It's a fast-paced journey with a well structured plot, likeable characters, and a few surprises lurking in its shadowy corridors. Recommended for mature readers who aren't afraid to be exposed to the ugly side of human nature and witness th Superbia is a bit like an old fashioned amusement ride that dares you to sit back and take a tour of the dark side of police work--and of the human race itself. Recommended for mature readers who aren't afraid to be exposed to the ugly side of human nature and witness the havoc this darkness can wreak on the people who confront it on a daily basis. Jul 10, Matt Schiariti rated it it was amazing.
Superbia is funny, brutal, sad, and tragic all at the same time. The author pulls from his experience in law enforcement and gives the reader and intimate glimpse into the day to day of a police officer. The pacing is fast, the characters three dimensional, the dialogue top notch. View all 4 comments. May 13, Silver Screen Videos rated it liked it. Bernard Schaffer is a twenty-year police veteran, and that experience is constantly on display in Superbia , a short novel about a suburban Philadelphia police force somewhat similar to the environs in which Schaffer has served.
As Schaffer notes in his introduction to the book, the Philadelphia suburbs actuall Bernard Schaffer is a twenty-year police veteran, and that experience is constantly on display in Superbia , a short novel about a suburban Philadelphia police force somewhat similar to the environs in which Schaffer has served. As Schaffer notes in his introduction to the book, the Philadelphia suburbs actually comprise a number of small jurisdictions, towns and townships, each with its own rather small police department.
So, while the Philadelphia suburbs in combination have the same demographics and crime problems as those of other major metropolitan cities, each jurisdiction has to deal with crimes within its borders with limited resources. Superbia details the exploits of the only two detectives in one such township. The plot of Superbia more closely resembles a few episodes of Dragnet back to back rather than a conventional detective novel. Also disgusting, but in a different sort of way, is the interrogation of the child molester, in which Vic must at first empathize with him in order to elicit an incriminating statement.
The dialogue and byplay in these scenes sounds incredibly authentic and is very entertaining to read. While individual scenes and moments in Superbia stand out, the overall storyline does not. Individual plot threads are dropped rather abruptly, and the transition between scenes is equally abrupt and lacks explanation, resulting in confusion until a reader figures out just when and where a scene is taking place.
The parts of Superbia that work are quite good and sound very true to life. Indeed, I get the feeling that if Schaffer had written a memoir based on his career as a Pennsylvania cop, he could have expanded on those parts of Superbia. I can still recommend Superbia for the enjoyment factor of the sections that do work. Schaffer has written number of books since then, so his plotting and character development may well have improved since then. Superbia, however, is not superb. Nov 18, Christy Kelly rated it it was amazing. WOW, a tense, humorous fast read you must not miss!
After slogging through four mundane, stultifying "suspense" novels, I found this jewel! Granted I had read them because they were free if I would review them which proves the principle "there's no free lunch". This one too was free and I am ecstatic to find this author. This is not your typical mystery or police procedural. The author grabs you by the throat from the beginning and throws you into this whirlwind of a small PD.
You hit the ground WOW, a tense, humorous fast read you must not miss! You hit the ground running meeting the key character right away. Schaeffer creates tension from the start. He maintains a fast pace throughout. He gives economical descriptions of the characters but they explode fully developed in your imagination. There is humor throughout the novel in the repartee between Frank and Vic. This isn't your usual hero meets murder, hunts down doer and solves it neat and tidy. It's messy, quirky, shocking and keeps you guessing about several plot lines. When you finish, I guarantee you will look to see what the next one is.
I'm thrilled I found this guy and that he's a prolific writer. Jul 18, bigfoot rated it did not like it. Dj Omg this book is so boring i don't get why people even make books like this I hate this book. Dec 21, David Hulegaard rated it it was amazing. There are so many things that I want to say about this book, but I truly believe that the best way to experience it is to go into it cold.
That's the way I experienced it. From being a fan of the author, I knew roughly what it was about, but when I began to read, it could not have been any further from my initial expectation. Hands down, Schaffer is the very best independent author I have ever read. I buy his books with confidence knowing that I'm going to get a quality read.
With Superbia, Schaf There are so many things that I want to say about this book, but I truly believe that the best way to experience it is to go into it cold. With Superbia, Schaffer has taken his game to an entirely new level. It's obvious from the first pages of the book that he is very close to the subject matter, and that he's speaking straight from the heart. He presents the reader with an opportunity to peek behind the curtain of real police work.
It's gritty and hard to stomach at parts, but when it's over, I can close the book. I can't even imagine what it's like to face that kind of evil every day. You have probably read a police procedural or detective story before. You have never read one like this. Schaffer's story is dark, intelligent, eye-opening, and if you can believe it, funny. Superbia is somehow both the most somber and hilarious book Schaffer has ever written. I've already read it twice and I'm ready to go back again.
I have read all of this author's books, and Superbia is my new favorite by a wide margin. If I had to offer any criticism at all, it's that I have no idea how he's going to top it, but I can't wait to watch him try. Jan 26, Mike McNeff rated it it was amazing Shelves: Superbia is a book that drags you through the emotional roller coaster of being a cop. I loved the book because it peals back the thick panels separating the public from the police and I hated it because it brought back bad memories. It's a concentrated slice of the police world I lived in for 29 years.
Although the characters are fictional, they are personalities that do exist in just about every law enforcement agency in the world. The character of Sgt. I've worked for guys like him and they are scary because they're all black and white in a profession that works mostly in the grey.
I've seen dozens of Vics. Good men beat down mostly by the system, but also by the job. They're tough on the outside and easy prey inside.
Their police work is sterling and their private life is a shambles. The Franks in this world make up the majority of cops. They work hard and believe in what they do. They manage to maintain some balance in their lives. They have a strong sense of justice and follow the rules Every once in a while, they rise up in indignation against the BS.
When they do, there's hell to pay. Being a cop takes it's toll on every man and woman who accepts the truly awesome responsibility of the badge. Superbia makes you feel the constant stress, the confusion of no right answer and the deep satisfaction of nailing a truly bad criminal. Schaffer lays it out for us and pulls into this stark, blunt, roller coaster of a world and let's us sample the frustration, contradiction and tragedy that all to frequently messes with officers' minds. Bernard Schaffer is one the finest writers of our time. His writing is bold and courageous and shows us the truth about the world and ourselves.
Superbia is no exception and it is a progression in Schaffer's already extraordinary writing career. Aug 08, Marc A. I'm unhesitatingly giving this novella 4 stars because of the fine quality of the writing. It's a good story with characters you can care about. Schaffer is a working detective and this police story which he claims is based on true personal experiences could easily be a pilot for one of the better and more realistic TV "cop shows", like Southland, The Killing, The Wire, and NYPD Blue, and stand up in that company like a champ. And that's the problem.
We have been here before. All the classic ele I'm unhesitatingly giving this novella 4 stars because of the fine quality of the writing. All the classic elements are there: All of these pressure and contradictions inevitably lead to marital problems, abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs, and - perhaps most importantly - a warped sense of how much the rules can or must be bent to serve the higher purpose of fighting crime and punishing the guilty.
And, of course, there is the younger partner who can still see the gray areas between good and evil and who is struggling to reconcile the contradictions he faces every day. So what's new here? Given his great writing and storytelling skills, I'm hoping that Mr. Schaffer will find his way to somewhat more complex and sophisticated moral dilemma's and resolutions as can be found, for example, in books like Mystic River and Gone Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane.
Mar 13, Bert rated it really liked it. This is the first in a series of three police novels. Frank is our protagonist, he's a small town policeman.
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Circumstances get him reassigned to partner up with Vince, the department's only investigator. Frank winds up getting injured in a shooting where his former partner is killed, hence the reassignment. Pain pills don't do enough to take the edge off as Frank tries to walk on his reconstructed knee. Vince has a shrew for a wife, and has been kicked out of his house and denied visitation of his kids.
Booze is Vince's more and more frequent companion. The chief of police is nearing retirement and insensitive to the needs of his only two detectives. A sergeant has his eye on the chief's job, and he promises Frank and Vince that both will be writing traffic tickets, "real police work," if and when he takes over. A drug dealer kidnaps a confidential informant, and a 75 year old pedophile is arrested. Each is given "enhanced interrogation techniques" to facilitate closure of the cases. Frank learns Vince is on the edge of the abyss, after being arrested for allegations of domestic violence.
This book is not for readers who are shrinking violets. Lots of insightful glimpses into the lives and personalities of those who make up the "thin blue line. The author has real world law enforcement credentials. Apr 07, William Bentrim rated it really liked it. Superbia by Bernard Schaffer A cop and robbers book for the suburbs.
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The relationship between two cops, their department and the perpetrators they handled. The author claims authenticity in his story. Not necessarily in fact of the cases or people but in the feel of the circumstances. Schaffer made cops real live, fragile and strong people. Post traumatic stress doesn't just plague those in the military but those who serve the public in many ways.
I don't know if Mr. Schaffer was proselytizating Superbia by Bernard Schaffer A cop and robbers book for the suburbs. Schaffer was proselytizating or not but I read a lot of humanity between the lines. We, the public, put enormous stress on those that we expect to protect us. Personally I am grateful for those who are willing to give up their time, sometimes their relationships or even their lives so the rest of us can sleep at night. Sadly Schaffer also points out the chickenshit that occurs in any organization, regardless of their laudable goals.
If nothing else besides a good story, this book clearly shows cops are as human as the rest of us and deserve more accolades than they get. This book does have some graphic violence and gritty sophism when dealing with perpetrators. Aug 29, Jody rated it it was amazing Shelves: I don't give a lot of five star reviews but this one earned it and then some. I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading this but it didn't take long before I noticed chunks of time going by while I was immersed in this book.
It is very gritty and in your face. It has such a ring of truth to it that you cannot help but think it is a biography. It shows you what great lengths cops will go to in order to protect the ones they love and how hard they will make it on the ones they don I don't give a lot of five star reviews but this one earned it and then some. It shows you what great lengths cops will go to in order to protect the ones they love and how hard they will make it on the ones they don't.
It shows you what a destroying factor the police job is on the policeman and yet it also shows you the rewarding side of all the voiceless victims who have been helped by an officer. I really liked this book and this is author is up on the top shelf with the likes of Joseph Wambaugh. Don't miss this exciting series. Jun 10, Lyndon rated it really liked it.
A rough and tumble, head-smashing, throat-grabbing novel that features two very unsympathetic detectives who are thrown together and have to make the best of a bad situation. Some sympathy eventually arises as their extreme personalities evolve and mesh and eventually Just know that this isn't the warm and fuzzy buddy cop movie you were anticipating. Vulgar and gritty and violent and often times outrageously funny, this story is adult oriented and not recom A rough and tumble, head-smashing, throat-grabbing novel that features two very unsympathetic detectives who are thrown together and have to make the best of a bad situation.
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Vulgar and gritty and violent and often times outrageously funny, this story is adult oriented and not recommended for the faint of heart. It will, however, satisfy fans of Konrath, Crouch, and other indie writers who press the boundaries of the police procedural genre. Author and ex-cop Bernard Schaffer has rightfully joined their ranks and should be on the 'to read' list for those who like dark humor served with their action thrillers. Jan 12, Debbie rated it really liked it. This books starts out with a bang This is not an exciting book, nor a feel good book.
But it is an interesting book in that we see the life of a police officer and what they deal with in the office, in the field, at home and then how they try to cope and get a handle on all their emotions and responsibilities. It takes a very understanding spouse to be married to a law enforcement office. All the crap and low lives they must deal with and yet not bring Respect. All the crap and low lives they must deal with and yet not bring it home too much. Although I may get aggravated at some cops that take their authority above what it should be, on the whole, I have total respect for police officers and think they are crazy to keep a job like that.
But am thankful that they do. I look forward to reading Superbia 2, because I definitely connected with the characters and want to see what happens in their lives next. Sep 16, Beryl Cost rated it really liked it Shelves: I really enjoyed this book a lot. I work in the court system and know a lot of police officers and I can see their faces in the characters in this book. I don't know what goes on behind closed doors in their day to day work but nothing mentioned in the book really surprises me. I absolutely think law enforrcement is underpaid and underappreciated.
I'm going to go start the next one right now. This is one of a series of seven, for comment see , Pride Superbia ; richly dressed allegorical figure in centre foreground admiring herself in mirror with attribute of peacock next to her; a barbershop to the right; various demons and monsters throughout.
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