A cop gone bad
Small Crimes by Dave Zeltserman. (Serpent’s Tail), R180. ISBN: 9781852429713 - A novel must represent life – an opinion that applies particularly well to this story. It is about a police officer’s life in a small American town. Misconduct, a wrong lifestyle, keeping bad company, yielding to temptations, poor judgment, all pile up to make this man’s life miserable and take him to the edge.
This is a portrayal of a cop gone bad, leaving the reader with little sympathy for this man.
Throughout, there is a glimmer of hope that, yes, he will put his life back on track, and it is this uncertainty that makes the book an enjoyable read.
Representing life is the great mover in fiction writing, and this book succeeds well because we can so easily imagine ourselves getting trapped like this cop.
DRIES BRUNT