Obsessed with True Crime discussion
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True Crime read in 2016 ~ Reviews welcome here
I rather enjoyed Shadow of the Ripper, which I read under the paperback title WEARSIDE JACK: THE HUNT FOR THE HOAXER OF THE CENTURY. It's a short book, mostly photos, talking about the many, many people suspected of having recorded the "Geordie Tape" that made it possible for the police to interview the Yorkshire Ripper over and over and always let him go because he had the wrong local accent. The author offers a very alarming theory about why the tape was made and sent in the first place -- both the man on the tape and the killer of a local woman were rare "B secretors," and the tape's author may have wanted to blame his killing on Peter Sutcliffe. He also introduces us to over a dozen suspects in the hoax enquiry, including one of the police officers who travelled Northern England, playing the tape for members of the public; a 73-year-old man; a young man turned in by his own mother; and many others. The hoaxer was caught after this book came out but it is still worth a look despite the huge missing piece.
Trout: A True Story of Murder, Teens, and the Death Penalty by Jeff Kunerth. The story is about three teens and the nightmare they created. This author masterfully pieces together the complex lives of these boys. Their journey takes us through the early years and on to the night that took a man's life which destroyed many other lives in the aftermath. It is shocking on how naive or perhaps ignorant these boys were and the motive that drove them. A senseless murder this family man, father and husband faced and paid for with his life. I did like the epilogue he inserted which contained a surprising end. 4 Stars
Finished I Survived Ted Bundy: The Attack, Escape & PTSD That Changed My Life by Rhonda Stapley. 5 Stars
Very well written. Powerful story of someone who suffered a brutal attack many years ago and overcame the resulting PTSD. The fact that the attacker was Ted Bundy is almost secondary but, of course, it isn't. I plan to write a more thought out review of this book later.
Highly recommended!
Leonski: The Brownout Murders4 stars!
A great read about Eddie Leonski. Based on court transcripts, news articles and interviews with people who knew Leonski while he was still alive, the author focuses on his inner mental state based on his (decidedly odd and often dangerous) behavior. This book must have been an immediate source for the movie version of Eddie's life, DEATH OF A SOLDIER; there are details common to both that never appeared in Ivan Chapman's LEONSKI. There are also case details in here that I have not seen anywhere else. Moving and largely convincing, although some of it must have been made up out of whole cloth, for instance the thoughts of the women drinking with him who didn't realize they were about to be killed. That didn't stop me from gulping it down and loving every minute.
Mod
Mod
From Justice Denied: The setup of Ruth Coe attracted the attention of a crackpot and little known novelist who announced he would write a book on the Coe cases. In late 1983, his idiotic and libelous book on the suppositious cases was published. The work was made into an even more idiotic and libelous TV movie, aired by CBS in 1991. The book flopped nationally but sold well in Washington State. This ruined my chance for a fair re-trial as jurors brought with them a cemented parti pris (prejudice) of my ‘guilt’.
I guess when you want to be a best selling author but your bio begins "convicted rapist and psychopath" you're a little bitter towards someone whose bio begins "award-winning author of thirty-three books published in fifteen countries and eleven languages." huh Kevin?
Well, at least he's in touch with his feelings. :-)
I'm wondering, Bel: "the setup of RUTH Coe?" How was Ruth Coe set up by anyone? That's Kev's mom, isn't it?
Mod
Ruth Coe was convicted of attempted murder because she tried to hire a hitman to kill the judge and prosecuting attorney. Defense maintains she was set up/entrapped.
Mod
Fishface wrote: "Well, at least he's in touch with his feelings. :-)":-)
Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Fishface wrote: "I'm wondering, Bel: "the setup of RUTH Coe?" How was Ruth Coe set up by anyone? That's Kev's mom, isn't it?"Ruth Coe was convicted of attempted murder because she tried to hire a..."
I totally forgot that. As James Coburn said in DEATH OF A SOLDIER: "Cheese us, what a family!"
Mod
Son: A Psychopath and his Victims
Rating: Really liked it ♥♡
Spokane had a reputation as a old-fashioned town, "the All-American City". The newspapers downplayed violent crimes like rape. This thinking was described as inward and backward and such comments where shushed, after all Spokane was "a safe and pure place in an unsafe, impure world." That was before Fred and Ruth Coe, Spokane would never be the same.
After reading this book, all I can say is WOW. The Coe's redefine dysfunctional family. Jack Olsen covers everything in this book. Background of the perpetrator, his relationship with his mother, with the other women in his life. He also gives us a look at this victims, treating them compassionately while telling their story, of the attack and the lasting effect it had on their lives and relationships. The women involved with Fred (or Kevin as he prefers to be called) are treated as victims, after all, what else would you call someone who one day wakes up to the news that the person they love is psychopathic criminal?
As much as I like this book I would have to say it is not for everyone, it might trigger flashbacks in sexual assault victims. While not sensational, the rape accounts are detailed and given in the victims own words. That being said, I do recommend it for true crime fans.
Justice in Jeopardy: The Unsolved Murder of Baby Deidre Kennedy3 reluctant stars
I liked, and didn't like, this book. The crime was pretty stomach-turning and the police work that followed made for compelling reading, but the endless court hearings that followed nearly killed my interest in reading it -- especially since the chapter headings told me how the hearings were going to come out. So what, pray tell, was the point in following every detail? It picked up at the end when we finally got to hear from some of the parties involved. I was amazed that the author was able to spend hours interviewing the defendant and his family as well as the victim's family. This book raises all kinds of excellent questions about the legal system, the people who pass through it and the forgotten ones -- the victims ground under its wheels. If the defendant is as innocent as he claims, he was pretty well ground up as well. What a nightmare.
Just started Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings. This poor woman's life has been a nightmare. In comparison, Carmina Salcido's life has been a breeze.
Finished Ted Bundy: A Visual Timeline by Rob Dielenberg. As far as I can see, the only place to buy it is here https://gumroad.com/dielenator. If you get any/all books on Bundy, this is will be a must. It contains many pictures I have never seen before and lots of new information. If you aren't familiar with the Bundy case, I wouldn't start with this one.
Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings4 stars
A nightmare of a story that made me want to find a tall building and jump off...but only if I knew Ariel Castro were waiting at the bottom for me to land on his sorry self. The 11 years the author was held captive by Castro is only part of the horror of her life. Well told. Really conveys some of the horror and even some of the sense of all the time that passed while she was kept as a slave. Not for the faint of heart, but also not to be missed.
Bondi Badlands3 stars
A disturbing read about how a whole chain of murders and many, many associated hate crimes was somehow considered not worth investigating by the police. When the coroner read the police the riot act fairly late in the book, it was satisfying, but it would have been more satisfying to get some answers about these killings. Most chilling of all is the possibility that the one officer who bothered might not have uncovered everything there was to uncover. I keep coming back to that body that someone spotted, neglected to bring to shore, and which disappeared with no further police action taken. Incredible!
Just started The Frankston Murders: The True Story Of Serial Killer, Paul Denyer. Wow, Sigmund Freud would have a field day analyzing this dude.
Just started Lullaby and Good Night by Vincent T. Bugliosi.Very good read!
Mod
Did i tell you i found the movie on Youtube? Really enjoyed it.
The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower by Robert Graysmith (Goodreads Author)
The book had everything in it that we expect and more and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was caught-up in this story and how riveting every little nugget of information and facts were detailed as the story progressed. This author brilliantly put it all together! I was so overwhelmed that I decided I wanted to refresh my memory so I watched Pscho again on Netflix. Robert Graysmith is my new favourite TC author and I give this rating 5+ Stars ~ 2 Hearts.
I highly recommend this book for all TC fans.
I just started reading Lullaby And Goodnight by Vincent T. Bugliosi. This looks intriguing ~
Morgue: A Life In Death by Dr. Vincent Di Maio and Ron Franscell 5 stars
Some of the crimes in this book are well-known but this book looks at them through the eyes of the guy that did the autopsies. This guy is a forensic scientist. Some of his cases are Lee Harvey Oswald, Trayvon Martin, Genene Jones, Phil Spector and the West Memphis Three. Co-written with one of my favorite True Crime authors Ron Francell. I wasnt really sure why he added a chapter about Vincent Van Gogh except for the fact the author has his own opinions about his death.
Morgue: A Life in Death
Forgive Me, Father by John Glatt3 stars
This book deals with an unusual topic, the murder of a nun by a priest. The beginning of this book was excellent but the investigation and trial were extremely detailed and repetitive. I would have liked it better if the characters in the book had been delved into more.
The Frankston Murders: The True Story Of Serial Killer, Paul Denyer4 stars
This was a well-written, straightforward account of what was then a rare and shocking case of Aussie serial murder. The case was lacking in unexpected twists -- it was done and over, bing bang boom -- but the author did a really excellent job of giving the reader a clear sense of what it would have been like to know the victims and even gave us a half-decent sense of what the killer was about without dismissing him with a label or drowning me in pop-culture psychobabble. Very, very well done.
Just started the first story in John Dunning's Mindless Murders. It's so bizarre I can hardly imagine what he's going to use as a follow-up.
Mindless Murders5 stars!
A John Dunning classic, as weird and as cutting as anything you're likely to find in true crime reading. Every story (there are 20 of them) is strikingly odd in some way and many of them are not collected anywhere else, to my knowledge. Well-written, with a photo section. Don't miss this one.
Now reading Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America. It's excellent.
Fishface wrote: "Now reading Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America. It's excellent."The Kitty Genovese murder was an excellent book Fishface.
Just finished Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields by Kathryn Casey. 4.5 StarsExcellent. The book covers quite a few crimes and all of them compelling and all of it well written. For some the culprit was caught and convicted but others are still unsolved. In more than a few cases, though, law enforcement let the parents down who had to basically conduct the investigation themselves. But that was back in the 1970's and I really do think (hope) they jump on missing kids and young people cases faster now.
Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America5 stars!
Not to be missed. The author takes Rosenthal's Thirty-Eight Witnesses: The Kitty Genovese Case, With A New Introduction as his starting point but digs much, much deeper into the story and tells us a great deal more about this iconic crime story. He listed a lot of other notorious cases that have fallen into the Valley of Forgetting since they made headlines, and discussed why Kitty's never has. The portrait of her killer was extremely chilling, and there's not much that chills me at this late date. The end reduced me to tears.
Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Fishface wrote: "I totally forgot that. As James Coburn said in DEATH OF A SOLDIER: "Cheese us, what a family!""Did i tell you i found the movie on Youtube? Really enjoyed it."
I knew you would!
Reading True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner. Wow, is it ever good!
Finished True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner. 5+ StarsLoved it! It was unique. Loved the writing style. This book had more than just an interesting case which was very intriguing. The author shares what he personally went through during his research on the case. Very candid. The book also includes some interesting asides about other cases and the coincidences that kept happening. A great book!
Shelley wrote: "Finished True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner. 5+ StarsLoved it! It was unique. Loved the writing ..."
I need to read this! Thanks, Shelley.
Ungodly: The Passions, Torments, and Murder of Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair4 stars
A very unusual biography, which begins with the exhumation of the bones of Madalyn Murray O'Hair and those of her son and granddaughter, after their killer showed the police where he concealed them in a clandestine grave. The subject's life was a crazy rocket ride spent fighting City Hall, changing the law of the land, trusting all the wrong people, mistreating her friends while making countless enemies, and facing a hostile world with her head held high. The book is overall well-written and even mostly well-copyedited, with some very purple prose and zany metaphors throughout. Not to be missed. My only quibble is that there was so much going on in this story that I had a hard time keeping track of it all. Very late in the book, for instance, I realized that there was a fourth murder victim who I was supposed to be aware of, and I didn't remember hearing about him before.
Mod
4 stars
A very unusual biography, which begins with the exhumation of the bones of Madalyn Murray O'Hair..."
I've seen this case on a few true crime shows (or I've seen the same one more than once), didn't know there was a book.
Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Ungodly: The Passions, Torments, and Murder of Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair4 stars
A very unusual biography, which begins with the exhumation of the bones of Mada..."
I suspect that none of the true crime shows compared the IRS investigative work to a pig snuffling up truffles! The writing in this book is occasionally hysterical. Almost enough to offset the unforgivable indifference of the police towards this case...
Shelley wrote: "Finished True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner. 5+ StarsLoved it! It was unique. Loved the writing ..."
Well, I guess I didnt win it so now I will have to buy it.
I just finished this, after buying it at Barnes & Noble with my 20% off coupon -- very unique -- great writing, the writer is unusually self-revealing and self-reflective. Enjoyable and hard-to-put-down!
Finished Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree by Dennis McDougal. 4 StarsKraft was a serial killer and then some! The book details most of the murders and it's gruesome. The bodies just kept coming for over a decade before he was stopped. There was a huge sense of relief when I finally got to the arrest part. Phew! It's well written and it's an interesting case but I feel the need to read a nice and light sappy fiction book.
Blind Passion: A True Story of Seduction, Obsession, and Murder3 stars
This was a good read, but in a lot of ways just a run-of-the-mill TC story. Unfortunately, I learned almost everything just by glancing through the photo section which made a lot of the reading unnecessary. It was a very sad story and I wish we could have learned more about the long-term effects on Tim and Katie...But the book went to press too soon.
I just finished this one on Israel Keyes. Haven't found really any books about him. I did give this one a high rating for sticking to facts, a general (welcome) lack of hysteria, and pretty solid writing.
However, as stated in my review, Israel Keyes is terrifying.
Rita wrote: "Rita Gurdas's Reviews > Too Pretty To Live: The Catfishing Murders of East TennesseeToo Pretty To Live by Dennis Brooks
Too Pretty To Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee
by Dennis Bro..."
Jenelle has a second degree black belt in Philippine killing karate.
That slayed me.
I had such a hard time getting through the stuff they actually wrote...so so very stupid.
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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)
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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)
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Alligator Candy
3 stars
In the suburbs of Florida the unthinkable happen, a young boy was murdered on his way home from the convenience store in 1973. Author David Kushner is the younger brother of Jon, the boy who was murdered. This heartbreaking story gives you the views of what happening in the mind of David, a then 4 year and what he found when he wanted answers and did some research. Not a easy read due to the subject. Writing is good but found it unengaging. It was like hearing a monotone voice while reading. Nothing about what happen to the two men who killed Jon other than the fact they were caught a few other details. This could have been done because the Author wanted to focus on the the people effected by the murder and not the murders, not sure of his motive. I would have liked to know more of what happen to them, would have given closer to the story.