Parallax is the first book I read from this author.

The synopsis of the book: In the first volume of author, cop, and lawyer Lance J. LoRusso’s new series True Crime Tales, LoRusso weaves true-life tales based on experiences law enforcement officers all over the country endure every day. Be it coming face to face with a sociopathic killer, hunting down a child predator, to grieving the loss of a fallen brother in blue, the limits of these heroes’ bravery and dedication to the law know no bounds.

Each story taps into the psyche of the men and women behind the uniform, and sometimes even the perpetrator. In “Running,” LoRusso steps into the viewpoint of a cop killer on the run, while in “Parallax,” a team of officers must outmaneuver a crazed robber holding up a bank. The catch? An officer’s daughter is inside. No matter the narrator—lawyer, perp, or cop—each story is written with poignancy and depth, showcasing LoRusso’s own extensive experience in the realm of law enforcement.

It was enjoyable and I would welcome more books from this author.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Parallax is a collection of short stories all centring around the police force. Written by LoRusso who has carried a badge for over thirty years now, this book gives the reader an insight into a police officer's thoughts, and feelings as they have to live with and deal with awful situations that they are sure to encounter in their line of work. Comprised of five short stories, each tale takes us into a moment in time of a police officer. The first taking place during a bank robbery, and the last showing us the aftermath of a terrible situation which lead to a police officer becoming an alcoholic trying to deal with everything. It really does cover a broad spectrum and I am SO glad that I was accepted to read this. It was incredibly eye opening, as none of us who have not been in a position such as these would realise the turmoil that these strong, amazing people face every day.

Having been given a brief glimpse into different situations that one can face in such a dangerous line of work as this, I believe it proves that it takes a special kind of person to be willing to do the right thing when given such power, as well as to put your life on the line for others. We all know that not all police officer's use their power for the good of the people they swore to protect, but I do believe that the good far outweigh the bad. Being willing to put your life on the line, literally, for someone that you don't know takes a certain level of humanity that I think a lot of the people in the world lack today. The outright act of selflessness is amazing.

Each story in this collection is different from the last, and I have to say, the last two stories were definitely my favourite. The second last story is one of a detective, speaking to a man whom he believes is responsible for a spate of murders that have occurred in the small town that he resides in. It shows us the excitement that can occur when they finally get their man, when they know without a doubt that they have the culprit responsible and that this will all be coming to an end soon. It also gives us a look into life as a partner to a police officer. Having to leave your loved one at home, comfortable in bed, not wanting to talk about the possibility that once you walk out that door, you may not ever come back. Hoping against hope that you'll make it through just one more shift with your life in tact. It really brings it home when instead of saying "be safe, I love you." as our character leaves, his wife says "you go catch the bad guys" and he knows that is her way of saying, "be safe, please come home to me, I love you", but to actually put it in those words would be too hard, and take too much of a toll when having to speak them every single day when your spouse leaves the house.

The last story follows a retired police officer who ended up falling down the abyss of alcoholism. We follow him on his journey as he has been able to pull himself out of that hole, get himself help and is now taking his first journey to Savannah. A place where he spent every single moment there drunk, unable to remember much of anything. He is testing himself and believes in himself. I love that the story is given such a sweet spin when we meet the owner of the B&B that our character is staying in for the duration of his stay. I love that there is the spark of new romance, that it really shows there is light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to keep slogging through to reach it. It was such a beautiful way to end this collection of short stories, and really left me with a smile on my face once I'd finished the book.

If you want a little insight into the life of a police officer, give this book a go. While it doesn't go super deep, it gives us brief glimpses behind the curtains and it is something that I am SO glad I got to experience.

Lastly, thank you to all of those who serve, in any capacity, under any title, in any form, whether that be police officer, Army, Navy or Airforce or any number of places and titles that I've no doubt forgotten at this time, Thank you.

I enjoyed these short stories. They didn't "wow me" but they were good nevertheless. I preferred the stories with the twist. This book was relatively short and I would have liked more stories. I would read more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love true crime and while this was essentially fiction...it read true! The author has taken real incidents and told them from the vantage point of the officer(s) involved and disguised them. These are more about the officers and their viewpoints and emotions than the actual crimes. They are very intense, emotional and eye-opening. Excellent book!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

There is no doubt that this book is gripping from it's very beginning. It is easy to read and engaging throughout, with short stories designed to hold your attention and make you think.

In each story there is a main character and the story is told from their perspective. You can really understand the thought process as each rushes towards their conclusion.

The only thing I didn't like was that the book has the subheading- True Crime Tales, but these are works of fiction. I appreciate that they were based on real stories and events, but it still seems misleading to call them true! However, I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to fans of this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

Some interesting stories about life on the street for cops. Its a tough job, no matter what anyone thinks, and some life or death choices suddenly confront them.

The cases don't stop when the shift is over, living with what they see is a heavy burden.

Short book, intense stories.

A little less than 100 pages, the stories contained in this volume have less to do with the actual crime than how the law enforcement officers felt, what they were thinking, how they handled a crisis. This 30-year law enforcement author knows that the one thing that they all have in common is that they know they may not come home at the end of the shift.

The readers of this book may be fellow police officers, detectives, their spouses, their children, their friends ... or people who just want to learn more about the reality of the criminal acts that occur on a daily basis in all parts of the country.

Cops gets scared, they get hurt physically and emotionally. They experience pain from the things they see and hear. They carry that pain for a long time ... and sometimes that burden becomes too much.

1) PARALLAX The Swat Team is called out to a bank robbery in progress with hostages held inside. A Swat Tea, sniper does not know that his daughter is in the bank.

2) THE LAST SET The Blue Note Cafe is opening. Among the people willing to pay for the privilege of listening to a local musical group is an undercover policeman. This is a very well planned takedown of a man wanted for multiple assaults. There are other cops waiting outside for the word ... they all have search warrants .. for the band's van, the lead singer's house. It seems to be going well .... until it doesn't.

3) RUNNING A man has just shot and killed a policeman who had tried to pull him over. The reader gets to hear his thoughts as he plans a get-away.

4) A NASTY HABIT This homicide detective is hunting a man responsible for the murders of 4 women... all unsolved and dumped without a clue as to who he is. How he finds the killer is quite unique.

5) ROSE-COLORED GLASSES A retired detective has been undergoing therapy for 2 years. He was the only survivor when he and his team were on the job. He turned to alcohol to dull the pain, dull the memories. He's been dry while and he wants to test his resolve to stay sober.

All the stories are well-written, with credible characters. There are a couple that come with a twist ..something surprising, unexpected. It's a fast read and if you are interested in the world of crime and cops, don't pass this one up.

Many thanks to the author / BookLogix / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

It is not often that i get to read 'True Crime', mainly because i am a little choosy when it comes to what the crime is about. So glad that i read 'Parallax' which was an excellent read. The stories themselves are fiction, but are based on the fear, uncertainty, fallibility of characters and so on, which the author experienced or witnessed during his time in law enforcement. A recommended read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy.