This selection from the Library of Congress Crime Classic series is branded as the first police procedural. New York police detective Mitch Taylor investigates a routine hit-and-run which quickly and unexpectedly leads to a murder. Are the cases related? Taylor is determined to find out and he is not averse (unlike his old-school superiors) to pulling in the egg-head crime technician, Jub Freeman, to bolster his case(s). This is not a buddy cop story. The detective and the technician are not best friends or partners; they are doing their jobs and leaning into their respective areas of expertise. This step-by-step crime drama feels a bit clunky as the author fills in the background of the two cops. Unfortunately, there is no humor in this saga and surprisingly little suspense. The story does have a noir feel -- gritty, twisty, and the cast of characters are sordid. But even when the policemen are punched by the suspects (or tempted by the femme fatale) the writing doesn’t ramp up. Being the first of its genre doesn’t add up to being first-rate.
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