Following on from the recent Meet the Author post featuring Stephen Clark, I am delighted to be reviewing his recently published novel, Hands Up. Hands Up was published on September 28th 2019 by WiDo Publishing.
Hands Up follows three protagonists from different worlds who are on a
collision course after a deadly police shooting spins their lives into
chaos.
Officer Ryan Quinn, a rookie raised in a family of cops, is on
the fast track to detective until he fatally shoots an unarmed black
teen. Now, with his career, reputation and freedom on the line, he
embarks on a quest for redemption that forces him to confront his fears
and biases, and choose between conscience or silence.
Jake
Wakefield, an emotionally damaged college student who lives in one of
the city's worst neighborhoods, knows the chances of getting an
indictment against the cop who killed her brother are slim. But when she
learns there's more to the story than the official police account, she
grows determined, even desperate, to find out what really happened and
get revenge by any means necessary.
Kelly
Randolph, who returns to his hometown broke and broken after abandoning
his family 10 years earlier, seeks forgiveness while mourning the death
of his son. But after he's thrust into the spotlight as the face of the
protest movement, his disavowed criminal past resurfaces and threatens
to derail the family's pursuit of justice.
My Thoughts
The most striking part of this crime thriller is its structure. It alternates between the different protagonists but only one is told through the first person. Ryan, the rookie policeman who is accused of shooting an unarmed, black teenager who has been pulled over for a traffic offence, is at the centre of a complicated web of relationships. You realise early on, that he has unresolved issues from his past which he has to face up to. Racial stereotyping, racism, police corruption, gang culture are all in the mix, as are more personal feelings around abandonment, grief and loss. Social issues and self harm are also highlighted.
You are introduced to life in Philadelphia which seems to divide down racial lines. Deprivation and loss characterise some people's lives. As the characters' stories become linked, you are not quite sure who is going to emerge from the investigations unscathed. Of course, the answer is most probably no one! Written in a clear style, the characters are well drawn and credible.
In short: different worlds collide
About the Author
Stephen Clark is a
former award-winning journalist who served as a staff writer for the Los
Angeles Times and as a politics editor for the Washington, D.C. bureau
of FoxNews.com. Stephen grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and now
lives in North Jersey with his wife and two kids.
Thanks to Stephen for a copy of the book.
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