Obsessed with True Crime discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Archive
>
True Crime read in 2016 ~ Reviews welcome here
message 151:
by
Rita
(new)
Mar 01, 2016 01:54PM
I love it K.A. Is THIS a GRIF? lol
reply
|
flag
Mod
and
I started and finished A Bitter Brew by Christine Ellen Young. This story has everything. At a picturesque small town for most citizens found and established long-lasting friendships and close family connections from a congregation's strong Swedish roots. Also a town out-of-control with gossip and innuendo which unfolded in New Sweden, Maine. These faithful church members were torn apart when there was an attack on the members at church. A compelling and tantalizing real life murder mystery and a town full of fear and revenge.
5 Stars
Finished The Die Song: A Journey into the Mind of a Mass Murderer by Donald T. Lunde. 5 stars.I loved it. I love true crime books by psychologists/psychiatrists who have had direct contact with the killer as was the case here with Herbert Mullin. What a sad state of affairs mental health care was in the 1970's with all the mental hospitals being shut down in California. I wonder what it's like now there and everywhere else too. Are they still not getting the treatment they need? I will now want to follow up on that!
I then read an article (not a book) by Dr. Emanuel Tanay called Ted Bundy's Suicide. Fascinating! Here is the link: https://drtanay.wordpress.com/2013/02...
I started Thunderstruck but I am not sure I am in the mood for that type just now but it does look like an excellent read.
I then read an article (not a book) by Dr. Emanuel Tanay called Ted Bundy's Suicide. Fascinating! Here is the link: https://drtanay.wordpress.com/2013/02...Fascinating! Thanks for that link!
That little eye-flick at the end. He looks like he's either flirting or lying. Creepy.
"He spoke freely, but meaningful communication was never established." He sure said a mouthful there!
Just finished The Voices of Serial Killers: The World's Most Maniacal Murderers in their Own Words by Christopher Berry-Dee. 3 StarsTo be fair, if you like gory details, you would probably give this book 4 stars. I just don't. There was just too much of that especially in David Gore's chapter. Ugh. I wanted to read it for the "in the killers own words" aspect and that part was okay (except for Gore, obviously).
An hour ago I finished Jack Of Jumps.4 stars!
A really good read, despite the ultra-colloquial writing style, and some convoluted imagery that at times forced me to go back and re-read in order to know what was going on. This was originally advertised to me as a novel, but it's the true story of the lives of the victims of the Hammersmith Nudes Murderer, walking us through the circumstances that led the 8 women to their terrible deaths. What seemed at first to be a completely random detour into the criminal doings of the Kray twins proved to be a detailed examination of the favorite suspects in the case, clearing some of them, and finally focusing on the one the author thinks is probably the real killer. There is also considerable police corruption, theft, a few illegal surgeries, clipping, S&M, child abandonment, racketeering, and many other shenanigans going on in this story. Not to be missed if you are interested in Jack the Stripper or 1960s London.
1 star
I did not like the book for many reasons. First off, It is a nonfiction story with a little fiction mixed in to give it flavor which was not needed. On November 15, 1959 in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas two men, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith murdered four members of the Clutter family. That alone should have been enough to draw you in but Capote felt the need to give so much detail on the little things the horror gets lost in them. Second, as much research was done, six years worth, it still lacks in my option to be a well rounded story which could be a good thing, it is already long winded.
I know this a classic and loved by many and did start the True Crime genre but I just could not get into it.
Safe Harbor: A Murder In Nantucket by Brian McDonald 4 stars
This was a very interesting True Crime book. The victim is a likable and interesting person. There is only one thing I didnt like about this book and that is the fact that it was written before the trial and verdict. I'm not sure why authors do that. Maybe to get the book out why the murder is still fresh in people's minds. I dont know. There is a lot of description and history about Nantucket in this book, which was interesting.
Koren wrote: "Safe Harbor: A Murder In Nantucket by Brian McDonald 4 starsThis was a very interesting True Crime book. The victim is a likable and interesti..."
"Instant paperbacks," as they are called, sell like hotcakes and it is impossible to wait for the trial to be over to publish them. At that point the story could be three years old and that ripped-from-the-headlines feel has faded...
Finished Blind Rage: A True Story of Sin, Sex, and Murder in a Small Arkansas Town by Anita Paddock. 4 Stars.I like the writing style. It is plain and clear with no 'filler' - no purple prose. The case is a very interesting one - different from anything I have read about before. The author went to school with the sister/daughter and there may be some bias towards her but it probably offers a perspective not available before. It's the first book on this case I have read. I recommend it.
Shelley wrote: "Finished Blind Rage: A True Story of Sin, Sex, and Murder in a Small Arkansas Town by Anita Paddock. 4 Stars.I like the writing style. It is plain and clear with..."
Adding this to my TBR Mountain.
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Safe Harbor: A Murder In Nantucket by Brian McDonald 4 starsThis was a very interesting True Crime book. The victim is a likable..."
Well, I get that, but it is aggravating to have to google a book to see how it ends.
The Love-Murders of Harry F. Powers4 to 5 stars -- I can't decide! I would give it a heart if this were Shelfari!
A short, hard-to-put-down book written about Harry F. Powers, virtually as the story was unfolding. The author is an attorney who represented the killer and his wife in a civil suit unrelated to the bodies found buried out behind the garage in Quiet Dell; it gave him a tiny glimpse into the private lives of a household nobody ever visited and people who nobody anywhere seemed to really know. Bartlett is clearly not a literary type and the book reflects it; the prose veers wildly from flowery and expansive to choppy and episodic, and is extremely repetitive -- he tells you who everyone is and where they live and their role in the story over and over and over. The book also needed a thorough copyediting -- one important character is alternately called Luella and Leulla throughout the text, Henri Desire Landru was called "Desire Dandru," and one sentence was so bizarre I couldn't even guess what it was meant to say. Bartlett will not just write the word "Sweden" when he can use "the land of his nativity." I found all this entertaining rather than irritating. It was well worth my time and the horrific price I paid to get my hands on what must have been a very early example of an "instant hardcover." Heavily illustrated throughout, with a tractlike emphasis on the wrongness of confessions obtained by "third degree" tactics, and characterized by incredibly long photo captions that reiterated everything I had already read 17 times elsewhere the book. Seek this one out if you can -- it's a fine education in the state of jurisprudence in the 1930s, the dodginess of finding a life mate through a mail-order service, and the psychology of sadistic serial murder.
Darn. That sounds like a good book Fishface but it's just not available. There's one copy at Amazon.com for $75 but they don't ship to Canada. And even Open Library doesn't have a scanned copy. A review on Amazon asked the publishers to re-print it! I agree. Apparently the 1955 film The Night of the Hunter is based on the "villian" in the book portrayed by Robert Mitchum. I think I will try and watch that.
Shelley wrote: "Darn. That sounds like a good book Fishface but it's just not available. There's one copy at Amazon.com for $75 but they don't ship to Canada. And even Open Library doesn't have a scanned copy. A r..."It's an excellent movie, but based on Davis Grubb's fictionalized version, not exactly on the true case. But there's another book about Powers entirely, The Mail Order Serial Killer: The Life and Death of Harry Powers. I have no idea whether it's any good, but at least it's about the right case.
Fishface wrote: But there's another book about Powers entirely, The Mail Order Serial Killer: The Life and Death of Harry Powers. I have no idea whether it's any good, but at least it's about the right case. Thanks! That's more in my price range. :) It's added to TBR list ... as someone here mentioned, "The TBR Mountain". lol
The Yoga Store Murder: The Shocking True Accound of the Lululemon Athletica Killing4 stars
This was an interesting story about a girl that murdered another girl in a yoga store. Good job of exploring the background of the victim, murderer and their families. The trial was mostly repetitive of what we had already been told but otherwise an interesting book.
Finished Heartless: The True Story of Neil Entwistle and the Cold Blooded Murder of his Wife and Child by Michele R. McPhee. 3 starsI was enjoying it until end when it felt like it ended abruptly. The book was written before the trial and conviction! I didn’t know that and it was a big disappointment. The writing style was good and the case is pretty interesting but I was left feeling like the whole book was just incomplete. There was no “character development” of Neil and without the trial and conviction part, it fell flat.
Just finished Deadly Seduction this morning. It's a 3-star book but I gave it 4 stars because I enjoyed it so much. Wow, what a story! This is one you need to read carefully -- don't skim -- because every word is important. Strange tale of a woman who tries to get away from her white-trash roots, only to discover she is a trash-dispensing force far beyond the control of anyone who might try to stop her. The things this woman got away with astound me. This story will stay with me for a long time.
After your review, Fishface, I decided to read Deadly Seduction. I also give it 4 stars. I agree, it's a story that will stay with you! Thanks for the recommendation. :)
Mod
Koren read The Yoga Store Murder: The Shocking True Account of the Lululemon Athletica Killing
Just finished A Taste for Murder by Burl Barer. 4 StarsThere were times when the writing wasn't great. A bit disjointed and confusing in places but not often enough to bug me. The case was super interesting. I had just finished Deadly Seduction and there is lots of similarities between the two. I enjoyed both.
"Negative perspiration" lol :)
Finished The Stranger She Loved: A Mormon Doctor, His Beautiful Wife, and an Almost Perfect Murder by Shanna Hogan. 4.5 StarsThis one is very well written and riveting. Although there is a "happy ending" when justice is served, it's sad to see the rippling effect the devastation someone can cause. It's especially sad when children are involved. The dogged determination of law enforcement and the family was amazing. I recommend it.
Finished Clifford Olson: The Beast of British Columbia by Elizabeth Broderick. 4 StarsThis book is #12 of a series called Crimes Canada: True Crimes That Shocked the Nation. It's series of short (~150 pages) books and quick reads. I have read quite a few of them and enjoyed them all. I read one where I knew quite a bit about the case and found that the series book was accurate, hit all the main things and even had a few things that were new to me. However, I can't say if this one on Olsen does that same thing. I only knew very basic facts about the Olsen case. I may follow up with a more detailed and thorough book later on Olsen but for now I feel like I have all the "highlights" and a good understanding of the case. So, I recommend it for that reason.
Shelley wrote: "Finished Clifford Olson: The Beast of British Columbia by Elizabeth Broderick. 4 StarsThis book is #12 of a series called Crimes Canada: True Crimes That Shocked..."
Those Crimes Canada books are usually pretty good. The books are fairly short so the crimes are nicely condensed.
Gitchie Girl by Phil Hamman and Sandy Hamman3 stars
This book was recommended to me by a friend who knew I liked True Crime and her dad's first cousin wrote the book. This is a somewhat local author for me as the crime took place about 2 hours from me and I am familiar with some of the towns mentioned in the book. My son lives in one of the towns mentioned. This took place in the 70's. 4 teenagers were senselessly gunned down and a fifth one raped and then let go when they were camping in a state park. Why the fifth one was allowed to survive is never known. The story is told from her point of view so as a True Crime book it is more of a memoir than the actual examination of the crime. I did like it as a memoir but as a True Crime it is sadly lacking on development of the crime with little investigation and no court room drama. The author was a boyhood friend of one of the boys who was killed and thus his interest in the case. Gitchie Girl: The Survivor's Inside Story of the Mass Murders that Shocked the Heartland
The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, by Randy Shilts5 stars, and it's going on the Favorites shelf as well.
All these years I have wondered why the media have described the double assassination of 1978 as THE MURDER OF HARVEY MILK (oh, and the mayor of San Francisco too). This book explains why. We learn all about Harvey Milk and what a big personality he had, what a terrific advocate he was -- not just for gay rights, but for all the rights of anyone within range -- and what a gifted grassroots politician he was. Shilts also paints a wonderful portrait of the many, many changes going on in San Francisco at the time, some of them quite ominous. I got a totally new perspective on Dianne Feinstein, among many other characters in this story. This makes a great companion piece for Talbot's SEASON OF THE WITCH, as well as Shilts's own AND THE BAND PLAYED ON. Beautifully written in Randy Shilts's crystal-clear style. Don't miss it.
Just finished The Trail of Ted Bundy: Digging Up The Untold Stories by Kevin Sullivan. 5 StarsHowever, I think you need to have read Kevin Sullivan's The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History (which is an excellent book on Bundy) first to really enjoy this one or at least know quite a bit about Bundy. This new book is meant to be a companion to the Bundy Murders. If you are like me and have read everything possible on Bundy, you will want to read this one. Lots of new tidbits, actual conversations, etc. I am glad he put it in a book for posterity.
Went back to Murder in Grosse Pointe Park: Privilege, Adultery, and the Killing of Jane Bashara by Steve Miller and finished it.I don't know how to rate it because I am not sure I am being fair. I didn't really enjoy it. I don't know if it's the book or me. :) I found the case boring and the author seemed bias towards law enforcement. The case had serious flaws that were not addressed and that was annoying.
The Slaughter: An American Atrocity, by Carroll Case2 measly stars
A fascinating, horrific story that starts out great and then goes splat. For reasons I simply do not get, the author decided to present a few transcriptions of declassified documents that lead up to the massacre of over 1,000 black American GIs during WWII, killed by white GIs, then says he's heard "thousands" of eyewitness accounts of the slayings but only tells us about one of them...then devotes the remaining 2/3 of his book to a novellette, written -- not about the massacre! -- but about a bunch of fictitious characters finding out about the massacre, decades after the fact. He said that made it easier to face. In my opinion he didn't face it at all. I hope there is another book on the way that will illuminate what happened and list the names of the victims. He mentions only 2 victims in here, one of them white (Pvt. Paul Coile, who was gutted like a fish but who may or may not have had anything to do with this mess) and one black (Pvt. William Walker, shot by the local sheriff at the request of an Army officer because he was missing a button on his uniform). Neither was killed during the massacre itself, but months before. The whole book goes like this. There are a lot of tantalizing pieces in here, but he never gives you the whole picture.
I found a little more -- but only a little more -- about this case at this site:
https://criticxxtreme.wordpress.com/2...
Finished Scream at the Sky: Five Texas Murders and One Man's Crusade for Justice by Carlton Stowers 4.5 StarsGreat read. Interesting part about the Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue Program in Texas. (view spoiler)
Mod
Great read. Interesting part about the Victim Offender M..."
I recognize his name and the name of his victims but can't remember the book I read, his own brother wants him dead.
Mod
Also just got in the mail (not a library book) Three Boys Missing: The Tragedy That Exposed the Pedophilia Underworld
There are 3 Faryion Wardrip books on the TC bookshelf -- listed under his name -- but 2 of them appear to be the same book. I'm going to add those to the pertinent discussion for books with multiple titles.EDIT: I also asked the librarians to combine them.
Yorkshire Ripper: The Secret Murders5 stars!
An excellent read on a truly sickening story. Twenty-five of them, in fact -- the stories of the victims of the Yorkshire Ripper who were never connected to him publicly, and the stories of the men who went to prison for life for crimes obviously committed by the Ripper. Don't miss this one if you enjoyed The Mayerling murder or The Red Parts. Also highly recommended if you are interested in forensic psychiatry, cold-case investigation, or geographic profiling.
Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murder by Scot MacDonald
3 stars
I thought the history of Chippendale's was very interesting. Once it got into the murder it kind of dragged for me and I ended up skimming. It was far too detailed for me.
That's remarkable. I would have expected the murder to be the interesting part!
Urge To Kill by Ward Damio5 stars!
An excellent read on the scariest time in Santa Cruz, California's history, when it somehow became the murder capital of the USA. The author does an exceptional job of putting the various crimes into the context of that time and place. He asks how likely it is that the old rule of "what California is, the rest of the country soon will be" is going to apply to mass murder. He comments fearfully on the fact that Ronald Reagan -- openly blamed by a Santa Cruz jury foreman as having a role in the killings -- was, as the book went to press, planning to move on from California governor to POTUS. These lines of enquiry make the book, not just thought-provoking, but prophetic. Read this one if you can possibly find a copy.
4 stars
WOW that was an intense book. I am simply amazed how a person can have an obsession with cutting hair from Women's(Strangers) heads then escalating it into murder. This was not an easy case to solve because of lack of evidence left behind by the murder but once a lead came in everything began to unfold and revealed the killer.
Now reading A Voice out of Nowhere. It's REALLY hard to put down. I almost didn't get in the shower today.
Mod
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Obsessed with True Crime
Books mentioned in this topic
Trace Evidence: The Hunt for the I-5 Serial Killer (other topics)Trace Evidence: The Hunt for the I-5 Serial Killer (other topics)
The Sadist (other topics)
Lillian's Legacy: Marriage and Murder in Rural Iowa (other topics)
Albert Fish In His Own Words (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Karl Berg (other topics)John E. O'Rourke (other topics)
Karl Berg (other topics)
Kate Summerscale (other topics)
Kate Summerscale (other topics)
More...
