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True Crime Read In 2021
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "I must be losing it! I just finished While the City Slept: A Love Lost to Violence and a Young Man's Descent into Madness by Eli Sanders..."True, but a 5 star book?
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "I must be losing it! I just finished While the City Slept: A Love Lost to Violence and a Young Man's Descent into Madness by Eli Sanders..."Started reading Son by Jack Olsen. This time I checked first to make sure I hadn't already read it. I havent but I read Misbegotten Son so that was a bit confusing. Anyway, in true Jack Olsen fashion it is starting out to be a riveting read.
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "I must be losing it! I just finished While the City Slept: A Love Lost to Violence and a Young Man's Descent into Madness by Eli Sanders..."That would be my guess, too, rather than pathology in your brain. Some books just don't make an impression...
Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Jim wrote: "Sworn to Silence!"You're not biased at all are you? ;)"
LOL. Honestly I've always been critical of my writing and I would like feedback from avid readers and experienced reviewers, who I respect, like you. I know from my extensive research that Privileged Information is factually incorrect in numerous ways and, like any good attorney, the author/lawyer weaved a narrative that was not the truth but one that would make you favor what he did. Just like a defense attorney, knowing his client is guilty, would putforth a defense in court to make his client appear not guilty.
Hari wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "I must be losing it! I just finished [book:While the City Slept: A Love Lost to Violence and a Young Man's Descent into Madness|2561452..."A lot of TC books sound the same and look the same so I'm glad I can keep track of them on Goodreads. I'm surprised this one didnt stick with me because it was soooo good.
Jim wrote: "Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Jim wrote: "Sworn to Silence!"You're not biased at all are you? ;)"
LOL. Honestly I've always been critical of my writing and I would like feedback from avid readers and e..."
Good idea for a separate discussion...what do we like and not like in a TC book!
Koren wrote: "Jim wrote: "Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Jim wrote: "Sworn to Silence!"You're not biased at all are you? ;)"
LOL. Honestly I've always been critical of my writing and I would like feedback from avid r..."
Also, what do we remember? In all the years I haven't known you, Koren (chuckle), I've noticed that we will read the same book and remember it totally differently. "Are you sure you're talking about EAT THE SKIN by Martin Blank? I don't reme.ber that happening," type of comments.
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Jim wrote: "Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Jim wrote: "Sworn to Silence!"You're not biased at all are you? ;)"
LOL. Honestly I've always been critical of my writing and I would like feedba..."
I am pretty sure you keep a detailed log of what you read. I don't. So, yes, I sometimes have to check to see if I've already read it. But then if I don't remember it, it probably doesn't hurt to read it again. Perhaps when I have dementia I can just have one book and read it over and over and it will always be new!
Son by Jack Olsen5 stars
The cover says this is the shocking true story of Fred and Ruth Coe and it was truly shocking. Jack Olsen is the master of true crime and I think most of the popular true crime authors today probably took lessons from him. The book is long but it was rare that I got bored with it. As a matter of fact, I didn't want to put it down because I was anxious to see how the mother played into it as far as what she got charged with, which the author was very good at keeping us in suspense. (I was trying to avoid spoilers so didn't google anything until I was almost to the end.) This was not your ordinary run-of-the-mill true crime book and not as daunting as you might think if you just glanced at it.
Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Jim wrote: "Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Jim wrote: "Sworn to Silence!"You're not biased at all are you? ;)"
LOL. Honestly I've always been critical of my writing and I ..."
You can believe me when I tell you that I do NOT keep a detailed log of what I read. If I don't review it immediately it will be gone with the wind!
Sleep My Darlings: The True Story of a Mother Who Killed Her Children in Cold Blood by Diane Fanning4 stars
I read a lot of True Crime so it is rare that a story moves me to tears but after feeling like I got to know this young girl and then to have her mother take her life in such a cruel way was just heartbreaking. I did not feel like a got to know the boy as well, but my heart still went out to him. Crimes against children have got to be the hardest to read. That said, at 200 pages, this book seemed to have a lot of filler and because the book was published before the trial I wondered why the author didn't wait until after the trial to publish. This short book seemed like it might have been better as a compilation of several stories rather than one short book.
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Jim wrote: "Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Jim wrote: "Sworn to Silence!"You're not biased at all are you? ;)"
LOL. Honestly I've always been critical of my ..."
Wow! You must have a really good memory. I could have sworn you had spread sheets with every TC you've ever read. On the other hand, I know you re-read but I seldom do that. Too many good books and not enough time. I don't usually even read the same case by different authors.
Well, I definitely want to know more about each case. Right now I'm reading a whole book on a killer who was a single chapter in Notorious 92: Indiana's Most Heinous Murders in All 92 Counties.
Blood Stained: When No One Comes Looking, by Dory Maust2 stars
While I value this book for all the detailed background it gives on David Maust -- it is based on the autobiography he wrote in prison -- reading it was quite a slog. The author was trying hard to be literary and the story was struggling to make itself visible in the choppy waters of the mixed metaphors, inserted show-tune lyrics and generally clumsy writing. I came away not knowing how much of what I read was fact and how much was fiction. It's one of those informative, valuable books that you want to slam shut and never read again.
Augie's Secrets: The Minneapolis Mob and the King of the Hennepin Strip by Neal Karlen 2 stars
I knew there was quite a mob presence in Minnesota in the early 1900's so I was interested to find out more about this but this book was not very informative. The author claims to be related to one of them but there is precious little background information on any of the characters or why they thought the way they did. I think it could have been a much better book if it was more personal. Most of the reviews for this book are between 1 and 3 stars. It is a short book at under 200 pages. If it was longer I probably wouldn't have stuck with it.
Son of Sam: The .44-Caliber Killer, by George Carpozi Jr.4 stars!
This is a new favorite book about an old, familiar story. Carpozi wrote this in a personable, energetic, yet faintly cheesy style that feels very tabloid but also tells me a great deal about the victims -- living and dead -- and quite a bit about the killer, always holding him responsible for devastating so many people, including his own family. He raises good questions about the killer's mental status but lets the reader decide. Full of interesting details I have not seen anywhere else.
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Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case by Caitlin Rother
Five big old stars!
Caitlin Rother asked me to read and review this book and provided me with a copy.
I have not been otherwise compensated for this review.
When Caitlin Rother contacted me about writing this review she said, “You’ve probably heard of this case.” And yes I had, because I follow Caitlin on Facebook. That was my only exposure to if before reading this book.
When looking at the book description my first thought was, “How could they come to a finding of suicide when she was gagged and tied up?” No spoilers here, it’s in the book description. “Somebody was paid off.” But as the book description states, there is so much more to this case. And Caitlin digs deep. She has several years experience as an investigative journalist and it shows. She explores every angle, goes after people for interviews and prepares well for those interviews to get to the truth. And what is the truth? Was it murder or suicide?
I’m not going to tell you what I think, you will have to read the book to form your own opinion, and you should read this book. Some may find the ending of this book unsatisfying, but it is what it is, the truth of the matter and not Caitlin Rother’s fault. This is truly a bizarre, mystifying and at times confusing case.
If you have read any of my other reviews, you know that I tend to write short reviews. The reason being I am not here to recap the story, just report if I think it is worth reading. Also, I tend to blaze through books and don’t take notes. If you are are a true crime fan that likes their books thoroughly researched and well written, I recommend this book. If you are looking for a book that ties everything up in a neat little bow, this is not the book for you. There are still many questions that we may never know the answer to, such is life sometimes. You will finish this book very well informed of the case and not bored.
Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case by Caitlin Rother
Five bi..."
Excellent review. Caitlin Rother is one of my favorite TC authors. I will look for this one.
The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, by Daniel Berrigan3 puzzled stars
This little book was consistently odd, from the first page to the last. I never heard of this story until I stumbled across it in a used bookstore, in the Drama/Classics section of all places. Needless to say it proved to be about a true crime case, because such books seem to fall out of every mouse-hole and passing cloud to drop into my hands. The Catonsville Nine were a group of Catholic war protestors who stole the 1A files from a draft center and, to prevent the teenagers listed in the files from dying in Vietnam they -- quite symbolically -- napalmed their paperwork. This is their trial, with the judge's rulings and attorneys' comments left intact but the defendants' testimony rendered in blank verse. Maybe the proceedings would be less mysterious to me if I were Catholic or a member of the Love Generation, but it did finally all come clear. When I read the reaction of the Nine to the verdict, I thought immediately of Jack Kevorkian and wondered what he was thinking at the moment of his own comeuppance...this gave me an unexpected insight into the thought process behind the protests against this war and probably any protest movement or crime of conscience. Very glad I found this little book.
Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case by Caitlin Rother
Five bi..."
The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter, by John Douglas5 stars!
Not just another list of familiar serial killers and their FBI classifications. In this one Douglas goes pretty deeply into how he builds trust with a murderer or rapist, brings out the information from the criminal's point of view and makes sense of it all. He uses other, better-known cases he's worked on to compare and contrast the individual shapes of their pathologies. A fascinating read for all the right reasons. A nice bonus is that I found one (1) Spellcheck error in the whole book. ("Roll" was used in place of "role" on page 218 of the uncorrected proof copy I read.) Read this one!
Hi!Has anyone listened to The Onion Field, hailed as a classic in the true crime genre?
If so, how would you rate it between The Executioner’s Song and Fatal Vision?
Fatal Vision tops the list. I was not wild about The Executioner's Song butbh The Onion Field -- while better written than Mailer's book -- somehow didn't hold my interest. I think it was seriously overhyped to ne.
I Fought the Law: The Life and Strange Death of Bobby Fuller, as told to Miriam Linna by Randy Fuller3 stars
This was meant mostly as a biography of Bobby Fuller, but I came away with very little sense of who he was and what he was like. The book was very taken up with mentioning every single celebrity and music-industry name who ever came in contact with -- or almost came in contact with -- the Bobby Fuller Four as they got more and more popular and famous. They mention Phil Spector sitting in to play keyboards with the band, Frank Sinatra stopping by the club where they play, mentioning someone he knew who knew Jack Ruby, then Charlie Manson approaching Bobby for guitar lessons and on another page someone who knows Bobby mentioning that she went to high school with Sharon Tate. The whole book goes like that and it gets very hard to follow at some points. I wanted to know many, many more details of the death scene and how to make sense of it, but it's just like Nancy Spungen's murder: there are almost no details to be had because nobody bothered to investigate. Randy Fuller, who told most of this story to the author, really came through here and mostly got it to make sense for me. My heart goes out to him and his family after losing not one, but two brothers under terrible circumstances. But in the final analysis, I learned a great deal about Randy -- an interesting and complex character -- and not a lot about his brother. I did get a sketchy outline about why he did and not not seem to be a suicide, did and did not seem to be a murder, did and did not seem to be an accident. I did get a sense why there is so much talk about his death being a Mob hit, but again, most of this is hindsight and rumor.
The Evil Within by Darren Galsworthy4 stars
It took me a while to get through this book and I put it aside for a while to consider if I wanted to go on. It is just so darn heartbreaking. I read the alternative title called The Evil Within. This book is written by the father of a girl murdered by her own step-brother and the father is still married to the boy's mother. I felt worse for the mother than I did the father as she was battling MS and in a wheelchair when all this happened and the father is not always very nice to her, telling her how evil her son was and how he was going to kill him if he got the chance. Towards the end of the book she is given a chapter to voice her feelings but I felt she was holding back and I wondered if it was because the husband was her caregiver. My heart goes out to this family who went through so much.
AN Unfinished Canvas: A True Story of Love, Family, and Murder in Nashville by Michael Glasgow3 stars
A case that went unsolved for 10 years. The murder of Janet March by her husband Perry March. The case is interesting but the trial is mostly repetition of what we already know. The unusual part of this case is the involvement by the victim's family over the custody of the children. As the book was written 14 years ago it would be interesting to see how the children turned out in the long run.
Where Children Run by Karen Emilson5 stars
This is a hard book to read. It is page after page of child abuse and animal abuse by a step-father and a mother who doesn't seem too smart but keeps having more children. I found the mother to be just as guilty as the step-father, especially after she made her escape once but then went back. The book takes place in the 50's and early 60's so it was a different time when neighbors and others turned the other way and believed that to spare the rod was to spoil the child. The family lived in poverty on a farm so much of what happened was not witnessed. I stayed with this book because I wanted to see what happened to the children and the author does a nice summation at the end of the book as to what happened to the people in the book 60 years later. There is a follow up book that tells how at least two of the children fared in their adult lives.
Shattered Innocence, Shattered Dreams by Mary Ryzuk and Susan Hightower3 stars
This true crime book said it was told by the wife but it goes back and forth between the wife's voice and the writer's voice. It was a little strange to read a few paragraph's by the author and then have a paragraph or two written in italics with the wife's voice and sometimes someone else. It is the heartbreaking story of the murder of a father, mother and child at the hands of Christopher Hightower and the years of emotional abuse of his wife who had no clue what he was up to. At 500 pages I think it could have been condensed quite a bit and the last two hundred pages are word for word courtroom testimony of what we already know.
Dancing with the Octopus: A Memoir of a Crime by Deborah Harding4 stars
The true story of a woman who was kidnapped and raped when she was 14 years old and how that effected her life, including relationships and having PTSD. She also deals with an emotionally absent mother who is sometimes physically abusive and a mostly absent father. I wasn't sure if I liked the writing style that was 2 to 3 pages in each chapter and each chapter is a different time frame but at least the year is written at the beginning of the chapter so you aren't left guessing what the time frame is and it made the book seem to go quickly, as compared to the end of the book where she is basically looking back at her life and the chapters are longer.
Bad Company: Drugs, Hollywood, and the Cotton Club Murder by Steve Wick4 stars
Bad Company: Drugs, Hollywood, and the Cotton Club Murder
I may have heard of this crime way back in the early 80's but I didn't really remember it. I'm sure it was all over the news when it happened as there are some well-known Hollywood characters mentioned, most notably Demond Wilson who played the son in Sanford and Son. This was a really well-written True Crime book that was not repetitive at all and the trial was very condensed, basically just taking up the last 20 or 30 pages. This was not just about a couple of murders but taught this rural hick from the sticks a few things about the cocaine trade.
Fishface wrote: "A Scream on the Water: A True Story of Murder in Salem4 stars!
A very good read about a disgusting crime and the creepy, creepy, creepy guy who committed it. The tale is told in ..."
I'm curious to know what else is on your Shrink-Bashing shelf! I am really into the psychology of it all.
Kristina wrote: "Fishface wrote: "A Scream on the Water: A True Story of Murder in Salem4 stars!
A very good read about a disgusting crime and the creepy, creepy, creepy guy who committed it. The..."
And here's the whole pile:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
This group has a Bad Medicine shelf but not all the criminals are shrinks of course.
Thank you to everyone who rated my book Sworn to Silence by Jim Tracy a 4.8 on Amazon after over 100 reviews. It's the highest rating I can find in any true crime book!
Jim wrote: "Thank you to everyone who rated my book Sworn to Silence by Jim Tracy a 4.8 on Amazon after over 100 reviews. It's the highest rating I can find in any true crime book!"Feel free to take this as a rather broad hint to write another...
We Thought We Knew You: A Terrifying True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Deception, and Murder by M. William Phelps5 stars
Interesting story from beginning to end. What was the most interesting was how modern technology helped catch this killer. I did not know that lie detectors are becoming a thing of the past as a new technology called a voice stress test has become a lot more accurate. Also it was interesting how DNA testing and tracking a killer through texting, emails and cell phones is how this killer was caught. I'm still puzzled as to how the girl accidently backed up her entire cell phone information to her boyfriend's (mostly ex-boyfriend) computer.
Stalking Justice: The Dramatic True Story of the Detective Who First Used DNA Testing To Catch a Serial Killer, by Paul Mones4 stars
A great read! Paul Mones always writes really good TC but this is a very unusual story. Being an attorney himself he explains legal aspects of the story that make it even more unusual and interesting than it would have been otherwise. There are NO spoilers on the jacket or in the photo section, which is great because this story offered a number of surprises. The writing was so focused on the important aspects of the crimes involved that even though there were no crime-scene photos, I came away feeling as if I had seen them. Be sure to read this one.
A Stranger Killed Katy: The True Story of Katherine Hawelka, Her Murder on a New York Campus, and How Her Family Fought Back, by William D. LaRue4 stars!
This one was very victim-focused, even though the author knew the offender personally. The book is satisfying just on the sole basis that this is a good biography of Katy Hawelka's tragically short life. The killer's main contribution to this book was a succession of rambling, self-serving stories about his crime that made him look worse every time he opened his mouth. The victim and aftereffects of the crime on her family are the real point of the book and their story is well told. This one is very much worth your time.
Profiles in Murder: An FBI Legend Dissects Killers and Their Crimes, by Russell Vorpagel4 stars!
This one is far more interesting and informative than a lot of books on profiling. The author -- who was the central reason the FBI has a Behavioral Science Unit today -- takes us through one of his training courses in how to understand an equivocal death scene to suss out what happened and why. The head-scratcher in this book is the fact that it was totally new to me, but only until the last two chapters. I recognized having read those cases before. Now how did that happen? None of the other cases even rang a bell with me. Each one was unique and a great teaching story. Don't miss this one if you can stomach the gore.
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Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "I finished another book! Wow, two whole books this year. I’ll be back with the details."
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Ripped from the Headlines!: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movies' Most Memorable Crimes by Harold Schechter
A book about movies and the crimes that inspired them. I have watched some of the movies and knew about some of the crimes. But some were new to me.
What was interesting, was Schechter gave a mini review of the movie AND listed other movies inspired by the crime.
Recommend
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Heinous: Forgotten Murders From the 1910s by Melina Druga
Never read anything from this author before but it was pretty good. Another compilation so no detailed crime stories but factual and to the point. Didn't give 'opinions' but asked the readers, do you think guilty or framed? Did this person get away with murder?
Recommend
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The Murder of Geneva Hardman and Lexington's Mob Riot of 1920 by Peter Brackney
Good so far.
Sins of the Father by Eileen Franklin1 star
***Spoiler Alert***
This book was published in 1991, which I assume was at the height of the 'repressed memory craze" so that may have jaded my opinion. This woman 'suddenly' remembers seeing her father kill her friend when they were little. I was skeptical so that may have swayed my opinion of this book. About half way through the book I did a search to see what happened to the characters and found out that 4 years after the book was published the father was exonerated through DNA testing (which I assume was not available 4 years prior to the publication of the book) and another man was charged and found guilty. After finding that out I didn't finish the book.
Koren wrote: "Sins of the Father by Eileen Franklin1 star
***Spoiler Alert***
This book was published in 1991, which I assume was at the height of the 'r..."
He was cleared by DNA testing? That is news to me. I did hear he was exonerated but I thought it was because there was no proof of who killed Eileen's friend other than this shaky repressed memory.
Britain's Forgotten Serial Killer: The Terror of the Axeman by John Lucas3.5 stars
I was afraid this would be almost identical to the other book I read about him, but there was a lot of new information in here including much more information on crimes the killer is suspected of or is known known to have committed. This guy really has issues, but I honestly feel that the small army of doctors who failed to treat him -- because psychopathy is untreatable -- missed the boat. What about his drinking problem? What about his storied trauma history? Are you really telling me that a guy who sits by the hour talking to garden gnomes is acting like a typical psychopath? There were many chances to iron some of this out and it never happened.
Koren wrote: "We Thought We Knew You: A Terrifying True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Deception, and Murder by M. William Phelps5 stars
[bookcover:We Thought We Knew You: A Terrifying True Story o..."
I've read this book as well, and wondered that, too. I enjoyed the book, but wondered how she could be so dumb. At least justice was served!
Redheaded Peckerwood by Christian Patterson3 stars
This is the coffee-table book you have been looking for if you're into true crime. It's a photo essay of sorts, almost devoid of text except for a couple of items left behind after the Starkweather/ Fugate investigation, including a written confession by the defendants, a few entertaining little items found in Bob Jensen's wallet at the scene of his death and a postcard Chuck wrote to his parents after his arrest. There was also a little booklet tucked in a back pocket with critics' rhapsodies about Patterson's photos and, finally, a listing explaining more or less what the photos were. This book added a dimension to my understanding of the events and gave it all a much more 3D feel.
Targeted: A Deputy, Her Love Affairs, A Brutal Murder by M. William Phelps4 stars
I was surprised that this book was not Phelp's usual lengthy tome. Perhaps because he makes a point at the beginning of the book that he is now with Wild Blue Press. His forward is very interesting because he tells us all of his gripes with the True Crime industry. Ok, on to the story.
I thought the crime itself was very interesting. The author leaves it up to the reader if the indicted former female sheriff is the one that killed her boyfriend. So from here on would probably be a spoiler for those who havent read the book. If you have read the book, I would be interested in what you think.
I have never read a True Crime book that left me with so many questions. At first all of the evidence points to the sheriff, Tracy Fortson, as being the person who committed the crime. But I wondered about two things that didn't ring true to me. First, what was her motive? She broke up with her boyfriend, the victim. But that was it. Second, how in the world did one woman stab and kill her boyfriend, then put him in a horse trough, encase him in cement, then get the trough in the back of a truck and take it to the place where it was dumped. We are told that her boss, who she charged with harassment, may have had a motive to frame her but that doesn't seem to be explored either by the police or the author. None of these points were explored much in the book. Anyone have any thoughts? Aside from that it was a good read.
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Obsessed with True Crime
Books mentioned in this topic
In the Name of the Children: An FBI Agent's Relentless Pursuit of the Nation's Worst Predators (other topics)A Tangled Web (other topics)
Othello Rising: the Hunt for the Harvard Student Boston Strangler and Zodiac Suspect (other topics)
The Life and Death of Anna Mae Aquash (other topics)
My James: The Heartrending Story of James Bulger by His Father (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
M. William Phelps (other topics)Peter Brackney (other topics)
Melina Druga (other topics)
Harold Schechter (other topics)
Caitlin Rother (other topics)
More...
I'm voting against early dementia. Sometimes a book just isn't very memorable, you know?