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Hot Shots and Heavy Hits: Tales of an Undercover Drug Agent
The mean streets of Boston in the 1970s played host to a nefarious underworld of pimps, pushers, and addicts, and Paul "Sully" Doyle was there. From Kenmore Square hippies to South Boston junkies to Combat Zone prostitutes, this undercover operative with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration met every type of unsavory character in town in his fight to bust violent rings of dope, coke, and smack dealers during a turbulent era in the city's history.
Now Special Agent Doyle bluntly chronicles the riveting, true stories from his years on the inside. Known on the street by his alias, "Paulie Sullivan," he recalls his rookie days, trying to infiltrate the criminal drug world under the tutelage of his veteran partner, through his coming of age as an experienced narc-sharing his keen observations on ruined lives, personal peril, and government red tape along the way. A former prizefighter not at all shy about punching his way out of trouble, the author divulges a candid, worm's-eye-view of the drug war with all its blemishes and glories. With abiding humanity and graphic detail, the memoir richly describes exploits with junkie stool pigeons and hooker informants, college burnouts and Chinatown mobsters, ghetto pimps and violent thugs, bureaucratic obstacles and uncooperative foreign governments, successful busts and brushes with death. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, LSD-no illegal substance failed to tempt those seeking the ultimate high, resulting in the long nights, sudden danger, and uncertain outcomes that faced Sully and his partners.
Combining gripping action with perceptive commentary, this unvarnished snapshot of one agent's experiences undercover adeptly captures the violence, futility, and endless frustration of the war on drugs. As engrossing as a fiction thriller, Hot Shots and Heavy Hits provides a rare glimpse into a harsh world unknown to most of us.
Now Special Agent Doyle bluntly chronicles the riveting, true stories from his years on the inside. Known on the street by his alias, "Paulie Sullivan," he recalls his rookie days, trying to infiltrate the criminal drug world under the tutelage of his veteran partner, through his coming of age as an experienced narc-sharing his keen observations on ruined lives, personal peril, and government red tape along the way. A former prizefighter not at all shy about punching his way out of trouble, the author divulges a candid, worm's-eye-view of the drug war with all its blemishes and glories. With abiding humanity and graphic detail, the memoir richly describes exploits with junkie stool pigeons and hooker informants, college burnouts and Chinatown mobsters, ghetto pimps and violent thugs, bureaucratic obstacles and uncooperative foreign governments, successful busts and brushes with death. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, LSD-no illegal substance failed to tempt those seeking the ultimate high, resulting in the long nights, sudden danger, and uncertain outcomes that faced Sully and his partners.
Combining gripping action with perceptive commentary, this unvarnished snapshot of one agent's experiences undercover adeptly captures the violence, futility, and endless frustration of the war on drugs. As engrossing as a fiction thriller, Hot Shots and Heavy Hits provides a rare glimpse into a harsh world unknown to most of us.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 19, 2010
It really is mean on the streets...
December 10, 2017
Memoirs of an undercover DEA agent during the 1970's (I believe the the book itself was released in 2004). It is a fine enough read but seems a bit straight laced and stale by today's standards. Like trying watch an episode of "Starsky and Hutch" after watching a season of "The Wire".
June 1, 2018
I was disappointed in this book. I picked it up for practically nothing at a second hand book shop in the town where I used to work thinking, "Wow, this is totally different from what I normally read, but it also sounds amazing!" Amazing would definitely be a gross exaggeration, unfortunately. It barely registered as decent.
Doyle left a lot to be desired in a lot of areas. For one thing, he barely scratched the surface on Sully's character. Only at the very end did we see any sort of true depth to him. He also had some random, oddly timed moments of faith that, while nice to see, just seemed out of place.
On top of that debacle, the writing felt very simplistic and, in areas, forced. For example, half way through, it seemed like his editors came to him and said, "Hey, you know what would really give this some authenticity? If you started writing the dialogue like they've got thick, Boston accents! Don't worry about fixing the dialogue in the first half. That's what you've got us for." He also seemed to jump from case to case, mid chapter. Oh, and he and his partner must have had the single best case record in history because not ONCE did he mention a case where they failed to get exactly what they wanted accomplished.
I really could go on and on about everything I didn't like about this, but that'd be beating a dead horse. Overall, I doubt I'd recommend this to anyone. I gave it to a coworker to read, but I almost felt bad doing it.
Doyle left a lot to be desired in a lot of areas. For one thing, he barely scratched the surface on Sully's character. Only at the very end did we see any sort of true depth to him. He also had some random, oddly timed moments of faith that, while nice to see, just seemed out of place.
On top of that debacle, the writing felt very simplistic and, in areas, forced. For example, half way through, it seemed like his editors came to him and said, "Hey, you know what would really give this some authenticity? If you started writing the dialogue like they've got thick, Boston accents! Don't worry about fixing the dialogue in the first half. That's what you've got us for." He also seemed to jump from case to case, mid chapter. Oh, and he and his partner must have had the single best case record in history because not ONCE did he mention a case where they failed to get exactly what they wanted accomplished.
I really could go on and on about everything I didn't like about this, but that'd be beating a dead horse. Overall, I doubt I'd recommend this to anyone. I gave it to a coworker to read, but I almost felt bad doing it.
Want to Read
June 9, 2008Paul is another person I interviewed for a show I was producing. If you liked "Donny Brasco" and other movies or tv shows about undercover cops, you'll appreciate the real thing! Unlike a lot of interesting people who can't quite seem to convey that into their writing, Paul is just as interesting on paper as he is in real life. Read the book now, because I have the inside track that you may be able to see him in more than just training videos soon!
August 6, 2012
As someone who majored in Criminal Justice, i found this to be very fascinating and gave great insight into the life of a drug agent. My prior interest in the subject matter probably made me like this more than i would have otherwise. I'd recommend it to those who like books on crime or interested in the world of drug trafficking, but probably not to those who aren't.
January 31, 2014
Enjoyable reaf
April 1, 2014
typical one-sided, never-erring, heroic cop propaganda.
this should have been in the fiction section.
no wonder there are only 4 reviews for a book so old.
this should have been in the fiction section.
no wonder there are only 4 reviews for a book so old.
May 21, 2015
Writing was pretty weak. No need to read....
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews