Undercover: Operation Julie- The Inside Story

Stephen
Bentley
Genre: 
Other

MEMOIR/TRUE CRIME:  Operation Julie was a huge undercover operation that took place in Britain in 1970’s. Stephen Bentley gives his version of his life, together with that of his partner, as an undercover agent during this time. He describes how they built their relationship, memorized the lives of their new identities and the adventures and characters they met during their investigation. Mind you, this was before cell phones and when LSD and Cocaine were at an all time high in popularity. Not only did their investigation show highlight illicit drug use in Britain, but they uncovered how it got there and the other countries that were involved. This is an enlightening account of the war on drugs.

 

Mr. Bentley is very transparent in his memoir. He takes his job very seriously and expresses his feelings of being under-appreciated, and rightly so. There is great detail of meetings and how he and his partner carried on their day-to-day living, the relationships that were formed and a few that were ruined; all are very relatable. The pace really starts to pick up around Chapter 4 and holds steady with the drama. There are many characters and names in this book and some readers may have difficulty keeping track. The true facts of this memoir are harsh and this is not a book for enjoyment but very informational and gives insight to the war on drugs and how impossible it seems to fight. We all need to thank officers for their service and sacrifices.

 

Viola Robins