Cops and Writers Podcast Patrick O'Donnell

Today on the show we are going to blend true crime and fiction with Ken Humphrey who was the jury foreman for the longest trial in Wisconsin history (lucky him) who eventually turned his experience into a novel, The Breakfast Jury, that blends fact and fiction during this extraordinary event. Ken Humphrey is the author of nine novels, consisting of a middle grade trilogy, a pair of teen books, a thriller trilogy titled The Killing Arc and now The Breakfast Jury. This latest novel arose f...

Welcome back to the conclusion of my interview with Eric Reynolds. Eric Reynolds, a former Boynton Beach Florida Police Officer turned health advocate, shares a story of transformation and resilience. He is the son of June Hawkins, a retired Miami-Dade Homicide Sgt. and step-son of Sgt Al Singleton who were both featured in the Netflix series Griselda. Eric's journey took an unexpected turn when he discovered through DNA his half-brother, Dave Stull a fellow police officer in Florida. Da...

Today, we are speaking with Patrick O’Donnell. Patrick O’Donnell is a retired police sergeant with 25 years experience with the city of Milwaukee Police Department. During his police career he worked exclusively on the street in patrol, and he participated and supervised different special units (anti-gang unit, licensed premise unit, violent crime task force, and armed robbery unit). He is now the author of nine books, including the police procedurals Cops and Writers reference guides. His la...

Today on the show we are going on the road. Well, actually, we’re interviewing someone who is living on the road with his wife and children, Eric Reynolds. Eric Reynolds, a former Boynton Beach Florida Police Officer turned health advocate, shares a story of transformation and resilience. He is the son of June Hawkins, a retired Miami-Dade Homicide Sgt. and step-son of Sgt Al Singleton who were both featured in the Netflix series Griselda. Eric's journey took an unexpected turn when he d...

If you’re like me, you are a sucker for 80’s T.V. and pop culture. One of the biggest and most influential shows back then was Miami Vice. Not the God-awful movie, the T.V. show. Well, on the show today I have the real Miami Vice with a detective who was an undercover detective in the hay day of cocaine trafficking and violence in the Miami area, Michael Hearns! Michael Hearns is a Miami native and a former 27-year veteran South Florida police officer and detective. He spent a decade of ...

Today’s show is for you crime writers, or those who are curious about how a good crime novel is crafted. On today’s show I will be chatting with the acclaimed crime-writing trio of Deborah Levison, T. M. Dunn, and Wendy Whitman, whose topics range from serial killers to domestic violence. Deborah Levison is an author and publicist. Her first book, an acclaimed nonfiction called THE CRATE, is a true crime with echoes of the Holocaust, which reviewers called it “gorgeous and poetic,” “hear...