Broken Shield

This is an enjoyable, well-written story of author Ray Morrow’s life long wish to be an FBI agent from the time he was a kid, and how he strives for years to make that happen. You get to go along with Ray as he applies for different positions in the FBI and even works undercover in Chicago. You get to read all about it as he sets up the bad guys. If you like this kind of genre, you will probably like this book. I did for sure, I wanted to stay up all night to finish it. Ray seems like a super nice guy, someone you’d like to meet and have as a friend. Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Ray Morrow, and the publisher.

Ray's experiences as an undercover agent are captivating- each experience described is a short, suspenseful moment in itself. From being introduced to justice as a young child, to standing up for his dream, and staying true to himself, this book inspires any reader that they can also pursue their dreams, stick to their morals, and keep family close.

Plot
We follow Ray Morrow and his dream from a young age to be an FBI agent.

Ending – Thumbs up or meh
Mixed. I want Book 2.

Book surmised in 5 words or less
A heart in mouth read.

A keep you up all night read?
Yes!

My thoughts
Thank you to Ray Morrow, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
It is a tradition I think to ask a kid at primary school what they want to do when they grow up. For Ray Morrow, his dream was to join the FBI and this book follows that dream and his journey.

Mostly the book covers Ray’s first undercover role in the FBI, an investigation into police corruption.
I found this a fascinating and (heartstopping) scary read . The backstory and work that went into setting up the undercover operation was just fascinating. It would be boring if everything always went right and there were some bits in the book where I wanted to yell “oh no”.

As a fan of true crime, I enjoyed this book immensely.

I was sad to finish it. I would have liked more about Ray’s life after this undercover role finished but I guess that will follow in Book 2!

What will I take away from this book?
I have a boring day job!

Broken Shield is a riveting unfiltered view detailing the highs and lows of a lifelong law enforcement officer. As you read the book, you feel as though you are right beside Ray as he goes from a young boy dreaming of being an FBI Special Agent to accomplishing his goal. The intimate details shared of the sacrifices made by an agent during an undercover operation make the book a must read.

Broken Shield by Ray Morrow is the story of his childhood obsession to join the FBI,while his Father was equally obsessed with his Son becoming a Pharmacist. While I'm sure there's many a thrilling tale to be told of dispensing pills and diagnosing the general public's aches and pains I suspect they might not make for such a thrilling book and luckily for True Crime enthusiasts Morrow junior won that argument..
The book tells of Morrow's early years and family life prior to joining the FBI,both are relevant as they show his commitment to the Bureau and his wife and family and the strains when it came to choices he made during his career. Another obsession, a bit of a theme with Ray, was with the book "Donnie Brasco" by Joe Pistone ,which I'm sure no True Crime reader will need to be reminded is probably the most famous book about an FBI undercover operation written so far. Inspired by this Morrow applies for undercover work and is pleased,and not a little surprised, to find that despite his lack of experience he's given the chance to go undercover to investigate a group of corrupt police officers.
From there Morrow details the operation,the heart in mouth moments,and there are a few,when he thinks he's been "rumbled" and not least the devastating effect going undercover has on his family life..
This is a great read, Ray Morrow has had an amazing career and has been lucky enough to do things ,and meet people, that he always dreamed of doing. It's not quite as good as "Donnie Brasco" ,I'd have liked a deeper insight into some of the villains Morrow dealt with, but I've a read of other books about undercover operatives and this is up with the best of the rest. There's a nice twist at the end that I won't spoil for readers but Morrow receives accolades for his work from a source that means a lot to him.
An enjoyable book about a very brave and driven man,if you're a True Crime buff you'll love it.

Thanks to Ray Morrow , BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A fascinating and very readable autobiography of Ray Morrow that takes you from him as a young boy avidly watching FBI agent Inspector Lewis Erskine on tv through to him becoming an FBI agent himself and his experiences on his very successful first undercover operation.

A large portion of the book takes you through the Cleveland Police undercover operation that Ray was heavily involved in, taking you right through to the prosecution of nearly 50 people, of which 30 were police officers. It's a fascinating account, explaining why and how the FBI do things the way they do but also a personal account of how Ray felt and how it affected his family life. I found myself regularly saying, just one more chapter.....

Highly recommended!

The real life story of corruption, stolen goods, illegal high-stakes gambling and drug trafficking, ‘Broken Shield’ chronicles the actions of FBI Agent Ray Morrow’s three year undercover operation to expose illegal activity within the Cleveland Police Department. Dubbed operation “SHIRON“, Agent Morrow posed as a local businessman from 1989 to 1992 and was successful in engaging several high ranking officials of the CPD to provide protection for his illicit activities, resulting in the conviction of 29 police officers and 19 civilians.

Broken Shield provides the ultimate insider’s vantage point of this operation, from the inexperienced Morrow learning the inner workings of illegal gambling and drug trafficking, to the personal loss Agent Morrow experienced as his marriage and family life succumbed to the all encompassing role he had assumed in service to law and order. Through professional development, personal loss and risk to his life each and every day for three years, Agent Morrow is credited with delivering a victory for right versus wrong in an operation still considered, by the FBI, to be one of the finest examples of unearthing police corruption in the nation’s history.

A true hero, and a ten star read as the author captures every death defying moment with vivid detail.

i really enjoyed this memoir, the stories were really interesting and I liked Mr. Morrow's writing style. I'm glad I was able to read this.

The real deal! What most people know about the FBI comes from novels, TV shows, and movies. However, with his memoir Ray Morrow shows you what it's really like to be an undercover FBI agent, including the personal sacrifices made by the agent's family and loved ones. This is the real deal. Outstanding book. Must read!

Broken Shield is part police procedural and part memoir but it reads like a novel. It's both entertaining and interesting.. Broken Shield is extremely well written; however. In my opinion, it needs a second edit for minor grammatical and punctuation errors.

Ray Morrow had wanted to be a Special Agent for the FBI Since childhood. His favorite television show had been an FBI procedural featuring Special Agent Bob Erskine. His high school and college education had been planned with that goal in mind.

After college graduation, it took a few years to win a job with the FBI. During that time he read Donnie Brasco by Joe Pistone. Ray decided that he absolutely had to go undercover.

Ray got his chance to go undercover in a case that, including trials, lasted almost four years. His undercover character operated a tee shirt printing company during the day, and ran an illegal casino during the evening hours.

Broken Shield is must read for all lovers of police procedurals.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title for review.

#BrokenShield#NetGalley

You follow Ray along from being a young boy wanting to be a police officer. To find his way by working for the FBI and then working his way through until finding an assignment where is taking down dirty police, he must go undercover this is his story. you get to follow along with a good book.