Jeff Coen

This book details a Chicago detective's last case in 2018-19--a long cold one from 1976. The murder of John Hughes is a relatively simple case that would have been solved the night it occurred (or within a week) had the CPD not been hampered by the internal rot and corruption of Chicago politics under the Daley regime--or, as the author rather convincingly puts it, just about any other from Daley the father, to the son, to Emanuel, et al. Aside from internal PD rot, corruption at city hall, this tale is also enmeshed in Chicago's notorious mob, The Outfit.

The book has two main issues, one the author's fault, the other not. The first, and not the author's issue, is that there is nothing satisfying about the conclusion of the investigation for the reader, or the detective. The case was simply too well obstructed, too many of the main players are already dead, and the few that are still around are still tight-lipped despite the fact that there seems very little chance of bringing any charges against anyone. So the book ends with the status quo ante.

The second issue is repetitiveness. This book probably could have been an extended pamphlet rather than a book. This is evidenced by a very long chapter that veers far from the Hughes murder and cover-up to detail a host of other tangentially related CPD and Mayor du jour scandals. Perhaps the project should have been several of these stories instead of just one--it is unlikely that the people who obstructed justice so glibly in this story only did it this one time (as a subsidiary, and related, murder story within suggests).

A quick read that should have been even quicker.… (plus d'informations)

I couldn't put this book down. Blago was once my Governor and at one time my Congressman. The book was fascinating in how it uncovered all the nasty stuff behind the scenes and beyond that, provided insight into a man whose inability to keep his mouth shut led to his rise and and also to his downfall. The poor fool was in over his head and didn't even know it. I really don't pity him though since refusing to recognize that you're a crook and an incompetent doesn't minimize the damage you're doing.… (plus d'informations)