Our Father Who Aren't In Heaven: A True Story of a Career Criminal

by Deborah Frye, Tracy Mercier

My sister and I uncovered a fascinating story about our father and his life of crime. Thirteen years after his death, we were contacted by an adoptee, age thirty, searching for her birth parents. The limited information she provided matched our dad. We were puzzled because at the time of her conception, our father was in prison just ten miles away. We requested his visitor's list and found a female visited during that time. When we broke this news to the adoptee, she was mortified and cancelled a DNA test. In the process of determining if we were siblings, we discovered our father's criminal life, before he met our mother. Going back to his roots, we were surprised to learn our father and his sister were abandoned as toddlers. They were left on the porch of relatives. He grew up to become a notorious opportunist whose crimes netted more money than many legendary outlaws. He once said, "I could tell you stories that would sell a book!" Unfortunately, we never asked him to elaborate.

190 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2011

Reviews

[Nicole Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good local history read...interesting to hear about Wheeling's scandalous past.

[Ellie Pretsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only am I a fan of memoirs, but I enjoyed really learning about how Bim’s actions affected all of those around him. The authors focused on the whole story, rather than only displaying their side, which created a very well-rounded tale about how one man’s behavior can negatively impact a whole family and community. Definitely will recommend! I also love to support my local authors- all you Washington DC folks, Northern VA folks- seriously grab this one, as well as West VA and Ohio friends!

[Carol Covin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this fascinating true life crime story about what two sisters found out when they started looking into their father's past. Read about the characters they met - from police officers, prosecutors and Secret Service agents to accomplices and even one of their father's kidnapping victims. Find out what it means to get letters from a father arrested in your home when you are two who gives you dating advice from jail when you are a teenager. And, find out why the authors didn't choose a life of crime, because they had a Mom who gave them a different role model, all while she was encouraging them to keep a relationship with their father.

For a longer review, and a 30-minute audio interview with the authors, check out my blog site http://newgrandmas.com/21015/books-ga...

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looked better than it was, not personal enough - couldn't feel the characters.