"Guns must be answered with guns, bullets with bullets."'Badge of Evil' lives up to its name in Masterson's iconic noir. For the badge is enough to shield accusations and falsify documents to bring forth a conviction, the local law have half a job to do - convince the DA of their suspects and the suspects of their guilt. Mitch Holt, a young intelligent, good old fashioned American male, is brought into the spotlight and cast in a manner to which he's not accustomed. Following success on a recently closed case, Holt is the proverbial pin-up boy of the law, that is, until his smarts get in the way of police corruption. Caught in between a rock and a hard place, Hot chooses the hard place and sets out on a mission to prove the innocence of Tara Linneker and Delmont Shayon of the alleged murder of Tara's farther, a wealthy town resident. Enlisting unlikely sources and questioning even more unlikely acquaintances, Holt's diligence for the truth may very well cost him his life. On the low end of the page count, 'Badge of Evil' read like a much longer and deeper novel. McCoy, the retired cop is well defined, his reputation fully fledged and actions prominent throughout the investigation. The same can be said for his partner, albeit on a smaller scale. However its the actions and relenting desire for justice by the protagonist that leads this novel. From start to finish, Holt is the centre of proceedings - and he couldn't have been better written. This isn't a typical crime/noir/police procedural, 'Badge of Evil' is multi dimensional, comprising the usual thriller aspects associated with crime but also a distinctly human element and a softer edge through Holt's domestic life. I liked the way Masterson slowly converges crime on the home front - there was a feeling that no one was untouchable which heightened the corruption plot and kept the story fresh and stimulating. This is a good book and one well worth re-reading. 4 stars.
The best of the old pulp noir mystery and detective novels have an immediacy that really grabs you. They don't feel dated at all, even sixty or more years after publication. Almost all of Fredric Brown's work has that quality. So does Catcher in the Rye, although of course that's not a mystery or noir.Touch of Evil (originally titled Badge of Evil, but renamed after the release of the Orson Welles movie that was loosely based on the book) has that timeless quality, too. It's short, particularly compared to modern novels, but the story is gripping and carries the reader along. It's a tale of corruption as old as the institution of law itself.The plot moves swiftly, with no slow patches at all. If anything, it seems to draw to a close a little too quickly, and be a little too sparse; I'd have liked to read a bit more detail about the lives of the Holt family. But all in all it's a very enjoyable book, and re-reads well. I strongly recommend it, and will be searching out other books by the authors ("Whit Masterson" being the pseudonym of two co-authors).
Do You like book Badge Of Evil (2015)?
A fast-moving, if somewhat dated, thriller. Idealistic prosecutor Mitch Holt is investigating the bomb-murder of the town's wealthiest citizen when he stumbles upon a trail of police corruption. Following that trail will endanger the lives of Mitch and his wife Connie.Badge of Evil differs substantially from Orson Welles' famous film adaptation Touch of Evil. The novel seems bland when compared to the film (Most notably, Welles added the bordertown racial elements that make Touch crackle with tension), but taken on its own it's an enjoyable read.
—Christian
