Bad Girls by M William Phelps (2014) Mass Market Paperback

by M. William Phelps

The crime stunned quiet Mineral Wells, 49-year-old Bob Dow shot execution-style in his own bed, his invalid mother locked in the next room and a cache of homemade porn starring the town's underage girls. The two accused killers, teen lovers Bobbi Jo Smith and Jennifer Jones, were on the run, intent on going out in a cross-country blaze of glory. M. William Phelps exposes a gripping tale of sexploitation, lust, and betrayal, while questioning the court's fateful verdict in a tantalizing forensic puzzle. Were both girls equally guilty of murder? Or was one merely a pawn in the other's dainty, blood-stained hands?

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Mystery, Crime

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Crime, murder and serial killer expert, creator/producer/writer and former host of the Investigation Discovery series DARK MINDS, acclaimed, award-winning investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 30 books and winner of the 2013 Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award and the 2008 New England Book Festival Award. A highly sought-after pundit, Phelps has made over 100 media-related television appearances: Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Fox & Friends, truTV, Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America, TLC, BIO, History, Oxygen, OWN, on top of over 100 additional media appearances: USA Radio Network, Catholic Radio, Mancow, Wall Street Journal Radio, Zac Daniel, Ave Maria Radio, Catholic Channel, EWTN Radio, ABC News Radio, and many more.

Phelps is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative on Sexual Crime and Violence (MCSCV), also known as the Atypical Homicide Research Group (AHRG) at Northeastern University, maintained by NU alumni Enzo Yaksic.

Phelps is one of the regular and recurring experts frequently appearing on two long-running series, Deadly Women and Snapped. Radio America calls Phelps “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer,” and TV Rage says, “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” A respected journalist, beyond his book writing Phelps has written for numerous publications—including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant—and consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter.

Phelps grew up in East Hartford, CT, moved to Vernon, CT, at age 12, where he lived for 25 years. He now lives in a reclusive Connecticut farming community north of Hartford.

Beyond crime, Phelps has also written several history books, including the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling NATHAN HALE: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy, THE DEVIL’S ROOMING HOUSE, THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND, MURDER, NEW ENGLAND, and more.

Reviews

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hated everyone involved in this mess. The victim, Bob Dow, was a pedophile and pervert. Bobbie Jo, one of the killers, supplied the underage girls to Bob in exchange for cash and drugs. Jennifer, the other killer, was a drug addict bent on her own destruction. Don't ask where the parents were because they were right there partying and having sex with Bob too for drugs. This being a small town, I find it hard to believe the police didn't know Bob had underage girls in his house getting high and drunk on a daily basis.

Phelps did a good job wading through this filth to make it readable. The only issue I had was trying to make Bob a victim when he was involved with children.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Release Date: September 3, 2013
Genre: True Crime

I have read many of this authors true crime books in the past and enjoyed most of them. However, this one was quite bad. Had the author written the story in about 300 pages it would have worked better. This is for a few reasons. First, it was HIGHLY repetitive. Phelps could have easily given us the details in way less than 500 pages had he not constantly repeated what happened. I am so serious. It was every-single-chapter. The same stuff, over and over again. Whoever edited the book should have noticed this because it was unnecessary and quite frankly, took away from everything. It sort of felt like Phelps was trying to convince US about the guilt or innocence of these two girls and that is NOT how a true crime book works. All the author should be doing is giving us the details in a neutral way. Secondly, Phelps was NOT neutral in this book. It was pretty clear from early on (and even mentions so in the forward) that he doesn't believe that Bobbi Joe was guilty at all. However, the jury CONVICTED her. These are people who are also neutral- those who were given details of the case in order to make their determination. So I didn't like this that much either. Finally, many of Phelps previous book give background information on the victims and perpetrators so we can sort of get to know them. Much of this was conveniently left out expect for the background of Jennifer Jones, which really irritated me.

Normally, I would give readers an idea as to why the book is about here, but I will save my breath because the synopsis sums it up for you. I don't need to get into the nitty gritty details either because frankly, I didn't care for the book and it looks like previous reviewers agree with me.

If you are looking to pick up a true crime novel I WOULD recommend an M. William Phelps book however, not this one. He has so many other great books that are much better told than this one.

[Matthew Mckinney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty rough. I had to buckle down just to finish this one. This book was 500 pages and should have been 200 or less. I can see why the author thought he had a winner here, as not only was he able to get one of the the murderers directly corresponding with him along with her family, the case itself had murder, sex, and depravity, and a "Thelma & Louise" style cross-country escape. However, the story was highly repetitive, hideously drawn out, and the nuts and bolts of the story held no mystery or ambiguity, something critical in the type of true crime I prefer. I've recently been seeking a a new writer of true crime and had read good things about Phelps, and moderately enjoyed the first book of his I read, If Looks Could Kill, but this one was a real snoozer.

Also, a note to ebook creators of non-fiction titles: Make it possible and easy to find the photo insert either by noting it in the "Book Extras" or putting it in the Table of Contents. When I read non-fiction I like to put faces to names, see maps and diagrams when I'm reading the relevant section, etc.. All too often, reading on the Kindle app on my iPad, there is no easy way for me to find the photo insert section until I stumble upon it. You can do better than that.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Definitely not one of this author's better ones.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed a number of Phelps' TC books but this one didn't do it for me. I just couldn't care about the 2 women...or anyone else, for that matter

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought it would never end.

[Jenee Rager · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was bad... like really, really boring, and bad, which is hard to justify when it's allegedly a true crime novel, which I can always usually find interesting. I have read many other reviews on amazon that say that the author changed up his style of writing for this book, and maybe that's what the problem is. First of all the book is just too long, it's repetitive and about half way through I started to feel like the author must be getting paid by the word because he kept saying the same thing over and over again, especially pointless details, like the fact Bobbi Jo had a chain wallet. It doesn't offer anything to the story, the details of the crime, nor does it prove her innocence so why the heck was it mentioned repeatedly? For as many times as the author chose to repeat petty details he never did answer major questions. Something as simple as printing the statute that Bobbi Jo was convicted under might have gone a long way to proving her claims of innocence. As it stands right now, I believe she did not pull the trigger, but she was guilty of being an accessory after the fact and at least in my state you are judged just as severely for that as you are pulling the trigger. Other ways to improve this story would have been to reprint the news interview that Jennifer gave that was referenced over and over (and over and over) again so that the reader could see for themselves how far fetched it was, not just have to take the author's opinion. An open letter from Bobbi Jo to the reader would also have gone a long way towards proving her innocence and making the book more entertaining. As it stands right now, I feel like the author felt very strongly that Bobbi Jo had been railroaded and just wasn't able to explain his reasoning well, and sort of just resorted to a "well it just is" attitude with the book.

[Deborah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was tempted to rate this as the worst book I have EVER read. Phelps redeems himself in Murder in the Heartland, but Bad Girls is loaded with atrocious slang. Phelps can barely go a page without a sentence emulating Texan drawl: "We seen 'em come in the front, but they done went out the back." And worse. "Murder" is substituted with "whacked" and offensive street talk of that ilk.

The "protagonist" Bobbi Jo, who Phelps believes is wrongfully accused and convicted of murder, is not a very sympathetic character. One can easily walk away from the book not remotely caring that an "innocent" lesbian nymphomaniac drug user is languishing away, falsely accused of murder, by her former girlfriend. Unless, the reason Bobbi Jo was put away was because she was targeted as lesbian, which Phelps seems to believe, there are far more sympathetic innocent people than Bobbi Jo wasting away in prison.

[Jlsimon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that makes you think. Bobbie Jo Smith is no angel, but does that make her guilty of murder. Phelps is not known for championing the side of the convicted. It is because he usually goes after those convicted armed with facts and evidence that makes him one of my favorite true crime authors. I can't think of another example of his work where he advocates for the innocence of the convicted individual. He really doesn't think Bobbie Jo Smith was guilty in the murder of Dow. He makes a compelling argument.

I would recommend this book to individuals who like true crime books, also those who like legal thrillers, murder mysteries, and biographical stories.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of his best

Ive read most of Phelps' books and usually appreciate his command of the English language and his ability to create a clear, well-connected narrative. This book does neither. I finished the book because I wanted to give the author a chance to redeem himself, but that never happened. It's almost as if he wrote this book in two or three days without bothering to read through it himself.
If I hadn't read Phelps before this, I would be highly skeptical about the author's ability to deliver a well-rounded study of a situation. This book is an anomaly for this author.

[Kim Wantroba · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read up through page 200. I have read several other books by Phelps and have always enjoyed them, but I couldn't bring myself to finish this one. The writing was horrible and convoluted. He keeps jumping from Bobbi's story to Jen's version to Kathy's version. It would have been better if he told the whole story from one point of view, then from the nest point of view, then from the third. He repeatedly talks about the drugs and the sex. We get it already! These people live for drugs and sex. Very disappointed in this book.

[Bonnie Kernene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the books that I have read by M. William Phelps, and this one is no different. I was enthralled by the story of the murder of Bob Dow. The lives of the two convicted young women, Bobbi Jo Smith and Jennifer Jones, was interesting, to say the least, if not a bit confusing. Phelps gave a good case of the overcharging of Bobbi Jo Smith. Unfortunately, the jury tended to believe the lies of the co-defendant, Jennifer Jones, who would not know the truth if it hit her in the face. The book was well-written and well researched. I thought it was very good.

[Alexandria · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story could've been told in maybe a hundred pages? A long-form magazine article? It's not Phelps' fault but the story just isn't that interesting. There's so much lying, it's really a she-said, she-said and difficult to gain insight into the crime. Thus, the book was incredibly repetitive and stagnant.

[Tammy Carithers · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Phelps is my favorite true crime author, I have read everyone of his books but this book is really hard to follow and not written the way his has written in past, he is and will always be my favorite author.. Ready for a new book!

[Lori Bankhead · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most poorly written true crime books I have ever read. The author works to spoon feed his conclusions to the reader. It is both frustrating and insulting.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This jumped all over the place, and really could have been cut down without sacrificing the story. I expected it to be intriguing, but it wasn't at all.

[Sarah Messenger · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may be one of the worst books I have ever read. I only finished it because of my stubborn vow to finish every book that I start, no matter how much I hate it.

I love a good true crime drama. This is one that was filed in my special filing cabinet for corporate. Sorry, that’s an Office joke. Moving on.

I hold particular disdain for pamphlets that are stretched out into full size books. The information in this book could be contained in a Wikipedia article. Reading it was a study in tedious drudgery. The author repeats things over and over again and tries to tantalize you with “but, wait, there’s more!” The problem is that there really is never more. This crime didn’t have any particular mystery. The perpetrators were known from the beginning. It was fairly cut and dry and the bad girls paid for their crime. That must be why Phelps had to reach for salacious tidbits to make the story interesting. Throughout the book he tries to tempt with details of their lesbian love affair, but fails horribly. It’s not that exciting, bro. Just tell me whodunnit.

Speaking of which, he ought to have been hired as Bobbi Jo’s defense attorney, since he clearly has an agenda to prove her innocence. He hints at her innocence throughout the book and then makes a big tada! at the end, revealing the shocker that he believes she is actually innocent, as if it wasn’t blatantly obvious where he was going with all that.

Overall, very poorly written, pretentious, and horribly dull. Not recommended.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad, disgusted, angry?

And outrage! I applaud Phelps for bringing this case to the public's attention. Bobbi's lifestyle, poor choices, and judgment, etc., had not one iota of significance in her trial. Travesty of justice is an understatement of the highest order.
I hope Mr. Phelps is able to help her, because that kind of outcome is frightening and all too real.
The judge, jury and attorneys should be investigated, not to mention the DA. Protect and serve, not judge and prosecute.
I'm not condoning anyone's lifestyle here, I simply saw the facts that pertained to the charge, I'm no lawyer, how does this happen!? Wow, judged by hearsay, gossip, lies, unbelievable.
And that poor girl just takes it, because she always has. Jen should never be let out.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really intense deep dive into a case I haven't seen a lot about. What I appreciated the most about this book was Phelps recognition and constant reminder of how terrible a disease addiction is, and that the women in this true story suffered greatly from it. I often don't see addiction treated with compassion or understanding, particularly in true crime stories, and it made me respect Phelps as a journalist and author.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this one. I notice a lot of people saying that they didn't like this Phelps' book because the people weren't relatable but honestly I felt worse for Bobbi Jo than I have for a lot of other people in Phelps' books . The depravity and desperation that the people in a lot of Phelps books live in everyday never ceases to amaze me. I really wasn't disappointed with this one at all.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was difficult to follow at times because of the ever changing stories but that isn't on the author, I think he did good working with what he had. It was well written and he really did his research.

[Lynne M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phelps' work is hit or miss for me. I did like this book, simply because I do not ever remember seeing much about this particular case before and so it was good to read about something I wasn't previously familiar with.

[Dale M. Sidener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good review on the trauma some young children face that can distort their life

This book would be helpful for parent's, mental health workers to further understand ways to protect children. Preventative approach with high risk behaviors, non judgement approach .

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb about going out in a cross-country blaze of glory is rather misleading, but the story is none-the-less wild. The author's research is impeccable, and the writing is very good making this a worthwhile read in the genre. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[AnnaM P · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually enjoy Phelps books but like others have stated I found it very repetitive and a bit boring. Not his best work.

[Susan]

I barely got started on this but knew it would be a slog. Read some other reviews and decided to abandon it.

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, good facts. Felt repetitive especially in the second half. Could have reduced the size of the book by a bit due to repetitiveness.

[Jeanine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of this author's best books. The whole situation is messy and nasty. No heros here.

[Mary Kamrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I typically like this author's books but I found this one to be quite repetitive. The story continued to repeat itself and could have been told in many less pages.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to quit. Everything just kept repeating.