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King City
Major Crimes Unit detective Tom Wade secretly worked with the Feds to nail seven of his fellow cops for corruption…turning him into a pariah in the police department. So he’s exiled to patrol a beat in King City’s deadliest neighborhood… with no back-up, no resources, and no hope of survival.
Now Wade fights to tame the lawless, poverty-stricken wasteland…while investigating a string of brutal murders of young women. It’s a case that takes him from the squalor of the inner-city to the manicured enclaves of the privileged, revealing the sordid and deadly ways the two worlds are intertwined…making his enemies even more determined to crush him.
But for Tom Wade, backing down is never an option...even if it will cost him his life. It’s one reason why bestselling author Janet Evanovich calls Wade “an unforgettable and deeply compelling character in the most original crime novel to come along in years."
Now Wade fights to tame the lawless, poverty-stricken wasteland…while investigating a string of brutal murders of young women. It’s a case that takes him from the squalor of the inner-city to the manicured enclaves of the privileged, revealing the sordid and deadly ways the two worlds are intertwined…making his enemies even more determined to crush him.
But for Tom Wade, backing down is never an option...even if it will cost him his life. It’s one reason why bestselling author Janet Evanovich calls Wade “an unforgettable and deeply compelling character in the most original crime novel to come along in years."
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2012
About the author
Lee Goldberg
144 books1,914 followers#1 New York Times Bestselling author Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee whose many TV writing and/or producing credits include "Martial Law," "SeaQuest," "Diagnosis Murder,""Hunter," "Spenser: For Hire," "Nero Wolfe," "Missing." "Monk" and "The Glades." He's also the co-author of the Fox & O'Hare series with Janet Evanovich (The Heist, The Chase, The Job, The Scam, The Pursuit etc), "The Walk," "Watch Me Die," "King City," the "Dead Man" series, as well as the "Diagnosis Murder" and "Monk" series of original mystery novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
November 6, 2022
Initially I was going to give this book 2 stars. It was okay but nothing special. Nothing I haven't read or seen before. But, as I continued to read the characters grew on me and I had to bump it up a star.
Tom Wade is a detective with the Major Crimes Unit in King City. He discovers that all of the other cops in the unit are corrupt. Rather than go to his superiors or Internal Affairs he works undercover with the Feds to expose the corruption. Now he is an outcast in the police department. They can't fire him so he is transfered to a police substation in the worst neighborhood in the city. Same rank. Same pay. A lateral move. The substation is in a burned out former porn video store. He has two rookies working with him. And he knows that if he needs help he is on his own. No one has his back. It is just him and two rookies.
The reader gets to know the characters. This may be the worst neighborhood in the city but there are good people who live there. Tom's goal is for people to respect the police and know they are there to help. To build trust. He learned from his father ... "what's important is what you stand for and how strong you stand for it."
Overall an enjoyabe read. If there was a sequel I would read it. Lee Goldberg is a prolific writer. In addition to his books he has written for television and some of the shows include "Diagnosis Murder,""Hunter," "Spenser: For Hire," "Nero Wolfe," and "Monk".
Tom Wade is a detective with the Major Crimes Unit in King City. He discovers that all of the other cops in the unit are corrupt. Rather than go to his superiors or Internal Affairs he works undercover with the Feds to expose the corruption. Now he is an outcast in the police department. They can't fire him so he is transfered to a police substation in the worst neighborhood in the city. Same rank. Same pay. A lateral move. The substation is in a burned out former porn video store. He has two rookies working with him. And he knows that if he needs help he is on his own. No one has his back. It is just him and two rookies.
The reader gets to know the characters. This may be the worst neighborhood in the city but there are good people who live there. Tom's goal is for people to respect the police and know they are there to help. To build trust. He learned from his father ... "what's important is what you stand for and how strong you stand for it."
Overall an enjoyabe read. If there was a sequel I would read it. Lee Goldberg is a prolific writer. In addition to his books he has written for television and some of the shows include "Diagnosis Murder,""Hunter," "Spenser: For Hire," "Nero Wolfe," and "Monk".
June 1, 2012
While reading this cop novel, I couldn't help but think of FORT APACHE, THE BRONX, the 1981 movie starring Paul Newman I saw at the theater. Since I'm a big Newman fan, I found KING CITY to be an entertaining read. Like FORT APACHE, KING CITY is about a satellite police station house set in the middle of the rough ghetto/slum part of town. Tom Wade is exiled to Darwin Gardens after blowing the whistle to the feds about his dirty fellow cops. He's assigned two rookie cops and pretty much left out there to twist in the wind. Wade is a straight-talking, tough-as-whit-leather cop who is determined to make a difference. The pace is fast, and the writing sharp. This might be a series, and if so, well worth following.
May 19, 2012
I did not want to put this down. I love when authors can blend serious situations with humor. I realized early on that I never should have picked this up during a weeknight. So consider yourself warned, if you're thinking about starting this one, it might be a good idea to start thinking up a good reason to call into work the next day.
Major Crimes Unit detective Tom Wade took down several of his fellow officers for corruption. As a reward he lost everything. Sent to the worst part of King City to "clean up the streets" Tom knows he's in over his head. The last two cops that accidentally drove into King City were gunned down in their vehicle. Now he's fighting for his life and for his beliefs.
I've heard a lot of people say this was like a modern day western. I have to admit I've never watched or read a western so I can't really attest to that. I can attest that I had so much fun with this book. It was very interesting and every step of the way you're wondering what's coming next. I have to admit I wasn't able to predict much, if anything on this one.
It was a wild and almost stressful ride all the way though. I feel like there may be more to come from Tom Wade. I hope that might be the case. It's excellent as a standalone but I feel like it would work as a series as well. I would definitely read more of Tom.
Major Crimes Unit detective Tom Wade took down several of his fellow officers for corruption. As a reward he lost everything. Sent to the worst part of King City to "clean up the streets" Tom knows he's in over his head. The last two cops that accidentally drove into King City were gunned down in their vehicle. Now he's fighting for his life and for his beliefs.
I've heard a lot of people say this was like a modern day western. I have to admit I've never watched or read a western so I can't really attest to that. I can attest that I had so much fun with this book. It was very interesting and every step of the way you're wondering what's coming next. I have to admit I wasn't able to predict much, if anything on this one.
It was a wild and almost stressful ride all the way though. I feel like there may be more to come from Tom Wade. I hope that might be the case. It's excellent as a standalone but I feel like it would work as a series as well. I would definitely read more of Tom.
June 26, 2019
Tom Wade is a cop driven by doing what's right. So while he's not beholden to every rule and law he's ever met, the corruption in the major crimes unit he's assigned is too much to overlook. He secretly helps the justice department build a case against the others, and when their successful prosecutions are over and the dust settles, is promptly given a "lateral move" by a police chief who felt Tom should have come to him so things could be "handled quietly."
Tom's sent into a part of King City so bad it no longer has an official name on the map so it can be more easily forgotten, with only two unwanted rookies for staff (one who is the definition of unexceptional and one who has the "gall" not to be while also being a woman and black) and the thinly veiled insinuation that there will be no backup, no support, and no hope.
The brilliance of Goldberg's tale in Tom's approach to the difficulties that arise, and a writing style that provides vivd detail while keeping everything moving at a compelling pace. Tom doesn't care about opinion nor playing nice, just about doing his job and sees his exile into the area nicknamed Darwin Gardens as a chance to do police work somewhere where it will matter. The procedural, mystery and relationship elements all rise naturally from the story and characters and blend amazingly well. I read a lot and often get caught up in finishing a good book, but I can honestly say this is the first in years I literally spent every free moment I had reading from the second I started.
A captivating, excellent police procedural with a fascinating main character and a tremendous supporting cast.
6/2012
Tom's sent into a part of King City so bad it no longer has an official name on the map so it can be more easily forgotten, with only two unwanted rookies for staff (one who is the definition of unexceptional and one who has the "gall" not to be while also being a woman and black) and the thinly veiled insinuation that there will be no backup, no support, and no hope.
The brilliance of Goldberg's tale in Tom's approach to the difficulties that arise, and a writing style that provides vivd detail while keeping everything moving at a compelling pace. Tom doesn't care about opinion nor playing nice, just about doing his job and sees his exile into the area nicknamed Darwin Gardens as a chance to do police work somewhere where it will matter. The procedural, mystery and relationship elements all rise naturally from the story and characters and blend amazingly well. I read a lot and often get caught up in finishing a good book, but I can honestly say this is the first in years I literally spent every free moment I had reading from the second I started.
A captivating, excellent police procedural with a fascinating main character and a tremendous supporting cast.
6/2012
June 23, 2019
Kurz, unterhaltsam und ganz anders.
Tom Wade ist ein Polizist, der das Richtige tun will. Er überführt seine Kollegen beim Dezernat für Schwerkriminalität der Korruption. Alle hassen ihn dafür und das führt zu seiner Versetzung ins übelste Viertel der Stadt, wo er, in einem ehemaligen Porno-Video Verleih ein Revier eröffnen soll. Außerdem hat ihn seine Frau raus geworfen, weshalb er gleich über dem Laden einzieht. Und er bekommt zwei Anfänger an seine Seite. Billy, der nur mit Mühe und Not die Akademie abgeschlossen hat, und Charlotte, Jahrgangsbeste aber eine schwarze Frau.
Darwin Gardens hat sich zur städtischen Müllhalde entwickelt, in der unerwünschte Obdachlose, Kriminelle, Süchtige oder, wie die drei, Ausgemusterte, abgeladen werden.
Wade nimmt die Herausforderung an und will Ordnung in die heruntergekommene Gegend bringen, in der die Menschen Schutzgeld zahlen, Leichen auf den Straßen verwesen, direkt neben Nutten die ihre Freier bedienen oder Junkies die Crack rauchen...
Tom ist idealistisch, hartnäckig, brutal und entwickelt ungewöhnliche aber effektive Methoden um Schwierigkeiten zu beseitigen.
Die Atmosphäre des Viertels kommt so gut rüber und die Dynamik zwischen den drei Polizisten, aber auch den Einwohnern, ist super.
Dazu die kurzen aber prägnanten Schilderungen, die das Tempo hoch halten.
Es gibt keinen roten Faden, der sich durch die Story zieht. Es sind eher Episoden aus dem neuen Alltag des Tom Wade. Anfangs war gar nicht abzusehen, worauf die Story hinausläuft aber das ist vollkommen egal. Spezielle Figuren, die toll charakterisiert sind und Dialoge, die vor Sarkasmus und Schlagfertigkeit triefen, machen das Ganze sehr unterhaltsam.
Tom Wade ist ein Polizist, der das Richtige tun will. Er überführt seine Kollegen beim Dezernat für Schwerkriminalität der Korruption. Alle hassen ihn dafür und das führt zu seiner Versetzung ins übelste Viertel der Stadt, wo er, in einem ehemaligen Porno-Video Verleih ein Revier eröffnen soll. Außerdem hat ihn seine Frau raus geworfen, weshalb er gleich über dem Laden einzieht. Und er bekommt zwei Anfänger an seine Seite. Billy, der nur mit Mühe und Not die Akademie abgeschlossen hat, und Charlotte, Jahrgangsbeste aber eine schwarze Frau.
Darwin Gardens hat sich zur städtischen Müllhalde entwickelt, in der unerwünschte Obdachlose, Kriminelle, Süchtige oder, wie die drei, Ausgemusterte, abgeladen werden.
Wade nimmt die Herausforderung an und will Ordnung in die heruntergekommene Gegend bringen, in der die Menschen Schutzgeld zahlen, Leichen auf den Straßen verwesen, direkt neben Nutten die ihre Freier bedienen oder Junkies die Crack rauchen...
Tom ist idealistisch, hartnäckig, brutal und entwickelt ungewöhnliche aber effektive Methoden um Schwierigkeiten zu beseitigen.
Die Atmosphäre des Viertels kommt so gut rüber und die Dynamik zwischen den drei Polizisten, aber auch den Einwohnern, ist super.
Dazu die kurzen aber prägnanten Schilderungen, die das Tempo hoch halten.
Es gibt keinen roten Faden, der sich durch die Story zieht. Es sind eher Episoden aus dem neuen Alltag des Tom Wade. Anfangs war gar nicht abzusehen, worauf die Story hinausläuft aber das ist vollkommen egal. Spezielle Figuren, die toll charakterisiert sind und Dialoge, die vor Sarkasmus und Schlagfertigkeit triefen, machen das Ganze sehr unterhaltsam.
June 27, 2019
A fast-moving plot with great characters and some humor thrown in here and there for good measure. Sgt. Tom Wade has been banished to the very worst slum/crime area as punishment for uncovering corruption within the police department. What does he do instead of slinking away? Ha! Did they forget Tom is a kick-butt, take-no-prisoners type of guy?? (Think Dirty Harry!) King City is not a terribly realistic read - more of an entertaining read. It does, however, touch on some very real issues involving the people living in abandoned neighborhoods.
I hope Mr. Goldberg writes a sequel someday. I'll definitely read it!!
I hope Mr. Goldberg writes a sequel someday. I'll definitely read it!!
April 22, 2021
4,5 stars
A goody 😊!
I can imagine that some readers could find it a bit clichéd. I do actually too, but it didn't hinder me to enjoy it. Tom Wade, a great character with an unconventional way of solving problems, I've taken to my heart, as well as an entertaining plot, spiced up with a nice sense of irony and humour. What else could you ask for? Maybe for an installment?...
Recommended!
P.S I listened to an audio book in German.
A goody 😊!
I can imagine that some readers could find it a bit clichéd. I do actually too, but it didn't hinder me to enjoy it. Tom Wade, a great character with an unconventional way of solving problems, I've taken to my heart, as well as an entertaining plot, spiced up with a nice sense of irony and humour. What else could you ask for? Maybe for an installment?...
Recommended!
P.S I listened to an audio book in German.
August 10, 2012
Outrageous special effects sabotage a premise of high potential
Any author trying to repackage the classic western theme of a new sheriff in town needs to make a decision: channel the dramatic vibe of Destry Rides Again or apply the comedic slapstick of Blazing Saddles? In his new novel King City, television script writer Lee Goldberg appears headed for Destry but instead allows his addiction for special effects to hijack the narrative and ultimately set his saddles ablaze. The result is the unintentionally disappointing creation of a comic book hero without flaws who performs impossible feats of derring-do while solving a trifecta of murder cases just in time to take his teenage daughter to a movie--all without breaking a sweat. C’mon, Lee! But wait, there is more bad news: Goldberg already has a sequel in the works to give his new hero--outcast King City police sergeant Tom Wade--an encore. I hope he’s not thinking franchise.
To clarify, King City is neither a western, nor a comedy. And, to be fair, the novel boasts enough pluses to merit consideration. The writing is solid, the wisecracking dialogue is clever and the premise is intriguing. The first chapter introduces Tom Wade as the most righteous cop in Washington’s contemporary King City because he has just cooperated with the feds in a probe of corruption at the city police department. Now an immediate outcast in the department for this betrayal of his brethren in blue, Wade is assigned to head operations at the newly created police substation in the aptly named Darwin Gardens, a poverty-stricken neighborhood equally abandoned by the city and left to the control of a vicious crime lord. Because every Batman needs a Robin, two rookie cops are assigned to assist Wade in the Jimmy Stewart/Cleavon Little role as the new sheriff in this nasty little town within King City. So far, so good, for me.
But I started to grow suspicious when Wade responds to his first confrontation with the local gang by shooting up the Escalade driven by the gang leader and then shooting his new rookie partner in his bulletproof vest just to demonstrate its strength. The special effects continue to escalate as Wade works to solve several unrelated homicides. To use TV terms Goldberg would appreciate, this novel jumped the shark for me when Wade managed to secure a confession from one of King City’s aristocrats with only a rhetorical trick, solving the first of three murder cases. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming,” exclaims Wade’s rookie partner, a Robin now thoroughly in awe of his Batman. Goldberg’s climactic special effect occurs when Wade drives a car through the front of the crime lord’s strip joint during a shootout with the gang.
Because the crime lord escaped unscathed, we can assume future installments of this adventure will focus on Wade’s continuing efforts to neutralize him. Here’s my suggestion: I’d be more interested in a prequel that explores the anxiety and pressures of a cop forced to blow the whistle on his corrupt colleagues. Perhaps Wade should have a drinking problem, as well, just to give him a little bit of a flaw that makes him more human. No special effects need apply.
Any author trying to repackage the classic western theme of a new sheriff in town needs to make a decision: channel the dramatic vibe of Destry Rides Again or apply the comedic slapstick of Blazing Saddles? In his new novel King City, television script writer Lee Goldberg appears headed for Destry but instead allows his addiction for special effects to hijack the narrative and ultimately set his saddles ablaze. The result is the unintentionally disappointing creation of a comic book hero without flaws who performs impossible feats of derring-do while solving a trifecta of murder cases just in time to take his teenage daughter to a movie--all without breaking a sweat. C’mon, Lee! But wait, there is more bad news: Goldberg already has a sequel in the works to give his new hero--outcast King City police sergeant Tom Wade--an encore. I hope he’s not thinking franchise.
To clarify, King City is neither a western, nor a comedy. And, to be fair, the novel boasts enough pluses to merit consideration. The writing is solid, the wisecracking dialogue is clever and the premise is intriguing. The first chapter introduces Tom Wade as the most righteous cop in Washington’s contemporary King City because he has just cooperated with the feds in a probe of corruption at the city police department. Now an immediate outcast in the department for this betrayal of his brethren in blue, Wade is assigned to head operations at the newly created police substation in the aptly named Darwin Gardens, a poverty-stricken neighborhood equally abandoned by the city and left to the control of a vicious crime lord. Because every Batman needs a Robin, two rookie cops are assigned to assist Wade in the Jimmy Stewart/Cleavon Little role as the new sheriff in this nasty little town within King City. So far, so good, for me.
But I started to grow suspicious when Wade responds to his first confrontation with the local gang by shooting up the Escalade driven by the gang leader and then shooting his new rookie partner in his bulletproof vest just to demonstrate its strength. The special effects continue to escalate as Wade works to solve several unrelated homicides. To use TV terms Goldberg would appreciate, this novel jumped the shark for me when Wade managed to secure a confession from one of King City’s aristocrats with only a rhetorical trick, solving the first of three murder cases. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming,” exclaims Wade’s rookie partner, a Robin now thoroughly in awe of his Batman. Goldberg’s climactic special effect occurs when Wade drives a car through the front of the crime lord’s strip joint during a shootout with the gang.
Because the crime lord escaped unscathed, we can assume future installments of this adventure will focus on Wade’s continuing efforts to neutralize him. Here’s my suggestion: I’d be more interested in a prequel that explores the anxiety and pressures of a cop forced to blow the whistle on his corrupt colleagues. Perhaps Wade should have a drinking problem, as well, just to give him a little bit of a flaw that makes him more human. No special effects need apply.
June 11, 2012
Tom Wade had committed an unpardonable sin. He'd worked with Federal authorities to expose corruption in the King City police force. It made him a pariah and, if the chief could have worked it without repercussions, it would have gotten him fired. As it was, it got him a "lateral" transfer to the Marvin Gardens side of town.
The worst part of King City, forgotten by all but the people who lived there. A lot of good people, a lot of bad people, none with any faith in law enforcement. The Chief hoped he'd quit over it.
He didn't understand Tom Wade at all.
A new substation in a former porn movie store, two rookies shunted off on him, and a promise of no back-up. Ever. They were on their own.
Tom went at it with a will. The police needed respect from both the good people and the bad.
The first week he gets a dead body, a young woman killed elsewhere and dumped, and a series of murdered women, all shot over the past couple of years.
Lee Goldberg has written a pretty good novel here. One hopes it will lead to more down the road.
The worst part of King City, forgotten by all but the people who lived there. A lot of good people, a lot of bad people, none with any faith in law enforcement. The Chief hoped he'd quit over it.
He didn't understand Tom Wade at all.
A new substation in a former porn movie store, two rookies shunted off on him, and a promise of no back-up. Ever. They were on their own.
Tom went at it with a will. The police needed respect from both the good people and the bad.
The first week he gets a dead body, a young woman killed elsewhere and dumped, and a series of murdered women, all shot over the past couple of years.
Lee Goldberg has written a pretty good novel here. One hopes it will lead to more down the road.
May 16, 2018
Pretty good story about a police officer who testifies against his squad for corruption. The result is being posted to an area of town that nobody wants to have anything to do with. From there it's a 'feel good' story. He and his two fellow officers, both rookies also sent to Siberia, solve a murder, bring in a serial killer and find the people responsible for the ambush of police officers.
No great literary breakthrough here, just a fun read from Goldberg. And if it's from Goldberg, one can expect some tongue in cheek humor.
No great literary breakthrough here, just a fun read from Goldberg. And if it's from Goldberg, one can expect some tongue in cheek humor.
August 14, 2018
Lee Goldberg is a talented author who knows how to move a story along in a rapid and linear fashion. In King City, he’s crafted another very entertaining vehicle for his police Sgt. Tom Wade.
Tom has an unshakable moral compass that has landed him in a neighborhood known as Darwin (as in survival of the fittest) Gardens, as punishment for having exposed corruption in his department. Since the Chief couldn’t fire Wade, he moved him laterally (same rank & pay) into the one place that the cops had deserted in hopes of forcing Wade’s resignation.
The plot is pretty apparent and Goldberg writes his books like they could become a screenplay at any moment. No jumping around between past and present or swapping POV’s need apply. It’s straight down the middle and pedal to the metal here, and loads of fun.
Wade is a fine hero figure who adapts his policing to his environment. He moves into Darwin Gardens to demonstrate his belief that the poor are equal under the law and just as entitled to justice as the rich. He stands up to the local drug lord and manages to win his grudging respect, along with the affection of a local lass.
No surprises here, just a ripping good ol’ fashioned yarn that winds up leaving plenty of room for additional installments of Tom Wade. I look forward to them— perhaps you will as well.
Tom has an unshakable moral compass that has landed him in a neighborhood known as Darwin (as in survival of the fittest) Gardens, as punishment for having exposed corruption in his department. Since the Chief couldn’t fire Wade, he moved him laterally (same rank & pay) into the one place that the cops had deserted in hopes of forcing Wade’s resignation.
The plot is pretty apparent and Goldberg writes his books like they could become a screenplay at any moment. No jumping around between past and present or swapping POV’s need apply. It’s straight down the middle and pedal to the metal here, and loads of fun.
Wade is a fine hero figure who adapts his policing to his environment. He moves into Darwin Gardens to demonstrate his belief that the poor are equal under the law and just as entitled to justice as the rich. He stands up to the local drug lord and manages to win his grudging respect, along with the affection of a local lass.
No surprises here, just a ripping good ol’ fashioned yarn that winds up leaving plenty of room for additional installments of Tom Wade. I look forward to them— perhaps you will as well.
March 2, 2024
Lee Goldberg’s King City is a hyperbolic tale of heroes & villains, good & bad guys- the girls are all nice. What sets Lee above is a straight forward approach in his stories to raise the tropes of social conscience, corruption, vice and moral behavior from the norm by his use of natural sarcasm, humor and narrative banter -with no sacred cows. Self righteousness not allowed. If you’re looking for entertaining -not dark- crime fiction, and good storytelling -Lee is your guy. I enjoyed King City, and also recommend the Eve Ronin series…
May 13, 2012
King City effortlessly blends the archetypal gunslinger of the Old West, riding into the lawless town to clean up the bad guys, with a modern tale of police corruption, urban decay and neglect....It’s a fast-paced exploration of the decline of the blue-collar industrial heartland of America, and the cop who will not stand by and let that happen on his watch. Fans of the late Robert B Parker will delight in King City, which has the same great dialogue and nicely judged wry humour....A sit-down, straight-through read. Superb.
May 11, 2012
Straight-talking, fast-moving, cop thriller right out of the great US tradition of the genre.
The author, Lee Goldberg, is a veteran of crime drama on TV and in print and it shows.
This is crisply written with a heavy dose of black humour, and vivid characters.
Goldberg is hard at work on more Tom Wade novels - I'm looking forward to them.
The author, Lee Goldberg, is a veteran of crime drama on TV and in print and it shows.
This is crisply written with a heavy dose of black humour, and vivid characters.
Goldberg is hard at work on more Tom Wade novels - I'm looking forward to them.
November 20, 2023
I am now reading anything I can get my hands on by this author. He never disappoints. This was another well written book. This was a great story line with very interesting characters, fast paced action and just an around great read. I hope there will be a book two.
June 11, 2021
“Most of the time, it’s not whether or not you have a gun in your hand that matters,” his father said. “It’s what you stand for and how strong you stand for it.”
Major Crimes Unit Detective Tom Wade is a good cop. Maybe even too good. After discovering members of his unit are corrupt and taking bribes, skimming drugs and money, he works secretly with the FBI to bring those detectives down. But after one of those detectives tries to commit suicide in front of his wife and children, Wade is becoming a person-non-grata and is exiled to patrol the south side of the city, a poverty-stricken, crime wasteland neighbourhood where the police won't even dare enter- the last two officers who've mistakenly entered the heighbourhood were gunned down. He's sent there alone, with no back up and no resources what-so-ever. Just him and two rookies as back up. But Tom, being a man of principle and ideals and respect for the law, takes the job seriously, and embarks on a mission to repair the trust of the community and to uphold the law, no matter what. But his job is mad even more difficult by a mobster who controls the neighbourhood and all its criminal aspects. Also, Wade and his two rookies have to solve a string of murders, probably by the hand of a brutal serial killer- a case that takes him into the richer parts of the city, and that would only Wade's enemies even more determined to take him down. Can three cops survive this hellhole, or will they be the next victims of King City?
In the past two years, I gre to appreciate Lee Goldberg's novels. Every one I've rad up until now was a fun ride, and his has a remarkable ability to not only create rich and easy to empathize with characters, but he can also mix action with great humour. "King City" is no exception, as it's one of Lee Goldberg's best novels, filled with action, rich and three-dimensional cast of characters, and some terrific humour that made me laugh out loud so many times. It was hard to put it down, as the story and the pace were gripping and exciting from first to last sentence. I kid you not, but there wasn't one dull the entire novel, as something was always happening.
My only complaint was that it wasn't a longer book. And that even though it seemed to the first in a series (and the ending definitely suggests that), there still hasn't been nay new installments. Which is a shame, because this has the potential to be a very thrilling series (or at the very least, a trilogy). Here's hoping...
If you're looking for an action-packed thriller, with great characters and humour about a cop who will get the job done no matter what, and this look no further. This novel is one hell of joyride.
Five-bullet-holes-stars!
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, honey,” Ethan said. “Think instead about all the good things you did for her. We enriched her life in so many ways. You treated her like another member of our family. We all did.”
“Really?” Wade said. “So how many of your relatives clean your toilets and take a bus home to Darwin Gardens every night?”
Gayle stiffened up, pulling her shoulders back and aiming her breasts at Wade as if they were cannons. They certainly looked like they were loaded with large cannon balls.
“Are you implying that what happened to Glory is our fault for not inviting her to live under our roof? Maybe we should invite the gardener and the pool man to live with us too.”
“He knew what I meant,” Ethan said to his wife, then stood up and faced Wade. “I’d like to know why a simple patrolman is asking questions about a homicide. Isn’t that a job for a detective?”
“Yes, it is,” Wade said. “And the fact that I’m the one who’s here proves that Glory isn’t being treated like a member of your family at all.”
Major Crimes Unit Detective Tom Wade is a good cop. Maybe even too good. After discovering members of his unit are corrupt and taking bribes, skimming drugs and money, he works secretly with the FBI to bring those detectives down. But after one of those detectives tries to commit suicide in front of his wife and children, Wade is becoming a person-non-grata and is exiled to patrol the south side of the city, a poverty-stricken, crime wasteland neighbourhood where the police won't even dare enter- the last two officers who've mistakenly entered the heighbourhood were gunned down. He's sent there alone, with no back up and no resources what-so-ever. Just him and two rookies as back up. But Tom, being a man of principle and ideals and respect for the law, takes the job seriously, and embarks on a mission to repair the trust of the community and to uphold the law, no matter what. But his job is mad even more difficult by a mobster who controls the neighbourhood and all its criminal aspects. Also, Wade and his two rookies have to solve a string of murders, probably by the hand of a brutal serial killer- a case that takes him into the richer parts of the city, and that would only Wade's enemies even more determined to take him down. Can three cops survive this hellhole, or will they be the next victims of King City?
In the past two years, I gre to appreciate Lee Goldberg's novels. Every one I've rad up until now was a fun ride, and his has a remarkable ability to not only create rich and easy to empathize with characters, but he can also mix action with great humour. "King City" is no exception, as it's one of Lee Goldberg's best novels, filled with action, rich and three-dimensional cast of characters, and some terrific humour that made me laugh out loud so many times. It was hard to put it down, as the story and the pace were gripping and exciting from first to last sentence. I kid you not, but there wasn't one dull the entire novel, as something was always happening.
My only complaint was that it wasn't a longer book. And that even though it seemed to the first in a series (and the ending definitely suggests that), there still hasn't been nay new installments. Which is a shame, because this has the potential to be a very thrilling series (or at the very least, a trilogy). Here's hoping...
If you're looking for an action-packed thriller, with great characters and humour about a cop who will get the job done no matter what, and this look no further. This novel is one hell of joyride.
Five-bullet-holes-stars!
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, honey,” Ethan said. “Think instead about all the good things you did for her. We enriched her life in so many ways. You treated her like another member of our family. We all did.”
“Really?” Wade said. “So how many of your relatives clean your toilets and take a bus home to Darwin Gardens every night?”
Gayle stiffened up, pulling her shoulders back and aiming her breasts at Wade as if they were cannons. They certainly looked like they were loaded with large cannon balls.
“Are you implying that what happened to Glory is our fault for not inviting her to live under our roof? Maybe we should invite the gardener and the pool man to live with us too.”
“He knew what I meant,” Ethan said to his wife, then stood up and faced Wade. “I’d like to know why a simple patrolman is asking questions about a homicide. Isn’t that a job for a detective?”
“Yes, it is,” Wade said. “And the fact that I’m the one who’s here proves that Glory isn’t being treated like a member of your family at all.”
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August 2, 2018A good cop is ostracized by his corrupt unit and banished to the 'hell' of neighborhoods run by a ruthless kingpin that he's determined to turn around. He's blessed (or cursed) with two raw rookies who he must protect. I, along with the good cop, held my breath that he would succeed before he got killed.
This entertaining book is another example of Lee Goldberg's skill. It contains moderate violence and a light love story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This entertaining book is another example of Lee Goldberg's skill. It contains moderate violence and a light love story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
September 21, 2021
Lee Goldberg's King City was a great read. The first in what I hope will be a long line of crime thrillers starring Tom Wade hits the ground running and Goldberg keeps the action and intensity building until the final, explosive climax. Great character work. I was rooting for Tom, Billy, Charlotte, and Mandy throughout. I hope we get more Tom Wade stories in the future. I would love to revisit King City and Darwin Gardens.
June 18, 2020
I'm a little sad to see that the author hasn't revisited this character - this book was fun.
April 2, 2024
Tom Wade is too good
This is a fun story. I think it is well written and very entertaining. It's probably not entirely believable but it's sure a fun read.
This is a fun story. I think it is well written and very entertaining. It's probably not entirely believable but it's sure a fun read.
April 2, 2024
Definitely a great read
Really like the storyline, and the way the author drew you in from the first chapter made it a cant put down page turner. .
Really like the storyline, and the way the author drew you in from the first chapter made it a cant put down page turner. .
June 2, 2013
I liked this book because it was a lot of fun. Lee Goldberg is a tv writer, and the book seems quite visual because of his descriptive writing. The hero and the city are both down on their luck: the hero by choice for going to the feds about corruption in the city's Major Crimes Unit, and the neighborhood due to closed factories and the resulting poverty. Yet, with his unwavering efforts to do the right thing, the hero (Tom Wade), returns law and order to the crime-ridden area one step at a time, assisted by two rookies, using his unorthodox approach. My two favorites lines: "with the fall of the factories, the towers had gone from swanky to skanky" and the protagonist's "what's important is what you stand for and how strong you stand for it."
May 25, 2014
Downloaded this one for the plane ride home after a long weekend. All I wanted was a fun good-guy-beats-bad-guy tale, and on one level that's what I got. I wasn't expecting to turn my brain completely off, though. The protagonist was a laughably white-washed knight in shining armor motivated by duty who changes not at all by the end of the story (except that he's banging a different chick - talk about wish fulfillment on the part of the author). The conflicts are ill-defined, the background characters two-dimensional, and the crime-solving elements completely unbelievable. The more I've thought about King City, the madder I've gotten that I wasted my airplane read on this shlock.
September 18, 2018
Introductory novel, to what I hope will be a series, about Tom Wade, a cop who broke the "Blue Line" and turned on his city's major crimes unit systemic corruption...he then is placed in the city's least desirable neighborhood & like Gary Cooper in "High Noon" works with his 3 man force to clean up the area...elements of Robert B. Parker's Spenser emerge & reading the author's background discover he was on the creative side of the TV series...Good stuff!!!
July 30, 2012
I knew of Lee Goldberg from his TV work and "lighter" novelizations. I'm very glad I found this "harder" crime story (via my Goodreads friend Randy Johnson).
This is a modern "Western" where pariah cop Tom Wade is sent to "tame" the worst neighborhood of this (fictional) gritty metropolis. And tame it he does.
A fun ride. I hope Goldberg will do more of these.
This is a modern "Western" where pariah cop Tom Wade is sent to "tame" the worst neighborhood of this (fictional) gritty metropolis. And tame it he does.
A fun ride. I hope Goldberg will do more of these.
March 9, 2014
Ich habe die deutsche Version auf Audible gehört.
Tolle Geschichte und ein toller Sprecher.
Die Story handelt von einem in Ungnade gefallenen Polizisten, die in der fiktiven Stadt King City nun seinen Dienst im Elendsviertel leisten muss. Mit vollem Einsatz viel Sinn für Recht und Unrecht stürzt er sich ins Abenteuer. Unterhaltsam und kurzweilig.
Tolle Geschichte und ein toller Sprecher.
Die Story handelt von einem in Ungnade gefallenen Polizisten, die in der fiktiven Stadt King City nun seinen Dienst im Elendsviertel leisten muss. Mit vollem Einsatz viel Sinn für Recht und Unrecht stürzt er sich ins Abenteuer. Unterhaltsam und kurzweilig.
November 24, 2023
Great book!
Enjoyed reading about a cop who is truly committed to protecting and serving the public as a result of his father’s modeling of what a police officer can and should be. If you like stories about police officers, then, you’ll appreciate this book.
Enjoyed reading about a cop who is truly committed to protecting and serving the public as a result of his father’s modeling of what a police officer can and should be. If you like stories about police officers, then, you’ll appreciate this book.
January 9, 2024
enjoyable
An entertaining read, however, for the most part, unrealistic. Having been a police officer, it is hard to imagine the boundless extremes that were taken to enforce the law. As long as not taken to seriously this was a fun read we’re the good guy’s prevailed.
An entertaining read, however, for the most part, unrealistic. Having been a police officer, it is hard to imagine the boundless extremes that were taken to enforce the law. As long as not taken to seriously this was a fun read we’re the good guy’s prevailed.
June 6, 2012
The exposition can be a little clunky at times, but Goldberg's decades of experience as a TV writer shines through in the whip-smart dialogue. This is the most exciting franchise I've read from him.
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