Murder for Hire - by Jack Ballentine (Paperback)

About the Book

Previously published in hardcover: New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2009.

Book Synopsis

After joining the Phoenix Police Department in 1978, Jack Ballentine quickly rose to the top as one of the nation's most successful undercover operatives. His specialty: posing as a hit man. Ballentine led a schizophrenic life, changing assumed identities at the drop of a hat as he developed a network in the criminal underworld and was "hired" to kill business partners, spouses, or, in one case, a couple's son. In twenty-four cases, he produced a 100 percent conviction rate on murder conspiracy charges. Murder For Hire details his most shocking assignments while also showing how he balanced his touch-and-tumble assignments with the demands of his personal life as he built a family with his new stepson. Ballentine's story is a gritty and revealing look at how law enforcement delves into the heart of the criminal world.

Review Quotes

"Jack Ballentine is a force to be reckoned with. Murder for Hire delves into the seedy netherworld of murder for hire, close scrapes, and life under cover. A fascinating read." --Kerrie Droban, author of Running with the Devil: The True Story of the ATF's Inflitration of the Hells Angels

"He effectively captures the violence and degradation of underclass criminality, where the lives of drug dealers, bikers, white supremacists, prostitutes, strippers and career criminals intersect." --Kirkus Reviews

"A unique look at how law enforcement delves into the heart of the criminal world." --The Arizona Law Channel

"A fascinating close-up of the criminal world." --Booklist

"An undercover cop's raw voice, filled with outrage and sometimes humor, with the kind of details that can't be made up . . . A fascinating close-up of the criminal world." --Booklist

About the Author

Jack Ballentine served as a police officer and a homicide detective for the Phoenix Police Department. He was a three-time Police Officer of the Year, was awarded both the International Investigator of the Year and the Medal of Merit, and was profiled in USA Today. He currently serves as the director of investigations for the Phoenix Fire Department. He lives in Mesa, Arizona, with his wife.