Betrayal in Blue

Do not waste your money enriching a felon!

Betrayal in Blue is the nonfiction story of crooked NYC cop Ken Eurell and his more crooked partner Mike Dowd told from Eurell's perspective. The documentary The Seventy Five tells the same story from Dowd's perspective. The pair were tried in US District Court in 1992 with Eurell turning state's evidence against Dowd painting himself as Dowd's victim. Both men were in fact criminals running a cocaine distribution business while also abusing NYC citizens. The period covered is from the early 1980's until their arrest a decade later. listening to this book enriches a criminal as does watching The Seventy Five.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Bad Boys in Blue!

Imagine if the hoodlums that run YOUR neighborhood selling drugs, guns, doing robberies and shakedowns, etc... ALSO had police badges??? What a powerful (and profitable) position to be in!

What are you going to do when you call the police about a robbery, and while "investigating" the incident, they pocket all your valuables (or drugs) that the thief overlooked? Your local crack dealer gets busted with a large amount of dope - well guess who's selling it now? Are your illegal *business activities* making more money than theirs? No problem - they will just come and take it over (and everything else too) ...and who are you going to report THAT to - the cops?

Some of the NYPD did just that during the 80's and lived the "good life" until eventually getting caught. These were ordinary average wage cops just looking to "make some extra money" when they saw an opportunity, and they suuuure did. You won't believe some of the crazy things they got away with! Many close calls from those that *could* have discovered what they were up to, until that shiny badge was waived at them before anyone got too nosey.

There were quite a few descriptions that made me chuckle out loud, and it's narrated in such a way (by the always awesome Kevin Pierce) that makes you feel as though you were there too, just hanging out with a beer and talking about "the good 'ol days"...all the while secretly wishing that you too were part of their inner circle at the time.

Well done! Loved it - could even be a TV series: "Goodfella's ...NYPD". Lol

I was gifted this in exchange for an honest review - Thank You Thank You!

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Terrifying...

Any additional comments?

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is what I think of when I think about this book. After reading "Betrayal in Blue," I have never felt so unsafe, unprotected and scared (I live in NYC!). I imagine that things have changed in a huge way, but that doesn't make what really happened here on the NYPD any less terrifying. There is a lot of discussion on this topic today and I believe this case should be remembered as one where the "good guys" weren't good at all and, in fact, they wreaked havoc on the city they policed. Normally I prefer true crime of the murder variety but this was a really superb and welcome change of pace. Kevin Pierce is a master of true crime narration. I would recommend this story to any true crime lovers!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Hello 80s!

wow a story about the crocked cops and law in New York City. coke runs freely, girls are easy lays, and money on the side is a given. this was a crazy story, ( real life story) in the 80-and early 90s time in NYC.

all I can say is wow.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Terrible

I am a big fan of documentary, The Seven Five. I hoped this book would compliment the documentary and provide more insight into the actual corruption and corrupt characters we met in the documentary. But rather than expand on the corruption and corrupt characters, the book is a diatribe of boring details that have nothing to do with the corruption or investigation. Skip this book and stick to watching the documentary.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Shocking!!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Betrayal in Blue?

The whole story was unbelievable, but true. Police corruption. Dangerous. Terrifying. Powerful. Fascinating!

What about Kevin Pierce and Burl Barer ’s performance did you like?

Kevin Pierce was excellent as always. Never disappoints. Great narrator.

Any additional comments?

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not convinced

This book provides a fascinating view into the New York drug world for this period of time. I still see it as an attempt to rationalize bad behaviour of some people by trying to paint police with a broad brush of corruption. There is no excuse for a lack of morality.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Interesting Deep Dive into Police Corruption

With many true crime books you happily spend a few hours listening to the facts and details of the case, but find yourself at the end still trying to figure out exactly what made these people do the often heinous things they did. The authors of Betrayal in Blue certainly lay out all the facts, and the story itself is incredible, but they dig so deep and so honestly into the characters and the history of the NYPD and crime in New York that you come out really understanding the context, motives and environment the scandal occurred in. It helps that one of the authors was personally involved and the other authors are among the most respected writers in the genre. For instance, I thought one of the most surprising and interesting parts of the book was the storyline involving Ken Eurell's wife, Dori, and her love and loyalty to her husband through a situation that would destroy most couples. I'm not sure we could have gotten that aspect of the story with such candid, brutal and deeply personal honesty if both the actual participants and two professional reporters weren't all involved in telling the story.

It may be my unfamiliarity with New York in the 80's, but at times the deep background into New York police and criminal history felt just a little too detailed, especially in the beginning, and I faded a little bit from the story. But the writing was so good and the narration so seamless that it always pulled me back in. And I'm glad it did, because I would have missed the roller coaster ride that followed. I've felt the same thing when I read some of the best books in the genre -- like Wambaugh's "The Onion Field" -- and this book paid off patience and persistence in much the same way.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge, but this is a book I would have bought from the description, read with relish and been very glad I did. If you are interested in crime, the police, the history of New York -- or the winding paths that can lead otherwise normal people to follow other people off a cliff, this is a fascinating, comprehensive exploration of all of those themes. Maybe the background went a little too deep for me occasionally, but it also proved to be one of the best aspects of this story. It set the stage for --- and gave a real human context to -- the facts, events and participants in this brutal, personal story of crime and corruption. Check it out, and hang in there if you're wondering when the crazy stuff will happen --- it definitely does.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Intriguing Retelling of History

Any additional comments?

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom. Kevin Pierce does an excellent job performing and retelling this intriguing part of America and NYC's history of corruption in our trusted Police Departments. I'm no expert in history, but he authors seemed to have done a great job of gathering research and interviews, and then putting it all in a page-turning narrative. If you love to learn about events in our history, I highly recommend this book, especially in the audiobook format.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Hard to believe

A gripping story from start to finish.easy to listen to good narration.made my journey to and from work very enjoyable.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful