John Book (1941-) was a Philadelphia Police Department detective during the 1980s. In 1984, he was the target of several assassination attempts from the corrupt police chief Paul Schaeffer and the corrupt narcotics detective James McFee after Book discovered McFee's role in the confiscation and underground sale of confiscated chemicals used to produce amphetamines, forcing him to go into hiding among the Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he protected the Amish boy Samuel Lapp, the witness to McFee's murder of an undercover policeman. Ultimately, Book succeeded in killing McFee and another corrupt policeman, Leon Ferguson, when they came to Lancaster to kill him and Lapp, and Book then arrested Schaeffer.
Biography[]
Book eating with Rachel and Samuel Lapp in Philadelphia
John Book was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1941, the brother of Elaine Book, and he joined the Philadelphia Police Department. Book was a workaholic who never had time to start a family, instead acting as a father figure to Elaine's children. He worked with Sergeant Elton Carter to investigate murder cases in the city, and, in 1984, they came across a murder scene at 30th Street Station where a young Amish boy, Samuel Lapp, had witnessed the murder of an undercover policeman in a bathroom. Book had Samuel cooperate with the investigation as a witness, and, while Book was initially unsuccessful in finding the suspect (whom Lapp could only identify as African-American), Book identified the suspect after Lapp recognized the murderer as narcotics detective James McFee after seeing a newspaper clipping of McFee in a trophy case at the police station. While Book stashed Samuel and his mother Rachel Lapp at Elaine's house, he reported his findings to police chief Paul Schaeffer, and recalled that McFee had previously taken part in an unrecorded seizure of $22 million worth of expensive chemicals used to manufacture amphetamines, raising his suspicions about where the chemicals had gone. Schaeffer promised to get the FBI and the Treasury Department to look into McFee's case, while telling Book to tell no one else about the case, and learning from Book that the Lapps were at his sister's.
Book meeting the Amish district leaders of Lancaster
However, Schaeffer secretly tipped off McFee about Book's discovery, as Schaeffer had partnered with McFee. McFee ambushed Book in the parking garage and wounded him after a brief shootout, but Book was able to drive home, collect the Lapps, call Carter and tell him to dispose of the files on the Lapps, and drive the Lapps to their home in Lancaster. Book initially insisted on returning to Philadelphia, but, while driving away from the farm, he lost consciousness and swerved off the road, hitting the Lapp farm's birdhouse. Rachel's father-in-law Eli Lapp took Book in and helped him convalesce, and the Amish community was divided over whether or not to take care of the "English" Book.
Book in Amish clothing
Book was allowed to stay with the Amish community as long as he wore traditional Amish clothing, participated in chores such as milking cows, and respected Amish customs (such as refraining from violence). Over time, he grew closer to the Lapps, and especially to Rachel, forming a forbidden romantic relationship with her after dancing with her to 1950s rock music played by his car's fixed radio. Book also earned Eli Lapp's respect for his carpentry, and the respect of Rachel's neighbor Daniel Hochleitner for participating in a barn raising. He later accompanied Hochleitner into town to use a payphone, and he learned from Schaeffer that Cartner had died "in the line of duty", deducing that Schaeffer and McFee had discovered Carter's role in the Lapp case. Shortly after, he punched a tourist who was harassing Hochleitner, and the local police became aware of the altercation and reported it to Schaeffer, who brought McFee and detective Leon Ferguson with him to Lancaster to hunt down Book and the Lapps and silence all of those with knowledge of their drug-running business.
The next day, the three corrupt policemen arrived at the Lapp farm and took Rachel and Eli hostage as a means of luring Book out. Book had Samuel run to Hochleitner's house for safety as he stealthily took on the corrupt policemen, luring Ferguson into a grain silo before drowning him with corn. He then used Ferguson's shotgun to shoot McFee dead, and he then headed to confront Schaeffer. Schaeffer threatened to kill the Lapps unless Book let him escape, but Samuel rang the town bell and alerted the other members of the Amish community to the scene, causing them to confront Schaeffer until he gave up. Book proceeded to arrest Schaeffer for his crimes, and he bade farewell to the Lapps, with Eli telling him to be careful "out there among them English", signifying his acceptance of Book as a member of the Amish community. Book bade farewell to Hochleitner as well, and he then drove off, returning to Philadelphia.