Breaking Blue

Written by Timothy Egan

Narrated by Malcolm Hillgartner

In 1935, the Spokane police regularly extorted sex, food, and money from the reluctant hobos (many of them displaced farmers who had fled the midwestern dust bowls), robbed dairies, and engaged in all manner of nefarious crimes, including murder. This history was suppressed until 1989, when former logger, Vietnam vet, and Spokane cop Tony Bamonte discovered a strange 1955 deathbed confession while researching a thesis on local law enforcement history.

Bamonte began to probe what had every appearance of widespread police crime and a massive cover-up whose highlight was the unsolved murder of Town Marshall George Conff. The fact that many of those involved, now in their 80s and 90s, were still alive made it imperative that Bamonte unravel this mystery. The result is Breaking Blue, a white-knuckle ride through institutional corruption and cover-up that vividly documents Depression-era Spokane and an extraordinary case that few believed would ever be brought to light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Feb 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781531832315

Timothy Egan

TIMOTHY EGAN is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter and the author of eight other books, most recently The Immortal Irishman, a New York Times bestseller. His book on the Dust Bowl, The Worst Hard Time, won a National Book Award for nonfiction. His account of photographer Edward Curtis, Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, won the Carnegie Medal for nonfiction. He writes a biweekly opinion column for the New York Times.

Reviews for Breaking Blue

[exfed_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes the "good old days" weren't so good! Egan takes the masters thesis on the unsolved murder of a law enforcement officer in northeastern Washington state in 1935, melds in the unyielding pursuit by the 1980's sheriff of Pend Oreille County, and it results in a fascinating story of crime, police corruption and limited redemption.

[idpots · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An engrossing non-fiction historical account of a 1935 murder in the inland northwest. It recounts the troubled times of the depression and it's lawlessness, the immoral state of affairs of law enforcement, and the troubled yet noble psyche of a local sheriff pursuing justice. There is also the recognition that immorality comes back to haunt. The author inspired me to learn more about my region's history.

[elsyd_19 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great book, especially if you are familiar with the area. This gives a great look at the "great depression" . We have lots of material enlightening us about the corruption in law enforcement in cities like Chicago and New York but with this you realize that no place was immune.