The Force: A Novel

Gritty cop novel written in New Yawkese. A real page-turner with twists and turns that are presented in a believable manner. Presents the very dark side of the police force which is surpassed by the venality of their civilian minders. Highly recommended for those who like the cop genre.

Well written, gritty and seemingly realistic tale of what it is like to police in a very dangerous environment. I could easily see this being adopted for a television limited series. Great character development without trying too hard or overly supported with details that do not enrich the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Relative to his other works like Power of the Dog and The Cartel, this one isn't nearly as powerful nor as entertaining. But still a very fast-paced and nuanced read on present-day criminal justice. Characters didn't resonate with me quite as well as his other aforementioned works but the storyline was certainly entertaining with plenty of plot shifts.

A great novel. The main character goes from being seen as a hero in some sense if a cop on the take can ever be seen that way. To being seen as a true dirt bag by most around him, than back to some redemption. All Winslow's books are great reads about being on the edge of accepted society.

Don Winslow is easily one of the best novelist of today. I love this book. Its detail, its honesty, & its comedy. It does give you insight as a reader as to what the "job" entails & how it wears on cops & it also details the truth about police & political corruption

A behind the scene look at what really takes place in ,law enforcement. It's relevant now and will still be relevant in 20 years. This book was both an eye opener and confirmation at the same time.

Teresa M.

This novel reminded me of the Sopranos in that it had mobsters & dirty cops & gang-bangers..for that reason, there was not much new plot wise. If you like politically incorrect prose, you'll chuckle at Winslow's writing. Being old school, I forced myself to finish it, but if I had had any idea that it was just another good guy/ bad guy novel, I wouldn't have purchased it.

Extremely well written in a very unorthodox way. Really gets into the mind of the main character. You end up hating and caring about him at the same time.....one of the best books I have read in many months!

A realistic maybe too realistic book. Dark and dirty and well written. A lot to think about regarding not only the police forces but the city governments behind them. An eye opener but not surprising. Recommended but be prepared to go down some dark streets and stairwells.

Don Winslow at his best. Dialogue so well crafted that you can smell and taste the words; a story that is both riveting and entrancing. Found myself cheering for good guys gone bad, and hoping the story would never end.

Sophomoric writing style peppered with more cliches than I could stomach. It's hard for me to believe that this book was written by a bona fide author. It reads like a $0.99 self-published ebook. My mistake for buying the book without first reading a kindle sample. It won't happen again.

One of the strongest police novels I have ever read. The reality of the characters blow you away. For a New Yorker, it I is not a novel but a biographical history of the good and the bad police in the biggest city in the world