Joseph Wambaugh's writing has changed. Finnegan's Week more resembles Carl Hiaasen. It's very cynical, filled with dark humor. The plot's not terribly suspenseful: two truck drivers for a corrupt toxic waste hauler steal some shoes from a U.S. Navy warehouse to sell in Mexico. Their truck contains a fraudulently manifested drum of Guthion, a terribly toxic chemical that gets spilled and kills a child and another thief The owner of the waste disposal company, fearful that he will be caught for forging the manifest, plots to kill the employees after they threaten to blackmail him. In the meantime, two middle-aged detectives, one a San Diego cop and another an environmental crimes detective, and a U.S. Navy overactive female detective named Bobbie! (and nicknamed Bad Dog!) team up to solve the crime and their personal problems.Wambaugh's middle-aged cynicism is fun.
This was my first book by Wambaugh. Finnegan's Week isn't quite noir and it isn't quite a detective novel either. The reader knows the crime right away, whereas the protagonists never get it entirely right. The characters are multi-faceted while still not totally straying from some stock character traits. When new characters are introduced Wambaugh launches into drawn-out depictions of their characteristics, influences, and biographies, which seems tedious. However the writing manages to maintain a reasonable pace that doesn't distract from the story. Overall it's a good story but in it's blending of genré between detective story and slice of life it doesn't deliver completely on either. It's a good read and I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't call it outstanding.
What do You think about Finnegan's Week (1995)?
Another very solid police/crime novel by Joseph Wambaugh. The story moves from San Diego to Mexico, toxic waste fraud to navy warehouse ripoff. The main character is a 3 times divorced veteran cop who is also a small-time actor. Funny one-liners are toned down a bit compared to the previous novel (Fugitive Nights) but still very effective and funny. Story and characters are first-rate and very well fleshed out. Heroes and villains have enough complexity and quirks to make the reader care about them. Also interwoven is a sweet/conflicted love story.
—Evyn Charles
