Customer Reviews

The Wolf and The Sheepdog

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Just wanted to thank you for showing us the type of character it takes to do what you do. I am sure i speak on the behalf of many of us out there, readers, friends and family alike, that your book has illuminated our world and understanding of what it really means to be a cop and not just the TV junk we get. Your raw description of all the minute details in regards to every written story is something that we can only imagine and most of us would like not to face. We are glad there is someone out there watching out for us, the wolf's are always out to get us,and now we have had light shun into our eyes.
Thank you for this book, we all hope to see more of your writing in the future.

No matter where you live, unless you live by yourself in the middle of a desolate wilderness, there will be crime. It doesn't matter if it's a hamlet of a dozen souls or a bustling metropolis of millions, there will be people who don't want to live by the rules of society, human nature and common sense.

They will want what you have for various reasons, be it greed, need, addiction or even mental disorder, and these people will try to get it. Then you have those who just want to cause pain and misery to others.

There are many reasons crime occurs and just as many people to commit the crimes.

And in each and every case there is a story behind the crime or situation leading up to the crime.
Thankfully society has its defence against these criminals, the men and women who walk the mean streets of the cities and towns, acting as sheepdogs to help ward off the predators that prey on the law abiding citizens.

Of course I'm referring to the various police forces across the nation and the world.
In Calgary we have a population of over 1.1 million souls, and that doesn't include the transients that pass through the city each and every day via flights, visits, working and so forth.
That means there are a great deal more opportunities for the criminals to ply their less than honourable trade.

One particular police officer, a ten plus year veteran of the force in Calgary has taken the time to compile a volume of short stories, all of them based on incidences he has been involved in.
The officer in question hasn't glossed over any of the prose. It is written from his point of view and is harsh, graphic and more often than not heart wrenching. It shows life on the streets and those who have to deal with the criminal element from an unvarnished or glossed over view.
You can't get any more true to life than this.

Personally I would say that this collection of short stories should be required reading for anyone who is thinking of becoming a police officer, because it simply states the kind of things that your average officer will deal with on a day to day basis.

And it isn't pretty.

The stories detail the violence, the stress from not only the criminals that an officer has to deal with, but the stress generated from co-workers and those who serve as administrators and supervisors to the officers.

And the stress and mental trauma that often follows the horrific aftermath of accidents and criminal activities.

The author also states his views, which could often be considered political and very hard. He states his views on things like the need for additional homeless shelters, what's wrong with the justice system, and even issues that come up internally with the police force.

There are those readers who will think that he is very hard and his ideas have no merit. To those who think that, I would strongly recommend that you look deeper into what he is saying and stop seeing the world with blinders on your eyes because what he says rings true. All that is required is that folks need to stop seeing the criminal element as poor and downtrodden and look to the real reasons that they do what they do.

Next time you see a police officer seemingly being harsh on what appears to be a homeless man, stop and think about what kind of criminal record that man might have, what manner of acts of violence he has committed.

And what that person might do to you or your family if given half a chance.

The journey will be quite enlightening.

This book was often difficult to read because of the descriptions but it is well worth getting through. It will really open your eyes to what happens in the darkness, the hidden corners and alleys of the city where the scum of the earth, as well as those who have fallen to the wiles and temptations of chemical addiction lurk, looking for prey or their next fix.

After reading this book the reader should have a new understanding and respect for the men and women who put their lives on the line day after day to keep the wolves from preying on the general populace.

This was a great book for cops! It tells how we really feel and how little respect and appreciation we get from the "sheep" we protect. I wish all citizens would read this before complaining about the police! And maybe it would open eyes to the fact that we need sheepdogs in this world of real wolves and other predators!

The author of this real life, down and dirty book spares no one - not the bad guys he deals with and not the reader. For the first time in my life, a cop that is in the trenches tells it like it is - what he is thinking feeling and doing during combat with the lowest of the low. John Smith pulls no punches. How do real life street cops deal with criminals and crack-heads, politically brainwashed superiors and liberal let-em-go judges yet get up and protect every single day. Read this book and find out.

An extrememly insightful look at police work. Obviously no one edited the book for spelling, but an excellent read nevertheless.

I am an Officer and read this book in Nov. After reading it in a short 10 days I jumped online and ordered 4 more. One for my partner, one for my dispatcher, one for my sister and brother in-law and one for my parents for Christmas gifts. This book is a must read for LEOs and it explains our reasoning and why we react the way that we do and why we find the things funny that we do. I also love On Combat. I believe that both books should be a mandatory read. On Combat should be read before the academy and this one during or after. It puts in words things that I have been at a lost of words when trying to explain things to my family. I also looked at somethings mentioned in this and could see my partner and I getting into instances like this or how we reacted when we did have a case like the ones mentioned. Thank you.