Hollywood Crows

Hollywood Crows, by Joseph Wambaugh

As one who has not read a Wambaugh book in a long time, this reviewer was reminded what a terrifically enjoyable reading experience Wambaugh's books can be. Hollywood Crows is the sequel to Hollywood Station and it is top-notch. In this tale, the "CROWS" are those police officers who work within the Community Relations Office of the Los Angeles Police Department. Wambaugh has created some wonderfully rich characters as officers in this office. The major subplot revolves around Ali Aziz, owner of a Sunset Boulevard strip club, and his ex-wife Margot, with whom he is engaged in a nasty custody battle. Various police officers from the CROWS come in contact with these two sleazy characters as well as others who make up the citizens within their neighborhoods of responsibility. Wambaugh knows this territory well from his days as a LAPD detective and that is reflected in his writing. Hollywood Crows is highly recommended!
-Roy