Stephen Clark (10)

'Hands Up' opens with rookie Officer Ryan Quinn trying to look at himself in a mirror. Literally.

He's not a murderer. Not really. It was a justified shooting, even if the victim was a teenage boy with no weapon who committed no offence. Everyone says so: his superiors, his partner, his mother and his snooty fiancée. If only Ryan could believe them all, but he knows the truth, and it isn't quite what he told Internal Affairs...

—- What's it about? —-

The repercussions of an all too frequent event: a white police officer shoots a young black man and a community is divided. There are marches, protests, demonstrations and what appears to be an act of vigilante justice seeking. Will Ryan lose his career, his reputation and his freedom? Or will he learn to permanently silence his conscience?

Clark gives the reader three focal points: the officer involved, the victim's sister and the victim's father. All three are complicated, damaged characters whose true natures emerge gradually in a tale that sees their lives further intersect and explode.

Jade is determined to get revenge for her brother's killing, though she knows the odds are against any kind of conviction. How far will she go to get justice for Tyrell?

Their father, Kelly, arriving home after a ten year absence, is equally determined to get justice for his son, but his criminal past may make this complicated.

—- What's it like? —-

Genuinely interesting. Dramatically engaging. A crucial relationship develops that's pretty much impossible to believe in, but I loved the story's ending - it was the perfect conclusion to everything that had gone before.

While Jade and Kelly's chapters are third person narratives, the reader lives Ryan's experience with him as a first person narrator, which is slightly uncomfortable, as he is a killer and (the more fervently he denies it, the more obvious it becomes) a racist cop. (Furthermore, and this is just plain odd, he calls his mother by her first name without any reason. Why?? This is very disconcerting.)

But it transpires that this uncomfortable connection with a killer, much like the impossible relationship, is completely necessary to the evolving narrative. How would we ever comprehend Ryan's very real belief in his own fundamental goodness and non-racist nature without being in his head? Sure, he is amused by his partner's racist jokes and tolerates his partner's illegal and racially motivated stop-and-searches, but he still believes he has no racist leanings until his therapist points out that his only interactions with black people are as potential criminals, and might this have coloured his view? Even then he has to throw a strop first before applying his grey matter to the problem of his attitude to colour.

The solution Ryan comes up with might surprise you. It astonishes his mother and his (frankly hilarious) fiancée, whose first response to the news that her hubby-to-be has killed a man is to ask: 'What about the wedding?'

Can Ryan change his attitudes? People can change. After all, Kelly Randolph has: from gang enforcer to anti gang support worker, Tyrell's dad has rejected a life of crime and just wants to keep his remaining family close. It's unfortunate that this is the opposite of what Jade wants, but Kelly's got an idea about how to make her change her mind...

—- Final thoughts —-

There's a lot to enjoy in 'Hands Up', Clark's second novel. His experience as a journalist helps create a pacey story with plenty of intrigue and action, but it was the developing characters and the tantalising possibility of their redemption that I really enjoyed.

Sadly, the initial storyline will be all too familiar to some, and Clark identifies families seeking justice for loved ones shot by police as a key inspiration behind this book. I can only hope that one day the initial events in this book seem outlandish to readers, but in the meantime it is worth remembering that if our friends or colleagues say things that are persistently racist or sexist or homophobic and we don't challenge them, that we are not just allowing them to perpetuate ignorant attitudes, we are facilitating the survival of these attitudes in our societies and even inadvertently inculcating them ourselves.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

Wow! This is the first adult novel I've read that addresses police brutality, racial profiling, and the Black Lives Matter movement. I've read The Hate U Give and Dear Martin, but those are both young adult titles and each only have one narrator. Hands Up is an adult title and features three distinct narrators; Ryan Quinn - a white cop who fatally shot an unarmed black boy, Jade - the brother of the murdered kid; and Kelly - the deadbeat father of the murdered kid who has moved back to Philly after he heard news of his son's death. Together those three narrators tell different sides of the same story and help readers realize how messy and complicated being a cop and being black can be in a city ravaged by crime. As the shooting case picks up national attention; their lives will be thrown into the spotlight and connected in ways they never thought possible. Ryan is ravaged by guilt, drinking heavily and wondering if he was right to lie about what really happened. Is it worth it? Jade is furious; she's angry at the police department who is protecting the cop and she is giving her father the cold shoulder. Kelly on the other hand is thrilled to be back in his family's lives; even if it is under horrible circumstances. If only he could get them to trust him again... A gripping police drama fraught with tension, revenge, and hope.… (plus d'informations)

STORY-LINE CITIZEN KILL BY STEPHEN CLARK:

In Citizen Kill we find America in the continuing battle against terrorism. Since 9-11, America has faced terrorism with small in-roads into their organizations. A new black ops unit, formed after the newly elected President's son's killed in a terrorist bombing, engages eliminators/assassins. Justin Raines, a black ops agent for the CIA, assigned the task of eliminating American citizens who radicalize Muslims, accepts the task.

After the diabolical of his last assignment, this will place him back in the good graces of the government and into a new position in the CIA. Assigned to kill the principle and founder of a Muslin school, Raines becomes close to Zahra. He saw the reality and injustice of this program as he came to know her. His disillusionment grows. Now he must find a way to prove her innocence and stop this assassination program. These are American citizens; innocence until proven guilty. What follows is an amazing fast paced story, my book review of Citizen Kill follows.

CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:

In Citizen Kill, author Stephen Clark created a fast paced novel filled with betrayal, terrorism, injustice, and prominent government officials gone amuck. Of course, for those of us who like a little romance, Clark also included a love interest for Raines. This book will make you stop and think; could this really happen in America? You bet it could, all it takes is a group of government fanatics and the stage is set for a government that kills its citizens under the misplaced guise of eliminating terrorism.

The pace of Citizen Kill, fast and furious, will hold the reader's attention from the first page. This is a roller coaster ride of betrayal and injustice as Raine sets out to stop this dastardly plan. The plotting skillfully developed by Clark, will entertain anyone who enjoys a solid political thriller. With many plot threads to bring together to close the novel, Clark masterfully led us through Citizen Kill. As we rush towards the end of the book, you will find good people and bad; some you will like, others you will hate. I began to wonder how the new President won the election as she appears weak, indecisive, and emotional. Of course, candidates show one face to the world and another in private. Where's the check and balance system for the government? How can so few have so much power?

Clark developed his characters skillfully; revealing villains I never suspected. Watching Raines become a better man was awesome, I must admit I did not like him in the beginning of Citizen Kill. With a last-ditch effort to stop the carnage, will Raines and his fellow supporters be successful? You will find yourself turning the pages fast and furiously to know the outcome. I became invested in the characters as I read this book. A talented author, Clark, has the skill to transport you inside the story. With twists and turns, my attention never wavered. I would not hesitate to buy this book for myself or a friend; a top-notch political thriller.
CITIZEN KILL RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4.5

FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE:

Additionally, I borrowed this book from kindle unlimited and received a copy from the author. I chose to voluntarily review the book with an honest review for this contemporary political thriller. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and under my name, are my opinions. No one influenced my voluntary review of this contemporary political thriller.… (plus d'informations)