This memoir chronicles Jana Monroe's career in law enforcement. Attracted to this field at a young age she majored in criminology. At this time (1976) there were very few women police officers. Her first police-related jobs were with the probation department of Ontario, and then the Chino and Upland police departments, all in Southern California. Through perseverance and hard work, Jana eventually became an FBI Agent, working for a number of years with the BSU (Behavioral Science Unit) and ending her career as a SAC (Special Agent in Charge).
This book makes for fascinating reading. Ms. Monroe shares details about a host of true crimes that include serial killers, school shootings, Ruby Ridge and Waco. You will find out what working for the BSU is really like (no, it's not Criminal Minds). The author helped movie stars like Jodie Foster and Demi Moore to develop law enforcement characters; she testified before the Senate; she was part of creating the Cyber Division of the FBI. She also received a platinum record -- not for singing, but for shepherding the anti-piracy seal and warning label through to approval in the FBI bureaucracy.
By now, you're probably thinking -- ok, but why is this book being reviewed on a Christian blog? For a surprise, you must read to the very end, when Jana describes how difficult it was to be constantly exposed to the evil in the world. How did she manage to deal with it? In her words:
"Being inundated by evil motivated me to read the Bible, to get baptized, to seek out accounts of men and women with convictions so strong, they were willing to die to defend them..."
What a witness. Thank you Jana!
VERDICT: 5 STARS. Inspiring!
For more memoirs see these posts:
The Minister's Wife by Karen Stiller — Book Review
Making Darkness Light by Joe Moshenska–Book Review
Memories of a Devil: My Life As a Jesuit in Dachau by Father Chester Fabisiak–Book Review
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