Book Review: 3-Pete - One Man's Journey

Review
The author has a wonderful and engaging writing skill that keeps a reader looking forward to the next page and the next. As he writes of his journey through life, he expertly combines hope, disappointment, forgiveness and most importantly, humor. 

Ahern instilled his brand of humor in a collection of amusing stories relaying events over the course of his life and his twenty-two-year police career. These true stories, a combination of weird news and world's dumbest criminals, give an inside look at the humorous side of police work. But the book is much more.

As the name implies, Ahern's book covers the three phases of his life beginning with his adoption, his service in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force and his 22-year career as a police officer in NYC and later in as a police officer and later detective in the Leesburg (Florida) Police Department. Scattered between these three phases in his search for his birth parents.

Ahern was born in Bay Bridge Hospital in Brooklyn, New York in 1945. He was half African American and half Caucasian. At age 3 he was given up for adoption and fostered by Thomas and Elaine Hackley. His foster father treated him badly and deserted the family a few years later only to return periodically. His foster mother was his anchor, giving him a loving home, human comfort and sound advice as he was growing up. 

During his enlistment in the Air Force, one tour was spent in Vietnam where he was assigned various supply missions in Phan Rang and Da Nang airbase. His duties ranged from supply collection and distribution to driving new trucks that had been delivered to South Vietnam ports of entry back to Phan Rang. Then there were always Vietnamese bars and lady hostesses. 

He'd plan on making the Air Force career but after failing several promotions in spite of excellent performance ratings (one is printed in his book), he got out and returned to NYC. He got married and after various jobs, was accepted by the NYC Transit Police Dept. After a number of years, he quit after experiencing wholesale police brutality and some racism - both ignored by the brass. 

Following numerous jobs and living in different states, he returned to police work when he moved to Florida and joined the Leesburg Police Department, moving through the ranks to detective and department head of numerous divisions. 

As for his birth parents, and years of searching, he eventually found both of them. His birth mother was white, his birth father African American and Ahern were the unwanted result of a workplace affair. His mother was married to an NYPD detective who refused to acknowledge him. In a joyous reunion, he met with his mother and the rest of the extended family of half-brothers and sisters. After much research, he found his birth father in North Carolina. When the two met in person, it was perhaps the happiest moment in both their lives.

I really enjoyed the relationships of all the characters in the book. The humor and personality of Ahern made the book. Reading this novel will make you laugh (out loud), cry and think.

Reader Reviews
I have the honor of knowing Pete and calling him a friend. I learned a lot more about Pete from reading his book. You get to see the other side of a Cop. Pete and I worked in the same Police Department. Cops are people too. Some think we are "Super" Human or Just Plain Pigs. We run in as others run out. Why I don't know. Cops and Firemen just do it as part of their job. Pete shows the real side of a Cop.
~Freddy M

After reading "3 - Pete: One Man's Journey," I continue to be profoundly amazed and inspired about the contributions single individuals make to impact the quality of life for those around them. Mr. Ahern's thorough and in-depth autobiography left nothing to the imagination. His incredible recall of facts and circumstances surrounding his life is indeed remarkable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading such an entertaining and inspiring book. There were certain parts of the book that relate to me personally; sections that allowed me to live through his experiences right along with him; sections that conveyed outright laughter and sections that made you both angry and sad about the human experience. I am glad that I purchased this book. It is a must-read and I definitely recommend this valuable reading for all adults. Mr. Ahern is a man of character. Thank you for sharing your story.
~ Patricia McNeary-Calloway

This is a well-written autobiography of an everyday guy that turned the garbage he was handed at birth into gold. It is a real page-turner. I could not put it down until there was no more to read. The facts recounted are explicit in detail, content, and vision.
~Lofton Holder

This book was quite a page-turner for me. It tackles issues that have occurred at historical points in time that remain uncannily relevant today. The writer has a style that captivates the reader. He effortlessly executes this skill with humor which thereby engages the reader to the extent that he or she feels like a present observer (or more like a close friend), as the writer recounts in impressive details, the journey of real-life events. He covers everything from adoption, matters of race, war, dysfunctional relationships, PTSD, life as an NYPD Cop.......the topics are just too extensive to list. The bottom line is that I recommend this book to people both young and old, as there is something in it that will appeal to everyone!!
~M J Allen

About the Author
Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was given up for adoption at age 3 months. Lived as a Foster Child until age 17 in the most amazing family and grew up in Jamaica, New York. Served in the U.S. Air Force from 1963 to 1966 with the last year in Vietnam. Entered Law Enforcement in New York City followed by Leesburg, Florida where he specialized in Hostage Negotiations, Crimes Against Children, Crimes against the Elderly and Sex Crimes. Retired in 2002. Married with one son, four stepsons, two daughters and eight granddaughters. Living in Lake County, Florida and an avid Jazz Fan.