Tin Badges introduces interesting characters: a retired NYPD detective Tank, his nephew Chris, and the detective's long time love Connie. They all have interesting back stories that are hinted at but not necessarily revealed ; tantalizing its readers to want more. No middle jet lag, the story rolls out and on with super scenes and great dialogue. It is an enjoyable read to the end and the good news is there is a sequel..

I enjoyed the feel of the book. It made me think of all those cop dramas set in New York City. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like the characters were very well developed. Most of them were stereotypical - the mobster with a good heart who retired, his dutiful daughter who still fell for a cop, the retired cops who can't let the job go, the gentle boxer, the Gypsy fortune-teller who knows all, the boy genius who can hack into any place, and the stupid drug-dealing gangbanger they're going to take down. We get most of our information on these characters from a run-down given by the protagonist, and they're so flat that it's hard to keep track of which is which during the book. This feels more like a promising early draft than a completed novel.

I really liked this book-the characters, the location, the plot and the ending. I would read more of these if it is a series. The idea that there are retired police who work on cold cases or cases where nothing is happening is very interesting. This particular ex-police and his partner are very good at what they do. This story gives us some backstory as well as set up what could happen in the future. I thank #netgalley for providing this pre-publication copy of #tinbadges in exchange for an honest review.

I was extremely entertained by Tin Badges. The premise was fun; bringing retired NYPD together to form a task force. The main character and his nephew were layered and fully dimensional, the secondary characters less so. Each of the secondary characters had identifiable quirks, but they lacked depth. The story itself moved quickly and was entertaining, if a little predictable. Tin Badges is a fast enjoyable read. 3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation

Tank is a “Tin Badge”, a retired cop. He is called back to duty with his old disabled partner to try and solve cold cases. What they find instead is a massive crime lord who will stop at nothing to save his empire. Tank calls upon his misfit band of retired cops, old mobsters, a psychic, a computer genius and other assorted characters to wage war. During all of this, Tank becomes an unwilling guardian of his nephew, due to the murder of his brother and sister in law, which hopefully will be the subject of the sequel. Anyway, the intrigue, willingness of old mobsters and good old fashioned muscle face off against the crime lord and the battle begins. This is one rollicking ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are fully developed and you truly feel for them. Just read it already!

Fast paced, snappy dialogue, and an unlikely collection of unlikely allies all combined to make this an enjoyable read.

Hard for me to know whether like as a NYC detective resembles what was portrayed here, but a reader certainly is exposed to the mindset of New York's finest who risk life and limb every day so the rest of us can sleep easier.

I have consumed many "the life of a cop" books and rate this among the more enjoyable and readable.

Fast paced read, great kick of to what I hope will become a new series. I however wasn’t a five star happy camper at the end of this one. I think it was most likely due to it being the first in the series and sometimes it starts off awkwardly. Trying to introduce the character and the supporting characters, setting the pace and covering the characters past to incorporate into the present can sometimes drag a story down for me. I felt there was good bones in this one, and like I said I read it pretty quickly but it was not a five star for me. I don’t like to leave anything less then a five star even though I do promise to share my thoughts and feelings. I just feel that if something isn’t my cup of tea, that has nothing to do with the author and there will be plenty of other readers who will love the book. I will normally not leave feedback if I just can’t get to a five star, but in this case, I see the foundation, and I enjoyed the plot and I kinda dug Tank and where he is heading. So I really wanted to share my thoughts on this one!

Tank and Pearl are retired police officers, referred to as ‘tin badges’. They have a quiet routine until the active police chief asks for their help on a case he suspects will lead right back to his boys in blue. He’s right. To complicate Tank’s life further, he has been notified that his estranged brother and wife have died in a car accident, leaving him to take in their teenage son , Chris, or surrender him to foster care. Fast paced, complex relationships and a fight for their lives is in the works and you will be happy to ride shotgun on this one!

An absolutely all around enjoyable read! This book could easily be made into a movie to rival all of the RED movies. A group of friendly....at least friendly to each other...people with a myriad of skills, band together to solve a few cases for the NYPD. Lorenzo Carcaterra gave a fresh twist to the story line, making his team of misfits uniquely qualified to catch the bad guys and save the day. I certainly hope this is the beginning of a new series because it is great!

I must admit tin badge is a new term for me. Apparently is a term for a detective who continue to help law enforcement without the authority of their former status. Tank Rizzo is one of these. He has been approached to help capture a dangerous drug kingpin, with help from his former partner Pearl. In the meantime, he has been called to take care of his nephew Chris who has been orphaned due to his parents’ car accident. Neither are thrilled with this arrangement. But Chris has an interest in solving crimes which gives them something in common. With the combination of Tank, Pearl, a former mobster who owns Tank’s favorite restaurant and the NYPD, this case takes a very interesting look at a unique way to solve a crime. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!


Also reviewed on B&N and Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

Entertaining and fun! I liked the premise of the ex-police officers being used to solve some cold cases the current force doesn't have time for - maybe that should happin in real life? The relationship between Tank and his new live-in nephew, Chris was interesting and I liked watching it develop. The central case Tank and Pearl, his wheelchair-bound partner, were invesigating turned out to be a lot bigger than they initially thought which put them in some very interesting situations. The link with the Mafia was intriguing as well. I would recommend to my friends for a fun crime read.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good read about a retired cop and his partner who work on cold cases. It's a stand-alone novel, moves through the story quickly. I am curious to see what happens in the next book with his nephew. I enjoyed it.

Links posted below. Will add Amazon when it shows up. :)

Retired NYPD Detective Tank Rizzo is pulled back into duty to solve cold cases with a bunch of misfit (and criminal) friends in the action-filled police procedural, Tin Badges.

There are two parallel stories. The first is a (retired) police procedural of how Tank chases the scummy drug kingpin, Gonzo. The second is Tank’s personal story of his guardianship over his deceased, and disliked, brother’s son, Christopher. Christopher eventually joins Tank’s motley crew to use his computer hacking skills to investigate a home invasion of two prostitutes that were brutally assaulted.

Tin Badges is action-packed and has the feeling of a good caper movie like Ocean’s Eleven. However, many of the characters are not fully fleshed out. Hopefully, it is because this is the first book in the series. My bigger problem was that stereotypes, many not even from this century, were frequent. A gypsy fortune teller? Really? Also, sometimes the plot jumped the shark. Many of the tasks that Tank and his team did seemed beyond the scope of a civilian team. Maybe that was the point since Tank didn’t seem to rule-based even in his last day in the job where the book opens. However, it still pulled me abruptly out of the story.

Overall, this book would be good for action and caper movie fans. While I had problems suspending my disbelief, those less familiar with real police procedures may be fine with this book. 3 stars.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tank Rizzo is a retired NYPD Detective. Together with his best friend and former
partner Pearl, he tries to solve cold cases passed to him by his former boss. But the latest case isn’t cold; it’s barely cool. Two hookers were badly beaten during a home invasion, and the perps were never identified. What should have been a simple solve turns out to be something darker and more dangerous, involving drug kingpins and dirty cops. Carcaterra is in top form and readers will love his latest.

I’ve read everything published by Lorenzo Carcaterra, he is one of my favorite authors. Normally, you would expect subsequent books to not be as good as the first but his books just keep getting better. Tin Badges is the story of a retired cop and his crew, who are giving hard to solve crimes by the Chief of police. Hired to solve the case of a rape and home invasion, this turns into so much more. The plot is fast moving and has a great cast of characters. I highly recommend Lorenzo Carcaterra’s books.

This author never disappoints. Right in line with all his other books. If you are a fan of this author, you will love this book Awesome from start to finish. #buythebook

Terrific read that's as much about the characters as the mystery/procedural! Tank is a retired NYPD detective who, at the request of the Chief, investigates the cold cases no one else can or will solve. He's got one right now about street walkers who were assaulted in a home invasion. That's interesting, yes, but what's more interesting is the cast of his friends who help with this. First and foremost, his newly orphaned nephew Chris, who is a whiz with computers, comes to live with him. Luckily, he folds in almost immediately to the rag tag (but awesome) group, which includes Paulie, Carmine, Connie, and Joey, each of whom have their own backstory which brought them to work with Tank. These are clever people and this is a cleverly plotted novel that will suck you in. There's more to the case, which isn't really that cold (so why has it been passed to Tank?) than meets the eye. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I liked this very much and recommend to those who like ensemble casts of outsiders- it would actually make a good movie.

This book reads like smooth jazz. Tank and his pals form a team of off books investigators for the NYPD. He gets a new case and also gets a nephew coming to live with him at the same time. This story is top notch in terms of plot and characters. You will get lost in the hard hitting conversations between Tank, his partner and Carmine. You will fall in love with this rag tag team that takes on a major drug dealer and corrupt cops and come out on the winning side. The smooth transitions lingo and procedures will give a clear and vivid picture in your mind of every action taking place. You will mourn with Chris and congratulate him as he finds a home among the team. One thing I guarantee you will not put this book down once you open it until you read the last word.

Wow! A good old knock-down, shoot 'em up story with a really cool lead character (somewhat reminiscent of the late Robert B. Parker's Spenser) that doesn't challenge readers with ever-changing character perspectives and time flashbacks or confusing head games. That means assuming the very talented Mr. Carcaterra keeps writing about retired NYPD cop "Tank" Rizzo, I'll be first in line to read each and every one.

Tank, you see, is a "tin badge" - the term used for retired police officers who are called back by the department to provide extra help. This isn't Rizzo's first such rodeo; he and his former partner Pearl, who suffered a formal career-ending injury that's left him in a wheelchair for life, now have an entire group to work with and a stellar solve rate. Together, they form a rather motley crew that includes a couple of young techies and a beautiful gypsy fortune teller (yes, you read that correctly).

This time, Tank gets the nod following a home invasion that leaves two women nearly dead. Two men are sure bets for doing the deed, but they have alibis that are phony as a two-dollar bill but unshakable. As he gathers his buddies to get started, Tank gets bad news: His long-estranged brother and his wife have been killed in an auto accident, orphaning their teenage son Chris. With no other relatives available, Tank offers the boy living quarters in his Greenwich Village brownstone; reluctantly, the kid - not coincidentally a computer whiz and cops-and-robbers aficionado - agrees to the arrangement.

Angered over the emotional distance between Tank and his late father, Chris takes more liking to other crew members as well as Tank's longtime love, Connie, and her "retired" mobster boss Carmine. Over the years, despite their usually-at-loggerheads occupations, Tank and Carmine have forged an unlikely but very real friendship. For the record, that unusual relationship, plus Tank's love of wine, jazz and other more intellectual pursuits and a strong but marriage-free relationship with a beautiful woman are among the traits he shares with the aforementioned Spenser.

As the investigation moves along, it leads directly in the path of a very nasty mob boss who threatens the lives of Tank and everyone he loves and works with. Needless to say, that doesn't sit well with Carmine; his age and the loss of his beloved wife may have nudged him toward inactivity, but threats to his family quickly revive his sense of honor (even if it is among thieves).

All told, it's a fast-moving, totally engaging plot as well as a study in character development and interaction. In the end, I wanted for nothing except more - which hopefully will come soon. Meantime, my wholehearted thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This is a story about a retired New York City police officer who, under the direction of the Chief of Detectives, works with a disparate group of people on an unsolved crime. The case is more than he bargained for as he adjusts to a change in his personal life as well. His brother, with whom he was estranged, and his wife recently died in an automobile accident and their son, whom he never met before, is now living with him.

The plot moves along quickly, although it strains credulity a bit. There is good, distinct character development. Tank, the main protagonist, is a rough and tough individual who prefers fine wine, good food, and museums to beer and bars. The ending is a set up for a sequel, and I look forward to it.