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The Deaths of Cindy James
Book by Hall, Neal
291 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 19, 2015
I found this case fascinating so I did some digging and found a copy of this now out of print book. I knew full well what theory the author subscribed to beforehand, but by all accounts Neal Hall is a savvy crime reporter with a good ear to the ground and he has the most complete account of this bizarre case. He is a credible voice here.
From the writing style you can immediately tell he's a newspaper reporter - the prose is straightforward but isn't exactly going to suck you in. It's quite matter of fact and frankly I found that some parts tended to drag, despite the subject being of great interest to me. But when reading keep in mind this was also his first book, so a little unevenness is to be expected. The final chapters do bring everything together well and he does a very good job presenting the inquest as a culmination of those strange years. The diary entries and psychological evaluations collected here paint a grim picture of Cindy and her state, it can be unsettling to read but I would say very well researched.
My main gripe is that some inconsistencies were not revisited in the narrative, the most glaring to me was some the unexplained issues with the phantom phone calls. This is a result of the book looking at what we do know rather than speculating on what may have transpired. It makes sense, but I would have liked a little more depth here.
All that being said, everything is still quite detailed. You can tell a lot of work went into this book and the author truly seeks to dispel misconceptions only through the facts, without opinion, as a good reporter should.
If you're interested in this bizarre murder/suicide, the book is worth picking up for sure.
While what little tangible evidence there is seems to point toward self infliction, truly we will never know.
From the writing style you can immediately tell he's a newspaper reporter - the prose is straightforward but isn't exactly going to suck you in. It's quite matter of fact and frankly I found that some parts tended to drag, despite the subject being of great interest to me. But when reading keep in mind this was also his first book, so a little unevenness is to be expected. The final chapters do bring everything together well and he does a very good job presenting the inquest as a culmination of those strange years. The diary entries and psychological evaluations collected here paint a grim picture of Cindy and her state, it can be unsettling to read but I would say very well researched.
My main gripe is that some inconsistencies were not revisited in the narrative, the most glaring to me was some the unexplained issues with the phantom phone calls. This is a result of the book looking at what we do know rather than speculating on what may have transpired. It makes sense, but I would have liked a little more depth here.
All that being said, everything is still quite detailed. You can tell a lot of work went into this book and the author truly seeks to dispel misconceptions only through the facts, without opinion, as a good reporter should.
If you're interested in this bizarre murder/suicide, the book is worth picking up for sure.
While what little tangible evidence there is seems to point toward self infliction, truly we will never know.
January 1, 2022
This is such a bizarre story, and I still don't really know what to think, but it was well-researched and makes a compelling case.
Read
May 31, 2016I literally could not put this book down. The mystery of the whole story really made it hard for me to stop reading. I saw this story first on unsolved mysteries, but the show does not tell you everything. in the book they much deeper into who cindy was and who her husband and family were. It was very hard to read certain parts because alot of it had to do with her mental state, so they used alot of pyschology lingo. the parts were the attacks happend, were very detailed. it was a real page turner. i am still unsure on if this was really all in her head, but i really thing the husband knew more then he let on.
March 13, 2008
I worked with his woman at The Richmond Hospital
Want to read
March 23, 2021This book is out of print! If anyone wants to help out a lonely cat lady, that loves true crime story's, 😁 and possibly donate me, loan or sale me this book...? Please let me if possible?? 😊
April 13, 2014
Featured a lot of info not included in the "Unsolved Mysteries" segment, which is what I was looking for. Definitely a page-turner.
October 18, 2020
It’s more interesting to me than perhaps others as I live in the general area Cindy James did. I loved that they spoke with both psychiatrists and included their analysis as without their professional diagnoses I don’t think we would have a clear picture of what potentially is going on here.
Still not entirely cut and dry - enough doubt to keep the reader thinking throughout the book. Fascinating read.. It was presented more as a factual account from both sides then a biased analysis with a conclusion readers can draw their own conclusions.
Still not entirely cut and dry - enough doubt to keep the reader thinking throughout the book. Fascinating read.. It was presented more as a factual account from both sides then a biased analysis with a conclusion readers can draw their own conclusions.
January 2, 2024
the most unbelievable true crime case i have come across. i absolutely devoured this book as soon as i started reading it.
neal hall, being a journalist for the vancouver sun and being present at the coroner’s inquest into the death of cindy james, did very good work by objectively reporting the facts and timelines of the case, although i wish that there was more depth to some of the details that he provided in his retelling of cindy’s attacks.
the case remains unsolved and after finishing this book, i can tell that this case will haunt me for years to come. i’m still undecided as to whether cindy had manufactured the harassment and terror campaign against herself or if she really was a victim of elusive stalkers and attackers.
rest in peace, cindy.
neal hall, being a journalist for the vancouver sun and being present at the coroner’s inquest into the death of cindy james, did very good work by objectively reporting the facts and timelines of the case, although i wish that there was more depth to some of the details that he provided in his retelling of cindy’s attacks.
the case remains unsolved and after finishing this book, i can tell that this case will haunt me for years to come. i’m still undecided as to whether cindy had manufactured the harassment and terror campaign against herself or if she really was a victim of elusive stalkers and attackers.
rest in peace, cindy.
July 30, 2025
Very poorly written.
At times it seems as though the author may have murdered her and is trying to cover his tracks with this weird interpretation of the facts.
Author seems like a creep.
At times it seems as though the author may have murdered her and is trying to cover his tracks with this weird interpretation of the facts.
Author seems like a creep.
September 30, 2023
The case was fascinating and the coverage very thorough.
August 30, 2016
So, I am not even sure how to review this. To really talk about it would be more like a multi-part r/unresolvedmysteries post.
So, as a true crime book, it is fine. This is a really confusing case where the victim was often an unreliable witness and Neal Hall manages to give a good overview of many different aspects of Cindy James' mental and physical state. The facts, such as they are, can be easily followed.
I just wish there was more information. I remember seeing this case on Unsolved Mysteries. And, unsolved it shall remain.
So, my theory: murder or suicide? Both. I believe she was mentally ill and probably unpleasant for mental health professionals, but I don't know. Why was this woman on at least 2 different kinds of tranquilizers? She was taking them everyday and that does not treat any kind of mental illness, not really. I think she was experiencing an untreated mental illness exacerbated by use of two tranquilizers, neither of which was treating her issue. I'm thinking she was having side effects, bad ones. And I think vivid dreaming is one of them.
I also think that her ex-husband was gas lighting her. Who tells someone, hey, when you do the laundry, be careful, they could slit your throat? Cindy claimed he was abusive. He was also paranoid. They probably fed off of the other's delusions. But, there isn't any real evidence to support what I am saying. You have to interpret. Which is why this case is still unsolved. Her harassment went on for years and there is no evidence.
Police speculate she was beating herself, hog tying herself, setting fires, strangling herself and then she succeeded. However, that is weird too. And if she was doing it, she convinced others to help her by tying her up and making phone calls. There are witnesses. Also, really? People do that to themselves outside the realm of 1980s-1990s evening soaps? (Right? Didn't like JR Ewing's mistress do this? Maybe it was Knot's Landing...Gary Ewing? Who cares. I'm just saying this is a soap plot and so should not have been this woman's life--Canadian or no.
This is crazy. Such a creepy, frustrating unknowable thing.
So, the book is out of print...try your library or get a used one. Plenty to google on this too.
So, as a true crime book, it is fine. This is a really confusing case where the victim was often an unreliable witness and Neal Hall manages to give a good overview of many different aspects of Cindy James' mental and physical state. The facts, such as they are, can be easily followed.
I just wish there was more information. I remember seeing this case on Unsolved Mysteries. And, unsolved it shall remain.
So, my theory: murder or suicide? Both. I believe she was mentally ill and probably unpleasant for mental health professionals, but I don't know. Why was this woman on at least 2 different kinds of tranquilizers? She was taking them everyday and that does not treat any kind of mental illness, not really. I think she was experiencing an untreated mental illness exacerbated by use of two tranquilizers, neither of which was treating her issue. I'm thinking she was having side effects, bad ones. And I think vivid dreaming is one of them.
I also think that her ex-husband was gas lighting her. Who tells someone, hey, when you do the laundry, be careful, they could slit your throat? Cindy claimed he was abusive. He was also paranoid. They probably fed off of the other's delusions. But, there isn't any real evidence to support what I am saying. You have to interpret. Which is why this case is still unsolved. Her harassment went on for years and there is no evidence.
Police speculate she was beating herself, hog tying herself, setting fires, strangling herself and then she succeeded. However, that is weird too. And if she was doing it, she convinced others to help her by tying her up and making phone calls. There are witnesses. Also, really? People do that to themselves outside the realm of 1980s-1990s evening soaps? (Right? Didn't like JR Ewing's mistress do this? Maybe it was Knot's Landing...Gary Ewing? Who cares. I'm just saying this is a soap plot and so should not have been this woman's life--Canadian or no.
This is crazy. Such a creepy, frustrating unknowable thing.
So, the book is out of print...try your library or get a used one. Plenty to google on this too.
August 27, 2016
Wow, did I inhale this book. I couldn't put it down. My problems aren't with the book itself as it was very fact-driven and to the point. My problems are mostly with the case itself and the instances where further investigation should have occurred. This woman had been through hell, whether it was suicide or murder, something happened during those 7 years. Although I knew it was an unsolved case, I still found myself hoping for some sort of ending. Unfortunately forensic science wasn't what it is today and I do believe that had this occurred today, there would be a lot more answers and speculation. Overall, great book. It was not written in a story fashion and more of a catalog of events, I appreciated that. Must read for any murder mystery readers. For those who have read this book, which has much more information than any tv program, what do you think? Suicide or murder?
January 26, 2017
This book was probably my favorite on this case. Maybe influenced by the fact that I saw the author on Unsolved Mysteries and he seemed really sincere about the case...and he wrote it remarkably well. Sometimes I have a hard time reading books that journalists write but this one really flowed.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews