5 comments about Killer with a Badge.

1. I live in New Orleans and remember when this crime happened. I am also a big true crime reader. The author did a fine job in telling this story. Antoinette is one of the most cold hearted killers I have ever read about. I could not put this book down.
   I highly recommend this book!



2. Cover to cover, this is simply the best true crime book I've read. A story of a "Cop Killing Cop", kept me turning the pages in total disbelief and shock. Good work Agent Hustmyre. Thanks for writing this story.



3. I live not only in New Orleans, but close to this incident. The victims are now my neighbors. I know most of the people involved. I was stunned at the care this author took to accurately relay the facts of this case, without unduly dramatizing anything. He perfectly described New Orleans East - the atmosphere - the lingo our natives use - and it makes the story real to me. I was worried since I was so close to the people and the event (I had coffee with the first 2 officers on the scene prior to the incident) I would be annoyed at the author's creative liberty. He did no such thing. He got to the heart of the NOPD at that time, to the individual police officers. And believe me, this is a real review, from a real person, with no tie to this book. (Unlike, possibly, the 'I bought 10 copies as gifts' reviewer). I tried to email the author to relay my thoughts (and memories of the characters in the book) and was unable to locate his email address.
   
   Very impressive.



4. I read this book as it first hit the shelves. I have read transcripts of this case and totally disagree that Chuck hit the real story. He was not her "crack dealing" boyfriend, he was a young man that was caught in her deceptive web, as so many others were. He was bought by her and became her friend. The sooner Louisianians open their eyes to the corruption of the NOPD, the better off they will be. Until then no one is safe living there. This was a set up at the very least. As I said, I have read the transcripts of both cases and they are full of lies from virtually every witness that testified. Chuck wrote this book based on interviews alone, not the facts.



5. This is absolutely the best written true crime book I have ever read. Usually I never read a book but once, but this one I have read three times! And I thought "Body Dump" was a head above the rest, but this reigns supreme! The author makes it very real for you. He never lets you forget that these are human beings, at least the victims were! I can't wait for more from this author.

5 comments about The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers.

1. I can't really say much more that what has already been said.
   
   I feel this is a great resource for those who are eager to know almost a history of serial killing. So many people only know a few names (i.e. Jack the Ripper, Ed Gein, Ted Bundy). This book takes you back to show that Serial Killers are not a new phenomenon. It introduces you to serial killers not only from the past but also from different regions.
   
   I found this book to be one which encouraged me to learn more and more about those killers who are not as well know. Overall, a great book and very informative.



2. This is a great Coffee Table book. The title should be An Introduction to Killers. There is a mixture of Serial Killer, Mass Murders, and Spree Killers in this book. There is a definate difference between all three. I am not sure if anyone told the author that a the definition of a Serial Killer/Mass Murder/Spree Killer is three (3) or more kills. The book wastes' its time on kills of one or two victims which is irrelevant for the subject matter. Before publishing a book this individual needs to be researcher of the subject such as Holmes, Jenkins, Egger, Sears, etc., these individuals are the forefathers of studying Serial Killers.



3. I picked this book up, on remainder, at the local Border's. It was only six dollars, and for this price, the book has served its purpose. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers reviews, in a few paragraphs, numerous killers throughout history. It is organised like a typical encyclopedia, alphabetically by the killer's last name. Additionally, serial-killer 'phenomena' (for lack of abetter word) are explored (eg, cults, cross dressing).
   
   The writing is stilted, and dry: for such an interesting subject, this book manages to really make serial killing clinical and, yes, boring. As a reference book, The Serial Killer Encyclopedia contains factual information. That said, each entry must be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, the Jeffry Dahmer entry does contain some obvious factual inaccuracies (one may easily compare to, say, other books on him, internet resources, crime resources, etc). So, the information in the book should be double-checked if you're going to be using it for a paper or similar.
   
   "The Serial Killer Files" by H. Schechter is, overall, a better book - I own that, as well. It is more entertaining, more fun to read, and contains much more 'interesting' information: the historical tidbits and facts are really captivating. Unfortunately, the organization of Schechter's book has something to be desired.
   
   Overall, The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers is a passably good introduction to the hundreds of killing sociopaths who have graced the earth. It provides a necessary gateway for those unfamiliar with the field, but should not be the end of one's research (though it may serve as a good 'starting point' for one to establish which killers, if any, one is interested in learning more about).



4. I felt the book was very interesting, very well organized, but to me it lacked something. Not sure how to put my finger on it but a good reference.



5. ....and I'm glad they haven't! This book both disturbed and fascinated me. It's nothing less than a compilation of all the notable people throughout history twisted enough to turn to killing innocent people for personal pleasure (most crimes are sexual, too). Although I normally love this stuff, this book disturbed me more than any others have (including "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote, which came close). I mean....at the risk of sounding hopelessly naive, THIS IS REAL. I can read story after Stephen King story, but these are real crimes and real killers.
   Now, there is always the question: Why are we, as a people, so fascinated with the idea of the serial killer (I hope I'm not ripping off the Introduction to the book here)? Are our lives so dull and void of danger that we need pages of other people to speak to us about their lives of hate, death, insanity and more hate. Do we want to be disturbed? ARE we disturbed? I could go on forever-I don't have the answers.
   All of this aside, this is a well-written book, written from the point of a mind neutral and apparently immune to so much human suffering.
   And God, how they suffer....

No comments about Protecting Society from Sexually Dangerous Offenders: Law, Justice, and Therapy (Law and Public Policy: Psychology and the Social Sciences).

5 comments about Give a Boy a Gun: A True Story of Law and Disorder in the American West.

1. As the daughter of Bill Pogue, one of the Game Wardens murdered by Claude Dallas, I know the true story of what happened that day. Jack Olson did a wonderful job of interviewing almost anyone involved and investigating the lifestyle of Claude Dallas that led to this tragic event. I learned as much from reading this book as I did sitting through the long and frustrating trial.



2. Read "Outlaw" by Jeff Long as well. He interviewed several key people that Mr. Olsen did not include (most declined to be interviewed at the time). All in all a fairly accurate and factual book and if you lived in the area at the time it stirs strong memories and emotions. Those who lived close to the events cannot forget Bill Pogue and Conley Elms.



3. In getting to know Claude via correspondence for several years,I believe that I can make a fairly accurate assessment of Claude's true character. Therefore, I believe I can fairly assess the book's veracity and plausibility. The book was interesting, entertaining, and exciting. Mr. Olsen presented the story in as truthful a manner as he could-considering he did not know Claude. In my opinion, overall, a very good book!



4. This book was extremely well written, and I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of their particular interests or hobbies. I know it is a cliche to say that "I could not put this book down," but it fits here. Olsen's writing style is easy and flows well. The whole story is so tragic, but I think the author does a good job of analyzing the events surrounding the murders of two Idaho fish and game wardens. Claude Lafayette Dallas, Jr. is clearly a murderer and yet he also has some sympathetic qualities that the author brings forth. It's a shame that the book is out of print, but if you look hard enough you can get a copy (thankfully, Internet searches will make it easier for you).



5. A very compelling story told nicely in one of the earlier books of true crime writer Jack Olsen.
   
   The story is fairly and dramatically presented and the author does of good job of giving the reader charachter background to make the story matter.

1 comments about Held Hostage: The True Story of a Mother and Daughter's Kidnapping.

1. I went to the book signing and was so moved by what Michelle Renee and retired detective Rudy Zamora had to say. I could not wait to get home and read Held Hostage. This book will draw you in as if you are living the crime and you will not want to put it down. It is a true story of strength and hope. If you are a victim of a crime, no matter the intensity, you need to buy this book. If you want to read a book that will draw you in and keep your attention from front to back than you need to buy this book. It is an amazing, true story of a women and her child abused by the system. You will not be disappointed.

5 comments about The Spy Who Stayed Out in the Cold: The Secret Life of FBI Double Agent Robert Hanssen.

1. Post 9-11, how many people really know how deeply Robert Hanssen damaged national security? A recent dinner with several academics suggested, not a whole lot, if that sample counts in any way. Havill's book may not satisfy the connoisseurs of this niche of investigative journalism, but the book serves an important function; it exposes the depth of the betrayal and the nature of the agency that he ravaged. That system and the people who oversee it, have much to be ashamed of. The press has magnificently implied that the damage was minimal. The adopted supposition then by a large part of the citizenry was that it was "low level" information that he handed to the Russians. The press did a great job of keeping the public snookered. Havill does his darndest to refute that suggestion with the details of the top secrets that were handed over to the Russians.

   As a psychological case study; Hanssen is the archetype of the Jungian shadow. The religious, dour and convinced patriot by day and the vulgar, ... depraved, traitor at night. Indeed Hanssen betrayed everyone, primarily his overworked and short-changed wife, but also his country, his church and of course, his employer. Why then, did people just fall for his act? They didn't according to the author; there were members of his own extended family, starting with his brother in law, a fellow agent and fellow employees who at least hinted at the deceptive and twisted nature of his allegiance or lack thereof.
   How can we correct such ... neglect of self-policing in our governmental offices? Well, it will not be easy, if the educated voter and the concerned public is somehow "picking up" that the damage was superficial. There are, afterall too many government sponsored daily security news items to sift through and ponder. Havill's work needs to be read and if it is as a form of entertainment; which it can be, all the better!




2. Havill, once again, has written an engrossing book. I will proclaim my own bias by pointing out something, though. On page 173, Havill mentions the Clinton years "begin with the shoot-outs at Ruby Ridge and Waco." Well, actually, no, George the first was president at the time of Ruby Ridge. And Havill's comment about "King William" make me wonder about his agenda when most of the spying going on is during the Reagan-Bush years. In books about policies or personalities you expect that: you know where the author is coming from and you digest the material accordingly. In a book that is SUPPOSED to be about Robert Hanson I find it telling that the only president he mentions in a derogatory manner is Clinton. Makes me wonder if there is other information he left out. . .Still, you can't fault the guy's talent for spinning a phrase. A worthy book.



3. Riveting, like a good novel and very hard to put down! Cold Eyes



4. Don't bother reading this book. It is the same thing over and over and over, so that it makes one want to scream. The movie "Breach" is not the true story either. It's Hollywood. Read David Wise's book, the best of the bunch written about spy Robert Hanssen. Hanssen was a brilliant if not troubled non agent who wanted to be the real deal. So instead of getting to be an FBI operative, he went to the dark side and made himself a name giving up our country's secrets that may never be recovered. It is enough to scare you to death and make you ill.



5. Feels to me like this was a rush job to be the first to get something on the market.Thank goodness I took this out from the library and didn't buy it. Even so, it was a waste of time to read. Havill is, above all, lazy - both intellectually and in the amount of research he did, and didn't do. On the two most potentially interesting facets of the story - Hanssen's personality and motivation, and the suspense of being a double agent and the catch - Havill all but takes a powder.
   
   Havill digests a lot of communications between Hanssen and the KGB, which is at first, interesting - if for nothing more than the intersection between the spy craft and the mundane. However, these communications become the beef of the book, with no spine. Additionally, since these messages turn out to be so similar and poorly woven into events, their recitation become tedious.
   
   Havill's attempts at piercing personality and motivation fall pathetically short. One is left with the picture of what appears to be a fairly average guy doing extraordinary things. But virtually no effort is made to explain, let alone even proffer a working motivational theory. We are left with just a load of poorly framed speculations. This is also a spy story with virtually no tension. Hard to believe there was virtually none when a senior FBI official spies over so many years. Havill's account is little more than, 'This FBI guy did some spying for the KGB and then he got caught.' Most writers could convey more tension than Havill describing a morning commute.
   
   Cinching the case for this book being a dud is the extremely poor writing. It's littered with ungrammatical, ungainly and unreadable prose. It's like the guy wrote it driving to work, and his editor took a powder.
   
   If you're interested in reading about this case, I strongly suggest you look for another book, if there is one. (If I recall correctly, there was a great NY Times Magazine piece on Hanssen that came out shortly after he got arrested.)

No comments about Assessing the Tradecraft of Intelligence Analysis (Technical Report).

5 comments about All the Centurions: A New York City Cop Remembers His Years on the Street, 1961-1981.

1. The revelations in this book are not diluted by the distance of three decades. Rampant graft, dirty cops, obscene rationalizations and the grim necessity of fighting scum all play a part in this unflinching look at the reality of New York's war on drugs during the 60s and 70s. The author is painfully candid about his faults and his participation--he was corrupt and is not shy about saying so.
   
   Now the author offers unique insight into how it happened, and in telling it, shows by example how we can prevent repetition of history. The author is at his strongest when blunt and forthcoming in his endearingly dry tone. He refrains from opining and offering simplistic answers or steps to prevent such events from continuing to happen in departments across the country--and in refraining, his statement is that much stronger.
   
   A piece of American history told in brisk, compelling style. Excellent for crime libraries.



2. This novel was a page-turning, absolutely riveting account of Detective Robert Leuci's twenty years as a narcotics detective in New York City. And what an account...from inside stories about a young Rudy Guiliani to one-on-one conversations between Leuci and Mario Cuomo to descriptions of the Harlem Riots and undercover narcotics investigations that make you feel like you were there, this book has something for everyone. As if that were not enough, Leuci's life story takes the reader through his Hollywood experiences and even on stage with the Beatles. I highly recommend this book -- the best true crime novel I've ever read.



3. If you love stories about the mafia, police corruption and New York City's crime-ridden streets in the '60s and '70s -- and how could you not? -- you'll love this book as I did. Leuci's life story takes you into the heart of police and crime drama that most people are never exposed to, and he is very candid and real about his own flirtations with corruption over the course of his career as an elite NYC narcotics detective. I highly, highly recommend this book for the action, the insights and the look at a life story that is truly amazing. Reading Leuci's own words, it's easy to see why Robert Daly wrote a best-selling novel about him and Sidney Lumet made a critically acclaimed movie about him.



4. For the record: other reviewers have identified both this book and Robert Daley's "The Prince of the City" as novels, which neither are. Both--at least ostensibly--are nonfiction. This is an important distinction to myself or anyone that saw the 1981 film, were captivated by the story and wanted to know how much of what they saw was factual, as opposed to fictional affectations of artistic license.
   
   My reading of Robert Daley's book sated most of my hunger in that regard, although effort was required. For whatever reason--though Daley had named the true names of all the players--pseudonyms were used in the film version. Reconciling who was who vis-à-vis characters in the book and their counterparts in the movie required concentration. And doubts remained: this was a book built foursquare upon interviews by Daley with a man who'd immersed himself in corruption, then sought redemption by exposing only a tiny fraction of his acts of misconduct, hoping his willingness to wear a wire, to ante his life onto the brutal 1970s poker game of heroin trafficking would make up the difference. Only when the walls of legal justice were closing upon him from all sides did he recant in full--which raised the possibility in my mind that he never truly did.
   
   Whatever my suspicions, anyone who saw either the aforementioned movie or book MUST read this book. It brought closure to me, as I'm sure it did to Bob Leuci. Told in the gruff style to be expected from a man who was a New York City narcotics detective long before he became a writer--comma splices and use of the "F" word are ubiquitous--the truth of what a man who chose the life of a 1970s War on Drugs foot soldier had to undergo, the uncompensated sacrifices, the human filth they, by necessity, crawled into the gutter with, the forces larger than themselves that tweaked their perspective, their moral compass--become obvious.
   
   There's troubling inconsistencies between "All the Centurions" and "The Prince of the City," both of which bill themselves as unvarnished fact: DeStephano--who along with a New York cop nearly ended Leuci's life before a mafia figure advised against it--was a bail bondsman in Daley's account. In Leuci's, he became a private investigator working for a bail bondsman.
   
   In both the movie and Daley's book, Joe Nunziata, Leuci's NYPD mentor and role model, had vouched for Leuci's credibility to a nervous DeStephano, telling him that "...if Leuci's a rat, my mother's a rat." In Leuci's account, Nunziata made the declaration not to DeStephano, but before a barroom mob of detectives who'd come to doubt Leuci's loyalty and were screaming for his blood.
   
   Daley had Leuci's cousin, a mid-level Mafiosi, doing a "Houdini"--disappearing, presumably murdered--a la Jimmy Hoffa (in the movie, his body was discovered beneath the lid of a trash can by a sanitation worker). Leuci makes no mention of the presumed event--an event, surely, of no small impact in his life.
   
   Daley recounts Leuci parading a beautiful hooker--a trophy date--before his NYPD brethren in a bar. Leuci mentions the episode, but admits only that he recognized her attractiveness before sending her to jail.
   
   If there are inconsistencies, then why does it bring closure? Good question. It allows me to make peace with incidents in my own life that, God help me, no one will ever know about. Robert Leuci is a far better man than I. If he's allowed an inner sanctum where he can be alone with insignificant--if embarrassing details of his life--then so can I.



5. This excellent read chronicles the authors career in the NYPD between 1961 and 1981. He writes about his days from a naive rookie to his time on the Tactical Patrol Force and Narcotics enforcement, till he testifies before the Knapp Commission. He offers valuable insight to the culture of graft that permeated not only much of the N.Y. Police Department but the also much of the legal and political system at the time. Interesting as well are his observations on the young Rudy Giuliani.

4 comments about Murder Unpunished: How the Aryan Brotherhood Murdered Waymond Small and Got Away with It.

1. Inmates bent on running the asylum in an out-of-control prison dominated by homicidal gangs. Official corruption. Fraudulent land scales. A car bombing. Jurisdictional struggles. Hypnosis. A hung-over judge. Prosecutorial misconduct. A senile attorney.
   What might sound like the ingredients of an over-wrought novel are the facts of Durango author Thornton W. Price III's nonfiction true crime book, "Murder Unpunished," published by The University of Arizona Press on July 1.
   The cast of characters includes a future U.S. Supreme Court justice (Sandra Day O'Connor), a future Democratic presidential candidate (Bruce Babbitt) and the man who pioneered the psychological autopsy (Dr. Otto Bendheim).
   But most of the players in this extraordinary peek at Arizona State Prison run amok came straight from Satan's casting call, even down to the unfortunate Waymond Small, possibly one of the nation's least likable murder victims.
   The time is the late 1970s. In less than two years, there have been 14 murders and dozens of assaults at Arizona State Prison. The Arizona Republic has cast a relentless eye on the mayhem. The political pressure to do something ratchets up. And finally the Aryan Brotherhood takes a bridge too far with the murder of Small on the eve of his testimony to the state legislature.
   Price, the author, was a young attorney. One of the inmates charged in connection with Small's death-a group collectively known as the Florence Eleven-ends up being Price's first murder case.
   Tempting though it must have been, Price wisely avoids much use of the first-person in this economically written account of five murder trials. When he does resort to it, it's justified by the insight it offers.
   My own first nonfiction true crime book, "Someone Has to Die Tonight," is scheduled to be published as a Pinnacle mass market paperback in March. I know the challenge Price took on in combing through 16,000 pages of court records and conducting interviews with key players for his narrative.
   I also know how his involvement in the case probably made the task harder. I became a confidential informant in the case of a self-styled teen militia that I was documenting. Separating oneself from the story and keeping the narrative focused becomes more difficult when there's a personal connection.
   The Florence Eleven was the case for Price: The case that every cop, attorney or crime reporter knows about-the one you never forget. In spite of this, Price showed remarkable discipline in his writing, and it serves his readers well.
   My literary attorney, Bob Pimm, counseled me to make my book a train ride that readers wouldn't want to get off. The train needs to take off in the first chapter, he said, and the reader needs to want to say on all the way to the end.
   Price kept me on the train.
   "Murder Unpunished" has moments of writing that jumps out for its eloquence or economy. He describes one murder in two pithy sentences: "Even with a loaded gun to his head, the idiot wouldn't shut up. He'd dared him to shoot, so he did."
   And here's how one of the large cast is introduced: "With a thin, six-foot-seven-inch frame, Jerry Joe `Stretch' Hillyer looked like he'd survived the rack."
   And here, another: "Born in Scottsdale one week before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tidwell's life began in as much ruin as the Pacific Fleet."
   Price knows we need humor in a dark tale ridden with murder, rape and drug abuse, and he finds it (somehow it always seems to be there, even in the darkest crime, often because of the extraordinary stupidity of some criminals, whose choices in life seem determined to provide job security for police and prosecutors).
   "Did you see anything?" a tired investigator asks in one of 650 inmate interviews after Small's murder.
   "No."
   "Would you tell us if you had seen anything?"
   And then there's Price's account of the state's attempts to hypnotize a witness, a chapter that may alone justify the book's $17.95 cover price.
   True crime is a tempting genre for the very reason that makes readers sometimes skeptical the writer could really know all he portrays. How could we know people's thoughts? How could we recapture dialog years after the fact?
   It's possible because of the uniquely thorough nature of investigative and court records, around which entire books can be built. It's not an easy task sifting thousands of pages for the specks of gold that add up to a compelling narrative. There are a lot of mediocre true crime books out there. Price's is not one of them.
   Here we find a writer unafraid to show a criminal's sheer enjoyment of violence. A writer who's resisted the temptation to include every fact or exchange he personally finds compelling, restraint that must sometimes have been painful.
   He knows court procedure and introduces us to terms such as the "slow-form guilty plea"-the trial of someone obviously guilty from the get-go.
   He shows us the Mau Maus, the Mexican Mafia, the Native Brotherhood and the Aryan Brotherhood out of control in Arizona's penal system and what was done to fix it. He gets the prison language of kites, fish and punks exactly right in a sometimes profane book that avoids overdosing on cussing and violence.
   He explains very well why prison crimes are so singularly hard to investigate.
   Down among the human dross, Price somehow emerges with none of the nastiness sticking to him or the reader. Better, he somehow makes us care.
   He gives fascinating insight into how the Aryan Brotherhood worked, like a business. And he offers some motivation without making excuses for his unattractive cast.
   The case comes as close to Durango as Chimney Rock, just off Highway 160.
   Despite a misprint in the spelling of Price's name on the cover (one of those palm to the forehead blunders that has probably cost some hapless copyeditor restful sleep) "Murder Unpunished" is otherwise flawlessly edited.
   This is entertaining, educational and compelling. I hope Price will find another case somewhere in his career worth writing about.



2. `Murder Unpunished: How the Aryan Brotherhood Murdered Waymond Small and Got Away with It' by Thornton W. Price III, has brought to life the events that I only remembered through newscast snippets and the occasional news paper editorial.
   
   `Murder Unpunished' allows the reader to contemplate the concepts of the law being rational, yet the interpretation of the law may seem irrational. The reader can also reflect on why a person can act despicable yet still receive grace. Mr. Price presents the reader with an opportunity to question the concepts of revenge and universal justice. These themes of duality, like old friends, are revisited here in the pages penned by Mr. Price from his autobiographical and historic perspectives that have matured over time. He is unapologetic.
   
   I for one wish to apologize for the state of Arizona's justice.



3. Murder Unpunished: How the Aryan Brotherhood Murdered Waymond Small and Got Away With It is a telling example of the truth that entering prison is like entering another culture or country. The rules, customs, and behaviors are foreign to those in the free world. People outside of the walls will never be able to appreciate or accept. The problem, however, is that the prisons are within our country and need to abide by the laws of the United States of America. This book did an excellent job of asking the question, "does justice occur after incarceration?" The short answer is, no. The bigger question to ask is, "when will this country enact laws that can adequately deal with prison gangs and the control that they have in our criminal justice system?" This book is a telling example of all the state and federal correctional facilities will experience with any prison gangs that occupy them. It is a must read for all correctional employees and lawmakers.



4. This book was very informitive about the code that convicts live under. Its a testament to learning to keeping your mouth shut when you do some dirt. Prison gangs are hardcore and the Aryan Brotherhood was formed in california with blood and sacrafice to protect white inmates, anybody who joins knows the commitment they are making as a soildier ( blood in blood out )

2 comments about When the Husband is the Suspect.

1. I could give this book two stars just because I disagree with some of Bailey's conclusions; I hardly think anyone other than Bailey still believes O.J. Simpson is innocent!
   
   But more importantly, I've read more than half of this book and am not sure I will be able to finish it, because it contains so much unbearably awful writing. Sentences that don't make sense, no matter how many times I re-read them, annoy me. In some places, a comma is used instead of a semicolon, creating a run-on sentence; in some places, a clause is repeated twice; in some places, Bailey will refer to "that person" (Marilyn Sheppard had sex with "that person") without first telling us to whom he is referring.
   
   I find this book, like so much true crime, difficult to recommend.



2. This subject is so interesting to me, and the approach this book takes is just excellent. The overview of the cases - many cases I am familiar with, but Bailey has added more details in background and court information - and the knowledgeable, objective analysis is so interesting. I could not put this book down and having read it I have a much better understanding of the tragedies these cases were to all involved.