Search results for: corruption

Book Review: Manhunters by Steve Murphy and Javier F. Peña

About: Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar, the World’s Most Wanted Criminal by Steve Murphy and Javier F. Peña is a memoir of the two Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents who spent decades hunting drug traffickers. The two authors are the subject of the Netflix show Narcos, which follows their hunt for Pablo Escobar in Colombia. 352 pages Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Language: English ISBN-10: 1250202884 My rat­ing for Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar, the World’s Most Wanted Criminal — 5 Buy Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar, the World’s Most Wanted Criminal from Amazon.com* More Books by Steve Murphy* More Books by Javier F. Peña* Thoughts: This is a fascinating look inside the DEA, how they worked this famous case, and their relationship with outside entities. The authors are very generous in giving credit where its due, and not taking all the glory for themselves. Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar, the World’s Most Wanted Criminal by Steve Murphy and Javier F. Peña is written with alternating chapters by the authors. They talk about their beginnings in law enforcement, their time at the DEA academy, their lives in Colombia, and up to the…

Book Review: The Mastermind by David Unger
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / April 4, 2016

About: The Mastermind by David Unger is a novel about corruption and its toll on Guatemala. Mr. Unger, Guatemalan, writes in English but was still awarded Guatemala’s Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature for lifetime achievement in 2014. 320 pages Publisher: Akashic Books (March 14, 2016) ASIN: B01C6D0KFS My rat­ing for The Mastermind — 4 Buy The Mastermind from Amazon.com* Thoughts: My initial issue with The Mastermind by David Unger is that I did not like the protagonist, Guillermo Rosensweig., Mr. Rosensweig is a jerk, a bad father, bad husband, bad business partner and even cheats on the woman he cheats with. But he is a good and successful lawyer. The novel, though, kept my interest by describing the corruption in Guatemala and how it affects many people throughout society. Having lived in New Jersey for most of my life I know how corruption in institutions has a way to become legalized and even moralized (not that I’m comparing the level of corruption) by community and political leaders. This novel is certainly engaging and interesting even though it takes almost half the book to build up, and the corruption is only secondary to the protagonist’s interest in leaving his wife for his…

Book Review: Jewish Noir by Kenneth Wishnia (Editor)
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / October 27, 2015

Jewish noir is a genre which I generally enjoy. The Jewish people like to think of themselves as the “chose ones”, but that title is a mixed blessing and a curse. It’s interesting to read how the definition of noir changed from economic desperation and government corruption to stories about simply fitting in, belonging and all the drama and trauma that it entails.

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