"Fugitive Nights" by Joseph Wambaugh

This book is a typical American bestseller with a nice collection of testimonials printed on the back of the cover - all rapture and delight. Inside we'll find a collection of fine characters - half of them total weirdos, but still calling for sympathy, others of a more self-confident, perfectionist type. Breda Burrows represents the second type. So does the mysterious fugitive.Breda is a P.I. and a former police officer from LAPD. Smart, efficient and fit, she still feels she can't cope with the case on her hands alone, so she summons the help of Lynn Cutter, a cop on permanent sick leave, soon to be retired. Lynn is waiting for his disability pension due to bad knees and spending his days drinking heavily and suffering from hangover every morning. He has to be careful with accepting temporary jobs until his first pension check arrives, since it can jeopardize his pension - but, on the other hand, he needs money badly. After a few word duels with Breda, who is very thick-ski
nned after 20 years of police work among unfriendly male colleagues, he accepts her offer.Their relationship is not easy from the start. Lynn has had bad experience with women - his two marriages were unhappy and stripped him to the bone. Besides, he can't help seeing that Breda disapproves of his lifestyle. And yet they are attracted towards each other and find it harder to resist with every page, though the author doesn't say so. We can feel it.Before long they meet Nelson Hareem, a young policeman on leave, chasing a mysterious fugitive who might be from Mexico or from Middle East, a drug dealer or a terrorist, or none of the above. Nelson wants to catch him at all costs, just so his career gets a fresh start. His tendency to be too eager at work - almost fanatically so - has gotten him in trouble more than once, and his career stalled. Nelson maneuvers Lynn into helping him, and soon a new friendship forms.There are many episodes written from the fugitive's perspective,
too. We soon know he is on a mission, and though he has obviously crossed the border to do something evil, we soon know he has his very good reasons for doing what he is going to do. I couldn't help wishing him success. At the same time I wished success to Nelson and Lynn too - a contradiction that couldn't be solved. The author solved it though - in the most unexpected way - and Nelson got his new assignment he dreamed of.The fugitive is, of course, neither a drug-dealer, nor a terrorist, but I'll leave it at that. You'll have to read the book itself to learn more.I liked the book - it kept me interested throughout. The writing style is such that no matter how sinister the events, it never makes the reader feel depressed or sad - on the contrary, it made me smile and even laugh more than once. I'll have to return the book to the library in a couple of days, but I know I'll miss it. Miss them all - efficient Breda, easy-going Lynn, eager Nelson, heroic fugutive and romantic
Clive Devon so devoted to his old, sick mongrel dog that he... oops, I nearly spoiled it all! I won't. The book is well worth reading.

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