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Walk the Blue Line: They Walk the Line between Life and Death
They risk their lives every day to protect and serve our homes, families and communities. Here are their most dramatic true stories, in their own unforgettable words.
From the police academy to the precinct, Walk the Blue Line is a first-person tour through the days and nights of American policing.
PROTECT
These men and women are our eyes. Our ears. Our protectors. Those who wear a badge, doing their best to help people.
SERVE
These officers serve their community. They serve their country. They’re in the business of saving lives—even at the risk of their own.
DEFEND
These patrol officers and K9 handlers, sheriffs and detectives, reveal what it’s really like to wear the uniform, to carry the weight of the responsibility they’ve been given.
This is a calling. This is the job
From the police academy to the precinct, Walk the Blue Line is a first-person tour through the days and nights of American policing.
PROTECT
These men and women are our eyes. Our ears. Our protectors. Those who wear a badge, doing their best to help people.
SERVE
These officers serve their community. They serve their country. They’re in the business of saving lives—even at the risk of their own.
DEFEND
These patrol officers and K9 handlers, sheriffs and detectives, reveal what it’s really like to wear the uniform, to carry the weight of the responsibility they’ve been given.
This is a calling. This is the job
352 pages, Hardcover
Published February 6, 2023
1430 people are currently reading
8998 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
951 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 340 reviews
April 11, 2023
Police officers have many roles. They serve the community, keep people safe, preserve the peace, maintain law and order, save lives, help victims who are unable to help themselves, deal with civil matters, and generally just try to make things better. As individuals they work to build trust between community and police by showing respect, compassion, and kindness, and by being polite and giving a good first impression of police officers. Although they see people at their worst, they share the human experience and have a real desire to help.
Police officers possess grit and psychological strength, plus a special understanding of human nature. They know that people want you to hear them and their perspective, and sometimes they just need someone to talk to. This has led officers to build services and programs to reach people in need, mediate disputes, and help people get access to the resources they need.
Listening to the varied stories one can’t help but come away with appreciation for the job they do and the situations they walk into not knowing what they will encounter, nor how it will turn out in the end. But through it all there’s a genuine desire to help people. Police officers are called to the job; they care and want to help.
Collectively, the stories were thoughtfully impactful, as well as informational and interesting, I came away with a more complete understanding of the responsibilities, and social and intellectual skills necessary to do the job, and do it well. We want the police to be there when we need them, and they are, in all sorts of situations. I’ve always respected police work, but now I’ve gained another level of respect and appreciation.
Police officers possess grit and psychological strength, plus a special understanding of human nature. They know that people want you to hear them and their perspective, and sometimes they just need someone to talk to. This has led officers to build services and programs to reach people in need, mediate disputes, and help people get access to the resources they need.
Listening to the varied stories one can’t help but come away with appreciation for the job they do and the situations they walk into not knowing what they will encounter, nor how it will turn out in the end. But through it all there’s a genuine desire to help people. Police officers are called to the job; they care and want to help.
Collectively, the stories were thoughtfully impactful, as well as informational and interesting, I came away with a more complete understanding of the responsibilities, and social and intellectual skills necessary to do the job, and do it well. We want the police to be there when we need them, and they are, in all sorts of situations. I’ve always respected police work, but now I’ve gained another level of respect and appreciation.
May 6, 2023
"I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to serve my country, do something that matters - which is why I became a cop . . . Behind every badge is a human being who has flaws and problems, and suffers, and is trying to do the best job he or she can." -- Officer Shawn Patterson, pages 297-298
It was a wonderfully straightforward or uncomplicated idea, but it produced such an interesting and readable book. Bestselling author James Patterson teamed with U.S. Army vet Matt Eversmann and they interviewed dozens of men and women working in U.S. law enforcement - the police officers / detectives, sheriff's deputies, federal agents (FBI, ATF, etc.) - and their experiences and/or candid stories have resulted in Walk the Blue Line. (The bestselling author Joseph Wambaugh - himself a fourteen-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police - did something similar 50 years ago when he spoke with countless LAPD officers for script material when developing the Police Story dramatic anthology NBC-TV series, which then garnered critical acclaim and awards during its 1973-1977 network run.) Law enforcement, via the never-ending set of reports they are required to compose, are detailed yet still concise storytellers, so it's no surprise that their experiences hit all sorts of notes - humor, terror, cynicism, heartbreak, suspense, and honor (sometimes all of them in one chapter!). The majority of them are able to set the scene that it feels like your sitting beside them in the patrol car, watching whatever event unfold. Also, there were great quotes interspersed throughout, whether witty (the belief of deputy 'Jake' that "Everybody's got an opinion on what law enforcement should be doing. And I'm like 'Man, if they got all the answers, we're always taking applications.'") or very sincere (detective Tara Dawe's outlook that "A lot of people hate cops for the wrong reasons. They don't truly understand everything that we do. Almost every cop I know . . . we're good people who go out every day and are really affected by the things we see and do. We really want to put bad guys away [and] want to help victims.") This was also a 'buddy read,' and I know GR friend Jen liked it as much as I did as well. :-)
It was a wonderfully straightforward or uncomplicated idea, but it produced such an interesting and readable book. Bestselling author James Patterson teamed with U.S. Army vet Matt Eversmann and they interviewed dozens of men and women working in U.S. law enforcement - the police officers / detectives, sheriff's deputies, federal agents (FBI, ATF, etc.) - and their experiences and/or candid stories have resulted in Walk the Blue Line. (The bestselling author Joseph Wambaugh - himself a fourteen-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police - did something similar 50 years ago when he spoke with countless LAPD officers for script material when developing the Police Story dramatic anthology NBC-TV series, which then garnered critical acclaim and awards during its 1973-1977 network run.) Law enforcement, via the never-ending set of reports they are required to compose, are detailed yet still concise storytellers, so it's no surprise that their experiences hit all sorts of notes - humor, terror, cynicism, heartbreak, suspense, and honor (sometimes all of them in one chapter!). The majority of them are able to set the scene that it feels like your sitting beside them in the patrol car, watching whatever event unfold. Also, there were great quotes interspersed throughout, whether witty (the belief of deputy 'Jake' that "Everybody's got an opinion on what law enforcement should be doing. And I'm like 'Man, if they got all the answers, we're always taking applications.'") or very sincere (detective Tara Dawe's outlook that "A lot of people hate cops for the wrong reasons. They don't truly understand everything that we do. Almost every cop I know . . . we're good people who go out every day and are really affected by the things we see and do. We really want to put bad guys away [and] want to help victims.") This was also a 'buddy read,' and I know GR friend Jen liked it as much as I did as well. :-)
April 30, 2023
This book, written with Matt Eversmann, chronicles dozens of experiences of law enforcement officers: police, ATF, sheriffs, etc.
I bought it on a defiant whim after Patterson noted the New York Times had ranked the book lower on its bestseller list than merited: that is, Walk The Blue Line was outselling, by volume, books higher on the list.
The true stories are a reminder of the difficulty of law enforcement work, particularly staying respectful in incidents when the respect is not reciprocated, let alone staying even keeled in the face of truly heinous crimes.
Recommended to readers who like mystery and crime, especially true crime, as well as to all authors who write fictional law enforcement characters.
I bought it on a defiant whim after Patterson noted the New York Times had ranked the book lower on its bestseller list than merited: that is, Walk The Blue Line was outselling, by volume, books higher on the list.
The true stories are a reminder of the difficulty of law enforcement work, particularly staying respectful in incidents when the respect is not reciprocated, let alone staying even keeled in the face of truly heinous crimes.
Recommended to readers who like mystery and crime, especially true crime, as well as to all authors who write fictional law enforcement characters.
February 27, 2023
Purple stuffed gorilla. Remember that. If your heart isn’t in your throat after reading that story from Laura McCord, then check your humanity. This book is filled with many powerful stories of people who live to serve, protect and defend. That one in particular still resonates in my mind.
God bless the men and women of law enforcement and thank you for all you do.
God bless the men and women of law enforcement and thank you for all you do.
May 7, 2023
Cops are people too. I think a lot of the time, the media and others tend to forget that fact. And when a group is demonized and made to be less-than human, problems arise. The fact that the law enforcers are being demonized and not respected is a problem if we want to have a safe society where we can live in peace and not be afraid of bad actors with evil intent.
Yes, there have been and still are bad police officers and yes, in certain areas corruption and brutality were and still are a problem, but to assume EVERY officer is bad and EVERY interaction with the police will end in the victimization of the civilians isn't correct or healthy.
As one of the police officers in this book pointed out, there are bad priests, bad teachers, bad cops. Humans have the capacity to be bad, in any profession. The good cops HATE the bad ones, because it makes their job harder and honestly, they have to deal with things we can only IMAGINE, so something making an already difficult job harder is no laughing matter.
Having read the stories in this book, I respect those who choose to become police officers even more, especially those who do it in this brave new world of lack of respect for their authority and where their own management and politicians won't back them when they try to enforce the laws that are on the books.
Many of the stories deal with PTSD from the stuff they deal with, seeing people hurt/killed in gruesome ways, children killed by their own parents or from school shooting, the casual violence that can so easily have killed them so they wouldn't have gone home if only the bullet shot at them had been an inch closer, domestic violence that did not end well for the victim and cleaning up after drunk people did stupid things around trains just to name a few.
I'm so so SO glad that they are allowed to have people and places they can go to for mental help. The stigma is slowly being dismantled. It's not "suck it up Buttercup, what are you, weak?" anymore. The tide is finally starting to turn, but as one of the cops said in this book, he knows more friends on the force who committed suicide then were killed by a bad actor in one year. Both of those numbers were above zero, we need to work as a society to do better with BOTH of those numbers, everywhere.
Let the police stop the bad guys and give the bad guys actual punishment instead of slaps on the wrist and continue to dismantle the stigma of mental health help and to actively be there for the brave men and women who wake up every day and put on their uniform, without the intention to shoot anyone, without bloodlust in their hearts, but the true desire to help those who can't help themselves.
Yes, there are bad cops out there, yes, there is still brutality out there, but it's not ALL of them. They are all human; some good, some not so good, some having a bad day. If you wouldn't go out of your way to or applaud someone who would antagonize anyone in another profession, (teachers, lawyers, sanitation workers, mail people, doctors, waiters and waitresses, etc.), why go after those who have sworn to uphold the law, most of whom do and who would be the first to come when you called for help?
5, we are ALL human and should be respected as such and I'm glad that this book shows that cops have hearts and thoughts and feelings too, they aren't all hate-filled, want to shoot everything that moves robots, stars.
Thanks to my Buddy-Reader Scott who suggested this book. :)
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
Yes, there have been and still are bad police officers and yes, in certain areas corruption and brutality were and still are a problem, but to assume EVERY officer is bad and EVERY interaction with the police will end in the victimization of the civilians isn't correct or healthy.
As one of the police officers in this book pointed out, there are bad priests, bad teachers, bad cops. Humans have the capacity to be bad, in any profession. The good cops HATE the bad ones, because it makes their job harder and honestly, they have to deal with things we can only IMAGINE, so something making an already difficult job harder is no laughing matter.
Having read the stories in this book, I respect those who choose to become police officers even more, especially those who do it in this brave new world of lack of respect for their authority and where their own management and politicians won't back them when they try to enforce the laws that are on the books.
Many of the stories deal with PTSD from the stuff they deal with, seeing people hurt/killed in gruesome ways, children killed by their own parents or from school shooting, the casual violence that can so easily have killed them so they wouldn't have gone home if only the bullet shot at them had been an inch closer, domestic violence that did not end well for the victim and cleaning up after drunk people did stupid things around trains just to name a few.
I'm so so SO glad that they are allowed to have people and places they can go to for mental help. The stigma is slowly being dismantled. It's not "suck it up Buttercup, what are you, weak?" anymore. The tide is finally starting to turn, but as one of the cops said in this book, he knows more friends on the force who committed suicide then were killed by a bad actor in one year. Both of those numbers were above zero, we need to work as a society to do better with BOTH of those numbers, everywhere.
Let the police stop the bad guys and give the bad guys actual punishment instead of slaps on the wrist and continue to dismantle the stigma of mental health help and to actively be there for the brave men and women who wake up every day and put on their uniform, without the intention to shoot anyone, without bloodlust in their hearts, but the true desire to help those who can't help themselves.
Yes, there are bad cops out there, yes, there is still brutality out there, but it's not ALL of them. They are all human; some good, some not so good, some having a bad day. If you wouldn't go out of your way to or applaud someone who would antagonize anyone in another profession, (teachers, lawyers, sanitation workers, mail people, doctors, waiters and waitresses, etc.), why go after those who have sworn to uphold the law, most of whom do and who would be the first to come when you called for help?
5, we are ALL human and should be respected as such and I'm glad that this book shows that cops have hearts and thoughts and feelings too, they aren't all hate-filled, want to shoot everything that moves robots, stars.
Thanks to my Buddy-Reader Scott who suggested this book. :)
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2023
I’m really glad I read Walk the Blue Line. It is a first-person account of what our policemen/policewomen deal with on a daily basis all over the US, both tragic events and happy ones. They risk their lives everyday for us and deserve immense respect.
March 11, 2023
This book is about approximately 50 law enforcement personnel. It is their personal account of why they they do what they do, how they picked this career, and why they live it so much.
One story that particularly affected my was Tara Dawe. She had a clear understanding about why young kids have so many guns and why they commit so many murders. I really think that women cops have more empathy and understanding than many men and often work in Crimes Against Children units.
K9 units are amazing. German Shepherds and Malinois are preferred breeds. “A Malinois is like a German shepherd on crack. There’s no chill mode.”
Helicopter pilots are exciting and effective for high-speed chases and rescues.
The saddest stories are about missing or murdered children. I cannot imagine having to do this job, seeing these tragedies.
However, for the most part, most policemen and women are dedicated caring people who want to make a difference, solve a terrible crime or straighten out a kid before he/she gets into serious trouble. I applaud these strong people, and I admire their determination. I hope that the few people who are not as trained or responsible get weeded out and dismissed.
According to a veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, “dirty cops exist, and they’re worse than the people we throw in jail.”
That said, police work takes a mental toll on the cops and their families. PTSD is a constant affliction. Thank goodness for the honorable men and women in law enforcement.
One story that particularly affected my was Tara Dawe. She had a clear understanding about why young kids have so many guns and why they commit so many murders. I really think that women cops have more empathy and understanding than many men and often work in Crimes Against Children units.
K9 units are amazing. German Shepherds and Malinois are preferred breeds. “A Malinois is like a German shepherd on crack. There’s no chill mode.”
Helicopter pilots are exciting and effective for high-speed chases and rescues.
The saddest stories are about missing or murdered children. I cannot imagine having to do this job, seeing these tragedies.
However, for the most part, most policemen and women are dedicated caring people who want to make a difference, solve a terrible crime or straighten out a kid before he/she gets into serious trouble. I applaud these strong people, and I admire their determination. I hope that the few people who are not as trained or responsible get weeded out and dismissed.
According to a veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, “dirty cops exist, and they’re worse than the people we throw in jail.”
That said, police work takes a mental toll on the cops and their families. PTSD is a constant affliction. Thank goodness for the honorable men and women in law enforcement.
February 24, 2023
“Walk The Blue Line” is an interesting book. It is a book filled with true experiences that law enforcement officers have had. The stories are all short, not over a few pages each in true Patterson’s style of writing.
February 23, 2023
Good stories, told by those telling their tales. Worth reading!
July 9, 2023
An important book. It reveals the deep humanity of our men + women in Blue, the compassion and kindness with which they strive to treat every person, and the horrible situations and life-threatening interactions they take part in every day in order to serve and protect.
While it was a hard listen at times due to heartbreaking scenarios, it deepened my appreciation and respect for what our law enforcement faces as they work to keep their communities safe.
Rated R for language, drug & alcohol use, murder & abuse.
While it was a hard listen at times due to heartbreaking scenarios, it deepened my appreciation and respect for what our law enforcement faces as they work to keep their communities safe.
Rated R for language, drug & alcohol use, murder & abuse.
April 13, 2025
Such a good read that will open your eyes the good guys and girls in law enforcement
March 22, 2025
“Over my three decades of being a cop, I’ve only known one guy who was shot and killed in the line of duty. I know five cops who shot and killed themselves.”
“The violence and death never stop. It just goes on and on.”
“I need to help people. That’s my mission.”
Those are quotes from this collection of stories from law officers in the field - sometimes harrowing, sometimes heart-pounding, always enlightening.
Told in short, first-person accounts, this brief book brings the reader into the world of law enforcement. We meet gangsters, psychopaths, mothers and fathers, and many from all spectrums of those upholding the law. The common bond here is all on the legal side want to improve their communities, and believe respect and fairness are the keys to doing the job well.
Come for the exciting stories and stay for the life lessons. WALK THE BLUE LINE in an outstanding collection sure to heighten readers’ appreciation of the men and women in blue.
“The violence and death never stop. It just goes on and on.”
“I need to help people. That’s my mission.”
Those are quotes from this collection of stories from law officers in the field - sometimes harrowing, sometimes heart-pounding, always enlightening.
Told in short, first-person accounts, this brief book brings the reader into the world of law enforcement. We meet gangsters, psychopaths, mothers and fathers, and many from all spectrums of those upholding the law. The common bond here is all on the legal side want to improve their communities, and believe respect and fairness are the keys to doing the job well.
Come for the exciting stories and stay for the life lessons. WALK THE BLUE LINE in an outstanding collection sure to heighten readers’ appreciation of the men and women in blue.
March 8, 2023
This is a disturbing, informative read.
How often do you hear the stories of compassion, and caring in relation to Police or any form of Law enforcement these days.
These individual cases are many that have been prominent in the media. It’s heartbreaking to read the first hand account of the Officers and Investigators who have to follow the trails to catch the perpetrators of these crimes.
How do human beings, who’s original intent is to help others,survive the ugly side of life they have waded in day after day.
I give great respect to the Officers who in this book told their stories. The respect, encouragement and kindness they put out, I am happy to say came back to them. Just not often enough.
Ladies and Gentleman, Thank you for your service.
How often do you hear the stories of compassion, and caring in relation to Police or any form of Law enforcement these days.
These individual cases are many that have been prominent in the media. It’s heartbreaking to read the first hand account of the Officers and Investigators who have to follow the trails to catch the perpetrators of these crimes.
How do human beings, who’s original intent is to help others,survive the ugly side of life they have waded in day after day.
I give great respect to the Officers who in this book told their stories. The respect, encouragement and kindness they put out, I am happy to say came back to them. Just not often enough.
Ladies and Gentleman, Thank you for your service.
March 5, 2023
This book was just meh to me. Some of the stories are great, others felt a little irrelevant. The writing is also pretty lack luster IMO.
March 22, 2023
Some of the stories were very interest and some were rather boring.
June 21, 2023
*listen to the audiobook! So good*
Wow! What a book! This book is full of tons of police stories you most def won’t hear on MSN.
We live in a culture where we only hear horror stories about police- some rightfully so. But I think we need to hear more police stories too. I was floored listening to the many things police experience & sometimes end up committing suicide because of what they see. They shared stories of images they can’t erase from their minds, children’s being murdered by their own parents, an AIDS suspect spitting his blood on an officer to infect him, and even dirty cops- the stories go on and on.
I am so thankful for our men in blue, for the sacrifices they make DAILY- To protect our communities and families. This is an important read/ listen.
Wow! What a book! This book is full of tons of police stories you most def won’t hear on MSN.
We live in a culture where we only hear horror stories about police- some rightfully so. But I think we need to hear more police stories too. I was floored listening to the many things police experience & sometimes end up committing suicide because of what they see. They shared stories of images they can’t erase from their minds, children’s being murdered by their own parents, an AIDS suspect spitting his blood on an officer to infect him, and even dirty cops- the stories go on and on.
I am so thankful for our men in blue, for the sacrifices they make DAILY- To protect our communities and families. This is an important read/ listen.
March 8, 2023
This is a book told in the officer’s own words about everything they witness from chasing criminals, to talking to children and helping them stay straight, to helping drug addled homeless people. There is so much more to being a police officer than arresting someone for a crime. I truly believe that we need support our officers. Yes, there are bad police officers’ but that doesn’t mean they are all bad. Police officers go into help.
April 7, 2023
Walk the blue line is a great idea for a book. For everyone who has family in law enforcement and who are thinking about a law enforcement career should read this book. It offers great insight into how it feels to be a law enforcement officer and what it takes to be one.
May 9, 2023
An awesome in-depth look into the lives of law enforcement officers. Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a cop( my accident unfortunately put a damper on that). This book set me in the police officers position, and kinda made me feel like a cop.
March 4, 2024
This book is filled with beautiful and horrifying stories. It’s extremely eye opening to get recounts of what “normal” police officers go through. I wish this book would be picked up by more people, especially in this day and age.
June 12, 2024
This audiobook was narrated perfectly. It was extremely well written and I LOVED hearing all of the stories from law enforcement. Some stories were incredibly sad but, it definitely gave you a look into what they do everyday 💙.
I highly recommend listening to this one to get the full effect.
I highly recommend listening to this one to get the full effect.
July 7, 2025
This book is definitely an eye opener. You see a very good glimpse of these heroes that put their lives on the line everyday for us... you see the good, bad and the very ugly of what they go through!
A BIG THANK YOU to all those who serve to protect!!!
A BIG THANK YOU to all those who serve to protect!!!
March 8, 2023
Excellent non-fiction read 📚
March 20, 2023
It was pretty good ! Lots of short stories. I liked seeing how departments are encouraging their employees to take care of their mental wellbeing.
June 22, 2023
Enjoyable book. It is a bit choppy but works overall. There are some great stories and a reminder about how hard the job can be. Appreciated the couple stories that highlighted the need to treat everyone with respect. Diverse group of stories highlighting the highs and lows of law enforcement. Filled me with gratitude.
July 2, 2023
This book is definitely not for everyone.
March 13, 2024
Love the first person aspect of this book! Everyone went through so many different experiences and it’s truly eye opening to see what the roles entail in different parts of the country!
March 7, 2025
A book of short little snippets into the crazy shit that the people in blue see daily. Some of the stories were wild! I wish some of them were more in-depth.
June 14, 2025
Real stories from Law enforcement
April 14, 2025
Just a couple mini stories from multiple people in law enforcement. If you like cop stories it’s good
Displaying 1 - 30 of 340 reviews