Obsessed with True Crime discussion
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True crime read 2022-2023: Post reviews here!
Bill wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...Read this today and it is a five star+ read. Having read over 400 true crime books, this one is one of the best."
Bill, can you tell me the author and title of the book in French about the murder of Sharron Prior so I can add it to our shelves? Google isn't helping me out here!
It is Visions de Sharron and here is the link at Barnes and Noblehttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/visi...
Bill wrote: "It is Visions de Sharron and here is the link at Barnes and Noblehttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/visi..."
TY!
Buried Secrets: A True Story of Serial Murder by Edward Humes 3 stars
This true crime book is not for the faint of heart. It ranks right up there with the most gruesome murders I have ever read about. It took me a while to get through it. I kept putting it aside for happier books. It is a good look at how people can get involved in a cult and there is a lot of supernatural things happening here. This was definitely not your run-of-the-mill true crime story.
Koren wrote: "Buried Secrets: A True Story of Serial Murder by Edward Humes 3 stars
This true crime book is not for the faint of h..."
Good summary! I so agree...
Where You Goin' with That Gun in Your Hand?: The True Crime Blotter of Rock 'n' Roll, by Keith Elliot Greenberg3 stars
This was okay. Most of the stories were not new to me, but I learned new details of the familiar ones in every chapter I read. The writing was good overall but occasionally strikingly clumsy, in ways that sometimes suggested Spellcheck errors, or sometimes unfamiliarity with English usage and grammar.
Deadly Intentions, by William Randolph Stevens5 stars!
A gripping, weird, and (I hope) unique crime story. There can't be another guy on the planet like this, can there? It makes my heart sink to think this all went down before there were any meaningful laws against this kind of crime in my home country. They're not that much better even now. Certainly not good enough to protect this man's victims. Sometimes all you can do is change your name and move where you can't be found. This is one of those stories that's unforgettable because you know it isn't over.
Innocent Victims: The True Story of the Eastburn Family Murders by Scott Whisnant3 stars
Innocent Victims: The True Story of the Eastburn Family Murders
It was not easy, but I went into this book without reading what it was about or who did it. A mother and two daughters were murdered in their home. My first thought was the husband, who was in the military. Nope, his whereabouts checked out. A man, Tim Hennis, was seen in the area at the time and that seemed to be all the cops had to go on to charge him with murder. If you don't know how the book turned out then the rest of the book is spent wondering 'did he do it?'. A lot of the second half of the book is spent discussing the death penalty, but then there is a second trial. The results of that trial are surprising! But that's not the end of the surprises! I read the older version of this book that was printed in 1993, so I did a search to find out if anything has happened with this guy since the book was printed. I found out there is a lot that happened. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but here's a hint...bet you thought you couldn't be tried twice for the same crime, also called double indemnity. Because DNA testing was not available at the time of the murders, when it was available it brought a whole new light to this case.
Banquet: The Untold Story of Adelaide's Family Murders, by Debi Marshall3 frustrated stars
This told me much more than I knew before about the Family Murders, the victims, their surviving family and friends, and the investigations that followed. Wildly frustrating as it was full of half-glimpsed conspiracies, unprovable assertions and people whose names could not be used, making it nearly impossible to keep everything straight as I read. I came away with the impression that half of Adelaide knows a tiny scrap of the story, saw something, heard something but doesn't realize that it's important. I also learned a great deal more about the revolting Duncan drowning and what didn't come of it. My advice is to stay as far from Adelaide as you can. Bad things happen there.
Vanished in Vermillion: The Real Story of South Dakota’s Most Infamous Cold Case by Lou Raguse4 stars
I was drawn to this book because my son recently moved to Vermillion, South Dakota (I haven't been there yet), so it will be interesting to discuss this crime with him and his girlfriend. He is not originally from the area but his girlfriend is so it will be interesting to see how much she knows. Also the author is a reporter at the television station I watch the most for news. This was an interesting case and I did not expect it to turn out the way it did. I won't say anymore than that so as not to give any spoilers. It gets a little repetitive at times but not too much. Interesting to find out how investigations have changed since the 70's, especially in small towns, and a 40 year old cold case was solved.
Dying Dreams by Audrey Becker4 stars!
Finally, a book on the Sims family that actually tells us something about the Simses! This true-crime biography is compassionate towards Paula in kind of a baffled way, and tells us a great deal about her husband and children. I finally also know what happened from Paula's point of view, the hugest missing piece in all the news coverage and other true-crime treatments of the events. Well worth seeking out.
In the Best of Families: The Anatomy of a True Tragedy by Dennis McDougal3 stars
This book had a certain 'ick' factor to it. The son kills his mother and then rapes her. I'm glad the author didn't go into very much detail about that! It was interesting to read about how the mother thought a vegetarian diet and vitamins could cure whatever ails you. Her son was schizophrenic and she thought she could cure him with holistic medicine. Interesting story, but after a while it just seemed the son's escapades went on and on but kind of sounded the same. The story about the brother was very tragic.
Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases by Cyril Wecht3 stars
The author has been involved in some of the most notorious cases of our time. JonBenet Ramsay, OJ Simpson, Ted Binion, Tammy Wynette to name a few and he goes in depth to explain if he agreed with law enforcement and/or judges decisions in the cases. I thought some of the cases were too long and involved but some were interesting. I enjoyed the Tammy Wynette case the most because I was not very familiar with it.
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington3 stars
This is a pretty grim story about the many, many, many problems in the Mississippi criminal justice system, always with the unspoken questions about how other states on the U.S. are doing. I found it hard to stay engaged at times because the authors tried to cover so many issues at once, but it all came together in the end. The book made clear that while things ended fairly happily for two particular exonerated men, there are probably many other innocents out there, rotting in prison with nobody to get them out.
My fifteenth true crime read this month and a very good one.Slow Death by Jim Fielder. John Glatt also has a book about David.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bill wrote: "My fifteenth true crime read this month and a very good one.Slow Death by Jim Fielder. John Glatt also has a book about David.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Does Fielder's book include a homeless woman who walked out of the desert, borrowed a camera and walked back in to photograph a dead body she'd found, knowing nobody would believe in her discovery without proof?
No. None of Ray's victims has been found and I just read Death on the Devil's Teeth and it is a wild one with the case remaining a cold one after more than fifty years.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Koren wrote: "Buried Secrets: A True Story of Serial Murder by Edward Humes 3 stars
This true crime book is not for the faint of h..."
Gosh, I read this book ages ago and it sure was not for the faint of hearts. I still think about it after all these years.
Bill wrote: "No. None of Ray's victims has been found and I just read Death on the Devil's Teeth and it is a wild one with the case remaining a cold one after more than fifty years.https://www.goodreads.com/r..."
Man, what was that book then!? I was almost sure it was that one.
I also thought 2 of Ray's victims HAD been found.
David Parker RayArticle
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about David Parker Ray, the suspected serial killer known as the Toy-Box Killer. For the Tool-Box Killers, see Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris.
David Parker Ray
Born November 6, 1939
Belen, New Mexico, U.S.
Died May 28, 2002 (aged 62)
Lea County Correctional Facility in Hobbs, New Mexico, U.S.
Other names The Toy-Box Killer
Criminal penalty 224 years' imprisonment
Details
Victims 3+ survived
60+ murders suspected
Span of crimes c. 1957 – March 22, 1999 (Suspected)
Country United States
State(s) New Mexico
Arizona
Date apprehended March 22, 1999
David Parker Ray (November 6, 1939 – May 28, 2002), also known as the Toy-Box Killer,[1] was an American kidnapper, torturer, serial rapist and suspected serial killer. Though no bodies were found, Ray was accused by his accomplices of killing several women, and was suspected by the police to have murdered as many as sixty people from Arizona and New Mexico while living in Elephant Butte
The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice by Benjamin Gilmer4 stars
This story was certainly different. What are the odds that the new doctor would have the same last name as the previous doctor, who is in prison for killing his father, and not be related and it is not a common name? This book addresses the ethical question: Can someone be accountable for a crime if they have a terminal disease that changes their personality and makes them do things they would not have done previously. This book is worth a search to find out what happened after the book was published.
Dr. Gilmer is an amazing man and I loved the book.My 5 star review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy by Alex Mar3 stars
This was almost a Greek tragedy in a true-crime format. We know what happened, who did it and what came of it, but we never get any real information about WHY any of it happened. The central character does seem to have had a fatal flaw...terribly sad story.
Butcher, Biter, Spy: A True Story of Madness, Mutilation and Unspeakable Acts of Brutality by Ryan Green4 stars!
Green's writing really brings this story to life. Lots of detail that makes it all seem more immediate and understandable, although I don't know how much of it I can believe. Was this really how Hans Grans saw the situation, or did he just say it to avoid the guillotine? And how does Green know about a 2nd victim with the same name as another when there is only 1 of that name on the memorial? And just how many sets of bones did they find? I have so many more questions now. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was the lack of text editing.
What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator by Barbara Butcher 5 stars
Think you know all about forensic investigation from watching fictional television shows? This book will tell you what is true and what is not. It is actually two stories in one. The author's professional life but also her personal life. She is an investigator in New York City, so as you might guess, she has some interesting stories to tell, but her personal life is also interesting. I can't imagine how hard it must be to overcome an addiction problem when you have a high stress job.
Koren wrote: "What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator by Barbara Butcher 5 stars
[bookcover:What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death..."
Interesting!!!
The Past Is Never Dead: The Trial of James Ford Seale and Mississippi's Struggle for Redemption3 stars
I leaped on this book because I expected it to be about the two young men found in the Mississippi River, accidentally, during the search for the 3 civil rights workers killed by the KKK in 1964. It was that, but only sort of. I learned very little about Moore and Dee, much more about his killers, but most of all I learned about the changes in the state since the even earlier killing of Emmett Till. The author went all over the map trying to clarify what Mississippi is about, and he walked away from his story almost as perplexed as when he started. With that said, it was a good, thoughtful read, well written.
Little, Crazy Children: A True Crime Tragedy of Lost Innocence by James Renner 3 stars
I had mixed feelings about this book. If I hadn't paid for it I probably woudn't have finished it. At least half the book is word for word transcripts. There is little background information on any of the players. But after I got through the trial then it started to get interesting. This is an unsolved case involving teenagers. The last one third of the book gets more interesting because the author talks about who he thinks really did the crime and why. He shows why he thinks what he does and who he has interviewed to arrive at that conclusion. So, if the author reads this review, I would just like to say...write the whole book like that. Condense it with your own words instead of quoting transcripts. I would give the first part of the book 2 stars and the last 100 pages would be 5 stars.
I'm also puzzled by the choice of title for the book, as the children were later teenage years and not little children. He is quoting from The Crucible but I failed to see how it ties in to the crime.
I have one other thought for the author, which I'm betting someone has probably already told him. I had to smile because on the last page he quotes a letter the victim wrote and the author says it is a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her. I recognized it immediately as a song by John Denver called For Baby (For Bobby).
Koren wrote: "Little, Crazy Children: A True Crime Tragedy of Lost Innocence by James Renner 3 stars
I had mi..."Thanks for the heads up, Koren,
Great review. I hope the author reads and heeds.
Know My Name, by Chanel Miller5 stars! No, make that 7 stars.
I have never found another book like this one. Chanel takes us through what feels like every minute of her terrible, humiliating experiences at the hands of Brock Turner and the public pillorying that followed, in the news, in the courtroom, at work, everywhere she went for the next five years, utterly changed by an experience that she (luckily) can't remember. I loved the way she tore away all Brock's evasions and lies, how she found support in so many places, how she finally jettisoned her doubts about herself and saw it all clearly again. Read this wrenching story. It will change you, in a good way.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...I just finished this excellent book this morning. The writer is a lawyer who is a part of the amazing story.
The Best American Crime Reporting 2009, edited by Jeffrey Toobin4 stars!
Another great read from this excellent series. All kinds of stories from every corner of the country. As promised, every chapter is well-written and thought-provoking. Warmly recommended!
Mod
I just finished this excellent book this morning. The writer is a lawyer who is a part of the amazing story."
Reposting to show book title.
True Crime Redux
No Angels: The Short Life And Brutal Death Of Brandaline Rose Duvall by Steve Jackson4 stars
At the end of this one, Steve Jackson says that the hideous deaths of Brandy DuVall and her sister victim Venus Montoya stopped him from writing true crime for a long time. It's easy to see why. These two killings were just atrocious, and we hear all about them in these pages. This one is not for the faint of heart.
I live in WNY, home to Buffalo. My family members lived in this neighborhood for decades. I still cannot fathom that a hateful racist chose to come here to cause carnage. There are no words to comfort any of survivors or victim families. 10 people dead for no other reason that hate, 3 people injured and numerous others traumatized. All of their lives and surviving families - their lives altered, forever, for generations to come. In the meantime, the racist pig and his lawyers are negotiating his judicial future. He is fed and clothed everyday. His future punishment of prison or death sentence is being negotiated before the trial begins. The victims are still dead, and survivors recovering from trauma, if they ever recover. He did live streaming of his slaughter, there is no denying he did it. Mr. Talley was able to view the live stream days after the slaughter, he witnessed every victim get killed, including his own mother. I will never understand why law enforcement allowed it to be online days after the crime. Social media knew of the details days before the murders, but did NOTHING to contact law enforcement to try to prevent it.
There are details in the book that were not reported or shared in media. I cried through parts of this book. NO one deserved this. Mr. Tally is a very brave, strong man. He is attempting to change society's attitudes. The community came together in support of them. This horrific crime will never be forgotten by locals. The victims will always be remembered here in Buffalo. We remember them by name, not just a memorial, but by name and face and their personal story. I always remember Celestine Chaney when I buy strawberries, she went in to buy them for shortcake. I can't look at strawberries without thinking of her. I can't go into my TOPS store or others without thinking of them.
The writing is easy to read, the subject matter is not. This one event hurt Buffalonians to the core. We do expect that justice had better be served.
Laurie wrote: "I live in WNY, home to Buffalo. My family members lived in this neighborhood for decades. I still cannot fathom that a hateful racist..."
Thank you for that powerful review. I just added the book to our shelves.
Rough Trade, by Steve Jackson4 conflicted stars
This was well-written, informative and moving but I couldn't wait for it to be over. Such a brutal story.
Under Cover of the Night: A True Story of Sex, Greed and Murder by Diane Fanning 2 stars
I have always liked Diane Fanning's true crime books, but this one missed the mark for me. It is mostly word for word trial transcripts. Just when you think the trial is over but the book is only half done, guess what! Now there is word for word transcripts of the appeal, basically rehashing everything from the first trial. Nothing unusual about this case. Your average crazy husband kills wife story.
September 11: An Oral History, by Dean Murphy3.5 stars
This one really brings that day back, only it's worse and more of it. While I was watching the Twin Towers fall on the TV in the team meeting room with my co-workers, jaw hanging, this book describes what was happening at the towers and at the Pentagon. And it's just a few of the stories. 14,000 people survived that day, millions stood and watched, but this is just a couple dozen collections of people's memories. Devastating.
Buried Memories by Irene Pence4 stars
Really well-written true crime book about a woman who killed two husbands and could have gotten away with it if she had kept her mouth shut. I say it was well-written because even the investigation and trial contained new information and was not simply taken from transcripts and reports, or at least it didn't seem that way. I didn't know anything about this woman and did not read the information on the back of the book, so was surprised at the ending.
Behold the Monster: Confronting America's Most Prolific Serial Killer, Jillian Lauren5 🌟
This was an incredible read. I could not put it down and got nothing else done all weekend. This incredibly destructive, dangerous man, born with the luck of the devil, apparently just blurted everything in his life out to this author who had no idea she was sitting in the middle of dozens of active murder investigations. You won't find another book like this one anywhere.
A Place for Theodore, by L.G. Williams3 rather puzzled stars
This was an odd one. The book's format was all over the place; at one point the author explained that it was meant to be filmed, which more or less explained the layout. The death on the battlefield of a research chemist is expanded here into a fantastic murder conspiracy theory, full of wealthy people trying to either clarify how Theodore Parkman died and where he got to after that point; trying to cover up same; or trying to use it somehow to force President Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. This book offers an intriguing glimpse into the way the world (may have) worked during the Civil War. A very unusual read.
Burned Alive: A Shocking True Story of Betrayal, Kidnapping, and Murder by Keiran Crowley4 stars
It seems there are a lot of crimes that would never have been solved if it wasn't for the fact that the perpetrators can't keep quiet. I thought this was a well-written story of a kidnapping that got out of control and ended with a young woman being killed. There are a lot of players in this story, and it moves along quickly. It was a little repetitive but not bad. The courtroom scenes were nicely condensed and only about 50 pages. My heart went out to the victim and her father.
Out There by Diane Fanning3 stars
An intriguing read that folds the astronaut love-triangle case into the much bigger picture of how people make their way into NASA, the tremendous pressures involved in being an astronaut and how personal lives can go sideways as a result. A whole lot of this book is speculation-- Lisa Nowak, the only person who really knows what happened and why, did not weigh in at all -- so speculation is really all we have. The moral of this story, if there is one, is that you should stay far away from Clear Lake, Texas. Bad things happen there!
What She Always Wanted: A True Story of Marriage, Greed, and Murder by Camille Kimball4 stars
***Possible Spoiler Alert***
Interesting story that held my interest from beginning until almost the end. I found myself skimming the last 50 pages. This lady was crazy but men kept falling for her. I believe it said she was married 7 times, most for just a year or two or less. So, it made me wonder why she chose murder the last time. At the end, I was surprised that no one else was accused of helping her. I had a hard time believing she could have done it by herself. This case was also written about by Shanna Hogan in a book called Dancing With Death.
Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Hale
5 stars
Very well-written case that does more than just tell what happened to two 12-year-old girls who set out to murder their friend and classmate. It explores what happens to juvenile cases where mental illness is a factor. It explores the logistics of trying teens and pre-teens as adults. I think we assume that when young people commit a crime that they are released when they are 18. This is not necessarily true. Is it fair that someone who commits a crime when they are 12 should spend 40 years in prison or a mental hospital. This book will make you think about these questions and more.
Badge 112, by Peter Stipe3 solid stars
This was an interesting one. There's nothing I like better than reading a book set in a place I've lived, and in this book I recognized every single address, building and crime scene. What I don't understand is why he changed the name of almost every person, even when it made no sense to do that. Why, for instance, did he change prosecutor Brian Mackie's name and even call him a "district attorney" when there is no such job title in Michigan? Still, the stories made for fascinating reading. This one is well worth your time.
Driven To Kill by Gary C. King3 stars
As others have stated in their reviews, this is a very difficult book to read. The molestation and murders of very young children are very graphic. The only reason I stuck with this book is because it helps to get inside the head of the killer. He kept a diary and detailed accounts of his activities and was very forthcoming with his confession. The only thing I didn't like was the last 100 pages were mostly repetitive of what we already know.
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Obsessed with True Crime
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Read this today and it is a five star+ read. Having read over 400 true crime books, this one is one of the best.