Former East Orange detective pens his first mystery story
East Orange writer William Bland has published a mystery story, "Crosscurrents," which has been flavored by his experiences. Born and raised in Newark (N.J.) where he attended public schools, Bland returned to the city after graduating college. He soon became an Essex County probation officer, a position he held for 13 years. He later moved to Irvington and then East Orange after joining the city's police department. During his 21 years with the EOPD, he was a patrolman and detective before retiring as a sergeant. His experiences in law enforcement and the urban settings of Newark, Irvington and East Orange add a sense of realism to his dialogue, settings and police procedures.
The book begins with a murder. It's night, and the body of a man, an important man with a somewhat mysterious background, is found lying dead near his expensive car on a deserted street in a bad part of town. As the police begin their investigation, his girlfriend, Amanda, an endearing character to whom the reader is immediately drawn, tries to cope with her grief and put her life back in order. Her boyfriend had been so central to her life that his death has left her without direction or hope.
Bland takes the reader through several parallel and frequently intersecting sub stories. The girlfriend struggles to find herself, and is pushed and pulled in various directions by friends, family and circumstances. Meanwhile, the detectives assemble clues, and question suspects and acquaintances of the victim as they try to piece together what happened that night. There's plenty of good dialogue, all presented in a down-to-earth style, and the police atmosphere and urban street life are realistically portrayed.
One of the major themes in the book is that there are many different ways that an individual can handle a problem, not all of them good. The reader is given several examples, which are illustrated by the decisions and actions of the characters. The author clearly encourages strong family values, and the reader is shown how family and work can mesh together in a rewarding, healthy balance.
Drugs and their influence on our lives play a major role in the story, and the author spends a considerable number of chapters addressing that issue. Given that Bland has 34 years in law enforcement, we can imagine that he has seen much of what drugs can do to a person. He appears to have thought deeply about how someone can overcome a dependency on drugs, and he sets forth his thoughts in a way that is understandable and nonjudgmental. He also presents outside opinion with which he seems to agree. We can imagine that some readers might want Bland to tone down the focus on drug rehabilitation and get back to the detectives and their hunt for the killer, but since the author is so knowledgeable on drug dependency, we're sure there are other people who will re-read those sections of the book several times to fully absorb all he is saying.
"Crosscurrents" is well written, the sentences are clear and concise. The plot is well crafted and moves right along. There are no surplus characters hanging around in the background to muddy the action and cause you to think "Now, which character is this?" The author guides you through his world with a firm yet gentle hand.
