>
> The characters conducting the third degree are not
condemned at all.
The man
> in the hot seat is guilty and the cops are just
doing their job, even
though
> they may be stupid and brutal. They take off their
coats to allow
free rein
> for swinging their shoulders. "His head was bent
downward; time and
time
> again the hose took it with a distinct thud, and
each time the head
bobbed.
> The man was not young. Blood had started out of his
scalp, and sweat
> glistened on his face. First one and then another of
the detectives
would
> take the rubber snake and slap him across the scalp
with it."
>
> During the course of this, the detectives would
throw water on him to
awaken
> him and "the pinioned man raised his head suddenly
and, pushing out
his lips,
> tried to trap some of the moisture cascading down
his face. A few
drops fell
> into his mouth, and his neck jerked convulsively as
he swallowed."
One of
> the detectives began to swab his head "mopping up
the moisture as it
came off
> his forehead so that it would not reach his
mouth."
>
> The scene gets more graphic from this point on but I
will spare you.
The
> fact is that while we are all familiar with the
"third degree" scene
and how
> what are now considered constitutional rights used
to be violated, it
is
> stunning to see it matter-of-factly done by the
"good guys" in a novel
even
> one published in 1942. Yes, the cops were presented
as corrupt idiots
but in
> this instance they were "doing the right thing" and
what they did was
done
> with the knowledge of the Nero Wolfe wannabe
Wardlaw.
>
> So how do I summarize my opinion? This book is well
worth finding and
> reading and it is also well worth someone
reprinting. It is a very
enjoyable
> read, although I will say it was a bit complicated
for my tastes as it
had
> about three plots going at the same time. It is fun
on its own terms
and it
> is also interesting and important as a novel that
pushes the genre
into new
> directions. It is also fascinating as a period piece
that reminds us
of
> where we were not so long ago in the criminal
justice system.
>
> Richard Moore
Actually, on a planet-wide basis, I think you'd find that
"law enforcement" techniques have not changed so much after
all. And I doubt that they have completely disappeared from
Western-style democracies altogether. Those techniques were
still being used in my (younger) day in this part of the
world, 20 years ago, and presumably some people who used them
are still working in the biz, despite several corruption
inquiries going back decades.
Rene
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