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Relentless Pursuit: A True Story of Family, Murder, and the Prosecutor Who Wouldn't Quit

Kevin Flynn

3.73 · Rating details · 132 ratings · 27 reviews

If One L is the book to read before law school, Relentless Pursuit is the book to read after-a real-life legal thriller that shows, from the inside, a prosecutor's quest to deliver justice to a family devastated by murder.

What happened to Diane Hawkins and her daughter Katrina-a brutal double murder in which the girl's heart was cut from her body-devastated a Washington, ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published March 1st 2007 by Putnam Adult (first published 2007)

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Nov 21, 2018 Koren rated it liked it

Shelves: true-crime

The first half of this book about a mother and daughter who was killed by her ex-boyfriend was interesting. The second half was a lot of trial testimony, which was mostly repetitive of what we already were told. I would give the first half of the book 5 stars and the second half 2 stars, although if you like that sort of thing it would probably be 5 stars for you.

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Oct 14, 2014 ♥ Marlene♥ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: true-crime, non-fiction

Third time lucky. Not because I did not like the writing but not sure I liked the people. Now I have read more than a hundred pages and what great author Kevin Flynn is.

Update March 15 2016. Finished this morning and what a great book it was. To be honest I searched if the prosecutor really wrote this book and I could not find any co authors so Mister Flynn.."Respect. You have outwritten some of the most wellknown true crime authors of now"

This case is not one with lots of surprises or one where ...more

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Jan 15, 2016 Fishface rated it it was amazing

Shelves: true-crime, non-fiction

An excellently-written account of a truly hideous, grisly crime. For a change, we get a pretty good sense of who the victims were and a real sense of their places in the world before they were taken. This is not a sympathetic bio of the killer at all, but we get a fair sense of who that guy is, too. The author, who prosecuted the case, describes a truly hair-raising trial in just the right amount of detail, without once bogging down in the kind of details that would only interest a lawyer. You s ...more

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Jan 26, 2017 Judy Frey rated it liked it

Since I was very young, I have loved true crime stories. I would actually rate this about 3.5. Kevin Flynn is a federal prosecutor who has written several books about his cases. He is highly skilled at describing the mind- boggling things that humans are capable of doing to each other, as well as describing defendants that present as benign everyday people when they are, in fact, monsters. It is always fascinating to me. This is a story of a man who murdered the mother of his child and another i ...more

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Apr 21, 2015 Kathy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Pursuit

This was a good story made very interesting by a good author. I enjoy true crimes. I especially liked how the author had a family story of his own to tell and how well it was woven into this crime story. Good read...

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Feb 13, 2018 Bill reilly rated it it was amazing

Kevin Flynn opens his story with a visit to a Maryland cemetery and the final resting place for the victims of a brutal crime in Washington, D.C. Diane Hawkins and her 13 year-old daughter, Katrina, are at the center of the case. He recited a prayer for the faithful departed at the grave site. He promised to write a book, and 14 years later, this is it. In May of 1993, Diane and Katrina were mutilated, with the daughter’s heart cut out. Naturally, the crime scene was a bloody mess. The bodies we Kevin Flynn opens his story with a visit to a Maryland cemetery and the final resting place for the victims of a brutal crime in Washington, D.C. Diane Hawkins and her 13 year-old daughter, Katrina, are at the center of the case. He recited a prayer for the faithful departed at the grave site. He promised to write a book, and 14 years later, this is it. In May of 1993, Diane and Katrina were mutilated, with the daughter’s heart cut out. Naturally, the crime scene was a bloody mess. The bodies were discovered shortly after midnight by Diane’s nephew. Katrina was one of six children ranging from 20 years to 22 months; mom was quite fertile, and she was one of eleven, so it must have been genetic. A surviving son, Reco, told the police that an ex-boyfriend, surprise, surprise, had killed his mother. Norman Harrell was suspect number one. Norm was one of four of Diane’s baby daddy’s. The police interviewed the suspect and he denied any involvement in the deaths. Diane had first become romantically linked with Norman while still in a relationship with another man, one of her kid’s fathers. She must have heard Confucius’ adage, may you live in interesting times. Diane’s closest friend, Deborah, told the cops that Norman claimed to have Jamaican buddies who would cut up and kill anyone for money. The Baltimore P.D. referred to them as “Jakes” in David Simon’s great book, “Homicide.” Flynn viewed a videotape of the funeral service for the victims and was astounded by the exuberance at the African American church, celebrating the passage into the next life with Jesus. In his Roman Catholic experience, the rituals were much more subdued and ritualistic. As a retired R.C. with a Jamaican, born again ex-girlfriend, I can relate. Diane’s ancestors were slaves from North Carolina with mixed blood from their white slave master. She was light skinned with reddish brown hair. Her choices in men were poor and a bakery job was not sufficient to support her six children, but court ordered child support helped. Katrina’s father, Willie was quiet and gentle man, and Diane dumped him for the loud and obnoxious Norman Harrell; nice guys finish last. Norm already had children with other woman and court ordered payments to one of them, Gale Tolson. Nine months later, they married each other. This is a goddamn soap opera. Norm was angry at Diane for an upcoming child support hearing, and it had been scheduled for the day after the murders. Flynn hoped for a slam dunk verdict. Most of his cases were drug related, but this one wasn’t. The overkill indicated a crime of passion. The DNA in Harrell’s truck matched the victims. Harell’s lawyer delayed the trial to July 1994. The phrase if it doesn’t fit, you must acquit is hitting me at this point; touchdown O.J. At the first trial hearing, the defense moved to suppress the blood evidence, as Harrell was not placed under arrest when he was stopped. It was the old “fruit of a poisoned tree” case law. The judge needed to be convinced of probable cause. The legal battle was like a tennis match, and the scales of justice can be quite finicky. Flynn read from Katrina’s autopsy report during his opening statement to the jury. His punch line was, “the heart is absent.” He is a natural storyteller, with a shanachie in his Irish bloodline. His opponent was a black woman who spoke the jurors’ language. Ten of them were African-Americans from the D.C, area. Once again, I see O.J. Michele Roberts opened with a strong, passionate voice, and Flynn was impressed. His organizational skills were evident, as twenty eight witnesses testified in three days. The defense presented Harrell’s wife and it not go well. Robert’s witnesses were weak and Flynn was able to take them apart. The prosecutor is very good at his job. He was touched by the 50+ Hawkins’s family members and friends who prayed with him in a circle, hand-in-hand, for justice. They also prayed for Flynn’s cancer stricken father. Kevin was moved to tears, and so was I. The verdict was a hard fought one and I will leave it to the reader to discover. I hope for more books by the D.A., but, unfortunately, there is another Kevin Flynn, a journalist. A web search on Thrift Books does not separate them. ...more

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Jun 22, 2018 Bill rated it it was amazing

Excellent book. This true story is very compelling with the twists and turns throughout, and the dogged pursuit. Very graphic at times, but needs to be to indicate the horrific acts that were committed. The judicial system almost made it impossible to bring the individual to justice.

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Feb 26, 2019 Gail Hedlund rated it it was amazing

Wow...who would guess that a horrible crime could have such an effect on DA, investigators & those who show up after the crime is committed. Powerful story.

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Sep 16, 2016 Melanie rated it it was ok

A mother and daughter are brutally murdered one night, and the main suspect is an ex-boyfriend, who had been visiting the home that night. The only known motive is her claim against him for child support, for the son he fathered.
The book is written by the prosecutor of the case, and is at least twice as long as it needs to be to tell the story. Some points are made multiple times, and many other details made are unnecessary. I'm guessing the point is to develop the victims and the prosecutor fo ...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Amy rated it liked it

Well, this is not usually a book I would read (anymore). I say anymore, because I used to enjoy a good thriller by Mary Higgins Clark or something, but I'm a lot more sensitive since I've had kids, so it's been a long time. However, it was one of those things where I picked it up at the library, read the first chapter, and then had to see how it ended. It was also FAR less creepy for me reading it from a prosecuting attorney's perspective, than it would have been reading something from the kille ...more

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Jun 09, 2009 Jill Hutchinson rated it really liked it

I do not particularly like books written in the first person but I will make an exception in this instance. The author, prosecuting a horrible double murder in DC, gives an insider's glimpse into the machinations of the court system as well as the police work involved in bringing the suspect to trial.
The murder is a veritable slaughter of a mother and young daughter and the author pulls no punches in the description of the crime. He has a touching relationship with the large, extended family of ...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Sheri Salatin rated it liked it

This book was hard to put down. I don't usually like books written in the first person, but this one was a definite exception. Flynn, a prosecuting attorney, weaves an amazing story. He tells things in the order in which he discovered them. I completely agree with the cover of the book - "An aspicious debut...reads like a thriller."

Flynn is given a case of a murdered mother and daughter. And it's not just a murder, these two women were butchered. Gruesome details, a man hunt, amazing testimonies ...more

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Aug 27, 2016 Barbara Nutting rated it did not like it

I am totally amazed when I read the other reviews! This book is slow and boring - no oomph! Some lawyers can really write, but Mr Flynn isn't one of them!! I'm only finishing it because I want to see what happens. So far, all I'm getting out of this book is that these people ought to be practicing birth control!! They keep producing all these illegitimate kids and are then unable to work which just perpetuates their poverty. What a vicious circle! I should have quit while I was ahead - the book ...more

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Oct 02, 2009 Donald rated it really liked it

This is an excellent "true crime" book that reads like a novel in most respects. Written by the prosecutor of the case, we learn all about the gruesome killings of a mother and her teenage daughter and the search for the killer. I liked the fact that we're not told who did it until the verdict comes back in the trial. It kept me wondering if they were going to find extra information that would bring about a new suspect. ...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: True Crime and Crout Case Fans

This book is written by a federal prosecuting lawyer. It was well written and very interesting. I enjoy reading about the trial in a true crime case. This book gave me information and insight I had previously not had. If you like true crime and the building of the legal case against a defendant this is a must read.

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Mar 25, 2013 Ginny rated it liked it

This is a true story told by the prosecutor of a case about the murder of a mother and daughter in Washington, DC. What I liked about it was the author's commitment to the victims and their family. It is apparent that this case from his career as prosecutor struck a chord. The victims were black and it is refreshing to see that their murders were given the attention they deserved. ...more

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Jun 29, 2008 Alison Shurtleff rated it really liked it

Shelves: relentless-pursuit

It's hard to believe the author is also a prosecutor. Obviously he has many talents. This book reads like a well-written mystery, except that you know from the start who dunnit. Very entertaining and informative. But then, true crime is pretty much all I read. ...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Nick rated it really liked it

Shelves: true-crime

This book tells the story of a prosecutor's journey to bring convict a man of the brutal murders he committed. The strength of the victims family, and their example for the prosecutor as he faces his own personal challenges at that the same time. ...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Zinaida rated it really liked it

Shelves: true-crime-murder

Compelling story. The prosecutor takes you right into the courtroom and keeps it interesting throughout the whole book. At the end, after seeing the actual trial and how the evidence was presented, there's no doubt in my mind that the jury reached the correct verdict. ...more

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Jan 28, 2015 Donna Medina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a moving and compassionate portrait of two families --the author's and the Hawkins family as well as the gripping trial of the man accused of murdering two of the Hawkins family members. ...more

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Sep 12, 2012 False rated it it was ok

A sad tale, despite the success of the prosecution: in the end no one wins.

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Jan 26, 2016 Christine rated it really liked it

Written by the prosecutor the book is a very faithful description of a gruesome double murder and the ensuing trial.; interesting, but could have moved a bit faster

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Mar 06, 2009 Marianne Jay rated it it was ok

I wanted to read this book for a long time - but I had a real problem with it. I am a true crime fanatic and this one just didn't pass muster. ...more

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