The murder of two Philadelphia policemen in 1965 resonates through the decades and into the present in Duane Swierczynski’s impressive, intricately constructed Revolver, a twist-filled saga of family loyalties and civic corruption ... What he discovers destroys his marriage and family life, if not his career, and turns him into 'an emotionless golem' ...is a generation-hopping story, told in alternating chapters that skip between the ’60s, the ’90s and now. This challenging structure is well sequenced to maximize suspense, as old and new cases coalesce in unexpected ways ...Mr. Swierczynski’s innovative, life-affirming novel also affords the traditional pleasures of a police procedural, including humor.
A policeman gunned down in a bar. A homicide detective stalking an ex-con. A forensic scientist who can’t let the murder go. All members of the same family separated by 50 years and compelled by a murder that that has ripped through the generations ... In Revolver, Swierczynski crafts a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of how a single act of horror can echo through the generations tearing up families and destroying lives far removed from the act itself ...a style reminiscent of Hammett...in the hands of Swierczynski, it becomes an instant classic. A tale of families, duty, and darkness that is utterly compelling, Revolver is sure to turn the heads of everyone who loves thrillers, procedurals, and historical fiction alike.
Duane Swieczynski has created a great historical fiction/cop novel set in Philadelphia and spanning three generations. The story begins in the race-troubled 1960s, 1965 to be exact, when blacks and whites battled in the streets of many major cities ... Swierczynski does a masterful job of moving back and forth in time, capturing the temper of each era — the venues and societal norms. His characters are unique and multifaceted and the investigations he devises are very authentic ...grit and grime of big city policing and politics are on full display, making this a compelling read.
