Mel Ladner
Synopsis: In the heart of one of the most chaotic years in American history, one timid young man is thrust into violence, heroism, and legend before he even learns how to use his badge.Marvin Levey has always played it safe. Raised in a tight-knit Jewish family in Brooklyn, he is a math whiz, a mama’s boy, and a dreamer who lives vicariously through detective novels. But everything changes when he makes an impulsive decision to join the NYPD, craving purpose, independence, and a way out of his family’s shoebox empire.Then history intervenes.On April 4, 1968, the night before his first full day as a New York City police officer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Riots erupt across the country. In a desperate move, the NYPD deploys untrained recruits to help control the chaos. Marvin is thrown into the fire, unarmed and unprepared. While riding the subway home, Marvin stumbles upon a brutal mugging. Ten gang members are savagely attacking a banker. Before he can act, a group of construction workers leap into the fray, pummeling the assailants with tools and raw strength. When the dust settles, the vigilantes vanish, and Marvin, dazed and bewildered, is the only one left standing. Fearing ridicule and eager to prove himself, Marvin does not correct the misunderstanding. The media dubs him 'Super Jew,' and the NYPD embraces him as the rookie hero who single-handedly subdued ten violent criminals. He becomes an overnight sensation, and the legend begins. What follows is a whirlwind transformation. Marvin is quickly promoted to leadership within his rookie class and hailed as a symbol of hope in a city on the edge. But beneath the acclaim lies a secret he is terrified to reveal. As the riots intensify and the weight of expectation bears down, Marvin must confront the truth. Can he live up to the myth that has overtaken his reality, or will the truth destroy the only thing he has ever been proud of?Rookie Cop: The Good Old Days 1968 is more than just a police story. It is a riveting and often hilarious tale of transformation, legacy, and truth under pressure. A modern classic in the making, this novel is as relevant today as the day it began.
