"Story Hustler": Murder-Mayhem-PTSD

by Mike Watkiss

“A guy that grabs the throat of a story and hangs on to it.” That’s how veteran TV reporter Mike Watkiss was described in the Arizona Republic—“a grizzled TV Icon” who has been at the forefront of some of the World’s biggest stories for more than four decades. From OJ Simpson to Michael Jackson--from serial killer Richard Ramirez to polygamous prophet Warren Jeffs—from figure skater Tonya Harding to Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss, Watkiss’ career reads like a road map of American history. “Story Hustler”-Murder-Mayhem-PTSD are the raw stories behind the the headline-grabbing stories—a pedal-to-the-metal thrill ride through scandal and tragedy—terror and triumph. Watkiss was one of the first reporters at the crime scene the morning the bodies of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson were discovered in Brentwood. He was ringside for O.J. Simpson's so-called "Trial of the Century.” Watkiss' fiery jail house interview with notorious serial killer Richard Ramirez and his ambush-interview of actress Elizabeth Taylor onboard an airplane are the stuff of TV legend. Watkiss, often described as "fearless," is best known for his decades of covering the practice of polygamy in America and focusing specifically on the large FLDS community on the Utah/Arizona border and it's notorious Prophet Warren Jeffs. Watkiss’ 2004 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning documentary “Colorado City and the Underground Railroad” helped start a revolution against the generations of abuse of women and children in polygamous communities. Through his relentless work, Watkiss played a major role in landing FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs in a Texas prison cell. “The entire country and probably the world know this story because of" Watkiss, wrote journalist and friend Claudia Rivero. "He let America in on a nasty little secret--many secrets,” AZFamily.com wrote of Watkiss at the time of his retirement from TV news. The pages of “Story Hustler”-Murder-Mayhem-PTSD are full of events that shaped history and the names of some of the most famous and infamous characters on the Earth--names like Marlon Brando, Princess Diana, Sylvester Stallone, Nicolas Cage, Tonya Harding, Robert Mueller, O.J. Simpson, Baby-Face Nelson, Joe Conforte, Charlie Manson, Tex Watson, Heidi Fleiss, Harry Reems, Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski, Kirk Cobain, Patrick Duffy, Larry Flint, Vernon Jordan, Jerzy Kosinski, Sharon Stone, Ali McGraw, Robert Evans, Dave Dave, Maury Povich, Connie Chung, Joe Arpaio, Jodi Arias and many more. Azfamily.com wrote that Watkiss “is known not only for his excellent story-telling but also for telling stories that matter, ones that changed lives in very real ways.” Watkiss now brings his passion and story-telling ability to the pages of his memoirs, “Story Hustler”-Murder-Mayhem-PTSD.

1 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy wow!!! I just read my friend's book in about 4 hours. Yes, let me preface this review by saying up front, Mike Watkiss is a friend. I knew when I lived in Arizona. Although I haven't been in contact with him for many years, until I learned about this book, I still and will always consider him and his wife friends. So this may not be a completely unbiased review. But it will be an honest review.

Mike Watkiss has lived a thousand lives! I have admired his reporting and his honesty about the media. Reading these stories and knowing a bit more about what he has experienced in his life has me in awe. How does someone stay as positive, caring and loving as Mike after witnessing some of the most horrific events in history? I don't know how he does it, but he does. The series of stories I am most familiar with are the Polygamy Diaries. Reading his take on the situations and what he actually went through to get some of these stories had me fearing for him and excited for him. The impact he had on the arrest and conviction of Warren Jeffs is nothing short of amazing.

I enjoyed his matter of fact writing style and the honesty with which he shared the stories. I enjoyed his self-reflection when writing about some of his early stories, the ones that maybe weren't as good as he wanted them to be. As Maya Angelou said, "When we know better, we do better." Mike grew throughout his career and consistently did better and better. After everything he experience, I wouldn't be surprised if a little post traumatic stress crept in.

There are a couple of things I wish were different. First of all, there were no page numbers. Although I found I really didn't need them because the book read so fast for me, I did wish I had them. I also wish there was a table of contents so it would be fast to find some of the stories I want to reread. I also would have liked the stories to be more chronological. But I know Mike and know he put them together the way he did for a reason.

If anyone is interested in journalism and an honest reflection of a storied career, this book is for you. Great job, my friend! I am proud of you!

[Amy Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting not so patiently for this book to hit the shelves for years. Once I was able to sit down to crack the spine, I devoured this book in its entirety in one morning. This book is like sitting down to have a mesmerizing personal conversation with an incredible journalist who had front row seats to all of the major headlines and salacious stories of my lifetime. I watched a majority of Mr. Watkiss's career on my hometown local news channel and always looked forward to his on air reports whether in the studio or out in the field. He is somewhat of a legend, and when I found myself as part of a story he was covering, I am pleased to say I witnessed his kindness, integrity, and professionalism firsthand. Reading some of the "behind the scenes" moments and memories of his career in his own words was like being allowed to tag along and did not disappoint. This is a must read for every book lover!

[QuakerMaid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw this dude on a documentary on Netflix or Hulu. So I thought "hey, maybe another Ann Rule".
Well, I sure was disappointed.
Instead of writing about the murderers, he's writing about the set-up to the interview or the path to the crime scene.

The chapters were like, only a few pages long. Didn't finish it. Got only about 1.3 of the way through and gave it up. Thing is, I rented this from the interloan library system. What a waste of everyone's time.

I mean, either write about your career or write about the murders from your POV.

[Alice Opie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike Watkiss

Mike's tells of his experiences in his many years as a TV reporter . Very interesting stories but the whole book is terribly sloppily written and not at all in chronological order.

[Michelle Lohnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping for a better written book. This gentleman has so much experience to share but really just provided a review of where he has been and who he has seen without much chronology or depth. Very disappointing.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's beyond me, how an author will get a book published, with no proofreading. Spelling errors, grammatical errors, blurry photos, on and on. I ordered this online, so wasn't able to peruse it beforehand.

[Robert Barone · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting look back on a career spanning 40 years

[Tobi Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly frustrating. All this fascinating material, so much potential, so many typos. I'd offer my services as an editor for free just so I could read a decently written book.

[Cindy Talley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great peek behind the camera

I loved getting Mike' s personal view of stories that I watched him report on for A Current Affair and local TV news here in Phoenix. He's very charismatic and intense. I have always been a fan of his, so I was delighted to read his take on the stories he reported. He's a true hero for being a pitbull on Warren Jeff's crimes.