I understand and appreciate the intent behind this book: to offer support and validation to those in the line of duty, while also giving the general public a glimpse into the realities of police work. Eric's writing is clear, and the structure of the book, with its appropriately sized chapters and overall digestible length, makes it an easy read on the surface.

That said, I personally struggled to connect with many of the stories. While they were clearly intended to be humorous, I found the comedic value difficult to access. Scenes involving individuals in crisis or physical confrontations, though presented with levity, didn’t land for me as funny, likely because the reality behind them was too present. Had these anecdotes been purely fictional, I may have been more inclined to find humor in them. But knowing they were drawn from real-life situations made it harder for me to laugh along.

Ultimately, I think this book just wasn’t for me, and that’s okay. It’s likely better suited for readers who have a closer connection to law enforcement culture or a different perspective on gallows humor. While I didn’t walk away entertained, I did walk away with a clearer understanding of the pressures and absurdities officers face daily—and for that, I’m still glad I read it.

Having read this with an extensive background in law enforcement I felt it was a bit over the top. The author seemed to almost sensationalize the fact he "stuck his nose" in work he shouldn't have which lead to his career ending as opposed to just telling the stories of a career in law enforcement. I understand that he was including the stories that would sell his book but just seemed over the top and a little pretentious.

Thanks to atria and NetGalley for this arc.

I initially thought this was going to be more of a comedic memoir, and while it is funny, it gives an eye opening insight on the life of a law enforcement officer.

The stories were funny but also humanizing. I would recommend basically to anyone.

Eric Tansey’s “Pig Latin” was an eye-opening look at a field that most people probably have some sort of preconceived notion about. Advertised as a comedic look into the world of a police officer, this book starts off fitting that mold, but does, understandably, veer off into some of the more serious aspects of the job. I thought the stories were captivating, making me laugh out loud, or sometimes sticking with me long after I had put the book down. I think especially in recent times, it’s a great perspective from one of the “good guys”, who genuinely wants to make the community a better place. As someone with several LEO in the family, I would definitely recommend this book.

Honest emotional look into a cop's life. Stories that are funny and heartbreaking, it also talks about
the emotional toll it takes on police officers. The effects of politics and society on law enforcement are
sobering. An engrossing read which gives one a better understanding of what law enforcement
officers do and endure.
#PigLatin #AtriaBooks #NetGalley

2 Stars! This book was incredibly funny with a lot real world stories that I found interesting and gave me empathy for the officer. I didn't like the rant that the author went on several times about the system that he signed up to work for and the administration above him. I totally understand not liking your boss or the changes in policy but the way it was handled in the book and presented just gave me a different outlook on the author. Thank you to NetGally for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book.

This book was a lot darker and depressing than I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong, some of the author’s stories about his past life/career as a cop were funny and downright crazy. I think the author has a strong and down to earth personality but something felt off. I would still recommend it to friends, but I was expecting a comical story about police work gone hilariously wrong.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free arc. Some amazing stories but overshadowed by the author's self descriptions.

Reading Pig Latin was like sitting down with an old friend who just happens to have a lifetime of wild, raw, and hilarious stories from the front lines of police work. What I loved most was how real Tansey's storytelling is—this isn’t just a highlight reel of arrests and antics. It’s a journey, following him from rookie days to the end of his career, showing all the triumphs, mistakes, and hard truths.

Tansey doesn’t try to paint himself as perfect—he’s honest about his mistakes, his growth, and the moments that shook him. Something that really stuck with me was how deeply he was affected when some of whom he tried to help, just didn't make it. You could feel how personal those moments were to him, and it gave the book real emotional weight beneath the humor.

And speaking of humor—classic Tansey. If you know him, you already know he’s got a one-of-a-kind way of making you laugh even when the subject matter gets heavy. It’s sharp, self-deprecating, and perfectly timed.

As a police wife, I’d recommend this book to every police officer, former officer, and the families who support them. It’s not just entertaining—it’s a powerful reminder of what life behind the badge is really like.

What a journey Eric Tansey took as a police officer in Raleigh, North Carolina! His stories are raw and real. He highlights his successes and failures with complete honesty and transparency. He is not afraid to call out the frustrations of police work in our politically soft moment. The stories and ribbing between officers keep the readers engaged, laughing, shaking heads, cringing, and feeling the fear and adrenaline of the job. My respect for the men and women behind the badge has grown as a result of reading this memoir. It is definitely worth a read.

The four stars are due to minor qualms. I'm not naive to the presence of foul language used between cops and criminals or between officers in conversation. The use of expletives goes beyond these interactions, however, and is a regular part of the storytelling method, as well. Other than some corny figures of speech, flat attempts at humor, and frequent breaking down of the third wall between author and reader - the stories flow naturally and help the reader to experience a ride-along on the streets of Raleigh.

To be transparent, I requested this book for review from NetGalley because I am friends with the author's parents and knew him as a child. I am proud that he has become a successful husband and father. I am grateful for his service in the military and as a police officer. But I'm also glad to see that some of the personality traits of his childhood remain intact and he is authentically himself. Reading a couple of the reviews of this book, I've noticed that reviewers are turned off by Eric's politics and rigid opinions. Isn't this why we read... to experience things we have never personally experienced through the eyes of people different than ourselves? A mature reader should be able to assess a book without letting their judgment of the author color their conclusion.

Anyway, if you are interested in true stories told by a real cop who faced life and death situations frequently on the beat - Pig Latin is a must-read.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy! Though the content in this book can be a lot to take in, Eric and Nick do a great job of placing the humor in along the way. You think you know what our law enforcement go through, but you really have no idea of what they really deal with. This book is mixed with so much emotion, there is no way I could do this job. I am so thankful there are individuals like Eric who take this risk everyday to protect their communities. I do have to say as the book wrapped up I was so disappointed to see how he was treated and taken off the force. I can't believe law and government officials can treat somebody like that! I wish Eric all the success in the world!

PHENOMENAL. This book will give you every emotion, sometimes within the same paragraph. Follow Eric Tansey’s police career with stories that are powerful and entertaining. You’ll want to stop mid page to go thank a cop, but also won’t be able to put this down with non stop action.

I wasn’t totally sure what I was getting into with this book. I don’t think I’ve ever really read a police memoir before, but I’m all about learning new things and adventuring into unfamiliar territory. What really pulled me in was the premise — that it wasn’t about glorifying police officers, but about showing what the job is really like. That felt honest and important.

There were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments — a few scenes I really wish had been recorded because I would’ve loved to watch them. But alongside the humor were some heavy, emotional parts. It made me think a lot about the state of our society and how broken some systems are.

What hit hard for me was how much politics dictate public services — from law enforcement to the military to education. It’s infuriating. Decisions start to feel less about what’s best for society and more about what makes someone look good on TV. Tansy even mentions how the media will find a flooded ditch during a “hurricane” just to broadcast fear, and honestly… he’s not wrong. News has become more about clicks and drama than truth.

I’m really grateful I read this book. I appreciated how the author was willing to show both the good and the frustrating parts of the job. He nailed that weird contradiction: people complain there are too many cops, but then are furious when there aren’t enough to respond quickly. It’s a no-win situation, and it sucks that because a few departments were “dirty,” everyone in law enforcement started feeling the heat. I think this book does a great job explaining that nuance.

As the wife of a police officer, this book touched me deeply. I couldn’t put it down - I read it straight through in less than 2 days. It’s all the stories you hear when hanging with the squad, with all the hilarity and all the unbelievable (but true) details, but with the added humanity, emotion, and complexity that you may not hear unless you love a cop. I’m proud of the work Eric and his comrades did in the city of Raleigh, and on this book, and I’m hopeful that more young men and women will hear the call to action and fill the ranks with valor and dedication. Even though the pages of this book are black and white, the stories show that police work isn’t. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like as a cop on the streets, you’ll learn that and much more by reading even just one chapter of this book.

The way Eric told the journey of his time as a police officer was heart wrenching, exciting, and scary. Each chapter was a moving story of Eric growing into his roll and learning the neighborhood that he was serving. It was hard to read some of the stories that he told but was very eye opening as to what all goes on behind the day-to-day work of an officer. I love that the was able to retire and start his business, even though it "forced" the retirement a bit sooner than he may have been ready for.

"A tome to rival Mark Baker's 'COPS', written for this generation" is what I would expect from a dust jacket review for this autobiography.

This book was my first from either of these authors and leaves me ready for more. The manuscript reads like a narration to an episode of Cops. Told in the first person from the real life accounts of Tansey's time in police service, the vignettes will leave you laughing, others crying, some stunned with the the author's grief. All of them will leave you changed.

No matter your opinion of Police or policing in America, this book will leave you thinking differently about what you "know". The tales ring true and are written in unvarnished words which leave the reader walking the same fine line of wanting more of the rush and action but also exhausted of the pain and politics.

Tansey and Palmisciano are engaging storytellers who strike just the right balance in a genre with few entrants. 'Pig Latin' is equally a must-read for those in and adjacent to the profession as well as ordinary citizens.

This honest review is provided in connection with my receipt of an ARC copy through NetGalley provided by the generous staff of Atria Books.

I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will seek out more material like this to publish in the future.

This book is really hard for me to rate and review. I was expecting something much different. The title says it is a funny story. I did not think this book was funny. In fact, I found it very dark. It starts out with a few good stories, and I think it is pretty interesting,but not funny. Then, the middle of the book has a lot of blood and dying. Throughout this portion of the book, I keep looking back at the book description to make sure it says it is supposed to be funny. I really didn't enjoy this portion of the book and realize now that I must not be the target audience.

I did enjoy some of the police stories, and I also enjoyed the parts where he talks about his wine interests. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if the author had shared more of his personal life and made it more of a memoir.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

A surprisingly insightful, thoughtful exploration of Tansey's personal experiences - heart wrenching, thought provoking, and often hilarious. He explores both his personal growth along with the changes in policing. It is unapologetically honest, and everyone is fair game for mockery - usually him! I enjoyed this more than I anticipated. The short story form really encouraged "just one more" and I blame him for some lost sleep!

Thank you for this ARC. I rated the book here and on Good reads 4 stars for the entertainment value. However, I elected not to review the book on Goodreads because the content was a bit disturbing to me. As a Public Defender for almost 20 years, I also see society at it's lowest moments. However, not nearly as much of the up close and personal way Mr. Tansey has see it. I can however very much identify with the need to find humor in the horror of what we encounter in our daily grind. For this reason, I truly laughed along with many of these stories because sometimes, that's all we can do.
Yet I have to say, I found the racial interplay between these white cops and black citizens to be a bit disturbing. While I truly believe the stories are drenched in fact, as we in these sorts of professions literally can't make this shit up, I find the conclusive assertions about a community highly oversimplified and dismissive of the background and basis of generations of poverty, crime, gangs and mistrust of police. While one can be a very good police officer with a high degree of intelligence and competence, it does not make him a expert in public policy, sociologist or psychologist. Similarly, while I am a competent, highly qualified attorney who deals with human turmoil and psychiatric illness on a daily basis; I am by no means an expert to diagnose treat or cure the illnesses of my clients or the society in which they live. These thoughts cause me to give pause to applaud this book because I am applauding the dark humor laughs but find the thought provoking messages the book aims to send somewhat troublesome.

Not sure what to think a out this book. Not sure what to think about this book.

The story was a bit scary to be honest as I kept thinking how weird humans can be. I would not feel comfortable saying thise was entertaining considering the overall subject matter, but it was informative.