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Operation George: A Gripping True Crime Story of an Audacious Undercover Sting Kindle Edition

by Mark Dickens (Author), Stephen Bentley (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.1 65 ratings

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This huge and complex operation is almost unbelievable, the bravery and courage, the risks, the challenges - it creates an epic tale that would rival any fictional thriller or detective novel. - NetGalley UK Review

‘Operation George’ ranks up with true crime classics such as 'Donnie Brasco' and 'The Infiltrator' in its pulse-pounding narrative of undercover operations with significant ramifications. – Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Review

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Meet the real Line of Duty ™ undercover team in this previously untold and gripping story of how a Northern Irish terrorist and murderer and one of his followers, were caught in an audacious and brilliantly executed undercover sting on the English mainland, codenamed, Operation George.

Following the horrific murder of Rosemary Nelson, the prominent human rights lawyer, Jim Fulton, a prominent LVF paramilitary, fled to the United States. He was deported with help from the FBI and in collusion with the British police, on his arrival at Heathrow, Fulton ‘walked through an open door,’ a Lewis Carrol-like euphemism for an invitation created by the crack undercover covert police team, only to disappear ‘down the rabbit hole’ on accepting the invitation.

The invitation turned undercover policing methods on its head. Normally, undercover officers infiltrate organised crime groups. In this case, the Operation George team of undercover officers was the organised crime group.

The ‘rabbit hole’ led to an alternative world: an environment created and controlled by the elite covert team and only inhabited by the undercover officers and their targets. The subterfuge encouraged the terrorist targets into believing Fulton was working for a Plymouth-based ‘criminal firm’ over a period spanning almost two years. In that time, over fifty thousand hours of conversations between the ‘firm’ members were secretly recorded and used to bring the killer and one of his followers to justice.

This unique story is told by former undercover officer Mark Dickens who was part of the elite team of Operation George undercover detectives. This deception is one of the most remarkable covert policing operations the world has ever known.

Together with pioneering Operation Julie undercover officer and bestselling author, Stephen Bentley, they have written a gripping account of a unique story reminiscent of the premise of ‘The Sting’ film, combining a true-crime page-turner with a fascinating insight into early 21st-century covert policing.

From the Publisher

Operation George is Brilliant!

‘Operation George is brilliant! It’s a unique insight into the undercover world, the ingenious tactics, the outwardly serene UCOs and the fastidious adherence to rules and training are nothing like I’ve ever read before.

Devoting the majority of the second half of the book to the trial was inspired. It’s all very well for readers to have that amazing peek into the undercover world (and the way the team created a totally illusionary one for Fulton at huge potential risk to themselves given his background and connections) but to show how the evidence obtained stands or falls in court does the whole tactic justice.’ - Graham Bartlett, former UK senior police officer and co-author with internationally acclaimed author, Peter James, of a Sunday Times Top Ten non-fiction book, Death Comes Knocking – Policing Roy Grace’s Brighton.

Readers will find many aspects of this work to be compelling

“This true crime and narrative nonfiction story of undercover policing proves fascinating… The most interesting and original aspects of this book are its look into the inner workings of undercover policing during the aftermath of the Troubles… Readers will find many aspects of this work to be compelling.” – The BookLife Prize

Rare and compelling window into the murky world of undercover policing

“Just like Jim Carrey’s character in The Truman Show, Fulton’s environment had been controlled and his life manipulated,” co-authors Dickens (a pseudonym) and Bentley, both former undercover officers, write in this rare and at times compelling window into the murky world of undercover policing. – Kirkus Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars More twists and turns than a Line of Duty script - Review
5.0 out of 5 stars An eye opening novel - Beyond The Books VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping stuff - Ginger Book Geek TOP 1000 REVIEWER
4.0 out of 5 stars Really good read. - Susan Wallace TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing True Crime Book – Tambok TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars The entire premise was fascinating and by the end, I was just blown away by the entire book... One of the best books I’ve read in 2022. – Jessica Belmont, Book Blogger
5.0 out of 5 stars “They associate, infiltrate, befriend their target, and covertly gather evidence for a future day of reckoning,” writes author Mark Dickens with Stephen Bentley with respect to undercover police officers. “The Troubles” cut a swathe of human misery through Northern Ireland for nearly four decades (the 1960s-1998). Despite the Good Friday agreement of 1998 that seemingly ended the conflict, certain factions of paramilitary groups were battling it out, Catholics vs Protestants. In 1999, the car bombing assassination of Rosemary Nelson sparked outrage across the international community. Leaders from a variety of countries demanded answers and justice. The local police zeroed in on the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) and began to conduct an undercover sting to take down various members. “Operation George” was born. The undercover officers would need to be stealthy and clever in attempting to glean information from their targets to get justice. “Operation George” is a true crime drama not for the faint of heart. The men and women who undertook their missions did so with aplomb and bravery, as the consequences of failure would be immediate and possibly fatal. The various men and women of the police force gathered around the two targeted individuals are identified by aliases. Still, the circumstances they faced over a two-year period were all too real. The authors, both experienced policemen themselves, convey the importance of the operation, the necessity of obtaining legitimate confessions, and always maintaining a cover. The policemen and women would need to play by the rules against those who don’t follow any. “Operation George” ranks up with true crime classics such as Donnie Brasco and The Infiltrator in its pulse-pounding narrative of undercover operations with significant ramifications. - Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro for Readers’ Favorite

Readers Favorite 5 Star Review - Reviewed by: Philip Zozzaro

... “Operation George” is a true crime drama not for the faint of heart. The men and women who undertook their missions did so with aplomb and bravery, as the consequences of failure would be immediate and possibly fatal. The various men and women of the police force gathered around the two targeted individuals are identified by aliases. Still, the circumstances they faced over a two-year period were all too real. The authors, both experienced policemen themselves, convey the importance of the operation, the necessity of obtaining legitimate confessions, and always maintaining a cover. The policemen and women would need to play by the rules against those who don’t follow any. “Operation George” ranks up with true crime classics such as Donnie Brasco and The Infiltrator in its pulse-pounding narrative of undercover operations with significant ramifications.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Operation George' ranks up with true crime classics such as 'Donnie Brasco' and 'The Infiltrator' in its pulse-pounding narrative of undercover operations with significant ramifications. - Readers' Favorite 5-Star Review

About the Author

Stephen Bentley is a former UK police Detective Sergeant, pioneering undercover cop, and barrister. He is now a freelance writer and an occasional contributor to Huffington Post UK on undercover policing and mental health issues. He also writes crime fiction and you can find him on Twitter @StephenBentley8

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09LHGXNKC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hendry Publishing Ltd (February 25, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 25, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5060 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 315 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #2,007,068 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #885 in Biographies of Law Enforcement
- #3,041 in Law Enforcement Biographies
- #4,791 in Biographies of Murder & Mayhem

Customer Reviews:
4.1 65 ratings

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Stephen Bentley
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Stephen Bentley is a former British police Detective Sergeant, pioneering Operation Julie undercover detective, and barrister. He now writes in the true crime and crime fiction genres and contributes occasionally to Huffington Post UK on undercover policing, and mental health issues.
He is possibly best known for his bestselling Operation Julie memoir and as co-author of Operation George: A Gripping True Crime Story of an Audacious Undercover Sting.
Stephen is a member of the UK's Society of Authors and the Crime Writers' Association. His website may be found at www.stephenbentley.info where you may subscribe to his newsletter.
Stephen, with Dominic Smith, also writes as part of a writing team in the Undercover Legends series under the pen name of David Le Courageux.
Now a multi-genre author, Stephen also writes cozy mysteries in the pen name of KJ Cornwall.
You can listen to Stephen talking about his Operation Julie undercover days on the BBC Radio 4 Life Changing programme/podcast.
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Mark Dickens
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Mark Dickens is a pseudonym. From humble, and sometimes, difficult beginnings in life, Mark served for many years in a British police force with distinction. He was commended on many occasions for his outstanding detective work including many under-cover roles involving the infiltration of organised crime groups throughout the U.K. Mark was registered on the national under-cover officer index and also ran training courses for undercover officers. Following his retirement, he remains anonymous to pro-tect the safety of himself and his family.
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4.1 out of 5

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katrig

What A Fascinating and Amazing Story!

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2024

Operation George is a gripping and remarkably interesting undercover true crime story. The book is the inside account of an elaborate undercover police sting that snagged a Northern Irish terrorist. It was an extraordinarily complex and sophisticated sting operation that finally brought to justice a ruthless Northern Irish terrorist.
For almost two years Jimmy Fulton who was a suspect in the March 1999 murder of a Catholic lawyer in Northern Ireland thought he was part of a criminal gang, called the “firm," who were operating in Southwest England. Fulton worked as the driver for the gang’s boss, and socialised with the members, and helped them in other ways.
Little did Fulton know his environment and life was controlled and manipulated by an elaborate and audacious undercover sting operation by British police that recorded almost his every word on audiotape. It resulted in his arrest in June 2001.

The author has done a fantastic job of introducing the main characters and walking you through the ins and outs of what happened. Under the murky world of undercover policing, you read about what went right, and what (almost) went disastrously wrong. What an amazing story! I found the whole operation to be fascinating and the lengths that these people went to serve justice was amazing! I will definitely be looking forward to reading more books from the author Steven Bentley. Thank you to Steven Bentley for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024

This is very, very good true story. I have to say I don’t usually listen to true stories much prefer fiction and fantasy ones but this one was extremely engrossing, especially when you consider how much work and manpower went into it from the start. Recommended listen.

Helpful

MikenSueNY

Definitely worth reading

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2022

This book is split into three parts. First is the history leading up to the undercover operation. I have to say it was a necessary part of the book and therefore important, but for me not riveting. Others may disagree and might find the history captivating. The second part is the description of the operation itself. I found this part fascinating and a 5-star read. This is the meat of the book and well worth reading. The final part was about the trials and verdicts. Again, absolutely necessary, but a bit dry. My recommendation is to read the book, but if you're not interested in the history, read that part rather quickly if you want. And if you're not a legal scholar who enjoys reading trial transcripts, skim as much as you want of the third section. But don't miss the second section. Many true crime stories focus on the gory details and what lead the police to the suspects. This focuses on the suspects, their personalities and motivations, and how the police allowed them to incriminate themselves to undercover officers. As with other books by Stephen Bentley and his co-authors, it gives an inside look at what it takes to go undercover and do this difficult job. Every undercover officer has my respect and admiration. I think you'll feel the same after reading this.

I did receive an ARC, but this is my honest review.

One person found this helpful

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Sabrina Nelson

Informative

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2023

A good true crime story to read/listen to. It was interesting to hear about the sting they did and what all went with it.

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2022

This is such a brilliant, fast paced action read. You will be taken into the dark world of events in Northern Ireland and how they get the criminals to pay for their crimes. It will keep you guessing until the end. Sit back and enjoy

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

2 people found this helpful

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Jessica Belmont

Operation George

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2022

Operation George is a book I went into because I’m a true crime fan, and the idea that I would get to read a story that gave insight on undercover work seemed really intriguing. The entire premise was fascinating and by the end, I was just blown away by the entire book.

What I found incredibly compelling was the level of detail without info dumping. It gave a real life look at how undercover operations work.

The story itself is riveting. I had trouble putting this down. Even when it got heavy, I had to keep going because…it was just that good. One of the best books I’ve read in 2022.

Five stars. Hands down. For the true crime fans and the thriller fans, this will have you reading late into the night. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Molly G. Hamblin

deep cover, trials and troubles

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2022

in my experience, most Irish Americans with families who emigrated after the Potato Blight famine have some family connections to those who were connected in one way or another to folks seeking some kind of Irish independence

we might remember bits and pieces of Gael spoken by elder family members, or have heard tales of a cousin or other ancestor who expressed rebellion with gun in hand, or offered aid or diversion for some of the boyos who were more hard core.

this book explores undercover operations and subsequent trials related to dealing with more organized militants and their activities

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

buzymomof2

Operation George

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2022

Meet the real Line of Duty ™ undercover team in this previously untold and gripping story of how a Northern Irish terrorist and murderer and one of his followers, were caught in an audacious and brilliantly executed undercover sting on the English mainland, codenamed, Operation George.

Unputdownable! if that's not a word I'm making it a word for this book description. A well written account of the plan to take down the bad guys. Once you start reading you can't stop. I found this read outstanding and I highly, highly recommend it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Nicholas Rippington

More twists and turns than a Line of Duty script

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2022

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JIMMY is a newcomer to the west country and keen to establish a base in the home of cider and cream teas.
But his biggest dilemma is not whether to put jam or cream on his scone first, but how to become a trusted member of a ruthless gang of organised criminals.
No stranger to living on the wrong side of the law, he is delighted when his ambitions pay off and he is taken on as the gang’s driver. Even better, before long he is an integral part of their shady operation and keen to boast to his new buddies about his past exploits as a paramilitary in Northern Ireland.
What Jimmy doesn’t realise is that he IS the operation, and the more he talks, the more he is digging a hole for himself from which he won’t be able to climb out.
For the bunch of hard-drinking, tough talking miscreants that surround him are all undercover police officers – and their aim is to get him to reveal on hidden tape as much about his murderous past as they can without raising his suspicions.
As a script for a new series of the brilliant TV show Line of Duty this probably would have been rejected as too far-fetched. But the thing that makes Operation George so compelling is that every word is true.
Authors Stephen Bentley and Mark Dickens are both former undercover police officers who wrap you up in the thrill of the chase and the problems encountered in such a massive sting.
While Jimmy worked for ‘the firm’, over 50,000 hours of conversations were recorded and at the end of it all he finds himself back in a Northern Ireland court room having to face justice for his vile and heartless crimes, many of which involved innocent people.
With court transcripts and personal accounts provided by officers who must still wear a cloak of anonymity in fear of reprisals, this is a must for any true crime junkie. If you were engrossed by Bentley’s Undercover, the story of the biggest UK drug bust of the 70s, then this should be right up your street.

3 people found this helpful

Shipoopi

A Remarkable Police Operation - Gripping

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

Having encountered Fulton & his friends in action (and later giving evidence in the trial that led to his conviction) I was obviously interested to read this book when I heard that it was to be published. It's a fascinating read and a real page turner. I was left with an enormous respect for the professionalism and courage of the undercover officers involved. The planning and execution of Operation George from the highest level of organisation to the dangerous work on the ground by each of the UCOs was exceptional.
A lot has been written about what motivates any individual to become involved in violent paramilitarism in Northern Ireland and the reasons are many and varied. Like most of them Fulton was a product of his background and upbringing in our divided communities. He clearly revelled in his and his brother's noteriety and he was motivated for the most part by ignorant sectarian hatred. He was also a braggart and this was ultimately his downfall. Northern Ireland is a safer place for the lengthy term that he has served and will continue to serve in prison and for that I would like to offer my grateful thanks to everyone involved in Operation George.

2 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

😲

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2022

Verified Purchase

Brilliantly written account of the horrific events that were going down in Northern Ireland and the accounts of the undercover officers involved in trying to bring justice to victims and families by bringing the criminals1 down.
This book is so right up my street, i love nothing better than getting right Into the nitty gritty of exactly what happened, the where, the when and who said what and to who. The victims and families getting justice for crimes perpetrated against them. The men and women who help to bring that justice, the fact of not only putting themselves in danger but the real possibility of putting their families in danger is real here. Such a nasty time in northern Ireland and I can remember growing up hearing all about it in the news and how scary it all seemed to me as a child, never mind actually being there and living it. 👍to all the people that helped to try and make things better.

2 people found this helpful

Bethan Brown

A fascinating & inspirational read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

A real page turner - I read the whole thing cover to cover in 2 days.

The bravery and skill of the undercover officers to bring down such a dangerous group of individuals was evident throughout, whilst the honesty of how things played out and how they dealt with the pressure of being everyday people just doing a job was eye opening.

I have no doubt that the families of those UCOs will be incredibly proud to read this first hand account, no doubt in many cases understanding for the first time where their loved ones were and what they were doing for the periods of time they were away from home.

I would recommend this book to anybody who loves true crime, and wants to get a real account of what it’s like before, during and after an operation.

It’s a 10/10 from me.

2 people found this helpful

MarkyMark

A gripping insight into an intense undercover operation !

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2022

Verified Purchase

Operation George is a fascinating read, delivered with humour and intensity in equal measure !
I always thought an under cover operation involved one or two police officers infiltrating a criminal group.
Operation George completely turns the concept on it's head and involved so many operatives.
It feels like a group of actors doing an improv show, except that it lasts a couple of years not a couple of hours.
On top of that, there are dire consequences for messing up your lines, or being caught off guard and out of character, in the face of terrorists renowned for their violent and impulsive actions.
Highly recommended !

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Operation George: A Gripping True Crime Story of an Audacious Undercover Sting Kindle Edition

This huge and complex operation is almost unbelievable, the bravery and courage, the risks, the challenges - it creates an epic tale that would rival any fictional thriller or detective novel. - NetGalley UK Review

‘Operation George’ ranks up with true crime classics such as 'Donnie Brasco' and 'The Infiltrator' in its pulse-pounding narrative of undercover operations with significant ramifications. – Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Review

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From the Publisher

Operation George is Brilliant!

Readers will find many aspects of this work to be compelling

Rare and compelling window into the murky world of undercover policing

Readers Favorite 5 Star Review - Reviewed by: Philip Zozzaro

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Stephen Bentley

Mark Dickens

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