1 comments about The Village in Court: Arson, Infanticide, and Poaching in the Court Records of Upper Bavaria 1848-1910.

1. If you want to know what is going on in a neighborhood, you read the police blotter.
   
   This good (if pricey) work on village life in Upper Bavaria covers the period between the mid 1800s to the turn of the century. The three main types of major crime are explored in depth; what they were, why they were committed, how they were detected, and how the justice system handled them.
   
   Interestingly enough,in 19th century Bavaria, like most of Europe, poaching was viewed by those in power as a major crime. Here in the U.S., it is viewed as a high misdemeanor; only becoming a felony in extreme cases. Reading the stories of the poachers, I realized I grew up with some of these guys.

1 comments about Heat: Fire C.S.I. and the War on Arson and Murder.

1. This book is great. it really shows you the ins and outs of Arson Investigations. It keeps you entertained and makes you feel like you are their going through the cases. One interesting part about this book is that, while some books keep you on one case, this one has many different cases that are each about a chapter, and you really get to see the history and different personalitys of the Fire Marshals. If you are interested in a new kind of detective story or you are considering going into Firefighting or becoming an Arson investigator this book really helps explain what it takes, and at the same time, entertains the reader. One of the best stories is, An F.M. goes into a building and gets in a fight with a suspect, having to finally injure him by shooting him. One of the cops comes up to him and says, you damn FM, you need a real gun. So the FM goes out and buys a Magnium, and he said suspects never put up a fight again.
   
   but all in all, this book was great, you learn about fire and the men that fight them and the stories that are told. i just wish the book had been longer, because although it was great, i wanted to keep reading, i didnt want it to end.

5 comments about Powder Burn: Arson, Money, and Mystery on Vail Mountain.

1. Dan Glick writes an impressive highly interesting treatise on the 1998 arsons on Vail Mountain. This book not only covers the fires but also the money lust and greed of Vail Associates (VA) and serves as a political-social commentary on big business in small Colorado mountain towns. For Coloradans and residents of the Rocky Mountain west, those interested in current social activism, and money hungy Wall Street-ers this is a must read.



2. My room mate asked me why it was taking so long to read this book, and my reply was that it was hard to stumble through Glick's clumsy writing. My interest, however, lay in my previous residency in CO and my interest in the subject, so I struggled through the chapters (many with very clever titles). I lived near Telluride for several years, and watched many of the same actions take place as did in Vail, re: the disparity of money and living conditions and in the attitudes of the haves and have-nots. Environmental issues are just one of the many issues in combat with residents and eco-groups against many of these new conglomerate ski companies, some with owners based far from operations.

   Glick does a great job with the interviews and investigation; but his long, run-on sentences left much to be desired. If I didn't have an interest in his viewpoint on the subject, I would have put the book down in the third chapter. If you want the gist of it all, just read the epilogue, which - IMO - contains the best information and most well-written part of the book. This, alone, is worth the money, as well as the information. I'll never drive past Vail again without remembering the issues and the personal stories in this book.

   Long live the lynx.




3. Vail/Beaver Creek is probably my favorite vacation spot on earth in the summertime...about the only time of year I can afford it (and even then barely). This is a fascinating book, part history of Vail, part meditation on the issues surrounding growth in the affluent west (ie, how a resort for the rich and famous affects the locals and the environment), but largely a whodunnit surrounding the 1998 arson on Vail Mountain.

   I wouldn't go so far at to call this a "Rocky Mountain version of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' " - Glick's writing isn't that smooth and his character development isn't that deep. But I am fascinated by this part of the country and it's a good story that he has to work with. In the end he presents all the available evidence and lets you draw your own conclusions - probably the best way to end considering that the arson itself remains unsolved.




4. Powder Burn was a GREAT book that provided me with the information that i needed to know about the mystery of who tourched vail. I learned some stuff in my political geography class about this that is what got me interested in it and made me read it. I recommend it to all people who like mystery books with a small twist of history.



5. The book is interesting as an unsolved mystery, but everyone cannot be as guilty as they sound. I struggled a bit with the writing, and did not like all of the vulgarity and profanity. It did not add anything to the book, except to make me feel like I was overhearing conversations in a cheap bar. It was also apparent from the start that Glick does not like rich people (some peoople might call them successful). He could hardly talk about them in a civil tone. He used phrases like "Outrageous luxury", and "Trophyest of trophy homes."

5 comments about Fire Lover: A True Story.

1. I think he could have written in 200 words or less that he hated John Orr, thinks cops are better than firemen, and thinks prosecutors should always have the upper hand.

   One thing he could have included was photos, to make the book less boring. And, he could have explained just how we went from the judge disallowing Orr's manuscripts into evidence to the prosecution being allowed to use them as evidence.




2. This is an unusual book. I don't think I've ever read a book about an arsonist before, certainly not a non-fiction book, and the story that it tells is so fantastic that it's one of those stranger-than-fiction tales that defies belief.

   The book tells the story of John Leonard Orr. Orr was a frustrated individual, from a split household, who tried to become a policeman and failed, and wound up becoming a firefighter, both in the Air Force and then in the city of Glendale here in Southern California. He rose to become Glendale's senior arson investigator, actually teaching classes that other arson investigators, even Federal ones, attended. He was considered one of the leading authorities on arson fires and arsonists in California. Then suspicion fell on him and his activities, and he was arrested and accused of being an arsonist himself. The accusation was followed by a pair of trials.

   Now I live in Montrose (yards from the border of the city of Glendale) and used to actually live in Glendale, so it was interesting to read about the locale and the people of my new home (I've lived here for five years). Everything's reasonably well-recreated, though I didn't think Glendale was made that unique compared with other Southern California cities. Orr comes across as something of a nerd, a doofus who's always trying to fit in while never quite making it, and always cheating on the current wife with the prospective one, while paying child support to the ex.

   Wambaugh's writing style is interesting, in that he uses a lot of slang and emphasis to show what he means, and has a very conversational style. It'd be interesting to hear Ken Howard read this book: it reads as if it would sound better than it looks on the page. I will confess that the cast of characters is large enough that I had trouble keeping track of all of the investigators and attorneys involved, and I think it would have helped if the author provided a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book.

   One note: several of the other reviewers presented the idea that the author thinks cops are somehow better than firefighters. This is erroneous. It's his position, stated and restated through the book, that the crime spree was solved by a firefighter turned arson investigator, and that he was ignored by his cop colleagues until the evidence confirmed his suspicions. He does say, several times, that cops themselves sometimes think themselves firefighters, but he's clear that he thinks this is unfortunate. Strange when people have read the same book as you, and come to a different interpretation of what was written. Altogether a good book, though.




3. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed four of Wambaugh's earlier books, I was sure this one would be a page turner; however, it was strictly the story and not the writing that kept my interest. So my feelings are mixed and my rating is lukewarm. Wambaugh tries too hard to depict John Orr as evil, yet without the hard-sell, the reader would come to that conclusion anyway. I finished the book still feeling that there is more on John Orr that could have been included in the book. An additional thought - one reviewer mentions that Wambaugh copies Truman Capote's style of not including photographs of the characters, yet Wambaugh's own picture is on the back. I'd much rather see who I'm reading about.



4. In Fire Lover, Wambaugh attempts to get into the mind of a convicted serial arsonist, one who nevertheless has never (at least as documented in this book) admitted to his crimes. The story is well-written, intriguing, and at times even a page-turner. The few occasions when the story drags are most often in the telling of Orr's trials, when Wambaugh seeks thoroughness in telling the story of the trial, but occasionally at the expense of the reader's interest. But all told, this is a good, even haunting story of a true case.



5. This is an incredible story. I am in the fire service and just reading about his progression was amazing. I am looking at other Joseph Wambaugh publishings now since he has grabbed my attention.

5 comments about Unbridled Rage.

1. This was a fast read, the author handled this sad story with delicate care, it is a testimony that eventually whether you believe it or not what comes around goes around.



2. If you grew up in metropolitan Chicago you are aware of the events covered in this story. Your eyes have glazed over countless news stories and telecasts, all of which served to confuse you more than help you. O'Shea has superbly connected the dots of crime stories more complex than the collective Dashielle Hammett. Terrifying that it is non-fiction.



3. Gene O'Shea has done a remarkable job in telling how two ATF agents solved a heralded Chicago murder mystery 40 years after the killings. Chicago was shocked in 1955 when the naked bodies of three young boys were found in a ditch in a forest preserve. An incredible effort on the part of police and investigative authorities for years was unable to solve this horrible crime. It took two outstanding agents, John Rotunno and Jim Grady, through intensive investigation to crack this "cold case." O'Shea has detailed a most interesting summary of just how these agressive agents turned up enough evidence to convict horseman Kenneth Hansen. His book is a fascinating read. This worthy story would make a top-notch movie...



4. Atf John Rotunno's many, many lies are promoted in this book. ATF John Rotunno is a pathiological liar! Gene O'Shea attempts to make John Rotunno and himself wealthy and great men by solving the Helen Brach murder with countless lies. The truth of the ATF's con has been exposed all over the internet! Just take a look and see the ATF caught in one of their biggest blunders ever! How did the author become Illinois Gaming Commissioner? Please tell us if John Rotunno got you this job?
   
   This book is shameful because innocent people have been lied about by ATF John Rotunno! ( The truth will set you free!)



5. 
   Unbridled Rage is the story of the solving of the 40 year old muder of three young boys in Chicago. Along the way, the author, Gene O'Shea, touches on a number of other murders connected to the notorious Silas Jayne gang in Chicago. The story is fascinating and the writing is just excellent. For example there are courtroom scenes where necessary to advance the story, but these scenes which in the hands or lesser writers can be numbingly boring, are brief and relevant. O'Shea writes as a reporter presenting a clear narrative, rather than as a cheerleader, which unfortunately is an all too common phenonmenon in true crime writing. He remains as non-judgemental as anyone could, given the nauseating nature of the crime, and of the personal make-up, which O'Shea explores in interesting depth, of the murderer. The time frames of this book range from 1955 to the early 21st century. This could have become difficult to follow, but at the start of each chapter, O'Shea lists the dates covered in that particular chapter.
   A very strong effort.

2 comments about Smoke Screen (Faithgirlz!â„¢ / Boarding School Mysteries).

1. There's never a dull moment for Jerri McKane at the Landmark Boarding School. Just as anticipations are high for the upcoming Hawaiian dance, the biology lab is deliberately set on fire. Jerri's best friend and lab partner is hurt and is sent to the hospital. But who and why would someone set the biology lab on fire? When another fire is set, Jerri's new friend Tim, who's mentally impaired, is blamed.
   
   Determined to find out who the firebug is before he or she sets another fire, Jerri sets out to solve the crime before someone else is hurt. But is Jerri too late?
   
   Amateur sleuth and sixth grader Jerri McKane deals with prejudice of a different kind in Smoke Screen. In another book in the Boarding School Mysteries Series, Jerri encounters girls at the boarding school who dislike her roommate because of her nationality, and here a mentally impaired boy is ridiculed and made fun of because he is different. Jerri desperately wants to demonstrate the love of God to her classmates by being nice to Tim, but when he develops romantic feelings for her will the peer pressure be too much?
   
   Jerri experiences inner turmoil by not always having the nicest thoughts about Tim. However, she always talks to God about it, maintaining an open and real relationship with him. I thought this was an encouragement and an example to young believers on how to live out their faith. Readers will see her battle her conscience but instead of fearing imperfection and running from God feeling ashamed, she feels free to talk to him. I noticed she had no problems talking things over with God in the same casual way she did with her mom.
   
   Kristi Holl touches on subjects important to middle school-aged children, driving home such thought-provoking issues as peer pressure, self-image, friendships and acceptance. Without being overly preachy, middle schoolers will come away from Smoke Screen not only satisfied after solving a hard-to-figure out mystery, but will also be reminded that they can trust God in their lives.
   
   There is an excerpt in the back of the book for another Boarding School Mystery titled Pick Your Poison that has piqued my interest. I confess: I'm an adult who really enjoys reading this series and tries to solve the mystery before Jerri. I succeeded only one time in four books in naming the culprit before Jerri. Jerri is good!



2. This is written so well there was no way to guess who did it! I've read the whole series and can't wait until another one is added. Great job Kristi Holl! Keep them coming!

5 comments about A Matter of Degree: The Hartford Circus Fire & The Mystery of Little Miss 1565.

1. I haven't opened the plastic covering and read this book because it is destined to be a Christmas gift for someone else but it appears to be in great condition. I am very happy with this hard-to-find purchase.



2. Don't waste your time on this book. Get "Circus Fire" instead if you want a more fact-based (and well-written) account of the mis-identification associated with the mass casualties of the Hartfrod CT circus fire.



3. A mystery in the mystery: the mysterious, terrible fire of Barnum Circus and the sad mystery of a small girl never recognized by avybody. Maybe did she come from another world, another dimension ? . And she just wanted to amuse herself with lions, horses, clowns...
   Reveal us your story, Little Miss Nobody !



4. a very sad yet interesting story about finding the true identity of "little miss 1565" who was a victim of the hartford,conn. circus fire of july 5th 1944.



5. I finished reading "Circus Fire" By Stewart O'Nan and I decided to read "A Matter of Degree" as a comparison. "A Matter of Degree" was terrible, it was obviously written by someone who had made up his mind who started the fire long before he ever researched it. Rick Davey clearly got his 15 minutes of fame from the publicity surrounding the previously never identified "Little Miss 1565". If you want a more acurate account of the fire and the aftermath read "Circus Fire". Stewart O'Nan had nothing to prove by investigating the fire and the circumstances surrounding the identity of "Little Miss 1565" Because of this "Circus Fire" is clearly a better story and it is certainly more neutral simply because the author was an outsider who was able to look at the facts and tell it like it was.
   The worst part of the whole story was the supposed identitiy of "Little Miss 1565" as Eleanor Emily Cook. It is highly unlikely that Miss 1565 was Eleanor, but Rick Davey set out to prove that she was who he wanted her to be. He did so by ignoring basic rules of identification. Her height was off, her teeth didn't match up with Eleanor's and her hair was not the color or texture of Eleanor's.
   Very poorly written, all around a dreadful book filled with multiple inaccuracies.

4 comments about When Evil Rules: Vengeance and Murder on Cape Cod (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. Just finished When Evil Rules...This could have been a good book if Ms Coulter (McPhee) could keep her liberal-hating comments out or even LIMIT them! The story is about Melvin Reine and his habitual unlawful behavior and the corrupt law enforcement people who allowed him to kill his first wife and shoot a police officer and NEVER charged him with these crimes.
   
   But according to the author all this corruption was due ONLY to the dreaded, evil, pinko-commie liberalism of the corrupt officers. How many law enforcement personnel do you know who are liberal minded? Ms Mcphee should remember that most people who actually READ (instead of being brainwashed by Rupert Murdock's fanatical right wing Fox "NEWS")ARE LIBERALS. You know, people who think for themselves and question authority??
   
   No more of Ms Coulter-Mcphee's book for me, thanks.



2. There is an agenda here but it happens to be on the part of liberal zen "liberal artist" who it appears from his/her review didn't like the story because of who wrote it rather than the content. God forbid LZ ever read Liberal Fascism by Goldberg. But that's another story all together.
   
   
   The book is short and well written. As far as I can tell it fits the facts available from the Cape Cod Times story of September 2005 and other news outlets. LZ's review appears to be an attempt at censorship through pear pressure, a tactic of wackos from all over the political spectrum who want others to believe(not think) as they do. I recommend the book to anyone interested in true crime and police corruption regardless of your feelings for the author.



3. I found this book to be a bit confusing. I read many, many true crime books. For me, the writing was unclear. There seemed to be no real path for the reader to follow. Would not recommend reading.



4. I recieved this item in less than a week from the date I ordered it. Excellent condition.

5 comments about Bitter Harvest.

1. I have every book written by Ann but unfortunately she can write them faster than I can read. I work a lot and have to fit reading in 10 minutes here or a whole hour there, so it usually takes me a couple of months to get a book read. I took Bitter Harvest on a cruise and could not put it down! The story is so sad, to think that a Mother could kill her own children to hold on to their Father in a failing marriage. Honey, when he doesn't love you, he doesn't love you, you can't make him through the children. This woman had so much intelligence and yet no common sense. Like I said the whole time I was on the cruise I didn't want to do anything but read--how can that be?? I loved my cruise but the book was one of Ann's best. All the time and research that is put into each and every book is evident!!



2. I have to say that I was more interested in this book than usual because it happened here where I live. So I was familiar with some of the details involved that lead up to the tragedy that builds throughout the book.
   
   To be sure, there are multiple victims in the book. The first victim appears to be Deborah Greene's own husband, Dr. Mike Farrar who by all accounts had a glimpse of what hell must be like. Both he and his wife were doctor's in the Metropolitan Area of Kansas City and lived in Prairie Village, Kansas in an affluent neighborhood of mostly peaceful homes. They had moved there after a fire destroyed their previous home. The couple had separated but after the fire in their first home it appears he was motivated to move back to be with his wife and children once again, a grave mistake on his part, but also an indicator of the kind of man he was. He loved his children deeply and he apparently tried to love his wife as well.
   
   At any rate, after moving back home again it did not take too long for their family life to deteriorate once again, propelled forward by Deborah's apparent insecurity, jealousy and delusions. If Mike Farrar had been able to see into the future and recognize the consequences of his well-meaning actions he surely would never have returned.
   
   It seems that he became ill and that for quite some time the cause of his illness escaped the physicians who treated him. He wife Deborah witnessed his illness and one has to wonder if she felt pity for him or only vengeance. I think it must have been vengeance because he had come so close to death yet miraculously managed to pull through and had barely been returned to his home to continue his recovery when he again became ill even before he had a chance to appreciate and enjoy his return home. Unsure exactly what is going on that causes such illness it is shocking to discover that the reason for his illness (which included extreme bouts of dysentery and vomiting) is that he was being poisoned with Ricin, a substance that comes from the castor bean seeds his wife acquired at a garden center in a neighboring suburb. It is amazing where the final proof comes from as to her possession and acquisition of the toxic substance comes from.
   
   I know from seeing interviews with Dr. Mike Greene that, at least according to him, he will have to live with the effects of his poisoning for the rest of his life and can never be sure that he will not be stricken again with its toxic side-effects. one cannot help but be sympathetic for him, and again wonder how anyone could watch him be so ill, someone who purportedly loved him, knowing all the while that it was she who caused him such devastation. He had to have several brain surgeries to try to alleviate some of the damage and he has no guarantees that he will not need it again in the future. If one wanted to torture their spouse then Deborah Greene did an excellent job.
   
   The reader is left spell-bound, waiting for the time when his treating physicians will be able to connect the dots that point to his assailant. But it is in time to save all but one of his children from falling victim to the second part of his wife's madness.
   
   One cannot help but feel sad for the victims. If I was supposed to feel sorry for Deborah Greene I failed miserably. I would have found at difficult at best to feel sympathy but when I heard on the local news that years after her conviction she is attempting to renege on her confession and save herself from a life behind bars forever.
   
   It must have been hard for Dr. Farrar to explain to his remaining daughter the scope of the sad events. One's mind rails against believing that a mother could be responsible for so much sadness.
   
   Through fortuitous events Deborah was discovered and an end put to her reign of terror but not before he a holocaust on a personal level envelopes her children and her husband.
   
   The reader will be mesermerized by the complexity a of the evidence and thankful that it comes out but as always, sad that the victims won't be there to witness their tormentor losing all that she has had to become a nothing behind bars. Children have a remarkable ability to love and forgive, I wonder if they could have, the two who perished. And I wonder how the surviving daughter feels now but of course that is a private matter that perhaps will never be answered.
   
   Anne Rule does an excelent job secribing the sometimes baffling and confusing tale and madness. She has no lost her touch on this book and her followers will not be disappointed. She did an excellent job getting "inside" the story and inside the head of a madwoman who her wealth and privilege and family for nothing.



3. Most of the second half of this is a very boring recitation of the pretrial hearings and trial of the mother accused of torching her house and killing two of her kids. It's very dull. The first half, however, is a pretty interesting look at the buildup to the crime, involving two wealthy doctors and their dysfunctional marriage. Deborah Green was obviously mentally ill, but she didn't get the correct treatment. The end was tragic. This isn't one of Ann Rule's better efforts, but it's still worth reading.



4. It was GREAT!! Couldn't put it down from the first page. It as about a fire and a crazy mother who was a doctor.



5. Ann Rule did an excellent job with this story. She accurately recounts the facts of the true crime while managing to make interesting and entertaining. Unfortunately, the crime itself is extremely sad as it concerncs familial homicide but it makes for a good read that you don't want to put down. Lots of little details are included so you know she did her homework on this one.

5 comments about Fire Lover.

1. I like to read a lot of true crime stories. There are some winners and some losers. This one is great! Mr. Wambaugh tells this true story like a fiction thriller! Unless you already new the story, you don't find out the truth about John Orr and his horrible crimes until later in the book. Mr. Wambaugh did a great job of keeping a great pace with the story. I read this book in two days. How John Orr slipped through the cracks and arrived at the position he did is amazing. He had a lot of people fooled. Also, the chrome plated cajones John Orr had to basically commit his crimes to paper in order to sell it as a fiction novel. Anyone who like mystery novels or true crime novels will get a lot of enjoyment out of this book. It is a quick, good read.



2. I bought this book after hearing the story on the news. The material is greatly detailed and holds your interest page-by-page. Anyone interested in horror, true-crime, or serial arsonists should definitely read "Fire Lover."



3. I loved this book...until I got into the second half of it.
   
   The first part of the story is very well written. It sucks you in & keeps the pages turning...even though I kinda figured out "who did it" fairly early.
   
   The second half of the book...focusing on the investigation & prosecution...is painfully bad. It's repetitive, plodding, clumsy...and just plain hard to read.



4. The first half of this book is riveting. It tells of an arson expert who sets his own fires. The book tells where and how he did it. He was always the first one on the fire scene and knew exactly where the fire originated. I have a high respect for Joseph Wambaugh, and am so sorry that this book didn't do anything for me. The second half of the book is just so boring with legal turmoil, and finally a conviction. But now I do know how to set an arson fire and not be caught Woo hoo!!!!!!! Save your time and money. It's just not that good.



5. As a Fire Investigator/Fire fighter I really enjoyed this book. Very interesting from a criminal justice point of view also. The book was in great shape and arrived w/o any problems.