Boots in the Ashes: Busting Bombers, Arsonists and Outlaws as a Trailblazing Female ATF Agent
An interesting biography of a woman who tackles a career as an ATF agent when women agents were still fairly rare. I love stories about groundbreakers like these. Despite some pushback from some Neanderthal type men, most of them carry on and continue, going on to have excellent careers. Caroline Beebe was doing well in her job, quickly learning as she worked on cases of arson, guns, bombs, drugs and conspiracy. There were also times that they worked guarding different government officials, including the Vice President and President and the presidential candidates during election years, working with the secret service.
She recounts some fascinating cases she worked on, like a mentally ill bomber who lived in a shack. He was suspected of having planted bombs that blew up the homes of two judges, one while the family was home. She went out to interview him and he did his best to convince her that he was God, among other things. She also questioned him about the many ranting, threatening letters he sent to people all the time.
I really enjoyed this book, reading about her different cases as she investigated and built them towards prosecution. Bombings and arson cases. Really fascinating to me, if you’re into this kind of stuff, check it out and see what you think. Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Cynthia Beebe, and the publisher.
The publisher: Center Street – 304 pages
Publication: Feb 25, 2020
My rating: 4/5 Stars
The Author- Cynthia Beebe is a retired Senior Special Agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). She spent 27 years investigating bombings, arson, murder, illegal firearms, gangs and other crimes. Her cases were chronicled in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Ladies Home Journal, and were covered on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and 48 Hours. She was the first woman to earn the coveted “Top Gun” award at the ATF Academy, where she later worked as an instructor. Beebe is a member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators, the International Association of Arson Investigators and Women in Federal Law Enforcement. She has a B.A. in English Literature and a Master’s Degree in Journalism, both from Northwestern University, which she attended on an athletic scholarship. Since her retirement she has appeared as an expert commentator on law enforcement issues for WGN radio and television. She lives with her son in a suburb of Chicago.
