Benefit of the Doubt--A Newberg Novel

March 9, 2015
At the start of Griffin’s uneven debut, Harlan Lee, fresh out of a 17-year stint in a Wisconsin prison, murders the girlfriend of the prosecuting attorney who figured in his imprisonment—the first of many well-planned and often grisly acts of revenge. Harlan sets his sights on the small town of Newberg, Wis., the home of another potential revenge target, cop Ben Sawyer, who has his own haunting backstory. An ill-advised encounter with a fugitive in Oakland, Calif., resulted in Ben’s resignation and an ignominious return to Wisconsin. In Newberg, he’s an outsider, mistrusted by his fellow officers. Further complicating Ben’s life is an increasing estrangement from his wife and son. Things in Newberg are tense, and they just get more so as Harlan zeroes in on Ben. Griffin is at his best in presenting the culture of the contemporary police force—his previous career was in law enforcement—though the plot itself feels dated, like a 1950s muckraking thriller. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

April 15, 2015

Harlan Lee, paroled after serving 17 years for murder, is bent on revenge against anyone involved in his arrest, including former Newberg, WI, police chief Lars Norgaard, who, after suffering a stroke, is an invalid. Ben Sawyer, Norgaard's son-in-law, fired from the Oakland, CA, police department for excessive use of force, returns to Newberg, where Norgaard hires him as a detective. When participants in Lee's jailing start getting arrested themselves and random killings occur, the current Newberg police chief is on high alert. But his concern may be self-serving. When Sawyer's wife (Norgaard's daughter) is taken into custody for homicide, Sawyer gets involved to prove her innocence. VERDICT This debut novel by a 25-year police veteran is a well-written and action-packed crime thriller, featuring well-drawn characters who range from despicable to honest. With only one ally in the department, Sawyer must conquer his self-doubts and overcome the antagonism and corruption of other officers to solve the case, in the process transforming himself from disgraced cop to hero cop. This also sets up the next installment of what promises to be a popular series.--Edward Goldberg, Syosset P.L., NY

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
In a moment of lost control, straitlaced police officer Ben Sawyer becomes the poster child for police brutality, and he's forced to accept his father-in-law's job offer back home at the Newberg, Wisconsin, PD. When his father-in-law suffers a stroke, Ben is left supervising a crop of contemptuous detectives and struggling to right his ethical compass. Ben senses something amiss with new chief Walter Jorgensen and Detective Doyle McKenzie, probably involving crooked narcotics operations, and he makes it clear that he doesn't intend to look the other way. Then Ben's wife is arrested for the murder of a local coffee-shop owner who is rumored to be her lover, and Ben finds himself forgoing the rules to find the truth behind his wife's certain framing. With help from rookie cop Tia Suarez, Ben uncovers a puzzling array of suspicious arrests connected to the Newberg PD. Penned by a veteran police officer, this debut boasts the creepy, dangerous feel of the film Cape Fear and offers a compelling portrait of ethical burdens that often come with bearing a badge.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)