Undisclosed Files of the Police

By: Bernard Whalen, Philip Messing, Robert Mladinich

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

More than 175 years of true crimes culled from the city's police blotter, told through startling, insightful text by two NYPD officers and a NYC crime reporter.

From atrocities that occurred before the establishment of New York's police force in 1845 through the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 to the present day, this history is an insider's look at more than 80 real-life crimes that shocked the nation, from arson to gangland murders, robberies, serial killers, bombings, and kidnappings, including:

• Architect Stanford White's fatal shooting at Madison Square Garden over his deflowering of a teenage chorus girl
• The anarchist bombing of Wall Street in 1920, which killed 39 people and injured hundreds more with flying shrapnel
• The 1928 hit at the Park Sheraton Hotel on mobster Arnold Rothstein, who died refusing to name his shooter
• Kitty Genovese's 1964 senseless stabbing, famously witnessed by dozen of bystanders who did not intervene
• Son of Sam, a serial killer who eluded police for months while terrorizing the city, was finally apprehended through a simple parking ticket

Perfect for crime buffs, urban historians, and fans of Serial and Making a Murderer, this riveting collection details New York's most startling and unsettling crimes through behind-the-scenes analysis of investigations and more.

©2016 Bernard Whalen and Philip Messing (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

" Undisclosed Files of the Police has something for every crime aficionado, from Mafia buffs to those who are captivated by headline grabbing trials." (Anthony M. DeStefano, Newsday)

"An extensive buffet of New York City's real crime history, served up in spicy bite-sized portions." (Raymond W. Kelly, former NYC police commissioner)

"New York characters galore, both good guys and gangsters, leap from the pages of Undisclosed Files of the Police." (Sam Roberts, The New York Times )

Good History of Crime in NYC

Short stories of NYC crime that the NYPD was involved in/investigated etc. From old crimes to more recent. I was worried this was just going to be a NYPD praise book but that's not the case. Very impartial and worth the read. I enjoyed it. Very dark though at times but that is crime I suppose.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Excellent book. excellent research!

Fascinating exploration of the history of NYPD and its famous cases. A real page turner.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Great for listening in small bits

Would you listen to Undisclosed Files of the Police again? Why?

This audiobook is perfect for people who like to listen in small bits - on the treadmill, while doing dishes, etc. Each story is self-contained and gripping enough to get you through a few minutes of doing something else that's not that fun.

Any additional comments?

Some obvious audio editing problems - the sound fades in and out at times, and you can definitely hear where pick-ups were inserted. Doesn't distract too much.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Know your geography

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you like true crime you will probably enjoy this book. The stories move quickly and don’t waste a lot of time on irrelevant details.

Have you listened to any of Peter Ganim’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first audable book with Peter Ganim, he was easy to understand and follow throughout the book.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

I was fascinated by the amount of data available in some of these very old cases.

Any additional comments?

If you are familiar with NYC you will get more out of the stories. I have never been there so I had difficulty putting relevance to specific areas mentioned.

Just Okay

The tales in this book are definitely biased, but still entertaining. The voice acting was a touch melodramatic and campy at times, but it was still a decent listen.

Gripping

Fast moving and factually accurate. Also, not for your minds due to disturbing details.
J ferguson

Interesting

For crime buffs this book is a treat. From crimes of the 1800's to the Twin Towers and beyond, these authors bring interesting crime scenes to our attention. Thank you.

Absolute Overview

it is exactly what it says it is. An overview of murders from before the 5 Burroughs became NYC and after. The police stretched thin. The FBI not sharing information so they could bulk up their performance reviews. Most of the crimes, I'd never heard of. The book gives you options to take note of the ones that made an impression upon you; so, you can dig further into it on your own. I liked this book immensely for being true to it's title.

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Bad editing at the beginning - heard the author clear his throat at the end of the introduction. Reader was excellent. Book was a bit thin on the research and obviously focused on lionizing the NYPD, but entertaining on the whole.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Research is thin at best

Any additional comments?

The research seems very thin for each of the stories covered, many of which were highly publicized both at the time and in modernity, which kind of belies the "undisclosed" claim of the title.

About halfway through it takes a very pronounced (and uncomfortable) turn into specifically enumerating crimes by non-white and/or non-Western European perpetrators with emphasis on the fact that they are a person of color, Jewish, Italian, etc. Quite often outdated racial terms are used (most notably the free and seemingly oblivious use of the terms "Chinaman" and "the blacks") rather than more modern terms, which derails the credibility of the authors as unbiased reporters rather than embedded gossips.

If you're looking for a breakneck 30-second overview of the crime history of New York and don't mind cringing a little at the terminology and coddling of police negligence this might be your thing. Personally I was less than impressed with getting less than a Wikipedia page worth of information per story.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful