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liberrydude's review against another edition
4.0
The third in the series of Hanson finds him back in law enforcement, this time in Oakland. He has fled from academia in Idaho to seek refuge in the only thing he has ever been good at- being the man and killing. He is a troubled soul but a fearless survivor. This book continues the haunting, noir-ish plot that is his life.
He is an outlier in the Oakland Police Department at 38 years of age. He is not trusted and he doesn’t care. He has more respect and humanity for the disadvantaged and criminal element than for his brother officers, many of whom are just putting in time and crunching numbers. He’s good at writing reports but hates paperwork and all the bureaucratic bullshit. He diffuses situations and gives credit to others for arrests. His street skills enable him to cultivate a relationship with the biggest drug dealer in Oakland while making him a pariah and suspect to his peers and Internal Affairs. He’s drinking too much and not sleeping well. His dreams are chronicled. Something has got to give. He can’t sustain this pace. But he’s already dead. That’s what gives him the power.
Another compelling read that was decades in the making. The author now lives in New Mexico and in 2013 was involved in an altercation with a knife wielding drunk driver. Anderson received 20 stitches while shooting the suspect.
I don’t want to wait another decade for Hanson #4. Like cowbell I need more Hanson and I need it now.
He is an outlier in the Oakland Police Department at 38 years of age. He is not trusted and he doesn’t care. He has more respect and humanity for the disadvantaged and criminal element than for his brother officers, many of whom are just putting in time and crunching numbers. He’s good at writing reports but hates paperwork and all the bureaucratic bullshit. He diffuses situations and gives credit to others for arrests. His street skills enable him to cultivate a relationship with the biggest drug dealer in Oakland while making him a pariah and suspect to his peers and Internal Affairs. He’s drinking too much and not sleeping well. His dreams are chronicled. Something has got to give. He can’t sustain this pace. But he’s already dead. That’s what gives him the power.
Another compelling read that was decades in the making. The author now lives in New Mexico and in 2013 was involved in an altercation with a knife wielding drunk driver. Anderson received 20 stitches while shooting the suspect.
I don’t want to wait another decade for Hanson #4. Like cowbell I need more Hanson and I need it now.
eleellis's review against another edition
4.0
Green Sun by Kent Anderson follows Officer Hanson during his time as a patrol officer in Oakland, CA. Hanson is a Vietnam war veteran and is with the goal to stay long enough in Oakland to receive the needed requirements that will allow him to move on to greener pastures.
Hanson is obviously world-weary and geared toward doing things his way and in ways that he feels are right even when his methods included violence and even though others may disagree violence.
Through the novel, more often than not and regardless of who the people are, Hanson treats people mostly the way they deserve.
This novel is not a police procedural but rather follows Hanson during his time in Oakland, which typically involves his day to day life and daily work encounters.
Recommended to readers that enjoy novels like Don Winslow's The Force and Joseph Wambaugh's writing.
Hanson is obviously world-weary and geared toward doing things his way and in ways that he feels are right even when his methods included violence and even though others may disagree violence.
Through the novel, more often than not and regardless of who the people are, Hanson treats people mostly the way they deserve.
This novel is not a police procedural but rather follows Hanson during his time in Oakland, which typically involves his day to day life and daily work encounters.
Recommended to readers that enjoy novels like Don Winslow's The Force and Joseph Wambaugh's writing.
frogggirl2's review
3.5
Warnings: child abuse (sexual), rape.
3.5⭐
Throwback vibe - gritty, urban American setting with a masculine, but not sexist, cop. The author, however, often describe women primarily by (sometimes exclusively by) their weight (he uses "whale" as a descriptor) - which is off-putting. He is occasionally overly interested in describing women's bodies (breasts, legs, etc.)
This Vietnam veteran is suffering from PTSD, drug and alcohol abuse and experiences intermittently weird trips (bunnies!). The story is told in vignettes set during police training, his street experience as a cop and he has flashbacks to Vietnam as well. This is not a mystery novel (which is what I thought going in).
I liked: realism, practicality of the main character and how he treats the community, the overall story and the ending.
I disliked: surreal pieces (jarring and didn't jive with the tone of the novel), authors treatment of women, vignette format and all the place/time jumps.
3.5⭐
Throwback vibe - gritty, urban American setting with a masculine, but not sexist, cop. The author, however, often describe women primarily by (sometimes exclusively by) their weight (he uses "whale" as a descriptor) - which is off-putting. He is occasionally overly interested in describing women's bodies (breasts, legs, etc.)
This Vietnam veteran is suffering from PTSD, drug and alcohol abuse and experiences intermittently weird trips (bunnies!). The story is told in vignettes set during police training, his street experience as a cop and he has flashbacks to Vietnam as well. This is not a mystery novel (which is what I thought going in).
I liked: realism, practicality of the main character and how he treats the community, the overall story and the ending.
I disliked: surreal pieces (jarring and didn't jive with the tone of the novel), authors treatment of women, vignette format and all the place/time jumps.
arkhikernc's review against another edition
Stopped at page 120. Something about the prose just didn’t quite ring true. Something felt a little off to me. It may be that Anderson was writing about his own experiences, maybe autobiographical, not exactly sure. The main character is a black man and for me I think this novel misses because Anderson is white and sharing his an intimate look into his past, which is a valid premise for the novel. But I never felt like the main character represented a black perspective.
espeidel's review
5.0
Excellent book and series. A must read for any crime fiction fan. Very well done.
daemonaac's review against another edition
5.0
Brings you along into a world of thoughts and responses and feelings in such a complete and astonishing way that you can feel yourself falling into the character(s). Beautiful, sparse, violent, complex and simple, simultaneously. Damn good.
eleellis's review
4.0
Green Sun by Kent Anderson follows Officer Hanson during his time as a patrol officer in Oakland, CA. Hanson is a Vietnam war veteran and is with the goal to stay long enough in Oakland to receive the needed requirements that will allow him to move on to greener pastures.
Hanson is obviously world-weary and geared toward doing things his way and in ways that he feels are right even when his methods included violence and even though others may disagree violence.
Through the novel, more often than not and regardless of who the people are, Hanson treats people mostly the way they deserve.
This novel is not a police procedural but rather follows Hanson during his time in Oakland, which typically involves his day to day life and daily work encounters.
Recommended to readers that enjoy novels like Don Winslow's The Force and Joseph Wambaugh's writing.
Hanson is obviously world-weary and geared toward doing things his way and in ways that he feels are right even when his methods included violence and even though others may disagree violence.
Through the novel, more often than not and regardless of who the people are, Hanson treats people mostly the way they deserve.
This novel is not a police procedural but rather follows Hanson during his time in Oakland, which typically involves his day to day life and daily work encounters.
Recommended to readers that enjoy novels like Don Winslow's The Force and Joseph Wambaugh's writing.
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