Review of Twisted But True Book III - Plugging Up the Holes

[MsTri]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Twisted But True Book III - Plugging Up the Holes" by Darren Burch.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Having watched law enforcement personnel getting vilified in the media for a few years now, I was glad to have the chance to read Darren Burch's book, Twisted But True: Book III - Plugging Up the Holes. I previously read and reviewed the first book in the series, so I knew that reading this follow-up would remind me that there are many good cops out there. Like the first book (I have not yet had the pleasure of reading the second book), this tome is filled with “a day in the life” type tales of different things that happened to him during the 30-plus years that he worked in Phoenix, Arizona.

As in the first book, the author pulls from different periods of his career, including his days as a rookie, as a veteran, and everything in between. Towards the end of the book, there are even several stories that deal with his life outside of the force. By far, my favorite memories are the ones from his time in the sex crimes division. “Guess Who's Not at Dinner,” one of the longer anecdotes, really pulled me in, causing me to rage, laugh, and cry in turns. Investigating a rape, Burch felt that the perpetrator was obvious from almost the beginning, and his interrogation of the suspect was hilarious, with the person of interest tying himself in knots while trying to get out of the hot seat. “The Eyes Don't Have It,” featuring rapist “Bad Grandpa,” also captivated me, though some of the details turned my stomach; I never thought that a senior could act as twisted as he did. “Come Sail Away,” which took place on a cruise ship after Burch's retirement, was a great last tale, and the story of an altercation aboard the sailing vessel intrigued me. I especially liked the moral of the story, though I won't give that away here.

As indicated in the book's title, each tale has an additional “twist” given at the end of the story, like a little epilogue, though not all of the twists involve “changes in a novel, short story, movie, or TV series that subvert expectations” (as defined by masterclass.com). Since I have a very curious nature, I really enjoyed the little peeks behind the curtains at what happened next. I won't say that they completely allayed my curiosity, but they did help a bit, though I do have two particular questions that I'd love to know the answer to.

Twisted But True: Book III also found the author continuing his penchant of giving characters funny yet appropriate names, the better to “protect the innocent and embarrass the guilty.” Bad Grandpa, mentioned above, was joined by such unique characters as “Mullet Man,” “Mr. Meth,” and “Scraggle Face.” I also wondered if Detective Scott Free was a real name. Burch speaks fondly of his fellow officers, detectives, and sergeants throughout the collection as well. While I'm sure we've all heard of the “blue wall of silence,” it swelled my heart to read of a blue family rooted in compassion and camaraderie similar to the brotherhood friendships shown on fictional crime drama television shows.

As wonderful a storyteller as Burch is, he could still use some assistance with the technical aspects of book writing, as I found numerous grammatical errors, mostly with punctuation. There were also many issues with hyphenation and a few misspellings. Burch had a bad habit of changing the POV midsentence and sometimes several times in one sentence too. Due to these missteps, I am rating Twisted But True: Book III - Plugging Up the Holes 3 out 4 stars.

Twisted But True: Book III is full of profanity and violence and has several very graphic scenes, many involving rape, so readers sensitive to such things should give it a wide berth. I do, however, recommend this entertaining compilation to fans of police dramas, aspiring or retired lawpeople, and readers who like story collections and/or memoirs.

There are true monsters in our community, but they are few compared to a community of good people, including those willing to wear a badge to protect us from them.

- Darren Burch, Twisted But True: Book III - Plugging Up the Holes

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Twisted But True Book III - Plugging Up the Holes
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[Cocobutta]

This is a wonderful review. Thank you very much.

[Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu]

The amount of detail you put into your review shows just how much you enjoyed reading this book. It made me want to check out as well. Well done.

[Sarah Sonbol]

I have read the first book and I enjoyed it. So, I think it would be great to read this as well. Great review.

[Uwe Neufeld]

Yes, it is time to put things strait. Police protects us and even risk their lives. A few black sheep among them do not change the fact. Ms Tri, you did a wonderfull review!

[Zwelihle_Myeni]

I read the first book, and I enjoyed it. The real life events with a few shades of humor. He's a great storyteller, but he also need assistance when it comes to editing. Thanks for your review.

[Sopulu Ezidimma]

I also believe that they are still good cops out there. Thank you for your review.

[Ohna Martin]

I read the first book and would love to read the other two. This is a great review. And I have to agree with you on the twisted grandpa, it is most often the people you don't expect.