Osborne reads his own memoir with a New York City accent and colorful language. This collection of true tales of police work will capture the attention and imagination of most adult listeners. Osborne's first--person accounts of apprehending criminals and comforting victims are both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The author's encounters with criminals are not toned down for the audience but presented realistically and include the grit and humor inherent in human interactions. Osborne introduces this collection of stories by explaining how he became a writer and performer after retiring from the NYPD in 2003, performing numerous times at The Moth storytelling events. The recording includes two live performances from The Moth. -VERDICT Osborne engenders respect and sympathy with his conversational narration of this audiobook. Unless foul language is a deal breaker for your patrons, they may find this one of the most entertaining nonfiction performances of the year.-Ann Weber, San Jose, CA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

*Starred Review* Cops are innately good storytellers, and Osborne must be one of the best. He was an NYPD cop for 20 years, coming on the job when crack was king in the 1980s and retiring, two decades later in 2003, as the commanding officer of the Manhattan Gang Squad. The 14 riveting chapters here were shaped by Osborne's experience as a stand-up memoirist with the Moth Project (True Tales Told Live), in which people talk about their experiences in live events, on podcasts, or on the Moth Radio Hour. Osborne went the live route a few years ago, and the immediacy of live performance carries over into his writing. From his first account of witnessing a stabbing in broad daylight right in front of his patrol car in Washington Square Park, through his takes on drug dealers, stakeouts, pursuits, and a millionaire stockbroker accused of rape, who emerges from his loft apartment with a flak jacket and a gun, Osborne takes us inside what he was told as a recruit would be the greatest show on earth. The chapter on how he pursued a robber into a New York subway tunnel itself could win an award for most terrifying. Osborne laces his war stories with reflections on what the job does to cops how it makes them cynical and how it forces them to build a wall between themselves and their emotions.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2015 Booklist

Osborne shares stories from his 20 years as a N.Y.C. police offer. Each one contains some measure of danger, hilarity, and ridiculousness, usually ending with a heart-warming message. Osborne's pieces, which were largely adopted from his unscripted performances for the popular radio show the Moth, work quite well when narrated, especially with Osborne breathing life into them. He knows all the right places to put emphasis, pause, move quickly, and slow down. His deep and raspy voice pulls in listeners and keeps them engaged throughout the production. His thick N.Y.C. accent adds flavor and authenticity to the narration, enhancing it in a way that the book could never achieve. It's hard to imagine that a professional narrator could do better. A Doubleday hardcover. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.