1 of 1 copy available
Bill Leasure was among the least ambitious officers ever to wear the badge for the Los Angeles Police Department. He was content to work the traffic beat and only rarely gave out tickets.
He also ran scams that netted him countless riches, from stealing yachts to collecting guns and cars. And he further enriched himself by setting up a murder-for-hire ring. Was he in it for the thrills? Was he a cop playing both sides of the law for the fun of it? Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Edward Humes explores the lies and psychopathy that enabled Bill Leasure to fool even the most savvy of city prosecutors, his own wife.
“Rife with vivid description. Disturbing.” —The Miami Herald
“Fascinating . . . A superbly crafted chronicle of one of the most complex, enigmatic criminals in memory. Far stronger and more compelling than most crime fiction.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Excellent . . . Authoritative, impeccably documented and disturbing.” —The Orange County Register
“Painstaking research and hair-trigger pacing.” —Publishers Weekly
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
September 1, 2018 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781626812567
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781626812567
- File size: 6715 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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November 2, 1992
One can hardly imagine a a more unlikely criminal than William Leasure: bland and passive, the Los Angeles Traffic Division cop who never fired his gun on the job and usually gave lectures rather than tickets was nicknamed Mild Bill by his fellow officers. But from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s he masterminded at least three contract killings, played a major role in the theft of several yachts and made off with vintage Corvettes. When he was arrested in 1986 aboard a stolen yacht, his co-workers simply could not believe him guilty of theft, and when his seedier associates tied him to the murders, they were absolutely staggered. Humes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, relates the obviously complex case lucidly and dramatically, combining painstaking research and hair-trigger pacing. Like his Buried Secrets , this book is a noteworthy contribution to the true-crime genre. Photos not seen by PW. -
November 29, 1993
Humes's suspenseful and well-researched portrait of a mild-mannered L.A. traffic cop who secretly carried out contract murders and car theft. Photos.
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