Brown Sugar in Minnesota: Volume 1 (Cooper Smith) Paperback – 11 May 2016

Brown Sugar in Minnesota has all the action of a thriller without it being too gruesome. Joe Field created a reporter who is struggling to find his “big story” to secure his job and ended up fighting for his life. Cooper Smith is preparing to marry when he hears about a new drug hitting the Minnesota Reservations, Brown Sugar. Itching to get a drop on the story Cooper contacts friends and family members to could get him more information. During this time he draws attention to himself and unknowingly to a friend who gets killed by the drug dealers.Cooper has to work with the DEA to help bring the drug ring down and for his own protection. And he gets his story and job security. I have really enjoyed this novel and looking forward to another Cooper Smith thriller, Black Gold in North Dakota.

Drugs can be hazardous to your health in more ways than one. If you’re not convinced, then give the thriller, Brown Sugar in Minnesota, a read. The author, Joe Field, spins an interesting tale about the deadly drug trade in Minnesota, of all places.Cooper Smith is a news reporter with the Minnesota Public Radio who’s more concerned with keeping his job than becoming a hero news reporter. With his company’s motto of “last one in, first one out” looming over his head, he needs a compelling story that’ll help him keep his job. Of course, coming from a law enforcement family, it doesn’t take long for his brother, Jesse, a deputy sheriff, to mention a drug problem that soon has Cooper’s Spidey senses in high gear. He soon learns from a friend that a pure form of heroin called Brown Sugar has hit the street and Cooper’s soon on the trail of multiple murders and some very nasty drug runners in the form of Smokey and his crew.Brown Sugar in Minnesota has plenty of action and good writing to keep a reader quickly turning the pages. The author is knowledgeable about his subject matter and the chosen locale of Minnesota also provides an interesting and more unusual setting than the typical Los Angeles, Miami or Arizona drug dealer zones favored by many other writers. Field’s prose is crisp and action-drives which makes for a good, solid read.

A very good story!A new group of drug dealers is taking over in the Indian Reservations in northern Minnesota, and this means that old leaders must “leave” the place. Murders follow and a new drug, the “brown sugar”, makes his way on the market.Young reporter Cooper Smith follows the story, and by doing this he puts himself in the middle of a dangerous war in the world of drug dealers. As he needs a good story to save his job, he digs deep into this dirty environment, and one part that I appreciate a lot is when he goes to Plymouth Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Center to meet a group of people who were fighting a heroin addiction. Young people, coming from different environments, being trapped into the darkness of this addictions. It’s not a new subject, I know, but it’s very important that this life stories of some less fortunate people, come to our knowledge, because it’s never too much information to help prevent such sad life turns.Joe Field is doing a great job with his debut novel. He has a very good story, one that presents a common problem in our society these days, and the characters are very entertaining. It was a great read and I enjoyed it a lot!

Set in Minnesota and written by an obvious native of the state, the novel features a journalist who aims to break a major story and earn a place on the investigative team. The author's knowledge of the region in which the novel is set adds to the story. The novel is fast paced and a quick, enjoyable read. The author focuses on the drug problem on the Indian Reservations in the state, and has believable characters. The action occurs throughout the novel and is suspenseful and entertaining. It is refreshing to read a story peopled with characters who do not bed hop. No sex scenes in this novel, just relationships; we are introduced to the protagonist's extended family and his fiancee, and expect to get to know them in subsequent novels, as this appears to be the first of a series. I look forward to reading the next story featuring journalist Cooper Smith.

With his job on the line and pending marriage, newspow reporter Cooper Smith of Minnesota Public Radio needs a story fast. However, not wanting just a good story, but something that could launch him into investigating reporting, he sets his sights on the massive drug problem up north and the powerful heroin Brown Sugar. Just starting to ask questions he talks to an old fraternity brother and repeat drug offender Ricky Johnson only to find out Ricky was found dead the next day with two bullets in his chest. This story has now turned personal. Having his cop brother check on some nicknames Ricky gave him triggers a visit from the DEA. Cooper now knows he’s onto something big and he can’t turn back…Field gives his readers not only a powerful, exciting thriller full of suspense and surprises, but also an extremely realistic narrative of Mexican cartel and drug lords running heroin through the Indian reservations. Every character has a backstory and Field’s attention to detail creates an amazing writing style that weaves between Cooper’s story and the men of the drug ring providing indepth characters with a thought-provoking story. I was captivated by Cooper’s willingness to face danger head on as he pursues the truth, making him a remarkable character to continue to watch. With this being book one I wonder what dangers lay ahead and is there possibly a secret side to Cooper’s bride Soojin with the martial arts and political activism. Time will tell, as I can’t wait for book two of this tantalizing thriller.

Brown Sugar in Minnesota, Mesabi Range Publishing, Cooper Smith Book 1, a thriller in e-book format by Joe Field.Plot/Characters: Cooper Smith is a new reporter with Minnesota Public Radio, and since he is the last one hired in a business where ‘last in is first out’ his position is a bit precarious. Rumor has it that there may be a ‘downsizing’. He needs a story that will project him into a position demonstrating his investigative reporting ability. He is engaged and soon to be married to Soojin Kim, a lovely Korean whose father, an engineer with 3M, had immigrated several years previously. Interestingly, she also is a martial arts expert and a worker on the governor’s staff. All of his immediate family consists of members who are/were in some part of law enforcement; father retired after 30 years in Duluth PD; older brothers, Joe Jr. a MN trooper; Thomas Border Patrol in Thunder Bay; then Jesse a deputy sheriff in Bemidji, Travis a police officer in Superior WI; sister Jill enrolled in university studying criminology. Jesse mentions a drug problem up north and Coop sees the needed possible block-buster story to impress Anderson, his boss. He contacts an old school buddy Johnson who has been involved and incarcerated for drug dealings, but at present is free and working a Pizza place in the troubled area. He is told that a particularly pure form called Brown Sugar is being dealt in the area and his buddy admits he is involved as a minor distributor. He receives a sample package for reference and leaves his card with instructions to call if there is anything he might need. He gets home, asks his brother to find out what he can about a name, Tyrone Carter, aka. Smokey, he had received from his buddy. That evening the news breaks that Johnson has been murdered. He also receives a call from his brother that the DEA was all over him about his enquiry and Coop would be hearing from them soon. He hangs up the phone and almost immediately the DEA agents appear at his door. In looking for his card to give to the agents he drops the packet of ‘Brown Sugar’ thus placing himself and his story under the complete control of the agents. From these opening maneuvers and others introducing some of the unsavory characters including Smokey’s henchmen, Jimmy, Marcus and Tank (a huge killer), the Indian Jason Red Eagle and ‘Captain’ the Mexican drug cartel representative, the plot progresses as Agents Souza and Lindberg pursue the criminals with Cooper’s involvement while attempting to produce the newsworthy story that will elevate his position as an investigative reporter.Discussion: This is the first of a series of thrillers that is to be provided by an apparently multitalented native Minnesotan, and as such is commendable. The plot is good and replete with definitely pertinent characters and interesting settings. The pace is good and the action appropriate. However, attention to a number of small details would greatly enhance the story at least for this reader. The protagonist, except for being such, and providing the reason for the plot, really provides a minimal addition to the story. Most action is provided by the other characters and an ex- Special Forces friend. The story as a whole is quite short, plot ‘abbreviated’ and, at least for this reader, a bit disappointing in that with the emphasis on Soojin’s martial arts ability, some participation by her on some level was expected.Conclusion: A most commendable first novel, with a number of disappointing features that no doubt will be eliminated in following stories of the series.