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Deadly Lessons
A husband’s murder leads to a trial that stunned a nation, and a killer whose motive is the most shocking of all.
Pam and Gregg Smart lived a seemingly storybook existence, the newlyweds very much in love. All of this was shattered when Gregg was senselessly shot to death in 1990. In the trial that followed, staggering revelations came out as to the motive behind the killing: Pam Smart had seduced a fifteen-year-old boy into murdering her husband.
Master of true crime Ken Englade paints a portrait of a trial that gripped the nation in its scintillating tale of sex and murder. At its center is a woman who never quite grew up, and the reason why she had her husband murdered is the most stunning twist.
Pam and Gregg Smart lived a seemingly storybook existence, the newlyweds very much in love. All of this was shattered when Gregg was senselessly shot to death in 1990. In the trial that followed, staggering revelations came out as to the motive behind the killing: Pam Smart had seduced a fifteen-year-old boy into murdering her husband.
Master of true crime Ken Englade paints a portrait of a trial that gripped the nation in its scintillating tale of sex and murder. At its center is a woman who never quite grew up, and the reason why she had her husband murdered is the most stunning twist.
293 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1991
93 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Ken Englade
21 books67 followersKenneth F. Englade is a New Mexico-based author who has published nine books dealing with high profile trials. His latest book, Meltdown in Haditha: The Killing of 24 Iraqi Civilians by U.S. Marines and the Failure of Military Justice, will be published in 2015 by McFarland & Co. He also published five historical novels dealing with the pre-Civil War West. His books have been published in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada. He is a veteran journalist who has worked on newspapers and for fourteen years with United Press International, including three years in Asia where he covered the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon. Beyond Reason, his book about a University of Virginia coed and her German boyfriend who conspired to kill the woman’s parents was a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award. From 2000-2006 he was a public information officer for the Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency. In 2010 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Louisiana State University School of Mass Communications in recognition of his career achievements.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 7, 2019
I'm not sure why there was so much fascination with the Pam Smart case, since--unlike her name--she wasn't particularly smart or original. Because she was cute? Because it's a stereotypical male fantasy to be seduced by one's teacher (even though she wasn't, technically, a teacher)? For whatever reason, this is about the third or fourth book I've read about this case (all were gifts).
This one stands out for the simple matter that there was absolutely no attempt to humanize the victim, Gregg Smart. We don't learn a single thing about him, beyond his job, his musical tastes, and the fact he loved his dog. There wasn't even a photo of Gregg included in the book, which was really strange.
It was an easy enough read, including the trial sequences, but I wish there had been more sympathy for Gregg, or any kind of explanation of why Smart was so damn stupid. She basically ruined five young lives, including her own, because she didn't want to risk losing custody of her dog and her white leather couch. Truly bizarre.
This one stands out for the simple matter that there was absolutely no attempt to humanize the victim, Gregg Smart. We don't learn a single thing about him, beyond his job, his musical tastes, and the fact he loved his dog. There wasn't even a photo of Gregg included in the book, which was really strange.
It was an easy enough read, including the trial sequences, but I wish there had been more sympathy for Gregg, or any kind of explanation of why Smart was so damn stupid. She basically ruined five young lives, including her own, because she didn't want to risk losing custody of her dog and her white leather couch. Truly bizarre.
February 8, 2008
This is the story of Pam Smart the 22 yr. old who seduced a 15 yr. old boy and talked him into killing her husband. Even though half the book was the trial, the author did not bog it down with evidence and lawyer bickering. My suggestions to make this a better book would have been to do more background before the murder on the husband, wife and the boys. Also, more pictures would have been better. But it was a quick and easy book.
March 27, 2020
In 1990, a teacher in New Hampshire had a sexual affair with one of her students. One of those students then went and killed the teacher's husband. This is the book version of that story and the subsequent criminal investigations and trial by jury.
Firstly, and this is a point the author freely points out: the "teacher" was not, in fact, a teacher. She was a media director for the school district who did have some contact with students. The contact with the students enabled her to form a romantic relationship with one of them. While she only had a romantic relationship with one of the students, there were ultimately four students involved in the murder of Gregg Smart. The thing with this book is that there are many misspelled words throughout the book. A cringe on every page, if you will, if you're a grammar nerd like myself. Sometimes the author outright invents new words, like "uncontrite" and a couple of others I can't remember right now. This story played out on the national news way back in 1990, so if you are old enough to remember this story in the news, you can skip this book. There is nothing new here. Also, this book is 293 pages, which is at least 100 pages too long. It could have been condensed into a much shorter story.
Now for the technical details. There are no people in this story that are neither criminals nor professionals involved in criminal justice. No page is given to the deceased or his family or to Pam Smart's family. There is literally nothing here but the story itself as it was presented to the media in 1990. The pacing is slow and plodding. There is no alcohol use. There are multiple descriptions of sex scenes. Some liberal use of adult language. This would be an okay book, probably best if you have never heard of Pam or Gregg Smart or the murder.
Firstly, and this is a point the author freely points out: the "teacher" was not, in fact, a teacher. She was a media director for the school district who did have some contact with students. The contact with the students enabled her to form a romantic relationship with one of them. While she only had a romantic relationship with one of the students, there were ultimately four students involved in the murder of Gregg Smart. The thing with this book is that there are many misspelled words throughout the book. A cringe on every page, if you will, if you're a grammar nerd like myself. Sometimes the author outright invents new words, like "uncontrite" and a couple of others I can't remember right now. This story played out on the national news way back in 1990, so if you are old enough to remember this story in the news, you can skip this book. There is nothing new here. Also, this book is 293 pages, which is at least 100 pages too long. It could have been condensed into a much shorter story.
Now for the technical details. There are no people in this story that are neither criminals nor professionals involved in criminal justice. No page is given to the deceased or his family or to Pam Smart's family. There is literally nothing here but the story itself as it was presented to the media in 1990. The pacing is slow and plodding. There is no alcohol use. There are multiple descriptions of sex scenes. Some liberal use of adult language. This would be an okay book, probably best if you have never heard of Pam or Gregg Smart or the murder.
June 6, 2021
Held my interests but could have been a little shorter. A lot of going over the same details. Ken Englade is a good writer - his narratives flow well making it more enjoyable to read (unlike many writers who ramble on & on with a bunch of unnecessary crap that one could care less about).
All I know is, I was "biting at the bit" to the point where this self-absorbed, arrogant bitch Pamela Smart finally gets "nailed" for being the mastermind and manipulator behind the killing of her husband. Maybe "mastermind" is a poor choice - nothing "master" minded about Pamela Smart who used sex to lure 15-16 year old boys into committing her "dirty deeds" for her.
I love her snide arrogance while testifying for herself in her trial. Smart, whose actually quite dumb, "arroganced" herself right into a conviction!
All I know is, I was "biting at the bit" to the point where this self-absorbed, arrogant bitch Pamela Smart finally gets "nailed" for being the mastermind and manipulator behind the killing of her husband. Maybe "mastermind" is a poor choice - nothing "master" minded about Pamela Smart who used sex to lure 15-16 year old boys into committing her "dirty deeds" for her.
I love her snide arrogance while testifying for herself in her trial. Smart, whose actually quite dumb, "arroganced" herself right into a conviction!
October 14, 2020
True crime tale with enough information to keep me interested but not so much that I start skipping ahead. Sometimes these true crime books have such detailed information that I feel like I’m a detective following the clues and that every tiny clue is vital. After a while those details begin to blur and I get bored and start speed reading. This book was perfect for someone like me who gets frustrated keeping track. Plenty of details but always to the point and quickly moves onward. Well done!
January 3, 2024
There was nothing wrong with Ken Englade’s Deadly Lessons. It was as well-written as Englade’s books usually are, but basically it had nothing to say that hadn’t already been reported fully in the contemporaneous media. The one thing I would’ve like to know is what was she thinking, but I doubt that Smart herself knows. Older true crime fans can probably find a more interesting case to read about but it may fascinate younger ones who aren’t already so familiar with the case.
June 2, 2018
Absolute rot. Should not have read, but sometimes you just need to read trash.
April 27, 2020
Stories like this just blow my mind. I have no words.
August 21, 2023
Cold and calculating
September 10, 2023
Solid true crime story.
November 25, 2016
This is a standard true crime book. It goes into all of the basics. You get the who, the what, and the why. You get the before the crime, the basics of the crime, and the trial.
There are a couple of things that are outstanding in this book. For one thing, it calls forth the culture of New Hampshire. The fact that most who live there live and breath their motto, "Live Free or Die" is actually one of the reasons that Pam Smart was not initially suspected by the family. Her actions were not standard of a grieving widow, but these are people who believe their motto gives everyone the right to live and feel in whatever is natural to them. I respect that.
Something else that is called forward in this book is that this case is one of the first where a female educator took advantage of an underage boy who would not by most standards be considered a child. These cases are pretty well known today, but at the time, that wasn't the case. Pam Smart wasn't a teacher, but she did work within the educational system, and that put her in close proximity to a great number of teenage boys. Cases like this one have contributed to the legislation that deals with situations where someone is below the legal age of consent, but to old to be exactly covered under sex-offender laws. This book for me constantly brought forward Mary-Kay Letourneau. In the end she married her victim, who still does not see himself as her victim. Though I personally have a soap box to climb on for this issue, this is not the place....
Over all I would say this is a well done true crime book. It does not go into personal judgement of the characters, the lawyers, the judge, or the victim. It does not go into right or wrong, merely a just the facts ma'am telling of what happened.
There are a couple of things that are outstanding in this book. For one thing, it calls forth the culture of New Hampshire. The fact that most who live there live and breath their motto, "Live Free or Die" is actually one of the reasons that Pam Smart was not initially suspected by the family. Her actions were not standard of a grieving widow, but these are people who believe their motto gives everyone the right to live and feel in whatever is natural to them. I respect that.
Something else that is called forward in this book is that this case is one of the first where a female educator took advantage of an underage boy who would not by most standards be considered a child. These cases are pretty well known today, but at the time, that wasn't the case. Pam Smart wasn't a teacher, but she did work within the educational system, and that put her in close proximity to a great number of teenage boys. Cases like this one have contributed to the legislation that deals with situations where someone is below the legal age of consent, but to old to be exactly covered under sex-offender laws. This book for me constantly brought forward Mary-Kay Letourneau. In the end she married her victim, who still does not see himself as her victim. Though I personally have a soap box to climb on for this issue, this is not the place....
Over all I would say this is a well done true crime book. It does not go into personal judgement of the characters, the lawyers, the judge, or the victim. It does not go into right or wrong, merely a just the facts ma'am telling of what happened.
October 1, 2017
An interesting story, destroyed by a novice writer...
While the story had merit, the telling of it was confusing, long winded, and amateurish.
Much of the text is inclusion of wiretap transcripts entered in less than an unedited format. Rather than reading one a script where each speaker is identified, the wiretap content becomes a rambling, multi - page but of filter that does little more than force the reader to read the some content to coax out its meaning.
Chapter breaks seem to be random. Chapters are intended to allow the author to break a larger story into manageable pieces. Ken England seems to think they're interchangeable with paragraph breaks. Countless times I finished a chapter only to be proud into the continuing story from the last one. I learned this in high school, apparently Ken Englade was sick that day.
The story ends in 1991...with the conviction of a 23 year old woman sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As the book ends, Englade speaks to what the future may hold for all impacted by the case... But does nothing to
finish tying up a few loose ends (the most over used phrase in this book) by telling the reader what eventually happened to the characters. It's over 25 years since the conviction, how about doing a little research and telling the whole story?
Overall, I have to say this is my first disappointment from the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program. I hope this review might urge them to do a bit more quality control.
While the story had merit, the telling of it was confusing, long winded, and amateurish.
Much of the text is inclusion of wiretap transcripts entered in less than an unedited format. Rather than reading one a script where each speaker is identified, the wiretap content becomes a rambling, multi - page but of filter that does little more than force the reader to read the some content to coax out its meaning.
Chapter breaks seem to be random. Chapters are intended to allow the author to break a larger story into manageable pieces. Ken England seems to think they're interchangeable with paragraph breaks. Countless times I finished a chapter only to be proud into the continuing story from the last one. I learned this in high school, apparently Ken Englade was sick that day.
The story ends in 1991...with the conviction of a 23 year old woman sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As the book ends, Englade speaks to what the future may hold for all impacted by the case... But does nothing to
finish tying up a few loose ends (the most over used phrase in this book) by telling the reader what eventually happened to the characters. It's over 25 years since the conviction, how about doing a little research and telling the whole story?
Overall, I have to say this is my first disappointment from the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program. I hope this review might urge them to do a bit more quality control.
April 17, 2015
After seeing the news media coverage of this case back in 1990, when it all started to unfold, I wanted to get behind the scenes. Ken Englade writes a very good book, we get to see what a manipulative, vindictive person Pam Smart is. Ensnaring a love starved, sex hungry teen into her life, and using plenty of sex to control him, to do her dirty work. The sloppy nature of the killing, (it looked like an execution, not a robbery gone wrong) and her constant asking for developments in the case, until she trapped herself by having her own words recorded, she trapped herself. I recommend this to anyone who wants to get the whole story, not the news media sound bites version.
January 11, 2015
Extremely well compiled facts pieced with suggestive areas of deduction
I happened to actually go online and check the archives for this case and came across numerous references from them to this book so I believe Ken has definitely done extremely great job at putting all the facts together for this case. Nicely pieced together evidence references which give a good insight of the case
I happened to actually go online and check the archives for this case and came across numerous references from them to this book so I believe Ken has definitely done extremely great job at putting all the facts together for this case. Nicely pieced together evidence references which give a good insight of the case
December 10, 2016
Good Book
I love reading about true crime, makes me shake my head and wonder how some people ever got so evil.
I love reading about true crime, makes me shake my head and wonder how some people ever got so evil.
March 30, 2017
So sad. People are just crazy. Pam Smart had her 15 year old boyfriend kill her husband. She murdered her husband because she was afraid of her reputation getting damaged if it got out she was sleeping with a 15 year old and she was worried her husband would get the couch and the dog in a divorce. So messed up and just sad. They had only been married for 2 or 3 years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews