“The Empire of Pain” was a key reason for me to pick this book up — Keefe’s extensive research and narrative style made that book an extremely interesting read for me. And, after reading “Rogues”, I was pleased to find out that the quality of research that he’s undertaken for the 12 true stories in this book and his story-telling abilities, even though these were written over 12 years for “The New Yorker”, remain undiminished. “Rogues”, as the title’s byline suggests, is a collection of true stories of grifters, killers, rebels, and crooks.
However, one usual shortcoming of attempts to collate previously written stories or essays into a book (to take advantage of an author’s recent success, as a cynic may argue) is the mixed-bag nature of the quality of the content. Unfortunately, this is true of “Rogues” as well. While some stories stand out for featuring issues that few have heard about, others are on mundane topics and the published and author seem to have chosen them largely to get to an overall round dozen number. The essays on fake collector wines, on Mark Burnett’s role in resurrecting Donald Trump’s image and in his eventual rise to Presidency through “The Apprentice” TV show, the motivations of a defence lawyer in taking up cases featuring the worst criminals and the story of chef Anthony Bourdain and his Emmy-winning travel show were all fascinating reads. On the other hand, the essays on a crime family, mass shooting by a neurobiologist, the hunt for a cartel boss and data theft and whistle blowing were ordinary without any significant new insights.
Overall, I would still rate this book a 4/5 for Keefe’s research and writing style. This book is also an easy read and can be paired with another more serious book.
Pros: Well-researched, interesting narration
Cons: Mixed bag in terms of how interesting the stories are
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