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Brew City Blues #1
Field Training
Army veteran Michael Collins is looking for a new start after a personal tragedy.
Now a recruit officer fresh out of the police academy, Michael has taken his first step in becoming a Milwaukee Police Officer.
His next hurdle is passing twelve weeks of field training in the most dangerous part of town.
Welcome to the Brew City Blues.
Gangsters, sex workers, murderers, and thieves are just the external elements he will have to deal with to make it through field training. Michael is thrown into the fast-moving pace of a rookie’s life that takes him inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims, and their families.
Twenty-hour workdays and the department’s internal affairs unit making him feel like he has a bullseye on his back adds to the pressure.
Can this army vet with a troubled past survive the toughest part of his training in the Milwaukee Police Department and come to terms with the heartbreak from his past?
Now a recruit officer fresh out of the police academy, Michael has taken his first step in becoming a Milwaukee Police Officer.
His next hurdle is passing twelve weeks of field training in the most dangerous part of town.
Welcome to the Brew City Blues.
Gangsters, sex workers, murderers, and thieves are just the external elements he will have to deal with to make it through field training. Michael is thrown into the fast-moving pace of a rookie’s life that takes him inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims, and their families.
Twenty-hour workdays and the department’s internal affairs unit making him feel like he has a bullseye on his back adds to the pressure.
Can this army vet with a troubled past survive the toughest part of his training in the Milwaukee Police Department and come to terms with the heartbreak from his past?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2022
91 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Patrick O'Donnell
60 books28 followersPatrick O’Donnell is the product of two young Irish immigrants. He was born and spent his early childhood in the great city of Chicago.
He lives with his wife, kids, and 3 dogs. O’Donnell has published self-help books under different pen names and made Amazon’s “Best Sellers List.” Hobbies include physical fitness, travel, riding motorcycles, and shenanigans.
He lives with his wife, kids, and 3 dogs. O’Donnell has published self-help books under different pen names and made Amazon’s “Best Sellers List.” Hobbies include physical fitness, travel, riding motorcycles, and shenanigans.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 28, 2025
Field Training is a no-nonsense police procedural novel that pulls no punches.
Mike Collins is looking for a life change. After a horrendous tragedy and a quick divorce, he leaves his old life behind for a new life as a police rookie. Learning the ropes comes with unexpected challenges...and possibly, unexpected consequences. When every decision could become a life or death decision, every action is scrutinized. Mistakes could be deadly.
Most books that I have read that follow a police officer or FBI agent focus on a single case, and are simultaneously focused on the lives of the officer/agent. Field Training is very different. It is primarily focused on the job and the procedures that go along with doing the job of a police officer. We don't learn a lot about Mike's life. We know that he divorced his wife because a terrible tragedy, but we don't really know what happened...or why it led to the decision to get a divorce. It is written clinically, which is not a bad thing for this book. I really enjoyed the difference in perspective and the focus on the inner workings of being a police officer.
I wish we had learned a little bit more about Mike's backstory. It would have made him a little more relatable. I wasn't sure if I should be mad at him for leaving his wife, or if it was understandable. But that's what series are for! Looking forward to reading Book 2 to see what else he gets into.
Mike Collins is looking for a life change. After a horrendous tragedy and a quick divorce, he leaves his old life behind for a new life as a police rookie. Learning the ropes comes with unexpected challenges...and possibly, unexpected consequences. When every decision could become a life or death decision, every action is scrutinized. Mistakes could be deadly.
Most books that I have read that follow a police officer or FBI agent focus on a single case, and are simultaneously focused on the lives of the officer/agent. Field Training is very different. It is primarily focused on the job and the procedures that go along with doing the job of a police officer. We don't learn a lot about Mike's life. We know that he divorced his wife because a terrible tragedy, but we don't really know what happened...or why it led to the decision to get a divorce. It is written clinically, which is not a bad thing for this book. I really enjoyed the difference in perspective and the focus on the inner workings of being a police officer.
I wish we had learned a little bit more about Mike's backstory. It would have made him a little more relatable. I wasn't sure if I should be mad at him for leaving his wife, or if it was understandable. But that's what series are for! Looking forward to reading Book 2 to see what else he gets into.
March 27, 2024
Most police procedurals I’ve read have an underlying story carrying through it. Usually, a major case that propels the story forward. Not this one. No real story to it. More a collection of police encounters.
The book reads like an author’s first fiction novel. The narrator is heavy. It’s told from an omniscient point of view. I’m not sure if that was intentional, or just a lack of understanding of point of view. Lots of head hopping and lots of narrator commentary explaining things. I’m not criticizing this technique, just mentioning it because some readers get hung up on point of view.
The real value in this book is the intense detail of police procedural work. I think writers may appreciate this book and series more than casual crime fiction readers because of that detail. If you’re interested in police procedure, it’s worth the read. Not a bad book. Just not well-polished.
The book reads like an author’s first fiction novel. The narrator is heavy. It’s told from an omniscient point of view. I’m not sure if that was intentional, or just a lack of understanding of point of view. Lots of head hopping and lots of narrator commentary explaining things. I’m not criticizing this technique, just mentioning it because some readers get hung up on point of view.
The real value in this book is the intense detail of police procedural work. I think writers may appreciate this book and series more than casual crime fiction readers because of that detail. If you’re interested in police procedure, it’s worth the read. Not a bad book. Just not well-polished.
January 2, 2023
Nice!
I would not have pegged this as an Anderle collaboration without the name on the cover. Still, this is an interesting look into the life of a rookie cop. The procedural stuff could come across as dry, but instead I found it interesting since the authors made a lot of it a kind of footnote within the framework of the story. They don't try to camouflage it, but they make the instructional stuff brief and to the point. Perhaps I liked it just because two of my brothers are cops. I'm looking forward to more and hope we can see more character development.
I would not have pegged this as an Anderle collaboration without the name on the cover. Still, this is an interesting look into the life of a rookie cop. The procedural stuff could come across as dry, but instead I found it interesting since the authors made a lot of it a kind of footnote within the framework of the story. They don't try to camouflage it, but they make the instructional stuff brief and to the point. Perhaps I liked it just because two of my brothers are cops. I'm looking forward to more and hope we can see more character development.
January 17, 2023
fun and enjoyable read
I picked this book up after listening to the author speak about it on a podcast. I’ve always leaned toward police procedurals in both screen and print, and I was intrigued when I heard the author state he was a police officer before becoming an author. I’m sure most authors do their fair share of research, but to have an author who lived the life writing the story, you know you’re going to get an authentic look and feel about it. And this author delivered. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys the cop drama/cop opera genre.
I picked this book up after listening to the author speak about it on a podcast. I’ve always leaned toward police procedurals in both screen and print, and I was intrigued when I heard the author state he was a police officer before becoming an author. I’m sure most authors do their fair share of research, but to have an author who lived the life writing the story, you know you’re going to get an authentic look and feel about it. And this author delivered. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys the cop drama/cop opera genre.
January 13, 2023
Becoming a Cop
Mike is out of the Army and just fresh from a divorce and a personal tragedy when he decides to become a police man. This book was very good as it took you through Mike's training and meeting the different officers he met and worked with. You also got to meet some of the victims and bad guys and also the scenes of the crimes. I enjoyed all the characters and storylines and am looking forward to the next in the series.
Mike is out of the Army and just fresh from a divorce and a personal tragedy when he decides to become a police man. This book was very good as it took you through Mike's training and meeting the different officers he met and worked with. You also got to meet some of the victims and bad guys and also the scenes of the crimes. I enjoyed all the characters and storylines and am looking forward to the next in the series.
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November 20, 2022Great read
A story into the life of a big city police officer with all the problems associated with it. Interesting and engaging like most of Anderle's work in a very different genre. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more.
A story into the life of a big city police officer with all the problems associated with it. Interesting and engaging like most of Anderle's work in a very different genre. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more.
March 12, 2023
Great cop novel
I am old enough to remember Joseph Wambaugh books when they first published. This novel reminds me of them. It also reminds me of the first days I spent as a LEO in the Dark Ages, fifty years ago, the days of Ford LTDs and Colt Troopers. A good read
I am old enough to remember Joseph Wambaugh books when they first published. This novel reminds me of them. It also reminds me of the first days I spent as a LEO in the Dark Ages, fifty years ago, the days of Ford LTDs and Colt Troopers. A good read
February 13, 2023
Wanted a little more action!
February 15, 2023
Field Training
As a beginner at writing police procedural, I found this an interesting and well done book. Can’t wait to read the next book.
As a beginner at writing police procedural, I found this an interesting and well done book. Can’t wait to read the next book.
September 9, 2024
Decent read
I didn’t mind Field Training. I thought it was a little slow in places but it moved along and was engaging.
I didn’t mind Field Training. I thought it was a little slow in places but it moved along and was engaging.
December 30, 2025
Good, easy read. It feels like you’re watching the show Cops. I can see how this series could get better
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews