The Setup
A True Story of Dirty Cops, Soccer Moms, and Reality TV
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Narrated by:
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Keith Sellon-Wright
About this listen
The pitch went like this: Chris Butler, a retired cop, ran a private investigator firm in Concord, California. His business had a fascinating angle - his firm was staffed entirely by soccer moms.
In fact, Butler employed PI Super Moms: attractive, organized, smart, and trained in investigative techniques, self-defense, and weaponry. This American Life host Ira Glass described them as "MILF: Charlie's Angels."
When this story came across Pete Crooks's desk when he was working at Diablo magazine in 2010, he was instantly hooked. He'd heard a little bit about Butler and his super moms in the news; they'd been featured in People magazine and on Dr. Phil. What Butler's publicist was offering was too tantalizing to pass up: an opportunity to ride along with Butler and a few of his sexy PIs as they prepared to start filming a reality TV show.
But after the ride-along-and after he started receiving mysterious emails from one of Butler's employees - Crooks started to realize something didn't seem right. After doing a little digging, he discovered the "sting" he'd seen only had one real victim...him. The PI bust had been a setup.
Crooks wasn't a hard-boiled crime reporter. He did lifestyle pieces for a regional magazine. The more he learned about Butler's operation, the more he realized he was in far over his head. But swallowing his fears, he decided he was going to write an expose on Butler and his entire organization. He soon found himself deep in the underbelly of fake sting operations, wannabe celebrities, police corruption, drug-dealing, reality television, double-crossing employees, and more twists and turns than a dozen crime thrillers.
©2015 Pete Crooks (P)2018 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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As a small-town reporter for the Bergen News, Chris Turley could never measure up to his father, Edward--one of the last great investigative journalists. With his father's legend ever-present, Chris dreams of his own Pulitzer, as he bides his time covering press conferences and town hall meetings. Then one day his fortunes turn.
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Great Listen, Salted with Humor
- By John on 05-20-10
By: David Rosenfelt
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Making Jack Falcone
- An Undercover FBI Agent Takes Down a Mafia Family
- By: Joaquin "Jack" Garcia, Michael Levin
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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At six-foot-four-inches and 375 pounds, Jack Garcia looked the part of a mobster, and he played his part so perfectly that his Mafia bosses never suspected he was an undercover agent for the FBI. "Big Jack Falcone," as he was known inside La Cosa Nostra, learned all the inside dirt about the Gambino organized crime syndicate and its illegal activities---from extortion and loan-sharking to assault and murder.
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interesting story--offensive narration
- By Mark on 03-17-12
By: Joaquin "Jack" Garcia, and others
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Kill the Messenger
- How the CIA's Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb
- By: Nick Schou
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Gary Webb is the former San Jose Mercury News reporter whose 1996 "Dark Alliance" series on the so-called CIA-crack cocaine connection created a firestorm of controversy and led to his resignation from the paper amid escalating attacks on his work by the mainstream media. Author and investigative journalist Nick Schou published numerous articles on the controversy and was the only reporter to significantly advance Webb's stories.
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Great!
- By Veronica on 09-29-16
By: Nick Schou
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Lie After Lie
- The True Story of a Master of Deception, Betrayal, and Murder
- By: Lara Bricker
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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A seemingly perfect world held an even more unlikely killer... Julie Keown had a great job, financial security, and a perfect husband who was attending Harvard Business School. But after Julie suddenly died, and doctors discovered she’d been poisoned with the main ingredient in antifreeze, her parents began to suspect that her husband, James, was not so perfect. This blow-by-blow account shows how investigators and state police unraveled James Keown’s chilling web of deceit.
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Boring writing and lack of any narrative arc
- By Josh on 11-21-18
By: Lara Bricker
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Open and Shut
- By: David Rosenfelt
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Whether dueling with new forensics or the local old boys' network, irreverent defense attorney Andy Carpenter always leaves them awed with his biting wit and winning fourth-quarter game plan. But the fun stops the day Andy's dad, Paterson, New Jersey's legendary ex-DA, drops dead in front of him at a game in Yankee Stadium.
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Does Anyone Else Notice the Missing Content?
- By pewter on 02-05-13
By: David Rosenfelt
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Judgment Calls
- By: Alafair Burke
- Narrated by: Betty Bobbitt
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid walks into her office in Portland's Drug and Vice Division one morning to find the sergeant of the police bureau's vice unit waiting for her. A 13-year-old girl has been brutally attacked and left for dead on the city's outskirts. Given the lack of evidence, most lawyers would settle for an assault charge; Samantha, unnerved by the viciousness of the crime, decides to go for attempted murder.
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Well read above average book
- By Rajesh on 06-24-05
By: Alafair Burke
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The Murder of Sonny Liston
- Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights
- By: Shaun Assael
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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On January 5, 1971, Sonny Liston was found dead in his home - of an apparent heroin overdose. But no one close to Liston believed that his death was accidental. Digging deep into a life that Liston tried hard to hide, Shaun Assael treats the boxer's death as a cold case. The result is a riveting whodunit that evokes a glorious and grimy era of Las Vegas.
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Great read
- By Diane Dodge on 09-14-19
By: Shaun Assael
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Freezing Order
- A True Story of Russian Money Laundering, State-Sponsored Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath
- By: Bill Browder
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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When Browder’s young Russian lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was beaten to death in a Moscow jail in 2009, Browder cast aside his business career and made it his life’s mission to pursue justice for Sergei. One of the first steps of that mission was to uncover who had killed Sergei and profited from the $230 million corruption scheme that he had exposed. As Browder and his team tracked the money that flowed out of Russia—through the Baltics and Cyprus and on to Western Europe and the Americas—they discovered that Vladimir Putin himself was one of the beneficiaries of the crime.
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Red Notice Part II —- The Empire Struck Out
- By R. Alembik on 04-16-22
By: Bill Browder
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Missing Man
- The American Spy Who Vanished in Iran
- By: Barry Meier
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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In late 2013, Americans were shocked to learn that a former FBI agent turned private investigator who disappeared in Iran in 2007 was there on a mission for the CIA. The missing man, Robert Levinson, appeared in pictures dressed like a Guantánamo prisoner and pleaded in a video for help from the United States.
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Important story
- By Richard F. Callahan on 08-03-16
By: Barry Meier
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Bind, Torture, Kill
- The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door
- By: Roy Wenzl, Tim Potter, L. Kelly, and others
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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For 31 years, a monster terrorized the residents of Wichita, Kansas. A bloodthirsty serial killer, self-named "BTK" - for "bind them, torture them, kill them" - he slaughtered men, women, and children alike, eluding the police for decades while bragging of his grisly exploits to the media. The nation was shocked when the fiend who was finally apprehended turned out to be Dennis Rader - a friendly neighbor...a devoted husband...a helpful Boy Scout dad...the respected president of his church. Written by four award-winning crime reporters who covered the story for more than 20 years, Bind, Torture, Kill is the most intimate and complete account of the BTK nightmare
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Stomach churning
- By 6catz on 02-19-18
By: Roy Wenzl, and others
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Dead Connection
- Ellie Hatcher, Book 1
- By: Alafair Burke
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Homicide detective Flann McIlroy is convinced that someone is using the lure of the internet and the promise of love to launch a killing spree against the women of New York City. To catch the killer, he calls up Detective Ellie Hatcher. She must enter a high-tech world where no one is who they appear to be. When the FirstDate killer begins to mimic the monster who destroyed her father, Ellie knows the game has become personal for him.
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Good introduction to author and character
- By bonnie on 09-01-09
By: Alafair Burke
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Starmaker
- Life as a Hollywood Publicist with Farrah, The Rat Pack, & 600 More Stars Who Fired Me
- By: Jay Bernstein
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Revealingly candid, this Hollywood memoir is the story of Jay Bernstein, an entertainment industry fixture who helped launch and sustain the careers of many celebrities including Farrah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers. From his childhood in Oklahoma City and his first job in a Hollywood mail room to the ownership of his own public relations firm and his work as a television producer, Bernstein’s life is chronicled in his own words.
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Very Entertaining
- By patrick on 09-27-15
By: Jay Bernstein
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The Last Gangster
- From Cop to Wiseguy to FBI Informant: Big Ron Previte and the Fall of the American Mob
- By: George Anastasia
- Narrated by: Chris Monteiro
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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As a cop, Ron Previte was corrupt. As a mobster, he was brutal. And in his final role, as a confidential informant to the FBI, Previte was deadly. The Last Gangster is his story—the story of the last days of the Philadelphia Mob, and of the clash of generations that brought it down once and for all. Convinced that the honor of the "business" was gone, he became the FBI's secret weapon in an intense and highly personalized war on the Philadelphia mob, operating with the same guile, wit, and stone-cold bravado that had made him a force in the underworld.
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Beautifully done! Exceptional.
- By none on 12-15-23
By: George Anastasia
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Bombshell
- The Night Bobby Kennedy Killed Marilyn Monroe
- By: Mike Rothmiller, Douglas Thompson
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Drawing on secret police files, Marilyn Monroe's private diary, and never before published first-hand testimony, this book proves that Robert Kennedy was directly responsible for her death. It details the legendary star's tumultuous personal involvement with him and his brother, President John Kennedy, and how they sought to silence her. The new evidence and testimony is provided by Mike Rothmiller who, as a detective of the Organized Crime Intelligence Division of the LAPD, had direct access to hundreds of secret files on exactly what happened at Monroe's home on August 5, 1962.
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LA Confidential, Assassinations and Hollywood
- By grace on 12-29-22
By: Mike Rothmiller, and others
What listeners say about The Setup
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Realityone22
- 09-26-22
Mind Blowing
If you know the show Homicide Hunter, it's lead Lt. Joe Kenda, or Carl Marino (who does the reenactments) , this story will blow your mind.
If you aren't familiar with the show, this story will still be quite entertaining, but if you are, be prepared to have your jaw dropped!
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- Peter S Maher
- 04-18-19
The Set Up
Interesting story that was overly long. Also, it included no small amount of self-congratulations and self-praise.
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2 people found this helpful
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- T. Morris
- 01-19-19
Good
Good book, lots of repeated subject matter, but pretty good. I'm a HUGE Homicide Hunter fan, but not a Carl Marino fan after this eye opening story.
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3 people found this helpful
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- EriC B.
- 04-03-23
very compelling story
this story was very compelling from start to finish, kept my interest the entire story... would recommend...
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- Jim Jones
- 01-09-22
Good, but not great.
I never considered quitting, but I wasn't enthralled. It's a decent book. If you enjoy this genre then go for it.
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- Jonathan
- 05-29-23
Great listen
Loved it - loved the way the author spells out the story - well written - really enjoyed the storgg y and it’s just the right length
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- Liezel Lowe
- 09-30-19
Definitely stranger than fiction
What an eye opener in the ‘reality’ tv business. Even knowing how unreal that reality is this true life glimpse left me gobsmacked. Very entertaining, a wry sense of humor at times and definitely worth the listen. As a side note: it’s extremely ironic that the actor who portrays Lt Joe Kenda ret. is so lacking in all the values he represents.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Alli
- 05-02-20
perfect
I loved every chapter of this book. Strongly recommend to everyone. Finished in one week.
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- Koyo
- 11-19-20
Interesting Read
The Setup was fascinating up until the chapters in the 20s. I love Lt. Joe Kenda and am very disappointed to learn that he is portrayed by Carl the douche-bag. Peter Crooks is naive as Carl Marino is narcissistic. If I had stopped listening around chapter 23 I probably would have given an overall rating of 4 0r 5. Peter and Carl degenerated into a needy teenage girls. Peter so desperate for vindication for his fake ride-along (dog with a bone) and credit for the take down of Butler; and Carl wanting his big Hollywood break and being a hero, I do recommend listening/reading. The true story is a doozy and quite enjoyable. Its a shame how whiny the story telling got towards the end.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Caske Redner
- 05-26-22
This author sucks.
While you will find a scandalous and hilarious event at the core of this book, but it is severely hindered by this journalist. Not only does he use insanely problematic, insensitive and unprofessional language at every turn, he's also just irritating and self-righteous. Any time you think Pete Crooks will stop calling sex workers "wh*res and prostitutes," think again. Sometimes I'd hear a quote and thought, "surely these aren't the author's actual words; human people don't talk like this." Wrong again. Pete Crooks, do better. This reads less like an actual criminal investigation and more like a journal of a scorned teenage girl. Pete...I don't want to be cruel, but Carl Marino will NEVER be as into you as you are into him. Here's a drinking game you should NEVER play because it will result in acute alcohol intoxication: take a shot every time he brings up how he thought Carl was his friend and how much it hurt his feelings every time Carl disappointed him. Not sure why. Carl acts like an increasingly self-absorbed, moustache-twirling cartoon villain who has proven to be nothing but universally unreliable. Narrator is great, though. Even though he's forced to say some of the most cringe combinations of words I've ever heard.
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1 person found this helpful