Q-Boro Books: Brazen by Mo Shines

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by Mo Shines

Hidden behind the blue wall of silence are the drugs, murders and blood money. This gritty urban tale pulls you into the depths of police corruption in the drug-infested ghettos of New York City. Entangled within is an extramarital sexual escapade that turns violently tragic for everyone involved.

Detective Jay Robinson is a street-hardened twenty-year veteran of narcotics. Thanks to the city's low pay scale, his optimism has been chipped away after years of watching drug dealers make tons of fast cash while struggling to make ends meet. At the present time, he and another dirty cop, Warren, are deeply entrenched in the extortions and murders of numerous hustlers in the same hood they're supposedly cleaning up.

With three years on the job, Sean Coleman is relatively new to narcotics. Assigned as Jay's partner, he is hiding a secret that could bring down both dirty cops. Somewhere along the journey he loses his path, not to mention his soul, after facing the ultimate betrayal. Pushed over the edge and blinded by the rage engulfing his heart, he throws his life and career away for the bittersweet taste of revenge.

RAW Rating: 5

***** Dirty Cops!!! , June 21, 2005

Reviewer:

Hotchklate "Coast2CoastReaders" (Bronx, N.Y.)

In this fast pased novel Mo Shines details two dirty NYPD cops and one officer's attempt attempt to bring them down. Readers will watch in amazement while NYPD's finest commit more crimes than the drug dealers that they shake down. Anyone still wondering why infamous cop killer Larry Davis did what he did just needs to read this book.

Set in some of the most grimiest neighborhoods of the Bronx. Brazen gives readers a view of the Bronx reminiscent of Fort Apache the movie. Trust me tourism won't increase after reading this one. However readers will actually root for the drug dealers who are being extorted and murdered by officers who are supposed to serve and protect.

How will the Brazen criminal acts committed by Sean Coleman and his new partners Jay and Warren effect Sean and his already shaky marriage?? Can Sean bring down Warren and Jay?? Or will he crack under pressure?? The ending to this one is a shocker!! Brazen is an urban tale told from a fresh perspective. From the perspective of two cops who are tired of fighting crime and have decided If you can't beat them, join them!!!

**** Gritty tale of street life and bad cops , August 4, 2005

In BRAZEN, the debut title of Mo Shines, the reader is presented with an urban tale of street life and the twisted minds of police officers entrusted to protect and defend. On the surface and to other police officers, Detective Jay Robinson is the model cop with a successful career to his credit, but upon closer inspection, he's not so great. Jay is fed up with the low pay and more than annoyed that drug dealers are living a better life than he is, so he's switched sides of the playing field. Though he still wears the NYPD uniform, he shakes down drug dealers, commits murder, and plants evidence as necessary to ensure his financial status, with plans to eventually retire and live luxuriously from his dirty money.

Sean Coleman is an undercover Internal Affairs investigator brought in as Jay's new partner to bring down Jay and his previous partner, Warren. Sean works to embed himself in their world -- gaining trust and learning more about their operation. Unfortunately, to do this he must be privy to and part of some of the horrific acts performed by Jay and his former partner and later learns of other heists and crimes committed by the two. As he deals with his undercover status and his moral obligations, he is also struggling through changes in his marriage. He's not at liberty to discuss his new position with his wife and is left to swim in his own thoughts of helplessness. During this time, they grow apart from one another and his wife drifts away from him and into the arms of another man. This act of betrayal, once discovered, shatters Sean's world, disrupts his balance between right and wrong, and causes him to lose everything -- all for revenge.

While the first portion of the book moved a bit slow for me and the book could use a good proofreading, I enjoyed the plot. The battle Sean fought to keep control of his pledge to society, and the subplot dealing with his relationship with his wife was intriguing. It definitely makes you think, and just as you're sure you have the book figured out, the author adds in a twist, which completely throws you off guard, but thrills you at the same time. I was intrigued by the storyline of BRAZEN and am glad to see a different twist to the many street fiction type of novels on the market. Mo Shines has written a gritty expose' that reads like a movie. It is one of those books you can see while reading. Those who like action-packed, suspenseful movies with explosions, street life, or even readers of crime thrillers will enjoy this title.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal RAWSISTAZ.com

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