Hollywood Station by Joseph Wambaugh - Book Review

Hollywood Station by Joseph Wambaugh is a suspenseful novel that trails a group of LAPD cops on routine patrols as well as more harrowing pursuits of criminals. Wambaugh draws on his own experience as a police officer in this hard-boiled tale, which will appeal to those looking for a frank portrait of the difficulties faced by today’s police forces.

The author of Hollywood Station, Joseph Wambaugh, is a former detective sergeant of the Los Angeles Police Department. Wambaugh left the force to become a bestselling author of mystery novels, and in Hollywood Station he clearly draws on his personal expertise. The novel provides a realistic portrait of the daily lives of policemen, and the unpredictable swing from mundane traffic stops to harrowing gunfights.

From a breast-feeding female cop who pumps milk on bathroom breaks to the cop nicknamed "Hollywood Nate" who auditions for movie parts in his spare time, the cops who make up Hollywood Station are a diverse bunch. The main criminals they face include a couple strung out on crystal meth and a pair of Eastern European thieves looking for a big score.

Wambaugh’s police officers must also deal with a variety of regulations and required paperwork. The LAPD has been under intense legal and media scrutiny since the Rodney King incident, and Wambaugh attempts to highlight the ways that restriction and scrutiny hamper the cops' efforts to get their job done.

The suspense of Hollywood Station will keep readers interested, but the plot can be hard to follow at times, and it’s hard to keep all the characters straight. Wambaugh’s frank style also makes for some extremely graphic scenes; sensitive or young readers should steer clear.