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True Crime Read In 2018-19: Post Reviews Here!
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"In January 1986 the Wheat Ridge Police Department uncovered one of the most vicious crime sprees in..."
Hi Tracy!
So good of you to post about your new book. I have two places where this type of post is a better fit, True Crime Authors and True Crime Books published in 2019. I have copied and pasted your post into those folders.
The Last Time We Saw Her by Robert Scott3 stars
This is about the murder of 19-year-old college student Brooke Willberger by Joel Courtney.
As other reviewers have said, this book was interesting in parts, but it would have been better as a much shorter book. The courtroom scenes are, for the most part, repetition of what we were told during the investigation.
LAPD '53, James Ellroy2 measly stars
This was such an irritating read that the text almost cancelled out the value of the photos that were supposed to be the core of the book. Ellroy does not seem to get that beyond a certain density level, the stilted bebop expressions in his ultra-noir writing style obscure the meaning of what he is trying to say. What does come through is that this guy is very nostalgic, not for the year he turned 5 but for all the hideous, tragic things that were happening around him that year. He makes it sound as if he knew all about it as it was happening and was thrilled by every minute of it -- fairly unlikely! This was 5 years before his mother's murder and does create a compelling picture of the background and underpinnings of that terrible event. This might be worth your time if you have a high tolerance for ersatz jive talk.
U.S. Marshals: Inside America's Most Storied Law Enforcement Agency by Mike Earp4 stars
A lot of people don't know what a U.S. Marshal does. Basically, it is a cross between the FBI and a bounty hunter. A marshal doesn't investigate the crimes. They are given the name of a fugitive or fugitives and track them down. The book tells us what is involved in this very dangerous job and gives numerous short case stories that the author experienced. Very interesting and at times humorous. It is amazing what lengths some criminals will go to to avoid arrest. This book was very interesting but I am deducting one star because some of the stories started to sound the same after a while.
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee
3 stars
This book seemed like two separate books. The first part is a true crime about Reverend Willie Maxwell, who took out insurance policies on several family members and then killed them and seemed to get away with it until he was murdered. The second half of the book is a bio of Harper Lee, who had an interest in the case and wanted to write a book about it, as her good friend Truman Capote did with In Cold Blood but never really seems to get it off the ground.
This next part may be a spoiler:
Frankly, I did not think there was very much of a tie-in between the murder and Harper Lee and the second half of the book seemed to be more a bio of Harper Lee. I have read bios of Harper Lee before and this book didnt really have anything new to say. The author also goes into long detail about things that seem to have nothing to do with the story line but then in the end does tie in, such as giving us a long history of life insurance in America before launching into the story of the murderer buying life insurance on his victims.
I would say this is an interesting story but seemed a little strange at times and I would not buy this for the Harper Lee aspect.
Ladykiller, Juliet Papa3 solid stars
This history of the life and crimes of Richie Caputo takes you right up to the moment before his trials for murder begin. I learned a fair amount about his victims and his relationship to them and how he evaded justice for decades. The author speculated on why he finally resurfaced and what if any mental problems he might have, but unfortunately, she was working only from the speculations of defense counsel, reporters and the mental health providers who were clearly just chasing their tails. This was a good read that gave me, as a mental health provider, a few sad chuckles.
Bones in the Desert: The True Story of a Mother's Murder and a Daughter's Search by Jana Bommersbach 4 stars
Interesting true crime story that centers around the daughter of a woman who was killed by her partner of 18 years and has the theme of elder abuse. I would have liked the book to delve deeper into the murderer's past and I am deducting one star because it was a bit repetitive but aside from that I couldnt put it down and read most of it in one day and finished the next morning.
The Stranger She Loved: A Mormon Doctor, His Beautiful Wife, and an Almost Perfect Murder by Shanna Hogan 5 stars
Amazing true story about a very sketchy doctor who also went to school to be a lawyer,although he never practiced, and was also a Mormon. There are many twists and turns and the author has a knack for keeping us on the edge of our seats. This guy is doing something shady on every page. His wife is a very likeable person and the children are also very interesting. If it wasnt for their tenacity the husband would have very likely gotten away with murder. This book held my attention from beginning to end and the trial is nicely condensed. I was starting to think the classic husband murders wife true crime books were all starting to sound the same, but this one definitely stands out from the pack. This is the third book I have read by this author and I have liked them all.
Killing Love: How I Survived Unimaginable Family Tragedy
Author: Rebecca Poulson
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
A memoir about the multiple tragedies that Rebecca, and her family, have endured, including murder. She gives you some background, leads you through the crimes, and then tells of how she kept her sanity afterwards.
A sad commentary on how AVOs (Apprehended Violence Order) aren't worth the paper they are printed on. In the USA they are called Restraining Orders, or Protective Orders. I have seen firsthand how useless they are, fortunately, my experience didn't result in a murder.
My Life with Charles Manson, by Paul Watkins with Guillermo Soledad5 enthusiastic stars!
I wish I could give this one ten stars. It answered so many of my questions about how the Manson Family worked, how it drew people in and kept them with Charlie. It also told us much more about the Family members and the people around them. Thank you, Paul, for clearing so much of this up for me. I say this about a lot of books I like, but -- no fooling -- READ. THIS. BOOK.
I just gave 3 stars to Kids Who Kill: Case 4: Sandy Charles. Nearly all the information in the book was new to me, and it unexpectedly told me a fair amount about Sandy's 8-year-old murder accomplice despite a total news blackout about him. I was also surprised to find that this book needed to be added to the Paranormal and Ritual Murder shelves here at OWTC. Despite all these positives I had to deduct 2 stars for the abominably clumsy writing by an author who claims to hold multiple degrees in English Lit. The sentence structure was so awkward that I suspected as I read that the author was not a native speaker of English...the news about her academic background came as a surprise.
Giving 3 stars to Cult Killers edited by good old Rose G. Mandelsberg at the crest of the Satanic Panic. This collection was a lot more subdued than some other True Detective compilations I've read, maybe because the stories were more than lurid enough all by themselves. Not all of the crimes were definitely the work of cults but there was always enough to make you wonder about it. There was also considerable confusion as soon as we passed beyond the simple confines of Christianity vs. Satanism and headed off into foreign territory. For instance Adolfo Constanzo and Sara Aldrete were repeatedly described as Satanists, when Satan never entered into what they were doing. But I was gratified to see fresh information about that appalling case, particularly Sara Aldrete's role in the proceedings and the names of more of the victims that I've seen in other books, most of which describe the people sacrificed as 'Mark Kilroy!!! and, oh yeah, a bunch of Mexicans.' Most of the other cases were new to me and some may not be collected anywhere else. A very gripping read.
Arsenic and Clam Chowder: Murder in Gilded Age New York by James D. Livingston 3 stars
The setting is 1896 New York. Evelina Bliss dies after being served some clam chowder bought by her daughter and delivered by her granddaughter. But was she poisoned or was it a natural death. Without modern day forensics it is hard to determine. The book sounded intriguing but I was rather bored by it. There is some New York history here that doesnt seem to have much connection to the murder but seems to be filler to help fill the book, which was thankfully short, at 203 pages and the last 30 pages or so are citing sources and index so about 170 pages of actual reading.
A Hundred Little Hitlers: The Death of a Black Man, the Trial of a White Racist, and the Rise of the Neo-Nazi Movement in America, Elinor Langer4 stars
This was a very wide-ranging study of the murder of Mulugeta Seraw by Ken Mieske, and all the events that led up to it. The author then moves on to cover a great deal of the aftermath as well, although she had to stop writing the book eventually and you have to read the news to find out about later developments. (The murder was in 1988 and the developments, especially with Donald Trump in the White House, are still coming.) Langer appears to have talked personally to almost all the parties involved, studied a great many documents and really thought through what it all meant before putting pen to paper. The analysis seems very fair and evenhanded to me. My only quibble with the mostly-excellent writing is that Langer needs to break her sentences down smaller so the reader doesn't have to keep going back to reread and remember what her point was.
I gave 3 stars to Raising Hell: An Encyclopedia of Devil Worship and Satanic Crime. It was unbelievably repetitive but also listed all kinds of Satanist murders, true stories of enslavement through zombification, and more details than I've ever read anywhere about the Matamoros paleros. He makes clear why so many terrified parents in the 80s put an equals sign between Dungeons & Dragons and cult murders. The author understands that not every weird religious group involved in criminal activity is Satanist and makes a point of distinguishing them all carefully. The big flaw in this book is the total lack of citations. Read it anyway!
Perfectly Executed by Peter Van Sant3 stars
Parts of this book were interesting, but the book bogged down with word for word interrogation and trial. I think it could have been more condensed. This is the story of the Rafay family- husband, wife and mentally disabled daughter who were bludgeoned to death in 1994 and the son and his friend who were blamed and arrested for the crime. The men ran away to Canada and it took 6 years to extradite them so they were not convicted until 10 years after the crime. Even though the young men confessed to the crime, the tactics of the Canadian police are not legal in the United States and the cases are still under appeal. This case is worth googling when you are done reading, as it is still ongoing and controversial, including several Innocence Project groups undertaking their cases.
Loss of Innocence: A True Story of Juvenile Murder by Eric J. Adams3 stars
Two young girls are killed by a 13-year-old playmate in 1983 in Colorado. The story was interesting but I would have liked to have known more about why the 13 year old did what he did. He got off pretty easy because he was only 13 and later laws were changed so that teenagers could be tried as adults. I didnt read the little blurb at the beginning that said his real name and the name of the parents were not used until I was almost done and wanted to google to see if I could find out what became of him, but I understand why they could not use his real name. It sounds like he went on to live a productive life. Would have been nice to know for sure.
Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'Neill 4 stars
The author began his research on the 30th anniversary of the Manson murders and published this book on the 50th anniversary. What started out as a magazine article became 20 years of research and a book. The author refutes facts and details in the investigation and in the book Helter Skelter. No love lost for Vincent Buggliosi here. The author feels there mistakes and flaws in both the investigation and book and there could be a lot more there than meets the eye. I thought the beginning of the book was very good and was glad the author didnt spend a lot of time going over things that anyone who has followed the Manson saga would already know. But around 100 pages in it became tedious and overly detailed and I ended up skimming to the end. If you are intrigued by the Manson murders you will want to add this book to your collection.
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Under the Trestle: The 1980 Disappearance of Gina Renee Hall & Virginia’s First “No Body” Murder Trial. by Ron Peterson, Jr.3 stars
This one is genuinely tragic in the classical sense of the term: a man born with a fatal flaw brings about his own downfall, taking more than a few other people down with him in the process. I came away with many questions, but despite all the unresolved issues here I thought the author did a good job of setting my mind at ease. This book did need a final copy edit; at times I thought I was watching one car loaded with apostrophes crash into another one full of hyphens and seeing the punctuation fly everywhere.
by Natascha Kampusch 3 stars
3,096 Days in Captivity
The author was kidnapped in 1998 in Austria and held captive for 8 years before escaping. Interesting book, but I think it would have been better written by someone else. The author doesn't come across as being a professional writer. There is no detail into the investigation or how her family and friends reacted to her disappearance and the book lacks descriptive information. For instance, we dont really get a feel for what she or her captor look like. But we do get lots of information on what she was feeling. I felt a lot was skipped over when she said she didnt want to get into the sexual details of the kidnapping due to wanting to keep her privacy and there didnt seem to be very much emotion or excitement when she was reunited with family. It seemed like it was more complaining about how she was treated rather than joy at being home again. Her reunion with her family was only a few short paragraphs.
Koren wrote: " by Natascha Kampusch 3 stars
3,096 Days in Captivity
The author was kidnapped in 1998 in Austria and held captive for 8 years before e..."
Wow, thanks for the warning!
"Koren wrote: 3,096 Days in Captivity by Natascha Kampusch 3 starsFishface wrote: "Wow, thanks for the warning!"
I, on the other hand, liked the book more than Koren. Different strokes for different folks. :)
I'll post my review, below these comments. According to reports Natascha didn't have a happy childhood, even before the abduction. Maybe that had a hand in how she reacted to being home again. Or, maybe, since she was such a private person, she didn't want to put those intense 'homecoming' emotions on display in her book. Or, having been abducted at 10, and not seeing home again until 18, she was not the same person that was snatched off that street. Maybe 'home' felt overwhelmingly strange to her. I tend to lean towards the idea that whatever she felt ... happy, sad, or indifferent ... at being home again, she just decided not to put those feelings out there for the public to gawk at.
My review:
"I was so impressed with Natascha. I felt that she told the story of her abduction, her escape, and her re-entry into society, with great care, and skill. I totally support her choice to not reveal everything that took place during those years. To me, her refusal typifies the strength of character that she most certainly possesses.
I also agree with her opinion of the 'Stockholm Syndrome'. Natascha wrote, "If I wanted to survive in this new world, I had to cooperate with him. For somebody who has never been in such an extreme situation of oppression, this may be difficult to comprehend. But today I am proud of the fact that I was able to take this step towards the person who had robbed me of everything. Because that step saved my life even though I had to dedicate more and more energy to maintaining this 'positive approach' to the kidnapper." As she says, it is often used as a glib label, turning "…victims into victims a second time, by taking from them the power to interpret their own story - and by turning the most significant experiences from their story into the product of a syndrome. The term places the very behaviour that contributes significantly to the victim's survival that much closer to being objectionable." "Getting closer to the kidnapper is not an illness. Creating a cocoon of normality within the framework of a crime is not a syndrome. Just the opposite. It is a survival strategy in a situation with no escape - and much more true to reality than the sweeping categorization of criminals as bloodthirsty beasts and of victims as helpless lambs that society refuses to look beyond."
4 Stars = It touched my heart, and/or gave me much food for thought."
Absolute Madness: A True Story of a Serial Killer, Race, and a City Divided, Catherine Pelonero4 enthusiastic stars!
A deeply researched and thoughtfully written book that told me a great deal about Joe Christopher that I never knew. A tragic picture of the ways a competency exam, performed by an incompetent evaluator, can make justice go wrong. It also makes clear that finding the right psychiatric answers and talented lawyers doing everything they're allowed to do may not be enough to bring a just result. Very well written. Highly recommended
Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties, Tom O'Neill3 stars
I was fascinated with this book but it tried to do way too much and didn't really accomplish anything clearly, at least in my eyes. This book goes off in so many directions and doesn't really end up anywhere. The author raises a lot of excellent questions, and even answers a handful of them, but never in a totally satisfying way because of all the long detours into other areas, some of which I can only describe as red herrings, like the trip down the rabbit hole of the Kennedy assassination. It was interesting of course, but what does it have to do with the Manson family? He didn't even fully explain what Bugliosi was so mad at him about. Most of the interviews he describes consisted of people refusing to tell him anything. I'm not sorry I read it, but he could have spent more time spelling out the concrete information that led somewhere and a lot less on the dead ends.
The Scholl Case: The Deadly End of a Marriage
Author: Anja Reich-Osang
3 Stars = Okay. Maybe not a page-turner, but not sorry I read it.
The book gives a lot of background info on Brigitte and Heinrich Scholl. The author attended the trial, had interviews with family and friends, and had several long talks with Heinrich himself.
I felt it was well-researched. It's not full of blood-and-gore, like some true crime, it is more a study of two very different people who end up married to each other. I'm still not sure if he 'did it', or not. But if he didn't, then who would have? A puzzle.
Stronger
Author:Jeff Bauman
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
Jeff stood right next to an exploding bomb, and survived. This book is about how that day at the Boston Marathon transpired, and his journey through the following six months.
What happened to Jeff is unimaginable. Thank goodness he was able to resurrect a life from the tragedy. He's not an author, but he tells his story in an open, up-front manner. He lets us in on some of his feelings, behind the scenes, and that's important, 'cause Jeff isn't a 'feeling-sharing' kind of guy.
Smoked: A True Story About The Kids Next Door by Leon Bing 3 stars
I couldn't get into this book. This is about a group of teenage kids and 3 of the girls are murdered by 2 of the boys. There are drugs and sex and getting into trouble and I had a hard time liking any of them. I would have liked more exploration into their backgrounds, home life, and parenting and why they were the way they were. This book is ok if you just want the facts.
Wow, Koren, we almost never seem to agree on the books we both read. I found that one very hard to put down!
4 stars--does what it does well, although I'm left with some serious questions
Maura Murray disappeared in 2004 and–despite searches by police, the Murray family, and intrigued internet true-crime fans–has never been found. (Or if the family has found her, they’re not saying.) James Renner is one of the “true crime addicts” who have pursued her story with relentless determination.
Renner calls himself a “gonzo journalist,” and it helps if you know what that is: a journalist (like author/journalist Hunter Thompson) who makes her/himself a subject of the reporting and whose style includes wry, self-castigating humor, a pervasive sense of irony, and plenty of profanity. Renner’s book is both about Maura Murray (a woman with a big load of emotional baggage, unhappiness with her life choices and perhaps including an incestuous relationship with her father), about Murray’s disappearance, and about himself (a man with a big load of baggage, an anger-management problem, and a drinking/drugging habit).
The book highlights the problems of finding truth in multiple stories, the uncomfortable ethical issues of writing truthfully about real (and still living) people, and the very real dangers of internet sourcing–and stalkers. The ethical issues are crucial and never resolved, which becomes especially clear in the epilogue, when Renner reports new allegations against a man who has been already cleared, allegations that have nothing to do with the crime. If Renner is aware of the serious ethical questions his work (and the genre) is raising, he gives no hint of it.
And don’t look for a true picture of the “real” author/narrator here–that’s another story. What we get is a pretty fair picture of the gonzo journalist at work. Gonzos make the point that it’s impossible to tell the truth, and that the best you can do is tell all sides of a story. Renner does that, and then some. As a self-reflexive depiction of true-crime research and writing, True Crime Addict is interesting, instructive, and (in a macabre, head-shaking sort of way) entertaining. As meta true crime, the ethical issues it raises are also deeply disturbing.
The Pentagon: A History, Steve Vogel4 enthusiastic stars
For a book about a really big building project, this was incredibly gripping, even suspenseful. Full of towering historical figures debating whether and how the Pentagon was going to be built, making it happen despite (and in part because of) the attack on Pearl Harbor, and -- in a country where it can take 5 years to put together a 2-bedroom house -- getting it all done excellently within a tight deadline. This book also includes the story of rebuilding the Pentagon after the September 11th attack. I think my knowledge of that part of al Qaeda's attack on America increased 95% after reading this book. Don't miss this one.
Slayer of Innocence, Jim Conover4 stars!
Jim Conover's account of the multi-state hunt for pedophilic serial killer William "Freight Train" Guatney. The author folds in details of some of the other cases he had to attend to, while never letting the murder of one local boy or the disappearance of another really slip his mind. This case was an outstanding example of cooperation between different systems and jurisdictions at a time when that was rarely done, and even more rarely done well. It all made for a gripping read about the kind of case that would put most people off going into police work.
Everybody Pays by Maurice Possley and Rick Krogan 5 stars
Most of the reviews I read about this book say it is about the mafia in Chicago. It is, but it is also the story of a man who tried to do the right thing and it totally altered his life and almost cost him his family. You seldom hear much about people that have been in the witness protection program and this book tells about a man who had to give up his house, job and even his name to testify against one of the killers in the mafia. I enjoyed this story much more than the story about the mafia. Very interesting book!
Sounds like a great addition to both the Whistleblowers shelf and the one called No Good Deed Unpunished. It was already on the Organized Crime shelf.
To Kill and Kill Again, John Coston4 solid stars!
Just re-read this one for the first time since it originally hit the newsstands in paperback. I erased my old review because it was written by another me, a brain-dead me who missed the point of just about every page in this book. I hear you saying, yeah, yeah, another serial killer story. But read it anyway. Everything about this story is unusual, and it has the unlikeliest ending imaginable. Some of the imagery is weird (e.g. "wilted perfume"), but no weirder than the guy this story is about. At all costs, read this one.
Death in Perugia: The Definitive Account of the Meredith Kercher Case from her Murder to the Acquittal of Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox
Author: John Follain
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
This is the first book I have read about the Meredith Kercher murder. The author makes an effort to be unbiased, but in doing so, he often leaves things out. I agree with Mark Saha's review where he states, "Many things his participants say are now known to be false or at least not what they seem, but Follain is too objective to tell the reader this. Even worse, many official "facts" are also known to be untrue, or at the least poorly understood due to conflicting accounts and questionable witnesses. Follain "cures" all such ambiguity by simply omitting it, giving us a simple, unambiguous, but arbitrary and selective account." His review is very interesting, and he explains, in detail, exactly why he made the above statement.
The book ends in 2011, after Amanda's first trial. As most of us know, the case did not end there.
If you are interested in the Kercher murder case, you'll probably want to read this book, as it was written by a journalist who sat through the trial, and interviewed many folks.
I wonder if there is a single book on that case that captures more or less everything.
Fishface wrote: "I wonder if there is a single book on that case that captures more or less everything."I was wondering the same thing ... but I doubt it. :(
Five Drops of Blood: Murder in the Cat Protection Society
Authors: Paul Wilson, Dianne McInnes
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
This book is about a murder conviction that was based totally on DNA evidence ... it was the first in Australia, and only the third worldwide. Interesting case. Lots of twists, and turns, as it plays out. It certainly makes you stop, and think, about how the DNA we casually drop everywhere might one day be used.
Fishface wrote: "Maybe a boxed set of all of them?"Yep! :)
MY MOST UNFORGETTABLE CONVICTS, Leo L. Stanley4 stars
Book link, because I cannot get the search box to pull this up no matter how I beg: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
A delightful memoir written by the man who worked for 30 years as the chief surgeon at San Quentin prison. He was a good general-practice doctor and an outstanding homespun psychologist, doing everything from calming the nerves of hypochondriacs to remodelling damaged faces. He even helped capture escapees and for a while there acted, pretty unwillingly, as warden. Stanley spends a lot more time in here talking about the prisoners and there's not much about himself, but when you spend your days shooting the breeze with the likes of Ed Hickman and Gordon Northcott, you can be excused for not seeing yourself as the most interesting character in the room.
Fatal Photographs by Jack Nerad3 stars
A photographer, Charles Rathbun, takes a model to a desert photo shoot. She never returns. He is a strange guy. The story was interesting, but not really out of the ordinary. The courtroom scene is repetitive, but thankfully, short.
Without a Trace: The Disappearance of Amy Billig -- A Mother's Search for Justice by Greg Aunapu3 stars
This book is mostly about a mother's search to find her daughter who was kidnapped by a biker gang or at least one person from a gang. The mother travels all over the United States following leads. I found it incredible that so many people were dishonest in an attempt to get money from her. Most people would not give her information unless she paid them first. One person led her on for years. I admired her tenaciousness but often wondered if she was making wise decisions. About half way thru I got bored with this, as it was just more of the same throughout the book. I wanted something to happen. The ending was very sad.
Caril, Ninette Beaver et. al.3 stars
A very absorbing read. It's the only treatment of the Starkweather/Fugate murder spree from the point of view of the local news people. We seem to read about it in real time, by newscasters and camera crews thunderstruck as each new murder happened and who were anxiously waiting to hear all along when and where little Caril Ann would be found dead. It then follows her through her trial for complicity in the murder of her family and 8 other people. I learned a great deal more about the crimes here than I have in any other book on the case so far. It does a lot to cast doubt on Caril's guilt in the crimes she was convicted of, but gives you the other point of view as well and in the end leaves you to make up your own mind. A curious biography -- it tells you almost nothing about Caril's life before her imprisonment, and I'm not sure what to make of that. There is a lot of food for thought in here. Warmly recommended.
His Garden: Conversations With A Serial Killer, Anne K. Howard3 solid stars
This book is the result of the years the author spent getting to know serial killer Bill Howell. The whole story fits into a single question: how can a regular guy like Bill be so sickeningly cruel and violent? He wasn't popped out of the familiar mold of the TV serial killer. He doesn't add up neatly so you can file him away and forget about him. And this book doesn't offer the reader a predigested answer from one of the standard texts on serial murder. She struggles with the question on every page and makes you struggle with it too. This one is more than worth your time.
Captive: The Story of the Cleveland Abductions
Author: Allan Hall
2 Stars = Blah. It didn't do anything for me.
This was published in 2013. The court case was in 2013. Sooo, that should tell you that this book was just rushed to print ... to make money, most likely. If you haven't read anything at all about the Cleveland abductions, then this book will enlighten you ... a bit. But if you followed the news reports, you won't learn anything new here.
Someone Else's Daughter: The Life and Death of Anita Cobby
Author: Julia Sheppard
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
"I could wish it was someone else's daughter, but I can't, can I? They would then have to go through what we're going through." ~~ Garry Lynch, Anita Cobby's father
I long for the day when we stop hurting each other. Will it ever come?
This book tells of five disgusting so-called 'men' who kill a young woman ... just because they could. This case saw Sydney Australia residents filling the streets, baying for blood.
The author, a reporter assigned to the case, has produced a well-researched book.
The Peninsula Serial Killer: The True Story of Jon Scott Dunkle, by C.L. Swinney3 solid stars
This was sort of a capsule summary of the Jon Dunkle case, with an update, seen through the lens of Dunkle's crumbling mental health. In a lot of ways Swinney's book made this an entirely new case to me. When I read Gretchen Brinck's book on Dunkle I distinctly remember the guy killing little boys, and this is all about crimes against teenagers. I got a great deal of insight into the police work on this series of crimes and learned something about the struggles faced by the prison system trying to wrangle a felon who is clearly too ill to simply serve his time. I came away wondering if he even understands or remembers what he did...This book is in dire need of copy and text editing but was still an intriguing read.
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Obsessed with True Crime
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I looked on the author's Facebook page and it *is* a true crime. "Tracy Beach 26 February · The cover for my true crime book Michael is finally finished! The book should be out by April!"
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Thetunnel...