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The Policewoman
Narcoterrorism wreaks havoc on the world as drug cartels operate as dominating, murderous dictatorships. The powerful Irish Cartel has set up drug manufacturing plants around the world and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. Sarah is an ambitious policewoman from an antiterrorist unit. She's also smart, beautiful, and extremely good at her job, which is why she is assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team in Manchester, set up to find and stop The Cartel. Alongside colleagues from the United Kingdom's SAS, she must quickly learn new Close Quarters Battle tactics and apply them to a vengeful and threatening battlefield. Sarah's investigation appears to be going well until the fight turns personal. She must now struggle to save her friends, family, and even herself. Spanning the globe with a keen knowledge of special forces tactics and some genuinely shocking twists, this book warns of a bloody, drug-addled future we may soon face.
444 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2016
41 people are currently reading
1580 people want to read
About the author
Justin W.M. Roberts
1 book220 followersJustin W.M. Roberts was born in London, son of a British Army General, and grew up in Hong Kong, Germany, and England. After graduating from Hull university with a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Psychology, he continued traveling and living Europe, Africa, and Asia.
He currently lives in Indonesia where he is an analyst of political affairs and an active promoter of secular humanism.
Authors of military thrillers are welcome to PM him for book reviews.
He currently lives in Indonesia where he is an analyst of political affairs and an active promoter of secular humanism.
Authors of military thrillers are welcome to PM him for book reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 333 reviews
August 24, 2024
“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.”
― Veronica Roth, Divergent
Good grief! I don't know where to begin with this one. It left me with that sense of "I can't believe what just happened there"!! And ( hands up ) it left me teary eyed too.
Policewoman Sarah, from the Indonesian National Police Force, is seconded to Interpol/ British special forces, to help bring down an Irish Drugs Cartel. This is a massive and extremely dangerous operation. Narcoterrorism is about to wreak havoc around the world thanks to the cartel. Many of the cartel members are ex British Army, and are well able to take care of themselves, and will not flinch at using extreme violence if the occasion calls for it.
Sarah comes from a successful and loving family, and is very comfortable in her own skin, she's beautiful, tough, ambitious and determined, and she's going to need that determination in what will be her toughest assignment ever.
This compelling read had all the ingredients to make it work - crime, military and police action, breathtaking scenes that made it hard to put the book down, romance, shocks, but also brutality/torture that is hard to read at times. However, everything blended together to create a great read. If you're looking for an impressive action packed thriller, that isn't afraid to show some emotion, then you won't be disappointed.
* Thank you to Justin Roberts for a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
― Veronica Roth, Divergent
Good grief! I don't know where to begin with this one. It left me with that sense of "I can't believe what just happened there"!! And ( hands up ) it left me teary eyed too.
Policewoman Sarah, from the Indonesian National Police Force, is seconded to Interpol/ British special forces, to help bring down an Irish Drugs Cartel. This is a massive and extremely dangerous operation. Narcoterrorism is about to wreak havoc around the world thanks to the cartel. Many of the cartel members are ex British Army, and are well able to take care of themselves, and will not flinch at using extreme violence if the occasion calls for it.
Sarah comes from a successful and loving family, and is very comfortable in her own skin, she's beautiful, tough, ambitious and determined, and she's going to need that determination in what will be her toughest assignment ever.
This compelling read had all the ingredients to make it work - crime, military and police action, breathtaking scenes that made it hard to put the book down, romance, shocks, but also brutality/torture that is hard to read at times. However, everything blended together to create a great read. If you're looking for an impressive action packed thriller, that isn't afraid to show some emotion, then you won't be disappointed.
* Thank you to Justin Roberts for a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
December 15, 2017
To see some updates regarding the book and a Q&A with author Justin Roberts, please visit www.readrantrockandroll.com
Updated December 15th 2017 due to new version.
Warning: This review contains spoilers...
The Policewoman by Justin W.M. Roberts is a thrilling story taking place in 2026 about an Indonesian policewoman who transfers temporarily into a special forces/Interpol team to investigate and take down an Irish drug cartel. This cartel has managed to set up narcotics manufacturing in multiple places including Indonesia, Ireland and England. The drug cartel's core consists of ex-soldiers from the British Army and they'll do whatever they want in order to prevail. The reader certainly isn't spared from the brutal details.
The book starts out with Sarah and her family. The reader gets a pretty good feel that she comes from a good family and has a strong relationship with her little sister, Cindy, and her brother, Tony, who works a similar job. She's transferring to a new team and much of the beginning covers the relationships she's building with her new teammates, mainly Michael. I have to say that I absolutely loved the chemistry between Sarah and Michael. I admired that the author managed to incorporate some romance into all the military/police drama going on here. I also appreciated the description of all the added training Sarah must undergo and the way they all have to watch their backs and each other. You get a strong sense of the importance of 'team' which I love.
There's a ton of action in this story! I haven't read a book this action packed since Dark Matter. I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of characters, acronyms, special teams, regiments, squadrons, company's and weaponry, but you don't really need to concern yourself with all of them in order to enjoy the story and follow along without getting lost. The glossary in the back has a list of all of them that you can easily flip to if need be.
The character development was spot-on for me. It really helped that the author used real life actors, actresses, and singers to describe some of the main characters to help the reader get a visual of what they look like. I enjoyed the majority of the good characters while hating the bad ones. I literally wanted Niall to burn for what he had done to people, but the revenge wasn't as strong as I expected when it came time for him. I also had a few issues with Sarah's character. What's not to like about Sarah, really? She's beautiful, intelligent, strong, and pretty much bad-to-the-bone. What almost spoiled that for me was the fact that she knew she was and practically every male in the story is doting over her which seemed a little extreme. It made her character feel a little unrelatable at times. A few times in the story I wasn't pleased with the way Sarah treated Michael in regards to his looks. As the story moves along, Sarah's character becomes better understood and you start to realize just how much she genuinely loves Michael.
Conclusion: The ending didn't totally please me, but I didn't hate it either. The book is far from predictable. Overall, it was written amazingly well with a few unexpected twists and turns. The detail and extensive military knowledge the author has is incredible and the dialogue is impeccable. This isn't a genre that I normally rush to pick up, but I enjoyed it as the author included a little bit of everything here. Anyone who enjoy's military/police crime books will undoubtedly LOVE this book and I can see this story turned into a movie or even a TV series. If that were the case, I'd love to see Michelle Rodriguez play Sarah as I think she fits the personality, but maybe not the looks described.
If there's another book, I'm reading it! This book deserves 5 stars.
5*****
Updated December 15th 2017 due to new version.
Warning: This review contains spoilers...
The Policewoman by Justin W.M. Roberts is a thrilling story taking place in 2026 about an Indonesian policewoman who transfers temporarily into a special forces/Interpol team to investigate and take down an Irish drug cartel. This cartel has managed to set up narcotics manufacturing in multiple places including Indonesia, Ireland and England. The drug cartel's core consists of ex-soldiers from the British Army and they'll do whatever they want in order to prevail. The reader certainly isn't spared from the brutal details.
The book starts out with Sarah and her family. The reader gets a pretty good feel that she comes from a good family and has a strong relationship with her little sister, Cindy, and her brother, Tony, who works a similar job. She's transferring to a new team and much of the beginning covers the relationships she's building with her new teammates, mainly Michael. I have to say that I absolutely loved the chemistry between Sarah and Michael. I admired that the author managed to incorporate some romance into all the military/police drama going on here. I also appreciated the description of all the added training Sarah must undergo and the way they all have to watch their backs and each other. You get a strong sense of the importance of 'team' which I love.
There's a ton of action in this story! I haven't read a book this action packed since Dark Matter. I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of characters, acronyms, special teams, regiments, squadrons, company's and weaponry, but you don't really need to concern yourself with all of them in order to enjoy the story and follow along without getting lost. The glossary in the back has a list of all of them that you can easily flip to if need be.
The character development was spot-on for me. It really helped that the author used real life actors, actresses, and singers to describe some of the main characters to help the reader get a visual of what they look like. I enjoyed the majority of the good characters while hating the bad ones. I literally wanted Niall to burn for what he had done to people, but the revenge wasn't as strong as I expected when it came time for him. I also had a few issues with Sarah's character. What's not to like about Sarah, really? She's beautiful, intelligent, strong, and pretty much bad-to-the-bone. What almost spoiled that for me was the fact that she knew she was and practically every male in the story is doting over her which seemed a little extreme. It made her character feel a little unrelatable at times. A few times in the story I wasn't pleased with the way Sarah treated Michael in regards to his looks. As the story moves along, Sarah's character becomes better understood and you start to realize just how much she genuinely loves Michael.
Conclusion: The ending didn't totally please me, but I didn't hate it either. The book is far from predictable. Overall, it was written amazingly well with a few unexpected twists and turns. The detail and extensive military knowledge the author has is incredible and the dialogue is impeccable. This isn't a genre that I normally rush to pick up, but I enjoyed it as the author included a little bit of everything here. Anyone who enjoy's military/police crime books will undoubtedly LOVE this book and I can see this story turned into a movie or even a TV series. If that were the case, I'd love to see Michelle Rodriguez play Sarah as I think she fits the personality, but maybe not the looks described.
If there's another book, I'm reading it! This book deserves 5 stars.
5*****
November 6, 2022
I received a free copy of this book in exchange fro an honest review. I have not connection to Justin W.M. Roberts.
A very enjoyable book, it was a slow start (which I can see now was laying the ground work), but for the second half of the book I did not want to put it down. It was tense, and action packed. The only other complaint I had about the book was that there were enough clues to make the big reveal at the end not such a big reveal however the action more then made up for it at this point.
This book is almost like a real time investigation. For me I like this. One of the things that did annoy me earlier in the book was that things had to be repeated again and again to new people. However as the book went on I started to think about it this is what would happen, especially in between departments, as the armed forces and police are not known for sharing information till it is needed.
Another thing I though was good the other members on the team were not idiots. If you are going start a tactical unit with people from different intelligence communities, they are going to investigate they coworkers and realise some people might have more secrets they others. I also like the use of mobile technology, and how much information is on things like google earth, Facebook and on mobile phones in general. All these things added realism to the book, the language and terminology also really add a to the sense of realism from me as well, but the training and operations in the second half of the book was what really made this an incredible page turner.
Something else Justin did very well as is showing the solidarity and community between soldiers and police offices. These are people who have to count on their teammates for their lives, and in turn have to be responsible for their teammates lives. The live and train with each other, and they take the mick no end. The dark humor is just as much a bonding agent as taking a bullet for a teammate. This is one of the things the made Sarah likable despite being the pretty girl, intelligent, tough, and relate able to the others. Not only can she hold her own in a fight, but she can banter with the best of them, and take it on the chin when it is her turn.
This is a very good book, it is well worth sticking with the despite a slow beginning as the ground work really pays off later. The later chapter are amazing. A great story that shows true commitment to family/team and your own cause.
A very enjoyable book, it was a slow start (which I can see now was laying the ground work), but for the second half of the book I did not want to put it down. It was tense, and action packed. The only other complaint I had about the book was that there were enough clues to make the big reveal at the end not such a big reveal however the action more then made up for it at this point.
This book is almost like a real time investigation. For me I like this. One of the things that did annoy me earlier in the book was that things had to be repeated again and again to new people. However as the book went on I started to think about it this is what would happen, especially in between departments, as the armed forces and police are not known for sharing information till it is needed.
Another thing I though was good the other members on the team were not idiots. If you are going start a tactical unit with people from different intelligence communities, they are going to investigate they coworkers and realise some people might have more secrets they others. I also like the use of mobile technology, and how much information is on things like google earth, Facebook and on mobile phones in general. All these things added realism to the book, the language and terminology also really add a to the sense of realism from me as well, but the training and operations in the second half of the book was what really made this an incredible page turner.
Something else Justin did very well as is showing the solidarity and community between soldiers and police offices. These are people who have to count on their teammates for their lives, and in turn have to be responsible for their teammates lives. The live and train with each other, and they take the mick no end. The dark humor is just as much a bonding agent as taking a bullet for a teammate. This is one of the things the made Sarah likable despite being the pretty girl, intelligent, tough, and relate able to the others. Not only can she hold her own in a fight, but she can banter with the best of them, and take it on the chin when it is her turn.
This is a very good book, it is well worth sticking with the despite a slow beginning as the ground work really pays off later. The later chapter are amazing. A great story that shows true commitment to family/team and your own cause.
April 14, 2018
Read the interview with the author and enter the giveaway at https://twogalsandabook.com/
I am so emotional I cannot speak right now. This book extremely good, full of suspense and intense. I highly recommend
Ok, I wrote that as soon as I finished the ebook and Amazon wanted to know what I thought. I was all stuffy-headed from crying, so it was brief.
The book was very much a page-turner, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Sarah, the policewoman, is assigned to work with some very skilled special forces investigating an Irish Drug cartel who is looking to expanded operations into Indonesia. The drug cartel is very sophisticated and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. There is romance as well, as Sarah gets involved with one of the law enforcement team. I cried several times through the reading. It is very well written, with tons of technical knowledge; Mr. Roberts knows what he is talking about. He has a disclaimer at the beginning of the book, that descriptions of tactical procedures have been altered to protect law enforcement personal. For anyone that enjoys books of the suspense thriller genres, this one is a must read!
My thanks to the author, Justin Roberts for sharing this book with me.
I am so emotional I cannot speak right now. This book extremely good, full of suspense and intense. I highly recommend
Ok, I wrote that as soon as I finished the ebook and Amazon wanted to know what I thought. I was all stuffy-headed from crying, so it was brief.
The book was very much a page-turner, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Sarah, the policewoman, is assigned to work with some very skilled special forces investigating an Irish Drug cartel who is looking to expanded operations into Indonesia. The drug cartel is very sophisticated and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. There is romance as well, as Sarah gets involved with one of the law enforcement team. I cried several times through the reading. It is very well written, with tons of technical knowledge; Mr. Roberts knows what he is talking about. He has a disclaimer at the beginning of the book, that descriptions of tactical procedures have been altered to protect law enforcement personal. For anyone that enjoys books of the suspense thriller genres, this one is a must read!
My thanks to the author, Justin Roberts for sharing this book with me.
November 22, 2017
'The Policewoman' by Justin W.M. Roberts is not my typical genre for reading, but I read this book because of all the good ratings it received as well as my daughters recommendation. This military/crime thriller not only included extensive anti-terrorism tactical scenes, the story also included humor, romance, friendship, and very strong emotional bonds between the characters.
I found myself bonding with the two main characters, Michael and Sarah, from the start. I have to say that I found this book very captivating, extremely emotional, graphic at times to the point of having to put the book down and pick it up again at a later time.
Over all, I am pleased to have experienced this book and would read other books from this author.
Having read the copy of the final revision of 'The Policewoman' I edited my rating on this intriguing crime thriller and highly recommend it as a 'must' read.
I found myself bonding with the two main characters, Michael and Sarah, from the start. I have to say that I found this book very captivating, extremely emotional, graphic at times to the point of having to put the book down and pick it up again at a later time.
Over all, I am pleased to have experienced this book and would read other books from this author.
Having read the copy of the final revision of 'The Policewoman' I edited my rating on this intriguing crime thriller and highly recommend it as a 'must' read.
February 10, 2017
Enthralled!
A book that fulfilled my expectation from a thriller novel.
Envisage yourself as the incumbent of the authority. Combating the local crimes, theft and corruption.
You act as a cleansing agent. Being a woman is not one bit hindering to your caliber.
Now add working in Densus-88, an anti-terrorist unit, to your CV too.
Exhilarating! Isn't it?
I think I'm going to be out of adjectives to correctly describe the adventurous ride I had with The policewoman.
I was extremely fascinated with the protagonist, Sarah. She is an exemplar for all of us. Intelligent, witty, smart, courageous, lionhearted, enthusiastic, iconic and what not.
I had not much idea about Densus-88 and various other anti-terrorist units. So I first googled about them and oh my god! It was just fabulous to see through the eyes of Sarah about their working style.
Right from the first few lines, the author demands for your attention and you have no option but to surrender willingly.
His writing style is flattering. I've enjoyed it minutely. All the characters are agreeable and sensible. Dialog are awesome. They held your interest to the end. I had not imagined anything to be this good.
Plot is what you look for in a thriller genre. This one had me arrested for the entire length.
Despite the busy schedule I had to follow, with a little time to read books, It made me glued to itself. The sharp twist and turns only fueled my excitement.
It is unimaginable to even think that with a theme like this, the author has managed to present his creativity to the fullest.
There is a part when Sarah talks to her god in German in her hometown. When she goes to her work and everyone ask her about the languages she speaks, she matter-of-factly replies , Oh, I usually pray in Spanish, speak French to my boyfriend, curse in Dutch, and talk German to my German Shepherd. (I've not included her mother tongue here.)
This moment made me dance.
Why, you ask?
Because I've also trained my dog, Eva to understand only German. The moment I brought her home, she made it lucid that she would be talking German and nothing else. I was connected with this moment. A scene that would made me float and spin like a girl who brought a brand new dress.
I've enjoyed this action packed thriller amply. And definitely you're going to appreciate it even more. With his nature of surprising and shocking you, Justin will provide you nothing less than a package full of entertainment.
Make sure that you've got 4-5 hours cleared up before reading it, before that it won't let you go in one sitting.
I was engrossed in the story, impressed with the twists that turned me upside down, inside out, imagined myself as those characters, became those characters and had an exceptionally adventurous time.
If you are someone who loves to watch girls on action field, beating the hell out of the enemies around her, then The Policewoman is for you.
If you are planning to spend your vacation reading a book that skids through a blistering pace - there you go!
There is nothing better to end year 2016 with a venturesome riding like this, or to start year 2017.
Verdict : An action wrapped 5-Starer page turner!
A book that fulfilled my expectation from a thriller novel.
A 5 dimensional experience!
Envisage yourself as the incumbent of the authority. Combating the local crimes, theft and corruption.
You act as a cleansing agent. Being a woman is not one bit hindering to your caliber.
Now add working in Densus-88, an anti-terrorist unit, to your CV too.
Exhilarating! Isn't it?
I think I'm going to be out of adjectives to correctly describe the adventurous ride I had with The policewoman.
I was extremely fascinated with the protagonist, Sarah. She is an exemplar for all of us. Intelligent, witty, smart, courageous, lionhearted, enthusiastic, iconic and what not.
I had not much idea about Densus-88 and various other anti-terrorist units. So I first googled about them and oh my god! It was just fabulous to see through the eyes of Sarah about their working style.
Right from the first few lines, the author demands for your attention and you have no option but to surrender willingly.
His writing style is flattering. I've enjoyed it minutely. All the characters are agreeable and sensible. Dialog are awesome. They held your interest to the end. I had not imagined anything to be this good.
Plot is what you look for in a thriller genre. This one had me arrested for the entire length.
Despite the busy schedule I had to follow, with a little time to read books, It made me glued to itself. The sharp twist and turns only fueled my excitement.
It is unimaginable to even think that with a theme like this, the author has managed to present his creativity to the fullest.
There is a part when Sarah talks to her god in German in her hometown. When she goes to her work and everyone ask her about the languages she speaks, she matter-of-factly replies , Oh, I usually pray in Spanish, speak French to my boyfriend, curse in Dutch, and talk German to my German Shepherd. (I've not included her mother tongue here.)
This moment made me dance.
Why, you ask?
Because I've also trained my dog, Eva to understand only German. The moment I brought her home, she made it lucid that she would be talking German and nothing else. I was connected with this moment. A scene that would made me float and spin like a girl who brought a brand new dress.
I've enjoyed this action packed thriller amply. And definitely you're going to appreciate it even more. With his nature of surprising and shocking you, Justin will provide you nothing less than a package full of entertainment.
Make sure that you've got 4-5 hours cleared up before reading it, before that it won't let you go in one sitting.
I was engrossed in the story, impressed with the twists that turned me upside down, inside out, imagined myself as those characters, became those characters and had an exceptionally adventurous time.
If you are someone who loves to watch girls on action field, beating the hell out of the enemies around her, then The Policewoman is for you.
If you are planning to spend your vacation reading a book that skids through a blistering pace - there you go!
There is nothing better to end year 2016 with a venturesome riding like this, or to start year 2017.
Verdict : An action wrapped 5-Starer page turner!
January 2, 2017
This is a straight-up police thriller, but don't let that explain it for you. Sarah is Indonesian, has worked for (and we get to see her perform within) Interpol, British special forces and a few others.
Not only that, but Sarah's a badass.
The charm in this book is not in the kinds of overt storytelling directions, either, even though so many thrillers share these same kinds of directions: proving oneself, complicated love interest, tragedy, proving oneself.
The real charm here is in the details. The author says that he changed official police procedures within the text to protect real police. And yet, despite that, I still got the amazing feel that I was absolutely a part of an elite police team every step of the way through the novel.
Sarah's confident of her sexuality. If it wasn't for the strength of the extremely strong police action, the characterizations, the dialogue, I might mistake this for a male-oriented dream-fiction where a policewoman who worked undercover as a model (yes. a model.) and yet succeeds despite her gorgeous bod. You've read or seen this repeatedly on tv, I'm sure. And yet, the trope is here and strong as ever, BUT the author manages to make it work. Maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine.
Either way, the novel is pretty damn awesome as a police drama. Lots of action, good surprises (in that it keeps us on our toes), and great pacing. I think it's rather refreshing the way things always move along and we see so much of Sarah's life and career. It feels like years pass even though it's only six months. There's a lot of action.
I totally recommend it for anyone with a passion for elite police. :)
Thanks to the author for the ARC!
Not only that, but Sarah's a badass.
The charm in this book is not in the kinds of overt storytelling directions, either, even though so many thrillers share these same kinds of directions: proving oneself, complicated love interest, tragedy, proving oneself.
The real charm here is in the details. The author says that he changed official police procedures within the text to protect real police. And yet, despite that, I still got the amazing feel that I was absolutely a part of an elite police team every step of the way through the novel.
Sarah's confident of her sexuality. If it wasn't for the strength of the extremely strong police action, the characterizations, the dialogue, I might mistake this for a male-oriented dream-fiction where a policewoman who worked undercover as a model (yes. a model.) and yet succeeds despite her gorgeous bod. You've read or seen this repeatedly on tv, I'm sure. And yet, the trope is here and strong as ever, BUT the author manages to make it work. Maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine.
Either way, the novel is pretty damn awesome as a police drama. Lots of action, good surprises (in that it keeps us on our toes), and great pacing. I think it's rather refreshing the way things always move along and we see so much of Sarah's life and career. It feels like years pass even though it's only six months. There's a lot of action.
I totally recommend it for anyone with a passion for elite police. :)
Thanks to the author for the ARC!
October 14, 2017
"The Policewoman" written by Justin W.M. Roberts is an excellent high octane, no holes barred, gritty - international military thriller.
The powerful 'Irish Drug Cartel' has set up drug manufacturing plants around the world and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. Sarah is a very beautiful, special forces trained policewoman on loan from an Indonesian anti-terrorist unit, assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team in Manchester to stop The Cartel. In the fight against narcoterrorism set in 2026, Sarah's fight turns personal. She must now struggle to save the lives of her friends, her family and even herself.
This book oozes intense, detailed action which grips you from the start. A lot of the many military regiments, acronyms, weapons etc did go over my head but it didn't spoil the flow of the story and there was a glossary at the beginning if you choose to refer to it. After the first few chapters when you are introduced to the characters and the mission you are soon rooting for them all and the success of it and it's not long before you are well and truly involved in the explosive action.
Be warned, there are a few distressing scenes involving graphic torture and it's aftermath that even I winced at and I'm not normally offended by violence. I didn't like reading it, but it was probably very realistic and unfortunately appropriate to the story in order to keep its authenticity of the operation of a brutal Cartel. The ending too wasn't what I would have personally wished for, but again suited the plot and it's characters and did form the right conclusion to the book.
This book has been written as well as any of the major action thrillers around, by an incredible writer whose attention to immense detail is second to none. The author must have carried out extensive research for this novel and must also have an endless knowledge of the military forces and it's operations.
A superb plot that does not hold back on the realities of narcoterrorism, strong likeable characters, truly bad guys and a frightening scenario of a drug-addled future we may soon face, makes this a fantastic read for lovers of military action thrillers.
The powerful 'Irish Drug Cartel' has set up drug manufacturing plants around the world and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. Sarah is a very beautiful, special forces trained policewoman on loan from an Indonesian anti-terrorist unit, assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team in Manchester to stop The Cartel. In the fight against narcoterrorism set in 2026, Sarah's fight turns personal. She must now struggle to save the lives of her friends, her family and even herself.
This book oozes intense, detailed action which grips you from the start. A lot of the many military regiments, acronyms, weapons etc did go over my head but it didn't spoil the flow of the story and there was a glossary at the beginning if you choose to refer to it. After the first few chapters when you are introduced to the characters and the mission you are soon rooting for them all and the success of it and it's not long before you are well and truly involved in the explosive action.
Be warned, there are a few distressing scenes involving graphic torture and it's aftermath that even I winced at and I'm not normally offended by violence. I didn't like reading it, but it was probably very realistic and unfortunately appropriate to the story in order to keep its authenticity of the operation of a brutal Cartel. The ending too wasn't what I would have personally wished for, but again suited the plot and it's characters and did form the right conclusion to the book.
This book has been written as well as any of the major action thrillers around, by an incredible writer whose attention to immense detail is second to none. The author must have carried out extensive research for this novel and must also have an endless knowledge of the military forces and it's operations.
A superb plot that does not hold back on the realities of narcoterrorism, strong likeable characters, truly bad guys and a frightening scenario of a drug-addled future we may soon face, makes this a fantastic read for lovers of military action thrillers.
June 30, 2017
I took more than three months to finish The Policewoman. It is not boring or slow but due to approach I took for this book. I took this book as if I was watching a series. Though the book is written on the fight of Interpol against Irish Drug cartel and it is just one complete story, I found it is written in multiple episodes. Each episode takes the story to further point. I took each episode once in a fortnight and read it leisurely.
The policewoman Justine is talking about is Sarah our protagonist. She is from Densus, the antiterrorist group of Indonesia National Police. Many retired (forced or voluntarily) military veterans joined Irish Drug cartel and they had become the nationwide nuisance. Things reached to an extreme where governments started considering it as narcoterrorism. The government of Britain and Ireland has decided to take military action against the cartel. A special unit was formed in Interpol from the various department from England and Ireland. The Cartel's links were found as far as Indonesia and that is how Sarah came into the picture. She represented Indonesia in Interpol. Sarah was a workaholic and always tried to finish all her assignment without any failures. The kind of assignment she was given this time was completely on the different level. But she like the nature of the job. She met her soulmate Micheal as her teammate. Together they started giving a hard time to the cartel. But the cartel wouldn't tolerate it for a long time. Things became complex once both sides started taking actions.
This is my first book on police or military actions, so I had mixed feelings while reading the book. Initially, when author bombarded me with all heavy military/weaponry terms I thought maybe its new genre for me. Later I found that they were overused. Multiple short forms, awards, weapons kept coming to me but I survived the first episode (I would call it that way only), and they I liked it. It is like just learning how to swim, initially you will get tired out but later on, you will start liking it. The book gripped my attention especially after military action on cartel started somewhere between 50% of the story. After that, I finished the book in 1-2 weeks.
I think the author must be having first or second-hand experience working in / with firearms / military / police personnel. Every action assault by any side was perfectly detailed in military terms. Sometimes I struggled to understand what was being planned. Code names were used assuming readers are following. At many places, I found author went with his emotion or liking for military exercise or activities which brought the pace down. The author personally told me about his editing to reduce much extra or irrelevant stuff from the book. I read 3rd time edited version and he is working on 4th and final editing. He is planning to remove more irrelevant stuff along with elaborated used codes. I think after that book would be able to touch 4.25 start for me. Right now it is 3.75 for me.
Even after stating all this, I would like to point out that it is a wonderful read. I can surely recommend it to action genre fans about this book.
Detailed Review link - http://chevusread.blogspot.in/2017/06...
The policewoman Justine is talking about is Sarah our protagonist. She is from Densus, the antiterrorist group of Indonesia National Police. Many retired (forced or voluntarily) military veterans joined Irish Drug cartel and they had become the nationwide nuisance. Things reached to an extreme where governments started considering it as narcoterrorism. The government of Britain and Ireland has decided to take military action against the cartel. A special unit was formed in Interpol from the various department from England and Ireland. The Cartel's links were found as far as Indonesia and that is how Sarah came into the picture. She represented Indonesia in Interpol. Sarah was a workaholic and always tried to finish all her assignment without any failures. The kind of assignment she was given this time was completely on the different level. But she like the nature of the job. She met her soulmate Micheal as her teammate. Together they started giving a hard time to the cartel. But the cartel wouldn't tolerate it for a long time. Things became complex once both sides started taking actions.
This is my first book on police or military actions, so I had mixed feelings while reading the book. Initially, when author bombarded me with all heavy military/weaponry terms I thought maybe its new genre for me. Later I found that they were overused. Multiple short forms, awards, weapons kept coming to me but I survived the first episode (I would call it that way only), and they I liked it. It is like just learning how to swim, initially you will get tired out but later on, you will start liking it. The book gripped my attention especially after military action on cartel started somewhere between 50% of the story. After that, I finished the book in 1-2 weeks.
I think the author must be having first or second-hand experience working in / with firearms / military / police personnel. Every action assault by any side was perfectly detailed in military terms. Sometimes I struggled to understand what was being planned. Code names were used assuming readers are following. At many places, I found author went with his emotion or liking for military exercise or activities which brought the pace down. The author personally told me about his editing to reduce much extra or irrelevant stuff from the book. I read 3rd time edited version and he is working on 4th and final editing. He is planning to remove more irrelevant stuff along with elaborated used codes. I think after that book would be able to touch 4.25 start for me. Right now it is 3.75 for me.
Even after stating all this, I would like to point out that it is a wonderful read. I can surely recommend it to action genre fans about this book.
Detailed Review link - http://chevusread.blogspot.in/2017/06...
March 3, 2018
“Oh, I usually pray in Spanish, speak French to my boyfriend, curse in Dutch, and talk German to my German Shepherd”
― Justin W.M. Roberts, The Policewoman
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, so I wish to thank the author for giving me a chance to read his novel.
This was an outstanding debut !!
Summary : Sarah is a policewoman from an antiterrorist unit in Indonesia. She is assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team in Manchester, England, to help find and stop an Irish Drug Cartel who have factories and outlets in Ireland, England and Indonesia. But Sarah's involvement turns personal, she becomes a target and has to race to save the people she loves, putting her own life in danger.
The main character is a beautiful, smart and hard-working young woman, who despite being rich, chooses to work as a counter-terrorist policewoman. The construction of the main character is really good. The author obviously knows his subject matter and cares about it because this was heavlily researched with military details and amazing battle structure. The last part of the book was my favorite, and I am very glad I took the time out to read this one through. I would recommend it for lovers and fans of action and adventure stories.
― Justin W.M. Roberts, The Policewoman
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, so I wish to thank the author for giving me a chance to read his novel.
This was an outstanding debut !!
Summary : Sarah is a policewoman from an antiterrorist unit in Indonesia. She is assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team in Manchester, England, to help find and stop an Irish Drug Cartel who have factories and outlets in Ireland, England and Indonesia. But Sarah's involvement turns personal, she becomes a target and has to race to save the people she loves, putting her own life in danger.
The main character is a beautiful, smart and hard-working young woman, who despite being rich, chooses to work as a counter-terrorist policewoman. The construction of the main character is really good. The author obviously knows his subject matter and cares about it because this was heavlily researched with military details and amazing battle structure. The last part of the book was my favorite, and I am very glad I took the time out to read this one through. I would recommend it for lovers and fans of action and adventure stories.
May 19, 2017
Well, then. Just when I thought I was getting an interesting and detailed insight into a possible coalition of international police and military units working together against a drug cartel, a very human story took root and hooked me right in.
The was some info-dumping, particularly early on. There was a lot of detail and a lot, I mean a lot, of acronyms. But these things were done well, in that at just the moment when I wanted to know what something was or what an acronym stood for, there it was. I didn't have to go look it up, so that was convenient.
But then out of nowhere I realized I was attached to these characters and cared what happened to them. By the ending, I was swiping my e-reader as quickly as I could scan the page with my eyes. And wow....these action sequences are pretty amazing...
All said, I won't say much. I'm being intentionally vague on dropping plot points, as I wouldn't want to give anything away. There's plenty of unexpected here, let's say. But I will say that Roberts can spin a tale and get the reader to really feel for his characters...
5/19/17 Update: I now have a new hardcover edition of the final product and word is that some of the "infodumping" I mentioned earlier has been revised. I'm looking forward to reading the finished product, but haven't fit it into my schedule yet. When I do, I'll do a new review on the hardcover edition.
The was some info-dumping, particularly early on. There was a lot of detail and a lot, I mean a lot, of acronyms. But these things were done well, in that at just the moment when I wanted to know what something was or what an acronym stood for, there it was. I didn't have to go look it up, so that was convenient.
But then out of nowhere I realized I was attached to these characters and cared what happened to them. By the ending, I was swiping my e-reader as quickly as I could scan the page with my eyes. And wow....these action sequences are pretty amazing...
All said, I won't say much. I'm being intentionally vague on dropping plot points, as I wouldn't want to give anything away. There's plenty of unexpected here, let's say. But I will say that Roberts can spin a tale and get the reader to really feel for his characters...
5/19/17 Update: I now have a new hardcover edition of the final product and word is that some of the "infodumping" I mentioned earlier has been revised. I'm looking forward to reading the finished product, but haven't fit it into my schedule yet. When I do, I'll do a new review on the hardcover edition.
February 18, 2017
Firstly thank you to Justin, the author for a copy for a honest review.
I must mention the new cover is better than the previous cover. Right that's the only negative !
In the year 2026, narcoterrorism wreaks havoc on the world as drug cartels operate as dominating, murderous dictatorships. The powerful Irish Drug Cartel has set up drug manufacturing plants in England, Ireland, and Indonesia and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. Sarah is an ambitious policewoman from an antiterrorist unit. She's also smart, beautiful, and extremely good at her job, which is why she is assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team, set up to find and stop The Cartel. Alongside colleagues from the United Kingdom's SAS, she must quickly learn new Close Quarters Battle tactics and apply them to a vengeful and threatening battlefield. Sarah's investigation appears to be going well until the fight turns personal. She must now struggle to save her friends, family, and even herself. Spanning the globe with a keen knowledge of special forces tactics and some genuinely shocking twists, this book warns of a bloody, drug-addled future we may soon face.
This book is filled with action, pace, romance, quick wit, great story, lots of twists. And some great that the book is set only ten years in the future, so makes interesting reading as we have King William, an action packed head of Military in Prince Harry , it does make for some great plots.
Full of action as mentioned, and very violent, but criminals are violent. I really enjoyed the two powerful main characters in Sarah and Michael.
At 480 pages a lot of story is fitted into this book, as we travel all over England, Ireland and Indonesia. Full of great characters from SAS to some very nasty criminals.
The author has put together an action packed, rollercoaster of a ride thriller, with action, great knowledge on the military, as far as I know. Full of twists that you do not know where they will take you next.
Sarah is an excellent protagonist, a tough woman who still values family and friendship and who is very cool under fire , Michael is her perfect partner.
There is romance, heartache, death and determination all throughout, and some heartbreaking moments.
Really enjoyed this book. Thanks for the copy. A clear four stars from me.
In fact every review I have seen is 4 or 5 stars, so congratulations.
I must mention the new cover is better than the previous cover. Right that's the only negative !
In the year 2026, narcoterrorism wreaks havoc on the world as drug cartels operate as dominating, murderous dictatorships. The powerful Irish Drug Cartel has set up drug manufacturing plants in England, Ireland, and Indonesia and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. Sarah is an ambitious policewoman from an antiterrorist unit. She's also smart, beautiful, and extremely good at her job, which is why she is assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team, set up to find and stop The Cartel. Alongside colleagues from the United Kingdom's SAS, she must quickly learn new Close Quarters Battle tactics and apply them to a vengeful and threatening battlefield. Sarah's investigation appears to be going well until the fight turns personal. She must now struggle to save her friends, family, and even herself. Spanning the globe with a keen knowledge of special forces tactics and some genuinely shocking twists, this book warns of a bloody, drug-addled future we may soon face.
This book is filled with action, pace, romance, quick wit, great story, lots of twists. And some great that the book is set only ten years in the future, so makes interesting reading as we have King William, an action packed head of Military in Prince Harry , it does make for some great plots.
Full of action as mentioned, and very violent, but criminals are violent. I really enjoyed the two powerful main characters in Sarah and Michael.
At 480 pages a lot of story is fitted into this book, as we travel all over England, Ireland and Indonesia. Full of great characters from SAS to some very nasty criminals.
The author has put together an action packed, rollercoaster of a ride thriller, with action, great knowledge on the military, as far as I know. Full of twists that you do not know where they will take you next.
Sarah is an excellent protagonist, a tough woman who still values family and friendship and who is very cool under fire , Michael is her perfect partner.
There is romance, heartache, death and determination all throughout, and some heartbreaking moments.
Really enjoyed this book. Thanks for the copy. A clear four stars from me.
In fact every review I have seen is 4 or 5 stars, so congratulations.
June 3, 2017
I want to thank the author for the copy of this book in exchange for a fair review and also apologize for taking so long to write said review.
Please let me preface this review with a few remarks - I read a lot of different genres despite the fact that I only review some here on Goodreads. I love spy novels, it's something I don't always admit to for reasons unknown. I was raised in this environment and it's second nature to me - the military, not necessarily spying. ;) I also read a lot of translated books from foreign countries, those are my preferred genres.
With that said, there were aspects of this book that other reviewers, MOST reviewers, really liked about this book that annoyed me from the start.
The writing was not polished. I felt as though I were reading something for university rather than a completed book. The sentence structure was poorly designed and didn't flow well for me. Because I have been a journalism editor, I found myself constantly wanting to correct these errors. It was extremely distracting for me.
Because the book was set in Indonesia, the author found it necessary to explain every single foreign word that was used but in a very clumsy manner. I truly don't know how to explain this but if you've read books set in a foreign country you know there is a way to do this that flows and way to do this that stops the flow of reading completely. I'm not two years old. I get it. If I want to know more I can "google it."
Also, several reviewers have commented how much they like the fact that the author gave examples of what the characters looked like. The person looked like this movie star or this rock singer. I found it extremely annoying for two reasons. First, I didn't know most of them. Second, I have a vivid imagination and part of the reason that I love reading is that I like to conjure up in my own mind what the characters look like. Describe them to me, use your written talent and adjectives. Fifty years from now will anyone know who you are talking about? Did I? No. So use adjectives and let the readers' imagination do the rest.
After I got past all of these annoyances, the story was so-so. It wasn't something I would enjoy even if all of these things were "cleaned up." However, I would say that a good editor is a writer's best friend.
Please let me preface this review with a few remarks - I read a lot of different genres despite the fact that I only review some here on Goodreads. I love spy novels, it's something I don't always admit to for reasons unknown. I was raised in this environment and it's second nature to me - the military, not necessarily spying. ;) I also read a lot of translated books from foreign countries, those are my preferred genres.
With that said, there were aspects of this book that other reviewers, MOST reviewers, really liked about this book that annoyed me from the start.
The writing was not polished. I felt as though I were reading something for university rather than a completed book. The sentence structure was poorly designed and didn't flow well for me. Because I have been a journalism editor, I found myself constantly wanting to correct these errors. It was extremely distracting for me.
Because the book was set in Indonesia, the author found it necessary to explain every single foreign word that was used but in a very clumsy manner. I truly don't know how to explain this but if you've read books set in a foreign country you know there is a way to do this that flows and way to do this that stops the flow of reading completely. I'm not two years old. I get it. If I want to know more I can "google it."
Also, several reviewers have commented how much they like the fact that the author gave examples of what the characters looked like. The person looked like this movie star or this rock singer. I found it extremely annoying for two reasons. First, I didn't know most of them. Second, I have a vivid imagination and part of the reason that I love reading is that I like to conjure up in my own mind what the characters look like. Describe them to me, use your written talent and adjectives. Fifty years from now will anyone know who you are talking about? Did I? No. So use adjectives and let the readers' imagination do the rest.
After I got past all of these annoyances, the story was so-so. It wasn't something I would enjoy even if all of these things were "cleaned up." However, I would say that a good editor is a writer's best friend.
February 6, 2017
This is an amazing story that definitely packs a punch. Justin W M Roberts has put together an incredibly entertaining Action Thriller, which I found hard to pull myself away from. Great characters, and a wonderful amount of action throughout the book. I really enjoyed the history that’s also been incorporated into the story. We all read for pleasure, but it’s also nice to learn something along the way. You can certainly see that the Author has put a lot of work into the attention to detail in this story, and it certainly adds to this amazing book. With the rise of MDMA in England, Ireland and Indonesia, Interpol have been tasked with tracking down and eliminating, senior members of a drug cartel that are becoming one of the major players in the drug scene. Interpol have put together a team of experts that are prepared to do whatever it takes to track down and eliminate the men and women responsible for spreading ecstasy into these countries. Michael’s plan is to meet with the drug dealers, and to flush the Cartel members out of hiding. His team members are certainly backing him up as they can’t think of any other way of locating the Cartel hierarchy. It’s only Broussard the boss that is worried, and rightly so after what the Cartel did to one of his team members when she was caught. Being that the Cartel have a strong presence in Indonesia, Sarah from the Indonesian National Police force has been asked to join the team. Initially she tries to pass herself off as being from the traffic police back home, however it doesn’t take her team to work out that she has some amazing skills that any normal police officer wouldn’t have. The drug cartel have a strong foothold in the UK and Ireland, and with quite a few of them being ex-military, they aren’t prepared to go down without a fight. This is a fabulous book, and I would certainly recommend it. I certainly will be looking forward to more from this Author in the future.
February 7, 2017
The Policewoman!!! The author kindly provided me with a copy of this book.
Summary: In the year 2026, narcoterrorism wreaks havoc on the world as drug cartels operate as dominating, murderous dictatorships. The powerful Irish Drug Cartel has set up drug manufacturing plants in England, Ireland, and Indonesia and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. Sarah is an ambitious policewoman from an antiterrorist unit called Densus-88. She's also smart, beautiful, and extremely good at her job, which is why she is assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team, set up to find and stop The Cartel. Alongside colleagues from the United Kingdom's SAS, she must quickly learn new Close Quarters Battle tactics and apply them to a vengeful and threatening battlefield. Sarah's investigation appears to be going well until the fight turns personal. She must now struggle to save her friends, family, and even herself. Spanning the globe with a keen knowledge of special forces tactics and some genuinely shocking twists, this book warns of a bloody, drug-addled future we may soon face.
***
Let's be real for a second here, I'm a person that judges a book by it's cover. This book taught me a lesson, when it comes to that. Neither the cover, nor the first few pages of the book, didn't do anything for me. And I didn't really made it my priority. But than I felt guilty, cause I received it from the author and I wanted to give it an actual chance, so I reread the first few pages and man, that was a game changer.
There are TWO things I can't forgive the author. If you read the book, you propably know what I am talking about. if you haven't, don't think about it too much and don't let that keep you from reading the book. Also just ignore the cover and roll with it.
The book is a bit hard to get into. There is lots of explanations and that can be a bit overwhelming at first. But tough it out. It gets so much better. The story is super interesting and there is lots of action, without being over the top, I think it's been written really realistic. And the twists. THE TWISTS AND TURNS. Hold on to your seats, kiddos.
The characters are amazing and so freaking good at what they do. I love that the author put the characters in situations where they really had to show the skills they have. Not just mention every chapter, that they are the best at what they do but never actually showing it. I, especially, loved Sarah and Michael. They were so amazing and so fun to read about. So yes, there was romance in the book, but I never felt like it took away from the big case they had to work on. There was a great balance there.
Overall, this is an amazing book, an interesting story that is well thought out and that works very well. Great characters, very international and very intestesting. I learned quite a bit about other cultures and there are a lot of different languages involved). Crazy bad guys (warning, if you have problems with the insides of peoples bodies, one of the bad guys takes the whole 'it's all about what's on the inside' a bit too far.)
Summary: In the year 2026, narcoterrorism wreaks havoc on the world as drug cartels operate as dominating, murderous dictatorships. The powerful Irish Drug Cartel has set up drug manufacturing plants in England, Ireland, and Indonesia and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. Sarah is an ambitious policewoman from an antiterrorist unit called Densus-88. She's also smart, beautiful, and extremely good at her job, which is why she is assigned to an Interpol Incident Response Team, set up to find and stop The Cartel. Alongside colleagues from the United Kingdom's SAS, she must quickly learn new Close Quarters Battle tactics and apply them to a vengeful and threatening battlefield. Sarah's investigation appears to be going well until the fight turns personal. She must now struggle to save her friends, family, and even herself. Spanning the globe with a keen knowledge of special forces tactics and some genuinely shocking twists, this book warns of a bloody, drug-addled future we may soon face.
***
Let's be real for a second here, I'm a person that judges a book by it's cover. This book taught me a lesson, when it comes to that. Neither the cover, nor the first few pages of the book, didn't do anything for me. And I didn't really made it my priority. But than I felt guilty, cause I received it from the author and I wanted to give it an actual chance, so I reread the first few pages and man, that was a game changer.
There are TWO things I can't forgive the author. If you read the book, you propably know what I am talking about. if you haven't, don't think about it too much and don't let that keep you from reading the book. Also just ignore the cover and roll with it.
The book is a bit hard to get into. There is lots of explanations and that can be a bit overwhelming at first. But tough it out. It gets so much better. The story is super interesting and there is lots of action, without being over the top, I think it's been written really realistic. And the twists. THE TWISTS AND TURNS. Hold on to your seats, kiddos.
The characters are amazing and so freaking good at what they do. I love that the author put the characters in situations where they really had to show the skills they have. Not just mention every chapter, that they are the best at what they do but never actually showing it. I, especially, loved Sarah and Michael. They were so amazing and so fun to read about. So yes, there was romance in the book, but I never felt like it took away from the big case they had to work on. There was a great balance there.
Overall, this is an amazing book, an interesting story that is well thought out and that works very well. Great characters, very international and very intestesting. I learned quite a bit about other cultures and there are a lot of different languages involved). Crazy bad guys (warning, if you have problems with the insides of peoples bodies, one of the bad guys takes the whole 'it's all about what's on the inside' a bit too far.)
April 22, 2017
An epic tale! And thanks to Justin for a copy of his book in exchange for a review.
I'm not going to try and summarise the plot. This was a long story set in the near future and taking place in Indonesia and the UK. Sarah, a highly skilled and trained policewoman from Indonesia is seconded to an Interpol taskforce in the UK to take down a brutal Irish drug cartel that is manufacturing product in both the UK and Indonesia.
As I said, an epic story. It was a thriller, a police procedural, an action adventure and a drama with a bit of romance thrown in. There were lots of dead bodies, awesome fight scenes, lots of intrigue, some heart-wrenching tragedy and some stunning betrayals. What more could you ask for? I sat on this review for a long time. One of my criteria for 5 stars is a book that stays with you, so many are forgotten as soon as I get my teeth into the next one. This really stayed with me. It was compelling reading that hooked you very early on. If you like your action turbo-charged, you should enjoy this book.
I'm not going to try and summarise the plot. This was a long story set in the near future and taking place in Indonesia and the UK. Sarah, a highly skilled and trained policewoman from Indonesia is seconded to an Interpol taskforce in the UK to take down a brutal Irish drug cartel that is manufacturing product in both the UK and Indonesia.
As I said, an epic story. It was a thriller, a police procedural, an action adventure and a drama with a bit of romance thrown in. There were lots of dead bodies, awesome fight scenes, lots of intrigue, some heart-wrenching tragedy and some stunning betrayals. What more could you ask for? I sat on this review for a long time. One of my criteria for 5 stars is a book that stays with you, so many are forgotten as soon as I get my teeth into the next one. This really stayed with me. It was compelling reading that hooked you very early on. If you like your action turbo-charged, you should enjoy this book.
February 5, 2017
What an amazing book,a story of love,love of country and of family,by those who work as police officers and those in the military.I just finished reading and will put in a full review tomorrow,but if you like adventures,military stories or books from which you will learn,read this book. I highly recommend it...Ok,now I have had time to recover from this action thriller,I found myself laughing out loud then crying hysterically through many parts of this story! It is set in 2026,but the realism is perfect,you can feel the bullets whizzing by and the pain felt by the characters. It is a story of narcoterrorism, bringing together police and military from England,Indonesia and Ireland to fight together. Our policewoman is from a special force in Indonesia,she is tough,strong and a great leader. We learn so much about police and military specialists in those countries,how they are run as well as great wars fought.Everything is so well described,from the characters to the places they are and the fights against the enemy. If you enjoy the writing of Tom Clancy grab this book. I was given an ARC of this book by the author,from which I am able to write this review. This story really took my breath away and I am highly anticipating the next from Justin W.M.Roberts!!!
February 5, 2017
When Justin Roberts asked me to read and review his novel, I must admit that my expectations were pretty low. I'm alway more than happy to help out a fellow author, but this was a first novel for him. In addition, I'm a real nitpicker by nature and a fanatic regarding realism in fiction. I was concerned about how I might kindly and generously fullfill his request without hurting his feelings by savaging his book.
Well, I need not have worried. Make no mistake - this is a very, very good novel. It's well written, has a thrilling and gripping story, a truly fascinating protagonist, and features the most realistic and complex gun battles that I've ever encountered in a novel not set during a wartime. I really enjoyed this book. It hugely exceeded my expectations.
I've got quite a few years experience with firearms usage and tactics, and virtually every use of firearms and every tactical scenario enacted in this novel is spot on as to realism and accuracy. Justin has performed a trememdous amount of research to make everything he writes as accurate as humanly possible. This realism is quite a refreshing change from the ridiculous errors commonly made by so many best selling authors when they try and write about firearms usage.
More than that, the story is very interesting and downright gripping. It offers a very unique viewpoint and setting. The protagonist is a very skilled police woman from Indonesia who is sent to the UK to assist Interpol in tracking down a particularly vicious drug gang. All of the key gang members are ex-British and Irish military and they are more than happy to torure and/or kill anyone who gets in their way. Our police woman heroine is very quickly up to her neck with attempted abductions and fierce close-quarters combat with multiple gang members.
Along the way she receives advanced training from members of the British SAS special forces, and she quickly earns the friendship and respect of these elite fighting men. She even falls in love with one of them. Ah - but, I need to avoid too much detail in order to not spoil the story for readers.
So, what we have here is a unique blend between a crime story and a military thriller. Set in Ireland, the UK, and Indonesia, the story streaks along from one battle to the death after another. Important characters die and friends and loved ones are devastated by the aftermath. It's really a very rich and involving story for the reader.
So, is this the best novel I've ever read? Well, alas, I can't go that far with my praise. It's actually a little too wordy for me. The author seems to be following the style of Tom Clancy in dumping huge amounts of information on the reader, to the point where I actually skimmed through a few sections of the novel. Of course, this is really a matter of personal preference on my part. Afterall, Mr. Clancy was a huge success as an author. In addition, any skimming I did was soon rewarded by extremely exciting and dramatic scenes that make up the heart of the book.
All-in-all, I found this book to be incredably engaging and entertaining. Some parts actually touched my stony heart to the point of bringing a few tears into my eyes, other parts had me on the edge of my seat wondering how our heros were to survive another fight to the death with the evil narcos. It's one hell of a good read!
Well, I need not have worried. Make no mistake - this is a very, very good novel. It's well written, has a thrilling and gripping story, a truly fascinating protagonist, and features the most realistic and complex gun battles that I've ever encountered in a novel not set during a wartime. I really enjoyed this book. It hugely exceeded my expectations.
I've got quite a few years experience with firearms usage and tactics, and virtually every use of firearms and every tactical scenario enacted in this novel is spot on as to realism and accuracy. Justin has performed a trememdous amount of research to make everything he writes as accurate as humanly possible. This realism is quite a refreshing change from the ridiculous errors commonly made by so many best selling authors when they try and write about firearms usage.
More than that, the story is very interesting and downright gripping. It offers a very unique viewpoint and setting. The protagonist is a very skilled police woman from Indonesia who is sent to the UK to assist Interpol in tracking down a particularly vicious drug gang. All of the key gang members are ex-British and Irish military and they are more than happy to torure and/or kill anyone who gets in their way. Our police woman heroine is very quickly up to her neck with attempted abductions and fierce close-quarters combat with multiple gang members.
Along the way she receives advanced training from members of the British SAS special forces, and she quickly earns the friendship and respect of these elite fighting men. She even falls in love with one of them. Ah - but, I need to avoid too much detail in order to not spoil the story for readers.
So, what we have here is a unique blend between a crime story and a military thriller. Set in Ireland, the UK, and Indonesia, the story streaks along from one battle to the death after another. Important characters die and friends and loved ones are devastated by the aftermath. It's really a very rich and involving story for the reader.
So, is this the best novel I've ever read? Well, alas, I can't go that far with my praise. It's actually a little too wordy for me. The author seems to be following the style of Tom Clancy in dumping huge amounts of information on the reader, to the point where I actually skimmed through a few sections of the novel. Of course, this is really a matter of personal preference on my part. Afterall, Mr. Clancy was a huge success as an author. In addition, any skimming I did was soon rewarded by extremely exciting and dramatic scenes that make up the heart of the book.
All-in-all, I found this book to be incredably engaging and entertaining. Some parts actually touched my stony heart to the point of bringing a few tears into my eyes, other parts had me on the edge of my seat wondering how our heros were to survive another fight to the death with the evil narcos. It's one hell of a good read!
December 18, 2017
This is a book kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
2017 Gold Medal Winner of Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest (Fiction-Military genre)
Top 5 on Goodreads Listopia's Badass Female Leads list.
"The Bottom Line: An engaging, original thriller pitting narco-terrorists against an elite force led by a memorable heroine. Highly recommended." BestThrillers.com
I can't believe what i just read. Man, oh man what a story....
The Policewoman is a book very well documented, with a lot of military terms, and fighting techniques, but above all is a story so well written, that you understand every single scene.
At the beginning we become acquainted with the central characters, Sarah Dharmawan, an officer with the Indonesian National Police. She has been assigned to a task force formed by Interpol to investigate and destroy The Cartel, narcoterrorists involved in the manufacture and distribution of drugs in Great Britain and Indonesia. Sarah is drawn to another member of the task force, Michael, the commander of B Squadron of the SAS. Together they make a formidable team; then the action start and you don't leave the book from your hand. I can't believe I read a book, with police and military operations but at the same time sensitive, that made me cry 3 times.
At first, Sarah is hard to believe. Stunning looks, abs of steel and capable of taking on a team of narcoterrorists on her own. When she is invited to a weekend training exercise with Michael's unit and is introduced to its' members, she displays her humor and vulnerabilities and becomes a character to remember.
It is worth reading and I will recommend it to everyone. I look forward to the next challenge.
Thanks Justin,
You can find the book on Amazon :
https://www.amazon.com/Policewoman-Ju...
2017 Gold Medal Winner of Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest (Fiction-Military genre)
Top 5 on Goodreads Listopia's Badass Female Leads list.
"The Bottom Line: An engaging, original thriller pitting narco-terrorists against an elite force led by a memorable heroine. Highly recommended." BestThrillers.com
I can't believe what i just read. Man, oh man what a story....
The Policewoman is a book very well documented, with a lot of military terms, and fighting techniques, but above all is a story so well written, that you understand every single scene.
At the beginning we become acquainted with the central characters, Sarah Dharmawan, an officer with the Indonesian National Police. She has been assigned to a task force formed by Interpol to investigate and destroy The Cartel, narcoterrorists involved in the manufacture and distribution of drugs in Great Britain and Indonesia. Sarah is drawn to another member of the task force, Michael, the commander of B Squadron of the SAS. Together they make a formidable team; then the action start and you don't leave the book from your hand. I can't believe I read a book, with police and military operations but at the same time sensitive, that made me cry 3 times.
At first, Sarah is hard to believe. Stunning looks, abs of steel and capable of taking on a team of narcoterrorists on her own. When she is invited to a weekend training exercise with Michael's unit and is introduced to its' members, she displays her humor and vulnerabilities and becomes a character to remember.
It is worth reading and I will recommend it to everyone. I look forward to the next challenge.
Thanks Justin,
You can find the book on Amazon :
https://www.amazon.com/Policewoman-Ju...
March 25, 2017
While Roberts leans heavily on the strange argot of black ops, he seems compelled to explain everything repeatedly. When you add in the complexities of a multi-country Interpol operation, the majority of writing in the early stages of the book is explanatory of the language and places. Despite all the extra information, this story captures the reader and maintains a great level of suspense as a special Interpol task force battles a multi-national drug ring centered in Ireland. The character development is truly outstanding, and creates live images in the reader's mind. Whether the character is good or evil, they are developed in depth and have diverse but realistic personalities. The details that seem worrisome at the beginning become essential by the ending and contribute to incredible imagery as the ending develops. Be prepared to be hooked by the action and suspense.
April 13, 2017
The Policewoman is a hard-hitting thriller set in 2026. Sarah Dharmawan, an Indonesian policewoman from an anti-terrorist unit, is hand-picked and assigned a new task; working alongside her Special Air Service colleagues in the Interpol Response Team. Together, they must help find the members of a powerful Irish Drug Cartel and shut them down. The Cartel operates a ruthless operation in Ireland, England, and Indonesia. As the investigation unfolds, the team soon find themselves in a dangerous situation. Sarah is not only pivotal to the team, the fight, in turn, becomes personal. A great read for anyone who enjoys crime/police thrillers.
Many thanks to the author who gifted me a copy of his novel without any obligation.
Many thanks to the author who gifted me a copy of his novel without any obligation.
July 28, 2017
I love tough, female heroines and the main protagonist of this book doesn't disappoint. She is smart, beautiful, athletic, hard working, highly skilled in her job, and proficient in many languages. My favorite scene was when her boss asked her on what occasion does she use all those languages. She answered "Oh, I usually pray in Spanish, talk French to my boyfriend, curse in Dutch, and talk German to my German Shepherd." In the book, she and her family actually DOES those things, including talking to her German Shepherd in German :))
She is also physically tough with a description like a fitness model; athletic shoulders, toned arms, slim waist, and six-pack abs. I wondered why the author kept mentioning and describing her six-pack abs many times. It turned out that this was crucial to the story, especially for the last two chapters. Are you intrigued yet? If you're not intrigued by this, I don't know what would intrigue you.
This is a very well-written book! The first 4 chapters contained info dumping and is too detailed at times, but it's inevitable and you get to know the whole plot. The real action started in Chapter 5 and got me hooked all the way to the ending. The action scenes were really realistic and easy to visualize. We also get to learn a lot about special forces tactics and made me really appreciate the men and women in the service, especially the special forces.
I love the humor and bantering between the main protagonist and her teammates. The action scenes really made my heart race. There were a couple of twists in the book that literally made my jaw drop! I'm certainly not the emotional type, but this is the only book I've read that managed to make me shed a tear or two! I sure hope this book is turned into a movie.
I love this book so much that I bought both the printed version and the ebook version. It turned out that it would be a bit faster if you ordered the printed version straight from the publisher instead of through Amazon. If you prefer epub than Kindle, it's better if you order through the publisher. Here's the link: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/justinw...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BUY IT!
Adit
She is also physically tough with a description like a fitness model; athletic shoulders, toned arms, slim waist, and six-pack abs. I wondered why the author kept mentioning and describing her six-pack abs many times. It turned out that this was crucial to the story, especially for the last two chapters. Are you intrigued yet? If you're not intrigued by this, I don't know what would intrigue you.
This is a very well-written book! The first 4 chapters contained info dumping and is too detailed at times, but it's inevitable and you get to know the whole plot. The real action started in Chapter 5 and got me hooked all the way to the ending. The action scenes were really realistic and easy to visualize. We also get to learn a lot about special forces tactics and made me really appreciate the men and women in the service, especially the special forces.
I love the humor and bantering between the main protagonist and her teammates. The action scenes really made my heart race. There were a couple of twists in the book that literally made my jaw drop! I'm certainly not the emotional type, but this is the only book I've read that managed to make me shed a tear or two! I sure hope this book is turned into a movie.
I love this book so much that I bought both the printed version and the ebook version. It turned out that it would be a bit faster if you ordered the printed version straight from the publisher instead of through Amazon. If you prefer epub than Kindle, it's better if you order through the publisher. Here's the link: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/justinw...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BUY IT!
Adit
February 1, 2017
I recently finished reading the novel 'The Policewoman' by Justin W. M. Roberts, and I enjoyed the book immensely.
The book is about Sarah, an ambitious and hardworking woman who is a part of an antiterrorist unit called Densus-88. It doesn't hurt that the woman, in addition to being smart and beautiful, is extremely good at doing her job, which sets us up for a captivating adventure in a drug addicted future.
I enjoy books like this that foreshadow the kinds of things that we may face in the future, and tell an ethical tale, a lesson if you will within the pages. It was a very tall order for Mr. Roberts, but he managed to deal with the subject in a way that makes you as the reader stop to think of the implications of a very real problem facing the United States, and basically the entire world at this point in time.
I was very impressed at how three dimensional the characters in this novel were. I could relate to their struggles, I felt for them, and I was rooting for them every step of the way. The book has a lot of unexpected twists along the way, which is always a great thing when you are reading a novel. I give this one 5 stars, and I very highly recommend this book to any prospective reader.
The book is about Sarah, an ambitious and hardworking woman who is a part of an antiterrorist unit called Densus-88. It doesn't hurt that the woman, in addition to being smart and beautiful, is extremely good at doing her job, which sets us up for a captivating adventure in a drug addicted future.
I enjoy books like this that foreshadow the kinds of things that we may face in the future, and tell an ethical tale, a lesson if you will within the pages. It was a very tall order for Mr. Roberts, but he managed to deal with the subject in a way that makes you as the reader stop to think of the implications of a very real problem facing the United States, and basically the entire world at this point in time.
I was very impressed at how three dimensional the characters in this novel were. I could relate to their struggles, I felt for them, and I was rooting for them every step of the way. The book has a lot of unexpected twists along the way, which is always a great thing when you are reading a novel. I give this one 5 stars, and I very highly recommend this book to any prospective reader.
February 7, 2017
The Policewoman makes me appreciate the elite groups that train to fight and eliminate the wickedness of the drug Cartel. The evil that Neill enjoyed inflicting on people made me feel queasy knowing that there really are people like that in the world.
What I love about this novel is the way Justin W. M. Roberts digs deeper to present a book of higher quality instead of relying on cheap sex and inferior behavior to sell a book. An example of this is when Michael and Sarah quote famous books to diffuse tension, or bits of different languages that they mastered.
This book gives insight about different military and police personal from different countries and the training they contribute for their team. The pace is fast, yet the characters seem real with a drive to improve themselves to protect, despite the traitor within their ranks feeding information to the drug Cartel.
What I love about this novel is the way Justin W. M. Roberts digs deeper to present a book of higher quality instead of relying on cheap sex and inferior behavior to sell a book. An example of this is when Michael and Sarah quote famous books to diffuse tension, or bits of different languages that they mastered.
This book gives insight about different military and police personal from different countries and the training they contribute for their team. The pace is fast, yet the characters seem real with a drive to improve themselves to protect, despite the traitor within their ranks feeding information to the drug Cartel.
January 12, 2017
The Policewoman. Justin W.M. Roberts
This is a fabulous read!! Intensive background information is given to the reader, to understand the nuances between the British military and Indonesian military. This is an extremely touching saga of bravery and heroism beyond the call of duty. An extremely exciting action filled novel. The Irish Cartel controls narcotics in the U. K. The are expanding into Indonesia. This book abounds with heroism, betrayal intrigue, a sensational read! I highly recommend!
This is a fabulous read!! Intensive background information is given to the reader, to understand the nuances between the British military and Indonesian military. This is an extremely touching saga of bravery and heroism beyond the call of duty. An extremely exciting action filled novel. The Irish Cartel controls narcotics in the U. K. The are expanding into Indonesia. This book abounds with heroism, betrayal intrigue, a sensational read! I highly recommend!
January 25, 2018
2017 Gold Medal Winner of Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest (Fiction-Military genre)
Top 5 on Goodreads Listopia's Badass Female Leads list
"The Bottom Line: An engaging, original thriller pitting narco-terrorists against an elite force led by a memorable heroine. Highly recommended." BestThrillers.com
If you like Chapter 6 of this book, I'm sure you'll enjoy the rest of it ;-)
Currently writing the sequel...
May 22, 2017
The Policewoman was written by Justin W.M. Roberts. This is a police investigation adventure and suspense thriller which is set in 2026 in England and in Indonesia. It is an excellent book that delves into narcoterrorism and the entities who attempt to combat it. The plot is excellent with many twists and turns that are dramatic and essential to the thrill of the story. The characters are well-developed and exceptionally strong. However, after the Prologue, the first chapters get the reader somewhat bogged down in deciphering the multiple agencies involved and their acronyms. Once the agencies are figured out and the main characters start out on their mission, the action picks up and takes charge of the rest of the book. The Prologue and other instances where the actions of Niall Schroeder are shown are very graphic and terrifying. Once you persevere past those, the action and romance take charge and the fast pace of the novel speeds up.
Inspector Sarah Dharmawon of the Indonesian National Police is chosen to be part of the antiterrorism team with Interpol. She heads to England for training. Here she is teamed with members of police and military agencies from England and Ireland to find and bring down The Irish Drug Cartel which has taken roots in Ireland, England and Indonesia. This cartel “bribes, intimidates, tortures, threatens, maims, and assassinates anyone who gets in their way.”. Their chief torturer is Niall Schroeder. The Cartel stops at nothing to get their way. Sarah is paired with Michael Adrian of the British Army to bring them down.
The book is fast-paced and gripping. It is very difficult to put down once you are into it and then you have to have tissues especially for the ending. Generally, I would probably have stopped after the first couple of chapters; but because I was asked to read at least past the first five chapters, I persevered and then got caught up in the suspense. It is well worth the time and effort to read this book. I do like the touch with King William V, Queen Catherine, Prince George and Princess Caroline as well as Prince of Wales Henry. Sarah’s sister Cindy’s crush on Prince George is reminiscent of crushes in the 1950’s on Prince Charles and the 1980’s crush by women on Prince William. This adds a touch of humor and elegance to the story. I highly recommend this book.
Inspector Sarah Dharmawon of the Indonesian National Police is chosen to be part of the antiterrorism team with Interpol. She heads to England for training. Here she is teamed with members of police and military agencies from England and Ireland to find and bring down The Irish Drug Cartel which has taken roots in Ireland, England and Indonesia. This cartel “bribes, intimidates, tortures, threatens, maims, and assassinates anyone who gets in their way.”. Their chief torturer is Niall Schroeder. The Cartel stops at nothing to get their way. Sarah is paired with Michael Adrian of the British Army to bring them down.
The book is fast-paced and gripping. It is very difficult to put down once you are into it and then you have to have tissues especially for the ending. Generally, I would probably have stopped after the first couple of chapters; but because I was asked to read at least past the first five chapters, I persevered and then got caught up in the suspense. It is well worth the time and effort to read this book. I do like the touch with King William V, Queen Catherine, Prince George and Princess Caroline as well as Prince of Wales Henry. Sarah’s sister Cindy’s crush on Prince George is reminiscent of crushes in the 1950’s on Prince Charles and the 1980’s crush by women on Prince William. This adds a touch of humor and elegance to the story. I highly recommend this book.
May 16, 2017
Goodness! I am struggling to know where to begin with my review! I was given a copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review. This is not a light read as there is a huge amount of very well researched detail in the opening chapters. The genre is most definitely thriller/military/romance rather than crime procedural. The setting is 2026 and the plot involves England, Ireland and Indonesia fighting a drug cartel. Enter Sarah, a policewoman from the Indonesian anti terrorist unit and the Interpol response Team combined with the Special Air Service. Combine this with a touch of humour, romance, serious graphic violence and I can't believe this is the first book for Justin W.M. Roberts. I say no more for fear of spoilers other than read the book and decide for yourself! My huge thanks to the author for my copy. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to another by Justin.
March 17, 2018
"...courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."
Debut author Justin W. M. Roberts and I became acquainted recently in the Action Heroine Fans group that I help moderate here on Goodreads. I noticed his mentions of this novel there, and was interested enough to accept his generous offer of a hardcover review copy; but no guarantee of a good review (or a review at all) was asked or expected. This book had no trouble earning its stars on its merits! For much of the time while I was reading it, I expected to give it four stars (four and a half, if Goodreads allowed half stars), but after the impact of the ending, there's no way I could give it any less than five.
"Write about what you know" is an axiom Roberts clearly takes seriously. British born (and a graduate of Hull Univ.), his father was an army general, and the future author seems to have been what's sometimes called in U.S. slang an "army brat," who grew up in close proximity to military bases and traveling around the world to different postings. For the past 25 years, he's made his home in Indonesia; this book is set partly there and in the British Isles, and like the author, his titular heroine straddles the two cultures. He also appears to have a background in police and/or military counter-terrorist services. His knowledge of S.W.A.T. (special weapons and tactics) terms and procedures, firearms specs, and both British and Indonesian police and military organization and organizational culture and traditions is extensive, to put it mildly, and he puts this to use in spades throughout the book. It's noted at the beginning of the book that almost all of these tactics are "intentionally disguised" to protect police and military officers (so that baddies can't use the book as a text to learn what to expect!), but it still has a very realistic feel. We're in the hands of a writer who knows his stuff here; readers who need and want technical accuracy won't be disappointed. For other readers like me, who don't know one brand of firearm from another and have little technical knowledge of covert operations, much of this information will go over our heads, but it will still give a feeling of verisimilitude, and maybe impart some knowledge that will stick! (Seven and a half pages of glossaries of organizational "alphabet soup" and British, Indonesian and Irish military/police slang and terms and Gaelic --here spelled "Gaeilge"-- phrases are provided; and if you're anything like me, you'll refer to them frequently.)
To write a gripping tale of action adventure, of course, one needs more than technical knowledge. Such a story requires a fundamental, high-stakes conflict with moral issues that matter, involving believable characters that the reader can actually care about. Roberts delivers that here, too. His story is set in 2026, in order to allow for the full effects of planned downsizing of the British army, scheduled to be fully effected in 2020, and for the related rise of a new player in international drug trafficking, the Irish Drug Cartel. The book opens with a grisly and highly attention-grabbing torture scene that (once the reader interprets it in the light of the information that follows in the first chapters) establishes the moral polarities very clearly. Heroine Sarah --half Indonesian, half European, from a military family, and raised partly in England-- still in her 20s, is a high-ranking and very capable officer in the paramilitary wing of the Indonesian National Police. She's seconded early on to Interpol and sent to England to join the task force battling the Cartel. It's no exaggeration to say she's one of the best, and best-drawn, action heroines I've encountered in fiction. The other important characters are also vividly realized. (There are so many secondary ones that some of their names and sometimes organizational affiliations are hard to keep track of, but you don't actually have to --in those cases, I just sort of went with the flow. :-) ) There's a lot of action, but significant character development and interaction as well. (Some readers found the first four chapters slow-paced or even boring, because of the introductions and setting up of the situation, but I honestly did not; I thought Roberts did a good job of holding interest there.) While I've classified this as action-adventure rather than mystery, the author effectively uses some techniques of mystery fiction in places to hide clues in plain sight. Some parts of this book are profoundly moving, and it packs a very real emotional wallop.
Some content warnings are needed here. I mentioned an opening torture scene; and Niall, the Cartel's pet psychopath and torturer, is as radically evil a figure as you'll ever encounter in a book. There are some other torture scenes here as well, all of them graphic, and the violence is grim and bloody, with a lot of messy deaths. The author would say the violent content isn't any more graphic than it has to be, and (unlike Niall), he clearly doesn't take pleasure in it; but this isn't a read for the squeamish. While there's not much bad language in the first three or so chapters, there gets to be a lot of it later, with quite a bit of use of the f-word. This does reflect English-speaking cop and military sub-culture, as well as the speech of low-life thugs, and also, to a degree, contemporary secular British speech (which apparently has coarsened even more than American speech in recent decades); but it can become grating, and some dialogue is cringe-worthy. While there's some unmarried sex here, the sex between the good characters is at least loving and not really explicit; but there's a lot of locker-room--style sexual banter that's R (or X)-rated. Some female readers might also feel that the book suffers some from the "male gaze" syndrome, especially in the references to a photo of Sarah in a bikini. (When the photo was taken, she was wearing it at the beach in an appropriate context, and I'd certainly say that there's nothing dirty about the human body, and no reason that males can't admire feminine beauty --and vice versa--without any lewdness or disrespect. But whether the admiration of some characters here for Sarah's is that pure might be questioned.)
Roberts' online author profile notes that he's "an active promoter of secular humanism." This particular book, however, doesn't grind any sort of philosophical ax. If it has any messages, they would be recognition that drug use and drug trafficking is a pestilent scourge on the world, and high admiration and respect for the often-maligned work of the brave men and women of the police and military who put their lives on the line to stand against it. (Interestingly, Sarah is a professed Catholic, and that aspect of her character is treated respectfully. Granted, it's clear that her religious beliefs, as far as they go, are more a matter of birthright church membership than a life-transforming personal spiritual commitment --but she does tangibly demonstrate that they go further than just empty words.)
In summary, I'd recommend this novel for action fans generally, not just for those who particularly like action heroines (though many of the latter will agree that Sarah's "the ultimate action heroine!"). The content issues, IMO, don't detract from its very real merits (and might not bother many readers at all); and the author deserves particular credit for bringing to life an admirable heroine of mixed race, a demographic that gets way too little representation in English-language action fiction.
Debut author Justin W. M. Roberts and I became acquainted recently in the Action Heroine Fans group that I help moderate here on Goodreads. I noticed his mentions of this novel there, and was interested enough to accept his generous offer of a hardcover review copy; but no guarantee of a good review (or a review at all) was asked or expected. This book had no trouble earning its stars on its merits! For much of the time while I was reading it, I expected to give it four stars (four and a half, if Goodreads allowed half stars), but after the impact of the ending, there's no way I could give it any less than five.
"Write about what you know" is an axiom Roberts clearly takes seriously. British born (and a graduate of Hull Univ.), his father was an army general, and the future author seems to have been what's sometimes called in U.S. slang an "army brat," who grew up in close proximity to military bases and traveling around the world to different postings. For the past 25 years, he's made his home in Indonesia; this book is set partly there and in the British Isles, and like the author, his titular heroine straddles the two cultures. He also appears to have a background in police and/or military counter-terrorist services. His knowledge of S.W.A.T. (special weapons and tactics) terms and procedures, firearms specs, and both British and Indonesian police and military organization and organizational culture and traditions is extensive, to put it mildly, and he puts this to use in spades throughout the book. It's noted at the beginning of the book that almost all of these tactics are "intentionally disguised" to protect police and military officers (so that baddies can't use the book as a text to learn what to expect!), but it still has a very realistic feel. We're in the hands of a writer who knows his stuff here; readers who need and want technical accuracy won't be disappointed. For other readers like me, who don't know one brand of firearm from another and have little technical knowledge of covert operations, much of this information will go over our heads, but it will still give a feeling of verisimilitude, and maybe impart some knowledge that will stick! (Seven and a half pages of glossaries of organizational "alphabet soup" and British, Indonesian and Irish military/police slang and terms and Gaelic --here spelled "Gaeilge"-- phrases are provided; and if you're anything like me, you'll refer to them frequently.)
To write a gripping tale of action adventure, of course, one needs more than technical knowledge. Such a story requires a fundamental, high-stakes conflict with moral issues that matter, involving believable characters that the reader can actually care about. Roberts delivers that here, too. His story is set in 2026, in order to allow for the full effects of planned downsizing of the British army, scheduled to be fully effected in 2020, and for the related rise of a new player in international drug trafficking, the Irish Drug Cartel. The book opens with a grisly and highly attention-grabbing torture scene that (once the reader interprets it in the light of the information that follows in the first chapters) establishes the moral polarities very clearly. Heroine Sarah --half Indonesian, half European, from a military family, and raised partly in England-- still in her 20s, is a high-ranking and very capable officer in the paramilitary wing of the Indonesian National Police. She's seconded early on to Interpol and sent to England to join the task force battling the Cartel. It's no exaggeration to say she's one of the best, and best-drawn, action heroines I've encountered in fiction. The other important characters are also vividly realized. (There are so many secondary ones that some of their names and sometimes organizational affiliations are hard to keep track of, but you don't actually have to --in those cases, I just sort of went with the flow. :-) ) There's a lot of action, but significant character development and interaction as well. (Some readers found the first four chapters slow-paced or even boring, because of the introductions and setting up of the situation, but I honestly did not; I thought Roberts did a good job of holding interest there.) While I've classified this as action-adventure rather than mystery, the author effectively uses some techniques of mystery fiction in places to hide clues in plain sight. Some parts of this book are profoundly moving, and it packs a very real emotional wallop.
Some content warnings are needed here. I mentioned an opening torture scene; and Niall, the Cartel's pet psychopath and torturer, is as radically evil a figure as you'll ever encounter in a book. There are some other torture scenes here as well, all of them graphic, and the violence is grim and bloody, with a lot of messy deaths. The author would say the violent content isn't any more graphic than it has to be, and (unlike Niall), he clearly doesn't take pleasure in it; but this isn't a read for the squeamish. While there's not much bad language in the first three or so chapters, there gets to be a lot of it later, with quite a bit of use of the f-word. This does reflect English-speaking cop and military sub-culture, as well as the speech of low-life thugs, and also, to a degree, contemporary secular British speech (which apparently has coarsened even more than American speech in recent decades); but it can become grating, and some dialogue is cringe-worthy. While there's some unmarried sex here, the sex between the good characters is at least loving and not really explicit; but there's a lot of locker-room--style sexual banter that's R (or X)-rated. Some female readers might also feel that the book suffers some from the "male gaze" syndrome, especially in the references to a photo of Sarah in a bikini. (When the photo was taken, she was wearing it at the beach in an appropriate context, and I'd certainly say that there's nothing dirty about the human body, and no reason that males can't admire feminine beauty --and vice versa--without any lewdness or disrespect. But whether the admiration of some characters here for Sarah's is that pure might be questioned.)
Roberts' online author profile notes that he's "an active promoter of secular humanism." This particular book, however, doesn't grind any sort of philosophical ax. If it has any messages, they would be recognition that drug use and drug trafficking is a pestilent scourge on the world, and high admiration and respect for the often-maligned work of the brave men and women of the police and military who put their lives on the line to stand against it. (Interestingly, Sarah is a professed Catholic, and that aspect of her character is treated respectfully. Granted, it's clear that her religious beliefs, as far as they go, are more a matter of birthright church membership than a life-transforming personal spiritual commitment --but she does tangibly demonstrate that they go further than just empty words.)
In summary, I'd recommend this novel for action fans generally, not just for those who particularly like action heroines (though many of the latter will agree that Sarah's "the ultimate action heroine!"). The content issues, IMO, don't detract from its very real merits (and might not bother many readers at all); and the author deserves particular credit for bringing to life an admirable heroine of mixed race, a demographic that gets way too little representation in English-language action fiction.
February 11, 2017
One thing is for sure and that is that Justin Roberts has done his research for The Policewoman, I emailed him to ask if he was actually ex-military, but the answer was no!
Sarah Dharmawan works for the Indonesian police, but she is way more than a police officer. She is seconded to Interpol working at Greater Manchester Police to tackle a drug cartel who manufacture and supply MDMA in the UK and Indonesia.
The writing is so detailed that you are transported into the story, during one skirmish with the drugs cartel I actually noticed that my heart rate had increased. I was actually reading the Jack Reacher books and stopped after book 4 to read The Policewoman and I am glad I did.
This is very unlike any book I have read previously, the story is very unique and the outcome left me stunned.
If you enjoy reading books that are packed with action and incredibly complex and colourful characters, a military theme thrown in, well then this book should be on your 'To read' list!
Sarah Dharmawan works for the Indonesian police, but she is way more than a police officer. She is seconded to Interpol working at Greater Manchester Police to tackle a drug cartel who manufacture and supply MDMA in the UK and Indonesia.
The writing is so detailed that you are transported into the story, during one skirmish with the drugs cartel I actually noticed that my heart rate had increased. I was actually reading the Jack Reacher books and stopped after book 4 to read The Policewoman and I am glad I did.
This is very unlike any book I have read previously, the story is very unique and the outcome left me stunned.
If you enjoy reading books that are packed with action and incredibly complex and colourful characters, a military theme thrown in, well then this book should be on your 'To read' list!
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