Homicide: White Butterflies

It must be remembered that the book is a tie-in, not its own story. If one looks at it as an individual novel, one is left with a misinterpretation of the author's intentions. The intentions were to provide an episode that would tie in with a one-hour TV series. That doesn't leave much time for development. The whole thing was meant as fun...For its genre, "White Butterflies" really isn't that bad... It can't be easy to do a tie-in, especially one for a series as complicated as H:lots. The characters in Homicide, are quirky, just like people in real life, not one-dimensional or predictable. I can understand how Lewis's scouse would have caused a bit of confusion and might have allienated some readers (the verb comment comes to mind). However, when I noticed it, I tried to say it aloud, and when spoken, it makes much more sense.I only gave it a 4 because there were too much romaniticism in certain spots like, "her long red hair tumbling over her shoulders like dawnlight over the bonny hills and dales of her ancestral Ireland". That was a bit too much. If Munch had said it while being sarcastic, then it would have made sense, but he didn't. Speaking of Munch, Preisler captured his intonation very well, as well as Bayliss'.Final thoughts: a great read if you're bored and Homicide longing on the weekends. It's for fun, not a serious litterary work.

On two counts:1. "Gee" has always been (at least on the TV show) a "looming, thunderous presence."2. It's very common for Det. Lewis to greet someone with a phrase along the lines of "Hey, yo, whassup?" - If you ever watched the series, you'd be aware that despite his age, Lewis' slang is very up-to-date. The use of it here in the book is not an affront to Black culture.

This book is wonderful! It reads like an episode, heavy on the drama and light with the humor. It goes deep into the thoughts of the detectives, the thoughts of the killer and etc. Eventhough, the cover photo is misleading...I recommend it highly!

White Butterflies is the third novel in the Homicide set. It's a fast read and above average for a serialization of a television show. If you're a Homicide fan it gives you a chance to spend a little more time with the Baltimore detectives.