Chase may well be one of the most courageous police officers now working a beat. As an undercover narcotics agent in Bridgeport, Conn., he has infiltrated black, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Colombian and Italian mobs, fortified by smarts he acquried on the street in his own youth, and fueled by his hatred of drugs and organized crime. But while his primary struggle was waged against gangsters, he also fought racism: on more than one occasion, Chase held a gun on thugs he had arrested only to hear them yell for help, claiming he was robbing them ; spectators were all too ready to believe the claim. But despite the promise of Chase's story, his writing--abetted by Grimaldi ( Only in Bridgeport )--does not always live up to it. The pace of his suspenseful life is not reflected well in his prose and the result disappoints.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Chase, a former undercover cop, and crime writer Grimaldi have teamed up to write an account of the policeman's professional life. On one level, it tells of the dangers confronting undercover policemen, particularly minority officers who often are mistaken for the criminals they are trying to catch. On another level, it's the story of one man's war against drugs that could easily be turned into a TV series, each chapter a different episode filled with excitement. However, the last show would not have a happy and tidy ending; sticking to the real-life story, it would show Chase being left to fend for himself after being disabled on the job. It would also reveal that even after his retirement, some of the people he helped to convict are looking for him to get revenge. Fans of police and true crime books are sure to find this very interesting. Recommended for all public libraries.
- Anita L. Cole, Miami-Dade P.L. System, Fla.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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