This is an older case/story that’s been dusted off and updated and brought back for our reading pleasure. Originally published under a slightly different title, it relates a big case involving undercover ‘hippy cop’ Martyn Pritchard and the largest UK drug case. Follow along with Martyn as he’s transferred into the drug squad (DS) and learns the ropes of being an undercover copper, learning how to set up drug cases, gain the trust of informants, and figure out their motives for giving information. Their reason can be very important, as you’ll learn in the book.
Tricks of the Trade-- the undercover cops would stop getting hair cuts and being freshly shaved, and dress in their casual clothes, usually jeans and shirts...the more rumpled and worn, the better. Usually with a touch of patchouli for scent. They stopped smoking store-bought cigarettes and learned to roll their own, because that’s the kind of environment they were going into.

They managed to get themselves into and out of many crazy situations while they worked undercover, but were proud of the work they did and the many cases that they were responsible for making, including the famous one in this book that was record-breaking. My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, authors Eddie Laxton & Martyn Pritchard, and the publisher for my fair review.

Mirror Books
Pub: Sept. 5th, 2018

The author definitely knows how to draw the reader in right from the beginning! A fascinating true crime story that I, to be honest, had not even heard of before getting this book. A bit long and repetitive at times but definitely worth the read.

Busted is a re-issued book,first published in 1978,written by journalist Edward Laxton and former undercover policeman Martyn Pritchard mostly about "operation Julie" ,still one of the world's biggest drug busts.
I say mostly as it's also a potted history of Pritchard's police career and Operation Julie doesn't come into the story until quite a way into the book.
As a fan of true crime books I enjoyed it but it didn't grip me as much as other true crime books in the Mirror Books catalogue such as the excellent "One Last Job" and "The Hunt For The 60's Ripper",which are both excellent The subject is fascinating but it's not massively well written with repetition and sometimes the build up to an operation being told in detail while the main event is almost skipped over. Laxton's contribution appears to be to offer an introduction to Pritchard's tales and this can be irritating as often you're told what's coming next. Also as the first edition was written in 1978 there are things less ancient readers than myself might not get at all,for example the naive policeman who thought LSD referred to the old pre-decimal coinage. I get it,my Dad would get it,most under 50 at least wouldn't have a clue what he was on about. Of course being dated isn't all bad and the book gives an accurate,and contemporaneity insight into the policing of that time as well as the burgeoning Hippy "scene.
So far so critical but while it's far from perfect it a very entertaining and easy read and for me at least reading the reality of "celebrity villain" Howard Marx's criminal exploits as opposed to the self-promoting Robin Hood garbage much of the general public , fell for after "Mister Nice" was worth the read in itself.
The book also spiked my interest in Operation Julie and I'll be buying the book of that name by one of Pritchard's colleagues,mentions in Busted, Stephen Bentley and possibly also that of the "bad guys",Leaf Fielding.
If you're a True Crime buff you'll find it a good if sometimes slightly lacking read but there's enough good stuff here to make it worth picking up.
Big thanks to Netgalley and Mirror Books for the ARC ,all views and opinions expressed in this review are mine,others are available.

Busted is an interesting tale of one policeman's time on the Drugs Squad in the 1970s when things were so much different from today.

Working undercover some of the stories are funny, others are scary and you wouldn't have wanted to swap roles.

The co author is an reporter and his contribution helps with the historical setting.

Overall an interesting read