Review by Mounce574 -- A Police Action by A. A. Freda

[Stephanie Runyon]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Police Action" by A. A. Freda.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When I first picked up the book A Police Action, I expected something about a revolutionary stand against or activist driven story. I was wrong but I still was drawn in with heroism, comedy, and antics of the main character, James Coppi.

A.A. Freda did a great job writing the views of Coppi when it came to his view of the military. The story was written during the Vietnam War and Coppi was drafted to go fight in Vietnam. He differients himself from regular enlistees and "lifers." He considers "A true lifer is a loser who has made the military a career." Upon entering his stateside training post, it is easy to see that Coppi is a true hustler as he lends money with a 500 percent interest rate and a card shark with the casual poker game. He has several battle buddies that he had gone through basic training with and Freda develops the supporting characters adequately and Coppi's relationship with them throughout.


The major twist added in before Coppi's deployment is Samantha Powers. What Coppi thought would be just a regular one night stand turns out to be a young pregnant girl needing help. While not obligated to help Sam at all the rest of the book details how he seemingly rescues her and she falls in love with him despite his required duty in Vietnam.


I can relate with some of the situations Coppi goes through from my own military experiences. Ironically I went to the same basic training and same company location in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The base that he is deployed from Fort Knox where I was stationed (of course it was more modern as my term was 1997 to 2006 and I was never deployed to any wartime locations). I can also appreciate how some of the higher-ranking officers seem to make poor decisions and how enlistees have to follow orders blindly despite thinking the move is not in their best interest.


Generally, I am not a fan of historical fiction but this one was a mind changer for me. Freda made every situation colorfully depicted without dragging out the details of military daily life that, in my experience, was hurry up and wait. The romance was realistic as there was no love at first sight but the feelings of confusion on both sides as to what the ultimate direction the relationship, or lack thereof, would lead to.


I am rating this book a perfect 4 out of 4. All the elements of suspense, humor, and realistic are perfectly depicted. I would avoid younger audiences as there are some lighter descriptions of sex and a plethora of profanity throughout the book. Anybody that enjoys wartime fiction books would definitely enjoy this one as the reader can actually seem to feel and relate with Coppi the entire time.

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A Police Action
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[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

What a coincidence that this related so strongly to your military experience! It must have made for a very interesting read in your case.
I'm not much into military books but I enjoy a realistic romance and they're not so easy to find.
Thank you for your candid review!

[Vinay Penubothu]

Thank you for your detailed review! Your insights have piqued my interest, and I'm excited to dive into the book. Your review convinced me it's a must-read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts - they've inspired me to explore further