Review of Twisted But True

[Jayotri Bishi]

[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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Retired Sergeant Darren Burch, a 28-year veteran with the Phoenix Police Department recalls in his book Twisted But True, 34 morbidly enthralling short stories from his career, each with its own concluding “Twist”. Burch’s comprehensive descriptions of every scene and action along with his dark humor make for an impeccably gripping writing style. However, what keeps the readers engrossed and glued to the book are the strangely twisted and grimly entertaining tales.

The book starts with a brief but interesting insight into the events that pushed Burch to become a lawman in the first place. Burch walks us through a fatal car accident witnessed by his friends and him, the trauma of which aggravated his fixation and dedication to saving lives. Although the stories can be read in any order they unfold in a chronological one. Burch takes us through different stages of his career through his morbidly entertaining descriptions of the strangest of cases he witnessed during his long career.

I am going to be honest and not beat about the bush and tell you that the best thing I loved about the book was the tales. However, what made me fall in love and be engrossed in the book was the author’s riveting writing style and his ability to add a pinch of humor to even the goriest and the most dangerous of situations. A cow-jacked intersection, a bank robber arriving on a pink girl’s bicycle, a rogue woman screaming at parked cars, Burch gives us a glimpse into the crazy life of a cop and investigator. The tales are both tragic and hilarious.

There was nothing that I disliked about the book. It seemed to be professionally edited and the author has efficaciously kept us glued to his adept narration. My favorite stories in the book were “Chasing Mad Cow” and especially the story of “The Woman Who Screams At Cars”. A story that kept me on edge was the chapter, “The Shoot-Out”. It also, in my opinion, had the best “Twist” among all of the others.

I will rate Twisted But True, 4 out of 4 stars. The book seems to be professionally edited and the author’s exceptional storytelling makes the book a gratifying read.

Twisted But True contains descriptions of gory and disturbing crime scenes, and descriptions of sexual content, which makes it suitable for only a mature audience. If you are someone who enjoys true crime stories, comedy, and dark humor, I suggest you get cozy and comfortable and grab this book.

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Twisted But True
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