trying to emulate the actions of the “Bling Ring.” when they stumble upon the Brueger home while the painting switch is in action.
Add the painting switch, the young drug-addicted burglars, greed, the motley cast of policemen and women, and the sights and sounds (and humor) of Hollywood, and you get the absorbing story that is Joseph Wambaugh’s Hollywood Hills
What I especially liked about this book was that I got a great feel for the characters. In other books of this sort that I’ve read, the characters have not been as distinct as I would have liked, and the stories have been hard to follow. Wambaugh writes a rich, easy-to-follow stories with characters that are unique and memorable. This isn't a literary classic, but isn't supposed to be. It's an action-packed, page-turning story. If that's what you're looking for, I think you'll enjoy Hollywood Hills.
February 11, 2012
The main thrust of the story puts a wealthy Hollywood matron’s art collection at risk. While she and her film director husband are in Europe, her art dealer and butler steal two of her prized paintings and replace them with imitations. However, two young drug addicts are after the same prize. Things become violent and deadly.
Included are sub-plots involving officers of the Hollywood Station—their wants, needs, and ambitions-- who become involved in of this deadly violence. Wambaugh adeptly weaves these subplots into the story. As with his other books, the author creates humor that the officers need to mask the ugliness that they face. His dialogue is excellent, and he uses his experiences as a Los Angeles policeman to get into his characters’ head and reveal their thoughts. The story takes a while to get going, but the characters are interesting and kept me reading. This is my favorite of Wambaugh’s “Hollywood” series.
Included are sub-plots involving officers of the Hollywood Station—their wants, needs, and ambitions-- who become involved in of this deadly violence. Wambaugh adeptly weaves these subplots into the story. As with his other books, the author creates humor that the officers need to mask the ugliness that they face. His dialogue is excellent, and he uses his experiences as a Los Angeles policeman to get into his characters’ head and reveal their thoughts. The story takes a while to get going, but the characters are interesting and kept me reading. This is my favorite of Wambaugh’s “Hollywood” series.
April 15, 2020
A loving look at the "real" policing in the wacko world that has become the LAPD...a real commentary on the politicized political correctness and the burdens it has created for the officers of the "Hills"...a realistic look at the black humor and professionalism that is necessary to make policing work in LA...Wambaugh is spot on as always!!!
February 5, 2014
Solid. Engaging. Entertaining. I haven't read any Joseph Wambaugh books in a long time. The narrator on this book is excellent. The character development is spot on Hollywood. I couldn't help but laugh. The story line melds smoothly and progresses right along. A decent read. I may well catch up with the Joseph Wambaugh books that I have missed.
February 5, 2013
An ok cop drama and a decent read. 6 of 10 stars
June 9, 2015
SETTING: Hollywood, CA
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 2.5
Leona Brueger is a rich widow, and her mansion’s walls are covered with fine art. When she decides to go on a vacation to Italy with her latest lover, B-list director Rudy Ressler, her nearly bankrupt art dealer, Nigel Wickland, comes up with an elaborate plan to steal two of the paintings and replace them with photographic look-alikes. He enlists the aid of Leona’s new butler, Raleigh Dibble, who is an ex-con who is tempted by the hefty pay-off. However, Raleigh never feels completely comfortable about the theft. Due to a series of unforeseen events, the paintings end up in the hands of two young drug addicts who attempt to sell them back to Nigel for a pittance of their true worth.
And that is the plot of HOLLYWOOD HILLS. In addition to the art theft, the book focuses on several police teams working for the LAPD. The first pair are two surfer dudes who have been nicknamed “Flotsam” and “Jetsam” in talk in surfer speak. The second pair are “Hollywood Nate” Weiss, a Jew who is attempting to get into the film industry, and his Mexican partner, Snuffy Salcedo. The third pair is an older cop, Della Ravelle, who is training her partner, Britney Small. The adventures of each of these teams, as well as a few secondary teams, are told in a series of vignettes that are interspersed throughout the narrative. These episodes relate only very tangentially to the main plot.
I assume that the antics of the cop teams are meant to be comedic, but I mostly found them stupid. There’s a situation involving a perp with a penis pump, various outrageous lunatic behavior outside the Grauman’s Chinese Theater, a Wedgie Bandit and so on. I felt that Wambaugh was aiming at a laugh rather than any development of the plot and characters. Oddly, the two female cops go in the other direction and are extremely earnest as Della provides lessons in being a cop to Britney. Add to that the fact that the plot was very thin and there was no smooth narrative flow, and you can see why HOLLYWOOD HILLS wasn’t a book that I particularly enjoyed. However, based on the reaction of members of a mystery discussion group that I belong to, I may be in the minority in feeling that way.
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 2.5
Leona Brueger is a rich widow, and her mansion’s walls are covered with fine art. When she decides to go on a vacation to Italy with her latest lover, B-list director Rudy Ressler, her nearly bankrupt art dealer, Nigel Wickland, comes up with an elaborate plan to steal two of the paintings and replace them with photographic look-alikes. He enlists the aid of Leona’s new butler, Raleigh Dibble, who is an ex-con who is tempted by the hefty pay-off. However, Raleigh never feels completely comfortable about the theft. Due to a series of unforeseen events, the paintings end up in the hands of two young drug addicts who attempt to sell them back to Nigel for a pittance of their true worth.
And that is the plot of HOLLYWOOD HILLS. In addition to the art theft, the book focuses on several police teams working for the LAPD. The first pair are two surfer dudes who have been nicknamed “Flotsam” and “Jetsam” in talk in surfer speak. The second pair are “Hollywood Nate” Weiss, a Jew who is attempting to get into the film industry, and his Mexican partner, Snuffy Salcedo. The third pair is an older cop, Della Ravelle, who is training her partner, Britney Small. The adventures of each of these teams, as well as a few secondary teams, are told in a series of vignettes that are interspersed throughout the narrative. These episodes relate only very tangentially to the main plot.
I assume that the antics of the cop teams are meant to be comedic, but I mostly found them stupid. There’s a situation involving a perp with a penis pump, various outrageous lunatic behavior outside the Grauman’s Chinese Theater, a Wedgie Bandit and so on. I felt that Wambaugh was aiming at a laugh rather than any development of the plot and characters. Oddly, the two female cops go in the other direction and are extremely earnest as Della provides lessons in being a cop to Britney. Add to that the fact that the plot was very thin and there was no smooth narrative flow, and you can see why HOLLYWOOD HILLS wasn’t a book that I particularly enjoyed. However, based on the reaction of members of a mystery discussion group that I belong to, I may be in the minority in feeling that way.
July 24, 2022
I first discovered Joseph Wambaugh in 2006 when I picked up a copy of Hollywood Station. Since I have visited and searched second hand bookshops for copies of his books. It was always and enjoyable experience to find an unread Wambaugh. I always purchased a copy of each new “Hollywood” story.
Wambaugh uses the same canvas for each of the “Hollywood” books. The setting and the police officers generally stay the same, it is only the criminals and innocents who change. I particular like the surfer twins, Flotsam and Jetsam, so cool.
I guess Wambaugh sits down and writes an outline of the plot and how all the main characters come together. On the way the reader is served up a variety of comical and tragic scenes. One harrowing scene is the murder of a baby. That brought tears to my eyes, while others will make the reader chuckle loudly.
If you have read previous “Hollywood” books, then you will know what to expect. If this is your first get set to be taken on a exciting, humours and entrancing story of the LA police Department and the crazy all sorts who inhabit this world. I hope Wambaugh has another Hollywood escapade in himself
Wambaugh uses the same canvas for each of the “Hollywood” books. The setting and the police officers generally stay the same, it is only the criminals and innocents who change. I particular like the surfer twins, Flotsam and Jetsam, so cool.
I guess Wambaugh sits down and writes an outline of the plot and how all the main characters come together. On the way the reader is served up a variety of comical and tragic scenes. One harrowing scene is the murder of a baby. That brought tears to my eyes, while others will make the reader chuckle loudly.
If you have read previous “Hollywood” books, then you will know what to expect. If this is your first get set to be taken on a exciting, humours and entrancing story of the LA police Department and the crazy all sorts who inhabit this world. I hope Wambaugh has another Hollywood escapade in himself
April 17, 2017
Another superb reading by narrator Christian Rummel brings the 4th in the Hollywood Station series to vibrant life. Here, following Wambaugh's successful formula, we have the usual kinds of suspects lurking through the streets of Hollywood, including tweakers, scam artists, movie producers, and wannabes of all types. This time the central story involves a plot to switch out a couple of valuable paintings with full-sized photographic reproductions to fool an unsuspecting owner. The usual hijinx ensue, both comical and tragic, involving most of the same officers at the Hollywood Station.
December 17, 2010
overall a insightful view of the LA cop world - very funny but seems realistic in an overstated way at the same time.
October 7, 2022
Uznávám, není to fér. Věci, které bych jinému autorovi zuřivě nacpal do chřtánu, Wambaughovi toleruju a mávnu nad nimi rukou. Jako nad drobnou společenskou neslušností, nad krknutím v lepší restauraci. S přehledem akceptuju fakt, že všechny romány z téhle série jsou v podstatě stejné. Pokaždé jsou složené ze dvou části. Jedna část je tarantinovská, sledujeme několik různých gaunerů, většinou inteligence tak nízké, že by mohli jít protestovat na Václavák… a druhá je prostě sled policejních historek. Tu zábavných, tu fakt děsivých. A na konci se to nějak protne, obvykle čistě tak, aby se neřeklo.
Ono autorovi asi nic jiného, než vytvořit dva v podstatě rovnoběžné romány v jedné knize nezbývalo. Jak píše o pochůzkářích, tak tam není žádné pátrání, žádné hledání stop a logické dedukce. Spíš zastavování aut a zásahy na základě telefonátů. Jejich práce je vážně složená spíš z epizod. A Wambaugh, coby bývalý polda, vážně používá příběh především k tomu, aby mohl vyprávět historky, co slyšel od svých policejních kolegů. I když se děj přesouvá mezi „lepší lidi“, žijící v Hollywood Hills, dojde na souboj s obřím nahatým skinheadem, ozbrojenou stařenku, dost speciální typ cyklisty, nebo pronásledování sériového zařezávače – chlápka, který se zezadu přiblíží ke svým nic netušícím ohnutým obětem, chytne je za vyčnívající díl spodního prádla a prudce ho vytáhne vzhůru.
Z postav se vrací Hollywood Nate, policajt, jehož hlavním cílem je stát se filmovou hvězdou. A čím dál zoufaleji cítí, že jeho čas na slávu se krátí. Vedle něj jsou zpátky dva surferští poldové, přezdívání Flotsam a Jetsam, které víc než policejní práce zajímají vlny, a kteří s oblibou provádí naschvály svým nadřízeným. Jinak je dost prostoru věnované ženám u policie, které to často schytávají z obou stran.
Samotný příběh se rozjíždí dost zajímavě a jde v něm tentokrát o loupež drahých obrazů… tedy loupež, která původně měla být zcela nezjistitelná, ale v životě nic nejde podle plánu. Tenhle příběh se rozjíždí dost fajn, ale nakonec končí dost jednoduše – a těžko říct, jestli schválně, nebo se s tím autor prostě nechtěl patlat. Stejně tak zamrzí, že v poslední třetině knihy ubývají pohledy do policejní práce a převáží svět obchodníků s uměním a smažek.
Není to originální kniha a není dokonalá. Ale pořád je to zábavná řada, která přináší do kriminálního žánru zase něco nového… nebo starého. Řekl bych, že je něco mezi Policii New York, tarantinovkou a MASHEM. Což, když se to tak vezme, je dost luxusní kombinace.
Ono autorovi asi nic jiného, než vytvořit dva v podstatě rovnoběžné romány v jedné knize nezbývalo. Jak píše o pochůzkářích, tak tam není žádné pátrání, žádné hledání stop a logické dedukce. Spíš zastavování aut a zásahy na základě telefonátů. Jejich práce je vážně složená spíš z epizod. A Wambaugh, coby bývalý polda, vážně používá příběh především k tomu, aby mohl vyprávět historky, co slyšel od svých policejních kolegů. I když se děj přesouvá mezi „lepší lidi“, žijící v Hollywood Hills, dojde na souboj s obřím nahatým skinheadem, ozbrojenou stařenku, dost speciální typ cyklisty, nebo pronásledování sériového zařezávače – chlápka, který se zezadu přiblíží ke svým nic netušícím ohnutým obětem, chytne je za vyčnívající díl spodního prádla a prudce ho vytáhne vzhůru.
Z postav se vrací Hollywood Nate, policajt, jehož hlavním cílem je stát se filmovou hvězdou. A čím dál zoufaleji cítí, že jeho čas na slávu se krátí. Vedle něj jsou zpátky dva surferští poldové, přezdívání Flotsam a Jetsam, které víc než policejní práce zajímají vlny, a kteří s oblibou provádí naschvály svým nadřízeným. Jinak je dost prostoru věnované ženám u policie, které to často schytávají z obou stran.
Samotný příběh se rozjíždí dost zajímavě a jde v něm tentokrát o loupež drahých obrazů… tedy loupež, která původně měla být zcela nezjistitelná, ale v životě nic nejde podle plánu. Tenhle příběh se rozjíždí dost fajn, ale nakonec končí dost jednoduše – a těžko říct, jestli schválně, nebo se s tím autor prostě nechtěl patlat. Stejně tak zamrzí, že v poslední třetině knihy ubývají pohledy do policejní práce a převáží svět obchodníků s uměním a smažek.
Není to originální kniha a není dokonalá. Ale pořád je to zábavná řada, která přináší do kriminálního žánru zase něco nového… nebo starého. Řekl bych, že je něco mezi Policii New York, tarantinovkou a MASHEM. Což, když se to tak vezme, je dost luxusní kombinace.
March 13, 2023
Vintage Wambaugh! At turns, funny then maudlin, but a righteous read all tolled.
January 17, 2011
I love a good police story, and I love a bit of Hollywood glitz and glamour so when I read the synopsis of this book I thought it sounded like something I’d enjoy. After reading the first chapter that came complete with a pair of surfer dude cops known to the rest of their team as Flotsam and Jetsam and I thought I��d made the right choice. Over the next few chapters however new characters and plot threads were brought in and I found myself becoming less sure about what the plot of the story actually was – there were so many things going on. I stuck with it though and was glad I did as bit by bit Wambaugh wove the seemingly unrelated threads together to tell a thoroughly engaging tale. I found at times that it reminded me a lot of the tv programme Southland, a definite positive for me as I’ve been missing it for some time now.
There are plenty of interesting characters to be found within the pages of Hollywood Hills. I did find initially that I confused a couple from time to time but pretty quickly I got them all sorted and separated. Some of the characters did at times feel a bit caricaturish, for example the experienced female cop who spends all her time explaining to her female trainee the ways her male colleagues will act badly towards her. Flotsam and Jetsam remained firm favourites with me, their bromance was written so well that I would have happily read a spin off novel featuring them as the main characters.
As I’ve said after a slightly shaky start I got really wrapped up in this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I shall certainly add Joseph Wambaugh to my list of authors to look out for in the future.
There are plenty of interesting characters to be found within the pages of Hollywood Hills. I did find initially that I confused a couple from time to time but pretty quickly I got them all sorted and separated. Some of the characters did at times feel a bit caricaturish, for example the experienced female cop who spends all her time explaining to her female trainee the ways her male colleagues will act badly towards her. Flotsam and Jetsam remained firm favourites with me, their bromance was written so well that I would have happily read a spin off novel featuring them as the main characters.
As I’ve said after a slightly shaky start I got really wrapped up in this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I shall certainly add Joseph Wambaugh to my list of authors to look out for in the future.
April 6, 2017
Chalk up another successful novel in Joseph Wambaugh's continuing saga of the fascinating "coppers" in the country's most colorful police precinct, the guys and gals of Hollywood Station. In an earlier post I reviewed the three previous novels in this ongoing story (http://malwarwickonbooks.com/?s=Josep...), back when I was so foolish as to assume that they constituted a trilogy. Not so, clearly: there's just too much life left in the surfer cops, Flotsam and Jetsam; Hollywood Nate, who is still chasing after stardom with his SAG card; and even the Oracle, whose portrait stands on the wall of the squad room amid the movie posters -- and the Oracle actually died somewhere along the way, victim of a massive heart attack after 46 years on the job.
There's a plot to Hollywood Hills, just as there was in every one of its three predecessors, but this is a novel about people, not events. There's just enough action to drive the characters from the opening page to the very end, showing their stuff along the way.You may wonder what happens next, but you're likely to be far more curious about how things turn out for Flotsam, Jetsam, Hollywood Nate, and that young female rookie cop.
Like so many of Joseph Wambaugh's police procedurals, Hollywood Hills charms with what it reveals about the nitty-gritty of life on the front line of the Los Angeles Police Department. Because these coppers are uniformed officers -- street cops -- not high-powered detectives or police politicians. Clearly, Joseph Wambaugh has stayed closely in touch with the Department he left as a detective sergeant nearly half a century ago.
There's a plot to Hollywood Hills, just as there was in every one of its three predecessors, but this is a novel about people, not events. There's just enough action to drive the characters from the opening page to the very end, showing their stuff along the way.You may wonder what happens next, but you're likely to be far more curious about how things turn out for Flotsam, Jetsam, Hollywood Nate, and that young female rookie cop.
Like so many of Joseph Wambaugh's police procedurals, Hollywood Hills charms with what it reveals about the nitty-gritty of life on the front line of the Los Angeles Police Department. Because these coppers are uniformed officers -- street cops -- not high-powered detectives or police politicians. Clearly, Joseph Wambaugh has stayed closely in touch with the Department he left as a detective sergeant nearly half a century ago.
October 19, 2010
Hollywood Hills by Joseph Wambaugh
Hollywood Hills returns to the goofy scene of Hollywood Moon. http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/2009/1...
Hollywood is goofy. I have a nephew who works on the 911 phone line. He, as well as those whom I know work the emergency room, confirms that a full moon seems to bring out those who aren’t wrapped as tight as the rest of us. A cop story in traditional Wambaugh style that memorializes the insanity that seems to be Hollywood.
The characterizations are so rich, vivid, colorful and flamboyant that they often make you laugh out loud. The interplay between partners provides a thoughtful perspective on how relationships can develop in the pressure cooker of a shop.(squad car) The story often seemed to range widely but finally came down to a tied up conclusion. Some of the action may seem preposterous but it doesn’t take much research to see Wambaugh does his homework. The book paints cops as people, not as stereotype characters of sterling character but people. People with ethics, concerns and lives that are held to a higher standard of behavior than those they police. You can’t help but respect the jobs they do, in conditions that are often amazing.
The above is pretty much a repeat of my review of Hollywood Moon. I enjoyed this book as well. Again antics that make you laugh out loud are graphically told. This is a highly entertaining cop story without the tension and stress that normally are ascribed to “cop” stories.
I recommend it.
Hollywood Hills returns to the goofy scene of Hollywood Moon. http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/2009/1...
Hollywood is goofy. I have a nephew who works on the 911 phone line. He, as well as those whom I know work the emergency room, confirms that a full moon seems to bring out those who aren’t wrapped as tight as the rest of us. A cop story in traditional Wambaugh style that memorializes the insanity that seems to be Hollywood.
The characterizations are so rich, vivid, colorful and flamboyant that they often make you laugh out loud. The interplay between partners provides a thoughtful perspective on how relationships can develop in the pressure cooker of a shop.(squad car) The story often seemed to range widely but finally came down to a tied up conclusion. Some of the action may seem preposterous but it doesn’t take much research to see Wambaugh does his homework. The book paints cops as people, not as stereotype characters of sterling character but people. People with ethics, concerns and lives that are held to a higher standard of behavior than those they police. You can’t help but respect the jobs they do, in conditions that are often amazing.
The above is pretty much a repeat of my review of Hollywood Moon. I enjoyed this book as well. Again antics that make you laugh out loud are graphically told. This is a highly entertaining cop story without the tension and stress that normally are ascribed to “cop” stories.
I recommend it.
March 14, 2011
Hard to think that this author could get better after writing so many books but he does... This is the latest installment of the Hollywood Station series. I couldn't read it fast enough and yet hated to be done with it.
The cops seem like old friends to me now. Great empathetic characters full of nuances and range; the dialogue is funny and brilliant, and the intertwined plot(s) work beautifully. There are some heart wrenching scenes as well. In this book, it's impossible to keep a dry eye at the exchange between the two surfer cops in the hospital room as Hollywood Nate is standing outside the door. It takes superior writing skills to pull off profound tearjerking dialogue using surfing lingo.
I have often wished I could memorize some of the lines, dialogue and jokes from Mr. Wambaugh's books so I can use them myself in later conversation.
It is very easy to imagine this series as a movie or TV show, although I would hate to see a second-rate treatment of the top notch material.
As I started reading Joseph Wambaugh fairly recently, I noticed that all his latest novels were titled "Hollywood-something." I was a little apprehensive that he may take a formulaic/lifeless approach. IMHO, it has been a winning gambit--and he obviously knows that so he is sticking with it.
I am sad to have reached the current end of the series and can't wait to read the next one!
The cops seem like old friends to me now. Great empathetic characters full of nuances and range; the dialogue is funny and brilliant, and the intertwined plot(s) work beautifully. There are some heart wrenching scenes as well. In this book, it's impossible to keep a dry eye at the exchange between the two surfer cops in the hospital room as Hollywood Nate is standing outside the door. It takes superior writing skills to pull off profound tearjerking dialogue using surfing lingo.
I have often wished I could memorize some of the lines, dialogue and jokes from Mr. Wambaugh's books so I can use them myself in later conversation.
It is very easy to imagine this series as a movie or TV show, although I would hate to see a second-rate treatment of the top notch material.
As I started reading Joseph Wambaugh fairly recently, I noticed that all his latest novels were titled "Hollywood-something." I was a little apprehensive that he may take a formulaic/lifeless approach. IMHO, it has been a winning gambit--and he obviously knows that so he is sticking with it.
I am sad to have reached the current end of the series and can't wait to read the next one!
December 15, 2011
This was the latest of Wambaugh's series involving the Hollywood Station (Hollywood Station, Hollywood Crows, Hollywood Moon) of the L.A.P.D. While I find all of his books satisyingly entertaining, I think this series has run its course on freshness. The same cast of characters (Hollywood Nate Weiss, Flotsam and Jetsam, et.al) continue to run across the same brand of losers and scammer's inhabiting their beat. Wambaugh mines a lot of humor in their dealings with the tweakers and costumed characters roaming the streets of Hollywood. He also manages to weave a couple of interesting crime plots among the humorous escapades but the books all are the same otherwise.
This book has a couple story lines going on between all the cop humor mayham. One involves a couple of tweakers stumbling in on a plot by an art gallery owner and butler trying to steal some expensive paintings from a client's home. Another involves a rookie female cop involved in a shooting which leaves a child parentless.
Wambaugh is a gifted writer who started out with more serious police crime procedurals and non-fiction in his earliest books (New Centurians, Blue Knight, Onion Field) and then gradually drifted between the more humor aspects of cop-life and the more serious aspects. I liked his early books better but the more recent ones are still fun to read albeit becoming more and more repetitious.
This book has a couple story lines going on between all the cop humor mayham. One involves a couple of tweakers stumbling in on a plot by an art gallery owner and butler trying to steal some expensive paintings from a client's home. Another involves a rookie female cop involved in a shooting which leaves a child parentless.
Wambaugh is a gifted writer who started out with more serious police crime procedurals and non-fiction in his earliest books (New Centurians, Blue Knight, Onion Field) and then gradually drifted between the more humor aspects of cop-life and the more serious aspects. I liked his early books better but the more recent ones are still fun to read albeit becoming more and more repetitious.
January 19, 2014
Pretty good old-school Wambaugh. A series of humorous and interesting police war stories, obviously gleaned by the author from the cops he hangs around with, woven into a core crime story, this one involving art theft, surfers, and druggies. The only off-putting aspect of the story is Wambaugh's insistent dropping of celebrity names, as if it's news that famous people live in or near Hollywood. Perhaps he thought he'd boost sales if names like Lindsay Lohan and Brangelina were splashed across the blurbs on the back cover. And an oddity . . . Wambaugh calls realtors Realtors. It would have been a typo if he did it once, but he did it every time. I'm still scratching my head over that one. Still, Hollywood Hills is a quick and enjoyable read.
8/19/12: Aha! I never would have revisited this review if Goodreads hadn't notified me that someone left a comment. But now I have, and re-reading it remembered that I also saw the word realtor capitalized in The New Yorker recently. So I googled it. Sorry, Googled. Realtor is a trademarked term, invented by some real estate salespersons' association. If you want to use the term you are supposed to capitalize it. Well I say fuck that. If I'd been Wambaugh, I'd have called 'em real estate agents instead.
8/19/12: Aha! I never would have revisited this review if Goodreads hadn't notified me that someone left a comment. But now I have, and re-reading it remembered that I also saw the word realtor capitalized in The New Yorker recently. So I googled it. Sorry, Googled. Realtor is a trademarked term, invented by some real estate salespersons' association. If you want to use the term you are supposed to capitalize it. Well I say fuck that. If I'd been Wambaugh, I'd have called 'em real estate agents instead.
Read
December 1, 2010Hollywood Hills, by Joseph Wambaugh, A-minus, narrated by Christian Rummel, produced by Hachette Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
We have the Hollywood Station cops again, unforgettable characters like Nate Weisman who has his union card and wants to be an actor. Flotsam and Jetsam, the two surfer cops, and others we’ve met before. Again we have Wambaugh artfully weaving together sub-plots. There are Jonas and Megan, two kids totally hooked on drugs and trying to emulate the “bling ring”. They are viewing different mansions on the Hollywood Hills, the wealthiest part of L.A., looking for houses where they can lift objects of value. There is an art dealer, Nigel, whose gallery is going bankrupt and who is developing an idea to replace two valuable paintings in the house of one of his clients, with faked paintings. He enlists Raleigh, a former convict just trying to keep his hands clean, to help him, promising him half a million dollars when he sells the valuable art. All of these people become entangled with their different agendas, and we have the usual good time with Wambaugh’s sometimes hilarious, definitely noire story of Hollywood Station.
We have the Hollywood Station cops again, unforgettable characters like Nate Weisman who has his union card and wants to be an actor. Flotsam and Jetsam, the two surfer cops, and others we’ve met before. Again we have Wambaugh artfully weaving together sub-plots. There are Jonas and Megan, two kids totally hooked on drugs and trying to emulate the “bling ring”. They are viewing different mansions on the Hollywood Hills, the wealthiest part of L.A., looking for houses where they can lift objects of value. There is an art dealer, Nigel, whose gallery is going bankrupt and who is developing an idea to replace two valuable paintings in the house of one of his clients, with faked paintings. He enlists Raleigh, a former convict just trying to keep his hands clean, to help him, promising him half a million dollars when he sells the valuable art. All of these people become entangled with their different agendas, and we have the usual good time with Wambaugh’s sometimes hilarious, definitely noire story of Hollywood Station.
April 11, 2012
The last book in Wambaugh's "Hollywood" series is more of everything that makes the series so enjoyable. The formula doesn't change but the players do and the masterful way that he maneuvers the pieces of the puzzle to their ultimate conclusion is once again quite effective and the banter between the characters pops right off the page. The criminal plan in this installment is centered around art theft and deception and once again a couple of drug addled micro-criminals somehow complicate things in an amusing manner and the cops show up to pick up the pieces. As the series goes on the level of effective police work seems to drop. Look at the detective work done in Hollywood Station in regards to the jewelry store robbery as compared to here in Hills where the cops are almost an ancillary force that occurs after-the-fact. It makes quite the statement. It feels like this will be the final entry with these characters, due to certain events around the finale of the novel, but I hope I'm wrong and we revisit this world again because I like what Wambaugh has done with the characters and I'm sure there's more stories to be told. After all, "it's f##king Hollywood."
July 14, 2014
This is the 4th book in a series written by Wambaugh. This is the first book I have read by that author.
I found this book difficult to read. The first half of the book was slow and hard to follow. In the second half the pace picked up, but still the author kept leaving the main idea of the book and going to other little tales of police work in Hollywood. After reading a few reviews from people who have read all his books, apparently that is his style. He has a plot or main story in mind, but then adds what appears to be short descriptive accounts of other police calls. Not at all what I like to read.
The characters are mostly reoccurring from previous books in the series. None of these characters were developed in this book. The main story did pick up near the end (an art dealer tries to steal two paintings with the help of the caretaker of the estate, but it gets complicated when two druggies steal the truck with the paintings in it). The main story was not really believable. Too many things going wrong, then two people killed and the other two involved in the crime get away including one with lots of money. Not a very good book.
I found this book difficult to read. The first half of the book was slow and hard to follow. In the second half the pace picked up, but still the author kept leaving the main idea of the book and going to other little tales of police work in Hollywood. After reading a few reviews from people who have read all his books, apparently that is his style. He has a plot or main story in mind, but then adds what appears to be short descriptive accounts of other police calls. Not at all what I like to read.
The characters are mostly reoccurring from previous books in the series. None of these characters were developed in this book. The main story did pick up near the end (an art dealer tries to steal two paintings with the help of the caretaker of the estate, but it gets complicated when two druggies steal the truck with the paintings in it). The main story was not really believable. Too many things going wrong, then two people killed and the other two involved in the crime get away including one with lots of money. Not a very good book.
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