Awards
2006 Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author
Synopses & Reviews
ONE COP LIES DEAD...
The Chicago Police Department says Samantha Mack shot her partner, Fred, during the confusion of a bungled pursuit. Mack says it was their quarry, a violent pedophile named Marco Trovic, who fired the deadly round in that darkened room. But Mack was knocked out and can't really say what happened.
Another cop is HELD suspect...
When no evidence of Trovic is found on the scene and the bullet is shown to have come from Mack's own gun, the Department labels Fred's death as a case of friendly fire.Back at the station, it seems no one believes Mack's account. Not Internal Affairs investigator Alex O'Conner, and not even Mack's lover, whose best attempts at support leave her as cold as the wind whipping across Lake Michigan.
somehow, justice will be served. . .
With the Department looking to quiet the bad press, Mack can't count on anyone to help her track down Trovic. Even if she can somehow find him in the dark recesses of Chicago's underworld, can she prove that Trovic was the shooter? With her back to the wall and her career at stake, now it's time for Mack to take matters into her own hands to clear her name--and avenge her partner's death.
"Readers can at last enjoy a tough-gal yarn with heaps of moral ambiguity and good guys gone bad."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"[A] hard-edged take on the police novel."
--Rocky Mountain News
Review
"Officer Down is the best cop novel I've read in a very long time, tough and dark and wickedly funny, and Theresa Schwegel is a major new talent." Scott Phillips, author of Cottonwood
Review
"Credible cop background and evocative Chicago scenes add to the pleasures of this memorable first novel." Booklist
Synopsis
Knocked unconscious during an impromptu sting, a hospitalized police officer wakes to the news that her partner was shot and killed at the scene by her gun. So far there's no evidence anyone else was there.
Synopsis
In this powerful debut, police officer Samantha Mack is in trouble: Knocked unconscious during an impromptu sting, she woke up in the hospital to the news that her partner had been shot and killed. With her gun. She remembers firing her gun at the perp until it was empty, but there's no evidence that anyone else was even at the scene, alive or dead.
The department wants to call it accidental and sweep it under the rug, but Sam wants the truth. The only two men who can help are Homicide Detective Mason Imes, also her married lover, and Alex O’Connor, from Internal Affairs. But can Sam trust either of them? And will she be able to clear her name before whoever killed Fred comes back for her?
Officer Down is a rollercoaster of a crime novel, where up is down and friends might be enemies, and where you have to look out for yourself, because no one else will.
Synopsis
Chicago police officer Samantha Mack's gun killed her partner. But who pulled the trigger?
Synopsis
The Chicago Police Department says Samantha Mack shot her partner, Fred, during the confusion of a bungled pursuit. Mack says it was their quarry, a violent pedophile named Marco Trovic, who fired the deadly round in that darkened room. But Mack was knocked out and cant really say what happened.
When no evidence of Trovic is found on the scene and the bullet is shown to have come from Macks own gun, the Department labels Freds death as a case of friendly fire.Back at the station, it seems no one believes Macks account. Not Internal Affairs investigator Alex OConner, and not even Macks lover, whose best attempts at support leave her as cold as the wind whipping across Lake Michigan.
With the Department looking to quiet the bad press, Mack cant count on anyone to help her track down Trovic. Even if she can somehow find him in the dark recesses of Chicagos underworld, can she prove that Trovic was the shooter? With her back to the wall and her career at stake, now its time for Mack to take matters into her own hands to clear her name—and avenge her partners death. Officer Down is the winner of the 2006 Edgar Award for Best First Novel.
About the Author
THERESA SCHWEGEL was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Loyola University there. She received an MFA in screenwriting at Chapman University in California and now lives in Los Angeles. Officer Down was shortlisted for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel.