After reading “Say Nothing” by Patrick Radden Keefe, I knew I had found a journalist that could take an intricate and difficult story and tell it in a compelling way. Say Nothing is an excellent book about ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, which you should read if you haven’t already, but this review isn’t about that book. When I saw that he had written another non-fiction book, I knew I had to read it. I was glad I did.

Rogues is a collection of strange but fascinating true crime stories. Remember when we actually used to read magazines and get drawn into those long, fascinating stories we didn’t know would be interesting until we started reading them? These stories reminded me of that feeling. I remember poring through National Geographic magazines and getting into those articles. Long-form journalism isn’t dead, as this collection of stories shows us, but it is certainly hard to find those that do it well. I was interested in every story of this book. There was no filler.

Every story was interesting in a way that made me want to learn even more about the topic: Wine tasters what are they? Bourdain made lots of shows, I want to watch some now.

Summer is the season to travel, and this is the perfect book to sit down and get lost in as you wait to board your plane, or ride the train through Europe. It’s hard to define what a ‘summer read’ is but I think this one qualifies. This is a book that I think appeals to almost anyone. Who doesn’t like to read about villians and try to understand a bit about what makes them tick?

Rating: ★★★★★

Book #50 in my 2022 Reading Challenge