Dave Case - Out of Cabrini (2006)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Dave Case, a sergeant with the Chicago Police Department, makes his publishing debut with the stunning Out of Cabrini, a novel filled with powerful writing, great characters and an engrossing plot.
As the title indicates, much of the story centers around Chicago’s infamous public housing project, Cabrini-Green. The plot is divided between the good guys and the bad; the former represented by Chicago PD officer Stacey Macbeth, the latter by drug lord Lonnie Huggins.
The issue tying the two sides together is an impounded car with a hidden cache of drugs. Huggins and his gangbangers try to get it back, while Macbeth and the CPD stand in their way.
Out of Cabrini is most impressive for its realistic depiction of cops on the job, and its exploration of inner city crime. That latter aspect of the book is reminiscent of the brilliant work of crime novelist George Pelecanos. This is easily one of the year's best first novels.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
