Richard Belzer has played the same detective role on two series now: HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET and the still-running LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. As he states over and over in I AM NOT A COP!, he is not a real cop, but that does not stop the character of Richard Belzer to be swept into an investigation of a missing friend.
As Belzer writes in the epilogue, it’s all a work of fiction inserting himself into the story, with help from co-writer Michael Black, a retired Chicago cop with years of experience, who seems to be the expert of the procedural in which Belzer plays. Still, the novel is total Belzer at the helm and steering this ship.
This is his third book, but his first foray into the world of crime fiction. For people who are familiar with him as either the actor or comedian, the one thing that becomes apparent while reading is how well Belzer gets you to feel as though he is talking directly to the reader. It’s his voice throughout the thing, with all his asides and quirkiness, plus a mountain of references that just put a smile on my face. All the greats of crime fiction get a mention in this tome, with Belzer throwing out some great lines about some of his fictional compatriots.
The story deals with Belzer meeting a medical examiner who he became friends with while working on SVU. The last time they met for dinner, his friend felt uneasy and nervous, and promised he would explain why at a boxing match on the following night. Belzer’s friend never turns up, and the cops find his bullet-ridden car in the river, thus sending the actor into the dark world of real crime, but being reminded by that he is not a real cop and should mind his own business.
Belzer figures the cops are dragging their feet to find his pal, setting off a top-notch thriller that never tips its hand until the very end. What really sets Belzer off on this chase is when he receives a mysterious note from his lost friend with a bizarre set of numbers and a weird little quote, leading him toward the Russian mob and a diamond business.
Belzer does a great job with his style of writing, his humor shining throughout. One of the running gags is that he is mistaken for other actors who play similar roles, or when a favor is needed, it’s an autographed picture of one of his co-stars that they really want. Just think: If that acting or stand-up career stops, at least Belzer has a new venue to pursue, as his crime writing should open him up to a whole new set of fans. —Bruce Grossman
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I used to watch a *ton* of stand-up comedians growing up, and Belzer was one I never thought was funny.
I actually think Belzer managed to be funnier as John Munch than he ever was as a comedian. That’s not really a knock (OK, maybe it’s kind of a knock) but it seems like a mildly funny joke told by a homicide detective will be funnier than the same joke told on stage by someone who’s supposed to make his living telling jokes. Lowered expectations, I guess.
For a dramatic actor Richard Belzer is a fine comedian. And for a comedian he’s a pretty good dramatic actor.
He also played the character of Det. Munch once on an episode of The X-Files. That’s a TV hat trick few, if any, have ever been able to match. Closest I can think to compare with is Michael Dorn when he took the character of Worf from Star Trek the Next Generation to Deep Space 9, after a short cameo in the motion picture Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country.
In the acknowledgements Belzer brings up he has played the character as a cameo on various show. My personal favorite is when he turned up on The Wire in a bar scene during the final season.
I don’t know what it is about this guy, but I’ve just never liked him. I don’t hate him, but if someone walked up to him on the street with the intention of giving him a pinch, I’d do nothing to stop it.