Book Review / Hands Up by Stephen Clark

Officer Ryan Quinn, a rookie raised in a family of cops, is on the fast track to detective until he shoots an unarmed black male. Now, with his career, reputation and freedom on the line, he embarks on a quest for redemption that forces him to confront his fears and biases and choose between conscience or silence.

Jade Wakefield is an emotionally damaged college student living in one of Philadelphia’s worst neighborhoods. She knows the chances of getting an indictment against the cop who killed her brother are slim. When she learns there’s more to the story than the official police account, Jade is determined, even desperate, to find out what really happened. She plans to get revenge by any means necessary.

Kelly Randolph, who returns to Philadelphia broke and broken after abandoning his family ten years earlier, seeks forgiveness while mourning the death of his son. But after he’s thrust into the spotlight as the face of the protest movement, his disavowed criminal past resurfaces and threatens to derail the family’s pursuit of justice.

Ryan, Jade, and Kelly--three people from different worlds—are on a collision course after the shooting, as their lives interconnect and then spiral into chaos.

Published:     28th September 2019
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy Provided by the Author

MY REVIEW

Now, this was a great read!  I had not really expected this to go as deep into moral and social issues,  than it did, which took me my surprise. 

We follow Officer Ryan Quinn who unfortunately gets into an 'incident' when pulling down someone driving with his partner.  One thing leads to another and he ends up shooting an unarmed black male.  The story he is telling to everyone may not be the story of what actually happened.  We follow Ryan as he learns to live with what he has done and comes to terms with what really happened and whether he should come clean with the true story of what happened that time. 

For me, the best part was the characters and how they interacted with each other - some good and some bad.  You have the officers involved, including Officer Ryan Quinn, you have the family of the unfortunate person who was shot and then you have the family and friends around Officer Ryan Quinn. 

This kept me at the edge of my seat not only for what was going to happen next but to see how each of the characters would react to what was put in front of them.  

The author's writing style was also easy to read and set the right pace for how the story should flow as you read it.  I would not hesitate in recommending this book to everyone!