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

[ExquisiteFlower]

[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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An action packed light hearted rendition of a day in the life of a GI. Set over several months this gives the casual observer/layperson an insight to aspects of what those who ‘serve and protect’ go through, the thoughts and feelings, the possibilities and conflicts, the highs and lows. “A Police Action” was an enjoyable read.

Honestly, I often enjoy this genre, but this one involved me so I felt more participant than observer. Technical terms were used and explained by Freda in a way that did not leave me feeling like ignorant and the narrative flowed around them without hiccups.

The first half of the book set the scene and built up the characters. There are quite a few characters to keep track of, but I did not feel overwhelmed or like I was struggling to remember, each time I dipped into the book I was back in the scene and could assign tone and attitudes to the voices as the story progressed. When deployment happened I felt “Wow! That was a lot of build up”, but decided to read on as I was enjoying the story. Later I was thankful for the character build up because I could recall the characters as people with families, names, and backstory.
James Coppi is engaging as the main character, his cheekiness and ability to make the most of opportunities that arose helped balance the seriousness of the politics with the absurdity of some predicaments that arise. Samantha (Sam) Powers is approachable and perfectly imperfect so I identified with her on many levels.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more substance regarding mental health impact and issues, it was well addressed even though so lightly touched on. Expanding a bit on the impact this can have on family and friends would have added another layer of awareness and appreciation for a layperson who does not understand the intensity of what that lifestyle brings.

If you enjoy military style reads this is a nice quick enjoyable read or if you want to discover if this is a genre for you then I recommend this story for you as a place to start. It is well written and well edited, it is not too deep that you get stuck and it is not so lighthearted to dismiss the realities that our service men and women face on the daily, be it on base, assignment or active duty. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it kept me included, appreciative and I could dive right back in without having reread the previous page or two to remember where I was at.

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A Police Action
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[Stephanie Elizabeth]

Great review! I totally agree with you that the author should have added more about Coppi's obvious mental health struggle. I definitely think the author was hinting at something when describing Coppi's high highs and low lows.