The Cocaine Diaries, Jeff Farrell
The Cocaine Diaries, Jeff Farrell
List: $15.00 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.50

The Cocaine Diaries
A Venezuelan Prison Nightmare

Author: Jeff Farrell, Paul Keany

Narrator: Aidan Kelly

Unabridged: 11 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: GoodRead

Published: 10/28/2023

Categories: Nonfiction, True Crime


Synopsis

‘It won’t happen to me. That’s what I thought when I got on the plane to Venezuela. But it did – I got caught.’
Caught smuggling half a million euros’ worth of cocaine, Paul Keany was sexually assaulted by Venezuelan anti-drugs officers before being sentenced to eight years in the notorious Los Teques prison outside Caracas. There he was plunged into a nightmarish world of coke-fuelled killings, gun battles, stabbings, extortion and forced hunger strikes until finally, just over two years into his sentence, he gained early parole and embarked on a daring escape from South America . . .
Aided by his extensive prison diaries, Keany reveals the true horror of life inside Los Teques: a shocking underworld behind bars where inmates pay protection money to stay alive, prostitutes do the rounds and vast amounts of cocaine are smuggled in for cell-block bosses to sell on to prisoners for huge profits. The Cocaine Diaries is a remarkable story, told by Keany with honesty, courage and even humour, despite knowing that every day behind bars might have been his last.

Reviews

Goodreads review by ♥ Marlene♥ on August 03, 2016

Just finished the book this morning and to my surprise I can say I loved it! Over the last few years I have read a few books about being imprisoned in scary foreign prisons. So far I loved just one book out of the Five books: Well I am happy to tell you there are now 2 great books about being impris......more

Goodreads review by Danial on July 19, 2017

i really liked this book very much, i actually bought it from a small book shop in bangkok,thailand and i read it one day. it was a fun read. it is about a man called paul keany who goes to venezuela and he is carrying a lot of cocaine worth a lot of money and in the start of the journey he thinks that......more

Goodreads review by Tatterededges on August 12, 2015

The writing was atrocious. I get it, he's a plumber not a writer, but apparently a journalist helped him put it together which is a bit sad. This book needed some serious editing. I really struggled to maintain interest in this and toyed with the idea of not even finishing it many times. I'm on the......more

Goodreads review by Maria on September 26, 2017

I worked in parole and probation for 3 years in Caracas and this book is a pretty accurate description of how prisons and court systems and police (dys)function in Venezuela. Sorry Mr. Keany has such a generalised negative view of all of us (Venezuelans), but those are his feelings and I think he ha......more

Goodreads review by Hannah on September 04, 2014

If I was rating this book based solely on the writing style I'd have to give it 3 stars, but I'm not. The book was honest and created clear mental images. It creates a bond between you and the main character from which you want him to succeed. You learn about a world you wouldn't normally see and it......more