Beyond Cops and Robbers

Beyond Cops and Robbers is the first book in a trilogy called “How the West Was Lost,” by Derrick S. McCluskey. The trilogy is a philosophical mockumentry of life, in that it is composed of gritty real-life storytelling with existential overtones. Beyond Cops and Robbers is homage to Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Beyond Good and Evil.” McCluskey, begins the work with a question of, “What is right? What is wrong?” This preamble launches the story as we meet the protagonist Eric McCarthy in a bar talking to his mentor about the futility of life, specifically the life of a cop.
Many of the characters in the novel are quite relatable to the times we live in. Two main characters are a Priest and a Politician. They have the typical dichotomy of a public and private persona and are quite manipulative as they vie for control over the populace of Springfield, Massachusetts. It is apparent that the author is making a commentary on them as the priest has the acronym “R.A.T.” for the Reverend Anfernie Thompson. The politician’s name is Joey Nada, nada being Spanish translation for “nothing.” While it is obvious that these personas are contemptible, they are merely exposed as what we accept for spiritual and political leaders today with no narrative commentary.
The plot of the story chronicles the life of a mid-career cop who has become disenfranchised with not only his job, but also his life. This main character represents the classic mid-life crisis persona searching for answers. As the character, Eric McCarthy, tries to balance his home-life and career the city he works in is under siege. Inexplicitly, parts of the community considered to be the dregs of society are systematically being erased through mass homicides. McCarthy; however, is not really a classic hero trying to save the day as much as he is just a human being trying to save himself. While a dark satire, it is hard not to become intoxicated with the lucidity of McCluskey’s world.
Stirring the pot is a character seldom mentioned and referred to as The Admiral. As the eyes peering out of the clouds (on the book’s cover) suggest, The Admiral seems to be omnipotent. It is this character called The Admiral that takes responsibility and acts out on what he believes is a viable solution to a societal cancer. It is left to the readers to figure out their own lines of good and evil, right and wrong, perhaps going beyond what once was.
The book is a fast-paced entry into independent thought. It highlights how the masses are manipulated through their own apathy. This first work of Sound Bite Fiction is meant to replace the pillows and remotes with introspective thought and personal action.

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