Policewoman One: My 20 Years on the LAPD

Hays, who joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1967 and retired in 1989, came from an unusual background: her grandmother had been a bordello madam, her mother a burlesque star and her stepfather a bookie. Shortly after becoming a member of the force, she won a contest sponsored by a movie company designating Miss Fuzz, the most attractive woman in the department; this led to a guest appearance on the Tonight show and national publicity. Hays's first assignment, serving as a jail guard, was her most dangerous; later she worked in community relations, often lecturing at schools, and, as a regular officer, was loaned to the vice squad to pose as a prostitute and to the homicide bureau, besides dealing with family disputes, abused children and rape cases. She saw duty with COBRA (Covert Operations to Battle Recidivist Activity), a high-tension job hunting down hard-core criminals, which she found too stressful. Writing with freelancer Moloney, Hays presents an excellent picture of life in the LAPD, including sex on the force (there's plenty) and male chauvinist piggery (there's also plenty). First serial to Cosmopolitan. (June)