What do you think?
Rate this book
Riding with Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagan Motorcycle Gang
Sons of Anarchy meets The Departed in this fast-paced, high-wire act memoir from former ATF agent Ken Croke, the first federal agent in history to go undercover and successfully infiltrate the infamous—and infamously violent—Pagan Motorcycle Club, a white supremacist biker gang.
Longtime ATF agent Ken Croke had earned the right to coast to the end of a storied career, having routinely gone undercover to apprehend white supremacists, gun runners, and gang members. But after a chance encounter with an associate of the Pagan Motorcycle Gang created an opening, he transformed himself into “Slam,” a monstrous, axe-handle wielding enforcer whose duty was to protect the leadership “mother club” at all costs. He befriended the club’s most violent and criminally insane members and lived among them for two years, covertly building a case that would eventually take down the top members of the gang in a massive federal prosecution, even as he risked his marriage, his sanity, and his life. With today’s law enforcement largely moving toward the comparative safety of cyber operations, it became one of the last of its kind, a masterclass in old school tactics that marked Croke as a dying breed of undercover agent and became legendary in law enforcement.
Now for the first time, Croke tells the story of his terrifying undercover life in the Pagans—the unspeakable violence, extremism, drugs, and disgusting rituals. Written with bestselling crime writer Dave Wedge and utilizing the exclusive cooperation of those who lived the case with him, as well as thousands of pages of court files and hours of surveillance tapes and photos, Croke delivers a frightening, nail-biting account of the secretive and brutal biker underworld.
Longtime ATF agent Ken Croke had earned the right to coast to the end of a storied career, having routinely gone undercover to apprehend white supremacists, gun runners, and gang members. But after a chance encounter with an associate of the Pagan Motorcycle Gang created an opening, he transformed himself into “Slam,” a monstrous, axe-handle wielding enforcer whose duty was to protect the leadership “mother club” at all costs. He befriended the club’s most violent and criminally insane members and lived among them for two years, covertly building a case that would eventually take down the top members of the gang in a massive federal prosecution, even as he risked his marriage, his sanity, and his life. With today’s law enforcement largely moving toward the comparative safety of cyber operations, it became one of the last of its kind, a masterclass in old school tactics that marked Croke as a dying breed of undercover agent and became legendary in law enforcement.
Now for the first time, Croke tells the story of his terrifying undercover life in the Pagans—the unspeakable violence, extremism, drugs, and disgusting rituals. Written with bestselling crime writer Dave Wedge and utilizing the exclusive cooperation of those who lived the case with him, as well as thousands of pages of court files and hours of surveillance tapes and photos, Croke delivers a frightening, nail-biting account of the secretive and brutal biker underworld.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2022
270 people are currently reading
3162 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
May 31, 2022
This is an odd one.
The writing is highly sensational with almost every chapter ending with either an ominous "it was going to get a lot worse" or a cliffhanger leaving you wondering who the heck was going to end up dead. Parts contradict each other and Ken spends a lot of the time talking about his other undercover jobs and his family life and yada yada I was reading for the juicy murderous motorcycle gang and not cop propaganda.
He does describe some really grotesque things and the Pagans all sound like despicable deplorable deadbeats, but parts read a little like 'he who doth protest too much' before he would partake in club violence.
Also, he went through a whole lotta trouble just to get these guys in jail for like 5-10 years?! Idk seemed not worth it, but hey cops are weird.
I will say I read this pretty fast because I was curious if he'd get found out, so it's definitely fast paced if you're into it.
The writing is highly sensational with almost every chapter ending with either an ominous "it was going to get a lot worse" or a cliffhanger leaving you wondering who the heck was going to end up dead. Parts contradict each other and Ken spends a lot of the time talking about his other undercover jobs and his family life and yada yada I was reading for the juicy murderous motorcycle gang and not cop propaganda.
He does describe some really grotesque things and the Pagans all sound like despicable deplorable deadbeats, but parts read a little like 'he who doth protest too much' before he would partake in club violence.
Also, he went through a whole lotta trouble just to get these guys in jail for like 5-10 years?! Idk seemed not worth it, but hey cops are weird.
I will say I read this pretty fast because I was curious if he'd get found out, so it's definitely fast paced if you're into it.
March 26, 2022
I just love this type of undercover agent book, and this is one of my favorites out of the ones I’ve read. Ken Croak has a way with telling the story of his wild time undercover with the Pagans during a time they were all at risk of being attacked by Hell’s Angels. He had quite a few close calls and incredible luck. The first to even infiltrate the Pagans ever. He shares the toll it took on his family while he was risking his life to gather intel and make cases. A very wild ride but a great read of his experiences. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 31, 2022
An absolutely incredible book! It is my favorite read of the year so far. I could not put it down!
Croke was a 20 year veteran agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). He undertook a two year undercover investigation of the Pagan Motorcycle Gang. Through dedication, hard work, and a good dose of luck, he found himself "patched" (made an official member), appointed Sergeant-Of-Arms, and in charge of the books for his local chapter. He was the first law enforcement officer to ever infiltrate the Pagans.
Croke vividly describes the violent, paranoid, crazy world that the Pagans live in. He tells all about the process, how his persona was crafted, and "backstopped". How the Pagans leadership is constantly checking on it's members, and what happens when they are disappointed (spoiler: it's not pretty). He tells about the drug dealing, the illegal gun sales, the "Christmas presents" (bombs), the paranoia and fear of their rivals (the Hell's Angels), the partying and mandatory gatherings.
How the author survived two years is an amazing feat. I found myself getting anxious during times in the book, as I did not know how he would get out of some of the situations.
Never bragging, he comes across as a real American treasure.
The writing is great. Coherent, easy to follow, impossible to put down.
Just a great, great book!
Croke was a 20 year veteran agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). He undertook a two year undercover investigation of the Pagan Motorcycle Gang. Through dedication, hard work, and a good dose of luck, he found himself "patched" (made an official member), appointed Sergeant-Of-Arms, and in charge of the books for his local chapter. He was the first law enforcement officer to ever infiltrate the Pagans.
Croke vividly describes the violent, paranoid, crazy world that the Pagans live in. He tells all about the process, how his persona was crafted, and "backstopped". How the Pagans leadership is constantly checking on it's members, and what happens when they are disappointed (spoiler: it's not pretty). He tells about the drug dealing, the illegal gun sales, the "Christmas presents" (bombs), the paranoia and fear of their rivals (the Hell's Angels), the partying and mandatory gatherings.
How the author survived two years is an amazing feat. I found myself getting anxious during times in the book, as I did not know how he would get out of some of the situations.
Never bragging, he comes across as a real American treasure.
The writing is great. Coherent, easy to follow, impossible to put down.
Just a great, great book!
April 13, 2022
This book was a gripping listen and I admire the sacrifices made by Ken and his family. At the same time while listening to him recount everything, I kept having this nagging feeling that we aren’t getting the complete truth on Ken’s behavior when we was in the motorcycle gang.
February 9, 2024
SERVED HOUSE BOOTS C*NT
January 6, 2024
Methed out racist bikers are really gross and dangerous, but I already knew that.
October 25, 2022
This was a pleasant surprise. I usually don't read books about cops or criminal cases, but this was very well written, was a very fast read and managed to kept my attention for the entire book. So I can truly say it was really interesting.
I appreciate that -even though I believe he's not telling us every single detail- Croke does not sugarcoat anything. I also appreciate how agent Croke talked not only about the gang but also about how this long undercover job was affecting his family and his role as a father.
As a side, but importaint note, BIG TW on: misogynistic slurs, drug abuse, rape and murder.
I appreciate that -even though I believe he's not telling us every single detail- Croke does not sugarcoat anything. I also appreciate how agent Croke talked not only about the gang but also about how this long undercover job was affecting his family and his role as a father.
As a side, but importaint note, BIG TW on: misogynistic slurs, drug abuse, rape and murder.
July 5, 2022
This could've been so interesting, but it was just so...flat. One-dimensional. All of the people seemed like caricatures (maybe getting more back story of the club, the chapter, and the immediate people that Croke interacted with the most would've helped), there was a whole lot of telling and not a lot of showing, and Croke falsely builds up so many moments that lead to nothing that everything starts to seem silly.
April 5, 2022
Ken's story is a keep you on your seat page turner. Loved learning about this amazing case about the Pagan Motorcycle Gang and all the hard work that went into it. Great read and highly recommend this book!
June 2, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to the ARC even though I did not finish it on time. The book started out slow for me, which made me put it down and forget to pick it back up. Therefore, I am rating this book 3.5 stars and am rounding out to 4 stars since things picked up further into the book.
I did not realize this was going to be an actual account of being undercover in a motorcycle gang, just like I did not know SOA was a fictional show when I first saw previews. This book was a nailbiter once I realized my mistake! I felt like I got an inside scoop into the life of an undercover agent.
I did not realize this was going to be an actual account of being undercover in a motorcycle gang, just like I did not know SOA was a fictional show when I first saw previews. This book was a nailbiter once I realized my mistake! I felt like I got an inside scoop into the life of an undercover agent.
May 29, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. I couldn’t put this down but the language was a little clickbaity - lots of, “And you won’t believe how much worse it gets!” that doesn’t necessarily deliver.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about the ethics of undercover work, and how interesting it is that the author feels very compassionate about the times that he was compelled to participate in illegal activities or brutality, yet I’m not sure that he extends that same level of compassion to all of the gang members he’s embedded himself with over the years.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about the ethics of undercover work, and how interesting it is that the author feels very compassionate about the times that he was compelled to participate in illegal activities or brutality, yet I’m not sure that he extends that same level of compassion to all of the gang members he’s embedded himself with over the years.
May 15, 2024
I get it you are trying to explain to the reader what a top, bottom, and center patch are and describing the meaning or cut, but damn if I read about his rocker or that the 16th letter of the alphabet is “p” one more time before getting half way through the book I would have thrown it in the trash. Seems like he’s trying to hard to “one-up” Billy miss Queen. I give it 2.5 just because of some of the violence in the book other than that, it’s a good read if you want to hear about a narc Cry about being away from his family and trying to be a bad ass.
October 4, 2022
Ehh, just enough action to keep the reader plodding along, but not much more than that.
The book certainly gives an inside look at how biker gangs work. That part was pretty interesting.
Other than that, though, most of the characters are flat. And every chapter is drawn out way too long.
Read a Wikipedia article and skip the book.
The book certainly gives an inside look at how biker gangs work. That part was pretty interesting.
Other than that, though, most of the characters are flat. And every chapter is drawn out way too long.
Read a Wikipedia article and skip the book.
January 8, 2023
Fast paced, exciting read. The author did kind of make himself out to be a perfect, law abiding agent who never bent or broke a single rule. I get why he did it, but I feel like it hurt the authenticity of the book a little. Still a great read. Couldn’t put it down. 4.4 ⭐️
September 17, 2025
Ken Croke spent two years living a double life, one in which the ATF agent's suburbanite existence was increasingly overshadowed by his second life as a sergeant in arms for the notorious PAGANS motorcycle club. The story unfolds in the late 2000s and early 2010s, twenty years after Billy Queen's Under and Alone infiltration of the Mongols. The Pagans' claim to fame was that they'd never been compromised by the law, and for good reason: despite their penchant for violence, they were good at organizational prudence. New prospects were deeply investigated, and would continue to be tested and probed long after they became members. To pass muster as a prospect and a patch, Ken needed to lose himself so much in the the role that he almost lost his life -- both physically and socially, as it took time to repair his relationships with his wife and daughters after two years of increasing neglect. Riding with Evil is quite a look into the world of outlaw MCs, which manages to be more informative but somehow less compelling than Billy Queen's Under and Alone.
Having read both Under and Alone and this, I must say: the Mongols sound a lot more fun than the Pagans. Part of this, I'm sure, is the way the memoirs are written: I strongly suspect Queen's is more forthrightly delivered, as there's a strong sense of "writing to the audience" here. Croke frequently alludes to worse to come, and there's a lot of performative judging going on. Sometimes it's comical: we witness through Croke these men being strung out on drugs for days on end, beating the hell out of their friends for trivial slights and abusing women, actively working on planting bombs to retaliate against the Hell's Angels, moving bodies from one site to the other -- and then Croke will write about how their being dismissive of women, or being racist, was a great motivation to him. His writing makes him come off as more naive than an ATF veteran could possibly be, as he writes in shock that the Pagans don't allow blacks to become members. To my knowledge, the majority of criminal gangs are racial monoliths, especially in prison.
Anyhoo, back to the fun business: one reason Queen's memoir was compelling was that he made genuine friendships with his brothers wearing the Mongol patch, closer bonds than he felt outside, and there was a genuine sense of betrayal when his case started bringing down guys he'd had good times with. Riding with Evil, though, is a two-year exercise in misery: in addition to the paranoia about being exposed as a fed, there's paranoia about ordinary gang violence. The Pagans are always beating the hell out of each other, and not in fun "bonding" way: one prospect was murdered by a full patch right before Croke started hanging out, and toward the end of his time with the Pagans he witnessed several near-instances of murder within the ranks. It made me wonder why anyone would want to hang out with these guys: they even made motorcycles a drag, because forced runs would go on for far longer than any sane rider would go, and were made possible solely by the fact that everyone was hopped up on cocaine. Croke says he dropped riding for several years after this mission simply because the gang had killed the joy for him.
Despite this, there is quite a bit to take home from this. I was greatly amused by the fact that the Pagans were true-crime buffs, for both business and pleasure: they loved watching shows like Sons of Anarchy (though some 1%ers strongly disliked it) and crime TV, trying to record tactics the cops were using to bring down organizations like their own. They come off as incredibly savvy, especially in some of the tests they created: in one notable instance, Croke was forced to help some guys move a body, something they figured would expose any of the participants if they were informers. Surely the Feds wouldn't let a dead body go un-investigated, a case grow cold? Croke indeed agonized over this: the shot drug dealer was somebody's son, somebody's father! Oh, the humanity! After the case was executed, though, years later, he discovered that the body bag was full of a mix of liquid and solid garbage. On the other hand, the Pagans allowed a relatively new member to handle their books because he was good with numbers, a fact that contributed enormously to their RICO takedown. (Croke's background was in accounting before he got into law enforcement. Go figure.) There's also a lot reveals about some stranger aspects of mob psychology: in addition to The Colors (gang vests) being treated as holy objects, the Pagans were also deeply superstitious about numbers. The Hells Angels used "81" as a number to refer to themselves, and Pagans therefore avoided saying 81, or places that incorporated 81 in their street addresses. Human psychology is deeply weird at times.
Although I had some issues with this book, it was quite entertaining: I thought criminal MCs had started declining in numbers since the 1990s, but apparently theirs is a booming business despite law enforcement's expanding tools. The writing sometimes has that performative air, but there's a lot revealed here. Definitely worth reading if you're at all interested in outlaw MCs.
Having read both Under and Alone and this, I must say: the Mongols sound a lot more fun than the Pagans. Part of this, I'm sure, is the way the memoirs are written: I strongly suspect Queen's is more forthrightly delivered, as there's a strong sense of "writing to the audience" here. Croke frequently alludes to worse to come, and there's a lot of performative judging going on. Sometimes it's comical: we witness through Croke these men being strung out on drugs for days on end, beating the hell out of their friends for trivial slights and abusing women, actively working on planting bombs to retaliate against the Hell's Angels, moving bodies from one site to the other -- and then Croke will write about how their being dismissive of women, or being racist, was a great motivation to him. His writing makes him come off as more naive than an ATF veteran could possibly be, as he writes in shock that the Pagans don't allow blacks to become members. To my knowledge, the majority of criminal gangs are racial monoliths, especially in prison.
Anyhoo, back to the fun business: one reason Queen's memoir was compelling was that he made genuine friendships with his brothers wearing the Mongol patch, closer bonds than he felt outside, and there was a genuine sense of betrayal when his case started bringing down guys he'd had good times with. Riding with Evil, though, is a two-year exercise in misery: in addition to the paranoia about being exposed as a fed, there's paranoia about ordinary gang violence. The Pagans are always beating the hell out of each other, and not in fun "bonding" way: one prospect was murdered by a full patch right before Croke started hanging out, and toward the end of his time with the Pagans he witnessed several near-instances of murder within the ranks. It made me wonder why anyone would want to hang out with these guys: they even made motorcycles a drag, because forced runs would go on for far longer than any sane rider would go, and were made possible solely by the fact that everyone was hopped up on cocaine. Croke says he dropped riding for several years after this mission simply because the gang had killed the joy for him.
Despite this, there is quite a bit to take home from this. I was greatly amused by the fact that the Pagans were true-crime buffs, for both business and pleasure: they loved watching shows like Sons of Anarchy (though some 1%ers strongly disliked it) and crime TV, trying to record tactics the cops were using to bring down organizations like their own. They come off as incredibly savvy, especially in some of the tests they created: in one notable instance, Croke was forced to help some guys move a body, something they figured would expose any of the participants if they were informers. Surely the Feds wouldn't let a dead body go un-investigated, a case grow cold? Croke indeed agonized over this: the shot drug dealer was somebody's son, somebody's father! Oh, the humanity! After the case was executed, though, years later, he discovered that the body bag was full of a mix of liquid and solid garbage. On the other hand, the Pagans allowed a relatively new member to handle their books because he was good with numbers, a fact that contributed enormously to their RICO takedown. (Croke's background was in accounting before he got into law enforcement. Go figure.) There's also a lot reveals about some stranger aspects of mob psychology: in addition to The Colors (gang vests) being treated as holy objects, the Pagans were also deeply superstitious about numbers. The Hells Angels used "81" as a number to refer to themselves, and Pagans therefore avoided saying 81, or places that incorporated 81 in their street addresses. Human psychology is deeply weird at times.
Although I had some issues with this book, it was quite entertaining: I thought criminal MCs had started declining in numbers since the 1990s, but apparently theirs is a booming business despite law enforcement's expanding tools. The writing sometimes has that performative air, but there's a lot revealed here. Definitely worth reading if you're at all interested in outlaw MCs.
didn-t-finish
April 19, 2022I’m reading a lot of books right now and this was too similar to other things for me to keep up with it. Lol that almost every review of this book contains the word “Wow!”
October 16, 2024
Riding With Evil: Taking down the notorious pagan motorcycle gang by Ken Croke and Dave Wedge
.
.
A fascinating undercover operation by ATF agent Ken Croke who successfully infiltrated the pagan motorcycle gang and became a fully patched member and a top officer in the organization. In order to build a RICO case( racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act), also used against the mafia, Ken Croke had to transform himself into one of the deviant and lawless outlaws that he was fighting to put behind bars. This real life version of sons of anarchy is for sure a disturbing read and at the same time it is hard to put down. Follow along this multi year journey through hell and back with Ken Croke, who would be known by his biker name of “slam” , as he goes through the grueling initiation and hazing phase of becoming a fully patched member of the pagans. We meet quite the cast of disturbing human beings throughout this wild ride, who routinely commit crimes, assaults, murders, and drug/gun trafficking. All the while Ken tries maintain his sanity and sense of humanity knowing that he will finish the case and succeed or be found out and killed. An amazing story of persistence where the good guy actually wins in the end.
.
.
#read #bookstagram #reading #book #motorcycle #club #crime #truecrime #atf #newyork #massachusetts #sonsofanarchy #readersofinstagram
.
.
A fascinating undercover operation by ATF agent Ken Croke who successfully infiltrated the pagan motorcycle gang and became a fully patched member and a top officer in the organization. In order to build a RICO case( racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act), also used against the mafia, Ken Croke had to transform himself into one of the deviant and lawless outlaws that he was fighting to put behind bars. This real life version of sons of anarchy is for sure a disturbing read and at the same time it is hard to put down. Follow along this multi year journey through hell and back with Ken Croke, who would be known by his biker name of “slam” , as he goes through the grueling initiation and hazing phase of becoming a fully patched member of the pagans. We meet quite the cast of disturbing human beings throughout this wild ride, who routinely commit crimes, assaults, murders, and drug/gun trafficking. All the while Ken tries maintain his sanity and sense of humanity knowing that he will finish the case and succeed or be found out and killed. An amazing story of persistence where the good guy actually wins in the end.
.
.
#read #bookstagram #reading #book #motorcycle #club #crime #truecrime #atf #newyork #massachusetts #sonsofanarchy #readersofinstagram
October 7, 2025
DNF usually enjoy these types of old school bikie stories but a few chapters in I still didn't feel the slightest bit interested so gave it up, wasn't interested in the charecters or what was happening.
January 17, 2023
Excellent read, it’s amazing what this man accomplished and how lucky he was that he never was discovered.
July 2, 2024
Really well told, explained the story of the club very well. I recognized many of the other agents mentioned from other MC books. HA just got raided this week in Bakersfield. Excited for sturgis
August 21, 2025
Tosi hyvä, mutta hieman liian yksitoikkoinen. Olisin kaivannu jotenkin enemmän yksityiskohtia. Tää aihe/ tarina on kuitenkin tosi kiinnostava nii tuntu vähä pintapuoliselta kirjalta.
August 5, 2024
Eye opening and interesting
July 24, 2025
jaa pitääkö sitä alkaa poliisiksi
July 26, 2023
I was stressed out just reading this, I’m shocked guy never had an aneurism
July 13, 2025
when this first came out I was like THIS IS AMAZING
however time and weed tells everything. it’s so bad lmao.
every other chapter ends in: “and I never saw or heard from them again…”
the writing is disjointed, corny, and self aggrandizing.
edit: ok i’m back because I just read under and down by william queen, another atf agent that croyd has worked with.
this book is basically a watered down version of it. I mean, there’s even a biker named jr. idk he might have also been in the mongols but this is just weird.
however time and weed tells everything. it’s so bad lmao.
every other chapter ends in: “and I never saw or heard from them again…”
the writing is disjointed, corny, and self aggrandizing.
edit: ok i’m back because I just read under and down by william queen, another atf agent that croyd has worked with.
this book is basically a watered down version of it. I mean, there’s even a biker named jr. idk he might have also been in the mongols but this is just weird.
July 6, 2023
A thrilling, brutal account of a law enforcement official who went deep undercover to bring down one of the most brutal biker gangs in the US. How Croke managed to keep his cover without completely losing his family or support of his superiors is a remarkable tale of perseverance, skill and luck. It can be hard to read at times, but it is one of those that if didn’t happen in real life, it is likely that a reader would think it was too fanciful for Hollywood. Worth the read regardless of format and probably one that will make quite the movie/streaming series.
May 5, 2023
This book was so good and had me on the edge of my seat for most of it! It was so fascinating to hear the lifestyle and inner workings of one of the world’s most deadly motorcycle gangs. Although it was disturbing, Ken did a great job of explaining it all in a level-headed way and recalling some nasty interactions. All in all, I would recommend reading this if you love true crime books! I definitely want to read “No Angel” next.
September 6, 2022
Riding with Evil was an eye-opening adventure going behind the scenes of the criminal underground. TV gave mc's a romanticized twist while this book gave them a dark and scary truth.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. It was extremely educational.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. It was extremely educational.
October 12, 2022
If you thrive on reading about the worst characters in society & want all the dirty details… you’ll love it. & we’d be friends. The author/undercover agent is likable in his own right but does get a little repetitive at times with the bureaucratic case details.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews