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Dead Wrong
LAPD Captain Josie Corsino selects a trusted and talented sergeant, Kyle Richards, to supervise a task force in the Hollywood division. When Richards is involved in a shooting, killing an unlikely burglary suspect, he's reluctant to be candid about his relationship with the man. Even while detectives search Richards' mysterious past, exposing her division to fiery criticism, Josie remains loyal to her sergeantuntil a brutal murder in Hollywood again points to Richards. Josie must investigate the link between her sergeant, the two deaths, and corruption within her own police station.
- GenresMystery
208 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2013
2 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Connie Dial
11 books23 followersConnie Dial is 27-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department. Prior to joining the force in 1969, she worked as a journalist and a reporter/photographer for a chain of newspapers in the San Gabriel Valley.
She currently resides in Southern California with her husband, retired Police Detective Jon Dial and their two Yorkshire Terriers named Bogart and Bacall.
She currently resides in Southern California with her husband, retired Police Detective Jon Dial and their two Yorkshire Terriers named Bogart and Bacall.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 14, 2013
Captain Josie Corsino, of the LAPD’s Hollywood station, is a pleasingly real, intelligent and flawed protagonist. She’s a great cop but knows she knows she owes her promotion as much to being female as anything else. She’s a good friend, wise to the skills and weaknesses of her crew. She’s a loving mother, balancing a need to boot the son out of the nest with a longing to see him succeed. And she’s a faithful wife, for all that she’s tempted to stray, and feels herself let down by a husband who fails to understand her. Of course, Josie fails to understand him too. And the author's writing stays so firmly in character, the reader just might want to defend the husband while sharing the captain's pain. Communication’s the key, I guess, and one who keeps secrets so successfully at work might indeed find sharing difficult at home.
In Dead Wrong, Josie’s best Sergeant, a man she’s seriously drawn to, has been involved in a shooting. Questions arise about secrets he’s keeping too, and Josie struggles with a mix of professional trust and suspicion, even while she balances personal trust and honesty.
Police-work and legal details are thoroughly convincing. Characters, with all their failings and quirks, feel ready to step off the page onto the TV screen. Drama blends the low-key everyday with sudden spurts of adrenalin. And the dialog has a convincing authority combined with very human vulnerability. Dead Wrong is dead right in its details and offers a thoroughly enjoyable counter-point to the usual police procedural. Josie drinks but not to excess. She’s hard driven but still keeps her family together. She’s hard done by but stays convincingly in control. And she’s a great protagonist, full of character, dry wit, and stubborn intelligence.
Disclosure: I’m writing my honest review of this book, received as a free bound galley from the publisher.
In Dead Wrong, Josie’s best Sergeant, a man she’s seriously drawn to, has been involved in a shooting. Questions arise about secrets he’s keeping too, and Josie struggles with a mix of professional trust and suspicion, even while she balances personal trust and honesty.
Police-work and legal details are thoroughly convincing. Characters, with all their failings and quirks, feel ready to step off the page onto the TV screen. Drama blends the low-key everyday with sudden spurts of adrenalin. And the dialog has a convincing authority combined with very human vulnerability. Dead Wrong is dead right in its details and offers a thoroughly enjoyable counter-point to the usual police procedural. Josie drinks but not to excess. She’s hard driven but still keeps her family together. She’s hard done by but stays convincingly in control. And she’s a great protagonist, full of character, dry wit, and stubborn intelligence.
Disclosure: I’m writing my honest review of this book, received as a free bound galley from the publisher.
May 23, 2016
This was a good book, and I liked it. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is that I am not a big fan of reading novels with lots of bad cops, and lost of cops with family problems. There were just too many people with too many problems There wasn't anyone to like. I really, really tried to like Josie, but her family life was just too out of control, and that, with everything else going on, did not make 5 stars.
April 23, 2013
This is Dial's second book in the Josie Corsino series. The first one, Fallen Angels, was a book I enjoyed a year ago. LAPD Capt. Josie Corsino is a character who embodies all of women's torn emotions about job v. family. She has worked hard to reach the rank of captain and loves her job despite some of the other officers she has to deal with daily. For instance, her boss who demands daily reports but never reads them. She then calls Corsino to tell her off for not notifying her of things that were in that daily report. Definitely frustrating.
Corsino has been married for years to a man she still loves and they have a grown son who is the cause of most of the strife in their marriage. Said son lives off of handouts from dad. Then he brings home a woman he's serious about who happens to be about 20 years older than he is. Corsino isn't happy with either situation but between that and her irregular hours for her job, she and her husband are growing apart.
The plot of this book involves a cop shooting a suspended cop in a dark alley. The dead cop had aimed a gun at the cop on duty. The investigation into this shooting uncovers corrupt cops and a hornet's nest of problems in the LAPD. It's a believable scenario starring excellent characters and it kept me turning pages, although I must admit I knew who the bad guys were early on.
My one complaint about Dead Wrong is that Corsino's best friend on the force is a lieutenant who couldn't put a short sentence together without offensive profanity if she had to. Yet not one other character in the book cusses. If Dial has managed to portray various types of characters including street savvy cops without having them swear, why does she have to write in a woman who can't talk without swearing? The lack of profanity in other characters didn't deter Dial from describing them well. Each was unique and well-drawn and this woman's personality alone would have made her sufficiently her own person.
Recommended reading
Source: LibraryThing win
Corsino has been married for years to a man she still loves and they have a grown son who is the cause of most of the strife in their marriage. Said son lives off of handouts from dad. Then he brings home a woman he's serious about who happens to be about 20 years older than he is. Corsino isn't happy with either situation but between that and her irregular hours for her job, she and her husband are growing apart.
The plot of this book involves a cop shooting a suspended cop in a dark alley. The dead cop had aimed a gun at the cop on duty. The investigation into this shooting uncovers corrupt cops and a hornet's nest of problems in the LAPD. It's a believable scenario starring excellent characters and it kept me turning pages, although I must admit I knew who the bad guys were early on.
My one complaint about Dead Wrong is that Corsino's best friend on the force is a lieutenant who couldn't put a short sentence together without offensive profanity if she had to. Yet not one other character in the book cusses. If Dial has managed to portray various types of characters including street savvy cops without having them swear, why does she have to write in a woman who can't talk without swearing? The lack of profanity in other characters didn't deter Dial from describing them well. Each was unique and well-drawn and this woman's personality alone would have made her sufficiently her own person.
Recommended reading
Source: LibraryThing win
October 1, 2013
The author’s bona fides are evident from the first page of this, her fourth novel, and the second in the Josie Corsino series: Connie Dial had 27 years of varied experience as a member of the LAPD, including undercover work, narcotics detective, Internal Affairs surveillance officer, watch commander and captain. And her protagonist, Josie Corsino, is an LAPD captain, trying to juggle that demanding job with that of wife and mother, and not always succeeding. After 20 years in the DA’s office, her husband, Jake, had just made partner in his new law firm, and the friction in their marriage is mounting. The tension includes her relationship with her 23-year-old son, still dependent on his parents for support, now involved with a woman Connie’s age.
In the opening pages, Kyle Richards, a sergeant Connie had appointed to supervise a burglary task force in Hollywood division, is involved in a fatal shooting. When it is discovered that the dead man was a fellow police officer, after over 20 years on the job, Kyle is faced with a hearing and a possible suspension until it can be proven that it was a justified shooting. Added to the fact that the dead cop was a black man, and Richards white, the political implications make every aspect of the investigation more difficult. With the help of her best friend, vice lieutenant Marge Bailey, and Detective “Red” Behan, Connie goes out on a limb to prove his innocence in the matter. Things only get more complex when another killing occurs, and Connie believes the two events are connected. The novel elucidates the theme that “perception most of the time was more important than truth in the world of policing. A good reputation was difficult to tarnish; a bad reputation whether it was deserved or not was indelible.”
This was a well-plotted tale. I have to admit feeling that the writing could have been more polished, but the novel held my interest throughout, and I will look forward to reading the next chapter in Josie Corsino’s life.
In the opening pages, Kyle Richards, a sergeant Connie had appointed to supervise a burglary task force in Hollywood division, is involved in a fatal shooting. When it is discovered that the dead man was a fellow police officer, after over 20 years on the job, Kyle is faced with a hearing and a possible suspension until it can be proven that it was a justified shooting. Added to the fact that the dead cop was a black man, and Richards white, the political implications make every aspect of the investigation more difficult. With the help of her best friend, vice lieutenant Marge Bailey, and Detective “Red” Behan, Connie goes out on a limb to prove his innocence in the matter. Things only get more complex when another killing occurs, and Connie believes the two events are connected. The novel elucidates the theme that “perception most of the time was more important than truth in the world of policing. A good reputation was difficult to tarnish; a bad reputation whether it was deserved or not was indelible.”
This was a well-plotted tale. I have to admit feeling that the writing could have been more polished, but the novel held my interest throughout, and I will look forward to reading the next chapter in Josie Corsino’s life.
May 31, 2013
Strong female cop in charge, works hard to exonerate a fellow cop while struggling to believe he did not intentionally shot another cop, all the while fighting the urge to have a fling with him. I liked the mystery, but was able to figure out the 'whodunnit' as the key players were introduced. The ending was more of a "I knew it," and less "wow, that was a cool twist." The relationship between Josie and her husband, Jake, was very touching, and I got the sense of a lifelong commitment, and the struggles that come up in any marriage. The love triangle never really materialized for me, and seemed underplayed. I never really got the sense that Josie was all that close to crossing the line.
A good summer read, with an interesting mystery.
See this and other reviews my blog at http://sparkzoflight.blogspot.com/
A good summer read, with an interesting mystery.
See this and other reviews my blog at http://sparkzoflight.blogspot.com/
April 22, 2013
I received this Advance Reader Copy (ARC) through the LibraryThing Early Review Program.
I enjoyed reading this 255 page police drama. It involves protagonist Captain Josie Corsino in the author's second novel. What kept me reading was the covert undercover operation about half way into the story. The reader is brought along from the beginning of the operation and is progressed step-by-step, gathering key information about the suspects targeted until eventually an arrest could be made. I found the whole procedure fascinating and the writing grabbed me from there until the end of the book.
I recommend this book to someone interested in police procedure. I think you will be amazed at how well the author captures the moment.
I enjoyed reading this 255 page police drama. It involves protagonist Captain Josie Corsino in the author's second novel. What kept me reading was the covert undercover operation about half way into the story. The reader is brought along from the beginning of the operation and is progressed step-by-step, gathering key information about the suspects targeted until eventually an arrest could be made. I found the whole procedure fascinating and the writing grabbed me from there until the end of the book.
I recommend this book to someone interested in police procedure. I think you will be amazed at how well the author captures the moment.
April 4, 2013
**Please note that I received this book for free from Goodreads First-reads**
A solid 3.5 stars. This was a great little book, and a fast and easy read. It felt a lot like reading an episode of Law and Order or NCIS. While the characters werent very developed, they are definitely relatable in the context of the story. Dial does a nice job of leaving subtle clues without revealing too much, too soon. The book had a nice pace and some interesting twists and turns throughout the story.
Overall, this was a good read and I will look forward to the next thriller by this author!
A solid 3.5 stars. This was a great little book, and a fast and easy read. It felt a lot like reading an episode of Law and Order or NCIS. While the characters werent very developed, they are definitely relatable in the context of the story. Dial does a nice job of leaving subtle clues without revealing too much, too soon. The book had a nice pace and some interesting twists and turns throughout the story.
Overall, this was a good read and I will look forward to the next thriller by this author!
June 21, 2013
I received this book through Early Reviewers giveaway. The premise of this book is a cop is shot dead by another cop and his captain must investigate why the dead cop was out in the alley late at night. What turns out is a bunch of twists and turns and tons of lies and deceit. I thought this book was okay.
For the rest of the review, visit my book blog at: http://angelofmine1974.livejournal.co...
For the rest of the review, visit my book blog at: http://angelofmine1974.livejournal.co...
December 28, 2013
Captain Josie Corsino of the LAPD is farced with the possibility that Kyle Richards, her trusted sergeant heading a burglary task force, is lying about his involvement in a shooting of another police officer. The author, a 27 year veteran police officer, shows the complicated workings of police department relationships and politics, and an unflinching look at the damage inflicted to officers home lives. This is the second in the series.
April 20, 2016
What a good police procedural! It's got everything right--characters who are alive on the page, plot that is tight, lean, clean sentences and themes of capturing corrupt cops and of balancing a cop career and a husband and family. Want to read a lot more Connie Dial ... imagine being a 27-year veteran of LAPD, Hollywood division commanding officer and being able to write like an angel as well! Ah, an editor and journalist pre-policewoman ... so glad I found this one!
March 16, 2013
This is a very impressive police procedural and well worth reading. Although I do have a reservation about the book, it's not something that detracts from it as written. It would simply have improve the book to a 5 star status if there had been the relevant element.
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May 20, 2013
Great story! Lots of twists and turns with a fast paced writing style. Very believable characters and real world issues.
April 25, 2013
A terrific procedural in the mode of Joseph Wambaugh. Lots of realistic dialogue and insights into why law enforcement officers have personal relationship problems. Well worth reading.
November 16, 2013
A mystery that goes through the motions without being especially engaging.
August 28, 2014
This series gets better as it progresses!
May 22, 2013
hard to get into at first. A lot of rambling. Could have been a different ending.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews