This was an amazing true crime book that was really informative and gave a good insight into the criminal justice system and the way the police operate to catch criminals

The “Mr. Big” Sting: The Cases, the Killers, the Controversial Confessions by Mark Stobbe is a fascinating read on true crime investigations and methods which I had never heard of. Interesting information. #TheMrBigSting #NetGalley

Great true crime story, which explains how and why killers confess, their motivation for their crime, and it's definitely an intriguing read for those interested in crime. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This tactic has come up many times in true crime shows I've watched, so reading about it in more detail was fascinating and a great insight into a technique that has helped so many cases.

The start of this book is different then most books in that the first few pages have a paragraph length cases of someone losing their life it briefly describes the situation and moves on to the next one. It makes you wonder were the book is heading. You just need to stick with it and it gets to the main subject of the book which is a Mr. Big Operation. This is a clever situation the Canadian Authorities put together on a case were they need more information on cases that have stalled or they need additional clues. This can be very elaborate like setting a movie scene but this is real life. The author claims that this has been so successful that it has lead to solving of over two hundred murder cases. This has worked so well that Australia and New Zealand have used these methods also. This has it detractors especially defense attorney's who argue that the methods used are not lawful and that is prejudicial to their clients it documents the accused actions as being unsavory. The author goes on to explain and make some compelling arguments that expert witnesses and so called expert methods to obtain evidence is not always reliable. This is a very informative read and to find out how the author learned that Mr. Big exist you will have to read this book.

If you have an interest in this method that the RCMP (in particular) use to gain a confession in some cases, this is a really good book to read. It discusses the history of the "Mr Big" setup, how it works, the legalities & ethics for both the police work & in court, as well as the good, the bad & the ugly in terms of case examples. I thought this was well researched & well written. However, I was expecting more of a case-based book, as opposed to the more in depth look at the tactics.

I enjoy reading about real life crime, this book is great for anyone interested in how the real criminals are caught! Sometimes the police are questioned about their investigations and methods of solving a crime, the good and bad are examined in this interesting story.
A must read for those keen to find out how the guilty or not guilty are dealt with.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The RMCP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) have been using the ‘Mr Big’ technique for decades. Over a hundred people “got away with murder” until an undercover police officer (AKA ‘Mr Big’) tricked them into confessing. Mark Stobbe’s brilliantly researched book (he has some personal experience too), gives great insight into the policing tactics of ‘Mr Big’, high-profile cases. Quite a few of the cases covered also look at when the sting practice didn't work at all. It’s a subjective narrative that sets out its stall right at the beginning of the book.

Within the book's pages, we meet murderers such as Michael Bridges, who strangled his girlfriend and buried her in another person's grave! Bridges remained free until he told ''Mr. Big'' where the body was. We also meet people like Kyle Unger, who lied while confessing to ''Mr. Big'' and went to prison for a crime he did not commit. The "Mr. Big" Sting is essential reading for anyone interested in unorthodox approaches to justice, including their successes and failures. It sheds light on how homicide investigators might catch and punish the guilty while avoiding convicting the innocent.

The ''Mr.Big'' sting also looks at how the practice has been used across the world. Some particularly interesting cases have occurred within the USA, UK, and Australia. Some success, some not, but Mark Stobbe goes into great detail to explain the pitfalls and successes of this seemingly coercive sting operation.

If I lived in Canada, I'd enjoy this even more I think. I'd be interested in reading further follow-up books that cover cases across the globe. A great read for any true crime fans.



Our Rating


VivaLaBooks Rating -3 / 5

This is a book about a system that Canadian RCMP use on their worst of the worst cases that seem unsolvable. After creating a Mr. Big set up, they attempt to get the suspect to confess to the crime to a fake crime boss. They lie to the suspect to lure him into wanting to join the gang. It covers different serious cases, and shares how often the Mr Big Stings do work. Other countries like Australia have implemented the same method to catch criminals too. Very well researched and written. An interesting police procedural read. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Mark Stobbe, and the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My favourite genre is true crime and this book clicked all the boxes. Well-written and researched. Recommended.

There are people in prison who got away with murder until they told the boss of a powerful criminal gang all about it. When the handcuffs were snapped on, the killers learned they’d been duped — that “Mr. Big” was actually an undercover police officer. These killers ended up with lots of time to think about how tricky police can be.



In this captivating book, we learn why Mr. Big is so good at getting killers to confess — and why he occasionally gets confessions from the innocent as well. We meet murderers such as Michael Bridges, who strangled his girlfriend and buried her in another person’s grave. Bridges remained free until he told Mr. Big where the body was buried. We also meet people like Kyle Unger, who lied while confessing to Mr. Big and went to prison for a crime he did not commit.
As a lover of true crime this was right up my street! Let this story take you away for a few hours of great reading ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is fascinating! Anyone who is interested in true crime will find this really cool to read. This is very well-researched and had me writing down new cases to read about afterwards. Very interesting to hear from Stobbe given his own experience with murder and the justice system - if anything this book will cause a great buzz!

An interesting read on a method used by the RCMP to solve crimes. The author provides an unbiased look at the pro and cons of the practices. There is a good use first hand accounts and stories to make this very interesting.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting content for sure. Unfortunately the writer's work is disorganized. The sentences are often awkward. I really wanted to buckle down and enjoy this book because the idea is captivating, but the poor writing really got irritating.

I received an advance copy of, The "Mr. Big" Sting by Mary Strobbe. This is such a good book, so interesting and entertaining. Though there is a lot of murder and crimes in this book. Mr. Big is not a man to mess with.