by Dave Wedge
First published 2026
When Boston police officer John O'Keefe was found dead in January 2022, it looked like a straightforward hit-and-run. His girlfriend Karen Read was charged with manslaughter. But the case quickly unraveled into something far more complex. Investigative journalist Dave Wedge chronicles how what seemed like an open-and-shut case exposed institutional corruption, police cover-ups, and a web of lies that shook Massachusetts law enforcement. The story includes a mistrial, public protests, and Read's eventual 2025 acquittal that left O'Keefe's death unsolved. Wedge interviewed people from all sides, including Read's legal team, law enforcement officials, and the O'Keefe family. He reveals new details about the couple's troubled relationship, evidence kept out of court, and how the misconduct uncovered during the trial now threatens other murder cases. The book also covers O'Keefe's police career and his family's ongoing civil suit as they continue seeking answers.
Genres: crime, non-fiction, 21st-century, investigative-journalism
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cover-up, investigative-journalism
Setting: Boston, Massachusetts
Period: 2022, 2025
296 pages · Hardcover · BenBella Books
Content warnings: death, violence