HPD

by Michael Connick

A small-town police officer sacrifices everything in his life for his job, while pursuing a murderer no believes can be caught
"My friend, Michael Connick, has an awesome novel that you will love!" - Eliot Parker, awarding winning author of A Knife's Edge

Ethan Miller fulfills a lifelong dream and becomes a police officer in Huntington, WV, a hardscrabble Appalachian city that will become known as the "overdose capital of America". There he spends years attempting to bring a murderer to justice no one believes can be caught. He sacrifices his marriage, his happiness, and sometimes even his sanity for the job he alternatively loves and hates. He continually strives to become a "great cop" in a city that seems bent on destroying him. Can Ethan bring this villain to justice? Can he overcome all these challenges and become a respected police officer in this struggling community?

254 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2019

About the author

Michael Connick was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. During a career spanning much of the Cold War, he served as a consultant to various branches of the US intelligence community and the Department of Defense. His work took him all over the US, Europe, and the Middle East. He now resides in the little college town of Huntington, WV. For more information, please see his web site: http://michaelconnick.com

Reviews

[Sara Ramezani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting stories and incidents in the book...It's a geed read to anyone who wants to know what if feels to be a cop in Huntington WV!

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’ll admit that I may be somewhat biased since I live in Huntington where the book is set, but this book had a lot of other things going for it as well. The combination of that familiar setting along with the military background and ongoing struggles of the main character Ethan to maintain his sense of purpose and duty in his chosen career as a police officer struck a relatable chord with me, even though I often find myself struggling with first person novels, perhaps because sometimes the characters are hard to relate with. Serving in blue undoubtably feels like a thankless job at times, and this book takes a deep dive into the impacts those experiences can have on an officer over time, as well as the impacts it can have on their family. But it also highlights the passion that drives most officers and the important contributions they can have on their community.

While the character development was a key part, the individual stories and experiences told as highlights of the ten years or so related in the book were varied and often suspenseful, and served to give the reader a sense of the what I can only assume are probably representative of real police experiences. While this is a fictional story, I’m operating under the assumption that most police officers could tell of many similar experiences, even though some may sound to crazy to be true to a normal person.

Overall a satisfying and good read that I would definitely recommend to anyone with interest in the area of Huntington, police work in general, or a good story of a character struggling to keep his honor and pride.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this novel for a couple reasons: It is set in the WV city I love, Huntington, and it was written by a now-local author who lives there. I know the setting of Huntington, and I understand the grittiness and nuances of the setting for this story. (However, Huntington has a beautiful side as well, but it was not featured so much in this story.)

Told from the 1st person point of view, Ethan begins on the day he is accepted into the Huntington Police Department, and then follows the first 12 years of his work as a patrolman, a job he truly loves and tries to be the best he can be. It follows his personal life as well, showing how a job can influence (good or bad) the life outside of the job.

I liked Ethan; I hated Ethan; but in the end, he was redeemed, in his own way. I hope others will enjoy the story, and yes, some of it is true and other parts are the author's license to write a good story.

[Brady Arthur · Rating 1 out of 5]

Irresponsible.

[Brady Arthur · Rating 1 out of 5]

Irresponsible.