3 out of 4 stars
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These days, professional memoirs are in fashion, and though the public is often enamored with the zero to hero tales of entrepreneurs, I have come to realize that every job has great materials for a captivating book. If a police officer decides to try his luck at literature, you are guaranteed a work full of thrilling chases, absurd moments and heartfelt emotions. Twisted but True presents the whole spectrum of a cop’s life: the good, the bad, the ugly and the incomprehensible.
The story began in 1979, when a seventeen year old Darren Burch stumbled upon a fatal traffic accident. As a witness and attempting rescuer, he was violently snatched out of his teenage bubble and faced the grim dilemma of life and death. This tragic event did not only left him emotional scars, but also prompted a lifelong commitment to protecting citizens and saving lives. Twisted but True contains thirty five chapters, recounting the real trials and tribulations of Officer Darren Burch in the Phoenix Police Department. The format reminded me of a season of Blue Blood or Criminal Minds. However, unlike its fictional television counterpart, this book employs a simpler tactic: each chapter details a true event in a straightforward manner, adding a unique twist at the end to provide a deeper understanding of the circumstance.
The book covers a wide range of cases and stories. Over the course of thirty years in law enforcement, Mr. Burch had learned to navigate the complex aspects of the job. He did satisfy my imagination with chilling pictures of hardened criminals, but on the flip side, nothing could prepare me for some surreal scenarios. For instance, what was more ridiculous than tackling bovine disobedience in the middle of the road? How could I ever forget the disgusting night that drove him to curse his own miserable fate? As curious onlooker, I shamelessly took delight in his misfortunes. And suddenly, a solemn case came along, I found myself asking the uncomfortable question of who was the victim and who was the assailant.
In terms of storytelling style, the book follows a direct and neat first-person narrative, sprinkled with a delightful amount of wit. The author’s dark sense of humor is definitely not up to recent political correctness standard, but it was so entertaining to watch him indulge in his playful nature and poke merciless fun at his criminal clientele. On closer examination, sarcasm was his coping mechanism against the grim reality of the job. It helped him stay composed and not overwhelmed by negative emotions that could interfere with his judgement. Nevertheless, he still managed to juxtapose light-hearted humor with thought-provoking retrospection. Twisted but True is a nuanced work, balancing carefully between excitement and poignancy.
The book also divulges interesting inside information on how police department operates. No gory and slimy details are spared, which will appeal to horror genre fans while common readers may prefer a subtler approach.
The book is comprised of many short excerpts, each works as a stand-alone story and therefore can be read separately or even randomly. On the downside, I wish there was a clearer connection or even escalation between chapters to enable the readers to reach a cathartic satisfaction. Another drawback of the book is the spelling mistakes (unnecessary hyphenation in compound words). Besides, I intensively disliked the repetitive phrase “passion to save lives” and its various phrasal cousins that terrorized the beginning chapters. I am trying not to nitpick, but the repetition sounded a little patronizing and even annoying at times.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It is a fun light read, while still managing to give us unique insights into a police officer’s hectic life. Whether you are a detective genre enthusiast, craving for some literary excitement, or just looking for a few giggles at someone’s expense, you will find joy in this book.
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Twisted But True
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