Betrayal in Blue

The Shocking Memoir of the Scandal That Rocked the NYPD

Non-Fiction - True Crime
268 Pages
Reviewed on 05/10/2017
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite

Betrayal in Blue: The Shocking Memoir of the Scandal That Rocked the NYPD by Burl Barer, Frank C. Girardot Jr., and Ken Eurell is a true crime non-fiction novel about the '80s scandal involving NYPD cops actively involved in drug dealing. Betrayal in Blue starts off with an introduction to and the background of this true story, and then starts from the beginning, from when NYPD was first put into place, the background and family histories of the main people involved, New York City of those times, and the surrounding environment of gambling dens, drugs, and free love that characterized that period when they were growing up. Mike Dowd and Kenny Eurell were just two ordinary policemen fighting crime in NYC and when opportunities came along to make more money, they slowly got more into that lifestyle. Soon, they were actually carving out a deal with prominent drug lord, Adam Diaz, and living a lavish lifestyle until it all came crashing down when they were found out. This is the story of their way into the world of crime and its aftermath, including their later attempts to escape and the public humiliation of their capture.

Betrayal in Blue is an engrossing read and I was fascinated with this story. The book is extremely well written and the fact that it comes from details provided by the main people involved, including Adam Diaz, makes it even more interesting. I also very much enjoyed reading about the background of Kenny and others, and NYC culture, and how it was in those days. It created a living image of NYC and the Brooklyn area for me of several decades back. Overall, for me, this book ranks high on the list of true crime stories and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.