Merry Wanderer of the Night + TIME

Review: Chemical Cowboys by Lisa Sweetingham

Book Description:
For nearly a decade, Ecstasy kingpin Oded Tuito was the mastermind behind a drug ring that used strippers and ultra-Orthodox teenagers to mule millions of pills from Holland to the party triangle—Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. CHEMICAL COWBOYS: The DEA’s Secret Mission to Hunt Down a Notorious Ecstasy Kingpin is the thrilling, never-before-told success story of the groundbreaking undercover investigations that led to the toppling of a billion-dollar Ecstasy trafficking network, starting in 1995 when New York DEA Agent Robert Gagne infiltrated club land to uncover a thriving drug scene supported by two cultures: pill-popping club kids and Israeli dealers. Gagne’s obsessive mission to make Ecstasy a priority for the DEA and to take down Tuito’s network met with unexpected professional and personal challenges that almost crippled his own family. Woven into the narrative are the stories of Tuito’s underlings, who struggled with addiction as they ran from the law, and the compelling experiences of a veteran Israeli police officer who aided Gagne while chasing after his own target—a violent Mob boss who saw the riches to be made in Ecstasy and began to import his own pills and turf warfare to the U.S.

My review:

Although this is a non-fiction book, it doesn't read like one. Sweetingham's extensive research into the world of drug trafficking is very eye-opening. The detail she goes in to detail both sides of the drug trade are stellar. The reader learns a great deal about the DEA as well as the hidden aspects of the Ecstacy trade. While I don't read a lot of non-fiction, the first few chapters grabbed me and took hold. The detail on the characters lives is very insightful. This was a very entertaining and educational read. With Father's Day coming up in a few days, I can't think of a better book to buy as a gift.

About the Author:
Journalist Lisa Sweetingham spent four years following in the footsteps of DEA agents and Ecstasy traffickers to bring CHEMICAL COWBOYS to life. Previously, she covered high-profile murder trials and Supreme Court nomination hearings for Court TV online. Sweetingham is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Parade, Spin, Time Out New York, Health Affairs, and many other publications. She resides in Los Angeles. CHEMICAL COWBOYS is her first book.

Check out the author's Web site: http://www.lisasweetingham.com/

LIFE, review, and more:

Review: Chemical Cowboys by Lisa Sweetingham + TIME