Official Review: Guardians in Blue~Book Two by Ken Bangs

[mmm17]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Guardians in Blue~Book Two" by Ken Bangs.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Have you ever wished to hear real cops’ accounts of their daily activities? Would you find it interesting to take a look behind the scenes during an actual police investigation? In Guardians in Blue: Book Two, by Ken Bangs, the reader gets to do just that. The book is an action-packed narrative of crime stories, from the perspective of someone with a vast experience in law enforcement.

The book’s main character is Kenneth Wheat Bangs (K.W.) – an all-around good guy who wants to make the streets safer and bring criminals to justice. He becomes a police officer in Texas when he is just nineteen and dedicates his whole life to being “a guardian of justice” – working in several capacities such as sergeant, detective, and even as a judge. The plot is constructed as a sequence of cases of robbery, smuggling, kidnapping, rape, and murder.

The suspenseful manner in which the author narrates each crime hooked me in. The descriptions of a cop’s daily routine, as well as of the crime scenes, were gripping and made me feel like a detective trying to solve mysteries. Although I must say I found that some gory details were unnecessary.

Additionally, K.W. came across to me as a lovable, compelling character – a good husband and father, whose motivation to protect and to serve is clearly developed. Also, I enjoyed the positive and almost poetic tone of the narrative, like the reference to a cloud of benevolent witnesses watching from above. I particularly enjoyed how K.W. makes idealistic and surprising decisions as a result of internal conflicts that are well woven by the author, but no spoilers are allowed!

On the other hand, with the multiple crimes and criminals that are mentioned, the plot seemed a bit scattered and difficult to follow at times – a noteworthy negative point. I couldn't always keep track of all the different characters that were introduced, especially in regard to which crime they were related. At the end of the book there is an epilogue with a summary of each case presented, which I found helpful. Still, I wish the author had done a more meaningful transition between the stories.

Lastly, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I am taking a star away because I felt that the plot was a bit confusing. The book is well edited – I found no errors to speak of. I believe it will appeal to readers who enjoy realistic crime stories. Those who are put off by violence might not like it.

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Guardians in Blue~Book Two
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Like mmm17's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

It is difficult when there are SO many characters to keep track of each of them without having extensive notes. Still, I like the idea of the book. I'm glad it was edited well. I will look into this one further. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Book Raider08]

Nice review. This book seems interesting and is just my cup of tea as I love crime investigation stories.

[kdstrack]

There are so many TV programs that give us a distorted vision of a policeman's day. I like the premise of this book, written by a cop, detailing his actual cases and experiences. I'm glad you mentioned the epilogue. That will be helpful to sort out any confusion about the characters. Great review!

[Adedayo+23]

I like to dabble in the true crime genre now and then, and this feels like a good fit. Too bad the plot is a bit scattered. Thanks for the review.