5 comments about Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away with Murder.

1. This is a must-read! Insightful analysis and a page-turner to boot. This is the story of the "perfect storm" of bad lawyering and bad judging. Bugliosi hits it out of the park!



2. despite the fact that i think vincent bugliosi is the most brilliant and capable prosecutor of our lifetime, i found this book to be an unending tirade that just went on and on for hundreds of pages. there was nothing new about the case, probably because it all played out on tv. i would not recommend this book unless you were stuck in an igloo for 1100 years.



3. Even if you're among the many who, like the author, is convinced that O.J. "did it", this is not the book to read. Bugliosi comes across as so obviously biased against Simpson, his book, if anything, adds fuel to the fire for arguments by those who are convinced of Simpson's innocence. Bugliosi's arguments are contradictory, hypocritical and contemptuous of our legal traditions. For instance, after paying rich lip service to the legal principle that the burden of proof in a criminal case is entirely on the prosecution, he states openly that Simpson should have been convicted because he didn't have a convincing alibi. Also, after stating that ethical rules prohibit attorneys from "playing the race card" and criticizing O.J.'s defense team for doing so, he openly criticizes the prosecution for not trying to keep the trial in Santa Monica where Bugliosi asserts they would have been assured of a virtually all-white jury that would certainly have convicted Simpson. This book adds nothing of value to the long record of what is probably the world's most publicized case. Plenty of books have been written about this case. You'll get a lot more from them than you will from Outrage.



4. Bugliosi is in high dudgeon here, but not without considerable justification. A book urged on him by his Norton editor, the tone is that of a conversation between author and reader, with copious asides and personal reflections. Bugliosi is outraged by the incompetence of the prosecution, the mendacity of the defense, the palpable guilt of the defendant, the many flagrant mistakes of the judge and the flawed and fawning reportage of the media. He is angry and he displays his anger with a rush of charges, examples, and--in bold type--examples of how he himself would have argued the case.
   
   The book is not an unrelieved phillipic and Bugliosi takes the time to weigh, e.g., the degree of guilt that should be assigned and the degree of victimhood which should be appreciated in the case of a subsidiary figure such as Mark Fuhrman. Ultimately this is a book about our system of justice, which Bugliosi admires, but also the pathetic level of minimal competence (or maximum incompetence) with which those who are part of that system turn and grind its wheels.
   
   Though not a point-by-point history of the Simpson case and trial, the book reviews the individuals and the evidence which were at its core. If you have ever been nonplussed by our system of justice, read this book for confirmation of your own feelings. If you want a pointed and reasonably comprehensive review of the case and trial, read this book. Expect some fresh insight, but do not expect a vast amount of new evidence. And yes, O.J. did it. The evidence is indisputable.



5. Vincent Bugliosi does a terrific job explaining how and why O.J. Simpson was found not guilty. From the prosecution's inability to present the evidence to convict Simpson, to the defense's misleading the jury. Some main points that point to Simpson's guilt: 1) His blood and DNA found at the scene of the crime.2)His suicide note.3)Having alot of cash,a disquise and passport on his person after the chase.4)History of violence towards his wife.5)His statement to police.6)Having the same type shoes and gloves that was found at the crime scene.7) Just happens to a have a cut on his hand at the same time as the murders and not remembering how it happened.8)Claimed he was chipping golf balls around the time of the murders..yea right.9)Was not upset when told of his wife's murder. All just a coincidence?? No, just the facts that lead to one outcome...GUILTY!!!

5 comments about Worth More Dead: And Other True Cases (Ann Rule's Crime Files, Vol. 10).

1. I am a big fan of Ann Rule. I buy every book she writes, just because her name is on it. And I've never been disappointed until now. I thought her main crime story, "Worth More Dead", was lacking in the usual excitement and juicy details she always weaves her stories with. Ms. Rule has seemed to stop writing at length about the police officers' lives, and that is a big plus. I've noticed it in her last few books. It seems like "Worth More Dead" is a long story that doesn't have enough oomph for the main case story. This might have been better off used as one of her other, shorter case files in this or another book. The other, briefer cases she writes of in this book are excellent. Good old Ann Rule tightness, page-turning excitement with incredible cases - hard to put down. Rule fans should not overlook this book.



2. Ann Rule is fabulous. This book is no different then her others, it captures you in the beggining and keeps you turning the pages amazed at what goes on in the world around you.



3. This is volume ten in the series of true crime cases. It contains five stories, the first and longest gave the title to this book. Ann Rule has written 23 books that were `NY Times' bestsellers. Rule lives near Seattle and her stories document crimes in that area. Rule has testified before the US Senate Judiciary Sub-committee and advised the US Justice Dept. on a program to track and trap serial killers.
   
   "Worth More Dead" refers to a series of cases that were linked by the involvement of one person. If someone with life insurance is killed they are "worth more dead" to someone. But insurance companies will investigate suspicious deaths. [Read "Double Indemnity" by James M. Cain.] Did Roland arrange the murder of a husband to please the wife? Did he arrange the murder of his wife for the insurance money? Did he plan to murder his daughter? Read how his careful plans miscarried and lead to his conviction. Can the conversation on a remote phone be overheard by a neighbor (p.191)? The development of DNA evidence led to a break in the unsolved murder of Roland's first wife.
   
   "It's Really Weird Looking at My Own Grave" tells of a serial rapist who killed his victims so they couldn't identify him. One quick thinking teenage girl escaped with her life. Detectives searched their files to find a possible match. They did, and the victims identified him.
   
   "Old Man's Darling" is a story about a young woman who sought an older rich married man after unsuccessful marriages. Beauty alone does not make up for an ugly personality. The older man's decision to end the affair angered the younger woman. She shot and killed the older man, and the police shot and killed her. A pocket tape recorder revealed the drama of their last conversation.
   
   "All for Nothing" is the story of Larry Sturholm, a TV reporter on humorous subjects. He wrote a book about "the last great train robbery" in Oregon. His charmed life ended with two murders and an attempted suicide. Larry's secret girlfriend had an insanely jealous former boyfriend. Was the killer legally insane at the time?
   
   "A Desperate Housewife" tells about a couple who were married for years with children. But a mismatch in personalities developed over a dozen years. After the wife decided to ask for a divorce she disappeared after leaving for work, her husband said. None of her personal belongings were gone. A police search of the house found signs of foul play. You know the rest of this story.



4. Ann Rule at her best is undoubtedly one of the outstanding true crime writers of her generation. This book, by comparison, verges on the tedious.
   
   The five stories are all written in her usual workmanlike style but somehow lack the spark of some of her earlier books. The cases she presents deal with the murderous conclusion of relationship breaddowns, and all reflect her deep empathy with victims and their families, but overall they lack those twists of circumstance, fate and analysis that we have come to expect from an Ann Rule book.
   
   The first and longest story, 'Worth More Dead', deals with a man who slips almost inexplicably from youthful Romeo to aging wife killer, always able to keep his distance from his crimes by manipulating others to carry out his dirty work. Rule herself says about him at the beginning 'I don't even know where to start explaining this killer'; and at the end of her story we have much the same problem.
   
   Of the remaining cases, one deals with the ability of two teenage girls to survive a murderous attack and the way police were able to use the information they provided to capture an otherwise fairly ordinary killer. The next story, 'Old Man's Darling' describes a gripping situation in which an attractive woman murders her sugar daddy, a man twice her age, when he tries to leave her, but as with most of the other stories leaves the reader feeling that the story needed fleshing out. 'All For Nothing', the story of an otherwise reputable man who viciously kills the woman he loves and her suspected lover, and the last, 'A Desperate Housewife', also address the themes of jealousy, possessiveness and revenge.
   
   As Rule notes, the trauma that can flow from relationship breakdowns, even where they do not end in murder, is common to many lives and for that reason if for no other this book has a grim appeal.



5. Although I am an Ann Rule fan and she is one of the top true crime writers, this book is not one of my favorites by this author. Perhaps it the mix of five stories covering events from 1923 through 1998 or the apparent lack of in-depth coverage of each case. Whatever the cause, the result is a conglomeration of disjointed partial stories that appeared to be used as "fillers" to create a single book. In my opinion this book is not worthy of Rule's talent.

5 comments about The Execution of Willie Francis: Race, Murder, and the Search for Justice in the American South.

1. Willie Francis was a sixteen-year-old black boy with a third grade education who was convicted of the murder of a white man in St. Martinsville, Louisiana in 1946. After being strapped into the electric chair--dubbed "Gruesome Gertie" by prisoners--a strange thing happened. Although cranked up to its full voltage, the switch thrown, and his body twitching horribly, Willie Francis did not die.
   
   Many people believed that God had intervened to save Willie Francis's life and that therefore he should not be electrocuted a second time. A local white attorney named Bertrand DeBlanc believed that to put Francis in the electric chair a second time would constitute cruel and unusual punishment and place him in double jeopardy. So, against the wishes of most of the Cajun parish in which he lived, and at some considerable danger to his life and career, DeBlanc took the case and tried to save Francis's life.
   
   Gilbert King makes it clear that it was highly unlikely that Willie Francis could have committed this crime, even if he had wanted to, and further that his appointed defense lawyers presented no defense at all to the charges. King shows how the "confession" was probably coerced from Willie Francis by Sheriff Gilbert Ozenne and his colleagues who had spent a considerable part of their lives terrifying and brutalizing black people and others who would stick up for them. As has been documented in innumerable books, people like Ozenne and his sidekick Gus "Killer" Walker believed that their job was to "keep the nigras down" by whatever means, and especially to deny them their civil rights, in particular the right to vote.
   
   The larger horrific drama, of which the Willie Francis case is just one sorry example, played prominently throughout the South after the Civil War (and continues in more muted tones today), but was most obvious in places like St. Martinsville where people were mostly poor and uneducated. The savage brutality was first of all a way of effectively maintaining something close to slavery, and second a revenge upon the North for winning the war and attempting to deprive the South of its cheap source of labor. In another sense this sordid record of murder and something close to genocide or ethnic cleansing (before such terms were much used), stemmed from an attempt by beaten southern white males, in most particular the semi-educated and ignorant ones, to reestablish their deluded notion of manhood.
   
   But this is also a chapter in the story of how gradually the South changed; how Afro-Americans with incredible patience and Sisyphean labors over many decades, while suffering enormous pain and loss of life, managed to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and achieve something close to equality with whites. It is a story of great courage and determination.
   
   Gilbert King's account is a vivid and compelling chapter in this uniquely American tale. The book is meticulously researched, amply documented with numerous endnotes, beautifully written, and powerfully engaged. In short, The Execution of Willie Francis is a outstanding work of journalism and a much welcome addition to an important literature. We have to face what we have done so that it might be a bit more difficult for others to do the same; and there, by increments, we might become more human.



2. over 60 years ago..this took place..and this author..who has written..what?.. his credentials?..
   
   is pushing this! NOW...as for what?.. possibly..an agenda, eh?.. besides his profit?.. (oh, is the profits of this book going to something else?.. like legit anti-capital punishment organizations, like ones that have existed longer than the history of this case?..
   
   this author..IMHO..is pandering!..
   
   GOD..this is SICK..: an author pushing his agenda for his profit, at the expense of first--trully guilty criminal individuals--and most horrific--the victims of the trully guilty criminal individuals-who most likely did not scream, "I AM N-N-NOT DYING!"...
   
   BUT!: "dont dont dont please dont kill me..please dont dont dont please dont kill me ..dont dont dont please dont kill me!!.. why are you doing this?.." (that is if the victims had the chance)..
   
   PANDERING FOR PROFITS!



3. Everytime I read a book like "The Execution of Willie Francis" I wonder aloud why I had never come across anything about this incident before. American history is replete with long forgotten and fascinating tales like this one and author Gilbert King has come up with a real winner here. "The Execution of Willie Francis" is a riveting book that paints a vivid portrait of life in the Louisiana bayou in the 1940's. And for the most part the picture is not a very pretty one. Willie Francis was just 16 years old when he was charged with the murder of popular St. Martinville druggist Andrew Thomas. Willie did not deny that he had killed Thomas. The preponderance of evidence would seem to confirm it. But were there extenuating circumstances here? Willie had worked for Andrew Thomas at the drugstore doing odd jobs. In his written confession Willie Francis makes an extremely curious statement recalling that "it was a secret about him and me." Yet at his trial, which most objective observers would consider to be an absolute travesty of justice, his court appointed attorneys failed to mount any sort of defense at all on behalf of their client. Young Willie Francis was sentenced to die in the electric chair. On May 3, 1946 Willie Francis was strapped into the portable electric chair known as Gruesome Gertie and the switch was thrown. Remarkably, Willie Francis did not die! The execution had been badly botched and Willie Francis would live to see another day. At this point a young Cajun attorney named Bertrand LeBlanc would get involved in this case. LeBlanc's ancestors had been heavily involved in the white supremacy movement in Louisiana but young Bertrand rejected this way of thinking. Like so many other young men who had served alongside Negroes in World War II the war had changed his thinking on the subject of race. Much like Aticus Finch in Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "To Kill A Mockingbird", Bertrand LeBlanc would incur the wrath of his community to defend this young black man. Over the next year this story would take numerous twists and turns as the state of Louisiana sought to return Willie Francis to the chair a second time. In fact, Bertrand LeBlanc would succeed in taking this case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and the fate of Willie Francis would become a national story.
   While Gilbert King certainly does a workmanlike job of presenting the facts surrounding the trial and subsequent execution of Willie Francis "The Execution of Willie Francis" turns out to be about so much more. This book examines the sad state of race relations in the South during this period. At the same time King presents in clear and concise language the complex legal issues that surrounded this most unusual situation. Finally, readers catch a somewhat unflattering glimpse of how the U.S. Supreme Court handled this particular case. I must tell you that "The Execution of Willie Francis" had this reader mesmorized throughout. I simply could not put this one down. It is a story that you will never forget. Very highly recommended!



4. This is a well-written account of a crime committed in the forties by a young black man against a white man. It takes the reader into the unfair conditions of race in the forties. One feels a bit uncomfortable with the truth of it.
   
   The death penalty is at the center. It's always been hard to know if the death penalty is fair or not. It's easy to see the reason on both sides. At any rate, this book offers a look into a story in history that most of us haven't known about and it's well worth the read.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   -Susanna K. Hutcheson



5. This is simply a great book. Gilbert King's gripping account of injustice, racial prejudice, and the brutality of capital punishment is at times poignant, at times harrowing, but always sure-footed in holding the reader's interest and propelling a tightly constructed narrative such as movies are made of. Indeed the cast of characters to be found here, from the tragic Francis--railroaded by the law--to his fearless Louisiana attorney, Betrand DeBlanc, who risks his standing in the Cajun community by working so zealously on Willie's behalf, make one think immediately in cinematic terms. A profound, powerful, magnificent book. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Murder Machine (Onyx).

1. Everyone has their own opinion on this book and I respect that,...I didn't find it that interesting. In fact, I thought it was downright boring. I love a good scary read, and this was not one. It was obvious that some of the reviews were by friends and family members of the author, as is typical of most books reviewed on here, but still I would love to have my money back for this one. Amazon needs to add a half star or "no star" to their ratings.



2. Very well written and well done. This book offers an inside peek into the activities of the Mafia, particularly the Roy Demeo crew within the Gambino family. The author does a good job of corroborating information from informants with law enforcement. The book starts out more from a "wiseguy's" point of view and evolves into more of the law enforcement side as the story goes and more information of cases are revealed law enforcement. I like autobiographies best, however this is an accurate and interesting account from many perspectives, creating a good overview of the whole story. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys non-fictional drama and true crime stories.



3. Murder Inc., The Westies, Bath Avenue crew, The Purple Gang, Mad Sam DeStefano in Chicago, Nicky Scarfo, Vito Genovese, and of course Carmine Galante and his crew. All were extremely scary groups of people, but they don't hold a light to the Gemini crew. Roy Demeo was insane.After reading this book I don't think I'll look at organized crime the same. A lot of innocent people got in the way of these guys and paid for it with their lives. The whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking I was in a nightmare but I coud not put it down. THIS IS THE BEST MOB BOOK.............EVER!!!!!! But not for the weak.



4. This turgid, way-too-long and ponderous book proved to be a major dissapointment. I had just finished reading the fascinating ICE MAN, a true-life study of a monsterous mafia killer. I was hoping for more of the same. Instead, this book goes into tedious, endless detail about the killers, their family ties, their interactions--but there's almost nothing about the actual killings. ICE MAN took specific cases and went into gory detail about how they were accomplished. in MURDER MACHINE, the authors throw us an occasional murder but give almost zero descriptive accounts of how these killings were done. So many characters are introduced that I had to finally start jotting them down to keep them apart. We're given unnecessary geographical descriptions that are a waste of time. The authors obviously spent a great deal of time writing this tome and I admire them for it. But after 300 pages, I simply had to call it quits. I found myself watching cable TV, with this book in hand, more than becoming engrossed with the pages of this book.



5. The police attribute officially 75 murders to the Demeo crew but the total could be as high as 200.Far from being just killings as a result of mob "housecleanings"alot of them are represented in the book as sport by DeMeo and his associates.Some of the victims had nothing to do with the mob.
   The book revolves around the life of Ex-Green Beret Vietnam Veteran Dominic Montiglio and his association with the DeMeo crew and how he turned "states evidence" on the murderous crew. Montiglio claimed to have never killed a person,"on the streets"and as the tale is told I believe his testimony. Montiglio was literally born into the Mafia,through family connections,and the tale revolves his complete break with his family. He says in the end that,"family is not blood,but trust and respect".Since he had applied for PTSD counseling and was turned down by the VA on numerous occasions,his story has the ring of an American hero.The book has a great ending.
   For those who just can't get enough of those true crime books this is truly a great one with lots of action and twisted horrific stories of the DeMeo sadists which are only too believable.The DeMeo crew was just one of the numerous car stealing/loan shark/murder enterprises of the Gambino crime family.This crew was even too hot for the mob boss Paul Castellano.

5 comments about Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer.

1. I was in junior high school when the Green River Killer was making his rounds. I remember watching about it on the TV news. While books have been written about the case, I was waiting until it had been solved to read about it. When I saw this book, I knew this was the one I would finally purchase because it was written by someone who actually had worked the case, not an outsider.
   
   This book is excellent--it is very well written, concise, and full of factual evidence. It also shows that we in law enforcement are humans and have feelings, too. We just often have to set them aside while we deal with horrible incidents.
   
   I am a dispatcher at a sheriff's office in a western state. I was almost finished with the book when I brought it to work with me. Within minutes of its discovery, co-workers were calling out dibs on who got to read it next. One deputy even called me on the radio to ask if I was finished reading it yet!
   
   So, this book is making the rounds at our office. And, everyone agrees with me that it is a VERY GOOD book.



2. Gary Ridgway is a pretty unremarkable man, but he inspired a remarkable story. This is one of the few serial killer cases where the investigative team is more interesting than the actual killer. At no point has Gary Ridgway crossed over from being a heartless murderer to pop culture antihero like, say, Charles Manson has. Being prostitutes, Ridgway's victims were almost too vulnerable, practically laid out on a buffet for him to prey upon. David Reichert struggles with this fact and many others throughout this story. You'll get a good sense of the intense pressure he and his team felt during their experience. The community was outraged at the task force's seeming lack of progress; the media fueled the fire by pointing out mistakes and missed opportunities. Later, budget cuts and over-involvement by the FBI were enough to drive many task force members to seek other assignments. Reichert's views on all of these are made clear, and the politics of a major city's police force are on display for all to see. Incredibly, at one point, the case had become so fruitless that only one man (not Reichert) was assigned to it for the duration. The task force's tireless work and evidence-collecting paid off in the end, and the prolific killing spree was finally ended. Others reviewing this book have called Reichert an egomaniac but I don't think he comes off like that at all. He gives a lot of credit where it's due, admits his errors, and is respectful to the victims at all times. His obsession is the reason the case got as far as it ever did. If David Reichert wanted to look like a big shot, I'd say he sacrificed a lot to get there.



3. Sheriff David G. Reichert might have written his autobiography here. After all, he was one in charge in regards to the Green River case. Reichert got involved from the first victim until the killer, Gary Leon Ridgway, finally confessed to killing over 50 victims and finding locations for the remains of some of them. For his confession, he was given life in prison without the possibility of parole. I'm sure some people felt that he deserved the death penalty and probably so. He murdered almost all women mostly prostitutes and drug addicts and runaways. Hardly the population that needed publicity. In Ted Bundy's day, he went after well-respected daughters, college students. Bundy referred to the Green River Killer's victims as bottom feeders because most families and friends wouldn't report them missing so soon. Reichert writes about the frustration and aggravation in almost every turn in trying to chase the devil who was the Green River Killer. I think we forget that law enforcement can be human and make mistakes. There were those that covered. The girls on the strip were in danger and they even knew it too. The Green River Killer took 20 years to find and he was a regular employee at Kenworth company as a truck driver. He was interviewed at times but nothing added up until the technology and DNA evidence. He finally confessed to his hideous crimes which included necrophilia something that Ted Bundy also did but was ashamed of. Ridgway comes clean and confesses to over 50 murders. It probably relieved the families that there would never be a trial which can be more painful in bringing up the past. Some victims were never found but I admired Reichert's way of memorializing them on the end pages of this book as well as writing about the many people, men and women who brought justice to the Green River victims.



4. as far as biases go, this book takes the cake. mr. reichert explains how he was the absolute pivot point around which the entire investigation rotated. i wasn't there, nor do i know what actually happened - but to think that one person solved the entire case is mind-boggling. i know forensic science is all encompassing and a community of scientists, police, etc. working together to come to the conclusion. mr. reichert makes it seem as though he did not utilize anyone else's help. interesting perspective.



5. This book was awful! The only reason why I read it all the way through is because I paid money for it. It has very little to do with the Green River Killer and everything to do with the investigator. I bought this book wanting to know about the investigation not about what Reichert had for breakfast! AWFUL.

5 comments about Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob, the Mafia's Most Violent Family.

1. If you liked Murder Machine and Gotti: Rise and Fall you will like this mob book. Probably would make an excellent movie.



2. An all-time great work of storytelling and journalism. "Blood and Honor" follows the career of Nicky Scarfo from his rise in the Atlantic City of the 1970s to his life sentence in the '80s. Anastasia clearly has good sources in high and low places. As a writer, he produces a fast flow. The real-life characters (especially Bruno and Scarfo) are drawn fully -- or at least well as you can do with homocidal psychopaths), without cliches or hyperbole.



3. Talk about disfunctional!!!! This book starts fast and doesn't slow up at all. Nicky Scarfo gives a new meaning to the expression " abuse of power". There isn't a lick of honor anywhere in this family. The breakdown of the Bruno killing, Phil Testa's send off, and the treachery used to get Salvie Testa showed that there is no such thing as a "family". I've read over 42 books on the mob. The only one that comes close is "Murder Machine". Constant plotting and backstabbing brought this family down and I'll be shocked if it bounces back. Nicky Crow did what he had to do.



4. If you are into mob books, this is one for you to read. Nick Caramandi wrote a tell all book. He leaves nothing to the imagination. He tells you how he started out with low level scams and worked his way into the mafia. He tells of the many murders that occured during the reign of Nicky Scarfo. Some people were killed to gain power, some to seek revenge and others for the slightest infraction. Much like the "Iceman", Mr. Caramandi admits to committing murders. He tells us who was murdered, why they were murdered and who committed the murder. Very intense and very well written.



5. This book is very insightful into the violent and egotistical Scarfo family in Philadelphia during the 1980s. These were REAL killers who thought they were in the movies and it's amazing to see and hear where and how these events took place and then drive 30 mins to South Philly and see the real locations. The inside story from Nicky "The Crow" Caramandi is amazing and I even saw a show on Nat Geo channel about this story. Scarfo was a complete megalomaniac and it became his undoing, which the book explains fantastically. Highly recommended for mob enthusiasts and Philadelphians alike.

5 comments about Gone Forever: A True Story of Marriage, Betrayal, and Murder (True Crime (St. Martin's Paperbacks)).

1. The Good: The author obviously did her homework on this case. It is clear that she obtained in-depth information from all of those closely involved in the case and those that knew and loved Susan McFarland. The story is told in a comprehensive manner, leaving no questions as to what happened in the before, during, and after of the crime.
   
   The Bad: The actual writing is a bit amateurish. The author attempts to end most chapters with a "shocking" cliff-hanger type statement, however, the story is compelling enough on its own to keep the readers turning pages. This use of techique is not warrented and slightly annoying.
   
   The author's use of detailed descriptions of certain buildings, events, people, etc. is somewhat inconsistent and again unnecessary. They happen spottily and are mostly a distraction from the larger story.
   
   The author makes grandiose statements regarding acquaintance's thoughts and feelings, which are rather over-stated and dramatic for drama's sake. They come across as cheesy and really do nothing to enhance an already dramatic story.
   
   Finally, some of the conversations between characters could have been paraphrased for clarity, as they were slightly confusing and hard to understand at times. There are other inconsistencies, grammatical errors, and minor holes that a good editor should have caught before this book went to press.
   
   The Ugly: I was shocked and angered that no one in Rick's or Susan's families took their children in after their horrible experience. This, to me, is almost as bad as the crime itself. Those children will be forever marred by this experience, and I only hope that their adoptive families can somehow help them salvage a somewhat normal life in adulthood.



2. I felt the book was lacking in depth of background information regarding aspects of the numerous relationships discussed. Many unnecessary tidbits of info are given for no apparent reason. As written, the story could have been streamlined. I would have liked more insight to the reasons why this woman stayed with her husband for so long and why none of her devoted family or friends were willing to help her children in their time of need. The 'stayed for the kids' sake' type of explanations are hollow. That man was doing nothing good for the kids as everyone knew, he wasn't supporting the family financially-quite the opposite, and everyone watched the horrible tragedy play out in slow motion.
   And why give fictitous names for the children of the deceased woman only to show a picture of her headstone with their real names on it?
   Disappointing read...



3. Gone Forever is the first book I read by Diane Fanning. In my opinion, the first paragraph of a book makes you want to read more and the last paragraph makes you want to read the next book written by the author. This certainly was the case for me with this book. I have read all of Diane's books and look forward to more. As to why women stay in abusive marriages, I have done a lot of research on this and I always hear the same answer, "I don't know." I honestly believe abused women do not know and until a person is in that situation, they don't have the right to judge. A well written book Diane. Wish you could write books as fast as we read them.



4. THIS BOOK DEFINATELY HELD MY INTEREST. SUE'S HUSBAND WAS REALLY BIZARRE! IF YOU LIKE TRUE CRIME BOOKS, THIS ONE IS WORTH THE READ.



5. There is true crime for people who only want "entertainment" and then there's true crime for people who think. Diane Fanning delivers both the strong read, the "sizzle" and the "steak." (OK, I'm a big meat eater.) She doesn't duck the tough issues in an ugly crime and in Gone Forever, she delves into the real questions of "why" this kind of crime could happen. It's great to see a writer work harder with each successive book and rise to the top. This is true crime worth reading because of what you learn about the "dark side" of human behavior.

5 comments about How to Do Good After Prison: A Handbook for Successful Reentry (w/ Employment Information Handbook).

1. As the mother of a son who is currently in prison, I have ordered several books in an attempt to get some kind of idea of what we can expect both in prison and when he gets out. This is one of only two books that I have found to be most helpful. The writer has a unique understanding of the system on both sides of the barbed wire and gives some excellent tips on how to succeed. Our family has never dealt with anything like this so we are completely in the dark and this book shined the light on some points I had never thought of that might have taken me by surprise if I had not read this book first. I highly recommend this book both for inmates and their families.



2. 
   The book is an insightful honest passionate look into what issues an ex-convict will have to face when they are released. The book is basically a lot of very common sense advice to ex-convicts written and presented in a language and style I am sure they are uniquely qualified by their prison experiences to understand.
   
   While I suggest the book has lots of so called, "Common Sense" advice I speak as a man who has never been to prison and will hopefully never know the prison experience first hand. What is simple basic "Common Sense" self respect, personal dignity, manners, and civics' 101 that I learned at my grandmothers knee and at church is likely a strange new world to ex-convicts. I am the product of a loving home and strong grandparents who took time to teach me to be a strong civil respectful black gentleman. I am a far cry from ex-convicts many of whom had no strong father figure so they learned how to survive on the hard cold gang and thug infested streets.
   
   This book is a rough blueprint designed to show life long thugs and ex convicts with the desire to improve themselves how to strive for goals and demand levels of respect far greater than what a clinched jaw, a strong fist and a loaded gun will ever bring them. The book is written by a person who speaks a highly cultured rarified version of prisonese but that just proves he is real when he says he divorced himself from his former prison life \ mentality.
   
   The author states specifically that this book alone will NOT save an ex-convict from themselves. The author states correctly that this book is merely a tool. Honestly it is not the quality of this book as a tool that defines the likelihood of an ex-convicts ultimate success. It is the strength desire and passion to rehabilitate them selves that burns in the heart of an individual ex-convict that will determine the effectiveness they make of the awesome tool this book can become in the hands of an ex-convict who is committed to eventual total success.
   
   The book does not sugar coat reality. The book does tell the reader that they will face the once a convict always a convict felon mentality and how that Neanderthal mindset is particularly dangerous for them during any encounters with police. The book tries and effectively teaches the balance an ex-convict must walk because, many in this society never totally forgives an ex-con no matter how much crime free straight time they have racked up. The book teaches that sometimes you survive by letting most fools be themselves unmolested because for an ex-convict fighting a fool is just an engraved invite back to prison and NO FOOL IS WORTH THE LOSS OF FREEDOM, DIGNITY AND YOUR GOALS a fight demands.
   
   I used to help ex-convicts learn community living skills after being released from long periods of incarceration and I remember teaching the exact same lessons this book offers. Many ex-convicts honestly want to go straight but they don't know how and few people skilled at living the crime free life actually want to teach ex-convicts how to live crime free. Most crime free people are afraid of ex-convicts because, they have too much to lose if an ex-convict is just running a game about living crime free. At the time as a disabled black man on government subsidies I had nothing to lose, so I could risk helping ex-convicts and did. I found IF an ex-convict was totally serious about living crime free and getting his life together your guidance, friendship, support and time were his private stash of gold and he would defend, protect and love you as if you were a beloved family member.
   
   Weird thing is a convict wanting to live crime free is often the best friend a crime free teacher could have. I laugh at times when I see successful old ex-con friends I taught community living skills to upon their release because, I am like so TOTALLY a straight arrow Joe citizen looking disabled geek people do a double take when some thuggish looking dude walks up, hugs me crying tears as if he has found a long lost family member. I shared my story here because this book teaches everything I used to teach ex-convicts how live in society and I know for the committed real man these pearls of wisdom all work but only if an ex-con remains strong enough to stay crime free no matter what to the very end! This book teaches that despite all the prison convictions and hellish prison experiences there is hope. Ex-convicts are garbage only if they buy into other loathesome peoples ignorant stereotypes and if they do so they have only themselves to blame for their own weakness. Society in this way is just like prison life. If you let other stuck up people in society steal your hope, your joy and commitment to live crime free then society has made you its punk slave society has turned you out. In society its about keeping your dignity, commitment to living crime free and love of others when society does its best to turn you out as its punk slave rotting in its prison like an animal whose upkeep feeds someone else's children and builds others families while yours go wanting. Look at prison for what it is. Prison is a capitalist society's way of culling then turning out its weakest, uneducated or most vulnerable people for use as slaves to feed this nations growing prison industrial complex.
   
   To all the ex-cons out there trying to go straight and live a crime free life you have my undying love, respect and admiration gentlemen, stay strong and do not let anyone steal your joy or commitment to live as your own man instead of enslaved property in some fools prison. Hugs love my constant prayers to a higher power and peace to you my brothers and sista's!



3. This is the 2nd book I have read by Mr. Jackson, and have passed this along to others that are in the similar situation. Great, easy read. Wealth of information! Mr. Jackson himself is an inspiration!



4. My son has been back and forth to prison for 20 yr. + . I bought him this book and to my amazement he is reading it. He tells me about it all the time. It has given him some great food for thought. I hope he finishes it and refers to it in difficult times. He is going to share it with his Parole Officer.



5. My Boyfriend who is in prison for some time now, read this book. He loved it and he used the word insightful. He said he wished he read it before he went in. I think it helped him and will be very useful when he gets out and I think it helped him changed his way of thinking. He has passed it along to other inmates and they have enjoyed reading it too! I suggest sending this book to someone who has a love one in prison. It's worth it!

5 comments about Without Pity: Ann Rule's Most Dangerous Killers.

1. "Without Pity" is a collection of short true crime stories by Ann Rule. Ann Rule is the premier true crime author and treats the stories she writes about with careful sensitivity, not sensationalism. The majority of the cases collected in this volume were older crimes from the late 1960s/early 1970s.
   
   I love Ann Rule. I have read quite a few of her novels and her writing style is very friendly and she treats the subject matter with respect. "Without Pity" was chilling. Quite a few of the cases gave me the chills. If you are a fan of true crime, you will definitely want to read this volume.



2. I really, really love Ann Rule. "Without Pity" is a collection of 12 short cases, three new, the rest reruns from her earlier books. I personally like her long books that contain one story, such as "Small Sacrifices", or the True Crime Files volumes which contain one book-length story supplemented by a few shorter stories, such as "Last Dance, Last Chance". But if you have read her longer works, and can't get enough of Ann Rule, the three new stories in this book alone will be worth the price of admission. If you have not read Ann Rule's earlier books, the older stories are all very interesting ones too.



3. Ann Rule chose a dozen cases of this book. In each case she was acquainted with some of the people mentioned: victim, survivors, detectives, or the prosecutors of defense attorneys. Sometimes the killer. The first three cases are all new; the last nine cases were taken from previously published books. This is a good introduction to her writings. Note how often economic factors are in the background. Ann Rule lives and works in the Seattle area.
   
   "The Tumbledown Shack" tells of two girls who went hitchhiking to work in Washington state's apple orchards. Their bodies were found in an old abandoned shed. One suspect was found, knew facts about this 1975 case, but was never prosecuted. He died in jail. The case is still open.
   "Dead and on Tape" discusses the case which made the biggest impression (the few where Rule knew the killer or victim before the crime occurred). There was a shooting in an alley. A credit card thief lay dead and a detective was wounded in his left hand and side. The police gathered the evidence and investigated. But complications arose from the hidden tape recorder on the victim. Eyewitnesses were found, and the shooter was convicted. Who killed Branko Ellich?
   "Fatal Obsession" is the story closest to a horror tale. What happens when a "perfect citizen" turns into an insane killer? Who would slaughter the parents and a child? A torn-up letter revealed the clues that solved this tragedy.
   "Campbell's Revenge" tell how no small town is safe from a psychopathic killer, even when they are smiling, handsome, and sincere. Some do look frightening, and are in trouble since childhood. Nature or nurture? What could be more horrible than finding your neighbors murdered?
   "One Trick Pony" tells of an accidental death that was later found to be a murder, and solved. There are few trained forensic pathologists outside of the major metropolitan areas. Would a blanket on a body prevent the normal cooling after death?
   "The Last Letter" tells of an obsessive possessive love. Is the love of an older married man for a young girl doomed? Bellevue Washington had some of the more bizarre murders over the years. Would financial disaster trigger a murder? Or steroids and Halcyon?
   "I'll Love You Forever" tells about a wealthy middle-aged widow who found love with a confidence man. Her accidental death was found to be murder, and justice was served.
   "Murder and the Proper Housewife" is a tale of a hired murderer who failed the proper housewife who hired him! It would be crazy if it wasn't all true.
   "The Most Dangerous Game" tells about two teenage girls who fantasized about a better life away from their families. But not all strangers are friendly with good intentions. The scratching against the cabin could have been from a snow-laden low tree branch.
   "The Killer Who Never Forgot" tells about a young wife and her baby found strangled. Could a husband kill them just for insurance money? Two juries said "yes" and he got a life term. He was paroled after 14 years and lived a good life afterwards.
   "The Lost Lady" is about Marcia Moore; being rich, beautiful, and intelligent does not guarantee happiness. Did a belief in the occult foretell disaster? Does taking a drug lead to happiness? Marcia Moore disappeared suddenly, her skeletal remains were found years later.
   "The Stockholm Syndrome" discusses "brainwashing" where a captive defends their captor. What if you met a stranger while alone in a wilderness? When "brainwashing" wore off, Robin recalled the true facts: it was a murder. The testimony about the brainwashing was sort of a precedent - furtive conduct to cover up a crime.



4. Ann is one of my favorite authors. I am pretty picky in how a book is written and Ann writes them so perfectly as she is there watching the situation Happen. This is of course Another one of Ann's books that you can't put down!



5. I have always been intrigued with murder and the stories that follow serial killers, however I limited myself only to programs on TV that seemed interesting. I had no idea there were books written so well by an author who really knows her stuff.
   
   This was my first true crime book that I've ever read and I picked this one specifically because it was a collection of Ann's more disturbing murders. I wanted a "quick and dirty" book of really great stories and that is exactly what I got. This book has persuaded me to buy more of her true crime novels and I look forward to reading her novels in the future.

5 comments about The Serial Killer Files: The Who, What, Where, How, and Why of the World's Most Terrifying Murderers.

1. Great book. I work in law enforcement so a lot of this I could tell if real or immaginary. I thought this was an interesting read.



2. If you want to read about endless grusome, horrible, deranged tales of torture, madness, incest, murder and more, read this book.



3. I orignally borrowed this book from one of my students (I teach Forensic Science), and it had so much great information that I had to buy it for myself. It's a great resource for an overview of MANY different serial killers. There are longer readings about selected serial killers. This is a great summary, and has a lot of information without being too detailed. It's easy to read, and easy to find information.



4. This collection is great! Bought this book when it came out and was never disappointed.
   
   The information is easy to read and their is plenty of info. on each killer for you to get your fill.
   
   Amazing that all these sickos existed and most people have never even heard of them. If you like serial killer literature, this is the bible!
   
   Highly recommended!



5. Whether used as a reference work to look up specific serial killers or types of serial killer, this book holds its own very, very well. It is a must for any personal library, and not only for those with somewhat morbid interests: this book hold interesting information for those with minds bent towards history, law enforcement, psychology, and a myriad other topics of study.
   
   The book's tone is usually nice and objective, which is what I've come to expect from serious works of nonfiction, especially ones concerning such heinous subject matter. There is very little over-dramatization of the numerous serial killers presented in the book; it's "just the facts" attitude, coupled with a clean, enjoyable to read style, makes it the sort of book you cannot help but read cover-to-cover, even if you intend it only as a reference work.
   
   It is true that this book sometimes is repetitive, and sometimes, it is somewhat lackluster; but, if you just plod on through these parts of the book (which are never more than four or five pages long) you'll be rewarded with some of the most fascinating reading you'll do in a long time.