“A crooked police chief, his wife a crooked prosecutor, both of them framing an innocent relative, with lots of local enablers. But the diligent Silvert with his sleuthing gets to the bottom of it all and delivers a compelling account of it all. A powerful book. A very powerful book, because of Silvert’s sleuthing and tenacity and decency, which uncovered much more than two villains but in fact a whole culture of corruption in Hawaii.”
Paul Theroux, Author
“The Louis and Katherine Kealoha corruption saga is the most infamous in Island history, as Chief Kealoha and the Honolulu Police Department worked in concert to dupe the US Attorney’s office into prosecuting an innocent man. A scary, engrossing story. Alexander Silvert is as skilled an author as he is a lawyer.”
Ben Cayetano, Governor of Hawai‘i, 1994–2002
“The Mailbox Conspiracy is a crisply narrated study in abuse of power at the highest levels of Hawai‘i law enforcement. Silvert doesn’t hold back in vividly describing a sordid investigation into corrupt and incalcitrant authority figures. His description of today’s police departments, prosecutor’s offices and courts, warts and all, is an easy-to-follow must-read for law students and those who love page-turning courtroom drama.”
Doug Chin, Attorney General of Hawai‘i, 2015–18
“Even if you think you know this story, Silvert's wonderfully clear writing makes his book a genuine page-turner. His verve in telling this real but sordid story transforms complex factual and legal matters into what simply has become a great read. ”
Aviam Soifer, Law Professor and former Dean of Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii
“I read this in painful astonishment. Defense of our police and prosecutorial functions fell to a suspicious Federal Public Defender. Readers, at least be assured, Alexander Silvert writes his story as well as he performed his public duty. I couldn’t stop reading.”
Tom Coffman, Author and Filmmaker
“The Mailbox Conspiracy is must-read for anyone interested in law enforcement, public corruption, or Hawaii's history. It manages to be precise and authoritative while reading like a well-written novel. I initially read it primarily to educate myself about the underlying events and personalities, then reread it for enjoyment. I'm now reading it a third time, this time focusing on Ali Silvert's writing style. It really is that good. I could not recommend this book more highly. It is one of the best books written about Hawaii history.”
Randall Roth, Retired Law Professor, Author
“An important book for Hawaii and any other jurisdiction that has faced corruption in its law enforcement agencies. This is an inspiring story of a heroic public defender who uncovered a conspiracy by law enforcement to frame his client. But for Mr. Silvert, this grave injustice would not have been uncovered and addressed. An inspiring story. We have much to learn from it.”
Judge Daniel Foley (ret.), Former Chair of the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct
