Review of Twisted But True

[Ayomikun Babalola]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Twisted But True" by Darren Burch.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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As a teenager, Darren Burch, or as his friends fondly called him "boo boo”, had his first glimpse of his future as a cop, when he and his friends witnessed a fatal car crash while driving their friend's, Ben, car which they had fondly dubbed, “The cookie mobile”. Filled with a basic instinct to save that even he did not know he had, he plunged into the crash with his friends right behind him, and in the end, saved lives. This, and the horrifying account of his grandmother's assault at a young age, ultimately influenced his decision to become a sexual crimes detective. This book is filled with some of the bizarre calls, all with a twisted sense of humour and malice he received and answered during his 30 years of service as a cop.

Darren had a relatively peaceful childhood and was raised by a single mother in a middle-class neighbourhood and though distraught and plagued with 'what ifs' about the night he witnessed the accident as a teenager, that experience gave him the ability to handle emotional pain, which served him well as a cop.  In this book, you'll find stories of domestic violence, car accidents and some ridiculous stories like a runaway wild cow on a street. My favourite tale in the book was the one about the hippo costume. It was absolutely hilarious.

This book absolutely captured my attention. In fact, I spent the better part of the day jumping at any opportunity to be able to continue reading.  It offered a unique insight into the life of a cop, and it was refreshing to look into the mind of one and realize how difficult it must be for the average police officer to think of how best to subdue the criminal while also being mindful of the safety of that said criminal and the surrounding bystanders. Darren Burch masterfully wrote these takes in a way that projected humour without belittling the trauma or loss of the victims. Oddly, for a book about murder, mystery, and loss, he was able to maintain a light atmosphere throughout the book.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, as there were no errors, which is a testament to the professional editing employed, and I found absolutely nothing to hate about this book. Twisted but true tales was a captivating and humour-filled read.

I would recommend this book to mystery lovers who have a twisted sense of humour. Sensitive readers should note that the book contains scenes of a sexual nature and derogatory words.

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Twisted But True
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