Reader Review of "The Execution of Justice" by Michael Phelps

[John Masse]

It's not the swimmer. I pretty much got that question anywhere I went with the book. So even if you weren't wondering, I figured I'd clear that up right now. In fact, this Michael Phelps is a talented writer, who graciously sent me a copy of The Execution of Justice free and signed, asking only that I review it open and honestly. And that is what I intend to do here now.

In the book, the reader follows Mike Walsh from his patrol route, with a standoff that injures his partner, through the ranks of detective work. You get to experience a side of police work that is rarely seen in most novels. The day to day routines of a police man, the paper work, the simple cut and dry cases mixed with those that take months to solve. While some may find this tedious and dull, I feel that it gives the book a sense of reality that it could happen (and did, seeing as how the book is based off a true story).

You also see the strain put upon Mike's marriage to his wife. At first, there is excitement over the pay bump, and that all of Mike's hard work in the department has paid off. But slowly, as months go by, and Mike becomes sluggish, and consumed with cases and exhaustion, the problems begin to arise. She doesn't like the lack of attention, that he's home less, and when he's there he's distant. This is another humanizing aspect of the book. The problems are real ones that we face every day. Coupled with the fact that you have murderers and robbers to capture just makes everything ten times as hard.

At times, the book may seem to drag. But the only reason it took so long to finish was because of excess school work and such. The book did have action, and the emotion and heart was present on every page. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and recommend it to all