Green Sun

Tough ex-soldier, turned cop despite English lit degree because nothing else seemed to work is central figure in this well written novel. His colleagues are suspicious of his learning and attitude: he's more tolerant than most and looking to damp down trouble rather than stir it up. Black people are possibly okay just like white people are. The assumption of racism and intolerance in the police is assumed, and seems to hold up from comments in press. Hanson, the cop, makes friends of young and old in Oakland where he is based, but this includes. Unknown to him at start, one of the biggest drug dealers of the area and people are dying because of him. His fellows wonder if Hanson is getting too close to dealer Felix, dominating region, but it's more that & teaching for criminal activity in order to arrest the guy. Hanson's performance in CA double edged when he commits a rather momentous act seeking to save Felix, so reprisals are not long coming. The love of a good women, and an encounter with a prophetic blind man turns the alliance with Felixbad, and he starts killing . A cop under duress ... very authentic although sometimes goody two shoes act sticks in my craw.