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According to the book description of Cop Tales: Legends, Pranks and
Stories from a Bygone Era, "Before the dawn of political correctness and
the almost choking fear of offending someone, there was a brand of humor that
deemed no one sacred. In the world of law enforcement lived those who dared to
trample upon everything from the sanctity of motherhood to race and religion.
There were no exemptions or exclusions and anyone could fall prey to a trivial
barb or a very elaborate prank. Cartoons, poems, letters, and living creatures
from cats to snakes were just a few of the "tools" of the police humor trade. Of
course, the calls for assistance often provided some moments of side splitting
laughter and comic relief. The mere twisting of a word could alter the response
to a call and cause dozens of police cars to rush, with lights flashing and
sirens sounding, to a home or business. Seconds after arrival they could be left
scratching their heads and asking how a bird became a burglar. Back in those old
days of policing a tough guy who boasted, "If you didn't have that badge and
gun, I'd stomp your ass," often found his wish granted. And, on some those
occasions when the badge and gun came off, bets were placed on the outcome."
According to the book description of Finding Christmas, "Wounded
in the line of duty and on the road to recovery, Jack Lacey returns with "Pops"
his great grandfather to the "old homestead" for the holidays. There he works to
restore the family church in time for Christmas Eve and find the spirit of
Christmases from long, long ago. When he sees the job ahead as an impossible
take, Pops simply smiles and says, "Just have faith and believe in your heart
and all will be fine." Yet, he remains skeptical, believing only a miracle will
restore the old church in time for Christmas. Early on, he discovers a brazen
little church mouse that has him wondering about the magical mysteries Pops told
him surround the old homestead. "Oscar" listens patiently to Jack's telling of a
fateful day in May that gave him the title of "hero," a title he detests. And,
strangely, to Jack it seems that the daring mouse understands. To complicate
matters, Julia Atkins, a lovely young woman, has slipped, unexpectedly, into his
life and is trying to steal his heart. But, he's determined to resist her
efforts. Soon, he's fighting his demons and searching for himself, while toiling
in the old church with Julia by his side. When temptation builds to take her in
his arms, an old love appears and wants him back."
According
to the book description of Mr. Miyagi and Me, “If you come to my dojo you will never be promoted
to any rank. You will always remain a white belt. But, I expect that you will be like all other Americans that came to my
class, and quit. I am much too strict, much too tough for Americans. But if you want to learn and learn the right way, come
back and I will teach you.” Mr. Takeshi Miyagi directed those words to me on a rainy November night in 1963. The following
night fellow Marine, Len Neidert and I returned, and were served our first of many doses of humble pie. The very first lesson
taught in Miyagi’s dojo was that of humility. He handed me a straw broom while telling Len and I that our first duty
was sweeping the classroom floor. And, as it turned out, the classroom floor was the hardened dirt outside of Mr. Miyagi’s
house. It would be our nightly chore to sweep away the small pebbles that somehow gathered on the “floor” between
classes. Next, we would have to lower a bucket into the well, fill a metal teapot and put out drinking glasses so the students
would have water to drink. We snapped out a hearty "Yes, sir" and began our chores. When our tasks were completed,
we anxiously waited for our fellow students to arrive. One by one they arrived, and we offered each a polite greeting, which
they coldly ignored. Over the next several months, in a place where we were not welcomed with open arms,
we struggled to win the trust and confidence of Mr. Miyagi and his students. We saw a long, difficult journey ahead of us,
and the road was paved with aches and pains, and countless bumps and bruises.”
According
to the book description of FATAL DESTINY - The Carjacking Murder of Doctor Pam Basu, “The
brutal death of Doctor Pam Basu and forcible taking of her car on September 8, 1992 is the singular incident, which defined
carjacking. Her senseless killing was truly the murder reported around the world. From CBS, NBC and ABC to CNN and FOX News,
People and Time Magazines, her death created a media frenzy.
The outcry over Pam Basu's murder brought thunderous
applause from members of her community when they were told the suspects could face the death penalty. But, the cries for justice
continued, and her death became the catalyst for House Bill H.R. 4542, The Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992. President George H.
W. Bush signed that bill into law in the presence of members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police on October
25, 1992.
The
case continues to make national news, as suspects pursue appeals and challenge legislation and court rulings. The crime has
been cited in the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, New York Times, London Times, The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, USA
Today and others. The media has referred to the Basu carjacking as "the crime that won't go away." The crime stands
as a lead case cited in legal documents, court cases and dictionaries. It has been cited as a primary case in West's Encyclopedia
of American Law and Webster's Online Dictionary.
Yet, this hideous killing held a double twist that seemed better suited to a Hollywood
Thriller. Pam's husband, Steve, while videotaping her departure from their home with their daughter, Sarina, captured the
images of the two men who would moments later brutally beat and drag to death his loving wife. And, she lived and died in
a town called Savage, Maryland. Howard County Police Officer, Jody Ann Tookey (the first officer on the
scene of the crime), said, "Two days after the murder I sat down to dinner and suddenly became sick. I
couldn't touch my food, because I could see her body lying there in the road. And, sometimes, my stomach still turns. I had nightmares for days. I saw the victim standing in the
roadway asking me for help. She would yell at me to do something and her child would cry. In the days before the first trial
I had the nightmares again. I still have the horrible dreams, but not as often. People tell me I'll always have them."
According to the book description of The
Eyes of the Hunter, “Take a journey back into the Old West, where a distant grandfather of modern-day
detective sergeant Jefferson Daniel Lewis is a U.S. Marshal. Look at those days through the eyes of Marshal Jefferson Lewis
and see the Sioux Indians, George Armstrong Custer, Crazy Horse and the battle of the Little Big Horn. Marshal Lewis is a
man with a different way of thinking, and he lives his life as his father taught him. While riding in search of outlaws and
the men who killed his brothers, he meets and befriends Soaring Hawk, a Sioux Indian. He meets Ben Dawkins, a former slave,
and finds a loyal companion after saving the life of a young wolf. Lewis truly believes that friendship isn’t based
on the color of a man’s skin or his heritage and that a true friend is worth more than worldly possessions. When he
arrives in a town called Broken Rock, he meets a very lovely young woman named Hannah Taylor. Suddenly, he finds the road
to romance is rather bumpy, often complicated, and sometimes very funny.”
According
to the book description of A Miracle for Tony Clements, it is “a funny Heart-Warming story
of the coming of age of Tony Clements. Tony’s policeman father was killed in the line of duty and Tony wants to be like
him. Devine intervention turns him from klutz to hero, and brings him love.”
According
to the book description of The Far Side of the Bridge, “Detective Jefferson Daniel Lewis has
the unenviable task of hunting for a serial rapist and murderer who has a taste for wealthy women. Tiffany Barrows, wife of
millionaire businessman Zachary Barrows, has been marked as the killer’s next victim. Lewis suddenly finds himself acting
as her bodyguard as well as lead investigator in the case. Still, he relentlessly chases down every clue and soon finds that
some of them point to a policeman. Not just any policeman, but Captain Karl Thomas, Commander of the Homicide Division and
a man with a messy divorce in his past. Lewis pushes on, only to have his world crumble: first a suicide note from a suspect
he’d cleared confessing to the murders and a good friend beaten and left for dead, then a shocking, public revelation
that he’s having an affair with Tiffany Barrows. Shamed and pushed into a corner, J. D. Lewis is suspended from the
police department and wonders if anyone will believe him when he says the killer’s still out there.”
According to the book description of A Question
of Honor, “A man who had served in the police force with pride and honor was being sent to prison for
a crime he hadn't committed. But Jesse Kelly wouldn't survive a week in prison. Then came a helping hand, and the accident
in which it was assumed he had perished. Follow him as he sets out on a quest for justice and revenge.”
According to the book description of Just
Retribution, “Jesse James Kelly wanted to put his past behind him and live a normal life with the woman
of his dreams, but a sudden bump in the road gave control of his world to someone else. Martin Gates, a cold, scheming, government
agent, steps into his life and offers him a job that he can’t refuse. Refusal would certainly mean his death. He accepts
Gates’ offer only to find that acceptance has also dragged Lacey into his dark world. Suddenly he’s standing beside
the woman he loves, training her to be like him. From surveillance and strategy, firearms to hand-to-hand combat, he teaches
Lacey to kill. Their first assignment takes them inside a jail where they are to arrange the escape of two prisoners. From
the jail they hurry to a county hospital where a fierce gun battle erupts outside the emergency room. A run for freedom over
back roads leads to more bloodshed and a narrow escape, but their peace is short-lived. Gates wants more and assures them
that the next part of their job will be a snap. He sends them to Pennsylvania to find a hidden briefcase filled with top secret
documents, but there Jesse finds that he’s been betrayed when he walks into a carefully baited trap. Behind bars and
wondering what’s happened to Lacey, he faces an uncertain fate when a detective tells him he knows he’s wanted
for murder.”
According to the book description of Death
Knocks Twice, “Halloween night, with a Hunter's Moon in the sky, finds Detective Jefferson Daniel Lewis
on the scene of a murder. Another child molester's been killed with the signature double tap to the head. Two .22 caliber
bullets, and little else to go on, puts Lewis in the middle of right and wrong when sentiment rests on the side of the killer.
To complicate matters, he's assigned a new partner. Maria Santana, a dark-eyed, raven-haired beauty works beside him day and
night, but knows she'd like to be a lot more than just his partner. Yet she's not the only one who'd like to have his personal
attention. He tries to keep affairs of the heart out of the way while he looks for clues and when he least expects it, he
finds what he's been searching for. Lewis meets with Maria Santana and Captain Karl Thomas, commander of the Homicide Division,
to bait a trap for a killer. Suddenly the plan is ripped apart. A child murderer is set free touching off a race against time
during a violent storm-a race that brings a shocking end to the hunt.”
According to the book description of A Tony
Clements Christmas Miracle, “Angela Clements is very ill, and it seems she will leave her husband, Tony,
and children Ryan and Sarah before Christmas. Higgins tries to offer comfort and encouragement to the young man he had helped
nine years ago. At the same time, he tells Ryan and Sarah it’s okay to believe in, and pray for, miracles. He makes
many trips to the altar of St. Mary’s Church, where he argues with “the Chief” and demands that He make
Angela well. When the Chief says he can’t, Higgins yells, “You can do anything. You’re God!” And there,
the Chief challenges Higgins to make Him believe. Follow Bill Higgins on a roller coaster ride from tears to laughter as he
searches for another miracle for Tony Clements. He battles thugs, thieves, and grinches, and takes on the ACLU, all while
trying to bring back the true spirit of Christmas and catch that elusive miracle.”
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