Cops in action: Barton & Ivy. I finished reading two powerful books by two cop authors: Chad Barton and Suzie Ivy. If you are into law enforcement, you will like them both.
Barton’s book “the Goodbye Man” features a gorgeous German Shepard, Sadie, who accompanies her boss Jack Steele wherever he goes. Jack, a retired cop turned successful business man, cannot let go of a defining moment in his life. As a young, inexperienced cop he was faced with the choice: put the gun down and the perp gets away with the child and you know the child will be molested and killed or, steady the nerves to the max and shoot the perp in the head. He did the latter and the boy’s parents became friends for life. Even after retirement, Steele continues to be frustrated by child molesters getting off lightly or, not even getting caught at all. And with Sadie by his side he sets out to change that.
Barton goes over the crimes, the way Steele hunts down the child molesters and describes how during the hunt, the good guys often get hurt. Or die. You will find out why he is a tragic, but not a bitter person.
Ivy’s second book “Bad Luck Officer” shows you a rookie cop who fresh out of the academy is determined to make a difference and then gets faced with the reality of being a cop. Ivy describes the loads of paperwork, the agony of watching a child molester blame the child for everything that happened, and how some citizens test their patience. She is brutally honest about her failures, her shortcomings as a cop, and that makes Ivy’s books extremely personal. Despite agreeing that there is room for improvement here and there you also root for the rookie because she really wants to be a cop and for the right reasons.
Ivy describes the mess of fingerprinting, dancing on the tables, and getting beaten up during a domestic violence call. It isn’t only herself she puts on the spot. Ivy clearly describes how hard it is for a woman to become a cop and how being a female rookie cop means biting your tears back again and again. Some of her own colleagues turn against her, insult her, and threaten with a less favourable report unless she …. you get the picture. But you will not only root for Ivy. You will root for Mrs. Brown and Rachel to survive. Unfortunately, only one of them does and when you read how Ivy finds the other, your heart aches.
Two great books, two different cops, two different takes on law enforcement.
Five thumbs up!