A HATE CRIME IN BROOKLYN Book Review

By redandbluedave on September 5, 2024

Info

Written By: David G Secular.

Published By: Central Park South Publishing.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a physical copy of the book for the purpose of this review, also thanks to Random Things Blog Tour for adding me to the tour.

Overview

When Sofia Hushemi, a sheltered Albanian immigrant, carelessly collides with Sylvester
Stanley on her way home from Prospect Park, both escape injury. But upon discovering the
loss of a precious ring, gifted to her by her brother-in-law, Victor, the feared kingpin of the
Albanian Mafia, she frantically presumes Stanley, a black man, was not a jogger, but a culprit.

Hours after the ring is lost, Sylvester is attacked in broad daylight by Victor's henchmen but it
is Sofia, not Victor, who faces life behind bars for allegedly ordering the attack. The trial is a
roller coaster of surprises, penned by an author intimately familiar with the courtroom. Can
Sofia escape conviction for the racially motivated crime which has polarized New York?

Gripping, thought-provoking and moving, A Hate Crime in Brooklyn, is much more than a
story of yet another presumptuous attempt to kill a Black man solely because of the color of his skin. It is a tale of understanding and forgiveness for our troubled times and anunforgettable love story evolves which will mesmerize and delight readers of all ages.

Overview taken from the official book press release.

Review

Here is the Review for A Hate Crime in Brooklyn a slightly different spin on the usual thriller I go for but the story content pulled me in with the blurb putting it as "gripping, thought-provoking and moving" that definitely means I need to get into this.

The book starts at a slow pace as it begins to build the story setting the strong foundations that allow the characters and storyline to evolve, starting off which at first glance seems a slightly minor incident but it's that incident that causes a ripple effect that dramatically changes the lives of both Sofia and Sylvester, for what Sylvester doesn't know is Sofia's brother in law Victor is the head of the feared Albanian Mafia and after it comes to light that a ring that was gifted to Sofia has gone missing after the incident Sylvester's life is about to turn dark.

In a story that deals with a hotbed of issues and deals with them well especially the racially motivated attack on Sylvester which many will find relevant to what unfortunately happens all too often in reality. A tale of how a small incident can completely change your life in the most unexpected way.

For a debut novel I was impressed with how David G Secular has written this book which could have easily been handled completely differently but with the knowledge and humility that David has written with took this book to the next level.

Summary

Time now then for me to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I enjoyed the experience of reading this book, it kind of surprised me as I thought it would be a story of immigration and hate towards them (which to be fair has been told alot) but the story was completely different to that a gave me a more diverse read that dealt with modern issues that made the book relevant. If you like thrillers then I'd definitely recommend this it is a little different but in a good way.

Verdict-Out of 5 ⭐

⭐⭐⭐⭐

GOOD

I give A Hate Crime in Brooklyn a good score of 4 ⭐, a good overall look at modern mixed cultures and also dealing with modern issues people come across unfortunately all too often. Definitely a recommendation.

Note on The Author

Born in Brooklyn, David Secular grew up in New Rochelle, New York with parents who made

sure he kept his feet firmly on the ground and pursued a law degree instead of chasing a

basketball. A dual citizen of both the US and UK, David has attended the London School of

Economics and is a graduate of NYU Law School.

David has spent his career as a criminal defense attorney and legal writer and has argued and

tried cases in federal courts throughout the United States and in the state courts of New

York. He has appeared and prepared appellate briefs heard before the United States

Supreme Court. He has crossed paths and been involved in countless notable cases with

legendary counsel such as William Kunstler and presided over by renown jurists such as Jack

Weinstein.

A Hate Crime in Brooklyn is the realization of a life-long dream to expand his horizons and

turn his writing talents towards fiction and stories which reflect his experiences and the

unforgettable people he has been privileged to meet through his career.

He is married with three remarkable adult children and currently lives in New York City where

he still practices at Brooklyn Defender Services.