A Good Month for Murder is More Than Just a Good Read

Title: A Good Month for Murder: The Inside Story of a Homicide Squad

Author: Del Quentin Wilber

Publication Date: June 7th, 2016

Add to Goodreads

Twelve homicides, three police-involved shootings and the furious hunt for an especially brutal killer - February 2013 was a good month for murder in suburban Washington D.C. 

After gaining unparalleled access to the homicide unit in Prince George's County, which borders the nation's capital, Del Quentin Wilber begins shadowing the talented, often quirky detectives who get the call when a body falls. After a quiet couple of months, all hell breaks loose: suddenly every detective in the squad is scrambling to solve one shooting and stabbing after another. Meanwhile, the entire unit is obsessed with a stone-cold "red ball", a high-profile case involving a seventeen-year-old honor student attacked by a gunman who kicked down the door to her house and shot her in her bed.

Review

I was expecting A Good Month for Murder to read almost like mainstream crime shows - fast-paced, gruesome and nail biting. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the way Del Quinton Wilber narrated the different cases. 

My favourite part about AGMM is that it didn’t need to dramatise or sensationalise each case to grab my attention. Wilber kept his narration at an objective level, detailing each case as it happened. The murders and care real life, there’s no doubting these killings happen, but he also includes the context behind them. The deaths occur in low-socio economic areas, mostly by minority groups, but instead of fixating on the usual discourse of minority youths or groups having “deviant” natures and drawn to crime, Wilber’s narrative outlines the background of the individuals and the circumstances that could have led them to committing the crime or becoming a victim. It conveys further issues that lack addressing in most Western societies, such as drug abuse, lack of job opportunities and lack of support or resources available for residents in disadvantage areas. 

I also liked that the voices of the detectives were included. Wilber showcased each detective involved not only to relay the hard work each officer contributed but to also make them personable and relatable. It’s hard, especially in a US context, to really like police officers following news reports of police abuse and miscarriage of justice. The media coverage on police shootings have negatively impacted the image of police squads and their ability to deliver justice and safety. However, police officers in this recount, though not always perfect, attempt to treat each case with respect and the impact it has on them at a professional and personal level. Homicide cases are not easily solvable, as crime dramas seem to portray, as so I found AGMM to be realistic in that sense as well.

The book is structured so that the recounts are not chronological. I’m moving in and out of the 12 cases, which keeps me engaged but also wanting to know more. I flew through AGMM, reading it in a day and a half. Not once was I ever confused about which case I was reading, and despite finishing this at the end of 2018, I can still recollect details of some of the cases. Wilber was thorough in his description and never fluffed about. It was easy to visualise and recall the events of each case. 

If you want to get into true crime or are already a fan, definitely give this a go!

Read More

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek - Maya Van Wagenen

Plot: 

Maya finds herself sitting at the lowest tier of her high school's hierarchy. She's never been popular but a run in with a 1950s "Guide to Popularity" by Betty Cornell, Maya decides to change herself. Treating it as a social experiment, Maya decides to follow the rules laid out in each chapter every month.

The outcome is surprising to everyone, especially Maya.

Review:

When I first saw Popular I was very unsure how to approach it. On the hand, it looked like it would be a fun and easy read, and on the other I felt like it could bore me. Still, I headed to Goodreads to check up on some reviews and was pleasantly surprised to see very high ratings for it. Feeling a little positive I decided to go for it. I guess I was proved wrong. Well for some parts anyways.

Popular is written by the lovely Maya Van Wagenen, who is also the main character in this memoir. She is only 15. That's right, 15. Knowing that, I didn't expect to be blown away by the writing, but I loved that it was easy to read and very heartfelt. I think being a memoir, Maya was able to convey much of her emotions through her writing and I could feel her reaching out to me. A lot of it was very humourous as well, with bits clearly sounding like it's from a 15 year old, but had me giggling. Especially when her class had to do Sex Ed.

Another thing that I liked was how relatable this story is. Although I wasn't much of a "geek" in high school there were still moments when I felt like I was probably one of the lowest ranked people in school. Maya represents the entire community of socially awkward and unaccepted people. Kids who have their own way of thinking, are probably a bit more mature, but find themselves constantly being picked up by the "popular" kids. Being able to make that connection right from the beginning really  helped me ease into the story. It's actually nice to be able to read something that reminds me of my past, something that I can reflect on.

Maya is a very strong female character. Her perseverance and intelligence is really awe-inspiring. It goes to show you don't have to have a lifetime of knowledge to develop the rights views and values. Maya is level-headed, understanding and passionate. She's not about to jump the gun and think that what she's reading from a 1950s book is going to guarantee her a spot that the jocks/cheerleaders table. Instead, I felt like it was more about taking a stand and finding comfort in being yourself.

At first I felt like she was foolish to follow along with a 50s standard of popularity, I mean it is the 21st Century. Yet, I came to realise it was more about doing something you want to and feel comfortable about it. In fact Maya concludes that it's more about going out of your way to do things for others, and being yourself that matters the most. It's great to get people's attention, but in the end you have to be true to yourself. It's probably what I liked the best from Popular - the fact that Maya is able to relay such a strong message to young high schoolers, who probably think social acceptance is the most important thing.

There's a lot of positives that come out of Maya's debut novel. She certainly has left a mark on a lot of readers. Yet, for such a short novel I actually didn't fly through it. I started it not knowing what was going to happen, and while I did reach half way quite quickly, I never had the urge to finish it after putting it down. It didn't captivate me and I did get bored after half way. It picked up and I got to see a few more teenage topics being addressed. On the whole though, I think the effect wasn't as great on me because I have passed that age. I don't think I really worry about those things anymore.

Popular was a light and entertaining read. I got a couple of laughs out of it. I'm going to be totally honest and say that if I didn't receive a free copy of this book, I don't think I would even give it a second look. It's not a topic I would approach and the tagline is not that appealing. Still, I think it delivers a really honest meaning, and should be read by younger readers. I'm probably going to pass this on to someone I think would benefit more from it because I can't see myself re-reading it.

All the best to Maya though, she will definitely go far!

Rating: 3.5/5

Read More