Maximum Harm: The Tsarnaev Brothers, the FBI, and the Road to the Marathon Bombing

by Michele R. McPhee

In Maximum Harm, veteran investigative journalist Michele R. McPhee unravels the complex story behind the public facts of the Boston Marathon bombing. She examines the bombers' roots in Dagestan and Chechnya, their struggle to assimilate in America, and their growing hatred of the United States—a deepening antagonism that would prompt federal prosecutors to dub Dzhokhar Tsarnaev “America's worst nightmare.” The difficulties faced by the Tsarnaev family of Cambridge, Massachusetts, are part of the public record. Circumstances less widely known are the FBI's recruitment of the older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as a “mosque crawler” to inform on radical separatists here and in Chechnya; the tracking down and killing of radical Islamic separatists during the six months he spent in Russia—travel that raised eyebrows, since he was on several terrorist watchlists; the FBI's botched deals and broken promises with regard to his immigration; and the disenchantment, rage, and growing radicalization of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar, along with their mother, sisters, and Tamerlan's wife, Katherine.

Maximum Harm is also a compelling examination of the Tsarnaev brothers' movements in the days leading up to the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013, the subsequent investigation, the Tsarnaevs' murder of MIT police officer Sean Collier, the high-speed chase and shootout that killed Tamerlan, and the manhunt in which the authorities finally captured Dzhokhar, hiding in a Watertown backyard. McPhee untangles the many threads of circumstance, coincidence, collusion, motive, and opportunity that resulted in the deadliest attack on the city of Boston to date.
“McPhee nails it. Happiness, fear, tragedy, anger, heroism, and hope are all on display in this riveting new book about terror in Boston. A must-read, so we never forget, and learn from, the lessons of that historic day.”—Scott Brown, former United States senator and author of Against All Odds: My Life of Hardship, Fast Breaks, and Second Chances

“Maximum Harm is a riveting, eye-opening page-turner that takes you into the real world of international terrorism and the difficulties for local, state, and federal law enforcement. . . . It raises the question: Are we prepared?”—Bernard B. Kerik, New York City police commissioner (retired)

“No single reporter has covered the Boston bombing as thoroughly as Michele McPhee. She knows Boston—its streets, its cops, and its corridors of power. Maximum Harm is riveting—a tribute to the first responders, and, startlingly, a troubling exposé of the FBI’s botched handling of the Tsarnaev brothers. You may think you know this story, but until you read this book, you don’t.”—T. J. English, New York Times–bestselling author of Where the Bodies Were Buried and The Westies

“In Maximum Harm, Michele McPhee uncovers shocking new truths about the Boston Marathon bombers and those in government, law enforcement, and their own community who gave them free rein to plot and execute one of the most vicious terror attacks ever carried out on American soil. This book will grab you, shake you, and will not let you go!”—Casey Sherman, New York Times–bestselling author of The Finest Hours and Boston Strong<

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime, Journalism, Biography, Terrorism

340 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2017

Reviews

[Ms. Just One More Book (Kris Miller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE ABOUT THE BOSTON BOMBINGS, READ THIS!

If you think you know the story of the Boston Marathon bombing, think again. Utilizing public facts, veteran investigative journalist Michele McPhee digs deep to unravel the complexities that led to that fateful event on April 15th, 2013. She tells the history of the Tsarnaev brothers, beginning with the immigration of their family from a small village outside the District of Dagestan, to a cramped apartment in Cambridge. McPhee uncovers how Dzhokhar's older brother, Tamerlan was utilized by the FBI as an informant to spy on radical separatists here and in Chechnya, with promises of citizenship. Despite being on two separate terrorist watch list by the end of January 2012, Tamerlan was able to leave the United States for Russia, and return six months later without question. McPhee tells how broken promises led to the growing radicalism and hatred towards America. MAXIMUM HARM is diligently researched, leaving no stone uncovered. McPhee's careful examination of the events and the personal lives of the Tsarnaev brothers is chilling. Her description of the bombing, as well as the testimony she includes from the victims, is heartbreaking and haunting. If you read nothing else on the Boston Marathon bombing, read this!

** "I am a certified reviewer for TopShelf Magazine. TopShelf Magazine does not offer a 'paid review service' and TopShelf Reviewers are not compensated for their reviews."

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book last week or so. Very interesting read. I do not know much about the bombing but reading this book made me want to know more so while reading I looked stuff up like the names of the survivors. Not sure why I read books like this because I am also very sensitive so not sure these books are good for me really.
I could not help picturing this. You are having fun, you hear a loud noise and you feel pain and then you look up, all your clothes are torn away but not just your clothes. Your legs are gone!!! That must be so shocking. Looking online at those pictures was perhaps not the smartest move because I kept thinking about it for days.

About the book. I liked that the author gave us all the info. I did not know there were fishy things happening with the fbi and such. Yes surfing online of course I could not help noticing that yet again this is an terrorist event that has the conspiracy theorists shouting that is is all fake, as they did with 9/11, The Sandy Hook Massacre and this one.

They state that all the victims are actors. How hard that must be for their loved ones.
Anyway it took me a while to finish it but I highly recommend. 4.5

[Max Linsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has so much potential but is bogged down by horrible editing mistakes and oversights. It tells a great story, and one that is important to understand, however it's tough to truly understand the author's message when so many spelling mistakes, copy/paste mishaps, grammatical errors, and poor flow of the story all get in the way.

Others here on GR have said the same thing, and I hope the author takes these reviews to heart. More people need to know about the story this book tells, but that story could be so much more effectively told with some attention to detail.

All that said, it is not impossible to get through the book. It's written with a journalist's flair for engaging with a reader, and it really makes the reader stop to think about a lot of what is presented as fact or foregone conclusion. A fantastic read for anyone who lived through this, or who is interested in scratching the surface.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Informative but repetitive

This author needs better editors. There are many places in the book where the same exact information is stated.
Also citing so much exact trial transcript quotes just added pages but no content.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extraordinary study of the events surrounding the bombing of the Boston Marathon. The author, using her talents as an investigative reporter, introduces the reader to the protagonists of this event, The Tsarnaev brothers, through a family history reflecting their immigration to the United States, their relationship with the FBI and their ultimate disillusionment with America that led to their radicalization. We also meet many of the victims and heroes associated with this horrific event. McPhee's work is a masterpiece in the study of this tragic event and upon reflection, why it should never have occurred.

[Alyssa McNaughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The truth has power & Michele not only tells the truth, she shows where justice failed to serve.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Massachusetts resident I don't recall the last time a book pissed me off as much as this one did. If you have ANY respect left for the FBI or it's employees you won't after you finish it!

[Richard B. Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never trust the FBI on anything....

The real story is the story within the story, Tamerlan operated with impunity because the FBI protected him. The author chases every loose end, details, and gives us the facts. How does someone on the no-fly list not only fly in and out of the country to a known terrorists hotspot but do it without a passport? Thank you Michele McPhee for a complete historic account of what really happened.

[Fred Leland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I took a while reading this book because I wanted to digest it. Michelle who I am a fan of as I am from the boston area a small suburban town just outside of Boston. She has done a fantastic job with this book, getting into the details behind these killers and those who tracked them down. The book is a must read and as a teacher of cops and first responders I will be referring to it very often.

[Peejay(Pamela) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the author's theory of what motivated Tamerlan is compelling (and could well be true, though it may be past any living person's lifetime before the information is released by the government), and the story she tells is interesting, this book is so badly edited and proofed that I am surprised that a University press allowed it to be published under its imprint.

[bill glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Knew but Didn't Know

While there were times I thought the author was being paid by the word, this was a well researched accounting of the Marathon bombing. This event demonstrates the balancing act the FBI faces acquiring assets vs. protecting from prosecution the wrong people.

[William Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished at last, after having put it aside for some time. This was a very excellent book. by investigative reporter Michele R. McPhee. I had the pleasure of meeting her at an author event in my city of Westfield Ma, at the Blue Umbrella Book store. This books brings to light that the FBI was involved with Tamerlan Tsarnaev and he was possibly working for them. She did a lot of digging and I found that what she disclosers makes sense. This is a must read.
Oh yes, my book is autographed.

[(re)becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the theories and "new" information are interesting (and I say "new" because I really don't feel like I learned anything from reading this), whoever proofed this before publishing needs to find another job. There was too much space given to irrelevant topics (like The Weather Underground) and a lot of copy-paste action with portions of the trial transcript. If you don't know anything about this subject, then read it. Otherwise, you can find all of the information via a Google search.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed. I respect the heck out of the author for all of her hard work.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

McPhee does a great job reporting fully on circumstances that led up to this event, the way in which law enforcement handled the Marathon Bombing and manhunt afterward, and gives insight into the many details that were spoken about in the trial. She also does a good job of allowing the heroism and suffering of the victims to come through.

Enjoyed the read. Couldn't put the book down.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read, well sourced book detailing how two terrorists were able live, undetected, in the area. It also raises questions about what the government knew beforehand.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maximum Harm: The Tsarnaev Brothers, the FBI, and the Road to the Marathon Bombing is an investigative report of the complex story behind the public facts of the Boston Marathon bombing compiled and written by investigative journalist Michele R. McPhee. Earlier this week marked the fifth anniversary of this tragic event (15 April), so I thought I would read this book to inform myself about this tragedy.

McPhee delves into the complex story as she scrutinizes the bombers' roots in Dagestan and Chechnya, their struggle to assimilate in America, and their growing hatred of the United States. This book explores the troubles the Tsarnaev family faced in Cambridge, Massachusetts with the local police, but McPhee went beyond these troubles and reported that the elder brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaeve, was recruited by the F.B.I. to be a spy for radicals at home and in Chechnya with the promise of immigration. However, six months later, after several botched deals and broken promises, Tamerlan became disenchanted – hope replaced for rage and a growing radicalization in his family.

Maximum Harm: The Tsarnaev Brothers, the FBI, and the Road to the Marathon Bombing then follow the movements of the brothers leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon. McPhee description of the bombing and the testimony of survivors are equal parts heart-breaking and hunting. The book then follows the subsequent investigation, the murder of MIT police officer Sean Collier, the high-speed chase and shootout that killed Tamerlan, and the manhunt in which the authorities finally captured Dzhokhar, hiding in a Watertown backyard.

I am thankful to McPhee for doing such extensive research and collecting data from multiple sources and put it in one place in her book. However, the book needs a good editing, there were multiple passages that seemed repetitive and there were some places where it seems that McPhee just cut and paste articles together with very little or no cohesion with the rest of the text.

All in all, Maximum Harm: The Tsarnaev Brothers, the FBI, and the Road to the Marathon Bombing is a very insightful book on the Tsarnaev Brothers and their possible motives. McPhee untangles the many threads of circumstance, coincidence, collusion, motive, and opportunity that resulted in the deadliest attack on the city of Boston to date.

[Erin Rody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having finished a slower-paced book shortly before Maximum Harm, the intensity of the subject matter was a welcome change. As a Bostonian, I can appreciate this book on a number of levels. There was so much happening in the news and through word of mouth at the time of the bombing, to have it all documented in one cohesive narrative helped shape this event in my mind.

McPhee held my attention throughout, though I certainly don’t agree with some of her editorial choices. The book’s opening is incredibly graphic - at times it felt exploitive and voyeuristic. It was painful to read. I think the magnitude of this horror could have been better communicated with a more gifted writer.

Certain passages felt sloppily edited and disjointed – as readers we don’t need to be consistently reminded of the facts that have been told numerous times before. One particular chapter shifted gears and was written in the first person by a murder victim from 2011, this was confusing. Additionally, an inaccuracy can be found at the beginning: McPhee cites a relatively well-known figure at the race waiting for his wife. Bostonians familiar with the stories of many of the bombing victims would know that he was not married but was at the race waiting for his girlfriend.

McPhee includes the opening and closing statements of both the prosecution and defense attorneys in the last few chapters of the book. This was a powerful device and it brought you into the courtroom on that day with all the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy.

McPhee is a trained journalist and she prides herself on working the beat and having close relationships with law enforcement. It’s no surprise this book feels salacious at times similar to the tone found in other articles/books she’s written. The relationships she has cultivated with law enforcement over the years gave her unique access to the insights of the BPD, the Watertown Police, and the Mass State Police which enabled her to connect the dots and put forth the prevailing opinion of local law enforcement: Tamerlan Tsnaraev was an FBI informant. It’s a compelling argument. Since many court filings in the trial remain sealed and additional government documents redacted, we’ll never know the complete truth.

[EDDIE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maximum Harm is a top 5 book I’ve read. The story follows the first hand accounts of police and victims through the tragic event that was the Boston Bombing. The police’s goal is to piece the evidence back to the bombers and find out what their motives were for doing this heinous act. They display this through interviews and copies of the police reports during this investigation. The victims' accounts really make you feel for them because of the loss and painful rehabilitation they went through. This book goes really in depth on how Boston’s community came together to care and help each other. It's the true definition of being an American citizen.

This book does a very good job of actually putting you in the story so you can feel everything they went through. From distress and confusion, to feeling like you're actually in the cop car trying to find the suspects. Not many books I’ve read had the ability to do this. Then, the police files are actually formatted like that so it adds a cool effect. Finally, the interviews are in depth and display all their thoughts and emotions vividly. The interviews in this story remind me of the ones in In the Sea there are Crocodiles.

A strength of the book is how easily it makes you feel like you're in the story. Also, how easily the story appleases to your emotions. The only thing I would change about the book is telling the reader whether it's a citizen or FBI. At some points in the story it can’t be confusing who’s talking. For instance you could be visiting your wounded wife in the hospital the next all the way in Russia. Overall, there were more strengths making this book a fantastic read.

[Lewie Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do you begin? McPhee's work reads like a thriller, but it truth. It reads like a Mystery but it truth. It reads like a Government Cover-up but it truth. Until the Government comes clean to the people and even other countries no one will even know the complete story. This work is very well written, however, personally I hated the repeat use of entire paragraphs page after page to drive a point across, it may be style but was kinda boring to myself. The facts and graphic descriptions made for hard reading and only a few chapters at a time to let it all soak in and pose questions that hopefully got answered later in the work. But like the Man on the Grassy Knoll, was there more involved? How can the FBI sit by and see crimes committed without stepping in and rendering aid? Well that the world we live in today. This work is just another example of what it has become. No place is 100% safe anymore, Every time an event of any size is held in any place in the world it can be turned into a place like Boston today. Like what Jaws did for beach goers, Maximum Harm will do for event goers! Just Remember the Boy Scout's Motto: "Always Be Prepared" for the worst case and hope for the best!!

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Michele McPhee is an award winning investigative journalist but somehow she gets Steve and Leo Woolfenden's story wrong.She states they were in front of Marathon Sports when the first bomb exploded and he did a 180 degree turn and ran towards the Forum with his son Leo still in his stroller.He arrives at the Forum a moment before the second bomb explodes.She also mentioned that Jahar brushes by him as he leaves the area.The only part of this that is true, Jahar brushing past him.Steve and Leo can be seen arriving at the Forum coming from Fairfield to the Forum, which is at Boylston and Ring.My claim is verified by trial exhibit 22 , link to the exhibit is here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3FrX...
Steve Woolfenden is seen pushing Leo in a red stroller towards the Forum at 7:22 and he stops in front of the Forum at 7:44 , nowhere after the first detonation do we see Steve arriving the way Michele says , which was him running faster than Usain Bolt to the Forum coming from Marathon Sports.
She said he ran from the first blast and was caught in the second blast...she said he ran 183 yards in less than 12 seconds.
Either she is lying or Steve Woolfenden is lying but regardless, she put it in her book.

[Ryan McKinnon]

Well written account of a horrible tragedy

I chose to read this book because I'm from the Boston area and walk down that street every spring and summer after Sox games. That was the first year in 13 years that I did not go to the game and then to the finish line. I was at home sheltering in place watching the news intently the day of the Watertown shootout since I couldn't go to work. Needless to say this tragedy hit home. Reading this book it really provides well written insight into events leading up to and during and the aftermath of the marathon bombings. I would definitely recommend this to anyone to read, it is a unique account that you didn't get in the main stream media.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting points of view about the FBI refusing to coordinate with the Boston Police Department after the bombing about the Tsarnaev brothers, and acknowledging the theory that Tamerlan was a confidential informant. (I often wondered how he drove a Mercedes and travelled to Russia when he never held a job).

And also interesting (and starling) to me: Neither brother EVER held a real, legal job in the US. They existed on welfare, subsidized housing, and EBT benefits, as well as their less-than-legal work (selling marijuana).

And the possibility of another person helping them make the bombs? The person of interest in this story seems to fit the bill.

[Celt1958 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has an interesting but alarming theory. I am not sure how much of this would hold up to heavy corroboration. If it were true I would have expected this to blow the doors off on several topics. The informant relationship that Tamerlan had with the government, the others that were implicated as being involved in the event but not prosecuted and the apparent knowledge of the Isis groups with drug running in the US. A lot of allegation that my be true but no hard core support. She could have used an editor, sentences and info repeated multiple times verbatim made the book read like a kids term paper

[Redwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

McPhee's sources in the Boston Police Department are a valuable resource for illuminating Tamerlan Tsarnaev's relationship with the FBI. The book itself is poorly edited with endless repetitions especially regarding the grizzly details in the aftermath of the bombing. Several chapters near the end are just padding pulled directly from trial transcripts. Everything is refracted through McPhee's specific and transparent ideological bent. Read with care.

[Erin O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK read.

This was OK. Noticed an error at the very beginning (which could be easily fact-checked in three seconds), which made me wonder about the content of the rest of the book. It seemed like a cut and paste of news reports. And 15 percent of the book is footnotes and an index.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is haunting and heartbreaking. Reading it brought me right back to when the bombings happened. I agree there are many instances of repetition- but there was a ton of information that i hadn’t known before. It definitely makes you really take a hard look at everything leading up to the bombings and how there are suspicions about what the government does.

[Jay Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overly sanctimonious and repetitive. Choosing to finish the book with 30 pages of court records was a bizarre choice. The information provided is interesting and was never picked up by mainstream news which makes it especially valuable. However, the author's limited point of view with regard to larger forces at work in her story does not benefit the writing.

[Gaius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Painfully biased

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Negative, dwelling in past, judging and focused on problems. I’ve enough of that in my life so I don’t need to fill my head with more. But we’ll written and good pace.