Sounds like he fought the good fight, but too pedantic for me... ( )

This book was a Good Reads First Read contest win.

Wow I read this hole book several weeks ago and I realized at the end that this was a true crime novel. I guess that shows how much I pay attention to the outside of the cover and what the media says about a book. I honestly thought this was going to be about someone's (the authors) opinion about Whitey Bulger.

This book goes in to some detail about how Agent Fitzpatrick tried to capture Bulger. How Fitzpatrick had to deal with learning about his corrupt fellow agents. How Fitzpatrick was one of the few agents that would not be corrupted.

This is the first True Crime book I have read but it will not be the last. This was great reading.

The bunnies and I give this book 4-Carrots. ( )

“Betrayal” by Robert Fitzpatrick with Jon Land
“Betrayal” is a nonfictional account of the ultimate apprehension of one of the most controlling gangsters in Boston, Massachusetts’ history. Fitzpatrick and Land relate true details of what is referred to as, “…one of the greatest failures in the history of federal law enforcement.”
According to evidence and testimony, the Boston division of the FBI was home to continual corruption, including leaks by federal agents. Typically, when we think of the FBI, we think of those sworn to uphold the law and keep our citizens safe. Robert Fitzpatrick vowed to bring to an end the reign of terror that was running rampant. Whitey Bulger and Stephen Flemmi practically owned the FBI. On the roster as ‘top echelon informants’ (TEs), they were practically untouchable.
John Connolly and John Morris, among several others, exalted the status of these TEs for their own gain, while even more turned a blind eye to what was going on. Because of inaction and the blatant immorality, several informants were not only murdered by Bulger and Flemmi, but tortured before their deaths. According to the authors, almost everything done to fight Bulger and Flemmi was disclosed. Information vital to the apprehension and arrest of the mobsters was leaked by Connolly and other agents, thereby causing the deaths of the informants that were powerful enough to put an end to Bulger and Flemmi’s period of power and static hold on the FBI.
Fitzpatrick fought tooth and nail to close Bulger and Flemmi as TEs and for his work, he was labeled a piranha by the upper tier of the FBI. He even reported the SAC of the office and for doing so, ended up being investigated himself. He ultimately left that office and soon thereafter, retired.
But still Fitzpatrick hung on. He wanted justice for the victims and wanted Bulger, Flemmi and all of the corrupted agents to pay.
A well-written, factual book that will stun its readers with the depth of the corruption many thought impossible.
Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “Deadly Decisions” ( )