Philip Hirsh

When Evil Isn't Enough Philip Hirsh

In the fall of 1988, the FBI and NYPD mount a coordinated attack on elusive megamobster Carlo Frassati and his cocaine business. But their seemingly foolproof case unravels as witnesses mysteriously die or disappear in spite of herculean efforts to protect them. NYPD's chief homicide detective Stuart Rogan continues the pursuit, but Frassati defends himself in a series of ferocious counterattacks. When Frassati is finally trapped, the case seems to be closed, and the public celebrates the heroics of its law enforcement officers. But the book's narrator - nameless out of continuing fear of reprisal - reveals the awful truth: the official version is a sham crafted to protect the real villains and their prize, Frassati's cash hoard. We also learn what drove Frassati's defense from success to disaster. To counter the impending juggernaut Frassati hired a stealth killer with a talent for mayhem (and a twisted sense of humor) to save him. But with help from someone well positioned in the law enforcement community, the nearly invisible assassin turned on Frassati, manipulating all the players, including the public, for his own profit and entertainment. The outcome of the struggle to control Frassati's cash, and identify and neutralize both the assassin and his sponsor remain in doubt right to the end.