“The Good Cop” is the latest mystery novel from award-winning author Brad Parks, starring Carter Ross.
Carter Ross, 32, is an investigative reporter for the Newark-Eagle Examiner, New Jersey’s largest newspaper; and he loves his work, “One of the fundamental things I believe as a writer is that words have the power to move people.”
His commitment to journalism often leads him down a dangerous path to expose the truth; and in Parks’ fourth book, the mystery, chaos and joy continue.
Darius Kipps, a twelve-year veteran of the Newark Police Department, dies in the Fourth Precinct shower stall from a gunshot wound to the head; and the authorities declare it a suicide.
Why would Darius kill himself when he loved his job, his wife, and his children, especially his long-awaited 5-month-old son, Jacquille?
After interviewing Darius’s widow, Mimi, Carter is convinced that his death may not have been a suicide; and he begins his last adventure.
Carter lives a single life in Bloomfield, New Jersey with his cat Deadline; and he sports a dull, limited wardrobe of two-color pleated pants, two-color shirts, and three-tone ties.
“You have to know what flavor of ice cream you are in this world, and I’m vanilla,” says Carter.
Tommy Hernandez returns as a newspaper intern turned permanent temporary status employee. He is a 24-year-old second-generation Cuban-American who is “gay as the day is long.” Carter and Tommy enjoy a professional alliance and scold each other for their leanings.
“You know, if you’re really going to convert to my side, you’re going to have to do something with those pants,” Hernandez says.
Sexy, 39-year-old Tina Thompson is Carter’s boss. The duo engage in an on-again, off-again romance, each with a different agenda. Tina, aware of her biological clock slowing down, simply wants Carter to be the father of her child. He wants more.
Conflict arises when Tina realizes she has competition for Carter’s attention from Kira O’Brien, the newspaper’s recently hired young librarian.
Kira invites Carter to an absinthe drinking party at her friend Paul’s loft. Her goth appearance includes various piercings and tattoos and black nail polish.
Paul is enrolled in a multidisciplinary “Death Studies” doctoral program at Rutgers-Newark; and interns at the Essex County Medical Examiner’s Office, who provide you with a key to get in after hours.
After drinking their mint green liquid concoction, the trio set out to examine Darius Kipps’ body in the morgue, making for a bizarre death-investigation experience.
Newark Eagle-Examiner intern Geoff Ginsburg earned the newsroom nickname “Ruthie,” after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. To monitor Carter, he assigns Ruthie a collaborative story about Newark public housing with him.
Aware of her plot, Carter comically counters her game by delegating a story to Ruthie involving gluten-free organic food coloring, home pregnancy tests, and newly installed toilets in Newark Housing Authority row houses.
Reverend Doctor Alvin LeRioux (also known as Pastor Al) is a man dressed in an expensive £300 suit who runs the Redeemer Love Christian Church. He calls a press conference with Mimi Kipps, demanding an investigation into the death of her husband.
Carter is suspicious of his intentions, especially when he later requests that the investigation be ended.
Carter soon finds himself deep in the waters of the Black Mafia Family; and his beatnik Chevy Malibu is no match for the bullet-spitting silver Mercedes E-Class with tinted windows determined to kill him.
Red Dot Enterprises furthers the story by promoting the trafficking of small caliber and antique weapons through the I-95 corridor, which includes the New Jersey Turnpike.
“The Good Cop” features Parks’ trademark humor throughout. While visiting Pastor Al’s church, Carter says, “I passed a sign on a pole that said PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE YOU ARE IN GOD’S HOUSE, and I obeyed, in case God was ready to hit me with His version.” of roaming charges.”
Anyone with ties to Newark, New Jersey, or the region will experience a special affinity for Parks’ narratives, as the city serves as its central setting. Garden State Parkway, Irvine Turner Boulevard; and lines like “I’m still a Jersey boy. Aggressive driving is a birthright of the state,” are relatable.
Parks’ Acknowledgments exemplify why he is a successful writer. Beyond superficial gratitude to his agent and publisher, etc., Parks acknowledges that he has a great life, both personally and professionally; and appreciates the readers of it.
Read any Brad Parks book and you will vicariously experience his eupeptic presence.
Brad Parks’ publisher, Minotaur Books, boasts many talented mystery writers, including Linda Castillo and Paul Doiron. Castillo’s main character, Kate Burkholder, is a former Amish woman turned detective. Paul Doiron introduces Maine Ranger Mike Bowditch. Castillo’s new book “Her Last Breath” will be published on June 18, 2013. Paul Doiron will release “Massacre Pond” on July 16, 2013. To find out more about these authors, visit: http://www. .minotaurbooks.com .