The Black Marble: A Novel

This book's story never really captured my interest. The 2 main characters were not as appealing as I would have expected they would be while they were being presented and developed, specially, the female one. I had a hard time visualizing these 2 main characters as tired, bitter, wasted and older as I felt the author represented them. They were only 44 and 39! Also, the other characters did not bring from me any sympathy. Maybe it was my mood while reading it while hurricanes were destroying countries and part of USA, but I really did not care about the dog-napping as being that compelling, either - though I did not like reading about the the dog's torture. I have to say, in full disclosure, that I am not attracted to "black comedies"

Wambaugh is simply the best at writing about the wacked-out criminals and bizarrely motivated victims that cops meet. Not to mention some of the strange characters carrying a badge. As an ex-Deputy Sheriff I can authoritatively state that no one is better than Wambaugh at capturing the essential absurdity of the police experience. It is funny, sad, frightening, confusing & continually surprising. I recommend reading anything Wambaugh writes.

This has to be one of the most bizarre mystery cop books I've ever read. A Russian cop, a psycho dog trainer, identical show schaunzers, a suspicious female partner, and a paranoid fading Hollywood Blueblood - all combine to make this a hilarious read. Maybe a bit unbelievable at moments but true life is always stranger than fiction. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Wambaugh - a good laugh that holds ones attention is always appreciated!

There were errors throughout the book that seriously detracted from the experience. Without that, I would have given it a four. It was written in 1977 and I think it was copied wwith an OCR and not proofread. Other than that, the story was pure Wambaugh. Great cop characters, great cop stories, and that was about it. Some of the lengthy sessions with Philo Skinner I didn't really read. He was a boring crook and I just skimmed through most of those sections.So, an okay Wambaugh read.

This and The Glitter Dome were his last "Gonzo" novels. As good as his current/later work is, it doesn't match the 70s lunacy of his early stuff. (His non-fiction True Crime, however, never fails.) Great book, this.

I didn't make it past the third page. And I like his books. Maybe he was experimenting with a new style. I had no patience.

starts slow, but finishes well, like a good cigar or glass of wine. Not as focused on police mentality as Wambaugh's other earliest works, but still gets to the humor and pain of police work at a deeper level. A classic read for anyone that really wants to get into the psyche of old school policing - a must read if you want to have a conversation about anything police

Like all Wambaugh, story disses Old Pasadena, upper class society, police work and most women. Add a seasoning of dog doo and Russian melancholy and you have the basic theme. Starts slow (too much drunken Russian), moves to all you ever need to know about dog shows, turns to a weird love story, and ends up funny, fast and fun. If you are patient, you will have a good laugh. Love conquers all.