Homicide

A Year on the Killing Streets

By: David Simon

Narrated by: Reed Diamond

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Through wonderfully descriptive writing, Simon details the work of 15 detectives, three sergeants and a lieutenant charged with investigating dozens of Baltimore's 234 murders that year. Simon takes listeners inside the detectives' lives, describing the frustration of departmental red tape and politics, the bursts of energy and moments of despair.

With an eye for the scenes of slaughter and pursuit and an ear for the cadences of cop talk, both business and banter, Simon gives this brilliant, harrowing account its authenticity and fascinating edge.

Simon plants us so close to these detectives that we see everything - the Police Department, the prosecutors, the courts, the city of Baltimore itself - from their angle.

This is a never-before-seen look at what it's really like to investigate murders for a living.

©1997 David Simon (P)1997 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Edgar Award Winner
  Anthony Award Winner

Highly recommend

A very stimulating book, a must listen for true crime addicts! I recommend Homicide to everyone

Great book

Really engaging, I just wish it was the whole thing , as opposed to the abridged version. What a tease!

Better than the show

This book was a joy to listen to. Simon's writing goes far beyond the critically acclaimed television show, and highlights what it could have been. Diamond's narration is flawless. This is the best of the true crime genre I've come across. I laughed out loud and recoiled in horror at different points. This is a fascinating look inside the world of Baltimore homicide detectives.

WARNING HEAVILY ABRIDGED

I recently found out this is a HEAVILY ABRIDGED version of the book as much as it is more cohesive in narrative the original unabridged audio book that was released on tape is over 26 hours long where this audio book is only 6 hours

This book tells the story of homicide detectives in one of the most murderous cities in America during one of the most criminal times in recent American history.

You learn the methods of investigation unlike most tv cop dramas rarely cases are broke on forensics alone, it is detectives analyzing the scene then talking to witnesses and possible perpetrators sorting lies and half truths trying to figure out what really happened.

You learn their personality and motives of these detectives, the tragic and too often comical tales of American crime. This is one of the best true crime books I have read in a while.

Needs remastering

Love the story. Great insight into who detectives minds work. The audio quality is terrible, could really use remastering, sound like it was recorded in mono.

Great Listen. Abridged

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. Extremely entertaining but also educational. A glimpse into the world of police detective work that you don't usually get, particularly from almost all the TV shows out there.

Who was your favorite character and why?

McLarney (sp?). Seemed the most real to me. Worden is given an almost superhuman mythical character which, while still believable, was more difficult to identify with.

Which scene was your favorite?

The interlude in juror quality and rule 9. Hilarious and sad at the same time.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laughed out loud multiple times (to the confusion of street onlookers). Quite a few cynical / sardonically funny sections.

Any additional comments?

The book is very well written and the narrator choice is one of the best I have ever heard. Musical accompaniment is unnecessary and detracting, but thankfully minimal. At the end I found myself wishing that there were more to listen to and that this seemed awfully short. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the audiobook is an abridged version. The actual book is 600+ pages which would certainly take longer than 6 hours of reading. Why shorten a book that is so engrossing is beyond me. I would have much more appreciated the full reading if available and am now a little bummed that now I'll have to get the book to read the full story which will require me to 'rerun' the segments read here. Should've made an audiobook of the entire thing!!

"The Wire" in book form

Would you consider the audio edition of Homicide to be better than the print version?

No

Who was your favorite character and why?

Worden

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where they advised the patrol office that a murder vistim had apparently "Sprung a leak"

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Wire

Any additional comments?

David Simon has written a book that has served as the basis for any decent police drama for the last 10 years.

Amazing!

I kept hearing this book be recommended while listening to Small Town Murder. I finally bought it and it is truly amazing. Reed Diamond does a wonderful job narrating this book! I can't recommend this book enough!

Recommended by Small Town Murder Podcast

I listened to this book because the host of a podcast I enjoy references some aspect of the story frequently.

I enjoyed the presentation. This would be a great summer beach read.

Spoils you for other mysteries

This book, and the show based on it, are such an unbeliveably realistic, complex, clever, and engaging way of telling a 'mystery story' that I can no longer enjoy pat mysteries where the killer reveals all at the end. This is a phenomenal book, and read superbly by the narrator.