The Squad Room

Book excerpt: There have been countless crime dramas written about murder mysteries, but none written by two actual Police Chiefs. Co-Written by retired NYPD Deputy Chief John Cutter and retired City of Stamford Chief of Police Bob Nivakoff, The Squad Room touches on the real-life experiences of Chief Cutter and Chief Nivakoff, through the lens of fiction. The Squad Room tells the tale of NYPD Captain William “Bill” Morrison’s hunt to track down a ferocious serial killer and sexual predator that is terrorizing New York City. Morrison is a world-class investigator, a “Cop’s Cop,” with the respect of his peers, but his personal life is in disarray. His son, also a NYPD Officer, is dead, gunned down in the line of duty, leaving Bill a haunted shell of a man. His second marriage is in shambles as his only true loves are his children and “the job.” Morose, Morrison finds solace in an extra-marital affair, alcohol and the members of his Detective Squad, the men and women in blue that constitute his second family. You may believe you know what evil looks like, but The Squad Room shows you that the face of unspeakable horror can come in many forms. Morrison and his team are racing against time to identify and bring the murderer to justice. Meanwhile, his Detective Squad runs up against villains inside the system: a Chief and a Detective who got where they are by political maneuvering, rather than skill and merit. Cutter and Nivakoff don’t hold back—The Squad Room gives you a genuine insider’s view into the NYPD and the triumphs and tribulations that Police officers experience on a regular basis and the toll that policing takes on the mental and physical health of police officers and their families.