A pretty surface level book, like describing investigation work to a teen. The FBI bits he dabbled in were terrorism tracing since so many had links to South FL and humdrum divorcee custody “kidnappings.” We don’t delve much into those or his cookie cutter background as an Air Force cop/San Fran college kid looking for a surprisingly cheaper transfer to MIA. There he studies/wiretaps mob enforcers with help of the Italian Police.

The locale is interesting, especially because I lived there ten yrs later and it’s all so different—IDK if I ever even seen a fellow Italian in my years there. Even though tech and tracking improved so much, the author laments the many hindering policy changes because all attention was going into homeland security.

He explains the job in the most obvious terms. Of course you have to find good informants or check phone records, get on with specifics. I hate things that aren’t written as compelling as fiction. Make me feel like I’m there, not reading a report. Or gen work gossip rehashings. It unfortunately makes me think anyone can be an FBI agent, no matter how socially unaware.

This is the tale of two books.
One, which I found interesting, is the undercover investigation into a member of the Italian mafia, based in Miami. Although, while it was interesting, I think it was a bit too much time and effort spent on a mid-level mafia member (at best). The resulting convictions and sentences really appear underwhelming considering the investments.
Two, which was mildly interesting but really seemed off putting, was the large part of the book about the culture of today's FBI. It really seemed more like gossip and trash talking by the author. If the author was still part of the FBI, I think he would find himself on an island. Who would want to work with someone who degraded his partners this way? It seems the book was more of a personal vendetta against the FBI than an investigation into the mafia.
I was left disappointed.

The premise of this book follows the author and former FBI agent Jerry Hester and career in the FBI with a focus on one particular case. He covers his start in the bureau with his assignment in San Francisco. Quickly the story moves to his assignment in Miami, Florida. This is where the majority of book takes place with a look into one case called Paesan Blues and the attempt apprehend Roberto Settineri a Sicilian crime boss. Unfortunately, while you would think the story would surround this case it is only a small portion of the book. The author's main focus is how the FBI operates and at times it felt quite technical and unless you are well read in the operations of the bureau you do not know if the views of the author are slanted. The large part of this book is the authors opinions of how dysfunctional the FBI is and how good he was and made it feel more of a me me story. Give it a read and see what you think. I consider it at best average.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was a decent account of the FBI investigation of the Settineri arrest by an FBI case agent in Miami.

What I liked:

Hester gives insight into the bureau and how it has changed, and not, it seems, for the better. We often see mafia movies and media coverage about the perpetrators and not so much from the investigatory side. I enjoyed learning more about how he read the personalities not just of those he investigated but of those on his team. I appreciated learning about cooperation between the FBI and the Italian National Police.

What I disliked:

The author, very frequently, references his colleagues in a way that made me dislike both parties. For example, he had issues with a member of the team suggesting a wiretap, because he didn't feel that the investigation was ready... but the wiretap ended up giving helpful information. (There are more examples like this). He chose to write about where, in a trip to Italy, his colleague was attracted to a member of the Italian National Police )who didn't feel the same way). This felt like a jab at his former colleague, and completely unnecessary to further the plot, only to gossip or make us dislike her more. He mentions how his team members won awards where he should have received recognition - and while I believe that he did so much work, the way it is presented felt a little petty.

I would have loved to see more background on Settineri, or the author to reflect more on how he honed his skills. One of the authors strengths is reflecting on Settineri's need for respect, and how he tried to incorporate that into various aspects of the investigation - where to meet, how to vet the right undercover agent, how to conduct the arrest and any potential cooperation... if the author focuses more on these aspects in future endeavors, I can see myself reading more by Hester.