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HarperCollins Children's Books

The Fence: A Police Cover-up Along Boston's Racial Divide

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"A monumental account. . . .Lehr's depiction of one of the darkest chapters in Boston law-enforcement history . . .has all the earmarks of a classic." —Dennis Lehane, New York Times–bestselling author of Mystic River and Shutter IslandThe Boston police officers who brutally beat Michael Cox at a deserted fence one icy night in 1995 knew right away that they had made a terrible mistake. The badge and handgun under Cox's bloodied parka proved it: He was not a black gang member but a plainclothes officer who had been chasing the same murder suspect they were.While Cox was being beaten, Officer Kenny Conley chased down and captured the suspect. Afterward, as Cox waited for an apology from his department, federal prosecutors accused Conley of lying when he denied witnessing Cox's beating. Both Cox and Conley grew up in Boston and had dedicated their lives to serving the Boston Police Department, but when they needed its support, they were abandoned.Respected journalist Lehr, winner of the Hancock Award, the Loeb Award, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and bestselling author of Black Mass and Judgment Ridge, sheds a brilliant light on all aspects of this powerful, disturbing event and its aftermath."Jolting, nightmarish and potent, this true cop yarn bests any bogus reality show or overblown tabloid tale with its hard-boiled spin." —Publishers Weekly, starred review Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins e-books


Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more


Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 6, 2009


Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 4.2 MB


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • What a story!
Format: Hardcover
I know this sounds cliche but it's true, I literally could not put this book down. I finished it in 2 days, even delayed my weekend trip to finish it! This book is so well written and riveting, I was on the edge of my seat feeling like I couldn't read it fast enough. So much was revealed in this book that unfortunately (for Kenny Conley especially) wasn't revealed at trial, which many people need to understand exposes the many flaws in our "justice" system. Fortunately for Kenny, he had connections especially because he was a police officer, but what about Joe Citizen? It's clear that if you don't have a lot of money to buy justice (because you can't get it without money), your next best bet is to have lots of friends in high places. Most of us don't qualify. Sadly, I live in the Boston area, although I know this issue is a national one, but the race issue is far from over, is quite likely worse than ever now. My significant other is Black and was a victim of police testilying 4 years ago (overwhelming evidence proves it, but he didn't have the means to get good counsel), arrested and jailed for over 3 years. He's not gone to trial yet but as you will read in this book, testilying is so pervasive you could say that it's almost impossible to trust any police officer. This means, our lives and words (especially if you are a person of color) are up against this large well-paid and well-connected "fraternity," and its extension into the DA's office and even courts, that are more likely to lie to WIN (yeah, it's a big game) regardless of guilt. Yet the public in general is unknowingly more likely to believe a police officer simply because he/she believes police officers all uphold the law (thanks to shows like Law and Order). But in real life, most do not, this book reveals that fact, studies cited prove it overwhelmingly, as well as numerous other studies not mentioned. This is not about a few bad apples. Granted there are some good police officers but when an entire department sees itself as a "fraternity," the good ones have no choice but to turn a blind's eye or join in, thus turning the whole bunch rotten. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2009 by World Music Fan
    • Subject of the book is now Boston’s police chief
Format: Paperback
Everyone should read this book. Absolutely shocking incident. Exposes how strong the blue line is with police officers. Even their own brothers are not safe from that atmosphere. Truly sad.
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2025 by judith King
    • What happens when the wall of blue falls on you
A sobering look at what happens when the adrenaline of the chase gets out of control. Sad for everyone involved. Unfortunately,the offenders POV mostly wasn't included,no doubt on advice from counsel,save for the wrongly convicted officer. That would have made for a more balanced book. Still a good read. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2014 by spring3100
    • Much respect for Commissioner Cox
Format: Paperback
I was working in the system when this incident went down and I followed it in the media and to call that coverage journalism would be a joke. I had no idea at the time how badly Mr. Cox was beaten and the pain and suffering he endured as a result. I also had no clue as to the extent BPD tried to cover it all up. This book is fabulously researched and written. The story is both captivating and infuriating. I gained much respect for Commissioner Cox while reading this book, and I lost much for former Commissioner Paul Evans who, it seems, could have been much more aggressive in handling this travesty of justice. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2024 by scooby
    • Informative and fascinating
Format: Kindle
I felt the author did a wonderful job of relating what had happened to Mike Cox while drawing the reader in to what Cox was going through.
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2022 by Steven R Allcock
    • page turner legal/crime story
Format: Hardcover
I followed the twists and turns of this story when I lived in Boston, almost entirely through Dick Lehr's exceptional investigative journalism. Lehr has pieced together evidence from all of the people involved in this horrific tale of police brutality, police stonewalling, and the possibly innocent cop who was the one person convicted in the case. It has all the twists and turns of a good legal/crime thriller, but its even more powerful given that it actually happened. Lehr's writing in the Boston Globe over the years played a major role, perhaps the central role, in bring to public awareness all of the important questions raised by the case. Not surprisingly, the book is exceptionally well written, and tells the entire story in a single narrative for the first time. Highly recommended! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2009 by D. Simons
    • True Crime Story
Format: Kindle
This book tells the story of a strange case of police brutality. It was strange because the police attacked and beat a fellow policeman. They didn't recognize him as a cop because he was black. Then the blue line took hold and it took him five years to get justice .
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2018 by Kindle Customer
    • A Must Read
Format: Paperback
Buy this book. Don't just think about reading it, actually read it. Incredible factually based and backed up story that is an absolute page turner. Really goes deep into the subject and the emotions of the events. Dick Lehr did a fantastical job writing this book. Looking forward to reading another book of his soon. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2015 by Will Bryan

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