Summary of Sally Denton's The Bluegrass Conspiracy

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 On January 26, 1977, Melanie Flynn, a part-time referee, called her father to ask for a directory of Kentucky high school coaches. She never arrived home for dinner that night. Two days later, her boss called her family to find out where she was.

#2 In 1975, Melanie had decided to embark on a singing career. She hooked up with an older, married man who paid her rent and travel expenses for a while. She apparently remained close to Crespo during this period.

#3 In 1976, Melanie began dating two Lexington policemen, Bill Canan and Andrew Thornton. They were known for their fast-paced lives that included the best parties and nightclubs, flashy rolls of hundred-dollar bills, and guns discreetly tucked into their ankle or shoulder holsters.

#4 Ralph Ross, the head of the Organized Crime and Intelligence units for the Kentucky State Police, had sources and informants who told him that Drew Thornton and Bill Canan were responsible for Melanie’s disappearance and death. But he had no evidence, and his access to the Lexington Police Department’s investigative files seemed to be blocked.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jul 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822546745

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Sally Denton's The Bluegrass Conspiracy

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

On January 26, 1977, Melanie Flynn, a part-time referee, called her father to ask for a directory of Kentucky high school coaches. She never arrived home for dinner that night. Two days later, her boss called her family to find out where she was.

#2

In 1975, Melanie had decided to embark on a singing career. She hooked up with an older, married man who paid her rent and travel expenses for a while. She apparently remained close to Crespo during this period.

#3

In 1976, Melanie began dating two Lexington policemen, Bill Canan and Andrew Thornton. They were known for their fast-paced lives that included the best parties and nightclubs, flashy rolls of hundred-dollar bills, and guns discreetly tucked into their ankle or shoulder holsters.

#4

Ralph Ross, the head of the Organized Crime and Intelligence units for the Kentucky State Police, had sources and informants who told him that Drew Thornton and Bill Canan were responsible for Melanie’s disappearance and death. But he had no evidence, and his access to the Lexington Police Department’s investigative files seemed to be blocked.

#5

The first week of August, the Kentucky Post published a controversial, four-part series of articles called The Curious Case of the Missing Playgirl. In the photograph accompanying the article, Melanie’s plunging neckline and give-anything-a-whirl gesture, intrigued even the most detached newspaper reader.

#6

Ralph began to suspect that the Lexington police were selling drugs, and he began to see a pattern develop between the actions of Drew and his cronies and a handful of narcs. They would never be caught, according to an informant, because they operated under the auspices of law enforcement.

#7

Ralph had been watching Drew for a long time, and was aware of the close relationship between him and Harold Brown, the regional head of the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration. He had ordered his Intelligence Unit to systematically collect and file bits and pieces of information on Drew’s activities.

#8

Ralph thought the Lexington Police Department was a tool of the elite. He knew that a seemingly innocuous reference to a suspect such as he’s good people could result in the casual disappearance of an entire case file.

#9

Ryan was a legendary figure in the underworld. He had learned the rackets as a kid, and had invested his winnings in oil and real estate ventures. He was a partner of the actor William Holden in the Mount Kenya Safari Club in Africa.

#10

Ralph Ross, the head of the Organized Crime and Intelligence units of the Kentucky State Police, had a passing interest in Ryan’s murder. But it was when he saw the two names, Rex Denver