The Setup

A True Story of Dirty Cops, Soccer Moms, and Reality TV

By: Pete Crooks, Joe Kenda - foreword

Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

The pitch went like this: Chris Butler, a retired cop, ran a private investigator firm in Concord, California. His business had a fascinating angle - his firm was staffed entirely by soccer moms.

In fact, Butler employed PI Super Moms: attractive, organized, smart, and trained in investigative techniques, self-defense, and weaponry. This American Life host Ira Glass described them as "MILF: Charlie's Angels."

When this story came across Pete Crooks's desk when he was working at Diablo magazine in 2010, he was instantly hooked. He'd heard a little bit about Butler and his super moms in the news; they'd been featured in People magazine and on Dr. Phil. What Butler's publicist was offering was too tantalizing to pass up: an opportunity to ride along with Butler and a few of his sexy PIs as they prepared to start filming a reality TV show.

But after the ride-along-and after he started receiving mysterious emails from one of Butler's employees - Crooks started to realize something didn't seem right. After doing a little digging, he discovered the "sting" he'd seen only had one real victim...him. The PI bust had been a setup.

Crooks wasn't a hard-boiled crime reporter. He did lifestyle pieces for a regional magazine. The more he learned about Butler's operation, the more he realized he was in far over his head. But swallowing his fears, he decided he was going to write an expose on Butler and his entire organization. He soon found himself deep in the underbelly of fake sting operations, wannabe celebrities, police corruption, drug-dealing, reality television, double-crossing employees, and more twists and turns than a dozen crime thrillers.

©2015 Pete Crooks (P)2018 Tantor

Mind Blowing

If you know the show Homicide Hunter, it's lead Lt. Joe Kenda, or Carl Marino (who does the reenactments) , this story will blow your mind.
If you aren't familiar with the show, this story will still be quite entertaining, but if you are, be prepared to have your jaw dropped!

The Set Up

Interesting story that was overly long. Also, it included no small amount of self-congratulations and self-praise.

Good

Good book, lots of repeated subject matter, but pretty good. I'm a HUGE Homicide Hunter fan, but not a Carl Marino fan after this eye opening story.

very compelling story

this story was very compelling from start to finish, kept my interest the entire story... would recommend...

Good, but not great.

I never considered quitting, but I wasn't enthralled. It's a decent book. If you enjoy this genre then go for it.

Great listen

Loved it - loved the way the author spells out the story - well written - really enjoyed the storgg y and it’s just the right length

Definitely stranger than fiction

What an eye opener in the ‘reality’ tv business. Even knowing how unreal that reality is this true life glimpse left me gobsmacked. Very entertaining, a wry sense of humor at times and definitely worth the listen. As a side note: it’s extremely ironic that the actor who portrays Lt Joe Kenda ret. is so lacking in all the values he represents.

perfect

I loved every chapter of this book. Strongly recommend to everyone. Finished in one week.

Interesting Read

The Setup was fascinating up until the chapters in the 20s. I love Lt. Joe Kenda and am very disappointed to learn that he is portrayed by Carl the douche-bag. Peter Crooks is naive as Carl Marino is narcissistic. If I had stopped listening around chapter 23 I probably would have given an overall rating of 4 0r 5. Peter and Carl degenerated into a needy teenage girls. Peter so desperate for vindication for his fake ride-along (dog with a bone) and credit for the take down of Butler; and Carl wanting his big Hollywood break and being a hero, I do recommend listening/reading. The true story is a doozy and quite enjoyable. Its a shame how whiny the story telling got towards the end.

This author sucks.

While you will find a scandalous and hilarious event at the core of this book, but it is severely hindered by this journalist. Not only does he use insanely problematic, insensitive and unprofessional language at every turn, he's also just irritating and self-righteous. Any time you think Pete Crooks will stop calling sex workers "wh*res and prostitutes," think again. Sometimes I'd hear a quote and thought, "surely these aren't the author's actual words; human people don't talk like this." Wrong again. Pete Crooks, do better. This reads less like an actual criminal investigation and more like a journal of a scorned teenage girl. Pete...I don't want to be cruel, but Carl Marino will NEVER be as into you as you are into him. Here's a drinking game you should NEVER play because it will result in acute alcohol intoxication: take a shot every time he brings up how he thought Carl was his friend and how much it hurt his feelings every time Carl disappointed him. Not sure why. Carl acts like an increasingly self-absorbed, moustache-twirling cartoon villain who has proven to be nothing but universally unreliable. Narrator is great, though. Even though he's forced to say some of the most cringe combinations of words I've ever heard.