What are you reading in 2016? Anything goes.

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Finished The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower last night, then started Invisible Chains: Shawn Hornbeck and the Kidnapping Case that Shook the Nation and finished it ..."

I thought I couldn't have any less respect for Bill O'Reilly, then I read his quote in Invisible Chains.

Yes Rita, it was ME who posted about Invisible Chains.

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Finished The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower last night, then started Invisible Chains: Shawn Hornbeck and the Kidnapping Case that Shook the Nation and finished it ..."

My review: Invisible Chains
The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower

[Shelley]

Currently reading Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields by Kathryn Casey. Just started.

[Fishface]

Finally found Zenarchy, and joyfully finished reading it (4 stars), and with great relief finished the not very enjoyable The Spell: A Romance (2 stars).

[Ann]

Right now I'm ploughing through several books (all in German) on the question of whether King Ludwig II of Bavaria was murdered. Interesting stuff! If anyone wants, I'll post the names of the books in German.

[Fishface]

Ann Marie wrote: "Right now I'm ploughing through several books (all in German) on the question of whether King Ludwig II of Bavaria was murdered. Interesting stuff! If anyone wants, I'll post the names of the books..."

Better yet, are any of them available en anglais? I mean på engelsk? Oh heck, I mean ee ingiriisiga? Well, gosh darn it to heck, I mean auf Englisch?

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Fishface wrote: "Ann Marie wrote: "Right now I'm ploughing through several books (all in German) on the question of whether King Ludwig II of Bavaria was murdered. Interesting stuff! If anyone wants, I'll post the ..."

What FF or Ff aka Eileen said.

[Shelley]

Currently reading Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree by Dennis McDougal. Holy moly, it's gruesome but what a case! I doubt (or is that hope?) Randy Kraft could have had as long a career as he did without getting caught in today's world.

[K.A.]

Still plowing through Scotland: The Story of a Nation in paperback. One-third of the way through. Way too many Roberts and a few too many Isabellas and Johns (but no Waynes!)

[Fishface]

K.A. wrote: "Still plowing through Scotland: The Story of a Nation in paperback. One-third of the way through. Way too many Roberts and a few too many Isabellas and Johns (but no Waynes!)"

And that's a very odd point. The big takeaway from reading All God's Children was that our nation is as violent as it is because of the influence of the Scots-Irish. Maybe more of the Irish are named Wayne?

[Fishface]

Shelley wrote: "Currently reading Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree by Dennis McDougal. Holy moly, it's gruesome but what a case! I doub..."

I wish that one had talked more about either Patrick WAYNE Kearney or Bill Bonin. I don't think there is any book-length treatment of Bonin. And when I read Serial Killer Timelines: Illustrated Accounts of the World's Most Gruesome Murderers I learned that there is far more to the Kraft story than McDougal had in his book...

[Rita]

I just started reading Too Pretty To Live by Dennis Brooks.
I am intrigued by this story and finally got it.

[Shelley]

Finished Lord of Ice by Gaelen Foley. A historical romance that I really enjoyed. It was just what the doctor ordered after reading about Randy Kraft. :) Now I am re-reading the first two books of Justin Cronin's vampire trilogy so I can then read the final book in the trilogy The City of Mirrors. It's been so long since I read the second one before the last one finally came out that I forget the story! From now on, I will not start a series until they are all out.

That's a good thing about True Crime - they aren't (almost never) in a series.

[Shelley]

Fishface wrote: "Shelley wrote: "Currently reading Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree by Dennis McDougal. Holy moly, it's gruesome but wha..."

More to the Kraft story? What kinds of things did you find out? More murders? Accomplices?

[Fishface]

Shelley wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Shelley wrote: "Currently reading Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree by Dennis McDougal. Holy moly, it's..."

Many, many more murders. I guess they kept looking for cases that would match up with the names on Randy's scorecard. And they found quite a few.

[Fishface]

Reading Glatt's Blind Passion: A True Story of Seduction, Obsession, and Murder.

[SouthWestZippy]

Alligator Candy: A Memoir
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.

[SouthWestZippy]

Skin Game

4 stars
Taken from the Jacket cover. " Dresden's always been tricky, but he's going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess-assuming his own allies don't end up killing him before his enemies get the chance...." A lot going on in this action packed book. Story line has a few flaws but overall I enjoyed the twists and turns as Dresden helps out a group of super natural villains,lead by Harry's enemy Nicodemus Archleone , recover the literal Holy Grail.

[SouthWestZippy]

A Snowflake in My Hand
3 stars
Collection of stories about the Authors years working at New York City's famous Animal Medical Center. If you can't handle stories about the death of an animal then pass on this book, it contains no happy endings. She worked with cats that had terminal illnesses. It does have a bit of humor and you can see her patience and courage radiate from the pages.

[SouthWestZippy]

Night Stalks the Mansion: A True Story of One Family's Ghostly Adventure
3 stars
Quick read about a family that moves into a haunted house. If you are looking for a sleep with lights on and doing the what is the noise all night, then you will be disappointed in this book. It is still an fascinating story and has an interesting ending due to some information found while investing the past of the house.

[SouthWestZippy]

Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks
5 stars
Andrea Lankford gives an eye opening look into the life of a Ranger. A few of the stories leave you hanging or wanting more information but overall a good collection of stories. You will not be able to look at a Rangers the same way after reading this book. At times the drama does get a little old but with all that they have to put up with and deal with, she deserves to be a little drama Queen now and then. Highly recommend.

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

restarted: Three Boys Missing: The Tragedy That Exposed the Pedophilia Underworld

[Rita]

I am half way through Blood Echoes by Thomas H. Cook. It is such a riveting read I can't put it down.

[Fishface]

Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "restarted: Three Boys Missing: The Tragedy That Exposed the Pedophilia Underworld"

That's a smiley one. Guh.

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Fishface wrote: "Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "restarted: Three Boys Missing: The Tragedy That Exposed the Pedophilia Underworld"

That's a smiley one. Guh."

Whenever Eileen says a book is smiley .....

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Rita wrote: "I am half way through Blood Echoes by Thomas H. Cook. It is such a riveting read I can't put it down."

[Ann]

I just picked this one up for 99 cents, used. Fascinating! Don't let the title put you off -- this is not sensational fluff; it's an academic/historical work by a medical school professor about the historical difficulties in diagnosing death, people who were buried alive as a result, why live burial was a huge issue in medicine and politics during the Victorian Era, and how it was reflected in period literature (Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain.) Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear

[Fishface]

I finally finished The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire by Richard Carey. It's an interesting travelogue about the caviar business and the allied fish hatcheries, conservation groups and Sturgeon mafia surrounding the different kinds of fish killed for their eggs. I came away wishing I knew more about the Sturgeons and less about the idiots damming their rivers, but I still gave it 3 stars. Oh, and it led me to find this grand photo on Google:

[Fishface]

Just started Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory by Stacy Horn. I've wanted to read a book on this subject for ages, and lo and behold, the author is the same one who wrote The Restless Sleep: Inside New York City's Cold Case Squad!

[Shelley]

Finished book 1 of the trilogy The Passage, halfway through book 2 The Twelve. It's a great series; apocalyptic, dystopia and vampires. I bet there will be movies or a mini-series based on them. They are big books though and there are some TC I really want to get to.

[Shelley]

Starting to read Anatomy of Malice: The Enigma of the Nazi War Criminals by Joel E. Dimsdale

I read a few of the books written by psychiatrists who examined war criminals during the Nuremberg Trials. This is a new book that re-examines all the findings in light of what is known now about psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience. Sounds interesting - hope it is.

[Rita]

I am half-way through reading Blood Evidence by Craig A. Lewis and it is a very interesting story.

[Beth]

I just finished 'MOTHER'S DAY' by Dennis McDougal . Just started 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood

[Fishface]

Beth wrote: "I just finished 'MOTHER'S DAY' by Dennis McDougal . Just started 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood"

What are you trying to do, drive yourself to suicide???

[Rita]

I started reading Almost Midnight by Michael W. Cuneo.
This is another book I have already devoured but I will reread it again.

[Shelley]

Reading Are You There Alone?: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates by Suzanne O'Malley. It's very good but so sad. I am taking a break from reading and have been catching up on Outlander shows for this season.

[Ann]

I'm reading Ferdinand von Schirach's Crime and Guilt (in the original German, though). It's supposed to be true crime short stories based on his career as a defense attorney in Berlin, but the genre could be better described as crime fiction. He fictionalizes a lot, in part to protect the attorney-client privilege. A very good narrator and his characters are super.

[Clare]

Bitter Almonds: The True Story of Mothers, Daughters, and the Seattle Cyanide Murders

[K.A.]

SouthWestZippy wrote: "
Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks
5 stars
Andrea Lankfor..."

I know Andrea. Believe me, it's all true, and there's much, much more.

[Sheryl]

I've just finished The Girls, by Emma Cline. It's a great read, very well written, and getting lots of attention, for good reason.

[Sheryl]

Question for all --

We'll be traveling next week to upstate New York, Ontario, Canada, and later the Midwest. Any suggestions for true crime to read, related to upstate NY and/or Ontario area? I may need to load some e-books on my I-Pad! thanks in advance, Sheryl

[Rita]

I just started reading Bad Dreams by Anthony Haden-Guest. Wow, there are so many characters in this story which makes it more interesting. So far so good...

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

Rita wrote: "I just started reading Bad Dreams by Anthony Haden-Guest. Wow, there are so many characters in this story which makes it more interesting. So far so good..."

[Fishface]

Sheryl wrote: "Question for all --

We'll be traveling next week to upstate New York, Ontario, Canada, and later the Midwest. Any suggestions for true crime to read, related to upstate NY and/or Ontario area? I m..."

The Misbegotten Son
Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka: The True Story of the Ken and Barbie Killers
Body Dump
Murder City: The Untold Story of Canada's Serial Killer Capital, 1959-1984
By Reason of Insanity

[SouthWestZippy]

K.A. wrote: "SouthWestZippy wrote: "
Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks..."

I have a friend who is a Ranger. I have not seen her in years but I am sure when and if we meet up again she will have tons of stories.

[Sheryl]

Thanks Fishface!

Great suggestions -- I've read Jack Olsen's book, but not the others -- will check them out now -- most appreciated,

Sheryl

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

I was living in the Poughkeepsie area when Kendall Francois was snatching women off the streets of Pokpsie. I remember listening to the news reports of women my size and with the same hair color disappearing. I remember reading about Francois in the Pokepsie Journal. I was going to get Body Dump but the first reviews of it were so bad i decided not to.

[Lady ♥ Belleza, Gif Princesa]

While trying to find By Reason of Insanity i stumbled onto Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder an encyclopedia of Canadian serial killers. I bought it.

[Sheryl]

Thanks Lady Belleza -- that one looks interesting, too. I really came to the right place when I asked you guys for leads -- (smile)

Yeah, I think I've read reviews of Body Dump before, and wasn't excited about that particular book.

(I may spend my whole vacation reading (not really), but I would sort of like to.) Never been to eastern Canada, except for Niagara Falls, so very excited. Sheryl