David Simon went from Baltimore beat writer to TV writer extraordinaire via his excellent 1991 book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. And yes, if that sounds like the name of one of the best TV shows ever, you’d be correct since the book was the source of the show. In fact, I had quite a few pleasant moments connecting stories in the book to specific episodes.
Simon got permission from the Baltimore PD brass to ride along with the city’s CID Homicide Division for the year of 1988 and did some wonderful things with that permission; his writing is fresh and insightful. The cops come across as real, flawed people, who make mistakes, drink too much and joke about happenings we’d find horrifying while the criminals mainly come across as foolish and/or stupid. Of course, Simon probably never got to meet the perps smart enough to evade the Murder Police so there is a bit of bias there.
One case, which Simon returns to throughout the course of the year, is that of a 12 year old girl who was raped and murdered, then left for dead in an alley behind some rowhouses in the worst part of the city. The case also formed the basis of a major story arc in the show’s first season though for dramatic purposes the show’s version had a more definitive resolution while in the book the young detective who’s primary on the case eventually realizes he won’t find the Answer. A very interesting comparison of fact to fiction, if you’ve seen it.
Absolutely recommended
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