Review by Manali_DC -- Twisted But True by Darren Burch

[Manali_DC]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Twisted But True" by Darren Burch.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Twisted But True by Darren Burch is a collection of true crime stories. What makes it more interesting than most, is that, these are all cop-stories straight from a cop. Darren Burch is a veteran police officer with 30 years of experience in the force. During this time he has worked as patrol officer, supervising patrol officer, detective in Homicide, Adult Sex Crimes and Crimes against Children units. Needless to say, he has seen them all - the dangerous, the silly, the bizarre and the ridiculous!

In this book he chronicles 34 such unusual and interesting cases which gives the reader a glimpse into the exciting and eventful daily life of a police officer. From wrestling a cow holding up traffic at a busy intersection, to being involved in shootouts, biker-gang wars, grisly murders, and high profile investigations - the stories are of a wide variety! While some will have you laughing out loud at the absurdity, other stories will leave you shocked and horrified! Through these stories, the author also writes about his own journey - from witnessing a fatal traffic accident during his teenage years that contributed to his decision of becoming a cop, to almost joining the CIA, to working two sensational and high profile investigations - we get a look into the highs and lows of both his personal and professional life.

The stories are told in a straightforward, almost blunt manner. This, I feel adds to the appeal of the stories because it is so true to character. These are, after all, crime stories being told by a cop! What is pleasantly surprising is the healthy dose of humour (oftentimes self-deprecating humour) in each story. When he writes about the incident where he locks himself out of his patrol car during his rookie years, he makes an immediate connection with his readers who will no doubt remember the mistakes that had left them red-faced at the start of their careers.

Each of the stories end with a 'Twist', which is a couple of paragraphs explaining what happened afterwards or how the case was finally solved. The 'Twist', I found, was the funniest and the best part of the story. A few stories are truly gruesome and macabre in nature, but the author puts in a warning at the start of each such story. It is a well written and well edited book with hardly any typographical errors.

This is a really great book and I enjoyed reading each and every story. I give Twisted But True 4 out of 4 stars and recommend it to absolutely everyone who loves reading. A word of caution: Some stories might not be suitable for children or readers who do not like graphic descriptions of violence and crime.

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Twisted But True
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[MeganDJ]

Sounds like a great, non-fiction that will keep you on the edge of your seat! The fact that the author sprinkled in humour here and there definitely helped to lighten the heavy load of daily police work. Thank you so much for your detailed and informative review! Happy reading

[Manali_DC]

Sounds like a great, non-fiction that will keep you on the edge of your seat! The fact that the author sprinkled in humour here and there definitely helped to lighten the heavy load of daily police work. Thank you so much for your detailed and informative review! Happy reading

Thank you! When I was reading this book, there were times when I realised with a sense of shock that these events are all true. As they say, truth is often stranger than fiction.

[Rodel Barnachea]

Wow, this book seems extremely intriguing! I would love to read this book and find myself lost within these crazy true stories. Great review!

[derialist]

That incident involving the cow is funny. It sounds like the type of book that takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. Worth the read for me. I appreciate your review.

[Moray_001]

This is such a well written review. I haven’t read the book yet though but it sounds like a great book to consider.

[Manali_DC]

Wow, this book seems extremely intriguing! I would love to read this book and find myself lost within these crazy true stories. Great review!

Thank you for reading and leaving a comment!

[Manali_DC]

That incident involving the cow is funny. It sounds like the type of book that takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. Worth the read for me. I appreciate your review.

Having to deal with the cow holding up traffic was truly a hilarious story. Thank you for reading and leaving a comment.

[Manali_DC]

This is such a well written review. I haven’t read the book yet though but it sounds like a great book to consider.

Thank you reading and leaving a comment!

[Star_and_Buck]

It would be interesting. Reading crime stories from a cop.
Nice review.

[Kanda_theGreat]

I would love to see how the policeman navigated through the challenges of his life. Thank you for your comprehensive review.

[Manali_DC]

It would be interesting. Reading crime stories from a cop.
Nice review.

Thank you

[Moray_001]

This is such a well written review. I haven’t read the book yet though but it sounds like a great book to consider.

Thank you reading and leaving a comment!

You’re welcome.

[Connie Otwani]

Nobody is as acquainted to the bizarre human (and possibly cattle!) actions than the police. The humor makes diving into some of these cases appealing. Great review!

[Manali_DC]

I would love to see how the policeman navigated through the challenges of his life. Thank you for your comprehensive review.

Policemen do have very exciting and dangerous jobs! Thank you for reading and leaving a comment!