Book Review: Three Sisters Ponds

This book is a memoir about the trials and tribulations of an individual who had a long and successful law enforcement career. Author Phillip B.J. Reid was a Baltimore policeman for several years before beginning a long career with the FBI. His primary message and the most important takeaway from this book is that determination and education are important to career advancement—but so is luck.

The book explores each phase of the author’s life. Reid emphasizes just how much small decisions at certain crossroads can lead to a major impact on life. The author also reflects on how he achieved his goals through persistence and goal setting, working hard, and achieving one success at a time. What is very interesting for advancement within the FBI is the reality of relocation opportunities. Reid was lucky with each decision to relocate, which ultimately led to career advancements.

The most fascinating material in the text involves Reid’s role in the investigation of Pan Am 103 case and some of the interagency information-sharing tasks that he had to struggle with as the lead investigator. 

I highly recommend Three Sisters Ponds as a mentorship text to be read by college students aspiring to become law enforcement agents. This book is an easy read and was written by a person who had to recognize the challenges of his work environment and work with his own capabilities to advance.

Reviewer: Mark H. Beaudry, CPP, is a member of the ASIS Crime and Loss Prevention Council.