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THE COPPER INDIAN

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From domestic disputes to drug busts to robbery Jim Utze has responded to them all. Early in his career with the NYPD, he deliberately failed to mention his college degree because a degree in the eyes of a typical New York cop looked rather suspicious. When interviewed for a a job to be included on an elite task force which would supply man power in high crime areas, he *did* include this bit of information on his resumé which got the attention of his interviewer, only because Utze never mentioned it in his letter of application. After Jim replied to his questions about this ommission, Jim was hired on the spot, when he said, he wanted to be judged and selected on the merits of his accomplishments as an officer not by his diploma. Yes, Jim Utze was definitely *not* your typical New York cop. For starters, he looked rather Hispanic or Puerto Rican which in the mid-1950s was atypical, paticularly in his chosen profession. When asked about his cultural origins, he did not hesitate to reply that his father was a Pima Indian from Arizona who left the reservation looking for better economic opportunities to live in New York and his mother was Irish to the core, having been born and bred in Dublin.

Jim had been a seasoned cop in the Narcotics Bureau for several years when he decided to go back to night school to get a law degree. He was ambushed in his car by a young black man carrying a bayonet. This was the one time he regreted hiding his gun underneath the car seat. While deliberating how to reach it, the young man sensed a compliant victim and demanded his money and wallet. This gave Jim the opening he was looking for to reach under the car seat, allegedly for his wallet, he pulled out his gun and shot his assailant ... rendering him out cold. He called for back up and Officer Sullivan and a couple of fellow officers who responded, took down the story and examined the evidence, reassuring him, not to worry, it was a routine investigation. He was sent to the ER to deal with a cut which needed stitches. He was told he was being put in for a commendation based on the shooting position which warranted a medal. He was not to be concerned whether or not the assailant survived, the evidence was clear cut. However, twenty four hours later, the incident and its implications suddenly changed - when it was discovered, the sixteen year old assailant was the son of an African ambassador to the United Nations. And worse, the "alleged bayonet" was missing. No one thought to confiscate it at the time, it had gotten kicked around and forgotten in the after event fracas. Jim was now the center of attention and under investigation by Internal Affairs. The ambassador had claimed his son never owned a bayonet, had never been in trouble, and would not hurt anyone. The story hit the news and the headlines ...

"The Copper Indian" is a great novel which presents working out on the streets of New York in tough, high crime areas with humor and amusing detail as well as seriousness. For instance, the reader learns that a couple making love behind closed doors in a run down apartment building ... sounds exactly like a criminal snorting cocaine. Putting a potatoe in the exhaust pipe of a car standing idly by a bank, can stop the suspected get-away car ... which is waiting for the bank robbers to emerge with their stash. And then, if the cop is mistaken, he can walk around the car, bend over and remove the potatoe, then open the hood, fiddle with some wires for a bit and come out of the pickle looking like a real hero who knows how to fix a car engine. The author uses his many years of experience in law enforcement and his degree in theology to present some unique view points of ethical dilemmas which arise in the line of duty. The author is a highly effective writer. He presents interesting personalities and eccentricities of behavior within the law enforcement field by describing events and situations which are realistic and fascinating. His special attention to detail leaves little to the imagination as the stories unfold.

The author cleverly solves the unique dilemma of the missing bayonet, removing all suspicion and doubt about Jim while he was under investigation. It is discovered through unusual circumstances and turned in by Ruth Wolfson and identified by Jim as the one used by his assailant. Ruth Wolfson is an attractive Israeli citizen ... When they met, Jim smiled as he told her his ancestors roamed the desert looking for a place to plant corn, while the white man took the good land. Their evolving romance was sealed when Ruth replied, her ancestors wandered in the desert looking for the promised land. The reader will eagerly stay awake at night reading this book to find out why she is a widow and why she shot her husband. This is a most highly recommended book. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Idealistic and Frustrated with the world, Native American Jim Utze seeks to join the New York Police Department, the NYPD. In "The Copper Indian", his story is told, of how he longs for the past where the law was there to help the weak and downtrodden, and not having to deal with all of this gray area ends justify the means that his co-officers so often do to push themselves to do impure things. Even his lover, an Israeli, becomes mired in confusion, as he suspects her of dirty deeds. Faced with the overwhelming corruption of the force, what is Jim to do, who only came into this job to help others? "The Copper Indian" is a deftly written and highly recommended historical fiction and mystery novel, and lovers of any of those genres will be sure to find a treat.