Good Cop Bad Cop
by Sallie Moppert
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GENRE: Mystery
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BLURB:
When his mother is beaten to death by his alcoholic stepfather, fourteen-year-old Samuel Marlowe is rescued from seeking revenge against him by a chance meeting with Officer Edwin Hill. The veteran policeman takes Sam under his wing and even becomes the boy’s foster father.
Sam becomes a cop and works alongside his beloved mentor until Edwin is killed in a shooting. Hailed as a hero for his actions in the case, Sam feels like anything but. He begins a dark descent away from the stand-up policeman he once was, turning to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain and his PTSD.
The police captain assigns Sam a partner hoping to salvage what is left of him by forcing him to become a good role model for the young recruit. Needless to say, Sam is not pleased with the arrangement, protesting it up until the moment Junior Detective Dahlia Bennett enters his life.
Will he try to shake her loose? Does her by-the-book ideals and strong moral code rub off on him? Will his relaxed attitude and views on true justice start to influence her? What will ultimately lead to the two becoming a solid team? When Dahlia declares she wants to reopen some cases believing that the wrong person was sent to prison, Sam tells her straight out that in doing so, she would be putting her life at risk. As Dahlia persists, Sam is faced with the ultimate decision: let Dahlia reopen the cases and discover his crimes, or kill her to keep her from learning the truth.
Sam becomes a cop and works alongside his beloved mentor until Edwin is killed in a shooting. Hailed as a hero for his actions in the case, Sam feels like anything but. He begins a dark descent away from the stand-up policeman he once was, turning to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain and his PTSD.
The police captain assigns Sam a partner hoping to salvage what is left of him by forcing him to become a good role model for the young recruit. Needless to say, Sam is not pleased with the arrangement, protesting it up until the moment Junior Detective Dahlia Bennett enters his life.
Will he try to shake her loose? Does her by-the-book ideals and strong moral code rub off on him? Will his relaxed attitude and views on true justice start to influence her? What will ultimately lead to the two becoming a solid team? When Dahlia declares she wants to reopen some cases believing that the wrong person was sent to prison, Sam tells her straight out that in doing so, she would be putting her life at risk. As Dahlia persists, Sam is faced with the ultimate decision: let Dahlia reopen the cases and discover his crimes, or kill her to keep her from learning the truth.
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Excerpt Two:
From Big Fish:
“Detectives, this is Agent Shawn Martell and Agent Florence Calvert from the FBI,” the captain introduced the man and woman seated in the visitor's chairs in front of his desk respectively. “And, agents, this is Samuel Marlowe and Dahlia Bennett, my finest detectives, as you requested.”
Sam and Dahlia exchanged handshakes with Shawn and Florence. Shawn Martell was a similar height to Sam, falling a tad under the six-foot mark. Auburn colored hair, caramel brown eyes, and an overall aesthetically pleasing appearance, Shawn looked as though he could easily portray the ‘hunky agent’ role on an FBI television drama, Dahlia considered. Christ, I’m even starting to think like Sam.
Florence could hold her own against her partner, with a long and slender frame, sleek black hair that hung down to the middle of her back and celeste blue eyes. She was taller than the average woman, nearly measuring up to Shawn, save for an inch or two. If her partner fit the hunk role, Florence appeared to be apt for the “woman in charge” role in the drama.
We're obviously not here to sightsee,” Shawn began to say.
“We're investigating a human trafficking ring,” Florence said. “And would like the assistance of the local authorities.”
“You know, Flor and I,” Shawn thumbed toward his partner. “Would stand out like a sore thumb in a small town like this.”
“Seeing some FBI agents could cause the potential perps to run like hell,” Sam said, understanding what the agents were getting at. “But two local cops poking around would be far more discreet.”
“Exactly,” Shawn said. “Could we get your assistance?”
“Absolutely,” Sam and Dahlia replied in unison.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A New York native, Sallie has a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a Specialization in Forensic Science. A lifelong mystery fan, she has combined her love and passion for writing with her interests in criminal justice, law, and forensic science.
Sallie currently resides in New York with her family and her “zoo,” which includes two dogs, two guinea pigs, a betta fish and a leopard gecko. She works as a freelance writer/editor and a legal assistant.
ZIMBELL HOUSE: http://zimbellhousepublishing.com/product/good-cop-bad-cop/
Interview with Sallie Moppert
1) Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reins of the story?
I would definitely say the characters are reined in, but with a very loose rein so they have some creative freedom; I like to give the story and the characters some leverage to develop on their own because they can sometimes conceive interesting plots or twists that I hadn’t originally planned for or thought of. One example of this is when I first began writing Sam, I knew I wanted to create a mentor for him. The Edwin Hill that takes Sam in and becomes his foster father wasn’t originally a part of the story. He was actually a character from a different story I was working on where I was experimenting with different POVs. I got the idea to take that Edwin and make him the Edwin we meet in Second Chances. Another example is in one of the later stories where a hostage situation takes place. Originally, the culprit was someone completely different and unrelated to the story. However, between my muse and my editor, the culprit evolved into someone that is connected to Sam (I don’t want to spoil the story by saying too much), which ups the stakes that much more based on the situation.
2) Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
I think one of the most unique features of Good Cop Bad Cop (GCBC) is that there is a new mystery in each chapter. You get to solve multiple crimes of all different types - murder, kidnapping, blackmail, etc. - alongside Sam Marlowe, the protagonist, while following his journey and his struggle to uphold the law or take justice into his own hands. Plus, each chapter is a short story, so you can read one story or section and not have to worry about losing your place when life gets in the way and you have to put the book down (something I personally appreciate when I’m reading books myself). With heavy topics such as murder and drugs, there is also a good amount of comedy, especially in Sam’s dialogue both internally and with his partners; Sam is sarcastic and arrogant, but still a guy you can root for.
3) Have you written any other books that are not published?
Absolutely - I write all the time and usually have multiple different stories in progress at the same time. I have a sequel in the works for GCBC that I have a few more stories to pen before it moves toward publication. I also have three additional protagonists from other stories that I am now transitioning into similar formats to that of GCBC. I have a private investigator, a police officer who is currently incarcerated, and a reporter that all have tales that need to be written. I like to jump around between projects, so it’s wherever my muse takes me that will be the character that gets completed next.
4) Pen or typewriter or computer?
I am definitely partial to hand writing all of my stories. There is nothing like getting a fresh notebook and some good pens and using them to explore the possibilities of a brand new story. Writing out my stories on paper and then typing them works best for me, as I edit my works when I transpose them from paper to digital documents. That being said, if I’m on the computer working or goofing around, if inspiration strikes, I’ll absolutely pull up a clean word document and just type away for as long as the words are flowing. I feel like typing is extremely helpful when writing longer pieces, especially during National Novel Writing Month (the goal is to write 50,000 words within the month of November, for those who may not be familiar with NaNoWriMo). The word count tool is such a lifesaver on those days :)
5) Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you so, so much for all of your support - it truly means a lot to me. If you enjoy the story, I would love to see your own stories featuring Sam by posting them on fanfiction sites! Maybe I could even start a “best fanfiction” contest for prizes :)
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:
Sallie Moppert will be awarding one commenter with a $15 Amazon/BN GC+ 3 commenters will receive a prize pack consisting of pen, key chain, and magnet (US/Canada only) to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and for the great giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting and allowing me to share my work with your readers!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your book with us. I always look forward to finding out about another great read.
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