Tacoma Confidential: A True Story of Murder, Suicide, and a Police Chief's Secret Life (48 Hours...
by Signet

	Tacoma Confidential: A True Story of Murder, Suicide, and a Police Chief's Secret Life (48 Hours...
	Customer Rating: Sales Rank: 112062 Available from Amazon
	$7.99

Book Description

Gig Harbor, Washington, a quiet Tacoma suburb, knew little of tragedy and scandal-until April 26, 2003. On that day, David Brame, distraught over his impending divorce, shot his wife to death in a busy public parking lot. Then, with the couple's two children only feet away, he turned the gun on himself. It was a horrific event, but Tacoma residents had special reason to be shocked. Brame was, after all, the chief of police.

But as the investigation unfolded, a bizarre and depraved side of Brame and his marriage came to light. Here, in chilling detail, is the full story of one of Gig Harbor's most violent and disturbing crimes.

Reader Reviews

So many reviews of TACOMA CONFIDENTIAL, almost all of them positive, have already been posted, that I normally would not write another one. But I believe that Paul LaRosa has created a true crime book that is so outstanding that I feel the need to pile on. The subject of the book, the pending divorce between David Brame, the Tacoma, WA, Chief of Police and his wife Crystal - and the tragic outcome - is interesting and must have given Tacoma residents gossip material for months. But what elevates the book to the top echelon of true crime is the outstanding work by Mr. LaRosa.

TACOMA CONFIDENTIAL is written reportorially, straight-forwardly, and without the melodrama to which this story would readily lend itself in the hands of a lazy or less-competent writer. The research is remarkably thorough, and the reader has a sense, due to LaRosa's powerful narrative, of being at the center of the Tacoma Police Department's maelstrom of innuendo, sorrow, disavowance of responsibility, and just great gossip.

The most impressive single aspect of LaRosa's work, however, is his even-handedness. David Brame was apparently a cold, selfish, manipulative, and abusive man; and Crystal, while seemingly a nicer and more pleasant person than David, had her own share of negatives, coming across as compulsive, mildly hysterical, and as one of those people who shares their life's most personal details with strangers who probably would rather not hear them. La Rosa presents both of the Brames, warts and all -and there are plenty of warts - in a non-biased fashion, letting the reader come to his own conclusions.

This is excellent true crime, and I thank my friend in Lubbock for recommending it to me.