Walking the Perfect Square

Moe Prager #1

by Reed Farrel Coleman

August 6th, 1998: Moe Prager, a former cop, waits to call his daughter for her 18th birthday. In the midst of an ugly family meltdown, Prager is desperate to find a way to make sense of what has caused his once-happy family to implode. As he waits, however, it is Prager who receives a call that might not only solve a case that has haunted him and his wife for twenty years, but might also supply the glue to patch his family back together.
December 8th, 1977: Patrick Maloney, a supposedly popular college student, walks out of a Manhattan nightspot into oblivion. It's no wonder Maloney's disappearance barely registers on the radar screen. Son of Sam strikes. Elvis is dead. It's the Sex Pistols vs. the BeeGees, Studio 54 and the Dirt Lounge, est and yin/yang, gas shortages, Quaaludes, pot and polyester, Plato's Retreat, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the neutron bomb.
Moe Prager, a cop forced into early retirement by injury, certainly hadn't noticed Patrick Maloney's disappearance. But when Prager's ex-partner calls with an offer to work on the case, Moe, wracked with self-doubt over his undistinguished career, signs on.
As Prager traces Patrick Maloney's steps from his upstate home to his college dorm on Long Island, from the Tribeca bar where he was last seen to an old flame's mansion on the Gold Coast, Moe realizes that nothing about the case, especially the details of the missing man's life, is as it seems. Even the picture his parents gave the police was two years out of date. Why? What could his parents be hiding? What tortured secrets might have driven Patrick to create a public persona so different from his true self?
Questions multiply as Prager searches for Patrick in New York's notorious punk underground, gay clubs and biker bars. Will Moe's blossoming relationship with Patrick's older sister help to bring Maloney back home or will it help to destroy any progress in the case? Can Moe overcome the roadblocks thrown in his path by dirty cops, corrupt politicians, and an ambitious reporter? And who are the truly ominous forces working behind the scenes to pull Prager into the very private hell of the Maloney family? Is Moe Praer running in circles or simply walking the perfect square?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Detective, New York, Thriller

264 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2002

About the author

aka Tony Spinosa

Reed Farrel Coleman’s love of storytelling originated on the streets of Brooklyn and was nurtured by his teachers, friends, and family.

A New York Times bestseller called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan and the “noir poet laureate” in the Huffington Post, Reed is the author of novels, including Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series, the acclaimed Moe Prager series, short stories, and poetry.

Reed is a three-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories—Best Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best Short Story—and a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year. He has also won the Audie, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards.

A former executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America, Reed is an adjunct instructor of English at Hofstra University and a founding member of MWA University. Brooklyn born and raised, he now lives with his family–including cats Cleo and Knish–in Suffolk County on Long Island.

Reviews

[John Culuris · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Afterwards of my edition (Busted Flush Press, 2008) the author states that while he had the basic story of Walking the Perfect Square for some time, he lacked the necessary skill to execute it until somewhere around 2001. The reader can be forgiven if his mind automatically goes to the time shifts that the novel employs. It's a part of it, certainly, but far from the whole of it. The portion of the story that takes place in 1998, in this case “the present,” is essentially a framing sequence, with a few extra slices interspaced throughout the novel. Any rough patches here could easily be smoothed out with the first rewrite. It was the main story, which takes place twenty years earlier, that needed a deft touch.

Moe Prager, forced to leave the NYPD due to a freak accident, is antsy in premature retirement. Thanks to his biggest on-the-job success, the finding of a missing 7-year-old girl, he is invited to join the search for Patrick Maloney, a vanished college student. He has immediate reactions to many of those involved: dislike for the father of the missing man; attraction to the sister; and the feeling of being manipulated, in some cases by trusted friends and former colleagues. During the investigation Prager meets some unique and interesting people, and Coleman uses this opportunity to paint a vivid portrait of the New York City of 1978. The perfect backdrop, as it turns out, to bring into focus the life of Patrick Maloney. And to entice Moe Prager into becoming more entwined in the case than intended. Inevitably, it leads to some regrettable decisions.

Though Coleman may have had wait until he’d acquired the dexterity needed to write Walking the Perfect Square, that doesn’t mean those skills were yet completely refined. There are times when Prager’s musings get in the way of the scene. When the characters interacting are more interesting than the internal monologue, the reader tends to skip ahead. And then there’s a gaffe while winding down the book. After the first revelation is unveiled, Prager wastes the day lounging around with a girl. The experienced reader suspects the author needed time for something catastrophic to happen offstage. And even if that wasn’t the case, once you’ve started to reveal the solution--and have indicated that there are more reveals coming--the nature of the genre carries an expectation that you to get to them as soon as possible. Suspense cannot be allowed to turn into frustration.

But make no mistake, Coleman was absolutely right. Superior skills were needed. He had to resolve all the varied elements of the story in 1978, do so with interest and empathy and a sense of satisfaction--but with very little heart. The emotional impact had to be saved for the twenty-years-later epilogue, where the best of intentions gone wrong come home to roost. This crescendo is a complete success. It confirms Reed Farrel Coleman’s original assertion. Minor defects aside, he chose the right time to write Walking the Perfect Square.

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking the Perfect Square - Ex
Coleman, Reed Farrel - 1st in series

Brooklyn PI Moe Praeger is an ex-cop forced to retire because of a knee injury is to find the son of another cop, a young man who left a party one night and hasn't been seen since. So many people have been searching for Patrick Mahoney in the 20 years since his disappearance that Moe doesn't expect to be successful. As his investigation proceeds, he finds himself looking for two Patricks: one a choir boy lookalike and the other described by those who knew him as "weird" and "strange." But why? Is it possible Patrick's father really doesn't want to find his son? Patrick stands at the core of the novel, and the intricate tale of what happened to him makes for a first-rate mystery.

2003 Top Ten - Perfect NY voice, compelling story, past & present

[Ctgt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Gun Church a week ago and had to go out and pick up the first book in the Moe Prager series. I loved GC and I wasn't disappointed with WtPS.

Definitely not your typical PI book, I mean, he's not even a PI. Prager is an ex-cop now retired because of a knee injury. Prager gets a call from a hospice nurse saying that a patient wants to see him and only him even though Prager doesn't know the patient. The story then jumps back and forth in time to a period right after his injury when he became involved in a missing persons case. He starts out as a very reluctant participant and doesn't really consider himself a legitimate investigator because in the one case that made his name, he believes he just got lucky.
The case involves a college student who basically falls off the grid at a party and his family is still searching for him.
Moe is introduced to the father by a former colleague who just so happens to be bucking for a bump in rank. He instantly dislikes the father but is still drawn slowly into the case. He becomes more entangled after he meets the missing students older sister...and well, you need to read the rest yourself.

I'm very interested to see where the series goes from here. Many of these PI types are the rough and tumble type and can easily take of themselves. With his bum knee, it's not quite as easy for Prager.

I'm always looking for something a little different in the detective or PI genre, because let's face it, there are plenty of these stories out there and frankly many of them are mediocre.

[Ross Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only recently discovered Reed Farrel Coleman and this is only the second of his novels that I have read but I am well and truly hooked.
This is the first in the Moe Prager series. In the novel we are introduced to Moe who is an ex-cop who has had to leave the force because of a knee injury. He is planning opening a wine business with his brother but in the meantime he is asked by his former Police partner Rico to look into a missing persons case as a favour to a friend of Rico's wife. I will not divulge anymore of the plot lest I spoil the story for any future readers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller and also really liked the character of Moe Prager. Although it's starts off basically as a missing persons enquiry the plot really thickens and it becomes a lot more complex than it first appears. There are loads of great characters although at times I must admit I did forgot who some of the 'bit part players' were as there did seem to be a lot of people involved in the case !
Moe is Jewish, he's smart and he's funny but he's also got a conscience. He's also a good judge of character and follows his instincts but most of all he's likeable and very believable.
I've got a lot of Coleman's novels to catch up on but it looks like it's going to be a great ride.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best description I can come up with for this book is that at the end, I wanted to wash my mind out with soap. I am not squeamish, but this book was too much for me. It was like a layer of grit covered everything in the book, with nothing totally clean present. Part of what I found so disturbing was that many of the upsetting scenes were presented so matter-of-factly. It somehow made it worse that the characters didn't find their behavior appalling.

I was also not a big fan of Coleman's writing. I felt like his dialogue in some places read more like a basic psychology textbook than real conversation. Dialogue is something I struggle with in my own writing, but I'm not a published author, so I feel like it's OK to hold this to a higher standard.

I did enjoy the back and forth between past and present, but not enough to read another book by Coleman.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1977, a college student disappeared. In 1998, PI Moe Prager, having trouble with his forced retirement and self doubt is persuaded to look for him. He finds the usual action lies behind the scenes.

Not bad, but not something I'd read again.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Moe Praeger, PI
SETTING: Brooklyn, New York - 1978 and 1998
SERIES: #1 of 4
RATING: 4.0

At one time, Moe Prager was an officer with the NYPD, admittedly, not a very good one, although he did love the job. He's been forced to retire due to an injury. Contrary to expectations, he wasn't injured while taking down a big time criminal; rather, he hurt his knee when he slipped on a piece of paper in the squad room. He's had a few operations, but his mobility has been affected and he needs to use a cane. Now, he has to move on with his life; and he's uncertain what direction to take. At the moment, he's decided to go in with his brother, Aaron, and buy a wine shop. But then something happens that takes him in a whole different direction.

Francis Maloney is a powerful political figure in the City; and based on a recommendation from Moe's best friend, Rico Tripoli, he hires Moe to look for his missing son, Patrick M. Maloney. Patrick is a college student; his disappearance has been widely reported in the press but has not led to any sightings. In an effort to figure out what happened, Moe interrogates Patrick's fellow students, friends and family. What he learns is rather puzzling. Patrick has had some relationship issues, seemingly obsessed with the idea of impregnating a woman, any woman, to start a family. In addition, while at school, he was observed acting in an obsessive-compulsive fashion. He would spend hours in his room, "walking the perfect square", walking in a pattern and dressing and undressing in a predetermined order, over and over again. He certainly appears to be a very conflicted man and not the college frat boy that one might expect.

Moe's investigation uncovers a lot of secrets about Patrick and his father. Sadly, there are elements of greed and betrayal that strongly impact Moe personally as well. The one good thing that comes of all of this is that Moe meets Katy, Patrick's sister, and they fall in love. Most of the book takes place in 1978; however, there are flash forwards to the present day that bring the case to its ultimate resolution. The story is well paced and has its share of surprises along the way, although there were a few scenes where I felt the explicatory revelations were overdone.

Moe Prager is a great character. I really appreciated that Coleman did not make him into the stereotypical private investigator. He's not an alcoholic; he has a family that he cares about and is involved with; and he's not necessarily the most competent investigator that ever lived. What he does have is lots of heart and an inquiring mind that doesn't let him settle on anything until he's dug as deep as he can. In direct contrast is Francis Maloney, who is a racist and bigot and arouses every possible negative emotion.

Coleman has received numerous awards for the Moe Prager series, which inconceivably went out of print even as his success grew. Thanks to Busted Flush Press who is reissuing the series and making it available to the reading public.

[Steffi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meine Erwartungen an diesen Krimi waren aufgrund einer irreführenden Besprechung im Internet völlig falsch und daher ist meine Kritik sicher völlig ungerechtfertigt, denn als Krimi funktioniert die Geschichte halbwegs (mal davon abgesehen, dass mir einige Sachverhalte früher klar waren als dem Ermittler). Enttäuscht hat mich der Sprung ins Jahr 1978 (ausgehend von der Rahmenhandlung, die im New York des Jahres 1998 angesiedelt ist) mit der Erwähnung realer Kneipen, Szeneviertels und damit verbundene Musikstile wie Disco und Punk. Das könnte zu einem wunderbaren Lokalkolorit und stimmiger Atmosphäre als Folie einer Kriminalhandlung taugen, aber Coleman nutzt diese Chance leider nur am Rande und nicht sehr überzeugend. Auch finde ich den Ansatz nett, einen Ermittler ins Zentrum zu stellen, der sich von seiner Herkunft und Religion mal nicht von anderen unterscheidet, indem er irische, italienische oder puertoricanische Wurzeln hat, sondern dadurch, dass er Jude ist. Das wird hier hin und wieder aufgegriffen, aber da steckt meiner Ansicht nach mehr Potenzial drin.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was torn between three and four stars for this one, but the book REALLY held my interest, so I went with the higher rating. I finished it in 24 hours! Outstanding choice for those times when you want something fairly easy to read that sucks you in right away and keeps you reading. Beach, airplane ride, bad day at work, hangover, vacation, or all of the above.
I liked this enough that I went right out and got the next one in the series, so that's a good sign.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid book reader who appreciates a good series to dive into, it’s fun when you discover a writer whose voice you really enjoy. Though there are many issues with Walking the Perfect Square, I liked this one a lot.

Reed Farrel Coleman has a great sense of time. His version of 70s New York City feels real and lived in. His main character, Moe Prager, is an interesting one. An Jewish ex-cop moonlighting here as a private eye for a high profile mystery case, Prager makes for a fun tour guide throughout the world Coleman is building.

The mystery itself is compelling and kept me guessing. And as with many good PI novels, the layering of the mystery is the most important thing, as mysteries in this genre are rarely stone-cold whodunnits. Coleman builds this one well, making it deep and guessable but not too confusing or ridiculous.

Also, the racial, sexual and gender politics of this book are surprisingly good. I know the old joke “A male feminist walks into a bar, it’s low” somewhat applies but since I endure so many eyeballing moments at a genre dominated by white people, especially men, I appreciated it.

The book has plenty of shortcomings, namely a tragic homosexual angle. Without giving too much away, there are some potentially triggering moments of homophobic violence. And again, even if there weren’t, the tragic homosexual is a tired trope in books. It really needs to die.

Also, I didn’t care much for most of the characters outside of Moe. The love interest one is written thinly; she’s given stuff to do but mostly kowtows to Moe’s mansplaining. And the bad guys here are reallllllly evillllll (rubs hands) which is kind of annoying.

So take those for what it’s worth but it wasn’t enough to diminish how much I enjoyed this book and how I will look forward to diving into this series.

[Kostas Kanellopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

η αστυνομικη ιστορια, μια εξαφανιση, ειναι το προσχημα για μια υπεροχη ηθογραφια της Νεας Υορκης στα τελη των σεβεντιζ, οταν βασιλευε η disco και γεννηθηκε το punk

[Eric_W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ran across Coleman when I read his continuation of Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series. I liked that a lot so I thought I would take a look at Coleman’s Moe Prager series.

Moe Prager has been invalided out of the NYPD after having knee surgery. How it happened depended on how drunk he was during the retelling. The truth was he slipped on a piece of carbon paper in the squad room. Having fortuitously found a missing girl while on the beat, he is approached by Francis Maloney, a haughty anti-semite (“your people”) to help search for his son, Patrick, who has disappeared. Agreeing only because Francis says he can help (or hinder) Moe’s application for a liquor license, Moe soon wonders as to Maloney’s seriousness. after a more recent picture than the one Francis is plastering all over town surfaces. It shows Patrick with tattoos and rings in several orifices. It’s a picture Francis categorically refuses to acknowledge and proscribes Moe from using it in the search.

Most of the book takes place in 1978 but is connected to events in 1998 (somewhat awkwardly) and revolves around issues of homosexuality within families and familial relationships. The disappeared boy was known to have walked backwards in perfect squares while he thought no one was watching. He’s also known to have wanted to marry at any cost and became extremely upset when one of his girlfriends insisted on terminating her pregnancy from their intimacy.

Aside from some sections that read like a psychiatry textbook and that felt very dated, it’s a good story that handles changing mores quite deftly.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for blood and guts this isn't for you. Moe Prager is a noir kind of detective, and he's presented as human. He's a good guy, smart, honest, and wants to do the right thing - all of which serve to get him into trouble at times. As for the plot, it's interesting and makes you want to know what happens, but not because it's one of those, "I cannot BELIEVE that just happened" kind of books. Because Moe's a good guy you get to see the dysfunction of his family and how he tries to navigate that - sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Smart and tightly written. While I'm told this isn't the best of the series, I'm interested enough to read another one down the road to see how things develop. I'd give it 3.75 stars if I could.

[Glen Guldbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coleman is a fantastic storyteller!!! Set in 1970’s NYC, this story is a character-driven deep dive into corruption, loyalty, and misplaced secrecy. Fans of George Pelecanos would likely enjoy this debut in the Moe Prager series. Highly recommended!!

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very solid gritty detective story. Prager is classic old school detective, digging for answers no matter the cost. The time jumping was a little unnecessary, but worked well to tie off the loose ends.

[Carol/Bonadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so impressed with the Coleman I read last month that I sought out this series. Mo Prager is a former cop let go because of a debilitating leg injury. He is hired to look into the disappearance of a rich man’s son. Well plotted with some surprises along the way. I’ll read another.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm late to the party, but happy to have made the acquaintance of Moe Prager. This book has all the ingredients for an excellent mystery series. Sign me up!

[Teri Pre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good! A little rough in spots and Coleman is a bit too fond of commas but overall a great start. I'll be reading more of this series.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE introduces Moe Prager, a New York City police officer who was forced into early retirement by a bizarre, rather embarrassing accident. The book begins in the present - well, 1998 - when Moe is summoned by a dying man who claims to have knowledge of a case Moe worked right after his forced retirement, a case that still haunts Moe to this day. Then Moe flashes back to the late 70s. As he recovers from his career-ending accident physically, he also needs to figure out how to recover from the emotional loss of a job he loves. However, when a young college student vanishes, Moe is pulled back into the fold in a private capacity. He's investigating the disappearance for the family of the young man. The investigation takes Moe Prager into biker bars, sex clubs and the punk underground. It also takes Moe into the life of the missing man's sister, Katy.

WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE was my first introduction to Reed Farrel Coleman. And wow! What a gift! Coleman told me that he got his start in writing through poetry and I don't think he's stopped writing poetry, he simply disguises it now as prose.

Moe isn't an arrogant, cocky, stereotypical P.I. And yet, WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE does retain many of the traditional characteristics of the P.I. novel.

Coleman's intelligent humor is also one of the strengths of this novel. I was regularly having to explain to colleagues why I was laughing out loud during lunch breaks.

Coleman puts his gift with the English language to work creating rich, dynamic characters; vivid depictions of New York City and some of it's not-so-glamorous locales; and he builds an incredible crime fiction plot. I loved the way he would subtly introduce nagging little questions about the investigation and then just leave them hanging. If you're being a lazy reader you might forget about them, but you're more likely to wonder about them. And then more come and they start to forge into bigger questions. And Moe's as clueless about these nagging questions as you the reader are, so you're walking through the plot together...clueless. But boy, is it a memorable trip!

[Hobart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---

Moe Prager is waiting to call his daughter on her birthday, but before he can do that he answers a phone call that may lead him to solving an old missing persons case. It's a case that he investigated twenty years previously, shortly after an injury forced his retirement from the NYPD. We spend most of the novel in the 70's, with brief looks at Prager's present, tracing his work on the case.

As a mystery novel, it's okay. Nothing special, but it kept my attention, kept me guessing, and was entertaining enough. Which is a decent start for a series. By the end, I'd really started to enjoy Prager and wanted to see where he goes from here -- either the 70's or 90's (although I'm pretty sure the series sticks with the latter).

Stylistically, this was pretty cool. Though published in the early 2000's, the flashback segments feel like they could've been written in the 1970's/80's. The present day material felt like it was written in the late 1990's, and yet they were definitely of a piece. I'm very impressed that he pulled that off.

The last few paragraphs turned this from a decent mystery novel into a really good one -- and if my mood had been a bit different at the time, they could've earned it a 4-start rating. The ending really does elevate the whole -- while it sends you reeling from a serious gut punch.

I really should've gotten back to this series, but I didn't want to color my take on him as he started his tenure with Jesse Stone -- but that's passed now, time to get busy.

[Linda Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been aware of Reed Farrel Coleman's Moe Prager series for quite some time but had never gotten around to reading any of the Shamus and Anthony Award winners. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Coleman at Book Expo and picking up a copy of the 3rd in the series, The James Deans. After about 20 pages, I knew that I wanted to start the series at the beginning with Walking the Perfect Square.

Moe Prager is a Jewish New York cop on early retirement because of an injury. He is pretty bored with retirement, and somewhat despondent about his less than stellar career when his former partner approaches him about looking into a missing person case. Patrick Maloney is a Hofstra student who simply vanished about 2 months previously. The book switches back and forth between 1978 and 1998, when the full truth about Patrick's disappearance comes to light. As Moe investigates, he finds that Patrick is not quite the paragon that he seems, and Moe is being used for some pretty nefarious political purposes. Moe's decisions and the secrets he keeps threaten his own happy family 20 years later.

This is very gritty reading but Moe is a very appealing and believable character. For those of us who remember NYC in the 1970's, the book is like a trip back in time to those bad old days. I thoroughly enjoyed Walking the Perfect Square and will be reading the rest of the series in rapid succession.

[C.E. G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last year a friend and I went on a tour of Minneapolis's genre bookstores and asked for a book recommendation at each stop. As a librarian who definitely has *opinions* on how such a conversation should go, the clear winner on the reader's advisory front was Once Upon a Crime - the mystery bookstore. They asked lots of good questions, clearly knew the genre, and were very excited to talk to us about books.

I asked for a mystery that would appeal to non-mystery readers, with great writing and complex characters, and the book I ended up walking away with was this Walking the Perfect Square by Reed Farrel Coleman.

And I did like the writing and the characters. The writing had a funny and distinctive New York Jewish ex-cop voice that pulled you in, and I thought the main characters had interesting enough relationships with each other.

The part I liked less was the plot. I saw the twists coming from a mile away because I'm queer, and already read queer subtext into everything. Maybe for readers who are straight, the turns'll come as more of a surprise.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking the Perfect Square shuttles back and forth between 1978 and 1998, with Moe reflecting back on the case as he waits to meet a dying man who holds the promise of adding the final piece to a puzzle that has shaped the course of his life over the previous twenty years. It’s a plot device that works well; indeed, the plot unfolds and twists cleverly, hooking the reader in early and never letting go. Whilst the writing is quite functional (rather than the poetic prose I was expecting given other reviews), the narrative is nonetheless multi-textured, with excellent characterisation, sparkling dialogue, and a philosophical undertow that pervades the text without explicitly dominating it. In Prager, Coleman has created a character with rare emotional depth; someone whose life seems worth exploring further. Some books are all surface, telling an entertaining story but little more, others demand you reflect on the moral complexities of life. The first kind fizzle for a moment, the second hangs round to haunt you. Walking the Perfect Square is the second kind.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superior writing, interesting characters, and an intriguing story. College student, Patrick Maloney, disappears. His father, a man with some clout in 1978 NYC on the surface seems to be doing everything possible to find him. Enter Moe Prager, retired/injured on the job street cop, who had the dumb luck to find a missing child once before. Prager immediately senses that not all is on the level with the father and despite having never made detective does his best to look into the case. He finds himself getting help from unlikely places and pushed away from others. Prager is his own man though and keeps at it through the ugly, unseemly underside of NYC. Throw in some romance, fascinating characters, fast-forward glimpses to modern day and a very rewarding epilogue and this book is a keeper. Can't wait to continue through the series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great mystery story! The first Moe Prager book I read was The James Deans (book #3), then Redemption Street (book #2). I don't know why I read them out of order, as I don't usually do that. But reading this book (book #1) was interesting because I got the entire back-story about Moe's wife's family and what happened at the beginning of their relationship. But I also was given a glimpse of the future. It was kind of eerie.

I love the story and I love the dialogue. The characters are real, and Coleman brings them to life beautifully. I feel like I'm sitting in the room with Moe and Rico, or Moe and Dr. Friar - amazing!

[Alan Korolenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retired NYPD officer Moe Prager is hired to find a missing college student or confirm his death. Moe is hired by the student's politically connected, coarse, and crude father. Spanning 20 years from the investigation's start to the revealed truth of the disappearance, the case will haunt Prager's life, his friendships and, most crucially, his marriage. An opening volume to a series that can stand on it's own as superior crime writing.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st in the Moe Prager series set in New York. Moe Prager is ex-NYPD who is hired to look for a missing college student. This book is told in long flashbacks, with the majority of the book set in 1978. It was a slow-starter for me, but when I finally was able to devote some serious reading time to it, the book took off. Will continue with this series.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set mostly in 1978 New York City this book introduces Moe Prager a former NYC policeman who has been invalided out of the force with a bad knee. The author is one of my favorite Bouchercon panelists and I was a bit worried that his work would not live up to my expectations but I ended up really enjoying it and look forward to continuing on with the series.

[Jason Toluba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly praised by NPR as a detective writer, I was less than impressed. A solid boiler-plate story that doesn't recommend enough for me to seek out the next book.

[Michael O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking the Perfect Square by Reed Farrel Coleman is the first book in Moe Prager private investigator series. I have read several Reed Farrel Coleman books as he has advanced the Jesse Stone character originally created by Robert B. Parker. I knew Coleman was a good writer based on his continued development of the Jesse Stone character and he proved to be an excellent writer with his character, Moe Prager. His plotline is intricate and intriguing and his characters are genuine and very believable. He writes a great mystery with just enough wisecracks to be funny and the heart to make it real.
From the publisher:
August 6th, 1998: Moe Prager, a former cop, waits to call his daughter for her 18th birthday. In the midst of an ugly family meltdown, Prager is desperate to find a way to make sense of what has caused his once-happy family to implode. As he waits, however, it is Prager who receives a call that might not only solve a case that has haunted him and his wife for twenty years, but might also supply the glue to patch his family back together.
December 8th, 1977: Patrick Maloney, a supposedly popular college student, walks out of a Manhattan nightspot into oblivion. It's no wonder Maloney's disappearance barely registers on the radar screen. Son of Sam strikes. Elvis is dead. It's the Sex Pistols vs. the BeeGees, Studio 54 and the Dirt Lounge, est and yin/yang, gas shortages, Quaaludes, pot and polyester, Plato's Retreat, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the neutron bomb.
Moe Prager, a cop forced into early retirement by injury, certainly hadn't noticed Patrick Maloney's disappearance. But when Prager's ex-partner calls with an offer to work on the case, Moe, wracked with self-doubt over his undistinguished career, signs on.
As Prager traces Patrick Maloney's steps from his upstate home to his college dorm on Long Island, from the Tribeca bar where he was last seen to an old flame's mansion on the Gold Coast, Moe realizes that nothing about the case, especially the details of the missing man's life, is as it seems. Even the picture his parents gave the police was two years out of date. Why? What could his parents be hiding? What tortured secrets might have driven Patrick to create a public persona so different from his true self?
Questions multiply as Prager searches for Patrick in New York's notorious punk underground, gay clubs, and biker bars. Will Moe's blossoming relationship with Patrick's older sister help to bring Maloney back home or will it help to destroy any progress in the case? Can Moe overcome the roadblocks thrown in his path by dirty cops, corrupt politicians, and an ambitious reporter? And who are the truly ominous forces working behind the scenes to pull Prager into the very private hell of the Maloney family? Is Moe Praer running in circles or simply walking the perfect square?