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.