“Green Sun tells the unvarnished truth about what it is to be a cop in modern day America. I can give a suspense novel no higher compliment.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
This is an excellent cop novel. Officer Hanson is a Vietnam Vet and a former POW. After a short teaching stint, he decided at the ripe old age of 38 to becomes a police officer in Oakland California, where the crime rate and drug use is really high. It’s the mid to late 70’s and Oakland is just full of racial tension and harbors a real dislike for the police. But Hanson is a different cop. He would rather work out a situation than make an arrest whenever possible, and gets physical only when warranted. And he can really get physical.
Hanson just wants to last 18 months on the force. When that is accomplished he can get his certificate which would make him eligible to be a cop anywhere in California.
Hanson is respected by the residents where he works, but is not liked or trusted by most of the cops. He befriends a young black boy named Weegee and also befriends Felix Maxwell, the local drug lord, who is constantly trying to recruit him.
There will be close calls, run ins with the local Black Muslim groups, and with those on his own force, until the problems occurring in Oakland and his private life will bring everything to its ultimate conclusion.
The book is so well written you will not want to put it down. Hanson is a different, unique cop who sees things very differently than anyone else. This is what brings the hook to this books that make it very different from your typical cop novel.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by:
Richard Franco
Added 19th April 2018
