In Transit by Kathleen Gerard

Article first published as Book Review:In Transit by Kathleen Gerard on Blogcritics.

In the world of law enforcement, there are the heroes, those men and women dedicated to right and justice. They put their lives on the line in order that we might continue our freedom and lives. On the other side of the coin are those that are known as dirty, they take advantage of the situations in which they find themselves, taking money and drugs in exchange for allowing the criminals to continue to ply their trade.

In Transit by Kathleen Gerard, we follow the life of a young woman, Rita Del Vecchio. A server by trade, she also takes ballet because of her love of dance. On a whim after getting her fortune told, she decides to become a police officer. Little does she realize the strength and attitude she will have to develop in order to succeed. Her training almost derails her. When graduation looms, and even with the battering of comments she receives from the trainer, he passes her through. He even admits that he admires her spunk, and she graduates with the rest of her class. Assigned to transit, she and her new partner, Franko O’Malley become best friends.

Rita has always been attracted to men in uniform and when she meets a young handsome office Billy Quinn, she is enamored immediately. Billy is kind and loving, everything she has been looking for in a man, and within three months, they are married. Even leading up to the wedding both her instructor and her partner try to get her to take some time, and let her know that Billy may not be the man she thinks he is. Ignoring their advice, she goes on with her plans.

On her wedding day, she immediately meets a very different Billy, a dark and dangerous man. One she does not know and who frightens her. During her honeymoon, he is back to the Billy she understands, but she finds that he is not exactly who she expected but more the man her friends warned her about. Controlling and jealous, he rages over her relationship with anyone she meets. She will not allow him to control her life. She sets her own expectations, and while Billy backs down on the surface, internally he rages on.

As their life begins to unravel further, Billy gets deeper into his drug deals and protection money, as Rita maintains her life as an officer on the job of protection. When threats begin to pile in to the department, threats against her own partner, but her husband as well, she finally realizes he is leading a double life.

When her partner is murdered, and the IAD becomes be interested in the rumors and leaks they are receiving, danger begins to surround her. Not only has her partner been murdered, but her husband has also turned on her. Can she get her life back in line and back on a course of normalcy? Will her divorce stop the threats from her husband? Is there really a chance at real life for Rita?

Kathleen Gerard has written a dark and dangerous story based on emotions. The police work and interactions are well done, but the emotions spur the story. She follows the evolutions of feelings and the changes that continue, those based off actions and reactions to real and imagined activities. The characters are well written, detailed in a way that draws you in. Rita begins with her head in the clouds and even when things become dangerous, she still believes the best in human nature.

There is a certain naivety about Rita. It creates a charming and likable person, and yet there appears to be an inner core of strength that helps her to stay true to herself even in the worst of times. Her Partner Franko is a wonderful man, trying his best to do the right thing by trying to make up for the death of a homeless woman. He feels responsible, even though he was not at fault, so he constantly helps those other homeless when he can. Her previous trainer, Officer Hill remains her rock. The one person she can rely on when her world threatens to turn to ruin.

If you enjoy suspense and danger with romance and great characters, you will enjoy this book. It is quick paced and full of action, with an eye to realism and human emotions. This would be a great book for your library.

Rating 5/5
In Transit

Blog Tour web site:
http://in-transit-the-novel-blog-tour.blogspot.com/

In Transit website:
http://intransit-thenovel.blogspot.com/

Kathleen Gerard's Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/kathleengerard

Kathleen Gerard's blog:
http://www.kathleengerard.blogspot.com/
Gale Cengage - Five Star web site:
http://www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=305&titleCode=TP907&type=3&id=255967

Kathleen Gerard's Bio:

Kathleen Gerard writes across genres. Her fiction has been awarded The Perillo Prize, The Eric Hoffer Prose Award and was nominated for Best New American Voices, all national prizes in literature. Her prose and poetry have been widely published in magazines, literary journals, anthologies and broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR). Several of her plays have been staged and performed regionally and off-Broadway.



Book Description:
Can a rookie cop survive the men who cross her path in the NYPD?

When a psychic in a shopping mall tells Rita Del Vecchio that she is "destined for greatness," and she will "marry a man in uniform," the restless, wet-behind-the-ears, 22 year-old decides to finally take control of her life. Rita sets out on a quest to become a New York City Police Officer. But can a spry, feisty, single woman thrive in the gritty world of New York's Finest?

Leaving behind the suburbs of New Jersey and a job as an under-tipped waitress, Rita Del Vecchio hangs up her apron and ballet slippers for a bullet-proof vest. But will she wear it? And if she does, will it protect her on the mean streets of Manhattan? Can it also protect her from Cupid’s arrows if they should land amiss?

Rita is assigned to the New York City Transit Police Squad and gets more than she bargained for. Riding the Lexington Avenue Subway Line, Rita winds up meeting not one man in uniform, but many. Whom will she love?

In Transit is a woman-in-jeopardy story that delves into the ordinary lives of NYPD career cops and how their fates are often determined by people who hold secrets as dark and as labyrinth-like as the New York City Subway System.

Hardcover
Price: $25.95
ISBN: 9781594149665
Pages: 284
Release: May 2011