Sons of the City

By Scott Flander

Book Overview

The streets of Philadelphia are meaner than most ... A city on the edge is about to explode. The killing of a cop in a rundown Philly crack house has stoked racial tensions to the boiling point -- as angry police strike out in force, rounding up every young black man in sight. Sergeant Eddie North suspects that the Mob was behind the slaying, though it may already be too late to douse the inevitable fire. A man obsessed with justice -- and vengeance -- North is ready to launch his own private war on Organized Crime, with unexpected help from Michelle Ryder, the policewoman sister of the slain officer, who's willing to risk her own life and career undercover. But the poison polluting the City of Brotherly Love is more toxic than either of them suspects. The Mafia life is dragging Michelle in deeper than she can handle. And Eddie North is about to discover the devastating consequences awaiting those who press the limits of the law.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060542780
• ISBN13: 9780060542788
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

A gripping page-turner that's also literate and insightful

Flander's novel is much more than a typical genre novel about cops and criminals. Picking it up casually in the book store, I was struck immediately by the strength of the voice and the exceptionally high quality of the writing. The scenes, the images from the streets, the variety of the characters, the funny and/or horrific set-pieces, the blistering action - very quickly, I found that I'd read a third of the book and become completely absorbed. Not that Flander cheats you out of the pleasures of the genre - it's all there, the chases, the bad guys, the boys in blue - but it's rendered with a level of authenticity, a sophistication about the way cops think and behave, a deep understanding of the ways in which the police and different communities within a boiling metropolis relate to, and negotiate with, one another that's, in my experience, really rare. At the center of it all is Eddie North, a deeply conflicted, angry, affectionate, smart, stupid, blind, observant, and finally extremely sympathetic and winning cop who is as human and intriguing as any character you're likely to find in a book like this. What can I say? I loved it, I loved everything about it - and I'd like to see these guys again. Any chance of a sequel (or two)?

Awesome Book

This book was so good. I'm only 16 and a female so I thought I might not enjoy this book. I usually can predict what's going to happen but this book was suspensefull and so clearly written. Very nice!

New Respect and Admiration for Cops!

Scott Flander's book so immersed me in the world of Philly cops that I no longer look at cops the same way. A few weeks after reading Sons of the City, I was sitting in a diner and noticed a large group of cops having lunch together at the next table. I found myself smiling at them and felt like I actually knew them. I realized that I recognized them - their smiles and mannerisms - as the characters from Flander's book. And I felt such a strong respect for what they do on a daily basis. Aside from enhancing the way I perceive cops in real life, Flander's book is superb! Very gritty, a lot of humor, and fantastic dialogue. The plot lines have been seamlessly woven together and the characters are so solid, you never question their actions or motivations. A definite pager-turner recommended for anyone who likes cop novels, mysteries, mafia story lines, the city of Philadelphia and/or just great writing!

A Definite Must Read!

Scott Flander's "Sons of the City" is one of the most compelling books I've read in a long time. He certainly did his homework. The book was a real "page turner"; with the only down side being that I was finished much too quickly. Scott -- how 'bout a follow up to the story? I feel like I know the characters personally. If this becomes a movie -- you will definitely be on the edge of your seat! This book would make a great Christmas gift -- even for yourself!

A Terrific First Novel

Sons of the City is an engaging, fast-paced police procedural/crime novel that gets you out of the precinct office and catapults you onto the mean streets of some of the toughest neighborhoods of Philadelphia. Scott Flander writes about Philadelphia in a way that only someone who really knows the city and its moods could. This novel successfully explores the many fault lines that exist in a large, multi-cultural urban/suburban environment, which may, at any time, begin to move and shift, causing social upheaval. From the moment you step into Eddie North's patrol car, with its ghosts of old cheese steaks, doughnuts, and 7-11 coffee, you are swept into a world that "civilians" rarely get to experience. You learn the very high price that certain individuals in our society are willing to pay so that the rest of us can sleep at night and feel that the world is, basically, a decent place. This novel is a real page-turner, with surprising twists and turns of plot. Just when you think you've finally got something nailed down, it's pulled right out from under you. Sons of the City is an exciting novel that is tough and cynical, yet, at times, surprisingly tender and moving. Much of the humor is the black humor of people who live on the edge and never know if the next moment will bring a fresh doughnut or death. As a lover of this genre of literature, I give Sons of the City my best recommendation--it kept me up late, reading, for three nights.