A surprisingly insightful, thoughtful exploration of Tansey's personal experiences - heart wrenching, thought provoking, and often hilarious. He explores both his personal growth along with the changes in policing. It is unapologetically honest, and everyone is fair game for mockery - usually him! I enjoyed this more than I anticipated. The short story form really encouraged "just one more" and I blame him for some lost sleep!

Thank you for this ARC. I rated the book here and on Good reads 4 stars for the entertainment value. However, I elected not to review the book on Goodreads because the content was a bit disturbing to me. As a Public Defender for almost 20 years, I also see society at it's lowest moments. However, not nearly as much of the up close and personal way Mr. Tansey has see it. I can however very much identify with the need to find humor in the horror of what we encounter in our daily grind. For this reason, I truly laughed along with many of these stories because sometimes, that's all we can do.
Yet I have to say, I found the racial interplay between these white cops and black citizens to be a bit disturbing. While I truly believe the stories are drenched in fact, as we in these sorts of professions literally can't make this shit up, I find the conclusive assertions about a community highly oversimplified and dismissive of the background and basis of generations of poverty, crime, gangs and mistrust of police. While one can be a very good police officer with a high degree of intelligence and competence, it does not make him a expert in public policy, sociologist or psychologist. Similarly, while I am a competent, highly qualified attorney who deals with human turmoil and psychiatric illness on a daily basis; I am by no means an expert to diagnose treat or cure the illnesses of my clients or the society in which they live. These thoughts cause me to give pause to applaud this book because I am applauding the dark humor laughs but find the thought provoking messages the book aims to send somewhat troublesome.

Not sure what to think a out this book. Not sure what to think about this book.

The story was a bit scary to be honest as I kept thinking how weird humans can be. I would not feel comfortable saying thise was entertaining considering the overall subject matter, but it was informative.

Pig Latin by Eric Tansey is a gritty look at cops in a high crime district, forced to deal with gang violence, murder and the usual bureaucratic bs of a big city. Told with a humorous touch, Tansey shares with the reader the challenges and everyday dangers of policing the streets and keeping citizens safe. Action packed with pursuits and other assorted mayhem, Pig Latin is like being on a ride along with a buddy and is a great read!
Book contains language and descriptions that may not be suitable for some readers.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review this book

I thought this was a great representation of the ups and downs of working in the criminal justice field. Stories were told in a way that kept the entire book interesting from start to finish, and didn’t read like a typical non-fiction.

Have I watched his comedy? No. Will I watch his comedy now? I thought so.. but also no.

I think the gimmicky title and book cover will actually serve the book well. He might draw in readers but I’m unsure he’ll keep them.

If you want me to take the following off Goodreads let me know.

The publisher is also a major attraction since it’s a popular and renowned publishing house.


I got a few pages in and was enjoying the book. I think for as much as I read he gives great perspective into the ups and downs as a police officer and he’s well written. But I made the mistake of googling the author.


Maybe I shouldn’t have requested this book tho without looking up the author. Now, normally that’s not something I do. But, I wish I had. Since the book says he’s a comedian I googled him and found his Instagram. I was expecting to see some memes or stand up videos. Unfortunately tho I go to his Instagram and see a video about America fucking up Canada and hashtags about how Trudeau must go. All this coming from an American… he makes lots of jokes about America taking over Canada

So I looked more into his posts. He calls things like no gi gay

He uses the hashtag MAGA (make America great again)

Posts videos of trump and Fox News

Stitches videos of women just to make fun of them

I could keep going but I don’t think it’s worth it. Just not my kind of comedy.

Interestingly tho he’s pro Israel. And he’s into BJJ and fishing which I like.

Let’s look at some facts

-Former police officer
- Former military
- Officer in Raleigh North Carolina

Me a potential reviewer

- Canadian
- Female
- mid twenties


I don’t want to shit on this book tho and while I could finish it and put aside my thoughts on him as a person and his social media posts and probably end up liking his book I’d rather support someone else and read other books. Which is why I’m just posting this instead of finishing and rating it since I was provided an ARC.

So you might be thinking why would I request this book? Simple answer is I know a lot of cops and have read many memoirs, military books, policing books and so on so I thought I might enjoy it. And I was at first. But I can’t get over who I’d be supporting if I read it and that’s on me not the author. Might recommend this book to my boyfriend and other friends tho it’s just not for me.

First and foremost, I received an e-arc from NetGalley!

What’s does Leroy Jenkins, Beyoncé and, the
Grim Reaper have in common? Well, I would tell you but, you should definitely read this hilarious book to find out. It really is an eye opener as to what goes on in the world of a police officer. Even if you do not read non fiction, the stories that Eric tells almost sound like fantasy. Trust me! Read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with the opportunity to read "Pig Latin" by Eric Tansey before its release.

This book truly opened my eyes to the emotional and physical challenges that law enforcement officers endure. While many people may believe they understand, it is only through living the experience that one can fully grasp the reality. "Pig Latin" provides the public with a glimpse into these experiences, bringing us closer to understanding. The writing is exceptional, immersing the reader in the story and evoking a full range of emotions. I found myself laughing out loud, feeling anger, sadness, and sympathy. Although it can be challenging to rate a non-fiction book with such poignant stories, it was hard not to appreciate this work. I would have completed it in a day if I hadn't forced myself to put it down, as it was incredibly difficult to stop reading. The other officers in the story, particularly Serious and Red, were standout characters and added depth to the narrative.

Overall, "Pig Latin" is an eye-opening and remarkable book that I highly recommend. It offers a profound insight into the lives of law enforcement officers and the hardships they face.

Thank you again to Atria Books for this opportunity to read and review the book.

Thanks Atria Books and Net Galley for the ARC copy. I’m glad I came across it! I couldn’t put the book down, wanted to buy the real physical copy and shared some of the story with friends and family. I laughed, hard, cried a little and just stayed entertained the entire book. I think more officers should be able to share their stories. We on the other side can only know what we hear and see and the involvement with such craziness in our world won’t ever be understood without being in the moment directly and I can’t imagine what it’s like first hand. Great book!

Pig Latin has it all! Eric Tansy tells masterful stories and isn’t afraid to be real, even if he’s the butt of the joke. Tansy’s stories are hilarious and then tense and then sad and then back to hilarious again. With his No BS writing style, at times you feel as if you’re on the most unbelievable ride-along of your life. Thoroughly enjoyed the read!

Eric Tansey left the military for his wife and joined the police force. Officer Tansey experiences the good, the bad, and the ugly throughout his tenure on the force with some of the funniest policy stories I have ever heard.

I found this book engrossing and I enjoyed reading the stories without any political agenda. Reading this was like going on a ride along during an episode of Cops.


Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Pig Latin was an easy 5 stars for me.

It was not politically correct, Eric Tansey was not always likable and it was not easy to read... but it felt EXTREMELY real. Everyone (especially people out there protesting against police officers and their actions) need to read this.

Officer Tansey's adventures show the difficult decisions and the lizard brain actions that officers everywhere need to deal with and overcome. The political side of being a police officer makes the job almost impossible and my respect and deeper understanding goes out to those in blue, thanks to this book.

Word of caution: because Tansey is thorough in his experiences and descriptions, there are some very graphic details in many chapters. I am usually not grossed out, but some of the descriptions made me cringe. It is worth going through those scenes to understand the full scale of what he had to deal with. There is also comedic relief sprinkled throughout to help lighten some of the impact.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you I was in the first chapter of this book and immediately went to Amazon and pre-ordered a hard copy. As someone who spent almost 23 years in uniform, I loved, loved, loved this book. I laughed so hard because it is so RELATEABLE!! The author's humor is spot on. I have at least 20 quotes written down from this book because they just resonate with me so much. "I did not sign up for this". "You're either dealing with bad people or good people on their worst day". Truer words have never been spoken. I want to share this book with so many people and plan to add it to our "library" which my favorite FTO (now Lieutenant) maintains at our PD. I highly, highly recommend this book if you are looking for a light read and hysterical laughter. Most importantly, it does offer a realistic view into what officers deal with every day. The book in not always funny and at times is tragic/heartbreaking. But again, that's what makes it so real. Five stars and I truly hope the author has additional stories hidden somewhere that he can share in another book. I also loved the cover and title.

It was honest, emotional, and sometimes hilarious. He laid out many truths that I think the public is genuinely unaware of. Eric Tansey is a man of many hats, a husband and father, a sommelier, and what this book is about, his time as a police officer. Instead of giving the reader the play by play of every single step of his career, he outlines it in a recollection of stories (some are WILD). Originally, he wrote stories to keep his sanity, but after being fired from the police force (DUE TO POLITICS WITHIN THE FORCE), they were put into a book. His time as an officer at the Southeast District in Raleigh, NC, almost broke him multiple times. However, due to the unwavering support of his family and friends, in and out of the police force, he was able to trudge on for a while longer. There is a lot to unpack within these pages, but I will tell you that it is worth the read.

(TW: in some stories, the N word is used in some of the retellings. He is not the one saying it.)

#ThxNetGalley #EricTansey

This one is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. It's not for the pearl clutches either. Officer Eric Tansey (with co-author Nick Palmisciano) brings the reader behind the blue line and into his life. The language is harsh. The book is descriptive and blunt. This is not a sunshine and roses look at the police department... and because it's so real, I believed every word. At the very beginning of the book, Tansey promised to tell us everything as it happened. He promised the complete story, warts and all, and that's exactly what we got.
I always feel a bit awkward rating someone's memoir. Who am I to say that they told their story wrong? In this case, it was easy to give 5 stars. I will remember many of these stories for a long time.

Note: I received an ARC of this book, at no cost to myself, from NetGalley.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cop books are always eye opening. This book is in turns hilarious and heartbreaking. Tansey doesn't hold anything back in his tales.
I have so much respect for LEOs and agree with Tansey's outlook on the political BS. Cops definitely are damned if they do, damned if they don't and that's detrimental to society and communities across the country.
Having witnessed a gang related homicide myself, I can only imagine the stress of cops having to make split decisions on what actions to take.

I know the author says he isn't trying to sway people's beliefs one way or the other about cops, just wants the readers to empathize with all the struggles of the job. But the story about Officer Serious ripping a person out of a car by their hair, punching them in the face repeatedly, and then throwing them to the ground and planting his boot on the person's face to keep them down, ALL BECAUSE THE PASSENGER DIDN'T GET OUT OF THE CAR THE FIRST TIME HE ASKED kind of makes it hard to have compassion? (Especially when all the officers on-scene were laughing and high-fiving after watching the body cam footage of the stop.) My first thoughts were " Why did Serious pull the car over in the first place?", "Did he have to chase them for a while or did they pull over right away?", "Did he ask the passenger to get out numerous times but it would have been too repetitive to add all that to the story?"

There were a couple different times where I would have appreciated more detail because the actions of the Officers seemed kind of heavy-handed without it. (And maybe that's what the author was going for? Showing that there are good AND bad cops?)

There are stories in this book that do show the emotional and mental toll the job can take on our Officers, but they might be overshadowed by stories like the one mentioned above.