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Robert E. Yantorno, Jr. is a police sergeant with the
Narberth Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania). In 1980, after his military service, Robert Yantorno
began his law enforcement career. His law enforcement career was briefly interrupted between 1983 and 1985
when he fought as a professional boxer. He is a motor officer, currently assigned as a patrol sergeant.
Robert E. Yantorno, Jr. is the author of Brutal Mercies and Tabulations in Blue.
According
to his book, Brutal Mercies, explores “the secretive world of the police force and the intimate
relationships that lie beneath are exposed as the reader finds themselves entrenched in a world of fear, pain, pride and despair.”
One reader of Brutal Mercies
said, “A fast-paced, exciting and realistic look at a cop's view of the world. The main story revolves around the
actions of and search for a demented killer, responsible for some grisly murders. But some of the best parts of the book explore
the characters of two very different cops, one a middle-aged veteran who's seen it all, the other a female, Vietnamese-American
rookie, dealing with prejudice from her fellow cops and opposition from her family over her chosen career. Unwilling partners,
they respond to situations ranging from bizarre to comical to deadly. One criticism I would have is that sometimes the reader
can becomes lost in the details, jargon, and large number of minor characters, also, some of the violence is very graphic.
It is a raw perspective on a cop's world, with gore and humor closely intertwined.”
Another reader of Brutal Mercies said, “Though
Brutal Mercies unfolds slowly, and at times unevenly, it sustains credible depictions of police work, life on the street,
and the investigative process. There are no cookie cutter characters here, no formulaic story techniques. Instead, Yantorno,
himself a police officer, fuels this tale with authentic dialogue, personalities and incidences. The cops are gritty but dedicated,
jaded but focused. Characters taken from society's fringes are covered from varied perspectives, and as a result, evoke
reader empathy in unexpected places. Even elements of the mundane, which are seldom captured in crime novels, are executed
skillfully, believably, as if one were sitting quietly in the backseat of a patrol car just listening and observing the goings
on.
This book embraces the darkest and
most disturbing aspects of human nature. Still, it is not without its subtle humor and/or self-deprecating jabs at authority.
If you're a true follower of crime stories, lover of all things investigative, a police procedural
junkie, this book should be on your shelf.”
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