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Brooklyn Supreme
A hard-edged literary thriller about a racially charged police shooting, by one of "crime fiction's most gifted writers" (George Pelecanos)
On a Brooklyn street corner, a police officer shoots and kills a young black man, igniting a firestorm of protests and unrest, denials and excuses from cops, promises and apologies from politicians, and cries of hate and outrage from an aggrieved public. The police officer in question, Georgina Reed, is a rookie, fresh from the police academy, and she herself is young and black.
Caught in the middle of this conflagration of law, politics, and race is the rookie cop’s unlikely defender, Will Way, her police union representative. Will does what he can for her, but soon the case becomes less about what really happened on that dark street corner and more about the larger forces in society. Will Way ceases to be merely defending a fellow cop in a criminal investigation and becomes a target of the investigation himself as his past spills into the present with all his hidden secrets and regrets.
While events reach back and forth through time and circle around New York City, Robert Reuland always takes the reader to the place he knows best, the world of crime and punishment centered on a building known as Kings County Supreme Court, which courthouse regulars call simply: Brooklyn Supreme.
The long-awaited third novel of Robert Reuland, Brooklyn Supreme is a clear-eyed exploration of the fault lines of class, gender, and race in America. It is also a nuanced portrayal of the family politics that affect fathers and sons and fathers and daughters. A standout crime novel by a writer with an undeniable gift, Brooklyn Supreme is a gritty and gut-wrenching read.
On a Brooklyn street corner, a police officer shoots and kills a young black man, igniting a firestorm of protests and unrest, denials and excuses from cops, promises and apologies from politicians, and cries of hate and outrage from an aggrieved public. The police officer in question, Georgina Reed, is a rookie, fresh from the police academy, and she herself is young and black.
Caught in the middle of this conflagration of law, politics, and race is the rookie cop’s unlikely defender, Will Way, her police union representative. Will does what he can for her, but soon the case becomes less about what really happened on that dark street corner and more about the larger forces in society. Will Way ceases to be merely defending a fellow cop in a criminal investigation and becomes a target of the investigation himself as his past spills into the present with all his hidden secrets and regrets.
While events reach back and forth through time and circle around New York City, Robert Reuland always takes the reader to the place he knows best, the world of crime and punishment centered on a building known as Kings County Supreme Court, which courthouse regulars call simply: Brooklyn Supreme.
The long-awaited third novel of Robert Reuland, Brooklyn Supreme is a clear-eyed exploration of the fault lines of class, gender, and race in America. It is also a nuanced portrayal of the family politics that affect fathers and sons and fathers and daughters. A standout crime novel by a writer with an undeniable gift, Brooklyn Supreme is a gritty and gut-wrenching read.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 23, 2021
24 people are currently reading
1796 people want to read
About the author
Robert Reuland
7 books14 followers"Rob Reuland writes beautifully—about sadness and cities and injured dreams. He has renewed my faith in the health and future of the urban crime novel." —Dennis Lehane
I am ROBERT REULAND, an American novelist and criminal trial attorney.
I’ve spent more than twenty-five years working in the criminal justice system in Brooklyn, New York, first as an Assistant District Attorney in the homicide bureau. After publication of my first novel HOLLOWPOINT, I was fired by the DA. Now I defend persons accused of murder and other violent crimes. I also work to free persons wrongfully convicted by police and prosecutorial misconduct. I’ve investigated, prosecuted, and defended thousands of alleged felonies and have tried nearly one hundred cases to verdict before a jury.
After publication of my second novel SEMIAUTOMATIC, I took a break from writing to raise my kids and build my legal practice. BROOKLYN SUPREME is my third book. All of my books are set in my working life, and I try to present that world accurately. Because I write "true stories that never happened," I appreciate the novels of Tana French, Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos, and others who write about crime without ever losing sight of the men and women affected by it.
My books have been translated into many languages and HOLLOWPOINT was to be made into a movie by Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella prior to their unfortunate, early deaths.
I have law degrees from Cambridge University and at the Vanderbilt University School of Law. I now divide my time between New York City and New Hampshire.
Drop me a line if you wish: rob@robreuland.com
I am ROBERT REULAND, an American novelist and criminal trial attorney.
I’ve spent more than twenty-five years working in the criminal justice system in Brooklyn, New York, first as an Assistant District Attorney in the homicide bureau. After publication of my first novel HOLLOWPOINT, I was fired by the DA. Now I defend persons accused of murder and other violent crimes. I also work to free persons wrongfully convicted by police and prosecutorial misconduct. I’ve investigated, prosecuted, and defended thousands of alleged felonies and have tried nearly one hundred cases to verdict before a jury.
After publication of my second novel SEMIAUTOMATIC, I took a break from writing to raise my kids and build my legal practice. BROOKLYN SUPREME is my third book. All of my books are set in my working life, and I try to present that world accurately. Because I write "true stories that never happened," I appreciate the novels of Tana French, Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos, and others who write about crime without ever losing sight of the men and women affected by it.
My books have been translated into many languages and HOLLOWPOINT was to be made into a movie by Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella prior to their unfortunate, early deaths.
I have law degrees from Cambridge University and at the Vanderbilt University School of Law. I now divide my time between New York City and New Hampshire.
Drop me a line if you wish: rob@robreuland.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 28, 2023
Police Officer Georgina Reed und ihr Partner Gordon Holtz wurden zu einem Raubüberfall auf einen kleinen Laden in Brooklyn gerufen. Der Kiez war einmal arm und schwarz, heute ist er arm und neuweiß. Reed glaubte, von einem der Täter mit einer Waffe bedroht zu werden und erschoss den 17jährigen Dewberry. Unter dem Toten wird zwar eine Waffe gefunden. von waffentechnischer Untersuchung oder Obduktion des Toten wird im weiteren Verlauf jedoch nicht die Rede sein. Die Polizistin ist dunkelhäutig, Berufsneuling und hat im Rudel der Cops durch ihre ehemalige Zugehörigkeit zur Navy den korrekten Hintergrund. Die ersten 24 Stunden nach dem Vorfall gehören Georgina und dem Vertrauensmann der Polizeigewerkschaft, Will Way. Das Gespräch ist vertraulich, die am Zwischenfall beteiligten Polizisten dürfen währenddessen von keiner anderen Instanz verhört werden. Der Icherzähler Will Way wirkt sachlich, dabei empathisch, aber auch deutlich resigniert im Wissen, dass er keine Antwort auf seine Fragen erhalten wird. Georgina Reed scheint ihm zu bemüht, ihn von ihrem Bericht zu überzeugen.
Die Öffentlichkeit weiß offenbar mehr über den Tatablauf als die Polizei und ergreift sofort Partei; die Leute haben die Nase voll von Straßenkriminalität wie von Polizeigewalt. Erste Demonstrationen werden organisiert. Dewberry hat ein seitenlanges Vorstrafenregister und war bereits wegen einer Straftat mit Todesfolge vorbestraft. Der Vorfall scheint den Niedergang des Stadtteils zu illustrieren, in dem doch wohl kein Jugendlicher gewagt hätte, sich der Verhaftung durch einen vierschrötigen Cop zu widersetzen. Doch wenn das Opfer weiß ist und die Schützin eine dunkelhäutige Polizistin, greifen hier gewohnte Klischees zu Polizeiwillkür und Korpsgeist nicht.
Will möchte Fakten hören, zur Waffe, zum Wortlaut der Alarmierung der Funkstreife; schließlich erinnert er Georgina daran, den erschossenen Jugendlichen nicht als Opfer zu bezeichnen, sondern als Angreifer. Ob der eilige Griff zur Dienstwaffe im Zusammenhang mit Ausbildungsmängeln stehen könnte, fragt sich Will nicht. Eine Respektsperson nach der anderen betritt die Bühne, Garrity, der Gewerkschafts-Chef, Staatsanwältin Jackie Kane, Richter Pomroy, und die Polizeireporterin scharrt bereits mit dem Fuß. Will Way kennt Pomroy seit seiner Kindheit und muss sich eingestehen, dass er in eine Schlangengrube geraten ist, in der es um diverse Karrieren und Mandate geht und Georgina ebenso wie er selbst die Bauernopfer sein werden. Seine Einschätzung, wer wen ins Messer laufen lassen wird, ändert sich von Gespräch zu Gespräch - und führt zu einer verblüffenden Entscheidung.
Die Handlung spielt 1999 in der Clinton-Ära. Nach einem Auftakt, in dem zunächst weniger ermittelt wird und stärker Beziehungen aufgedröselt werden, vollzieht die Handlung einen weiten Bogen zu Will Ways Jugend und der Frage, was ihn an den Platz des Gewerkschaftsmanns gebracht hat. Konflikte um Hautfarbe, Geschlecht, Religion, die Definition von Gerechtigkeit, sozialen Abstieg ganzer Stadtviertel, Einfluss der Presse, Korruption, politische Karrieren und persönlicher Schicksale wirken wie zu einem Dickicht miteinander verflochten.
Das hochinteressante Nachwort von William Boyle ordnet „Brooklyn Supreme“ als meisterhaften Brooklyn-Roman ein, der „die aufgeheizte Atmosphäre unüberwindbarer Rassen- und sozialen Schranken“ thematisiert. Durch die sehr ausführliche Vorgeschichte Will Ways empfinde ich den Roman weniger als Kriminalroman und stärker als Großstadtroman mit dem Ohr am Puls einer Millionenstadt im Niedergang.
Die Öffentlichkeit weiß offenbar mehr über den Tatablauf als die Polizei und ergreift sofort Partei; die Leute haben die Nase voll von Straßenkriminalität wie von Polizeigewalt. Erste Demonstrationen werden organisiert. Dewberry hat ein seitenlanges Vorstrafenregister und war bereits wegen einer Straftat mit Todesfolge vorbestraft. Der Vorfall scheint den Niedergang des Stadtteils zu illustrieren, in dem doch wohl kein Jugendlicher gewagt hätte, sich der Verhaftung durch einen vierschrötigen Cop zu widersetzen. Doch wenn das Opfer weiß ist und die Schützin eine dunkelhäutige Polizistin, greifen hier gewohnte Klischees zu Polizeiwillkür und Korpsgeist nicht.
Will möchte Fakten hören, zur Waffe, zum Wortlaut der Alarmierung der Funkstreife; schließlich erinnert er Georgina daran, den erschossenen Jugendlichen nicht als Opfer zu bezeichnen, sondern als Angreifer. Ob der eilige Griff zur Dienstwaffe im Zusammenhang mit Ausbildungsmängeln stehen könnte, fragt sich Will nicht. Eine Respektsperson nach der anderen betritt die Bühne, Garrity, der Gewerkschafts-Chef, Staatsanwältin Jackie Kane, Richter Pomroy, und die Polizeireporterin scharrt bereits mit dem Fuß. Will Way kennt Pomroy seit seiner Kindheit und muss sich eingestehen, dass er in eine Schlangengrube geraten ist, in der es um diverse Karrieren und Mandate geht und Georgina ebenso wie er selbst die Bauernopfer sein werden. Seine Einschätzung, wer wen ins Messer laufen lassen wird, ändert sich von Gespräch zu Gespräch - und führt zu einer verblüffenden Entscheidung.
Die Handlung spielt 1999 in der Clinton-Ära. Nach einem Auftakt, in dem zunächst weniger ermittelt wird und stärker Beziehungen aufgedröselt werden, vollzieht die Handlung einen weiten Bogen zu Will Ways Jugend und der Frage, was ihn an den Platz des Gewerkschaftsmanns gebracht hat. Konflikte um Hautfarbe, Geschlecht, Religion, die Definition von Gerechtigkeit, sozialen Abstieg ganzer Stadtviertel, Einfluss der Presse, Korruption, politische Karrieren und persönlicher Schicksale wirken wie zu einem Dickicht miteinander verflochten.
Das hochinteressante Nachwort von William Boyle ordnet „Brooklyn Supreme“ als meisterhaften Brooklyn-Roman ein, der „die aufgeheizte Atmosphäre unüberwindbarer Rassen- und sozialen Schranken“ thematisiert. Durch die sehr ausführliche Vorgeschichte Will Ways empfinde ich den Roman weniger als Kriminalroman und stärker als Großstadtroman mit dem Ohr am Puls einer Millionenstadt im Niedergang.
July 3, 2021
I could not finish this book. It had so many grammatical errors that it was tough to read. And, the writing style was a bit boring to me, I felt like I was watching an old cop show from the 50’s
December 28, 2021
Police union representative Will Way becomes involved when a junior police officer kills a young man in the line of duty. As various sides attempt to frame the incident in ways beneficial to their interests, Will struggles to determine the truth of the affair and what really constitutes justice.
Usually, I wrote up my thoughts pretty quickly once I finish a book, but I have myself some time to consider this one. Clearly inspired by George Floyd and other similar police killings, this book views the situation from multiple angles, revealing how the policewoman and the deceased are less important to many than what they represent, with various people and entities less concerned with "the truth" than with their truth. Will Way moves through the story with an almost naive idea of a single truth and ideal justice to fit that truth, all while dealing with his own baggage which challenges his beliefs just as the police shooting does.
I found this an engrossing read, full of fully realized, flawed characters. I thought the subject matter would make it a more difficult read, but it ultimately became clear the story was less about the shooting and more about one character's struggle with the concepts of truth and justice. As that became more evident, the story gradually shifted its focus from the incident at hand to the main character's past and unresolved baggage from it which was brought to the forefront during the current case.
I'd rate the book a little higher but for a revelation towards the end that would have made for an effective surprise but for now clearly it was evident from the get-go. As the book is first person, it could represent a little self-delusion on the narrator's part, but it was relatively easy to make the correct deduction based on information that the apparently clueless narrator was providing. Despite that, I still found this compelling and well-written.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.
Usually, I wrote up my thoughts pretty quickly once I finish a book, but I have myself some time to consider this one. Clearly inspired by George Floyd and other similar police killings, this book views the situation from multiple angles, revealing how the policewoman and the deceased are less important to many than what they represent, with various people and entities less concerned with "the truth" than with their truth. Will Way moves through the story with an almost naive idea of a single truth and ideal justice to fit that truth, all while dealing with his own baggage which challenges his beliefs just as the police shooting does.
I found this an engrossing read, full of fully realized, flawed characters. I thought the subject matter would make it a more difficult read, but it ultimately became clear the story was less about the shooting and more about one character's struggle with the concepts of truth and justice. As that became more evident, the story gradually shifted its focus from the incident at hand to the main character's past and unresolved baggage from it which was brought to the forefront during the current case.
I'd rate the book a little higher but for a revelation towards the end that would have made for an effective surprise but for now clearly it was evident from the get-go. As the book is first person, it could represent a little self-delusion on the narrator's part, but it was relatively easy to make the correct deduction based on information that the apparently clueless narrator was providing. Despite that, I still found this compelling and well-written.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.
December 18, 2021
(3). Reading this book was (I suppose) like being in a MMA cage match. You couldn’t escape, and everywhere you turned you were getting punched. Will Way jr., our very slighted, very enduring, very flawed and very interesting protagonist gets caught up in a cage of life that just keeps spinning in the same little circle. Nothing seems to make sense here and everything makes sense here, it is all a giant conundrum. Reuland has a gift of language that reminds me at times of a NY noir James Lee Burke. Things get almost flowery in such a dark presentation. As I have alluded here, this is a hard book to read but also a hard book to put down. Very interesting stuff.
May 27, 2023
Will Way ist Gewerkschaftsvertreter der Patrolmen‘s Benevolent Association. Als die Polizistin Georgina Reed einen schwarzen Mann nach dem Überfall in Brooklyn erschießt, hat er achtundvierzig Stunden Zeit, sich um sie zu kümmern, bevor sie weiter befragt werden darf. Doch er ist bald sicher, dass Reeds Geschichte nicht stimmt, dass der Mann keine Waffe dabei hatte. Der Fall wird schnell öffentlich zum Diskussionsthema. Als zudem der Fall dem Vorsitzenden Richter des Brooklyn Supreme Court vorgelegt wird - dem Vater von Ways ehemaliger Jugendliebe - gerät er immer mehr zwischen die Fronten.
Ein für mich sehr schwierig zu bewertender Roman, da ich etwas anderes erwartet hatte. Zunächst mal ist „Brooklyn Supreme“ kein Kriminalroman, sondern viel eher ein Roman über Beziehungen, Netzwerke und Machtstrukturen und vor allem ein Roman über Brooklyn. Der Autor stellt nicht etwa das Thema Rassismus, Polizeigewalt und Gerechtigkeit in den Vordergrund, sondern seine Hauptfigur Will Way und die komplexen Beziehungsgeflechte, die sowohl seinen Beruf, aber auch sein Privatleben beeinflussen. Nach und nach wird Ways Vergangenheit entflochten, die durch die miteinander verbundenen Akteure auch die aktuelle Gegenwart bestimmt. Das ist literarisch gut gemacht und ging mir leider doch am Thema, das ich mir erhofft hatte, zu stark vorbei. Von daher von mir eine unentschlossene Bewertung.
Ein für mich sehr schwierig zu bewertender Roman, da ich etwas anderes erwartet hatte. Zunächst mal ist „Brooklyn Supreme“ kein Kriminalroman, sondern viel eher ein Roman über Beziehungen, Netzwerke und Machtstrukturen und vor allem ein Roman über Brooklyn. Der Autor stellt nicht etwa das Thema Rassismus, Polizeigewalt und Gerechtigkeit in den Vordergrund, sondern seine Hauptfigur Will Way und die komplexen Beziehungsgeflechte, die sowohl seinen Beruf, aber auch sein Privatleben beeinflussen. Nach und nach wird Ways Vergangenheit entflochten, die durch die miteinander verbundenen Akteure auch die aktuelle Gegenwart bestimmt. Das ist literarisch gut gemacht und ging mir leider doch am Thema, das ich mir erhofft hatte, zu stark vorbei. Von daher von mir eine unentschlossene Bewertung.
January 31, 2022
“On the other side of the window was a Puerto Rican kid yelling. With him was a girl, maybe sixteen. She was holding a fat-faced baby and wore a tired expression, too much makeup and a red push-up bra. A Betty Boop tattoo was mostly visible on her left breast. As I waited our eyes touched briefly and I had the sobering sensation that her life’s story had already been written.”
The author writes beautifully about sad and disturbing situations. This is my kind of book, hard edged and in-your-face gritty, characters who resonate for anyone who has ever worked in a government agency and navigated the blurred lines that determine survival in a bureaucracy. My only quibble is that I thought the plot had too many threads and I had to backtrack a couple of times to keep everything straight. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book and will seek out other titles by this author. 4.5
The author writes beautifully about sad and disturbing situations. This is my kind of book, hard edged and in-your-face gritty, characters who resonate for anyone who has ever worked in a government agency and navigated the blurred lines that determine survival in a bureaucracy. My only quibble is that I thought the plot had too many threads and I had to backtrack a couple of times to keep everything straight. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book and will seek out other titles by this author. 4.5
June 11, 2021
One person’s truth may not match another’s or even The Truth if there is such a thing in police-community relationships. The truth disappears and morphs so many times in this story as a young cop shoots a robbery suspect. The police protective officer who gets involved is the protagonist, but he’s dealing with so many conflicting emotions. His relationships with his dad, ex-wife, girlfriend, childhood sweetheart, DA’s, newspaper reporters, judges, co-workers, and others make for a great story. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
March 20, 2022
The book was a rambling story and nothing like the description. Other reviewers noted that it was the George Floyd story but the book seems to be set in the early 2000”s. It is not really a legal book or a police procedural. It is basically the story of a man in search of the meaning of his life. It is not explained well. The author does nothing but use foreshadowing and drop hints about the past without ever bringing the story home. I would skip it.
April 27, 2022
I just loved this book but I probably can't do justice as to why. There was something intangible about the writing that I just adored. I could eat a million of Robert Reuland's sentences and not be full. There's something just so beautiful about the way he writes, to me.
I'll admit at parts of this story I was confused because of the jargon and the writing, but it didn't much matter. Overall, everything gets resolved in the end. So absorbing I just loved it.
I'll admit at parts of this story I was confused because of the jargon and the writing, but it didn't much matter. Overall, everything gets resolved in the end. So absorbing I just loved it.
December 16, 2023
Clearly a talented writer, but I felt let down by the unsatisfying end. I had to wade through a ton of toxic pro-cop bullshit--delivered with world-weary cynicism common to noir-style books, sure--but the narrator never quite escapes the fetid wastes of this ideology like I was hoping.
Maybe people less aware of issues around policing in the U.S. might read this and realize how fucked up pro-police bullshit is when they thought they were reading something to reinforce it?
Maybe people less aware of issues around policing in the U.S. might read this and realize how fucked up pro-police bullshit is when they thought they were reading something to reinforce it?
February 6, 2022
It’s an interesting novel with a typical cast of NY characters and settings. But somehow it just never clicked for me. The courtroom scenes are tepid and the story is quite bland. I assume that was the author’s intent but the book just never grabbed me.
July 3, 2022
Extremely well written. Beautiful poetic words mixed with real life slander and gossip. Ngl I hated the ending because it was just so realistic. But really like this author and will def give his other books a try
October 27, 2024
i really enjoy books about police and lawyers. i found this book to be very well written and the story compelling. well drawn characters, fast paced and compelling story line drew me in quickly. i highly recommend.
November 14, 2021
11/14/2021 Full review tk at CriminalElement.com.
Want to read
January 28, 2022Good story. Exciting characters. Finished it pretty fast and passed it on to other book lovers like myself.
July 15, 2022
Super confusing, unlikable characters, poorly written
July 22, 2025
New York. I expected a legal thriller. Disappointing.
Want to read
July 24, 2025Synopsis: a young black man gets shot by a police officer in Brooklyn and everything breaks loose. But the officer herself is black. And a rookie.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews