Bullitt

Lieutenant Clancy #1

by Robert L. Pike, Robert L. Fish

Lieutenant Clancy of New York City's 52nd Precinct faces one of the toughest assignments of his career: Johnny Rossi, gangster and racketeer, has welched on the rest of his West COast mob and is to testify before the State Crime Commission. It is Lieutenant Clancy's job to see that he stays alive to do it. It may not sound too difficult when you have two loyal detectives like Sergeants Kaproski and Stanton to help you keep a round-the-clock watch on the hoodlum, but it proves almost beyond them.

Part of the "NFT/BFI Film Classics" series, this novel was made into a film starring Steve McQueen, featuring one of the most memorable car chase scenes in film, through the streets of San Francisco.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Detective, American Fiction, American

177 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

American author of police novels. Robert L. Pike is the pseudonym of Robert L. Fish

An engineer who worked in major companies including Firestone Tire and Rubber, Fish submitted his first story to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine at the age of 48.He subsequently wrote over 30 novels and numerous short stories.

His 1962 novel The Fugitive won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award; later he won two more Edgars and served as president of the MWA in 1978. His most well known novel Mute Witness served as the basis for the classic Steve McQueen movie Bullitt.

He had open heart surgery in 1971 but continued writing at his home in Trumbull,Connecticut. On February 23, 1981, he was found dead in his study, pen in hand.

Biorgraphy source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L...

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 4 out of 5]

BULLITT

Originally published as MUTE WITNESS under the pen name Robert L. Pike, this novel by Robert L. Fish became the basis for the award winning Steve McQueen movie, BULLITT. Fans of the movie will undoubtedly suffer at least two major disappointments. First, the setting of the novel is New York City rather than San Francisco. Second, there is no thrilling car chase through the hills of San Francisco or elsewhere. However, there are other thrills, mystery and plenty of suspense.

[John Defrog: global citizen, local gadfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally published as Mute Witness, this novel is of course the basis for the famous Steve McQueen film, and I was curious to read the source material. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s very little resemblance apart from the basic plot – when a gangster who plans to testify against his bosses is killed, the cop assigned to protect him must find the killer before the DA learns his star witness is dead. The novel is set in New York, not San Francisco (which of course means no iconic car chase), and Lt Clancy is almost the opposite of McQueen’s Frank Bullitt – hot-tempered, sleep deprived, prone to making bad decisions and not at all cool. Which at least makes it somewhat realistic. However, the same can’t be said for the key plot twist, the success of which relies on certain characters being incredibly dumb and/or lazy – which is not impossible, but still. Anyway, it’s an okay read, but it’s also one of those cases where the film version is an improvement on the book.

[nath_a_lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un livre que j'aurais cru plus intense, mais néanmoins on voit ce qui a inspiré Steve McQueen.
une lecture rapide et accessible à tous et toutes

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Geof · Rating 3 out of 5]

You are probably here because you liked the movie and then read the book. I thought the movie mediocre at best and then read the book. The movie is best described as "murky" with little explained and at times making little to no sense. But hey! It has a car chase! Thankfully the book makes more sense (and the movie is only loosely based on it).

It is a sort of gritty police story that is clever in a way. It is very short and can be read in one sitting. There is nothing fantastic about it, but it is an enjoyable thing to read.

Why would I read a book after seeing a movie that I did not really care for? My cousin insisted that I read it saying that the book is less "murky." The book that he loaned to me is by Robert L. Pike, not Robert L. Fish. I have no idea why he would use a silly nom de plume.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullitt!

The original on which Bullitt was based. A good read, well-written, exciting, and suspenseful. I thoroughly enjoyed it, first to last.

[David Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up second hand in Hay-on-Wye during the Literary Festival mainly in order to escape a wretchedly poor banjo-picking busker duelling with himself and annoying everyone else. It was with some relief I handed over my £2 and made my escape while commiserating with the trapped shop owner. Settling down in a deckchair to read and waiting for Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack to read first world war poetry to me (and 1600 others) I was delighted to find that the story (originally published in 1963 as Mute Witness) is set in New York where we are shortly to visit and will undoubtedly be all the safer for having Lieutenant Clancy (rather than Frank Bullitt and his Ford Mustang) cleaning up the 52nd Precinct whatever that is... surely not a boring 1960's shopping centre? Oh, a police station. The atmosphere is well invoked by the film version and the plot very similar. Clancy is held in higher regard by his bosses than is McQueen, and his colleagues, Stanton, Kaproski and Doc Freeman provide sturdy support while Clancy goes out on a limb to hide a dead murder victim while he figures out what on earth is going on. No one gets to eat or drink while Clancy is working. In between his exhaustive and exhausting hours on the case there are little glimpses into his character and no shortage of humorous interludes while he ponders the variations in the contents of a washing line visible from his office window; a puzzle he also solves.

He stared out of the window, disappointed in Kaproski's lack of success. The clothesline caught his eye. One day that line had been empty and he wished he could remember when. Christmas? New Year's? St Patrick's Day? He turned back to his report, giving up on the problem. And how, he suddenly wondered, facing the pages before him, did the police department ever manage to function before the invention of the typewriter, and the pencil, and the pen? Especially the ballpoint pen?

Lots of commas there too. Now I need an anthology of WW1 poetry.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Drama:
Dramatisation of Robert L Pike's gritty detective story, set in New York's rough 52nd Precinct in 1963.

Lieutenant Clancy, head throbbing from days without sleep, is assigned to protect important Mafia witness Johnny Rossi. But when he is found dead, Clancy has only a matter of hours to find the killer before his enemy, Assistant District Attorney Chalmers, finds out.

Lieutenant Clancy ...... Jason Isaacs
Ada Chalmers/Barnett/Renick/Johnny Rossi ...... Kerry Shale
Detective Kaprowski ...... Lou Hirsch
Captain Wise/Johnny Rossi/Ships Officer ...... John Biggins
Dr Willard/Pete Rossi ...... Stephen Hogan
Doc Freeman/Sergeant ...... Bruce Alexander
Detenctive Mark Kelly ...... Sasha Pick
Ann Renick/LAPD Officer ...... Emerald O'Hanrahan
Hotel Manager/Chalmers' Secretary ...... Kate Layden

Directed by Pauline Harris.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ncf8t

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't seen the movie, and now I really want to! This was an entertaining, quick read. All the way through I really desperately wanted Clancy to have some damn sleep. haha. But of course he couldn't as he has more important things to be doing. I didn't see where the plot was going (i.e. with Johnny Rossi not actually being Johnny Rossi and the real Johnny Rossi stepping forward at the end), but then I've always been amongst the last to guess these kinds of plot twists.

I like the humour in this story. I was telling a work colleague when I wasn't that far into the read, "Yeah, you know how I was saying it was about somebody in witness protection? Well, the witness is already dead..." hehe.

This is an entertaining, light read that I'd recommend to any fans of crime fiction, even if it's not exactly the most complex or riveting work I've ever read.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lieutenant Clancy of the NYPD is assigned to babysit a mobster who is supposed to be testifying to to the New York Crime Commission. The weird thing is that the mobster is from California, so why would he be testifying in New York? But Clancy takes on the job and things go haywire almost immediately. An excellent police procedural, it was made into the movie Bullitt. Since it has been decades since I saw Bullitt, I can't testify for certain that the movie doesn't really follow the book. But, since the book is set in New York and the movie in San Francisco, that doesn't bode well for a close following of the story. In addition, there's no wild car chase in the book like there is in the movie. At any rate, recommended, but don't expect to see Bullitt and after reading the book and getting the same story.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was originally published in 1963 with the title Mute Witness. The basic story about a mob witness being protected by the Assistant District Attorney is the same as the movie version. However, there are a few differences in the book. The story takes place in New York City (not San Francisco), the main detective is called Lieutentant Clancy (not Frank Bullitt), and there's not a single car chase in the book.

Lt. Clancy is an over-worked, sleep deprived detective (not a Mr. Cool Steve McQueen character) whose methodical thinking helps him figure out the case. I liked him and the other characters that helped him with the case. The story was a little complex, but a summary at the end of the case by Lt. Clancy helped clear up any questions I had. An entertaining read.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lieutenant Clancy reminds be a bit of Dashiell Hammet’s Continental Op, in the way he distributes resources and gives orders. And I mean that in a good way! Also, he's kind of Sherlock Holmes-ish at the end, when telling his tale!

I liked this story quite a bit! Better than the movie! Funny, in the book, the story goes from CA to NY, and in the movie, it's the other way! And, no big car chase in the book. But, the plot is so much clearer and understandable in the book! SO much! And I liked the little bit of humor with the clothes line outside Clancy's office. Nice little dash to a dark toned tale. I think I'd like to read the next Clancy book now!

[John Marr · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this solid combo of traditional mystery tropes with the police procedural, NYPD Lt. Clancy finds himself on the spot after a mob would-be canary fails to survive protective custody. An adrenalin fueled investigation follows that caroms all over Manhattan, gradually unravelling a gratifyingly complex and surprising murder scheme not without its red herrings. The only thing missing is a car chase.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the book the movie Bullet was based on. Only in the book the setting is New York in the 1950's. If you like noir mysteries I don't think you will feel let down on this one. One of the more clever plots I've run across in a mystery for quite awhile.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book was that it was written in 1963 so there weren't cell phones, surveillance cameras, the internet, or DNA testing. It was fun to read a book and keep thinking about not having these modern conveniences.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable book that, although not the pinnacle of writing, took me right back to crime fighting in the 70's. I could vaguelly see how this character ended up being made into Bullit, although the story is completely different so don't expect it to be a copy. Really enjoyed

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Really enjoyed .

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel served as the inspiration for Steve McQueens Bullitt. I love the movie...not so much the novel. The novel is rather mediocre.

[Chris Southworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's perfect. Good characters enhance an engaging mystery which is tantalizingly out of reach for the solution. This novel is a time capsule of cop dramas from 1963.

[Thrillers R Us · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witness, a shotgun and only 24 HRS for a tough cop to keep the brutal syndicate off the scent...

Deep in the shadow of the Caped Crusader, Riggs, his Beretta and Murtaugh were back. The year was 1989 and Apartheit still raged in South Africa, giving director Donner a vehicle to make a political statement while the two lethal weapons dodged a torrential downpour of henchmen and Krugerrands. The main rub, however, was keeping the annoying-voiced twerp Leo Getz alive, an accountant who discovered that the Afrikaaners were laundering money under cover of diplomatic immunity. Not indulging late 80s high-jinks and famously turned into a technicolor commercial for the 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback starring Steve McQueen, MUTE WITNESS is a solid cop thriller on its own, eschewing spectacular stunts for solid police work, building tension and a grinding, non-stop pursuit of truth, justice, and the American way.

Redirected to the 52nd Precinct after running afoul of the politically ambitious DA, Lieutenant Clancy, gets stuck with a MIDNIGHT RUN. Babysitting a West Coast criminal who's come all the way from Los Angeles to go up before the New York State Crime Commission a few days hence. Looking to use this case as a stepping stone, the DA and the good Lt. are far from having butted heads for the last time. Clancy is a tired cop in a faded blue suit and only has to marshal his team to keep the perp alive over the weekend, 24 hours at the most. This, of course, doesn't happen and that's not a spoiler, but the gateway to a much larger story. In a twist on the classic "give me 24hrs to solve this", MUTE WITNESS goes on a slight WEEKEND AT BERNIES bender, priming the DA as the immovable object to Clancy's unstoppable force. The dead and the dead tired pose as the main tenets of the narrative, making Lt. Clancy a less silver-screen-type cop, though undeniably real and relatable. Forced to face the music, which is apt to be pretty much off-key, Clancy and his crew are certainly up against it. And with the Syndicate entering the picture, they haven't got a prayer.

As hard-boiled as 1960s crime pulp novels get, MUTE WITNESS doles out a lot of facts, too many for the cops working the case, and they're going over it with a fine-tooth comb. Meddling through everything, Clancy and his posse present a realistic police procedural in absence of modern CSI-style tech and telephones, often running into proverbial brick walls and dry holes in their investigation. "Smoke 'em if you got 'em" and they do. With enough nicotine to give anyone lung spots, MUTE WITNESS nonetheless reads like a well-written episode of KOJACK, the running joke being that Clancy keeps yelling for two of his cops just the way good 'ol Theo did for Saperstein & Stavros. Projecting that neatness is for businessmen and that when a man's too far into a hole the only way out is through the other end, MUTE WITNESS does just that for Clancy. Turning into a one man force he faces a slimy DA, corruption, crime, the system. In the biggest case of his life. One man. One will. Alone against the syndicate.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't see that coming...........

This book was first published as "Mute Witness". I heard about this book as I was watching the making of the (greatest) chase scene in the movie "Bullitt" on Turner Classic Movies (TMC). The narrator said actor Steve McQueen came across the book "Mute Witness" and wanted to make a movie out of it. The rest is history.

This book, although takes place in New York City and not San Francisco is a good read and short at only 177 pages in the paperback form. It's not a shoot'um up, bang-bang story, but one of good police procedures. I enjoyed it. Now I am going to have to watch the movie "Bullitt" again to see how much of a difference there is.

[Brendan Kraus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mute Witness by Robert Fish is a fun book. Cleary overshadowed by McQueen’s Bullitt movie. It’s fun to picture the king of cool himself as Clancy as he stumbles onto the truth of Rossi’s murder. Plot is similar to the movie. He has to protect rossi, Rossi dies but a greater conspiracy reveals itself. It’s fairly standard Clancy uncovers clue 1 then clue 2 then clue 3 until he pieces it all together and solves the case. Nothing crazy. Sometimes a drag but mostly entertaining.

[Mark H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crumbs. Amazing how different Robert Pike’s source novel for Bullitt is from the movie. Bullitt in the movie is called Clancy. Bare bones of half the plot are used, and New York is the location, not San Francisco. Far fewer characters in the novel and Clancy spends half the time on the phone! No car chase, of course.
Tightly plotted with a welcome injection of humour that the movie lacks.

[Leonardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non credo ci sia molto da dire su questi libro: un giallo classico, piacevole da leggere per la sua velocità e scorrevolezza. Mi è piaciuta la trama, complessa ma non troppo, evitando di scadere nel ridicolo come alle volte accade quando si ha per le mani una trama molto intricata. Leggermente sottotono la parte dedicata alla psicologia dei personaggi, che però non costituisce un elemento fondamentale di questo romanzo.

[محمد مقدسی · Rating 4 out of 5]

یک رمان پلیسی درخشان، درخشان تر از اقتباس سینمایی اش، بولت، رمانی خشن، سرد و چرک. بولت فیلم متوسطی است که به واسطه حضور شمایلی چون استیو مک کویین بسیار دیده شده است، اما رمان، کاراکتری جدا دارد و مستقل از فیلم روی پای خودش ایستاده وهنوز بعد سال ها بر خلاف فیلم، جذاب و خواندنی است

[Robert K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always wanted to read the book upon which the movie Bullit was based.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll say this: at the very least, it made me want to rewatch Bullitt.

[K. Counihan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just OK

Not very good, not very bad, just OK. I could not get fully into the story. The story was bad , it just fizzled out. I did read the whole story.

[Wearsteel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the Film

This is a small little pot boiler. It does it bits well and should be enjoyed more for its own worth rather than it cinematic connection.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting read

About a New York police officer who is in charge of protecting a Mew York monster until he testifies in court for an important case. It was a fast read.