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Jan 05, 2012

Shannon rated it:

The readers venture into the darkest realms of the world after "Daywalkers" have safely crawled into their beds for the night. In the whirlwind rides under the cover of darkness, Zach Fortier tries to remain human and relatively normal while patrolling messed up streets and neighborhoods. The author does a great job presenting the grit police officers face on a daily basis as well as the tension that arises between officers. He also stresses frequently the need for officers to liste More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 22, 2011

Hayley rated it:

This book could have been five stars. The stories themselves were good and incredibly intriguing. However, the entire thing was riddled with simple grammatical and spelling errors that, after awhile, got incredibly irritating. I can forgive an odd error, but tons of them? And on easy things, such as forgetting to make a word plural or having sentences that don't make sense? Someone should have proofread it...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 27, 2012

Dan rated it:

Great job on your book Zach.. But I really wanted to say thanks for writing this.. not for me, but for my girlfriend (who will soon be reading your book). I wish I could say I had LEO experience, but I can't. I do know my time in Iraq has made me sketchy about being in certain situations since I've been out.. its hard to convey to her why I look for every possible exit when entering any structure, why we sit in the back of restaurants facing the door and why I look for potential dangers EVERYWHE More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 18, 2012

Patrick rated it:

Curb Chek is a stylized, realistic, engaging read that immediately hooks the reader. Although the book does not read like a novel, it still makes it an easy enjoyable read. Curb Chek is comprised of real life events/situations that have shaped the author into the person who he is today. Curb Chek tells of the real life struggles between doing what is right, and doing what others expect you to do, all while trying to maintain your sanity working for a department that doesn’t necessarily operate a More...

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Jan 08, 2012

Tammy rated it:

I remember the author contacting me to read his book. He had me interested with the little bit that he had shared with me in the e-mail. I knew that the book was going to come in the mail at some point just didn't know when. Then I got the book in the mail. Loved the cover, loved the way his style of writing. He is a great author. He does not pussy foot around a subject. I found that extremely refreshing! This is not a book for everyone I must say. If you don't like the harsh reality of Mr. Fort More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 01, 2011

Autumn rated it:

Review posted on From the TBR Pile on Nov. 16th, 2011

Curbchek doesn't really flow like a novel, it's more like a anthology of vignettes. It's labeled as fiction, but it reads like a non-fiction account of a ride along with a cop on the streets. Some of the stories are more developed than others, some are more interesting, some are better written, some made me roll my eyes at the arrogance.

You might be sensing that this wasn't my favorite book. It wasn't necessarily More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 05, 2011

Aimeekay rated it:

"The reality is any good street cop, the guy you praise and pin medals on, is damaged, really damaged."

This book is amazing, I mean really amazing. Fortier gives a glimpse inside a world that the average person doesn't really know or understand. Both the mental world of the cops who are out there on the street, and the world itself that they are patrolling. The world where "retaliation is a very real fear..." While this statement was directed towards people livin More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 22, 2012

Celine rated it:

When the author asked me to review Curbchek, I had no idea what to expect. It's completely out of my comfort zone. I had nothing to compare it to. And the reviews I read didn't make it any clearer for me at all. So for once, I started reading a book without any prejudices at all.

And it turns out that is what saved the book. Had I expected convoluted plot twists, I would have been disappointed. A psychological thriller about a cop wrestling with his job and personal life? I probably More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 28, 2011

Jody rated it:

I won this book for free off of Goodreads firstreads and just for the record it took me entering at 4 different giveaways to finally win it. I am glad I did. I have often wondered what it would be like to be a cop. Not the cop who pulls you over and gives you the speeding ticket and not the cop you see on the edited shows on television. I am talking about a real police officer. Zach Fortier pulls back the curtain and allows us to see the drama that goes on not only between the officer and t More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 11, 2011

Lisa rated it:

I read Zach Fortier book CurbChek in 1 sitting.

At times laughing out loud other times holding back my tears, then feeling sick to my stomach.

Zach after serving in the military returns to his home town to fight crime. He tries to make his hometown safe thinking he would rather be anywhere else but home. Winning battles and loosing some because sometimes life is just wrong. Good Cops Bad Cops it is all in there. Wondering how he stays alive then learning why he survives. More...

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Nov 30, 2011

Jessica rated it:

Wow I received this book in the mail this morning and already finished it. I couldn't put it down at all. It was really good and I would love to read more books by Zach. I am happy I had a chance to win this one and learned some stuff I didn't know. Thanks for the good read Zach!!!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 14, 2011

Dan rated it:

A great depiction of what it's like in the real world of law enforcement. I've been around law enforcement most of my life and it's a breath of fresh air to read a book that shows how tough it really is. Reading this book puts you inside the mind of an officer who has seen more than most of us could ever imagine. These guys see the worst of the worst on a daily basis, as so expertly illustrated in this book, and are expected to survive physically and emotionally. Reading about a street level off More...

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Oct 27, 2011

Veronica rated it:

This is a quick, enjoyable read once you learn to overlook the poor editing. Had the book undergone the scrutiny of a good editor before being published, I might be inclined to bump up its rating a bit. I was pretty forgiving of this at first, having gone into it thinking these were real accounts from a cop, not a writer. I was a bit disappointed to discover that it is a work of fiction.

However, it is still well worth the read. The vignettes feel genuine, and it truly is a testament More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Nov 02, 2011

Dan rated it:

Great job on your book Zach.. But I really wanted to say thanks for writing this.. not for me, but for my girlfriend (who will soon be reading your book). I wish I could say I had LEO experience, but I can't. I do know my time in Iraq has made me sketchy about being in certain situations since I've been out.. its hard to convey to her why I look for every possible exit when entering any structure, why we sit in the back of restaurants facing the door and why I look for potential dangers EVERYWHE More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 04, 2011

2fsierra8 rated it:

I may be a little biased with this reccomendation, as I have been privy to working with Zach in the past, however, I will admit this is a great book! I finished it in less than one day, as I couldn't put it down. Zach's accounts of real-life "fictional" stories grabbed me and I couldn't wait to see how they ended. Knowing Zach for years, I knew he was twisted in many ways, but his experiences in this book, and they way he dealt with them, made me think twice about his state of mind More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 12, 2012

Amy rated it:

Curbchek takes you into the world of a police officer whose keen eye for details and street smarts makes him a good cop.

Zach Fortier takes you along as he retells actual events that have taken place over the years. As you read through the emotional stories you can't help but feel like you are there living through the events as they are told. I found myself connecting with the characters and wondering what ever happened to them.

This is a real look at the everyday life of More...

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Feb 07, 2012

Tammy rated it:

I received a review copy of Curbchek from the author, and was immediately struck by the intriguing cover. Curbchek describes the gritty, day-to-day working life of a cop on the city streets, and that cop’s name is Zach Fortier, just like the author. Now, I’ve actually read quite a few books where the author decides to give the main character their own name, and to be honest, I’ve never really understood why writers do this. Nonetheless, I started reading, knowing that Fortier based his book o More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 28, 2011

Melissa rated it:

From the moment I picked up Curbchek, I couldn't put it down. Zach's description of the events and life changing situations he faced and experienced with the victims,suspects and "fellow" officers during his career as a Cop from his time in the Air Force thru his time in The Hood and on the streets gets your attention and grabs at your guts and at times even tickles your funny bone. I highly recommend Curbchek to other readers and am sure they will enjoy the honesty,humor and percept More...

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Jan 20, 2012

Dan rated it:

Curbchek was definately a "can't put down" read. I received the book shortley before Christmas 2011. But didn't sit down to read it until after the Holidays. Once into the book I realized I was in for a wild rollercoaster ride through the many calls and experiences of Zach. As He talked about his Military life and experiences, I'm sure I could've walked right beside him, as I too was a MP in SAC. Brought back some very good memories. I would recommend this book to anybody who wis More...

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Dec 26, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

There is just one word for this book. Amazing. I'm not usually big on police story books but this one really blew me away. The author gets right to the nitty gritty and doesn't get bogged down in procedural stuff that most of us wouldn't understand. The stories in this book range from heart breaking to scary to funny. Mr. Fortier tells it like is and draws you into the inside world of being a police officer on the street dealing with everything from mundane traffic stops to swat stand offs. I gi More...

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Jan 09, 2012

Beth rated it:

Although I love to read all kinds of books, usually this type of book isn't one that I would normally choose to read so I was pleasantly surprised that it was actually an excellant book to read and would highly recommend it to anyone to definately read. It was refreshingly honest and truthful of the "behind the scenes" day to day grind that really does go on daily/nightly on the streets and Zach doesn't hold anything back, he tells what really happens out there good and bad traits and More...

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Feb 15, 2012

Jessica rated it:

This is definitely something one doesn’t want to read if they don’t like hearing about violence because what you read is reality. This is a book compiled of many different cases that the author, Zach Fortier, had to work on when he was in the force. Some of them made me cringe because of how violent people truly can be.

This was so different from anything I’ve ever read and not in a bad way. It wasn’t so much a story but a book full of many different stories. 36 of them, to b More...

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Jan 21, 2012

Carly rated it:

Curbchek is such an interesting read, it is a detailed account of police calls handled by Zach Fortier. It is told from Zach's point of view, his voice comes across strong and commands your attention from start to finish.

Zach is brutally honest at all times and he thinks outside the box when doing his job. Being from Northern Ireland myself, the way things are done in America are completely different from here, which makes it all the more interesting for me.

I have always had More...

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Dec 27, 2011

Chris rated it:

This book should only have one option for a rating. 5 stars!! This is the life of any good cop. We have times that make us cry laughing and times that make us cry from seeing what a human being is capable of doing. Zach does a great job at explaining the life in blue. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants an inside look at law enforcement without having to read through political bullshit. This is a straight to the point no bullshit read of just a few of Zach's experiences and obstacles More...

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Jan 22, 2012

Ogden801 rated it:

This was a great book with incredible insite to police work. It really makes you appreciate law enforcement and the things they deal with day-to-day for our well-being.

While there were several gut-wrenching accounts, there was also some humor to lighten the mood.

It was interesting to hear about the disfunctionality within the police department itself and how Pacman rose above it all to do what was right and treat everyone with dignity and respect.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 29, 2011

Leza rated it:

MUST READ! I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in understanding the mind of a police officer or civil servant. I cried, I laughed, and pictured each story as if I were present. The author is able to put you in the situation and feel as if you were a part of it. This book will give you a new appreciation for the work done by the men and women risking their lives to keep our communities safe.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 26, 2012

Sara rated it:

A dark, gritty look at the ugly side of being a police officer. I knew it wasn't an easy job, but this book was jut unbelievable - could not put it down. It explores bad cops, gangs, the good, the bad, the ugly of it all. It's amazing he got out alive. It's amazing that brave men and women do this every day, to help the rest of us.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 15, 2012

Josh rated it:

This book is awesome, I can not wait until the next book comes out. This is a must read, full laughs and really makes you think how you patrol your beat. In a world full of technology, it actually has me getting out of my patrol vehicle and talking to he community once again, GREAT BOOK READ IT !!!!!!!!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 31, 2012

Elaine rated it:

I would like to say that the stories told were great stories but that would be to suggest that witnessing a 3-year old getting shot is a great story. Or that a young boy huffing on starter fluid only to die en-route to the hospital, is a great story. No, while the stories themselves aren't great, I appreciate the author sharing them with us.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 13, 2011

Kim rated it:

I read all the time and have been a part of law enforcement community for a long time. I loved the style of writing used in this book. It grabbed me right from the first page!! Well worth the read - very gritty!! Can't wait for the next book from this author. (UT.)

0 comments like (1 person liked it)