Driven to Kill: The Clara Harris Story

by Clifford L. Linedecker

"I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was real, " said a witness in the trial of Clara Harris, accused of running her adulterous husband over three times with their luxury Mercedes sedan in a Houston parking lot. The rest of the nation would be left to ask the same question as the entire incident was shown on a grainy security videotape, a tragic dose of "reality TV" destined for prime time broadcast. What really happened on July 24, 2002, after Clara caught David with his mistress, Gale Bridges (herself a philandering lesbian) that very night? From the Files of the National Enquirer comes the real story behind a woman who drove over the edge.

Genres: True Crime

254 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

About the author

Clifford L. Linedecker is a former daily newspaper journalist with eighteen years experience on the Philadelphia Inquirer, Rochester (N.Y.) Times-Union, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, and several other Indiana newspapers. He is an experienced investigative reporter who has covered police and the courts on each of the papers where he was employed. He is a former articles editor for National Features Syndicate in Chicago, and for "County Rambler" magazine. He is the author of numerous true crime titles, including The Man Who Killed Boys, Night Stalker, Killer Kids, Blood in the Sand, and Deadly White Female.

Reviews

[Christina Sopko · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend had two copies of this book, and in an I-Have-No-New-Books moment I took one of hers to read. Not bad. My only complaint...when I got halfway through I reached the picture pages. Yay! The last photo was captioned with something like "The courtroom after the "guilty" verdict". Well...so much for a surprise ending!

[Mollee Lemons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about David and Clara Harris. The couple were both dentist at Space Center Orthodontics in Houston, Texas. David and Clara had twin sons together and David had another daughter from another marriage. Clara had hired Gail as a receptionist for the couples medical office. Gail and David soon after began having an affair. One July night David and Gail had went to a hotel for their monthly date. Clara had hired a private investigator to spy on her husband and his mistress. Clara took her step-daughter Lyndsey with her to spy on her husband and his mistress. Clara began to fight Gail when she saw her in the elevator on that July night. Then as she began too leave, being so aggravated about the whole situation, once she had gotten into her car she ran David over with her car 3 times eventually killing him.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

i remember hearing about this case when it happened. The stupid lady should not have gone to the hotel or should not have hired a Private Investigator. one or the other! I feel so sorry for her children now with these traumatizing events and being raised by relatives.

[Donna Humble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good telling of the wife who decided to kill her husband because he was unfaithful.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a quick read and something i got from a yard sale for 50 cents. it was interesting especially because i hadn't heard of this particular case before this book. i noticed a lot of reviewers said that the writing was bad. i don't think it was bad, it was just very basic and to the point which i think made it such a quick read. i think some of the stuff that was elaborated on could have been left out (things that weren't really pertinent to the actual case) but it wasn't a big deal that they were in there. all in all i enjoyed the quick read. i do feel like he ended it really fast once the trial was over. it was like bam, you're done.

[Sue Roenke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting book about a woman who was really angry that her beloved husband was having an affair and ended up running him over in front of his mistress and his 16 year old daughter (who was in the car with her!!)

[Shanda Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The facts are all there, and yet I just didn't make a real connection with anyone involved. By the halfway point in the book, I really didn't care if I finished it or not. I just cannot leave a book unread though, LoL.

[Ur · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's base on a true story. It make you think what could drive people to do crazy things with out realizing their consequences. A very good reading.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Not much more to say about this book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read about Clara Harris. Not quite sympathetic to her but shows her mindset while she killed her husband.

[Lindsay Orberson · Rating 2 out of 5]

True Crime books need to be a little more interesting. The events in themselves are interesting but the way the story is told is flat out boring.

[bRiTtNeY h. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very good. It is a true crime book. I loved this book.

[Buffy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up half way through too bad to finish

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing true crime must be harder than it appears - few writers do it well.