Joseph Wambaugh meets Michael Connelly in this nuanced police procedural series debut from a veteran of the Iraq War and Oakland Police Department A veteran-turned-detective struggling with PTSD lands a case that will either make—or break—his flagging career in the Oakland Homicide SquadWhen a teenager from a wealthy suburb outside of Oakland, California is dumped at an inner-city bus stop, homicide detective Matt Sinclair catches the case. It’s his first since being bumped to desk duty for a bust that went south. With few leads and plenty of attention, it's the worst kind of case to help him get back up to speed.
And it only gets worse as the bodies start to pile up—first at the same bus bench, then around the city. Sinclair is unable to link the victims to each other, and the killer is just getting started. Time is running out on Sinclair’s career, not to mention the people closest to him.
When a teenager from a wealthy suburb outside of Oakland, CA is dumped at an inner city bus stop, homicide detective Matt Sinclair catches the case. It's his first since being bumped to desk duty for a bust that went south...fast. With few leads and plenty of attention, it's the worst kind of case to help him get back up to speed.
And it only gets worse as the bodies start to pile up—first at the same bus bench, then around the city. Unable to link the victims to each other, the killer is just getting started. Time is running out on Sinclair's career, not to mention the people closest to him.
With Red Line, Brian Thiem, a veteran of the Oakland police department and the Iraq war, has written a nuanced police procedural filled with the kind of insight that could only be written by a detective who has walked the streets and lived the life.
"Thiem skillfully guides the realistic action to the unexpected ending. Readers will want to see more of his richly drawn main character."
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Publishers Weekly"This hard-edged beauty makes reviewers think maybe they’ve been too nice to all those suffering cop/lawyer/PI types who swarm the genre...none are as interesting as Sinclair’s psy-war with the world."
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Booklist"Thiem reminds me of Joseph Wambaugh in some places and Michael Connelly in others. Yes, he’s that good, and his best work may well be ahead of him."
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Bookreporter"A compelling read from beginning to end, "
Red Line" is very highly recommended."
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Midwest Book Review"[Thiem's] skill as a story teller makes me look forward to more. Reading this book was not unlike the thrill you get when a car takes off with the pedal to the floor."
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Crimespree Magazine“Some books require a few pages to really get going. Such is NOT the case with Brian Thiem’s gripping police procedural...
Red Line is that good...[Thiem] knows prose. He knows characters and drama. He understands suspense, its power and how to wield it. He knows police life grit. Fictional latitude and realism huddle happily here.”
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Noir Journal“Brian Thiem hits the bull’s-eye in his true-to-life debut. A mystery with authenticity, grit, drama...
Red Line has it all. A gripping police procedural from a real pro.”
—Robert Dugoni, #1 Amazon and
New York Times bestselling author of
My Sister’s Grave"The real deal...and one that could only be written by a cop. This street-wise police procedural offers readers a unique and inside view of the high-stress, high-stakes search for the bad guys."
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of
Truth Be Told"
Red Line is a forceful tale of unintended consequences and brutal vengeance. Brian Thiem’s years on Oakland's mean streets lend his debut novel a profound authenticity, and he peels back the layers of an intricate investigation with a deft, racing style that keeps you guessing to the end. This is crime fiction the way it should be, an exploration of human nature on its worst day."
—J. Mark Betrand, award-winning author of
Back on Murder"When an ex-homicide cop writes a police procedural, it's going to be the real deal—gritty crime scenes, flashing blue lights, interfering brass, relationship complications and that all-important cop's gut. Brian Thiem has it all in his page-turner debut novel about a serial killer in Oakland."
—Kate Flora, Edgar Award nominee and author of
Death in Paradise 
