Blood and the Badge by Michael Cannell
Audio Version
Overall Grade: B
Information: B
Writing/Organization: B-
Narration: B
Best Aspect: Interesting information about the mafia and the police.
Worst Aspect: So many names made it had to keep track. Perhaps this would be better in written format.
Recommend: Yes.

Well damn.

This is one crazy, bloody, selfish-filled ride.
I knew the names sounded familiar to me [when they are first mentioned in the book], and when the author mentioned the book one of the crooked cops wrote after retirement, it all came back to me; I was living in NY when that book came out and all the papers covered it, and it was on the news, and there was generally a big hullabaloo about it [this was near the beginning of Rudy Gulliani starting to do the mob roundup and eliminating as much crime as he could from Manhattan and Times Square] and then *POOF* it was gone and we all moved on. I also vaguely remember the trial being on the news and hoping they were found guilty and then I promptly forgot all about them until this book [I honestly didn't pick this book for all that; I was just curious because I always wondered just how many cops were on the take back then, since the mob was such a huge presence in NY at that time].

This is a very well-written book that has been expertly researched [the author did SO MANY interviews, and all the paper research must have been completely overwhelming at times], and I was enthralled from page one [I miss NY so much] - it is a very deep dive into the Mafia and the mob life and how easy it was for the mob to turn cops [that had an odd bent to begin with], which is sad and very disturbing [and I have to wonder just how many never, ever got caught]. The author just sucks you into that world and you just have to shake your head at the thought process of some of these "wise guys".

A really great read; anyone who lived in NY during this time, or loves The Godfather and/or Goodfellas, or has read other mobcentric books will love this look into two lives gone wrong.

I initially struggled with this [new-to-me] narrator [Jonathan Yen], but thankfully, I quickly settled in and by the end of the book, I was more than happy to put him on my "favorite narrator" list. I recommend this audiobook highly, it really adds to the overall story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Cannell, Jonathan Yen - Narrator, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very chilling read. We look up to police officers as those we can trust, who will keep us safe. Instead, these officers took the law into their own hands, helping a criminal organization evade the law. They even acted as hit men as needed.

I was blown away while reading this. Why would someone who has sworn to uphold the law ignore their oath? While family can be a large motivator, and was in this case, the lack of morality and care for citizens really chilled me.

This was a great read, but at the same time, very difficult. The betrayal here was beyond the pale.

Good read, with an engaging narrator! Very well done.

1980s NEW YORK CITY. This is a head spinning fast paced epic true story. Some of the things that went in in New York involving a pair of crooked police officers is surreal. Payoff, hitmen, gangsters, mobsters and the mafia. This is one of the most fascinating stories I have ever heard.

5 Stars

The narrator was great.  Tge production quality was top notch.

Thank you to Tantor Media, RB media for the ALC.