Smoldering Embers

by Joy Wellman, Susan Repogle, Lisa McVey

A human monster. A staggering body count. The women who had the courage to fight back...

Susan Replogle was stalked, tortured and raped before escaping from her abductor. Lisa McVey was kidnapped and raped for 27 hours, but used her wits to survive. Their abductor had already killed ten and raped and seriously injured over 200 women. When Joy Wellman read of Lisa and Susan's ordeals she vowed to bring Bobby Joe Long to justice.

Genres: True Crime, Biography, Nonfiction

287 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 1997

Reviews

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very wonderful -- and very disappointing -- book. Two of the three authors survived assaults by the serial killer in this story, Bobby Joe Long, and the third is a rape survivor with a different assailant. One became a rape-crisis counselor as a result of her experiences and another later became a police officer. When they talked about their personal experiences with sexual violence, rape counselors, friends & family and the authorities, the book was absolutely wrenching. Finally, a TC entirely from the perspective of the people who matter most! All three of them sat in on Long's trial for the murder of Virginia Johnson, and this is where it all fell apart. I mean that in a very literal sense: the text went from paragraphs describing what was going on to a succession of disconnected sentence fragments, so I had absolutely no idea what was going on, what was being said by whom or what points were being made in court. We do finally find out the court's decision, but there's no real clue to what it was based on. I did get a smile out of the fact that Helen Morrison, who made herself look like an absolute space cookie in her book MY LIFE AMONG THE SERIAL KILLERS, testified for the defense during the sentencing phase of the trial and it also says Long wanted the public to listen to what she had to say, so I'm sure it was ridiculous and serial-killer-enabling. I only wish the authors had let me know what she said!

[T.M. Carper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true story about three women who came together through a shared experience and to ensure that justice was survived. Their stories show how easy it is to punish the victims and not the villians. The justice system is unbalanced and tips in the favor of the accused, not the victims.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crazy to read a book about a serial killer where everything took place in your own backyard!!! Lisa McVey is the resource officer at my daughter’s school. The things she has been through…. there are no words. I thank her for her bravery - then and now.

[MaryAlice]

I did not like the crimes Bobby Long committed, I liked the book, Smoldering Embers by Joy Wellman.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisa McVey's story was just incredible. What a survivor.