About the Book
"This is, hands down, one of the best works of crime nonfiction to hit shelves in years." —Booklist
In January 2022, a Boston police officer turned up dead in the snow, seemingly a victim of a simple hit-and-run.
But Officer John O’Keefe’s death kicked off a scandalous whodunit that invited federal scrutiny and triggered nationwide outrage.
The explosive story of O’Keefe’s death, and the subsequent accusation and trial of his girlfriend Karen Read, ignited one of the most high-profile true crime mysteries in decades. The apparently open-and-shut manslaughter case quickly devolved into a chaotic mixture of lies, institutional corruption, and police cover-ups that threw the Massachusetts law enforcement scene into turmoil.
And Read’s 2025 acquittal left O’Keefe’s death an unresolved mystery, with more questions than answers.
With dramatic twists including a rogue journalist, a mistrial, and polarizing public protests—along with revelations that called several other murder cases into question—Blizzard of Lies is a Boston-area veteran reporter’s detailed and immersive account of one of the most controversial crime stories of his career.
Featuring interviews with people on both sides of the case, including law enforcement, Read and her legal team, and the O’Keefe family, investigative journalist Dave Wedge shares inside stories and new details on:
- John O’Keefe’s turbulent relationship with Karen Read
- Evidence excluded from the courtroom
- Additional cases now in jeopardy because of misconduct uncovered during Read’s trial
- Heroic acts from O’Keefe’s policing career
- The O'Keefe family’s civil suit and ongoing pursuit of the truth
The definitive narrative of a controversial, headline-grabbing tragedy, Blizzard of Lies dispels the myths and misinformation around John O’Keefe’s death to chronicle a vivid account of a complex case and the lasting emotional toll on all involved.
About the Author :
Dave Wedge is a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning investigative journalist who wrote for the Boston Herald for 14 years. His book about the 2013 Boston Marathon attacks, Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph Over Tragedy, was adapted for the 2016 movie Patriots Day. He has written bestsellers about Tom Brady and “Deflategate,” Whitey Bulger, and John Lennon. His most recent books, Riding with Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagan Motorcycle Gang and Blood & Hate: The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s Battle for Glory, are both in development as feature films.
Review :
“When we needed a guest to explain the Karen Read trial, we kept turning to Dave Wedge for his ability to bring us the inside story. That same ability makes this book a must-read.”
—Connell McShane, anchor at NewsNation
“Dave Wedge delivers the definitive account of the polarizing Karen Read case. Through Wedge's clear reporting, Blizzard of Lies makes sense of controversy and conspiracy and recenters the story on the human tragedy beneath the headlines.”
—Claire St. Amant, investigative journalist, author of Killer Story, and host of Final Days on Earth
“With Blizzard of Lies, Dave Wedge transforms a chilling real-life mystery into a gripping, emotionally charged story. On a blizzard-swept night in Massachusetts, Boston police officer John O’Keefe vanishes after an evening of drinking with his girlfriend, Karen Read—setting off a chain of events that would captivate a community and raise unsettling questions about what truly happened. Through vivid, cinematic prose, Wedge brings to life not just the mystery, but the deeply human story behind it; the result is a compelling, immersive narrative that lingers long after the final page.”
—Terence Winter, creator and executive producer of Boardwalk Empire
“An amazing deep dive into one of the most explosive scandals in Boston history! Dave Wedge is a master storyteller, and he takes a frozen crime scene and turns it into an exposé of a catastrophic institutional cover-up. Blizzard of Lies is a relentless masterclass in investigative storytelling. Absolutely unputdownable.”
—Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires, Dumb Money, and Checkmate
“In Blizzard of Lies, Dave Wedge digs deep for the truth behind the most sensational Massachusetts murder trial since Lizzie Borden. Along the way, he unmasks accused killer Karen Read, peels back the layers of deeply rooted state police corruption, unravels the many conspiracy theories about the shocking crime, and most importantly, brings to the life the man who has been all but forgotten in this case, the victim John O’Keefe.”
—Casey Sherman, New York Times bestselling author of Helltown and The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright
“With fearless and razor-sharp reporting, Blizzard of Lies cuts through the chaos of a disturbing case still clouded by doubt. Dave Wedge deftly breaks down a complex tragedy into an addictive, compelling, and very human narrative.”
—Paul Tamasy, producer, director, and Academy Award–nominated screenwriter of The Fighter and Patriots Day
“Dave Wedge is an unrivaled New England crime reporter, who has found his sweet spot in true crime with Blizzard of Lies. His thorough reporting, fleshed-out characters, and dramatic prose gives readers a ringside seat to one of the most complex and polarizing cases ever to come down the Massachusetts Turnpike.”
—Mark Ebner, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Hollywood, Interrupted and Off the Deep End
