CurbChek by Zach Fortier

Title:  CurbChek

Author:  Zach Fortier

Genre:  Crime Fiction - Based on real events

Publisher:  Zach Fortier (Self Published)

Publication Date:  30th August 2011

ISBN:  9781466231979

Stand alone or series:   Stand Alone

Pages:  231 pages

Book Received from: Zach Fortier (Author 

First Lines:  The population is up to three-quarter million, but it's still a place where it's fairly easy to spot something out of place.

Synopsis:
Curbchek is the story of a damaged cop, Zach Fortier. Fortier worked in the police department for the city where he grew up. One foot in the world of the cops, courts and legal system. The other in the world of gangs, drugs, thugs and street violence. Where the laws and rules are made by the strongest, the schemers and the most brutal. Read about the transformation of Fortier from a green rookie to a damaged paranoid veteran seeing danger in every situation. Follow along as he walks this tight rope. Trying to make difference, breaking the laws he promised to enforce. This is a story of law and order uncensored.

My Thoughts:
While this is listed as fiction since the names of characters have changed it still reads as a non fiction.  Each chapter is broken up into different stories, some quite funny, others to put it simply, are quite horrifying.

I found that this is one of those books that, once you pick it up, it's quite hard to put down.  I started reading this at work on my lunch break and even though my lunch break had finished I was still trying to sneak in another chapter just to find out how Zach would cope in another "cop" situation.

I'll admit right now.  After reading this, I had glanced to see what other people's reactions were to this book.  There were such positive reviews but there were also others that thought the cop humour and some brutality in this was too much or that it had gone on too far.  Fair enough if that's what you think.  BUT, I can honestly say that what I read was right out in the open.  There were no spots where it seemed he was hiding or painting himself in a better light.  It was straight forward and laid out there. (Although a few jokes were a little much)  Given the circumstances of the situation and coping mechanisms I really could see the choices being played out in each.  I mean come on, what would you do?  How would you deal with that if you were thrown into any number of scenarios.  People react the best they can.

There were chapters I laughed out loud to, others where my jaw hung open in shock.  It's horrifying to think that this sort of thing happens in real life.  How could you not come out of this "damaged"?

CurbChek isn't for everyone.  There are some scenes that are quite disturbing, there's heaps of swearing (which I seemed to be accustomed to LOL just saying, since it didn't bother me)but there are also scenes where you think, wow.  CurbChek shows law and order as it is from the inside.