Officer Down

I read this in three days! Once I started, couldn't put it down.. GREAT BOOK!

I was so impressed by this book. Samantha's voice was tough, sarcastic at times, and realistic. I liked that she had an edge to her. She's flawed and that's fine--not all heroines need to be 100% sympathetic. The plot was fine-tuned and fast-paced. I plowed through the book in two days. I couldn't wait to find out the truth and to see what Sam would do when she found out the truth. Fantastic debut. I'll definitely buy the author's next book.

Picked up this debut book on the recommendation from a local author and loved it. Officer Down is an edgy and beguiling ride. Samantha Mack, our protaganist, is an attractive young female Chicago street cop who gets blamed for getting her partner killed on a "routine" duty call. What ensues is deceit, mayhem and conflicting he said--she said, conversations. As Phillwrite says "not only does the ending sneak up on you," it knocks you down." You really are satisfied and energized in the end. Very enjoyable unexpected debut.

Officer Down is great debut crime novel thanks to the complexity of its protagonist. I am not an avid reader of detective/cop novels, and I've read far fewer that feature women as the main character. However, the novels of this sort that I have encountered generally feature spunky police gals who hold their own among the boys or a sweet female PI/chef who includes actual recipes among the chapters. Samantha "Smack" Mack is not a cozy character who likes to cook, and she isn't a tough gal in the clichéd sense. Smack feels pain intensely, yet maintains grim humor in the darkest moments. She is a smart cop who makes some stupid choices. She is tough but vulnerable. As a reader, I wanted to protect her from a host of seedy characters, but most of all, I wanted to protect her from herself. Officer Down is written in the first-person. I suppose first-person is a common approach in whodunits because the reader has the same limited access to information as the protagonist. However, Samantha Mack is such as mess (she drinks too much, she's had a concussion, she is ruled by her emotions) that I wasn't even sure if she was providing reliable information on her own actions. I had trouble trusting anyone in this novel, including the one telling the story. The novel is also written in present tense, which contributes to the sense of immediacy and instability that dominates the story. My favorite line: "I'm starving, so I start a pot of coffee and root through the fridge for something to eat. Mustard, soy sauce, Hershey's syrup; two Budweisers left in a six-pack. All the ingredients for take-out."

Stumbled upon this author's crime fiction debut, and boy am I glad. Loved the book. The female heroine's voice was distinctive and insightful. Like the best crime fiction it delved deeply into character and then exploded with the morbid details of murder. The story in a nutshell: Chicago police officer Samantha "Smack" Mack is on a bust with her former partner. Shots are fired, but the perp isn't the one filled with lead when the dust settles. Samantha's partner is. What is Samantha's take? Not very much, as she was knocked unconscious during the battle. An unfortunate circumstance as ballistics points to her gun as firing the fatal shots. From this excellent premise the novel focuses on Mack's uphill battle to find out what really happened and to prove she wasn't at fault. The writing is poetic and action packed. The characters well drawn. The story is subtle, the ending sneaks up on you, and as you turn that last page you'll revel at how satisfied you are. Schwegel is a new star in the genre.