Author: Keith R.A. DeCandido
Cover Artist:
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: May 2008

This review is for the CSI: New York novel Four Walls by Keith R.A. DeCandido.  I am familiar with DeCandido’s Star Trek work, but this is my first exposure to his CSI work.   I also admit that, while I have seen a fair amount of CSI, I’ve never seen an episode of CSI:NY.   However, I’ve always thought that one of DeCandido’s strengths was his ability to write characters, whether it’s the main characters from the universe in which he is writing or the characters he has created to enrich the story.

So I requested this book, wanting to see how connected I would be able to feel to characters to which I had no previous connection.

The story itself followed the classic CSI formula.  Typically there is an “A Story” (murder investigation) and a “B Story” (murder investigation).  This makes sure all of the characters have a prominent role in the story.  Four Walls also had simultaneous murder investigations.  One investigation is a pair of murders in the exercise yard at Richmond Hills Correctional Facility.  That case takes on a sense of urgency because one victim is a former police officer.

Our second murder investigation involves the murder of an employee at Belluso’s, an Italian bakery in The Bronx.  Both investigations progress in the classic CSI style that is familiar to even casual viewers of the TV show.  We have primary suspects who the evidence finally exonerates, then smug new suspects who the evidence finally nails.  We also have a twist in one of the murder investigations which is discovered through the talent of the crime scene investigators, and takes the investigation in an unexpected direction.

Throughout it all I felt connected to all the characters.  For those not familiar with the series we got some character background which spoke to character motivation or state of mind.  There are also many references to events that occurred in the show, which grounded Four Walls within the universe that would be well known to fans.   Whether it’s Star Trek or CSI (speaking specifically of the universes in which I’ve read DeCandido novels) he doesn’t write a story that happens to take place in the universe.  He understands the fullness and richness of the universe and uses that as a strength in the story, making it his own for the duration.

Mr. DiCandido is a native New Yorker.  It showed in the story.  I have never been to New York City but I felt like I was being taken on a tour by a local tour guide throughout the story.     That brings me to what I enjoyed the most about Four Walls -  the vibrant backdrops in which  the story unfolded.  One of the characters of CSI: NY, I would assume based on any other TV show I’ve ever seen that was set in New York, is New York itself.    That was no exception here.  I felt like I was in New York, not just reading about it.   Tiny nuances of New York were brought to life, the neighborhoods, and the art of travelling and navigating in New York City.  And cannoli.

The one single thing that burned into my brain after reading Four Walls is cannoli.  One of our crime scenes was Belluso’s Bakery, home of “the best cannoli in the city” .  Through the eyes of Stella Bonasera we get a mouthwatering lesson in the fine art of good cannoli.  I appreciate good food, especially a good dessert so this cannoli  section was a delight.  The ultimate legacy of Four Walls, for me, is that I had never had a cannoli previously.  After reading about them in rich detail throughout the book I decided that I had to go out and try one.  Thus began my quest to find the “best cannoli in the city” in Wilmington, NC.   I’m not sure what higher compliment can be given to the rich background of a story than the fact that it began an obsession with a dessert I had never previously had.    I think it goes without saying that Mr. DeCandido is a big cannoli  fan. He’s also a good enough writer to make that contagious.  I decided that if I crossed paths with Mr. DeCandido I’d place the blame for my new cannoli obsession on him.  I had the pleasure of doing so at Dragon*Con

For the CSI and CSI: NY fans out there, Four Walls captures your characters.  It gets into their heads, and makes it clear that these characters ARE New Yorkers.  They gripe about New York City traffic, and the fine art of navigating the city.  They’re Yankees fans and appreciate Derek Jeter’s ability to avoid the takeout slide while turning the doubleplay,  They appreciate “the best cannoli in the city”.  The story is taking place in a living, breathing environment.  That was the most impressive thing of all to me.     If you like CSI:  NY you’re going to like this book tremendously.  The CSI: NY universe is safe and will thrive in the hands of DeCandido  If you know little about CSI: NY, DeCandido provides the background to bring you into the universe.  His talents are such that Keith R.A. DeCandido books are worth reading for his name on the cover alone, not necessarily for the specific universe that he’s writing in.

I will say as a big X-Files fan who believes the franchise is in need of revitalization with new books.  I’d like to see DeCandido do some business with Chris Carter and take on that franchise with the same skill with which he the other universes that he has been given the keys to.   Keith, you haven’t led me to the best cannoli in the city yet, but you’ve led me to some pretty darn good books.

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Topics: CSI, CSI: NY, Four Walls, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Pocket Star