True Crime read in 2016 ~ Reviews welcome here

[Rita]

Fishface wrote: "Rita wrote: "Fishface, I thought your review was very interesting. I opted to go with Crossed Over: A Murder, A Memoir. If you read Crossed Over, which one would you suggest is better?"

I thought ..."

Thanks Fishface!

[Rita]

Bad Dreams: A True Story of Sex, Money and Murder by Anthony Haden-Guest
This is a compelling story of high-fashion models, horse racing, illicit drug deals and bumbling cops. The author masterfully weaves together the many characters that all have a link to the killer. He takes you step by incriminating step in exquisite detail connecting the dots like an artist does a painting to reveal the whole picture. It is the stuff movie director’s dream of which has all the intrigue of obsession and fantasy come to life. The trial, sentence and aftermath is just as shocking! I highly recommend this book.
5 STARS

[Shelley]

Bad Dreams by Anthony Haden-Guest

Thanks for the review, Rita!

[Rita]

Shelley wrote: "Bad Dreams by Anthony Haden-Guest

Thanks for the review, Rita!"

Your welcome Shelley!

[Shelley]

Finished The Devil's Defender: My Odyssey Through American Criminal Justice from Ted Bundy to the Kandahar Massacre by John Henry Browne.
4.5 Stars

Great read. Of course, I read it mostly to hear about Bundy but the rest was excellent as well. Browne is very candid about himself which I enjoyed. He is definitely anti-capital punishment and lives to defend people in the interest of justice which I admire. It's been tough on him though. Bundy literally made him sick.

(view spoiler)[ I am left with questions about the parts that deviate from the what has been written before on the Bundy saga. I wish Browne had pressed Bundy for more detail on the accomplice he is said to have had for the second escape and that first murder as a teenager ... who knows, maybe a cold case for some poor family could be solved. (hide spoiler)]

Ann Marie: Please let us know if you hear any follow up on the information he has passed along to the Tacoma police.

[Ann]

Fishface wrote: "Ann Marie wrote: "Shelley wrote: "Ann Marie wrote: "I just finished The Devil's Defender: My Odyssey Through American Criminal Justice from Ted Bundy to the Kandahar Massacre by Joh..."

Let's hang on -- there could be a whole new book about it coming out in a few years.... Now that we know what Bundy told Browne, true crime authors will be scrambling to confirm or refute it.

[Shelley]

Finished Murder In The Family by Burl Barer.
5 Stars

The opening chapter was like a punch in the gut. The author starts the book by describing the crime scene where a mother and her two young daughters were murdered. The mother and the 8 year were also sexually assaulted. The book deals a lot with the trial which I like but I know not everyone does. It was fascinating watching this psychopath do the expected in court; wanting to represent himself, thinking he's smarter than everyone, unable to grasp the overwhelming evidence against him, showing no remorse, etc. I liked how the author tied in the writings and comments of Dr. Hare in direct reference to specific behaviours of Anthoney. In the update for the 2016 ebook release, Barer lets us know about the current status of some of the major players. I liked that too.

Very well written and an incredible case. I absolutely recommend it.

[Rita]

Richie by Thomas Thompson
This spellbinding tragic true story is about a Father and Son relationship from his babyhood to his teen years and how it evolved to a night of terror. Upon reading this book I think all of us as parents need to read and absorb what this author has painstakingly presented regarding weed, downers, uppers, cocaine, heroin and all manner of deadly drugs and what it does, in this case to a young vulnerable mind.
Father and son were close when Richie was a very young boy until he reached his early teen years. I can’t begin to describe the agony this whole family went through in the struggle to avoid confrontation, denial that Richie was changing and enabling him to continue. We all can relate to this at some time in our lives and I believe this author wrote a powerful, important and much needed lesson regarding what started out as plain old pot (weed) what they call it now.
I highly recommend this book. 5 stars

[Shelley]

Finished The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale
5 Stars

Well written and extremely well researched. This is definitely not your typical true crime book. It takes place in Victorian England. Robert Coombes, age 13, kills his mother. The murder and the immediate aftermath are quite unusual! (I don't want to include any spoilers).

The book covers the trial and the sensation it caused in London at the time and also his time in Broadmoor where he is sent. At that time, in the late 1800's, they treated the criminally insane surprisingly gently and were a lot more knowledgeable that I had thought. The book also goes on to cover Robert's life after his release from Broadmoor, his participation in WW I and his life after the war in Australia. All of it very interesting.

If you like true crime and history, especially Victorian England like I do, then you would really enjoy the book. I came away thinking Robert wasn't very wicked after all.

[Ann]

Thanks for this review. I'm going to put this one on my to-read list.

[Ann]

Shelley wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Wow, that sounds big!!! .."

Sure does! I am impatiently waiting for the ebook release due on Monday. "

Have you received it yet, Fishface?

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Rita wrote: "Richie by Thomas Thompson
This spellbinding tragic true story is about a Father and Son relationship from his babyhood to his teen years and how it evolved to a night of terror. Upon reading this b..."

[Lenny]

Shelley wrote: "Finished The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale
5 Stars

Well written and extremely well researched. This is definitely not you..."

This sounds fascinating. *Adds to wishlist*

[Fishface]

Law & Disorder: Inside the Dark Heart of Murder
4 stars

This was a big, thick paperback, as thick as a medium-large Stephen King, but I flew through it. The authors focus on how crime-scene profiling can uncover miscarriages of justice and even help straighten them out. The book deals with a few less-well-known cases but mostly the loud, high-profile ones. (I had to smile when they pointed out that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were agitating for the exoneration of Amanda Knox at one point.) I thought I would never want to read another word about the West Memphis Three or JonBenet Ramsey, but Douglas's reframing through the eyes of a profiler changed everything about those cases for me. Read this one.

[Linda]

Just finished Beyond Obsession: The Shocking True Story of a Teenage Love Affair Turned Deadly

Review --> https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Koren]

Fishface wrote: "Law & Disorder: Inside the Dark Heart of Murder
4 stars

This was a big, thick paperback, as thick as a medium-large Stephen King, but I flew through it. The authors focus on how cr..."

Speaking of being a thick book, I find the print goes right to the inside edge of the book, making it hard to hold without having to pull it apart a bit see the print.

[Shelley]

Finished The Sadist by Karl Berg.
5 Stars

The Sadist is a serial killer in the late 1920's in Germany called Peter Kurten. The author is psychiatrist Karl Berg who spent over a year with Kurten who was very candid with Berg. The book covers the crimes as described by Kurten including what was going on in his mind at the time.

The author offers great insight into Kurten and mentions when he thinks Kurten is being untruthful and why he is either trying to fool Berg or himself. The first part of the book is Kurten recounting the crimes followed by the second part where Berg analyzes Kurten in light of what was then known about sadism.

This book will appeal to readers who are interested in the "why" of serial murder. It's not typical true crime. There is no background to the victims and few details on the investigation.

The reason why I gave it 5 stars is because it was well written, I learned a lot and I am super impressed with Berg being so knowledgeable especially considering it was written around 1930. It is considered a classic and I can see why.

[Shelley]

Finished The Jersey Shore Thrill Killer: Richard Biegenwald by John E. O'Rourke.
3.5 Stars

Biegenwald was an unkempt slob with a criminal past including prison time for murder and yet he attracted pretty and seemingly intelligent woman to him as lovers and victims. I don't get it.

The book was "okay". It is a short book and for that it does do a good job of covering the case but I really wish more research was done on his relationships with his wife and girlfriend. I was left puzzled.

[Fishface]

Fear of Our Father, by Stacey Kananan with Lisa Bonnice
3 stars

This was quite an interesting, unusual story written from a person involved in the case, from what I hope is a unique perspective. So many true-crime stories include court testimony that just covers ground you're already familiar with from earlier in the book. In this one, the court testimony clears up the whole story for you, just as if you were one of the jurors. There are clearly some good-sized omissions in the information the author chose to give, and the author uses some odd constructions that forced me to go back and re-read to make sure I was following, like "Not only was I really angry, but I wasn't stupid." Those flaws weren't enough to really dent the story. Well worth your time.

[Fishface]

Albert Fish In His Own Words, edited by John Borowski
4 stars!

A compilation of primary-source materials on the Albert Fish case, including a long autobiography Fish wrote for the New York Daily News. The editor thoughtfully photocopied the letter in full but transcribed everything to make reading easier. I can't imagine what the newspaper did with it -- even the Daily News will go only so far and no farther. There are some court transcripts, a collection of the obscene letters Fish wrote to women applying to matrimonial agencies, excerpts from Frederic Wertham, quotes from Fish's children and various doctors who treated him over the years, and some wonderfully cutting correspondence from defense counsel, Mel Heimer, a publisher, and various other interested parties. There are also all kinds of photos from the crime scene, the newspapers, you name it, all the way through the book. This book really needed an index and photo captions, but there is still all kinds of information in here you won't find elsewhere.

[Koren]

Lillian's Legacy: Marriage and Murder in Rural Iowa by Carroll R. McKibbin
3 stars
This is about a murder that took place in Iowa in the 60's. The husband is a piece of work. The richest guy in town but wouldn't give his wife a dime. But who killed her? This is a quick read at only 188 pages which includes an index.

[Ann]

Shelley wrote: "Finished The Sadist by Karl Berg.
5 Stars

The Sadist is a serial killer in the late 1920's in Germany called Peter Kurten. The author is psychiatrist Karl Berg who ..."

That sounds interesting. I live in Germany, so I should really read a book about Kurten. The Germans call him the Dusseldorf Vampire and also coined the term "serial killer2 (Serienmörder) for his case.

[Fishface]

I wish so much that there were a whole book on either Karl Grossmann or Bruno Ludke. In English! I hardly know a word of German. The one I am reading in French about the Ant Hill Kids is almost enough to break my brain. My French is rustier than the door hinges on the Titanic at this point...

[Ann]

Fishface wrote: "I wish so much that there were a whole book on either Karl Grossmann or Bruno Ludke. In English! I hardly know a word of German. The one I am reading in French about the Ant Hill Kids is almost eno..."

Be glad you can read in at least one other language! I find that opens a whole new world in books. In true crime, too.

Good luck with your French.

[Fishface]

:)

[Rita]

Dark Heart by Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie
This story is all about a vicious, skilled sociopath and how he lured young innocent women to do his evil biddings. A clever sadistic murderer who at first glance was quite charming and romantic but that didn’t last. What evolved from his put-on nice systematically was his controlling nature and instant gratification. He took great delight in controlling his girlfriend and with such ease convinced her to cut her parents out of her life.
It just got worse from there as she jumped up to accommodate his every whim. What happened after that escalating into torturing and murdering a friend while still controlling everybody. The sexual violence in particular was of no interest to me but it did play a huge roll in his life. A spell-binding read for all true crime fans.
4 Stars

[Fishface]

Another guy I guess I have to scratch off my list of dream dates!

[Rita]

:)

[Fishface]

Trace Evidence: The Hunt for the I-5 Serial Killer
5 stars!

This was a great big whomping trade paperback, but I gladly hauled it all over the county with me this week in case I found 5 extra minutes to read some more of it. The book was full of typos that a previous owner of my copy helpfully circled in black ink, but that didn't slow me down at all. The author did an outstanding job of making me feel the tragedy of every death, in some subtle way I have a hard time pinpointing. The killer was a fascinating combination of dull and utterly twisted. The personalities of the investigators were so well drawn that I felt they were standing in the room with me. And what an intriguing forensic case this was. Don't miss this one.

[Shelley]

Fishface wrote: "Trace Evidence: The Hunt for the I-5 Serial Killer
5 stars!

This was a great big whomping trade paperback, but I gladly hauled it all over the county with me this week in case I fo..."

I gave the book 5 stars too. I thought it was excellent!

[Rita]

To LOVE and To Kill by M. William Phelps
This book was such an amazing read and I could not put it down. This story has everything in it starting from the dysfunction that the victim and the killers started as small children growing up. This couple seemed so right for each other but alas, there was trouble ahead.
A sordid triangle of sex, jealousy and rage came to light which also included kidnapping the victim which baffled the cops until they started digging deeper. There were many characters in this book and some were cooperative, others not so much and this author keeps you on your toes right to end revealing seething small-town passions!
5 Stars