cbd@ihu1n.UUCP (Deitrick) (12/14/85)
Joseph Wambaugh's latest book, "The Secrets of Harry Bright" has as it's main character a Los Angeles police detective who is still severely depressed about the death several years before of his estranged son. A rich industrialist, whose son has been murdered in the desert around Palm Springs, asks this detective to investigate the murder because the industrialist is unsatisfied with the work of the Palm Springs police department. As usual in his books, there's a lot of drinking, funny police talk (which is why I read his books), losers and street people of various likeability, and, after the detective finds out who killed the boy, JW gives us the usual pseudo-profound ending. I'd give the book a three on a scale of one to ten. It's not nearly as good as "The Choir Boys", and I recommend that you not buy it, at least not until it comes out in paperback, but still worth checking out of the local library. While reading the book, though, I dimly remembered a story in the paper some years ago about JW's own son being involved in a serious car crash. I believe that wreck was in Baja California, but all the details are gone. Does anyone out there remember? If JW's son was involved in such a crash, did he die in the crash? Did he die later? Or did he not die at all? Please reply by mail to the address below. Thanks in advance. Carl Deitrick ihnp4!ihu1n!cbd