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Goodcopbadcop
GoodCopBadCop is a modern crime take on Jekyll and Hyde where the 'good cop' and 'bad cop' are the same person. It is a modern day police procedural story where our main character tries to juggle the various crimes he's investigating while juggling the psychotic impulses inside him. This is not a story about a good man turned bad, or a bad man turned good. Both good and bad arrived at the same time.
324 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 11, 2019
Alexander mixes an engaging crime thriller with questions on the morality of vengeance to create a novel that is both gritty and thought-provoking.
Detective Inspector Brian Fisher gets results; good enough results without proof of wrongdoing that review boards tend toward a favourable theories of events. But, rather than the binary of “good” or “bad” police officer that boards seek, Brian is both: a decent man attempting to catch criminals and protect the innocent; and a sadistic thug whose sudden violence is sometimes a surprise even to himself. With Glasgow providing crimes that would challenge a vicar’s mercy, can Brian find even a fragile balance or is he destined to shatter?
With a protagonist who is on the side of the law but prepared to be as mean as the streets they walk, this novel has a strong similarity to noir. However, Brian isn’t a detective with feet of clay, sinking to violence and skirting the rules because virtue feels too much like inaction; one half of Brian enjoys causing pain and injury—but only one half.
At its extremes, this balance between guardian of the weak and thug echoes Jekyll and Hyde; but—unlike that story—Alexander has crafted a world where some are almost all Hyde and no Jekyll, and Brian’s transition from one half to the other presents no definitive signs. Thus, the decent man displaying an excusable reaction when faced with a cruel or callous antagonist can escalate into a brutal and conscienceless figure without a signal that he has “changed”. This forces each reader to make their own decisions over what degree of violence is justified or excusable in each circumstance, and—where they might have acted as Brian did—whether the standards for police officers should be higher than those of ordinary citizens.
In contrast with many police dramas, the narrative is woven from parallel, unrelated cases at different stages. This both strengthens the sense of grimness that pervades Alexander’s Glasgow and moves the issue of the investigator’s personal problems from an obstacle to solving the case to the majority of the plot.
Both “bad” Brian’s actions and those of other unpleasant characters are described rather than left to implication. While neither the detail nor the tone are titillating or gratuitous, this is not a book for readers who wish to avoid torture or brutality.
However, this is still very definitely a crime thriller rather than an introspective story about a police officer or spatterpunk. The investigations are both engaging and iniquities deserving solution, creating a strong desire for Brian to solve the cases.
This is strengthened by Brian’s character. Whatever a reader might feel about “bad” Brian, “good” Brian is as sympathetic and likeable a character as many other decent coppers in police dramas.
The supporting cast are similarly well-crafted, each both a recognisable figure in a gritty cop thriller and a unique balance of virtue and imperfection.
Overall, I was very engaged by this novel (enjoyed might be the wrong word). I recommend it to readers seeking a gritty crime thriller that does not shy from the violence that can lurk in us all.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
Detective Inspector Brian Fisher gets results; good enough results without proof of wrongdoing that review boards tend toward a favourable theories of events. But, rather than the binary of “good” or “bad” police officer that boards seek, Brian is both: a decent man attempting to catch criminals and protect the innocent; and a sadistic thug whose sudden violence is sometimes a surprise even to himself. With Glasgow providing crimes that would challenge a vicar’s mercy, can Brian find even a fragile balance or is he destined to shatter?
With a protagonist who is on the side of the law but prepared to be as mean as the streets they walk, this novel has a strong similarity to noir. However, Brian isn’t a detective with feet of clay, sinking to violence and skirting the rules because virtue feels too much like inaction; one half of Brian enjoys causing pain and injury—but only one half.
At its extremes, this balance between guardian of the weak and thug echoes Jekyll and Hyde; but—unlike that story—Alexander has crafted a world where some are almost all Hyde and no Jekyll, and Brian’s transition from one half to the other presents no definitive signs. Thus, the decent man displaying an excusable reaction when faced with a cruel or callous antagonist can escalate into a brutal and conscienceless figure without a signal that he has “changed”. This forces each reader to make their own decisions over what degree of violence is justified or excusable in each circumstance, and—where they might have acted as Brian did—whether the standards for police officers should be higher than those of ordinary citizens.
In contrast with many police dramas, the narrative is woven from parallel, unrelated cases at different stages. This both strengthens the sense of grimness that pervades Alexander’s Glasgow and moves the issue of the investigator’s personal problems from an obstacle to solving the case to the majority of the plot.
Both “bad” Brian’s actions and those of other unpleasant characters are described rather than left to implication. While neither the detail nor the tone are titillating or gratuitous, this is not a book for readers who wish to avoid torture or brutality.
However, this is still very definitely a crime thriller rather than an introspective story about a police officer or spatterpunk. The investigations are both engaging and iniquities deserving solution, creating a strong desire for Brian to solve the cases.
This is strengthened by Brian’s character. Whatever a reader might feel about “bad” Brian, “good” Brian is as sympathetic and likeable a character as many other decent coppers in police dramas.
The supporting cast are similarly well-crafted, each both a recognisable figure in a gritty cop thriller and a unique balance of virtue and imperfection.
Overall, I was very engaged by this novel (enjoyed might be the wrong word). I recommend it to readers seeking a gritty crime thriller that does not shy from the violence that can lurk in us all.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
February 26, 2019
A dark and graphic psychological page-turner...
Award-winning author Jim Alexander weaves a first-class psychological thriller with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a modern and compelling reworking of the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde tale in a vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a moderately fast-paced novel that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.
The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘GoodCopBadCop is a modern crime take on Jekyll and Hyde where the ‘good cop’ and ‘bad cop’ are the same person. It is a modern-day police procedural story where our main character tries to juggle the various crimes he’s investigating while juggling the psychotic impulses inside him. This is not a story about a good man turned bad, or a bad man turned good. Both good and bad arrived at the same time…’
I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a first-class thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of mystery, thriller and suspense will want it!
GoodCopBadCop had every element a good story should have. An intriguing plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.
It’s one of those stories that comes along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader!
I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Jim Alexander in the future. I would highly recommend this book. A well-deserved five stars from me.
Award-winning author Jim Alexander weaves a first-class psychological thriller with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a modern and compelling reworking of the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde tale in a vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a moderately fast-paced novel that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.
The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘GoodCopBadCop is a modern crime take on Jekyll and Hyde where the ‘good cop’ and ‘bad cop’ are the same person. It is a modern-day police procedural story where our main character tries to juggle the various crimes he’s investigating while juggling the psychotic impulses inside him. This is not a story about a good man turned bad, or a bad man turned good. Both good and bad arrived at the same time…’
I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a first-class thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of mystery, thriller and suspense will want it!
GoodCopBadCop had every element a good story should have. An intriguing plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.
It’s one of those stories that comes along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader!
I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Jim Alexander in the future. I would highly recommend this book. A well-deserved five stars from me.
December 14, 2018
GoodCopBadCop was originally released as a Graphic Novel, which went on to win the True Believers Comics Awards.
I was lucky enough to get hold of a copy of Casebook#3: Only Pigs and HorsesPart 1. Essentially, the tale is a modern crime take on Jekyll and Hyde where the good cop and the bad cop are the same person. This is not a story about a good man turned bad, or indeed a bad man turned good. Both good and bad arrived at the very same time. Casebook#3 was told over 3 issues and saw Detective Inspector Brian Fisher and his bad cop alter-ego driven further down into the hell that is the Glasgow underworld.
Be warned me hearties, there is a distinct mature theme here, so those of a nervous disposition or the many in the world who seem to be daily waiting to be offended by just about anything and everything – well let’s just say that GoodCopBadCop may not be for you. Bless your fragile hearts.
The novel delves deeper into the psychological trappings, black humour and surrealist overtones that made the title such a hit with readers. It really gets into the gut(s) and mind(s) of the main character as I found out when Jim was gracious enough to send me a digital version of the novel.
This is a deliciously twisted, gritty and violent story set in the equally twisted, gritty and violent underbelly of the Glasgow criminal world – not that I actually know much about Glasgow’s underworld……. obviously.
GoodCopBadCop is a hugely enjoyable no-holds-barred romp of unhinged psychosis and violence (and I’m not just talking about the bad guy). The dialogue, courtesy of Mr Alexander is as crisp and dynamic as ever which provides a nicely authentic feel of that area of the world without ever falling into Rab.C. Nesbitt territory of pastiche. As I’ve already mentioned, this is a violently harsh tale (though it must be said, not without its humour) that deals with subjects that some may find challenging in their grim depiction. I personally found the reading experience completely pleasurable and simply cannot wait for the world to get a hold of a copy of this deliciously dark story.
I was lucky enough to get hold of a copy of Casebook#3: Only Pigs and HorsesPart 1. Essentially, the tale is a modern crime take on Jekyll and Hyde where the good cop and the bad cop are the same person. This is not a story about a good man turned bad, or indeed a bad man turned good. Both good and bad arrived at the very same time. Casebook#3 was told over 3 issues and saw Detective Inspector Brian Fisher and his bad cop alter-ego driven further down into the hell that is the Glasgow underworld.
Be warned me hearties, there is a distinct mature theme here, so those of a nervous disposition or the many in the world who seem to be daily waiting to be offended by just about anything and everything – well let’s just say that GoodCopBadCop may not be for you. Bless your fragile hearts.
The novel delves deeper into the psychological trappings, black humour and surrealist overtones that made the title such a hit with readers. It really gets into the gut(s) and mind(s) of the main character as I found out when Jim was gracious enough to send me a digital version of the novel.
This is a deliciously twisted, gritty and violent story set in the equally twisted, gritty and violent underbelly of the Glasgow criminal world – not that I actually know much about Glasgow’s underworld……. obviously.
GoodCopBadCop is a hugely enjoyable no-holds-barred romp of unhinged psychosis and violence (and I’m not just talking about the bad guy). The dialogue, courtesy of Mr Alexander is as crisp and dynamic as ever which provides a nicely authentic feel of that area of the world without ever falling into Rab.C. Nesbitt territory of pastiche. As I’ve already mentioned, this is a violently harsh tale (though it must be said, not without its humour) that deals with subjects that some may find challenging in their grim depiction. I personally found the reading experience completely pleasurable and simply cannot wait for the world to get a hold of a copy of this deliciously dark story.
March 21, 2019
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
DI Brian Fisher is a quiet, genial, unobtrusive type of fellow. Mild and inoffensive he passes through the streets and the police station mostly unnoticed, or gently avoided for his tendency to waffle streams of pleasant trivia. Appearances, and mannerisms can be deceptive though, as his new partner discovers that DI Fisher actually has an instinct for slotting cases together quickly and efficiently, always managing to be a step or two ahead of the rest of the investigative force.
And DI Fisher has a darker, hairier, red-eyed secret too. The horrors he sees on a daily basis and his repression of the anger they arouse has awoken another side to his personality; one that is not meek, genial and pleasant but angry, bestial, sadistic and psychotic. Both of him are determined to do the job in front of him and cleanse the streets of Glasgow, but fundamentally disagree about the methods required!
There are some really big issues explored here under the comic-book style action. Does the end justify the means when it comes to removing evil? There is a recurrent refrain of ‘I do it so that you don’t have to’, which really made me ponder the morality of punishment and enforcement. Would people still desire ‘an eye for an eye’ if they were the ones holding the ocular scoop? Is it easier for most of us just to turn a blind eye to methods as long as the end result is what we need?
GoodCopBadCop is a Jekyll-and-Hyde (or The Hulk) adventure into two very different ways of getting the criminals off the streets, contained within one very different man. Recommended for those who like their crime and punishment visceral (red in tooth and baton) and unnerving.
The streets–you’ve heard of them, perhaps even spoken of them in hushed tones–which offer no safety, respite, no love or financial security, only the opposite. Do or die; the fight for survival; the right to live out some kind of life.
This is the point you leave the room and I come in. You can trust me. Go on, sit back while I do all the work. You can look away. You could argue, but that would mean looking at me in the eye.
Relax, I’ll clear up the mess. Without a further thought, it’s okay to return to the slow, inexorable process of rotting away while tucked up safely in your bed.
Right now, a human heart and severed hand lie discarded in a Glasgow alleyway.
– Jim Alexander, GoodCopBadCop
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
DI Brian Fisher is a quiet, genial, unobtrusive type of fellow. Mild and inoffensive he passes through the streets and the police station mostly unnoticed, or gently avoided for his tendency to waffle streams of pleasant trivia. Appearances, and mannerisms can be deceptive though, as his new partner discovers that DI Fisher actually has an instinct for slotting cases together quickly and efficiently, always managing to be a step or two ahead of the rest of the investigative force.
And DI Fisher has a darker, hairier, red-eyed secret too. The horrors he sees on a daily basis and his repression of the anger they arouse has awoken another side to his personality; one that is not meek, genial and pleasant but angry, bestial, sadistic and psychotic. Both of him are determined to do the job in front of him and cleanse the streets of Glasgow, but fundamentally disagree about the methods required!
There are some really big issues explored here under the comic-book style action. Does the end justify the means when it comes to removing evil? There is a recurrent refrain of ‘I do it so that you don’t have to’, which really made me ponder the morality of punishment and enforcement. Would people still desire ‘an eye for an eye’ if they were the ones holding the ocular scoop? Is it easier for most of us just to turn a blind eye to methods as long as the end result is what we need?
GoodCopBadCop is a Jekyll-and-Hyde (or The Hulk) adventure into two very different ways of getting the criminals off the streets, contained within one very different man. Recommended for those who like their crime and punishment visceral (red in tooth and baton) and unnerving.
The streets–you’ve heard of them, perhaps even spoken of them in hushed tones–which offer no safety, respite, no love or financial security, only the opposite. Do or die; the fight for survival; the right to live out some kind of life.
This is the point you leave the room and I come in. You can trust me. Go on, sit back while I do all the work. You can look away. You could argue, but that would mean looking at me in the eye.
Relax, I’ll clear up the mess. Without a further thought, it’s okay to return to the slow, inexorable process of rotting away while tucked up safely in your bed.
Right now, a human heart and severed hand lie discarded in a Glasgow alleyway.
– Jim Alexander, GoodCopBadCop
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
December 14, 2025
Summary: Good Cop Bad Cop opens with DI Brian Fisher interviewing a murder suspect. Alone. (Note: If this sounds like a bad idea, it is.) Fisher is effective at keeping the suspect off-kilter, but he’s clearly a bit off-kilter himself, even as his good cop self. His inner “bad cop” arrives, throws him into attack mode, and during the ensuing scuffle, part of the suspect’s earlobe is bitten off. Though the scuffle was caught on video, somehow the recording equipment is damaged and what happened isn’t fully captured. Though the police administration are puzzled (or are they?) by this, they don’t ask him, and he doesn’t tell. Even an official investigation by a committee he dubs the “Three Wise Men” doesn’t result in changes.
He does, however, get a partner. He’s always been the loner in the force, but DS Julie Spenser is now along to supervise and/or get in the way. He’s also required to meet with a police psychologist, Dr. Dawn, to investigate the inner workings of his brain.
Fisher doesn’t have control over when the bad self arrives or reacts to circumstances. His good self is truly a good person: he wants to behave with integrity. He’s appalled at the crimes his bad cop self commits in his investigations. But can the good Fisher confess his alter-ego’s crimes? What–or who–will win?
Issues
(I can’t really say that it didn’t work, only that there are some drawbacks.)
The slang.
Some of the slang won’t be obvious to American readers unless they favor Scottish crime novels. Fortunately, I’ve read enough Ian Rankin to know most of the words. I still had to look up a few.
Numpty is “a stupid or ineffectual person.”
Manky, according to the Urban dictionary, is “Scottish slang word to describe a situation, person or object in a poor state of affairs. Commonly used in Scottish bars to describe the state of the toilets or glasses.” Eww.
A Ned is, again according to Urban Dictionary, a “Non Educated Delinquents, have a habit of standing around on street corners drinking 98% of the worlds supply of Buckfast, wearing enough cheap gold to make a prostitute blush whilst thinking that tucking their shell suit bottoms into their socks is the hieght of fashion. Also like to shout slipknot at anyone who doesn’t conform to the above.”
Is this a weak point for a novel set in Scotland to use Scottish slang? Not at all. I may have to incorporate a few of these into my vocabulary! I just thought this was worth mentioning.
Point of view changes
This one’s tricky. Certain chapters and parts of chapters are told from DS Julie Spenser’s 1st person point of view. The view might change from Fisher to Spenser and back again in the course of a few pages. (This doesn’t happen often.) The sections aren’t labelled with names. Though they are broken into clear sections with a separator, it’s not always immediately clear who is speaking when both characters use 1st person POV. It might take a few lines before I realize that it’s Spenser’s view or Fisher’s view.
What works
Strong narrative voice
This voice captured me from the first sentence. Alexander drew me in with his opening chapter. The second person point of view was effective, as it makes the action feel immediate and relevant but also implicates us, the reader, in the crimes that we refuse to see.
Characterization
Brian Fisher, obviously, is the person (people?) Alexander dives deepest inside. He’s a master of self-deception, yet he’s capable of surprising insights. He blames his job for his thoughts and persuades himself that there’s nothing he can do about it. Yet he imposes a “three strikes” rule on himself: three murders and he’s out. He’ll turn himself in, he tells himself. But will he? we wonder, or will bad Fisher silence the good Fisher?
There’s a lot of savage violence. (This is not a book for the faint of heart!) Some of the violence comes from Fisher, our hero/villain. I’ve written before about my mixed feelings about graphic violence. What makes it bearable is that Fisher, the good Fisher, truly loathes the actions of the bad Fisher. And he is aware of his second self:
He also has other good insights:
Ah, I wonder, but is this another one of good Fisher’s self-deceptions, his way of normalizing the evil inside him?
But Fisher’s not the only one who is well characterized. DS Julie Spenser has a character arc of her own. Her mother suffers from dementia and no longer knows her daughter. Spenser’s worries and thoughts about memory, identity, and what makes us who we are ties in with Fisher’s problems.
The plot
Let’s just say that there are twists I didn’t see coming. (I’m usually good at guessing plot twists.) I won’t say anything more. No spoilers!
Bottom line:
This is a well-written, well-plotted novel. If you can handle the violence, read it.
He does, however, get a partner. He’s always been the loner in the force, but DS Julie Spenser is now along to supervise and/or get in the way. He’s also required to meet with a police psychologist, Dr. Dawn, to investigate the inner workings of his brain.
Fisher doesn’t have control over when the bad self arrives or reacts to circumstances. His good self is truly a good person: he wants to behave with integrity. He’s appalled at the crimes his bad cop self commits in his investigations. But can the good Fisher confess his alter-ego’s crimes? What–or who–will win?
Issues
(I can’t really say that it didn’t work, only that there are some drawbacks.)
The slang.
Some of the slang won’t be obvious to American readers unless they favor Scottish crime novels. Fortunately, I’ve read enough Ian Rankin to know most of the words. I still had to look up a few.
Numpty is “a stupid or ineffectual person.”
Manky, according to the Urban dictionary, is “Scottish slang word to describe a situation, person or object in a poor state of affairs. Commonly used in Scottish bars to describe the state of the toilets or glasses.” Eww.
A Ned is, again according to Urban Dictionary, a “Non Educated Delinquents, have a habit of standing around on street corners drinking 98% of the worlds supply of Buckfast, wearing enough cheap gold to make a prostitute blush whilst thinking that tucking their shell suit bottoms into their socks is the hieght of fashion. Also like to shout slipknot at anyone who doesn’t conform to the above.”
Is this a weak point for a novel set in Scotland to use Scottish slang? Not at all. I may have to incorporate a few of these into my vocabulary! I just thought this was worth mentioning.
Point of view changes
This one’s tricky. Certain chapters and parts of chapters are told from DS Julie Spenser’s 1st person point of view. The view might change from Fisher to Spenser and back again in the course of a few pages. (This doesn’t happen often.) The sections aren’t labelled with names. Though they are broken into clear sections with a separator, it’s not always immediately clear who is speaking when both characters use 1st person POV. It might take a few lines before I realize that it’s Spenser’s view or Fisher’s view.
What works
Strong narrative voice
This voice captured me from the first sentence. Alexander drew me in with his opening chapter. The second person point of view was effective, as it makes the action feel immediate and relevant but also implicates us, the reader, in the crimes that we refuse to see.
Characterization
Brian Fisher, obviously, is the person (people?) Alexander dives deepest inside. He’s a master of self-deception, yet he’s capable of surprising insights. He blames his job for his thoughts and persuades himself that there’s nothing he can do about it. Yet he imposes a “three strikes” rule on himself: three murders and he’s out. He’ll turn himself in, he tells himself. But will he? we wonder, or will bad Fisher silence the good Fisher?
There’s a lot of savage violence. (This is not a book for the faint of heart!) Some of the violence comes from Fisher, our hero/villain. I’ve written before about my mixed feelings about graphic violence. What makes it bearable is that Fisher, the good Fisher, truly loathes the actions of the bad Fisher. And he is aware of his second self:
The other me, he was always there. I was always aware of him burrowing, snuggling and lurking, just at the back of my head. (pg. 132)
He also has other good insights:
. . . everybody was hiding something. The good and the bad stashed away inside of us, in safe keeping, at least for some of the time (pg. 139)
Ah, I wonder, but is this another one of good Fisher’s self-deceptions, his way of normalizing the evil inside him?
But Fisher’s not the only one who is well characterized. DS Julie Spenser has a character arc of her own. Her mother suffers from dementia and no longer knows her daughter. Spenser’s worries and thoughts about memory, identity, and what makes us who we are ties in with Fisher’s problems.
The plot
Let’s just say that there are twists I didn’t see coming. (I’m usually good at guessing plot twists.) I won’t say anything more. No spoilers!
Bottom line:
This is a well-written, well-plotted novel. If you can handle the violence, read it.
February 24, 2019
Great fun read, original Glasgow patter and gallows humour.
December 7, 2021
Pretty good book, though there is a certain sameness to all of the character voices.
December 14, 2018
Win’s Christmas Gift Recommendation: Crime Does Not Pay, but it does make for a cracking good read… 9/10
With criminal intent and malice aforethought, comics veteran Jim Alexander has widened his already prodigious and prolific rap sheet by shifting Modus Operandi and releasing a spookily wry novel (available in paperback and a variety of eBook formats) featuring possibly his best – and award-winning – character.
Alexander’s pictorial back-catalogue includes Star Trek the Manga, Calhab Justice and other strips for 2000AD, licensed properties such as Ben 10 and Generator Rex as well as a broad variety of comics and strips for The Dandy, DC, Marvel, Dark Horse Comics, Metal Hurlant, and loads of other places including his own publishing empire Planet Jimbot.
GoodCopBadCop began life as series of contemporary police dramas set in Glasgow and garnered much praise and many awards. Now the characters have seamlessly segued to the realm of Val McDermid and Ian Rankin and the variously-named Celtic or Tartan noir.
If you look it up, experts describe the sub-genre’s influences as James Hogg and Robert Louis Stevenson, focusing on the duality of the soul and the individual, Good against Evil and redemption and damnation. It’s fascinating stuff: you should all read more books without pictures…
This craftily concocted cops’n’robbers saga blends procedural action with a whiff of supernal terror, utilising a gimmick that is perfect for a genre where conflicted, essentially good guys regularly face human monsters and only ever see ordinary folk at their absolute worst…
City of Glasgow Police Inspector Brian Fisher is a worthy, weary, dedicated public servant with the oddest (generally silent) partner an honest copper could ever imagine. And no, it’s not harassed, hard-pressed Detective Sergeant Julie Spencer, who fruitlessly attempts to get her solitary new boss fraternising with other officers after she’s ordered to be his new tag-along assistant… until she gets a glimpse of what her associate is really like…
Before he was a quietly effective Detective with a phenomenal clear-up rate, Fisher learned his trade in the mounted police division and spent many educational hours doing community policing for the Violence Reduction Unit, visiting schools where kids are more ruthlessly ferocious than any full-grown bad guy.
Now he’s solving a lot of nasty cases like abductions, dismemberments and floating human jigsaws in the Clyde with an uncanny display of instinct and perception. It’s like he has an inside track to the mind of maniacs…
All the usual suspects and signature cases of the genre are in attendance: mostly-harmless burglars like local legend the Partick Cat, supposedly-straight domestic problems like Mrs MacPhellimey, missing persons who aren’t, local mobsters and hard-men and their ganglords all come to Fisher’s attention… and most especially raving psycho-killers.
There’s a lot of them and some days they’re turning up on both sides of the Interview Room table…
Obviously, Fisher has some kind of advantage and, as in the manner of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the situation is deteriorating and people are starting to notice…
And that’s where I’m stopping. If you are familiar with the comics iteration, all your favourite moments and characters are here, suitably tweaked for a more internalised, psychologically edged reinterpretation – and a definitive conclusion. If you’re a newcomer, you can revel and reel as a convoluted nested-doll of interlinked mysteries cleverly unwind with startling complexity, loads of twisty-turny surprises and a succession of shocking moments. And that’s all delivered in sparky and bleakly hilarious first-person monologues.
Yeah. Monologues. Plural…
If you don’t read this book, you’ll have to wait for some Wise Soul at BBC Scotland or media clever-clogs chancer to turn this into a movie or late-night Scandi-style drama serial…
Best see it as the creator intended. You’ll thank me for it in the long run…
This deftly underplayed, chillingly believable and outrageously black-humoured yarn is a perfect addition to the annals of Tartan Noir: smart, sarcastic and ferociously engaging. If you like your crime yarns nasty and your heroes deeply flawed, GoodCopBadCop is a book you must not miss.
And when this has sufficiently blown your mind, you really should track down the superb comics by Alexander and his confederates Luke Cooper, Gary McLaughlin, Will Pickering, Aaron Murphy, Chris Twydell & Jim Campbell.
The Jims – Alexander and Campbell – have been providing captivating and enthralling graphic narratives for ages now and you owe it to yourself to catch them too.
With criminal intent and malice aforethought, comics veteran Jim Alexander has widened his already prodigious and prolific rap sheet by shifting Modus Operandi and releasing a spookily wry novel (available in paperback and a variety of eBook formats) featuring possibly his best – and award-winning – character.
Alexander’s pictorial back-catalogue includes Star Trek the Manga, Calhab Justice and other strips for 2000AD, licensed properties such as Ben 10 and Generator Rex as well as a broad variety of comics and strips for The Dandy, DC, Marvel, Dark Horse Comics, Metal Hurlant, and loads of other places including his own publishing empire Planet Jimbot.
GoodCopBadCop began life as series of contemporary police dramas set in Glasgow and garnered much praise and many awards. Now the characters have seamlessly segued to the realm of Val McDermid and Ian Rankin and the variously-named Celtic or Tartan noir.
If you look it up, experts describe the sub-genre’s influences as James Hogg and Robert Louis Stevenson, focusing on the duality of the soul and the individual, Good against Evil and redemption and damnation. It’s fascinating stuff: you should all read more books without pictures…
This craftily concocted cops’n’robbers saga blends procedural action with a whiff of supernal terror, utilising a gimmick that is perfect for a genre where conflicted, essentially good guys regularly face human monsters and only ever see ordinary folk at their absolute worst…
City of Glasgow Police Inspector Brian Fisher is a worthy, weary, dedicated public servant with the oddest (generally silent) partner an honest copper could ever imagine. And no, it’s not harassed, hard-pressed Detective Sergeant Julie Spencer, who fruitlessly attempts to get her solitary new boss fraternising with other officers after she’s ordered to be his new tag-along assistant… until she gets a glimpse of what her associate is really like…
Before he was a quietly effective Detective with a phenomenal clear-up rate, Fisher learned his trade in the mounted police division and spent many educational hours doing community policing for the Violence Reduction Unit, visiting schools where kids are more ruthlessly ferocious than any full-grown bad guy.
Now he’s solving a lot of nasty cases like abductions, dismemberments and floating human jigsaws in the Clyde with an uncanny display of instinct and perception. It’s like he has an inside track to the mind of maniacs…
All the usual suspects and signature cases of the genre are in attendance: mostly-harmless burglars like local legend the Partick Cat, supposedly-straight domestic problems like Mrs MacPhellimey, missing persons who aren’t, local mobsters and hard-men and their ganglords all come to Fisher’s attention… and most especially raving psycho-killers.
There’s a lot of them and some days they’re turning up on both sides of the Interview Room table…
Obviously, Fisher has some kind of advantage and, as in the manner of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the situation is deteriorating and people are starting to notice…
And that’s where I’m stopping. If you are familiar with the comics iteration, all your favourite moments and characters are here, suitably tweaked for a more internalised, psychologically edged reinterpretation – and a definitive conclusion. If you’re a newcomer, you can revel and reel as a convoluted nested-doll of interlinked mysteries cleverly unwind with startling complexity, loads of twisty-turny surprises and a succession of shocking moments. And that’s all delivered in sparky and bleakly hilarious first-person monologues.
Yeah. Monologues. Plural…
If you don’t read this book, you’ll have to wait for some Wise Soul at BBC Scotland or media clever-clogs chancer to turn this into a movie or late-night Scandi-style drama serial…
Best see it as the creator intended. You’ll thank me for it in the long run…
This deftly underplayed, chillingly believable and outrageously black-humoured yarn is a perfect addition to the annals of Tartan Noir: smart, sarcastic and ferociously engaging. If you like your crime yarns nasty and your heroes deeply flawed, GoodCopBadCop is a book you must not miss.
And when this has sufficiently blown your mind, you really should track down the superb comics by Alexander and his confederates Luke Cooper, Gary McLaughlin, Will Pickering, Aaron Murphy, Chris Twydell & Jim Campbell.
The Jims – Alexander and Campbell – have been providing captivating and enthralling graphic narratives for ages now and you owe it to yourself to catch them too.
January 21, 2019
A griping and deeply engaging story that is a grim and bloody pleasure to read. Detective Inspector Brian Fisher is assaulted while interviewing a suspect at a police station, the outcome is brutal, unexpected and the start of a chain of events that lead to a deeply satisfying, bitter conclusion.
Jim Alexander has deftly sidestepped the problems with the idea of a human containing two distinct personalities, one relatively mild manner and the other a walking pulse of rage with such confident ease that the reader never has a reason to fall out of the story.
The writing is lush, there is never one word where two or more could do the job better and not a single excess word among them. The language creates the room for the context and the cast to develop and expand, pulling the reader deeper and deeper into the events as they unfold. The jet black humour lacing the story lives and breaths in the play of the words and the extraordinary energy they contain and deliver.
The cast are a joy, the DI Fishers do not dominate the story, they are articulate an, murderous, rageful and considered. They are clearly distinct and equally obviously related to each other. The way that they transition is perfectly staged and frequently unexpected. Jim Alexander carefully sets up readers expectations and then sidesteps them in the most satisfying manner, nothing can be taken for granted. Detective Sargent Julie Spencer, assigned to work with the DIs Fisher has a sharp and determined view of the work she is doing and the events that she becomes involved in. She pulls the story in a different direction giving it scope and room that it needs to bloom its its full glory.
The context for the story, a hellscape of Glasgow full of people busy doing terrible thing to each other is vital to the story, it groans everyone in a location that is utterly suitable for them. No one is too violent or horrible for this city.
One of the best things that Jim Alexander does is to avoid completely a staple of the crime genre , none of the cast are overly stupid. Some of the cast are severely limited in their thinking and problem recognizing and solving skills, their whole lives reflect this. No one is strategically stupid as required to drive the plot, there are a lot of very competent people in the story who act competently to achieve their aims. The lack of stupidity gives the book an increasing edge as it unfolds, the cast are very much doing what the intend to do and their actions can be brutal.
Jim Alexander has the confidence to take on an established idea and discover why it has become established, to develop and execute a griping story. The technical skill of the writing is unforced and an easy to glide over exactly as designed creating a grip on the reader as the story moves smoothly into darker and darker tones.
God Cop Bad Cop is a dark and deep pleasure to read.
Jim Alexander has deftly sidestepped the problems with the idea of a human containing two distinct personalities, one relatively mild manner and the other a walking pulse of rage with such confident ease that the reader never has a reason to fall out of the story.
The writing is lush, there is never one word where two or more could do the job better and not a single excess word among them. The language creates the room for the context and the cast to develop and expand, pulling the reader deeper and deeper into the events as they unfold. The jet black humour lacing the story lives and breaths in the play of the words and the extraordinary energy they contain and deliver.
The cast are a joy, the DI Fishers do not dominate the story, they are articulate an, murderous, rageful and considered. They are clearly distinct and equally obviously related to each other. The way that they transition is perfectly staged and frequently unexpected. Jim Alexander carefully sets up readers expectations and then sidesteps them in the most satisfying manner, nothing can be taken for granted. Detective Sargent Julie Spencer, assigned to work with the DIs Fisher has a sharp and determined view of the work she is doing and the events that she becomes involved in. She pulls the story in a different direction giving it scope and room that it needs to bloom its its full glory.
The context for the story, a hellscape of Glasgow full of people busy doing terrible thing to each other is vital to the story, it groans everyone in a location that is utterly suitable for them. No one is too violent or horrible for this city.
One of the best things that Jim Alexander does is to avoid completely a staple of the crime genre , none of the cast are overly stupid. Some of the cast are severely limited in their thinking and problem recognizing and solving skills, their whole lives reflect this. No one is strategically stupid as required to drive the plot, there are a lot of very competent people in the story who act competently to achieve their aims. The lack of stupidity gives the book an increasing edge as it unfolds, the cast are very much doing what the intend to do and their actions can be brutal.
Jim Alexander has the confidence to take on an established idea and discover why it has become established, to develop and execute a griping story. The technical skill of the writing is unforced and an easy to glide over exactly as designed creating a grip on the reader as the story moves smoothly into darker and darker tones.
God Cop Bad Cop is a dark and deep pleasure to read.
February 18, 2019
Jim Alexander’s Good Cop-Bad Cop is a modern retelling of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The book reads like a graphic novel and is not for the squeamish. That said, what a psychological thriller. It’s more than just good versus bad. The story challenges your thoughts on society mores. How far is too far to go in the pursuit and punishment of evil. It’s also about the devastation man can wreak upon his fellow human beings.
Detective Inspector Brian Fisher fights the eternal battle that’s found deep in the soul of every man. How does he remain a righteous person while being inundated daily with the travesties of man.
There are many twists and turns along the way. Just when you think evil has won, another side of this multifaceted character shows redeeming qualities.
I believe fans of dark humor, thrillers, and psychological studies will love GoodCopBadCop.
Detective Inspector Brian Fisher fights the eternal battle that’s found deep in the soul of every man. How does he remain a righteous person while being inundated daily with the travesties of man.
There are many twists and turns along the way. Just when you think evil has won, another side of this multifaceted character shows redeeming qualities.
I believe fans of dark humor, thrillers, and psychological studies will love GoodCopBadCop.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews