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A Reflection on My Life
Looking for Trouble is a vivid, unfiltered look at police work, city life, and the long road a person walks to find purpose, starting with your childhood in Baltimore and continuing through your career in law enforcement. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was essential to write this book for several reasons. I wanted to leave a written account of my life for children and the rest of my family, so they could see what my life and upbringing were like and be inspired to accomplish their dreams when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I also wanted to provide a voice for crime victims so the world could see the impact of crime on their quality of life. I wanted to show the world the trials, tribulations, and triumphs that police officers experience while working in the line of duty. Lastly, I wanted to provide an ethical blueprint to guide police officers and managers facing enormous challenges.
How did you balance the need to be honest and authentic with the need to protect your privacy and that of others in your memoir?
One way I balanced this was by changing the names and physical descriptions of some characters. I provided a disclaimer at the beginning of the book to help accomplish that goal. Honesty and authenticity were fundamental to me. I wanted my readers to realize that police officers have feelings, emotions, and fears. However, despite those fears, we race toward trouble while other people run from it. I wrote the book in the first person so the reader could experience scenarios through my eyes and evaluate the critical choices that I had to make.
How has writing your memoir impacted or changed your life?
Writing a memoir gave me a reflection on my life. I was able to witness my own growth and identify good and destructive patterns of behavior that I was unconscious of. I learned that my upbringing shaped many of the decisions I made. That is something that I was previously unaware of. I learned many lessons about my life and resilience that I had never considered.
The book has made me a better and more analytical person. I have become more empathetic to the challenges of others.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I hope readers gain a greater appreciation for the enormous sacrifices police officers make to enhance the safety and quality of life for people in the community.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | LinkedIn | Amazon
During Maurice’s 20-year career, he memorialized his cinematic transformation from a rookie patrolman to a relentless, battle-hardened police veteran. While mastering the art of “Looking for Trouble, “Maurice soared through the ranks and was promoted to Lieutenant. The police veteran graphically describes his action-packed career. Maurice was forced to examine and reconcile his upbringing as he operated in the shadows immersing himself in a lifestyle that he spent his entire life trying to avoid. While battling drug dealers, murderers, and robbers, another battle emerged and expanded beyond the streets.
Some of his fiercest battles extended to the halls of the Criminal Investigations Division and the Narcotics Enforcement Division. Maurice believed his career was in free fall, but a crisis shook the community. Against the odds, Maurice emerged as the lead investigator of an FBI Safe Streets Homicide Task Force, creating the biggest challenge of his career. Maurice was confronted with the same drug dealer whom he clashed with while a patrol officer. The drug dealer ascended to become a Kingpin while Maurice became a detective. Maurice worked frantically to stop the killings, trying to nab the most dangerous and elusive Drug Kingpin in county history, suspected of 12 murders.
Looking for Trouble
Looking for Trouble follows Maurice Hicks from his childhood in Baltimore through his early years in law enforcement. The book moves fast, almost breathless at times, as it shows a kid growing up in a rough world who somehow stays hopeful. It tracks his path from a paperboy with big dreams to a Marine and then to a police officer who ends up facing danger that feels unreal. The stories unfold with heat and sweat and fear and sometimes humor, and they paint a picture of a city that seems alive and angry and wounded all at once. What struck me most was the constant push and pull between survival and duty. The book never slows down. It grabs you at the start and keeps going.
The writing is blunt. It is raw in spots. It has a rhythm that feels like someone talking to you across a table late at night. The scenes inside the housing projects made my stomach knot. The tension builds so sharply that I kept catching my breath. At the same time, the author also slips in these little pieces of heart, small moments of gratitude or pride or humor that soften the edges. I liked that mix. It made the stories feel relatable. I found myself angry at the chaos around him, frustrated at the failures of systems that should have helped people, and surprised by how quickly small choices could turn dangerous. The book does not try to pretty anything up. It gives you the smoke and the noise and the fear straight up, and I respected that.
What stayed with me even more were the quieter reflections woven into the story. The author writes about the weight officers carry and the scars they collect along the way. He also writes about the people who shaped him, from family members to neighbors to teachers who saw more in him than he saw in himself. Those parts hit me hardest. They felt honest. They felt like memories he never stopped holding. I found myself thinking about how the environment shapes a person and how strength sometimes comes from the most unexpected places. The ideas here feel grounded. Nothing lofty. Nothing inflated. Just real life and the lessons scraped out of it.
I would recommend Looking for Trouble to readers who want a vivid, unfiltered look at police work, city life, and the long road a person walks to find purpose. It is a strong fit for people who enjoy memoirs that pull no punches and for readers curious about what it feels like to be inside the chaos instead of watching it from far away. The book is sharp, tense, and full of heart.
Pages: 535 | ASIN : B0C15B8JDB
LITERARY TITAN 