Andrew G. Nelson

Author, Content Creator and Researcher

Springfield, Illinois

Member Since:
April 2019

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> 2 weeks ago

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About Andrew

Have you ever met a writer who didn’t like to write? Well, not all writing, just bios.

For me, the hardest part is trying to figure out how to encapsulate the experiences I earned in over two decades in law enforcement, including twenty years with the nation’s largest department, the NYPD, into a short blurb.

In my youth I was a voracious reader, seeking out literary heroes from a multitude of genres. I got lost among the fremen in Frank Herbert’s Dune and walked the gritty streets of Los Angeles alongside Joseph Wambaugh’s New Centurions, but as an adult, I traded in those fictional heroes’ to work side-by-side with real life ones and I lost track of all the laughter and tears we shed.

From the deadly streets of Brooklyn North to the politically ruthless hallways of 1 Police Plaza I have lived it all. Along the way I was fortunate enough to serve in the Department’s elite Intelligence Division where I provided personal protection for foreign dignitaries, presidents and the Pope. On September 11th, 2001, I saw the absolute worse that humanity had to offer, but I was also a witness to the very best humanity that she had to offer as well.

It is from this well, of real-world experiences, that I draw upon to craft tales that whisk the reader away to new worlds and new adventures. As they say, Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth. In addition to my fictional works, I have also written several non-fiction ones.

I'm a native New Yorker, but I live in the Midwest now. I find it charming how they wave with 'all' their fingers out here. When I start to get homesick, I head up to Chicago (NYC-Lite) for a quick dose of verbal abuse and mild traffic jams.

Unique traits: I can usually find fault with any NYPD themed television show or movie within 15 minutes...... No, seriously, I can. One word of advice: Detectives do not tell sergeants what to do. Call me, we'll do lunch. Oh and I'm good with guns.

Gender:
Male

Height:
6' 2"

Weight:
225

Body type:
Athletic

Hair:
Bald

Hair color:
Other

Eyes:
Blue

Ethnicity:
Caucasian

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NYPD Cold Case: The Rosary Bead Murders (2018)
Print Author In 1990, a nineteen-year-old girl became the first victim of the Rosary Bead Killer, who terrorized the city for five years until the murder of a nun gave detectives the break they needed. The arrest of Father Dougal Stewart came as a shock to those who knew him, but the DNA was all the prosecutor needed to send him away to prison, and the murders ended. Until now. When the body of a woman is found in a Brooklyn Park, clutching a pair of the killer's trademark rosary beads, NYPD Detective Angelo Antonucci is tasked with taking a closer look into the murder. Is there a copycat killer loose in the city or has the fallen priest returned to once again prey upon the innocent?
Where Was God? (2018)
Print Author September 11th, 2001 - It was a morning just like any other, but it would soon turn into a national tragedy; leaving many to ponder the question: “Where Was God?” Some have asked it in earnest, while others have asked it derisively, but regardless of the intent it is a question that I truly believe deserves to be answered. As an NYPD first responder, it was certainly one that I personally wrestled with in the aftermath of that horrific day. I mean, if God really loves us, than how could he have allowed something so horrific to have happened? I decided to use my experience, as a former detective and examine this question. What started out as a search to find an answer, as to where God was on 9/11, soon turned into an investigation to establish if God exists.
Brooklyn Bounce (2017)
Print Author For most cops, nightmares were just another unfortunate aspect of police work and Alex Taylor was no different. After a lifetime in law enforcement, she thought she had seen them all: The cold-hearted perpetrators, the horrific, blood-chilling crimes, the innocent victims. All that was supposed to have changed when she left the mean streets of Brooklyn and moved up to the tranquil, wooded mountains of New Hampshire, but now the unnerving nightly visions, of the one she couldn’t save, are pushing her to the brink of a nervous breakdown. As Alex struggles to find some mental relief, she is suddenly thrust into a life or death encounter that quickly spirals out of control. In the aftermath, she finds herself in the unenviable position of being Monday morning quarterbacked by investigators and even begins to wonder if she can truly rely on own memories. As she tries to pick up the pieces, Alex is unaware that the real nightmare has only just begun.
Knight Fall (2016)
(Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery and 1 More) Author It’s Christmas in the Big Apple. While the city is adorned with decorations and festive lights, something much more sinister is lurking in the shadows. It has been nearly a year since James Maguire and Rich Stargold took the reins of the New York City Police Department. During that time they have had to deal with a series of events, including racial discord and the threat of terrorism, which threatened to tear apart the very heart of the city. Now, as the year comes to a close, they are both ready to end it on a high note, but just as James proposes to Melody, the joyous moment is shattered when someone targets a high ranking member of the NYPD. Now it is up to the two men to figure out who the killer is before they strike again.
Bishop's Gate (2015)
Print (Action, Crime, Mystery and Thriller) Author In the aftermath of a horrific terrorist attack, NYPD 1st Dep. Commissioner, James Maguire, must pull together the pieces of his personal life, even as racial tensions in New York City threaten to boil over, putting at risk the fledgling administration of his friend, Police Commissioner Rich Stargold. As the investigation hits road blocks at each turn, Maguire begins to connect together the disparate strands of information, watching as a spider’s web of lies, espionage, and terrorism begin to emerge. Does the path lead to the Middle East, or is a more sinister plot unfolding in the Nation’s Capital? Will Maguire be able to put the clues together in time to stop an international incident from occurring, or will the country be thrust into the middle of a crisis that could launch World War III? The clock is ticking.
Little Boy Lost (2015)
Print Author What should have been a weekend filled with fun and laughter has turned into a nightmare for one suburban mother. When Cory Childers, the young son of a beloved teacher, goes missing from the annual Founder’s Day celebration, Chief Alex Taylor must scramble her police force to quickly track down the child. But with each passing hour, the mystery deepens. Soon she finds herself on the hunt for the boy’s father, a bitter divorcee who is more intent on causing his ex as much pain as possible, then he is in helping her find his missing son. Now the former NYPD officer must use all the wits she honed, on the mean streets of New York City, to track down the boy in time; a twisted trail that will take her far away from the idyllic town of Penobscott, New Hampshire.
NYPD Cold Case: The Katherine White Murder (2015)
Print Author In 2004, Katherine White was murdered by a serial killer, dubbed the 'Manhattan Ripper,' who targeted prostitutes, and the case was closed. But the woman's politically connected father has never accepted that his daughter was a prostitute and now he has asked his friend, the new mayor, to re-open the investigation. When Detective Angelo Antonucci, of the NYPD's Cold Case Squad, is tasked with looking into it, he finds that all the clues point toward the original findings. Soon Antonucci realizes that unless he finds new evidence to clear the woman's name, it just might be his career that goes cold.
Uncommon Valor: Insignia of the NYPD ESU (2015)
Print Author The New York City Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit is one of the world’s preeminent tactical and rescue units. Their ten squads, positioned throughout the five boroughs of New York City, provide heavy weapons support to other units of the NYPD, as well as lifesaving equipment to the residents of the ‘Big Apple’. The nearly 500 members of this elite unit are some of the most highly decorated members of the Department. As a result, their insignia has been long sought after by fellow operators and collectors around the globe. In this book, the author reveals the insignia of ESU and the history behind it. From the unit’s first patch, created in the late 1920’s, to some of the rarest ‘Truck’ patches, produced in the 80’s. It also explores the history of the NYC Housing and Transit Police, Emergency Rescue Unit’s, which were merged into the NYPD ESU in the mid 90’s. With over 200 color photographs, Uncommon Valor – Insignia of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit, provides the most comprehensive examination of this unit’s insignia ever conducted.
Queen's Gambit (2014)
Print Author In the six months since they had first battled, former detective James Maguire had spent countless hours traversing the country, chasing down leads and sightings of the elusive killer, only to watch them slip away at the very last moment. For Maguire, and the state police task force charged with capturing the man, it was as if he had never even existed. Now Maguire’s old friend, U.S. Secret Service Agent Richard Stargold, has just been appointed as the new NYPD police commissioner and is offering James the opportunity to once again return to the department he loves. While the specter of the killer remains ever present, now an even greater danger looms just ahead on the horizon; a threat which will put even more lives at risk. In a game driven by revenge, how much will be sacrificed to win? The clock is ticking.
Small Town Secrets (2014)
Print (Crime, Mystery and Thriller) Author Alex Taylor watched as the bottle eagerly consumed both a career and a chance at love. Now the former New York City Police sergeant has a shot at redemption in the idyllic small town of Penobscot, New Hampshire. When the body of a young woman is discovered floating in the lake, the clues lead Alex down an investigative path which threatens to rip the façade off the sleepy little town, and expose its seedier side. Alex soon finds that murder might be an option to protect small town secrets.
Perfect Pawn (2013)
Print Author From fighting in war torn countries, to the crime-riddled streets of Brooklyn north, former Navy SEAL, and recently retired NYPD detective, James Maguire thought he had seen it all. Now, after a career of sacrifices, he was finally putting the pieces of his life back together. He had started a new career, running his own security threat-assessment firm, and was quite content with his bachelor life, or so he thought. Then he met an alluring businesswoman from Long Island's posh enclave of Southampton. It looked like things were changing in a way he had not thought possible; at least until the morning news reported that his former high school flame had gone missing from a one car accident, in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York. Arriving back in his old hometown, to join in the search, Maguire must not only come to terms with the past he left behind, but the fact that no one seems interested in pursuing the woman’s disappearance; especially her husband who is now the sheriff. As he struggles to piece the clues together, he is drawn deeper into a deadly game where people are as expendable as pawns on a chess board and the only goal is to take down the king; a crown that Maguire unwittingly wears.