(Non-fiction) Today Conlon is a New York City detective, but in Blue Blood he tells the story of his education as a plain old street cop. Conlon went from Harvard to the South Bronx, where he busted drug operations, chased down perps, interrogated suspects and roamed the endless stairwells of ghetto housing projects, "where no one had enough so they ruined what they had, and then came looking for yours." Blue Blood is a richly entertaining peek behind the badge — it's like the first half of the best Law & Order episode ever — but it's also a love letter to the bizarre and fascinating world of street-level New York City.
Come fly with us, and Leo, through the best (and worst) of 2004. Tops in the cinema this year include Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator. Elsewhere, Deadwood was good TV, and a Strange tale fascinated readers.