The Undercover Edge

October 2, 2017
In this debut, Levasseur, a Rhode Island police sergeant, shares hard-won self-help tips, to sometimes gimmicky but generally entertaining effect. “Think of this book as a guided tour of the major lessons I learned as a street cop, a detective, and a supervisor,” he begins. The first step
is being honest about your own strengths and weaknesses and those of others. He advises readers to “know your target”—the person on whom you wish to make an impression—such as by remembering his or her birthday. Body language is also key, he teaches. Continuing to indulge in the police-lingo theme a little too insistently, he points out the importance of “headquarters,” or having a happy home life. Leading with confidence is the subject of one of the most appealing lessons. Another of the best lessons is on creative visualization. One of the toughest lessons—one Levasseur learned firsthand after he fatally shot a suspect (and was subsequently cleared by a grand jury)—concerns growing through adversity. He wraps everything up with a succinct “debriefing.” Though the cop-talk conceit can seem hackneyed, Levasseur’s fresh and candid perspective makes for an empowering self-help guide. Agent: Steven Harris, CSG Literary.