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True Crime Read In 2017: Post Reviews Here!
This is a chilling and compelling story that takes place in Amish country of
Apple Creek, Ohio which is about sex, betrayal and cold-blooded murder.
The Amish are a closed society and deeply religious. In spite of all the modern
Conveniences, they flourish and raise their families in the Amish communities
and they are connected in ways that mainstream America is not.
There is no doubt Amish make good neighbours and good custodians of
the land, but there is no group immune to human weakness, faults and
frailities that affect all of us. A riveting and shocking murder that brought grief
and loss to the family and many others. These two authors are spot-on in
the telling of this tragedy. An added bonus was the included Aftermath bring
us up-to-date on how the family, friends and community trying to move forward.
5 Stars
In Colder Blood by J.T. Hunter4 stars
The book In Cold Blood was based on the murders of the Clutter family in Kanasas by Richard Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith. Around the time of the Clutter murder there was another family in Florida that remains unsolved. The author forms a hypothesis that the murders were done by the same people. This is a short e-book on Kindle.
This is a heartbreaking story of the crime that shocked the nation. In Bristol, England concerns were mounting over the sixteen year girl who said goodnight to her parents giving them both a big kiss and
Hug at bedtime. In the morning she was nowhere to be found which followed dad’s frantic call to family
And friends asking if she was there.
The police were called and organized a search starting with family and close friends. Some of those dear friends put out flyers of this missing young girl. Once I started reading it was clear this father was terrified as the search continued with no sign of her. The father Darren Galsworthy is the author of this
Book and as he relayed to us the nightmare of the search and the hunt for the killer or killers.
A riveting story of a horrific deed that almost destroyed his family when confronted with the truth.
4+ Stars
Koren wrote: "Rita wrote: "I’ve Been Watching You: The South Louisiana Serial Killer By Susan D. Mustafa, Special Prosecutor Tony Clayton with Sue Isreal
This story is about the portrait of a monster and the b..."
Dang, I've got both these books Koren but thanks for telling me!
Murder and Madness: The Secret Life of Jack the Ripper, David Abrahamsen3 stars (she said with a chuckle)
This was -- unusually for this subgenre! -- a real page-turner about the Jack the Ripper case. A prison psychoanalyst, who cites his own work on David Berkowitz throughout the text, explains that JTR was a pair of upper-crust gay men who would have been straight but for their mother issues, who overcame their sense of castration by killing mostly elderly, mostly alcoholic prostitutes in Whitechapel. Wait'll you see who he zeroes in on as his suspects. I have to admit that he completely changed my view of the scene of Liz Stride's murder by getting me to superimpose those two faces on the men who chased off Israel Schwartz with a hissed ethnic slur. The book is full of entertaining psychoanalytic twaddle, like the idea that women forced to sell themselves on the street to survive only continued working during the Autumn of Terror because they were "unconsciously drawn to the Ripper." There are no work sabbaticals when you're desperate for a place to sleep tonight, Doctor!
The Door-To-Door Killer, Thomas Downs4 stars
This is a completely different treatment of the same case discussed in The Shoe-Maker Anatomy of a Psychotic by Flora Rheta Schreiber. Where that book stayed inside Joe Kallinger's head and unquestioningly believed his version of events, this book explains how the crimes happened, and how the police found their man. It takes us through the trial and finally through the differing opinions on what, if anything, was wrong with Kallinger's mind. The psychiatrist writing his report and reviewing those by the others seemed great until at the last minute he shot himself in the foot by not knowing the difference between schizophrenia and multiple personality. I came away from this book with a much clearer understanding of the crimes.
In the Company of Evil: Thirty Years of California Crime, 1950-1980, Michael Barry4 stars
VERY hard to put down. Packed with crime stories arranged by decade, summarizing the events of many cases I've never heard of before and telling me where to find out more in the bibliography in back. Seekers-out of obscure serial killers take note: there are a bunch of them in here. Lots of other stuff, too, the tall and the small. This author writes pretty well but he frequently uses the word "known" needlessly ("he was a known alcoholic") and puts hyphens and apostrophes where they never needed to be. Photos throughout.
Deadly Relations: A True Story of Murder in a Suburban Family by Carol Donahue and Shirley HallA truly unbelievable story of a family torn apart because of greed, control and murder. On the surface they seemed like the perfect American family. Leonard Fagot was a prominent New Orleans attorney, a decorated war hero, and dedicated family man, and the loving father of four beautiful daughters. But, beneath the carefully drawn all-American facade lurked a man obsessed with power and discipline who controlled his family with threats, money and emotional blackmail.
Written by two of Leonard Fagot's own daughters it is a chilling true story of madness, fraud, drug abuse, and murder. A man who would do anything to stay in control - and the family who loved him until the burden of truth became too great to bear.
5 Stars
Decathlon Of Death, by Jack Leslie (I think)4 stars!
Thanks to the Goodreadarian who recommended this one to me! It's wonderfully written and drew me right into the investigation of a terrible, terrible crime I never heard of before, the Chester Massacre. To my surprise it led me to a case I thought I wasn't interested in, the execution of Barbara Graham. This is the true story of a sadistic multiple murderer on the loose 30 years before anyone had ever heard the term "serial killer." An unforgettable story with a heartbreaking ending. Don't miss reading this one! The one thing I can't figure is why it says Ed Montgomery is the one who put this story together, and his photo is on the back as if he were the author, but he isn't even listed as a co-author with Jack Leslie. Who really wrote this book?
You got me interested, Fishface. My brief search (incl. the Library of Congress directory) did not find Jack Leslie but this next gives Montgomery real credence. A 2013 KCET piece includes this: "If any life could be squeezed into a one-dimensional archetype of the bad and beautiful female, it was that of Barbara Graham," Cal Poly history lecturer Kathleen A. Cairns writes in "Proof of Guilt: Barbara Graham and the Politics of Executing Women in America." "(Her) life story might have sprung from the imaginations of any of a number of hard-boiled fiction writers specializing in stories of ...voluptuous women who brandished their seductive charms as lethal weapons."Here's the Montgomery connection:
(One of Graham's strongest allies was San Francisco Examiner reporter Edward S. Montgomery, who, by his own admission, usually sided with the prosecution. "Why would this story have grabbed him so much?" Cairns asked. "I couldn't figure out why. Was it because she was beautiful? Because she was interesting? Because he thought it was a travesty?"
Whatever the reason, Montgomery campaigned hard to exonerate Graham, even after her death. He contacted Hollywood producer Walter Wanger, who specialized in "socially significant message films that challenged power structures." I do remember the Susan Hayward film. I'm wondering if Leslie was an editor or nom de plume, or.....? Can only guess. Nice mystery in its own right.
The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts: Murder and Memory in an American City, Laura Tillman5 stars
A beautiful exploration of a really, really disturbing crime. The author goes far beyond the scope of the typical true-crime story. She talks about not only a hideous multiple murder and the consequences faced by the killers, but examines the scene of the crime (amazingly intact 9 years after the evidence-collection techs walked away from it), talks to the neighbors, the relatives, the police, and everyone else she can find. Her focus is not merely to tell the story, but to understand how it changed the neighborhood, and also to make clear how hard it is to simply assign blame and walk away. She also talks about how this grisly story changed her. Well worth your time.
anyone’s son by Roberta Roesch with Harry De La Roche, Jr.This is a true and chilling story of a crime by an eighteen year old boy from a ‘good family’. The reader feels the pity and terror when ‘goodness’ in this instant turns out to be no more then a mask for family psychosis.
Fascinating to read as this author researches and puts all her effort explaining the personal dynamics of family life in all of their dark as well as bright aspects. This is more than the intimate story of a crime and a trial. It is the story of the emotional underworld that families seldom realizes exists.
For all of us who are concerned with what makes families succeed or fail in our society’s, Roberta Roesch’s fascination detailed true report of a ‘nice young man’ who committed an atrocity.
5 Stars
Mod
This is a true and chilling story of a crime by an eighteen year old boy from a ‘good family’. The reader feels the pity and terror when ..."
Dead Center: The Shocking True Story of a Murder on Snipe Mountain by Frank J. Daniels 2 stars
Story of a wife that murders her new husband written by the district attorney prosecuting the case so there is a lot of detail into the investigation and courtroom. There is a lot of word for word taken from documents. I didn't think there was a lot of background on the victim and criminal. I've read a lot of books about spousal murder and didn't think this book offered anything different.
Nightmare In Napa by Paul LaRosaThis story was aired on TV’s 48 Hours mystery. Although I hadn’t watched 48 Hours, the author delved behind the scenes of a chilling true crime and uncovered twisted revelations inside an already shattered case of double murder.
Investigators received and tracked every angle from a Satanic Cult to a humbled
Disgruntled suitor to break the case on who the killer(s) were. It was an interesting read but I found something was missing. Although it didn’t draw me in so to speak with the emotions we feel toward the tragedy, nonetheless it truly was a loss of two women who were in the prime of their lives.
3 Stars
Mod
This story was aired on TV’s 48 Hours mystery. Although I hadn’t watched 48 Hours, the author delved behind the scenes of a chilling true crime and uncovered twist..."
The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, by Jeff Guinn5 stars!
This was an excellent read. The author gives a detailed picture of how Jonestown came to be, and how it came to an end, without once dismissing Jim Jones as a crazyman or his followers as glazey-eyed, fanatical cultists. Neither does he make a single statement to the effect that he agrees, or disagrees, with anything the Peoples Temple did. He clearly lays out the facts and lets you draw your own conclusions, almost as if he expected you to think for yourself while you read! The book answered some of my questions about how it all happened, how some of the people who survived managed to get away, and so forth -- but he didn't answer every question. I read this book with my copy of Who Died on November 18, 1978 in the Jonestown, Guyana Mass Murder-Suicides open in my lap, looking up every name he mentioned to see whether they lived or died, and I have to say I'm troubled that almost every single person he told me about in any detail was white. That was my Black Lives Matter moment for the week.
A Wayward Angel: The Full Story of the Hells Angels by George Wethern 
4 stars
Interesting look into one man's journey while in the Hells Angels. I don't think this paints the whole picture but gives a pretty good look into the beginnings of the Hell's Angels. I found humor in the authors attempt to not make himself look as bad by stating the things he did not do or take part of. Yea, not buying it. Good book overall, I would recommend it to anyone I want's to take a peek into the life of a Hells Angels.
American Murder Houses: A Coast-to-Coast Tour of the Most Notorious Houses of Homicide, Steve Lehto4 stars!
This was an enjoyable, quick read thumbnailing the sorry events at a number of homes that have become tourist attractions after someone murdered someone else inside them. I had never heard of some of these cases before and the author made me want to know more about each one. Oddly, he includes the square footage, the size of the lot each house is on, and the number of bedrooms and baths, as if he were listing them for sale. The writing was a little clumsy at times, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book. This volume is a fine example of the benefits of using a proper publishing house instead of the DIY methods so many people use today; "lie" and "lay" are used correctly, and all the apostrophes are where they belong. I'm sorry to say I hoped in vain that this book would identify for me the novelized crime in Only In New England The Story of A Gaslight Crime.
The False Prophet: Conspiracy, Extortion and Murder in the Name of God by Claire Booth5 stars
Interesting from beginning to end. The criminal starts out as a clean cut, All-American Mormon boy and for some reason went into a deep, dark abyss of mental illness that led to the deaths of several people. The investigation and courtroom is nicely condensed and not repetitive. I felt like i got to know the victims and was sorry for what they had to go through.
Rita wrote: "
Smoldering Embers"Thanks Fishface, Bella and K.A. and a few other members here! I was typing in not just the author but two more women, one of them being a victim of this murderer but this time I just put title and author's name and it worked ! Geez...it's fussy. LOL NOW I am HAPPY!!!!
Smoldering Embers
This is a gripping story of three women who bonded together and had the courage to fight back against a human monster. Many of his victims lost their lives but they vowed to bring him to justice. It took a huge toll on their private lives but all were determined to put him where he belongs. Court battles were constant in this case and most of all one detective took it upon himself to keep the public informed and to hunt him down.The defense delayed, argued and battled it out even with the Judge. It is very graphic to read and leaves nothing to the imagination. It brings to light how ugly rape is and how men get away with it along with murdering his many victims.
3+ Stars
The Trials of Israel Lipski: A True Story of a Victorian Murder in the East End of London, Martin L. Friedland3 stars
Wow, it turns out that everything I knew about Israel Lipski was wrong! This is a far more complicated, debatable case than I thought it was, and the author does a pretty complete job of drawing out all the unanswered questions, doubts and inconsistencies for you. Unfortunately, the book was very hard to get into because the first half of it was a line-by-line analysis of almost every word of testimony from the 2-day trial. Surely he could have handled this differently! Once Friedland moved on to discussing the developments after Lipski's trial and the ripples this case made in the pond of English society, the story moved along much better.
I, Pierre Rivière, having slaughtered my mother, my sister, and my brother...: A Case of Parricide in the 19th Century, Michel Foucault3 stars
This book was put together after someone came across the (apparently thick) file on this case in some archives. The editor explains that familicide was remarkably common during this period. A team of historians read and analyzed this case and presented a great deal of it in this book, including Riviere's complete autobiography which includes his explanation of his crime. I was struck by how very similar the medical and legal analysis done by experts in 1835 is to the analysis still being done on cases like this today, around the world. Every analysis went over the same information in the same close detail, but it never seemed repetitive or hard to slog through. The analysts attempt to put it all in context and make sense of a truly horrible act. It even included a little song someone composed about the crime.
One Breath Away: The Hiccup Girl - From Media Darling to Convicted Killer by M. Williams Phelps4 stars
I had never heard of the Hiccup Girl but apparently she was a big deal when she was about 14 years old. She appeared on television and newspapers for a while. She had the hiccups for several months and when they suddenly went away her 15 minutes of fame was over. After that it was all downhill. The book raises the question: Did her fleeting fame have anything to do with her problems afterwards. The front cover tells us that she was later convicted of murder.
Patrick Kearney: The True Story of The Freeway Killer: Historical Serial Killers and Murderers 3 stars
A quick read at 115 pages. Not a lot of detail here. There was no delving into background history with the victims and very little about the murderer. It was more 'first he killed this person and then he killed this person'. I did like that he attempted to get inside the mind of the killer. There are other books that go into more detail.
Koren wrote: "Patrick Kearney: The True Story of The Freeway Killer: Historical Serial Killers and Murderers 3 stars
A quick read at 115 pages. Not a lot of detail here. There was no delving int..."
Other books, plural? I've only found one (The Trash Bag Murderer). Is there another (she panted eagerly)?
Life: The Man Who Kidnapped Barbara Mackle. Gary Krist4 stars!
I wish I had read this much closer to 83 Hours Till Dawn, the victim's perspective on this same case. One always wonders what a criminal could possibly be thinking when setting out on a nutty caper like this; Gary Krist tells you his motives without leaving anything out. He's led a remarkable, interesting life but there is even more than that going on between his ears. This is an incredible portrait of how someone can be super-intelligent at the same time he's as dumb as a whole box of hammers. This book will spirit you away from the false options of "is he crazy or is he sociopathic"? Real life is more complex than that, and so is Gary Krist. Read this one! Not for readers with low vocabularies. Krist likes 25-cent words and compound sentences. He also told me a lot more about his sex life than I felt I needed to know. Even so, this book flew by for me.
Deadly Deception, Alva Busch4 stars
This was a good read about a very, very unusual case. This one is told from the point of view of a CSI man with the Illinois State Police, combining what he saw at the scene of a horrific crime with the findings of other investigators, showing the reader how they carefully built their case against a weird, weird, weird suspect. I read over the paragraph describing the injuries to Kenneth Lanman several times, in disbelief. A lot of this one is hard to get your head around. Busch's writing can be pretty ungraceful at times, but that never slowed me down.
Saint Of CircumstanceThis author has stepped up in revealing for the first time the true scope of Alex Kelly’s lawless behavior including several accounts of alleged sexual assault from victim’s who have been silent until now. Burrowing deep into close-knit Darien, Conneticut Weller gained unprecedented access to Kelly’s friends, classmates, teachers and neighbour’s to peel away the façade of a town that jealously guards its image and its secrets
She uncovered a town that seemed to encourage its coddled youth to act above the law. What I got from that was these parents that protected him at every turn were very dysfunctional to the point of denial, and in its wake this was abuse in the worse possible way.
4+ Stars
The C.S.I. Effect by Katherine Ramsland3 stars
If you are interested in this book because you are a fan of the TV show, I think you will be disapponted. There is actually very little about the show here. The author will mention a show by title, for instance the show titled "Ashes to "Ashes" deals with incident simulation using a computer, then it will go on to tell you more about how that forensic tool works. The basic premise of the book is that the TV show has generated more interest in forensics as a career, but aside from that there really isn't anything else about the show itself. If you have read other books about forensic science, I don't think there is a lot new here. On the other hand, if forensic science is new to you, this is an easily read and understood book. I just wouldn't pick it up thinking you are going to learn more about the TV show.
Halfway Heaven: Diary of a Harvard Murder, Melanie Thernstrom5 stars
If you loved The Dead Girl as much as I did, you need to read this one too; in here you'll learn something about the story of the murder of the author's best friend. This was a heartbreaking read about a Harvard premed student's steep decline into mental illness, the university's complete failure to notice or do anything meaningful to help, and the disastrous events that followed. The author, who has studied and taught at that school and even lived in the dorm where the murder-suicide occurred, was able to tell us a great deal about the people involved, and the role of Harvard itself in the events. This book is a powerful statement about the destructive power of isolation, the ways pain can destroy a person's life or make it more powerful, and the different ways people deal with the unbearable. This story will stay with me a very long time.
TriangleThis book is a truly twisted triangle of three people who met through three different circumstances and what happened between them. A story about bullying, mental abuse, control and their twisted lives and how it spiraled out
Of control and how it led to the ultimate unconscionable end. A very thorough investigation by police forces, detectives and
family members along with friends and neighbours who offered invaluable information in putting together a portrait
Of a killer. This author managed to accomplish all that was involved here in regards to long term results of child abuse. I recommend this book for all true crime fans.
4 Stars
Mod
TriangleThis book is a truly twisted triangle of three people who met through three different circumstances and what happened between them. A story about..."
I was wondering why the link went to "Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody", the link had a number missing. The cover is correct though.
Well, maybe there was a third party involved after Puff and Mr. Nobody. That would make a triangle, am I right?
Mod
Technically, yes ......
***starts looking for boxing gloves***
Bellezza wrote: "Rita wrote: "TriangleThis book is a truly twisted triangle of three people who met through three different circumstances and what happened between them...."
Belleza, did I do something wrong....again?
***runs to closet***
Not Exactly Love: A Memoir by Betty Hafner2 stars
This is a book about spousal abuse. It takes place in the late 60's to early 70's. One thing about this book that I did not like was that at times it almost seemed more like erotica. I didn't think it was necessary to go into such detail to talk about their sexual escapades. I hated the ending and the choice she made after so many problems with infertility. I wont go into detail as that would be a spoiler. Most of this book I just wanted to yell at her to quit being so stupid. I have read much better books with better insight about spousal abuse
Was she trying to say that the sex angle kept her tied to him despite the violence?Or just that, as I read somewhere once, they had to have a good fight before they could have a good night?
Hi, Koren,Thanks for this review. Now I can put this book on my "not-interested" shelf.
Rita wrote: "The Laughing Gorilla by Robert GraysmithOh wow....this author paints a vivid portrait of the early 20th Century crime. It is full of tough cops controlling order in a fog-shrouded port city, San F..."
Your review is so intriguing, Rita, I think I'm going to have to read it.
Fishface wrote: "Not at all, Bel!Alone: Orphaned on the Ocean, by Richard Logan and Tere Duperrault Fassbender
5 enthusiastic stars!
I gulped this down in a couple of hours. It's a fascinating, h..."
This book sounds fascinating....
Fishface wrote: "Was she trying to say that the sex angle kept her tied to him despite the violence?Or just that, as I read somewhere once, they had to have a good fight before they could have a good night?"
In my opinion, neither one. It seemed more like bragging. I'm sure she wasn't but that's what it seemed like.
What an odd thing to insert into a book like that.
Fishface wrote: "What an odd thing to insert into a book like that."I thought so too. I think the book would have been fine without it.
Ann wrote: "Rita wrote: "The Laughing Gorilla by Robert GraysmithOh wow....this author paints a vivid portrait of the early 20th Century crime. It is full of tough cops controlling order in a fog-shrouded por..."
Gosh, thank you so much Ann. It's the first I heard that. I always think everyone else's review is so much better. Glad you liked it.
Rita wrote: "This is a chilling and compelling story that takes place in Amish country of
Apple Creek, Ohio which is ab..." Thanks Rita! I'm adding this to my list.
Mod
Oh wow....this author paints a vivid portrait of the early 20th Century crime. It is full of tough cops controlling order in a fog-shrouded por..."
I liked this book too.
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Obsessed with True Crime
Books mentioned in this topic
50 American Serial Killers You've Probably Never Heard Of: Volume 5 (other topics)The Giant Book of Murder : Real Life Cases Cracked by Forensic Science (other topics)
The New Murderers' Who's Who (other topics)
501 Most Notorious Crimes (other topics)
A Perfect Gentleman (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Blaine Lee Pardoe (other topics)Terry Ganey (other topics)
Martin L. Friedland (other topics)
Tina Dirmann (other topics)
Donna Fielder (other topics)
More...
4 stars
A wonderful tapestry of life in old-time Boston from the perspectives of public figures like "Honey Fitz" (JFK's grandfather), Mayor Dan Coakley (the title character for this book), the half-forgotten legislator who may have driven Starr Faithfull to suicide, and many others of their ilk. He also thumbnails the Chappaquiddick incident and a truly horrific murder that took place on the street where he grew up. Every story is interesting, and many of the characters in one chapter had dealings with the characters in the others. Wonderfully written. Great for lovers of biography and true-crime buffs.