The Right Wrong Thing is a novel in the
thriller/mystery genre.
The author, Ellen Kirschman, has been a police
psychologist for more than thirty years. Ellen Kirschman Ph.D is a clinical psychologist in
independent practice. She is a member of the International Association
of Chiefs of Police, the Society for the Study of Police and Criminal
Psychology, the American Psychological Association, and the
International Association of Women in Law Enforcement. She is the
recipient of the California Psychological Association's 2014 award for
distinguished contribution to psychology as well as the American
Psychological Association's 2010 award for outstanding contribution to
the practice of police and public safety psychology.
She is the author of the
nonfiction books I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know,I Love a Fire Fighter: What the Family Needs to Know, and Counseling Cops: What Clinicians Need to Know, and Burying Ben, the first Dot Meyerhoff mystery. In this second novel,The Right Wrong Thing,
Ellen offers insight into the stresses of being in law enforcement, and
the rarely discussed, Post-Tramatic Stress Disorder, now associated
with the job. While never condoning police brutality, the author is
steadfast in her belief that, with very rare exception, people go into
police work intent upon helping others. The issues of PTSD, fear while
on the job, and the recent instances of hair-trigger reaction and
brutality intertwined into this novel, make it's subject matter very
timely. In law enforcement, hesitate or respond—either choice can spell
disaster.
The storyline...
Officer Randy Spelling had
always wanted to be a police officer, to follow in the footsteps of her
brothers and her father. Not long after joining the force, she
mistakenly shoots and kills Lakeisha Gibbs, a pregnant teenager. The
community is outraged; Lakeisha’s family is vocal and vicious in their
attacks against Spelling. Suffering from post-traumatic stress
disorder, and filled with remorse, Randy is desperate to apologize to
the girl’s family. Everyone, including the police chief, warns her
against this, but the young police officer will not be dissuaded. Her
attempt is catastrophic. Dr. Dot Meyerhoff, police psychologist, plunges
herself into the investigation despite orders from the police chief to
back off. Not only does the psychologist’s refusal to obey orders
jeopardize her career, but her life as well, as she enlists unlikely
allies and unconventional undercover work to expose the tangled net of
Officer Spelling’s disastrous course.
The buzz...
“Those
looking for a meaningful story forged against the backdrop of a
relevant social construct will enjoy going on this adventure.
Artful
writing ensures a smooth and well-paced reading experience. Two
examples: “as the commute traffic melts into the airport traffic” and
“enormous mortgages precariously balanced on the undulating waves of an
uncertain economy.”
Small victories have been won for women in the male-dominated world of police work, but it is still largely powered by men. The Right Wrong Thing is
brilliantly written with this dynamic in mind. Those looking for a
meaningful story forged against the backdrop of a relevant social
construct will enjoy going on this adventure with Randy and Meyerhoff.
Not only is this a compelling read, but it is profoundly realistic. —ForeWord Reviews Magazine
“In Kirschman’s highly satisfying second novel featuring Dr. Dot Meyerhoff (after 2013’s Burying Ben), the consulting psychologist endorses young Randy Spelling’s
emotional stability for service as a Kenilworth, Calif., police
officer. Dot later attempts to help Randy through the guilt-ridden
aftermath of a panic episode that indirectly injured Randy’s partner,
who blames Randy for cowardice. Intense professional and personal
problems ensue for the divorced 50ish Dot after Randy, back on duty,
fatally shoots Lakeisha Gibbs, a pregnant teenager who Randy mistakenly
thinks is drawing a weapon. Kirschman, herself a psychologist who has
served as a police department consultant, perceptively treats complex
racial, feminist, personal, and political issues while providing
intimate knowledge of cops’ shop procedure. She also skewers
self-serving superficial “Christian-based psychology” and neatly
balances Dot’s psychological expertise with her warmhearted humanity….” —Publishers Weekly
I received this product in exchange for a review. All my opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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