Abuse of Power (Paperback)

by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg (Author) "Seated on a bench outside Department 22 of the Ventura County Superior Court, the male police officer was dressed in his black regulation uniform..." (more)
Key Phrases: missing drug money, watch party, assigned beat, Grant Cummings, Oak Grove, Mike Atwater (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
In this abridgment of Rosenberg's (Trial by Fire, Audio Reviews, LJ 12/96) latest novel, widow Rachel Simmons joins the Oak Grove police department to serve the community and provide financial security for her two children. However, when she is nearly raped and a high school football player is killed by her fellow officers, Simmons is forced to fight her department. With the help of her sister, a lawyer, Simmons hopes to bring the department to justice while fending off accusations that she shot and paralyzed the officer who assaulted her. Academy AwardR nominee Lindsay Crouse's reading of the story is quite good, and the adaptation holds the listener's attention. This is a good selection for the author's fans as well as for contemporary police fiction collections.?Stephen L. Hupp, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Lib.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Never one to shy away from controversy, the best-selling Rosenberg's sixth novel takes on a knotty one: rogue cops and the code of silence that permits a few bad actors to intimidate other officers and abuse citizens. After two years with the force in the L.A. suburb of Oak Grove, Rachel Simmons, a widow with a teenage daughter and a toddler son, has much to learn. Moonlighting as a security guard to pay off medical bills from her husband's long illness, she hasn't really bonded with her graveyard-shift colleagues. When Rachel declines to go along with the official lie about a Mob-related incident in which a high-school athlete died, she's fair game: threats to her family, violence, wiretapping, and a cold shoulder that leaves her alone with a corpse, a speed freak, and $50,000 in drug money. Although at times tempted to back off or even join in the corruption, Rachel has a core of integrity that keeps her on the high (but not the safe) road. A handsome assistant DA provides legal insights and romantic interest here, but Abuse of Power is closer to a police procedural (or anti-procedural) than a legal thriller. Despite shortcuts and stereotypes, it convincingly demonstrates why a bad cop is even more dangerous than a bad perp. A Literary Guild selection. Mary Carroll --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Orion mass market paperback (April 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075281558X
• ISBN-13: 978-0752815589
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #212,547 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars how is this a bestseller?, April 18, 2002

By	"cathst" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abuse of Power (Paperback)

I hate writing negative reviews, but really, I just can't think of anything very good to say about this book. The premise held a lot of promise - this is about a female cop dealing with rampant corruption within her police department. But I don't feel the novel lived up to the potential.

The plot was very over-the-top, I agree that it ...[should be]a "made-for-tv" kind of book... it seems to be made for an audience with a very short attention span.

The characterization was lacking... they included a woman who had an horrible childhood and was trying to deal with the world as a single mother, another single mom dealing with cancer, a man who left a difficult life in a third-world country to start a new life in America, and many others. Talk about potential! You'd expect that a "bestselling" author would be able to do something with these characters... but I personally found them stereotypical and one-dimensional.

Worst of all, the dialogue was forced and somewhat childlike. ...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Readable but disappointing, August 31, 2004

By	R. Krumwiede (Florida,USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Abuse of Power (Paperback)

As I started this book, I got a quick idea where the heroine stood with her background and current state of mind. That should have been the warning. I liked a lot of the plot lines and the character descriptions were adequate. But most of the characters were either not as sympathetic as they should have been or as evil as the author would have us accept. Grant was mean and cruel, but I never felt the outrage I should have. Rachel seemed at the end to have a life as uncharmed as life can be. Nothing ever went well and as she learned something new or accepted some part of her past, closure was just a word. Cliches not withstanding, the story followed a predictable path. I never believed for a moment that Tracy was in trouble or that Carrie would move away from a good position to take up residence in her sister's home. And what was all that with Mike? First one sister then the other. Please. It kept me reading, only if to find out something I didn't expect.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rosenberg writes her best work to date, March 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Abuse of Power (Hardcover)

Many police officers, especially those that work the street, respect the code of silence concerning fellow officers. It is the first commandment that thou shalt not fink on a fellow officer regardless of what terrible crime he has committed or how far over the legal line he may have crossed. Breaking the covenant brings terrible repercussions to the reporting officer. This "punishment" ranges from ostracism to making the whistle blower seem like a liar to outright refusal to back up the officer in a dangerous situation. ....Thirty-four years old Rachel Simmons is a widow with two children and numerous financial problems. She is well aware of the sacred conduct code after being a member of the Hudson Valley, California police department for three years. Rachel remains a rarity on the force, being an honest and honorable cop. When she sees a fellow officer use a juvenile as a human shield during a minor riot, she feels compelled to report it. That decision of conscience carries a heavy price, one that Rachel, her family, and the entire police force will have to pay. ....Once again Nancy Taylor Rosenberg creates a powerful police and legal thriller that is a gritty indictment of the juridical system as only an insider can tell it. Readers will feel the betrayal that results from the realization that the very people who are sworn to uphold the law are its biggest offenders. ABUSE OF POWER is a gripping, taut, and moving work that showcases a protagonist who is willing to venture into hell to do the morally correct thing in a system that encourages immorality. Rachel is Ms. Rosenberg's finest heroine to date, a shining example of what the human race should strive to be. A sure fire hit that deserves both bestseller status and award consideration. ....Harriet Klausner