First published 2012
Edward Conlon walks his first beat through the dangerous streets of the south Bronx as a rookie police officer. He comes from a family steeped in law enforcement tradition, carrying the weight of both honorable cops and corrupt ones who came before him. Conlon navigates the brutal realities of police work as he moves from patrol duties into narcotics investigations and eventually earns his detective shield. He encounters crackhead informants, survives high-speed pursuits, and witnesses the full spectrum of urban life from its most horrific moments to its unexpected beauty. The toxic politics within the department test him as much as the criminals on the street. Through it all, Conlon finds strength in the bonds formed with fellow officers who share the unique burden of protecting and serving in one of America's most challenging cities. This memoir captures the relentless pace and emotional toll of police work in New York.
Genres: crime, memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir, police, urban
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, gritty
Setting: Bronx, New York
Period: 20th-century
576 pages · Kindle Edition · Ebury Digital
Content warnings: violence