Earth Angels

by Gerald Petievich

A Los Angeles drug squad crosses the line separating justice from crime in an attempt to break the backs of the city's notorious Chicano gangs

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Mystery

248 pages, Hardcover

First published October 27, 1989

About the author

Gerald Petievich belongs to that tiny group of writers who came to crime fiction from careers in law enforcement. He has been an Army counterspy and a U.S. Secret Service agent, using his real life experiences to achieve verisimilitude in his fiction. His novels are known to come as close as any in the mystery- and-thriller genre to a genuine realism. Three of his novels have been produced as major motion pictures.

Gerald grew up in a police family. His father and brother were both members of the Los Angeles Police Department. He attended the Defense Language Institute in Monterey and later served in Germany as a US Army Counterintelligence Special Agent. As Chief of the Counterespionage Section, Field Office Nuremberg, he received commendations for his work during the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

In 1970 he joined the United States Secret Service where as a Special Agent he spent fifteen years engaged in duties relating to the protection of the President and the enforcement of Federal counterfeiting laws. It was during a long-term Secret Service assignment in Paris, France that Petievich discovered the works of Per Wahloo & Maj Sjowall, Graham Greene and John le Carre, and decided to become a writer. Later, while serving in Los Angeles as the US Secret Service representative to the Department of Justice Organized Crime Strike Force, Gerald's schedule consisted of rising at 4 AM to write before going to his government office.

In 1985, Gerald left the Secret Service to pursue his writing career full-time.

Reviews

[Henry "bud" · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most exciting and believable police procedural novels

Earth Angels was released sometime in 2010. I do not know how I missed this, especially since I was was still on the job when this book was written.
A friend recommended Earth Angels. It is now priced at $2.99 for the digital version and you cannot beat the price.
I am a retired police officer and served 31 years. Regardless of price, I am critical when I read a police procedural novel.
The author, Gerald Petievich is a writer that came from a law enforcement family. His father and brother from LAPD . Gerald Petievich is a retired special agent from the secret service.
This fiction, which can be from a true account, is about Sgt. Jose Stepanovich. Stepanovich was raised in East LA and subsequently was hired with LAPD. Stepanovich was selected to be the field Sgt. for the elite tactical team known as CRASH. These officers are highly motivated and usually have the best stats, shooting scores, physical fitness, etc. before be selected for this desired assignment.
Stepanovich's team is sent to investigate a drive-by gang related shooting (18th Street vs White Fence). A child is killed and this crime became a personal vendetta.
Stepanovich grew up in East LA. He has a hatred of the gangs and placed LAPD above everything else in his life.
The gangs in this book are in fact true street gangs in LA. The streets, landmarks, and all locations are accurate. The policy and procedure for the LAPD are also accurate. There are many surprises in this book. Again, I do not know how I missed it.
I highly recommend Earth Angels.

[Wayne Jackson · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Another of Petievich’s stories, we are brought into the world of gangs and the investigators who look into them. It’s at times quite bleak but mixed with characters dealing with personal dilemmas that blur their moral lines. In much the same way as much of his other works, Petievich writes in much a way as we walk authentically with our characters in their duties, their lives, and decisions being it righteous or less than so.

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good LA Noir

[Derek Leedy]

Petievech is best known for "To Live and Die in L.A." - but all of his books are excellent. Like Joseph Wambaugh, he comes from the job (Treasury Agent not LAPD) and his writing reflects it. This novel presages the Rampart scandal 10 years before it happens. His Novels about agent Carr are all terrific as well - wishing he'd write something soon.

[Roger Leonhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Bad cops fighting gangs in L.A. It feels like an episode of "The Shield"