Heroes Often Fail

by Frank Zafiro

Book Overview

The men and women of the River City Police Department are sworn to protect and to serve. But when six-year-old girl is kidnapped off a residential street in broad daylight, each cop must rise to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1544128940
• ISBN13: 9781544128948
• Release Date: February 2017
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent and unusual

In most police procedurals, the protagonist (hero) may stumble, but in the end he or she prevails. Frank Zafiro's world is a more realistic one. His characters are heroic - they put themselves on the line every day on the streets of River City. But like everyone else who does a job day after day, they don't always succeed in what they try to do, either because of their own mistakes or because success simply isn't possible. Zafiro's characters must try to survive their failures in a job where the line between success and failure may also be the line between life and death. In Heroes Often Fail, the suspense builds as the police search for an abducted child. Zafiro kept me turning the pages without resorting to obvious plot devices - suspending my disbelief was never an effort. I cared about the characters throughout. And in the end, few things turned out as I had expected. I can't wait for the next in the series.

HEROES often FAIL

HEROES often FAIL by FRANK ZAFIRO Depending on who you talked to, Officer Stefan Kopriva was a hero. Webster's defines a hero as: a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b: an illustrious warrior c: a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d: one that shows great courage. Jack Stone thinks he's a `code-four cowboy'--a despised member of the force. What is Officer Kopriva? In FRANK ZAFIRO'S latest thriller from River City, we are faced with the premise that heroes seldom fail? Not at all... HEROES often FAIL. The most heinous of crimes is committed. A six year-old girl is kidnapped--and molested. Can she have be rescued in time? Taut and suspenseful, this haunting tale of police procedural accents the critical time-line that police face when frantically searching for an abducted youngster. The failings of police, the wrongful information from witnesses, make HEROES a page-turner that takes you long into the night. The race against time heightens with each new development. HEROES often FAIL will make you a FRANK ZAFIRO fan and send you searching for UNDER A RAGING MOON, the first in the River City series. Awaiting the next surprise this fall is BENEATH A WEEPING SKY--I can hardly wait. Dennis Leppanen Free-lance writer & Reviewer Author of: WHOO??

Absorbing crime drama

Heroes Often Fail could be one of the most authentic police procedurals I've read. The story appears deceptively simple--a six-year old girl snatched from the streets, but as it jumps around between the lives of the detectives and uniformed officers trying to find her, it adds a more layered, sophisticated texture. Written in short chapters and lean, muscular prose, this is an exceptionally satisfying and engrossing read, and a book that would've made Ed McBain proud. --Dave Zeltserman

"Heroes Often Fail" Sears into Readers

The parental nightmares begin, as the often do, under clear skies and the promise of a new day early in the morning. It is March 15, 1995 as six year old girls Kendra and Amy walk to school like they have before and will walk home that afternoon like they have countless times before. That is until the van comes and slides to a stop next to them. They both freeze as a man leaps out of the van. He grabs Amy and Kendra runs knows the man could get her next. Instead, she gets away. The man in black didn't get her but as the hunt begins for Amy, Kendra is filled with guilt. At the River City Police shooting range, Stefan Kopriva is filled with pain as well as guilt. Having barely survived a shootout at the Circle K six months ago, Kopriva remains on light desk duty. Despite being shot three times he survived and now wonders what more he could have done then and when his reputation will return to what it was before the robber known as Scarface rocked River City, Washington. The six months since have been painful. Not only as his body struggles to heal but in the misplaced admiration by some and the misplaced hostility from other members of the small police force who feel he, at best, failed them. Powerful pain medications and a growing romance are the only things keeping him going as he hates the mind numbing routine of desk duty. He wants his old life back and a symbol of that is getting off the restrictions and back on the streets. He gets it but not the way he wants. As news of the possible kidnapping spreads through the department, it becomes a classic all hands on deck situation with every person pressed into service. Kopriva, as well as the other men and women of the River City police force desperately try to find Amy knowing that as the hours and days pass the idea that it is a simple kidnapping for ransom is more and more unlikely. For little Amy, kidnapping is quickly the least of Amy's worries. Much of what happens regarding the child molestation in this well written but disturbing novel happens offstage. As such, scenes and images are created initially with a heavy emphasis on implied actions that are never described to the reader. As such, while not graphic or detailed, the implications and meanings of what is happening to Amy as well as what happens to another child in one of several secondary storylines are very clear and that material may disturb some readers. With that being said, it should also be noted that this is a very good novel. Building on characters and events from the preceding novel "Under A Raging Moon" author Frank Zafiro has created a substantially more complex police procedural with multi layered characters, a rich setting, and plenty of action. It is clear that from a technical aspect this novel is superior in all aspects to his first novel which was very good in its own right. This novel is a step upwards and it is clear that Frank Zafiro is steadily improving his fictional game. It is often said and assumed by m

Predictable - in terms of quality

Whenever I read a short story or novel by Frank Zafiro, I know in advance that I will sound repetitive when I write a review or comment. But folks, it is what it is. Zafiro's writing is so consistent, so predictable...so good. Whether you favor police procedurals, suspense, thrills, emotional pulls, crime or action - Frank Zafiro is a guy you need to read. The beautiful part is this; pick any Zafiro story, any of them and you'll be good to go. If Heroes will be your first, it's a great place to start. As always, his characters are well developed, the dialogue is top notch and you end up caring. You care about the story and the people in it. Always a sign to me that your reading something good. One more thing. I want to be like Zafiro when I grow up - only problem is that I've got him by at least 10 years...oh well - Jim J. Wilsky