The Vigilantes

by W.E.B. Griffin, William E. Butterworth IV, William E. Butterworth

Book Overview

The dramatic new novel in Griffin's "New York Times"- bestselling chronicle of the Philadelphia police force. There's a sudden spike in murders in Philadelphia, but no one seems to mind much because the victims all seem to be lowlifes. The more Homicide Sergeant Matthew Payne investigates, however, the more he gets a bad feeling-one that only gets worse when vigilante groups spring up claiming credit for some of the hits, even though Payne knows it...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399156631
• ISBN13: 9780399156632
• Release Date: August 2010
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.4" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Griffin at his best

Excellent Philly Detective Bureau Novel. Griffin never disappoints and this is no exception to the rule.

CONTINUED EXCELLENCE IN WRITING

Mr Griffin & son continue to spark enthusiasm and "cannot put it down" reading. Thank you.

Outstanding read

Again Mr.Griffen comes through with flying colors.He is at the very top of my favorite authors list. I am very much awaiting his next release.

Not the City of Brotherly Love

This portrayal of Philidelphia is a little grimmer than most of the Badge of Honor series, but it brings home the lesson that the police are fighting a constant battle in large cities, where the police are not always viewed as the good guys. Life in the City of Brotherly Love is shown as dangerous, with drug addicts and dealers, rapists, murderers and dirty politicians. In other words, a typical large city today. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and it left me wanting even more at the end. As always with Griffin, it is another great book. That is the only kind that the Griffin/Butterworth team writes, even though most of us have our favorites. My personal favorites are the military books, but I am sure that someone who has been in law enforcement prefers the Philidelphia police stories, or wishes that this team would write about their cities. The book provided some excellent insights into the unique problems that Philadelphia faces today, including some antiquated legal and political procedures. This is an excellent police procedural book, describing some of the more modern technical systems that allow police to catch criminals even when the courts and jails can't contain them all.

They've done it again!

The team of Griffin and Butterworth IV have done it again! I enjoyed this work for several reasons. First as a writing team they are second to none. The next, the creation of compelling characters with a darn good plot line, that some critics might say has been played before but this one is loaded with twists that puts new life into the concept and has you ready to turn the next page. . . be warned I had a very late night reading this one. Finally, the setting in Philadelphia is an area I grew up in (darn near lost my life on the streets of Philly one dark and ugly night some years ago). . .the sight of one of the city cops racing up the street to the rescue of a friend and I, who had gotten off at a wrong station, in the wrong neighbor was a frightful few moments I still remember with a bit of a chill after thirty years. WEB and Bill absolutely capture the gritty sense of a city on the edge of collapse, ready to spin out of control and how one man, in desperation decides to fight back. The authors have a true grasp of the world of the thin blue line that protects us in many communities from a dark world of anarchy, thus any who serve, and those of us who respect them, this book will give you an insider glance of how razor thin is that line. By the way, I hate reviews that proceed to give you a blow by blow account of the plot. Would you want someone to tell you every detail of a movie long anticipated? Get the book, read it, discover why I liked it and spread the word that this is a winner by the team of WEB Griffin and Wm. Butterworth IV. This is an absolute must for your late summer reading list.