Book Review: Walking Money

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Walking Money     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
James O. Born
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Putnam, Jul 2004, $23.95, 272 pp.

Florida state police brass felt fellow officer Bill Tasker killed a cop, but wanted to avoid the messy scandal of an inquiry. Thus, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement transferred him from the West Palm Beach Field Office to the Miami Regional Center. Bill would have welcomed the investigation because he knows he did not kill the cop, but goes along with the bureaucracy because he does not trust the political hacks who run the department. Four years later, he still watches his step.

Former convict Cole Hodges embezzled one and half million dollars of money donated to Miami's Committee for Community Relief. Tasker investigates the shortfall. However, FBI Agent Tom Dooley decides to take the loot. To insure that he gets away with the crime and knowing he has the perfect pasty, he stuffs cash in Tasker’s outdoor grill; Tasker is investigated and pulled off the embezzlement case. Police officer Rick Bema concludes that Dooley stole the money and set up Tasker to take the fall. Instead of turning in his findings, Bema makes a bid for a piece of the action.

WALKING MONEY is a wild Florida police procedural filled with cops coming down with gold fever while the only police officer who stays pristine becomes the prime suspect. Fans will think of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World with everyone double crossing and chasing one another in pursuit of the embezzled funds. The bad cops make the tale a fun police procedural, but the tainted divorced Bill, father of a ten year old, keeps the tale focused so that the audience will appreciate a zany cynical ride.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner