Awake

Lost one nights sleep because I could not put this book down. Mr. LaRosa is an excellent storyteller. Looking forward to his next book and hopefully many more to come.

More of a News Story; Still a Good Job.

"Tacoma Confidential" is the tale of David Brame, former police chief of Tacoma, Washington. One Spring day in 2003, Brame murdered his estranged wife in broad daylight and then committed suicide. There is little mystery here, since the act is described clearly on TC's back cover. The plot unfolds like a classic film noir flashback: We know what happened; what circumstances made it so? TC is in the who- what-when- why-how and where style of a solidly written news story. No surprise here, since author LaRosa is a veteran TV and print reporter. It is well researched and documented. TC suffers from a slow start, but soon hits its' stride as the interest, if not the tension, builds. It was distressingly obvious that the troubled Brame never should have been a cop, much less promoted to a big city Chief of Police. One wonders how many other bad apples populate the ranks of law enforcement. One might also wonder how many lower echelon cops are taken advantage of and compromised as Brame oppressed some of his charges.TC also thoroughly demonstrates the politics, back scratching and "log rolling" of city governments. A thorough epilog nicely closes the circle of what happened to the principal characters. This reviewer has mentioned the "Ann Rule rule" in previous reviews. That is not in effect here. The centerfold photos are benign and reveal little, though as mentioned above, the back cover removes all suspense. TC should appeal to true crime fans, especially those able to adapt to its' "newsy" aura. Residents of the Pacific Northwest should pounce. This reviewer has always wondered why such a beautiful area is so heavily represented in true crime tales.

WHAT A TRADEGY

I'M OVER HALF WAY INTO THIS BOOK AND CAN NOT PUT IT DOWN. I FEEL FOR THE PARENTS AND THE CHILDREN. THEY ALL HAVE SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THE TERRIBLE , TERRIBLE TRADEGY. THE FAMILIES FOR THE DECEASED HAVE TO BE IN TERIBLE ANGUISH. THIS SURE IS A GOOD AUTHOR!!!