Satan. . . You Punk!

In his manuscript Exit 28: The Case of The Hooded Shooter, Chester Pritchett, Major and Chief of Detectives for the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Department, recounts one of his most famous criminal investigations. Exit 28 is based on the true crime story of robbery and murder which took place in the southern states of Louisiana and Mississippi and involved a member of the Edmondson political dynasty of Oklahoma.

Pritchett talks to his readers in his southern dialect and makes us feel as though we know him. His narrative approach also allows for the inclusion of autobiographical details which produces easy, enjoyable reading with intense drama, thrilling suspense, and warm laughter. Like most southerners, Chester Pritchett has the gift of storytelling.

Exit 28 is an important work for two reasons. First, Pritchett raises the issue of the influence of media on the American public. He challenges the reader to think about his or her position on Hollywood's free reign with sex and violence under the guise of creative license. Can crimes on the silver screen or television screen lead to crimes in real life? More importantly, the author provides the public with an understanding of police work. Exit 28 is the story of a man who eats, breathes, and sleeps his job. The reader is taken on a journey of solving crimes with a man and his fellow crime-fighting partners who are truly dedicated to serving and protecting citizens. Reading Pritchett's story produces a new respect for law enforcement by revealing intimate details of sheriffs', police chiefs', detectives', and officers' personal lives, friendships, and dedicated work habits.

In short, Exit 28 is more than the ordinary sensationalized true crime paperback; it will make you laugh, cry, and get angry. It's good reading.

Lisa Frazier-Straub