“Officers Down” by Eliot Sefrin

Officers Down

Eliot Sefrin
Independently Published (2022)
ISBN: 9781667822372
Reviewed by Jen Oliver-Rigsby for Reader Views (6/2022)

“Officers Down” by Eliot Sefrin introduces readers to Matt Holland and Rachel Cook, two of New York Police Department’s beat officers. Matt has been on the force for 16 years and has been highly awarded for his work and dedication to the people of Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY. Rachel is a rookie who has excelled at her studies before going on the streets. Matt and Rachel are paired together so Rachel can learn from one of the best. One tragic moment changed their lives, along with most of New York City. What truly happened and will Matt, Rachel, and New York City overcome this major incident?

Sefrin did an amazing job crafting a fictional book that reads as true crime story. This reader even went so far as to research about whether any such incident occurred because of how well this novel was written. There are notes that this story was based on several similar incidents in Brooklyn and other cities. Each character plays their role and is well developed throughout the book. Sefrin allows each character to go through their own arc and readers are able to see all sides of each character and how they deal with tragedy and forgiveness.

Emotions will be raised. “Officers Down,” even though it takes place in 1976, could sadly still be true for today’s American society. Hard subjects like cops killing innocent civilians, racism, and gender discrimination are all brought up and handled in such a good way that it is hard to describe. Readers will feel for each side of the tragic moment; the citizens of New York City are not able to really find someone to blame even if they feel like cops are protected individuals, and that there have been too many incidents of racial profiling among police officers.

“Officers Down” is one of those books where you do not want it to end but want to hurry up and get to the end of the story. Forgiveness is a major topic-both others forgiving each other and individuals forgiving themselves. This reader would definitely recommend “Officers Down” by Eliot Sefrin. Well done.