Review of Twisted But True
Posted: 27 May 2024, 01:06
[Following is a volunteer review of "Twisted But True" by Darren Burch.]
Twisted But True by Darren Burch
This book is a collection of true tales from the life of retired Phoenix Police Sergeant Darren Burch. He is a 28-year-old veteran of the Phoenix Police Department and has worked as a patrol officer, sex crime detective, and night detective sergeant in homicide. He had also been a program director for the Crime Stoppers program called Silent Witness. During his journey with the Phoenix Police, he faced a lot of hardships, attained innumerable successes, and gained copious experiences. He shares his dark cases in this journal with a lot of humor.
The book begins with a warning that it contains graphical and explicit details about homicide and sex crime investigations. This may not be suitable for readers sensitive or averse to such content. But for those who love true crime with little splashes of gore and humor, this is the right place.
Let's begin with the twisted stories. The opening chapter gripped me, and I was dumbstruck. It was agonizing, and I felt great sadness for the author. Next various details about the author's family are presented; his grandmother's story lingered in my heart. I was despondent to read about Officer Ken Collins. The 'Rose Lane' story was ridiculous and also disheartening. I was stupefied to learn about the sheep disaster, and it gave me nightmares as I deeply love animals. I enjoyed reading 'Unknown “Spanich” Language'. The twist in that chapter was heart-wrenching and surprising. The 'dog-bite ruse' was quite intelligent. The 'car yeller' was both disgusting and unbelievable. The 'shootout' chapter was racing, and I appreciated the dedication part.
The author mentions that humor is needed to begin the healing process, which is true. All of his tales have great humor incorporated into them. This is not usual true-crime fiction, as it is written amusingly with some laugh-out-loud moments. The author's compelling writing keeps the reader engaged and eager to discover what unfolds in the next chapter. The case details and the author's personal life are intertwined skillfully, and the book has a good flow. The author is right when he talks about "bad kids" and states that kids need love and discipline in equal amounts. The nicknames he made up for his suspects are interesting and memorable.
I can see from the narrations that police are also humans and make silly mistakes like putting the car in neutral instead of park mode and locking themselves outside it. I never realized that the police had to fill out so much paperwork. The 'rookie sergeant' anecdote ascertained that politics is everywhere and can't be avoided. I discovered the meaning behind the 'turn around slowly with hands in the air' gesture. I loved the friendship between Steve Ong and the author, and the pranks they played were interesting. I appreciated how they took care of each other.
The photos present in the book added a personal touch to the book. As it is a work of true fiction, I believe the book would benefit from additional photos.
As the author says, these tales may be common in cops' lives, but readers will have a dreadful time digesting some of the stories. They tore my heart apart and were truly beyond my imagination. Many cases are unbelievable, and the suspects are inconceivable. They are rightly said to be twisted but true stories.
The editing is incredible, and I didn't notice any errors. As I have no complaints, I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Twisted But True
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Twisted But True by Darren Burch
This book is a collection of true tales from the life of retired Phoenix Police Sergeant Darren Burch. He is a 28-year-old veteran of the Phoenix Police Department and has worked as a patrol officer, sex crime detective, and night detective sergeant in homicide. He had also been a program director for the Crime Stoppers program called Silent Witness. During his journey with the Phoenix Police, he faced a lot of hardships, attained innumerable successes, and gained copious experiences. He shares his dark cases in this journal with a lot of humor.
The book begins with a warning that it contains graphical and explicit details about homicide and sex crime investigations. This may not be suitable for readers sensitive or averse to such content. But for those who love true crime with little splashes of gore and humor, this is the right place.
Let's begin with the twisted stories. The opening chapter gripped me, and I was dumbstruck. It was agonizing, and I felt great sadness for the author. Next various details about the author's family are presented; his grandmother's story lingered in my heart. I was despondent to read about Officer Ken Collins. The 'Rose Lane' story was ridiculous and also disheartening. I was stupefied to learn about the sheep disaster, and it gave me nightmares as I deeply love animals. I enjoyed reading 'Unknown “Spanich” Language'. The twist in that chapter was heart-wrenching and surprising. The 'dog-bite ruse' was quite intelligent. The 'car yeller' was both disgusting and unbelievable. The 'shootout' chapter was racing, and I appreciated the dedication part.
The author mentions that humor is needed to begin the healing process, which is true. All of his tales have great humor incorporated into them. This is not usual true-crime fiction, as it is written amusingly with some laugh-out-loud moments. The author's compelling writing keeps the reader engaged and eager to discover what unfolds in the next chapter. The case details and the author's personal life are intertwined skillfully, and the book has a good flow. The author is right when he talks about "bad kids" and states that kids need love and discipline in equal amounts. The nicknames he made up for his suspects are interesting and memorable.
I can see from the narrations that police are also humans and make silly mistakes like putting the car in neutral instead of park mode and locking themselves outside it. I never realized that the police had to fill out so much paperwork. The 'rookie sergeant' anecdote ascertained that politics is everywhere and can't be avoided. I discovered the meaning behind the 'turn around slowly with hands in the air' gesture. I loved the friendship between Steve Ong and the author, and the pranks they played were interesting. I appreciated how they took care of each other.
The photos present in the book added a personal touch to the book. As it is a work of true fiction, I believe the book would benefit from additional photos.
As the author says, these tales may be common in cops' lives, but readers will have a dreadful time digesting some of the stories. They tore my heart apart and were truly beyond my imagination. Many cases are unbelievable, and the suspects are inconceivable. They are rightly said to be twisted but true stories.
The editing is incredible, and I didn't notice any errors. As I have no complaints, I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Twisted But True
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes