And Then Came the Blues

My Story of Survival on Both Sides of the Badge / A Memoir

By: Katrina Brownlee

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

After being shot ten times by her fiancé and left for dead, Katrina Brownlee miraculously survived and became a decorated NYPD detective, a mentor, and founder of a nonprofit support group for at-risk women.

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, in the United States, an average of twenty-four people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner, and one in three women have experienced some form of domestic violence. One of those women was Katrina Brownlee, who as a twenty-two-year-old mother of two experienced hell at the hands of her then-fiancé. He was a law enforcement officer—a group two to four times more likely than the general population to be abusive, and who are known for protecting their own. During his dangerous outbursts, Brownlee would call the police for help, only to see the cops turn their backs on her when her abuser flashed his badge. On a cold January morning in 1993, her fiancé shot her ten times and left her for dead.

Brownlee could have been just one more of the eleven females killed per minute worldwide by a loved one. Instead, miraculously, she survived. Through hard work, faith, and perseverance, she recovered from her injuries and found a path through her trauma. She decided to become a police officer to help others in her situation, to be the “good cop” who had not been there for her when she had needed saving.

In 2021, she retired from a highly decorated twenty-year career with the NYPD. As the founder of a support group for at-risk young women, Young Ladies of Our Future, Brownlee decided that the time had come to tell her story—the whole story—of self-empowerment, of healing generational trauma, and of turning pain into hope for herself and her community.

“And Then Came the Blues is a gripping memoir of resilience, justice, and redemption. I was incredibly moved by Katrina Brownlee’s unflinching honesty and inspired by her tenacity. She has written a riveting tale that reminds us that triumph after trauma is possible.”—Bernice L. McFadden, author of Sugar

©2025 Katrina Brownlee and Annie Tucker (P)2025 Recorded Books

We grew up together. So I could relate to everything I was reading.

I like the way the story was told. She really went through a lot as a young person up to an adult. The fact that she came out on top was an amazing story of how God text Care his children.

great story

This is a story of hope! Continued Blessings! Our first meet and Greet was The Breakfast Club. I pray for you and your journey. keep being you. Remember you can take the girls out of the hood but the hood but you can't take the hood out of the girls.

One of the best memoirs I have read

This book was amazing from beginning to end- I literally couldn’t not put it down. A must listen to.

Beyond Resilient

This story is amazing and encouraging.
The way that Katrina was able to keep pushing despite what so much of her environment wanted her to believe.
I am so glad this was truly a happy ending.

The triumphs she overcame since birth.

This book is amazing! Relatable Inspiring and just all around great story. I have great empathy of where she came from how she was raised survived and turned her test into a testimony!