5 comments about Base Instincts: What Makes Killers Kill?.

1. This is a well written, well researched book that should be required reading for all professionals involved with adults and children who exhibit anti-social behaviour. It will be invaluable to educators, psychologists, attorneys, police officers,psychiatrists and more. Why wouldn't anyone who can do so not want to be aware of new findings that could lead to identifying, intercepting and possibly changing the course of a future serial killing or classroom tragedy? Take the time to read the book. It's worth it.



2. The point of this fairly slim volume is to convince the reader that many (perhaps the vast majority) of our most dangerous criminals have neurologic impairments, and that brain dysfunction, along with child abuse and paranoid thinking, is at the heart of much violent behavior. This is not an entirely new message, but it is one Pincus approaches with a great deal of authority -- he's a professor of Neurology at Georgetown, was formerly at Yale and has studied dozens of death row prisoners along with his colleague Dorothy Ortnow Lewis.

   Dr. Pincus clearly decided not to risk alienating readers with scientific terminology or complex explanations of brain physiology. The book follows the familiar "casebook" true crime format used by various ex-FBI profilers, coroners, and cops. Most chapters focus on a particular criminal Pincus had dealings with (many of them in his role as an expert witness) and what that criminal's life story shows about the origins of homicidal violence.

   The coversational writing style (and oddly cheery alliterative chapter titles) stand in contrast to the horrific nature of much of the material. The crime scene details will be familiar to any reasonably hardened reader in the literature. What really stood out for me was the descriptions of childhood abuse endured by many of the perpetrators Pincus has studied. As a former inner-city teacher, I taught kids from pretty screwed up homes, and had some friends from abusive families while growing up. But the stories Pincus recounts (corroborated by siblings and others) remind us that there is almost no downward limit to the depths of human depravity.

   What's rather odd about all the better works in the study of violence and homicide is the sense that this field is under-funded, under-appreciated and obscure. Pincus and other pioneers in the field have answered some important questions, but their work raises hundreds more. If, say one percent of the money our government has spent trying to prove that marijuana is dangerous were instead spent on studying the roots of violence, perhaps we'd have more answers.




3. "Base Instincts: What Makes Killers Kill?" by Jonathan H. Pincus, MD, ISBN 0-393-32323-4 pbk, Norton & Co. 2001: a 225 page disquisition plus 13 pages of notes by a NYU Professor of neurology & psychiatry and graduate of Columbina CPS who investigated some 150 murderers over a 25-year period and tenders his unified theory that "killers kill for the same reasons," regardless of their classifications (single, mass, serial, & perhaps genocidal).

   Pincus observed that killing arises in the milieu and troika of disturbances which generally discloses (1) childhood abuses (sexual, verbal, physical), (2) frontal lobe damage (birth trauma, chromosomal, genic, infectious, toxic as alcohol & drugs), and (3) a medley of mental (neuro-psychiatric) impairments e.g. bipolar depresssion, paranoia, ADHD, CD, ODD, etc. He hypothesizes that single, mass, and serial killings have similarities with the Nazi/Hitler's paranoid anti-Semitism, Gaza Strip atrocities and various terrorist factions of more recent vintage.

   He opines the only feasible remedy would be prevention of child abuse and cites pilot studies underway, and also specifies factors impeding implementation of other remedies including treatment of convicted murderers. He details his basic neurologic testing format including specific tests directed at eliciting impairment of the frontal lobes, the latter being somnething he states most/many neurological examiners fail to do. Dr. Pincus has worked successfully on a number of defense cases aimed at getting death sentences switched to life without parole.

   The treatise is not overly technical, the writing style is a bit wordy, and very minor detractions were noted (i.e. XYY in not a chromosomal deficit but a chromosomal excess or defect; Trisomy 21 is no longer referred to as mongolism but Down's syndrome; and this reader is skeptical that someone could & would drink a 12-pack of beer and a pint of whiskey in 45 minutes (one can every 3.75 minutes & not counting the hard liquor).

   This study is an important contribution to the study of homicide and it provides engaging thought-provoking commentary on what makes murderers murder and also a workable solution to the problem of homocides. This book gives ample graphic grisly details of physical & sexual abuse, sans pictures, which some readers will find disturbing, but so then is murder. This is a must read.




4. I just finished "Base Instincts: What Makes Killers Kill" and I am adamant that our society shows so much more monetary respect for crime and punishment than early childhood education. We have had recent headlines about men, here in Austin, spiking babies and toddlers like footballs after a touchdown, in anger, killing or maiming them and ending up in prison for life. While this outrage is profoundly disturbing, professionals dither at whether or not early childcare intervention is ethical, cost effective or necessary in our society. Paying attention to parenting of the young child uplifts not just that family, but our societies future well being. Child abuse is the single most important determinant of future violence, and it is endemic and epidemic in our frontier based national mind set. We need to launch an all out campaign to raise the national consciousness about the importance of the nurturance of women, and the children that they in turn nurture, in the first three years of life, and beyond.



5. Pincus weave a fascinating, true tale of what makes killers tick in this 2001 book. Pincus himself interviewed hundreds of killers during his career as a neurologist. He combines his knowledge of the human body and psyche to draw his own conclusion about why people kill. Whether or not you buy into his theory, Pincus offers a solid case in a well-written, slim book that is an excellent, quick reference for fiction crime writers.
   Angela Wilson
   Author

No comments about Little Book of Forensics.

No comments about Politics on Trial.

5 comments about Monster: My True Story.

1. I had a great time reading this book. Having seen the movie a few months back I decided to purchase 'Monster' to see what else went on with this story. What a tale! So much more to be known about Wournos and written by a man who has clearly had a lot of experience talking with this woman. Using his extensive interview experience with other serial killers he has created the definitive portrait Aileen Wournos. Those who enjoy reading about this kind of crime should check out 'Talking With Serial Killers' by the same author. Again, using masses of interview material Christopher Berry-Dee has produced an absolutely chilling document. And whats more, this guy can write!



2. It seems that the author (and I'm not talking about Aileen here, since she didn't write this book, no matter what Berry-Dee is trying to convince you) has taken lots of newspaper clippings and put this book together in a quick way to make money. Although it's not badly written there is something missing. There is hardly any references to her childhood and very much about her being interviewed. Lots of stuff I believe is taken from Nick Broomfield's Aileen documentaries. It's an ok read and I'm glad I got this one from the library and didn't buy it!



3. i purchased this book written by christopher berry dee,i was very very disappointed as it said on the cover aileen in her own words,there were the odd one or two quotes,as ive read sue russells book lethal intent,i could see alot of similarities in berry dee's book.as for the one of the main topics being corky reid,maybe he should have studied the case more,and not blamed aileen for his disapperance/murder,as he went into hiding to avoid large debts he had incurred.if you want a book given both sides of aileen i would not go for this book,i would purchase sue russells book



4. I actually met Corky Reid, who thought it strange, that Aileen Wuornos should take the rap for his death, when he was very much alive. Corky turned himself into the police and back to his family, very much alive and NOT THE EIGHTH VICTIM BY WUORNOS!
   How could THIS so called WRITER state he is writing a TRUE STORY, plus from the mouth of Aileen Wuornos (who obviously knew she did not kill Corky Reid!) and have such a BLUNDER as this?! The book should be taken off the shelf, or retitled, in my opinion, as it is not truthful! PLUS, I have read all the BOOKS written about Aileen Wuornos and the only one that makes any REAL STATEMENTS is LETHAL INTENT by Sue Russell, who actually met the people she writes about and QUOTES THEM!



5. I APPEAR IN THIS BOOK, BUT WHAT IS STATED ABOUT ME IS NOT TRUE; NOR DID THIS WRITER TRY TO VERIFY ANY TRUTH WITH ME.
   
   AT FIRST BLUSH, IT ALSO APPEARS THIS WRITER SIMPLY COPIED "QUOTES" FROM COURT DOCUMENTS, AND PARROTED "THOSE" AS "AILEEN WUORNOS' WORDS"; AS I SEE STATEMENTS (SUPPOSEDLY OUT OF MS. WURONOS' MOUTH) THAT WERE TAKEN (OUT OF MY MOUTH) FROM MY LEGAL DEPOSITIONS!
   
   TOO BAD THERE IS NO LEGAL RAMIFICATION FOR PLAGERISM FROM DEPOSITIONS, OR THIS WRITER WOULD BE OUT OF A JOB. AND, IN MY OPINION, DESERVINGLY SO, AS THE ONLY TRUTH IN THIS BOOK IS THE SPELLING OF THE AILEEN WUORNOS NAME.
   
   JACKELYN GIROUX

2 comments about Pure Evil.

1. I WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK 4 1/2 STARS, BUT THERE WERE NUMEROUS ERRORS IN PRINTING (IT WAS ANNOYING), I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN THEIR SITUATION, SO I CAN'T COMMENT ON HOW I WOULD HANDLE IT. I'M NOT SURE IF BEING BITTER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IS CONSTRUCTIVE, IT SEEMS DESTRUCTIVE.



2. This book is full of typos and bad grammar, but more that that, it is full of lies. It was my dearest friend whose daughter heard all the screaming in the road and at whose house Tracie Andrews turned up and spun her lies. It was my friend, who is ex-police, that alerted the police officers to the knife shaped blood stain on Andrew's leg. She also said that Tracie had been badly beaten up (so much for the "gentle" son Harvey tries to depict). My friend is a solicitor (attorney) and said that Andrews would have got a much lighter sentence if she'd admitted it was a domestic row that got out of hand. What she and I will never forgive Maureen Harvey for is revealing my friend's daughters' name. She is still on a protected list of witness and Harvey has blown it. Apart from anything else, it is badly written and and full of hatred - do yourself a favour, save your money and don't buy the book!

5 comments about Shadows of Evil: Long-haul Trucker Wayne Adam Ford and His Grisly Trail of Rape, Dismemberment, and Murder (True Crime (St. Martin's Paperbacks)).

1. I echo previous reviewers' sentiments re: Mr. Smith's recounting of Wayne Adam Ford's crimes. This was not the author's best book. It did appear very unusual to read the author's views against capital punishment and his opinions re: the link between brain damage and criminal behavior on pp. 3-20. At first, I wondered if the author would ever get to the story of Ford's cimes! I usually don't care much for a true crime writer's opinions about crime and punishment; rather, I enjoy reading this genre for the historical information. I'm interested in the "what" rather than the "why". I look for facts....what types of cunning, stalking behavior are exhibited by criminals; what types of careless, naive behavior might be exhibited by victims; and what lessons should my family and I learn from these tragedies? It's important for us to realize the true nature of random acts of violence in modern America and what steps we should take to try to lower our own risks of becoming victims. To Mr. Smith's credit, however, I do think that he has written better true crime pieces: HUNTING EVIL was a remarkable work in which he demonstrated genuine writing talents, and I commend that book to all of you. All in all, if you read a lot of this genre, this certainly isn't the worst one that you'll read!



2. I am an absolute fan of the true crime genre, but this book takes the cake as the worst true crime book that I have read. The bulk of this book is spent criticizing (implicity and explicitly) the police and government - NOT for failing to stop a serial murderer, but for failing to give the author documents that he felt he was entitled to. Moreover, the sympathetic justifications for Wayne Ford's atrocities was a bit too much to bear.
   A true journalist would not let his own views taint the story that he is trying to tell. I don't think that I would rush to read another book by Carlton Smith anytime soon.



3. This book seems to depart from the usual "true crime" format. Rather than being written after the case was done it seems to have been written as the case was occurring. The legal system was suppressing the expected fine details about the criminal and the investigation which causes the book to be tantalizing but not satifying. I found the lack of finer details surrounding the actual mode of commission of each crime to be the most disappoiting aspect of the book. This, after all, is the "signature" of each criminal encountered in this type of book. Lacking some of the suspected to be interesting but not available evidence and investigative techniques used to detect and/or solve the crime is also disappointing. I think the book would be much better if it had been written after the case was ended so that it would have been more detailed and the story didn't leave the reader "hanging" for lack of a definitive ending. This is the only book I've read by this author so I don't know if this is his style of investigative writing or if this particular book is an exception to the rule. Reading reviews carefully and examining book discriptions should allow a reader to discern if this type of book is what they want or not. In summary, well written but lacked specific details and left me hanging.



4. This was one of the worse true crime books I have read. Normally I do not feel the need to review books but in this case I am compelled because the book is based on nothingness. It repeatedly tells the reader that everything is under a gag order or deleted so there really is no story here.... just pages and pages of disclaimers and citations to motions that have had all the "meat" deleted. Kinda makes you go, huh?



5. As with most of the other reviewers, I cannot believe that I paid for this book. The entire book blames the police, prosecutors and anyone else for the crimes of this man. He is not a criminal...he is mentally ill, as is anyone else in the book who does drugs, shoplifts, etc. It is a diatrabe against the death penalty also. When reading a true crime book, I do NOT want to be subject to the views of the author...just the facts, thank you. Rest assured I will never waste any money on another book by Carlton Smith.

5 comments about Ponzi: The Incredible True Story of the King of Financial Cons (Library of Larceny).

1. To understand the Ponzi scheme, is to understand the basic root of all types of [cheating]. This book gives a wonderful overview of the life and times of Charles Ponzi. It is written as a historical novel, but seems to be very well researched! The epilogue alone is full of details concerning an important subject about whom little has been written. I only wish the book was footnoted as to references. Donald Dunn has done history a great service by documenting the life of Mr. Ponzi. THIS BOOK IS A "FUN READ" ABOUT A SERIOUS HISTORICAL EVENT!



2. Like a great crime drama, "Ponzi" takes you down the amazing road of a simple huckster, and how close he came to making it big. I knocked it out in under 3 days; it's impossible to put down!



3. This book is a great read that all will enjoy! Fascinating story and very well written. I am recommending PONZI for my next book club meeting. And I can't wait for the movie to come out!



4. ?Ponzi? chronicles the life of Charles Ponzi who is synonymous with the scam of paying off new investors with old investors money. This entertaining character would promise a 50% return on investment in 90 days.
   
   To recruit investors Ponzi would hire people on a freelance basis, whereby they would earn 10% of new investors money. For example, if they located someone willing to invest $1000 they would earn $100. These recruiters would target both the poor and the wealthy. This caused such a surge in demand that Ponzi could afford paying off old investors with the new money that was constantly pouring in.
   
   Each major city eventually had someone working for him, and eventually there would be thousands of investors lined up, waiting patiently for hours for the privilege of investing.
   
   At one point major banks had to shut down because most account holders were withdrawing all of their funds to invest with Ponzi. Ponzi of course had enough money to rescue some banks from bankruptcy and became a majority shareholder.
   
   These investments were based on a bogus business of buying and selling International Reply Coupons.
   
   This is thrilling to read and at times what happens sounds too unbelievable to be. Other scenes are hilarious as the story moves around from one con to another. My only complaint with this book is that at times the author ?Donald Dunn? dictates what Ponzi is thinking, when there is no actual way for him to know.
   
   This is a great addition to the ?Broadway Books Library of Larceny?. You might also want to read another book in this series titled ?Where?s the Money?, which is the autobiography of Willie Sutton, a famous bank robber.



5. Written like a novel, this is the true story of Charles Ponzi, the most famous con man using the "rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul" scam. I found the book to be entertaining without a dull spot. After several unsuccessful cons, he started with a small stake and took people's money and paid them 50% in 45 days. When other people heard, the number of investors mushroomed. He finally made about $8,000,000 (in the 1920's) in this pyramid scheme before he was caught.

3 comments about Driven To Murder.

1. Cody Posey had a difficult childhood partly because of his father, Paul Posey, and his constant abusive behavior towards him. When he was with his mother, Cody had a much better life. Then she perished in a car accident and died right before him, he would soon return to his father, stepmother Tyrone, and stepsister Marilea who he would murder to stop the years of abuse from them whether physical, verbal, and psychological. Cody Posey's life was not envious because he was constantly subjected to work on the farms that his father was employed to care including Sam Donaldson's farm or ranch out in Hondo, New Mexico. It was there that the horror would occur. One day, Cody snapped and shot to death of his father, stepmother, and stepsister. His defense was supported by witnesses, relatives, friends, neighbors, and ranch hands who witnessed his father's unrelenting, cruel abuse towards his only son as a way to straighten him up. There is no question that Paul Posey was merciless towards his son, Cody. He was harsh, critical, and beat him every chance that Cody failed to live up to his father's expectations. Now while I understand that the stepmother and stepsister were abusive towards Cody as well but not nearly as bad as his father which makes you wonder why he turned his patricide into a triple homicide. He was not sentenced to life or death but to a juvenile facility. You can't forget that he was only 14 years old at the time of the murders but I still believe that he needs more than the juvenile facility as punishment. He should face some incarceration time. After his life with his father, the New Mexico State Prison system should be much better, easier, and a way to make up for the other losses. While I know that his stepmother and stepsister were not ideal and more of wicked than family, their deaths just don't seem right. I can't help thinking that his age and his life got him leniency when people have done just as much and have been placed on death row. I'm not advocating death penalty since it's an abysmal failure anyway. I just think that Cody deserves to serve some time as adult to pay for taking Tyrone and Marilea's lives away as well as his own father.



2. This book is a summary of the information about the Cody Posey case that was written in newspapers or reported on TV. It also includes an extensive chronological summary of the day by day court case happenings. The book ends with the sentencing verdict by the judge. If you know nothing about this case, this is a good book to read. If you followed the case closely as I did on the Internet and on Court TV, there is not a thing new that you don't already know that is in this book.



3. Much of this book was not exactly unbiased. Cody may have been a child when he committed these murders, but this child was able to function through his own cover-up. Afterwards he went swimming and galavanting with friends who later indicated that he gave no signs of what had just happened. A human being who finally snaps due to abuse does not calmly plan a cover-up. Nor does he think so clearly as to plan that the stepmother needs to be killed first so he could ambush his father and stepsister when they rushed to the house upon hearing the gunshots.
   Too much planning went into this crime. Was Cody abused? Probably he was to some extent. I truly believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. A few years in juvy is ridiculous in this case.
   As I read through the book, I began to feel that Cody probably was a very manipulative child--one who lacks a conscience.
   There are so many books available in this genre. Many of them are much better than this one. The section on the trial really begins to drag and I found myself skimming through that part--something I rarely do with a book. You'd probably be better off selecting another book rather than this one, although is certainly is not a bad book.

5 comments about Dance Of Death.

1. I was excited to come across this book as I live about 2 hours from Myrtle Beach, yet had never heard of the Brent Poole case. I am halfway through the book and am disappointed so far.
   
   I, personally, like a true crime book to really delve into the personal life and psyche of the main people involved. Most of the information this book gives regarding Brent and Renee Poole can be gleaned from the back cover. Brent was a young, loving father and husband; Renee was a stripper who had an affair. How about a few more details of their past?? Yes, the author does recount a few stories of when they met, when Brent proposed, their breakups, etc., but, in my opinion, a LOT more could have been divulged about their personalities and their past.
   
   Instead, this book details AT LENGTH the interviews the police had with Renee, ad nauseum. Several key points are repeated when relaying interview information. I've skimmed quite a bit through this book.
   
   This is nitpicky, but the editing leaves something to be desired. Incorrectly spelled words, awkward sentence structure, and strange eupehmisms are just a few examples of bad editing.



2. In fairness to author Hudson, any suspense this reviewer might have enjoyed from "Dance of Death" was wiped away by an incident on the West Side of Manhattan in the winter of 1977. Back then, a couple emerged from a party, ready to return to their East Side apartment, only to find their car had a flat tire. (Hint: No one drives short distances here). While putting on the spare, the husband was murdered, with his spouse unharmed. It did not take NYPD long to smell the rat and soon wifey and the perp were on their way to the Big House. Transfer that scene to a nighttime beach in Myrtle Beach, SC and one has the crux of the DD story. This review won't give away the ending, but it must be obvious. And if it isn't then the front and back cover of DD spell it out! And Tundra will be reassured to learn that the "Ann Rule rule" is also in effect: those centerfold photos also divulge all. How any readers found any suspense in DD is beyond this observer. There is another critical problem: DD is too long! The tales of police investigations, interrogations and the prosecution are far too verbose. DD cries out for that proverbial stern editor with a sharp blue pencil to thin out the text. This reviewer has the following recommendations for potential readers: 1) Scroll down! Most reviews of DD are favorable! This is one of those pesky minority opinions. 2) Totally ignore the front cover, back cover and the centerfold. 3) Don't relate the incident herein to any other real life crime. Just start reading. Those who can follow this well-intended advice may enjoy DD. On a positive note, this does happen to be a well-researched and well-documented story. Also, author Hudson has does a fine job of interjecting local background and color; folks in the Carolinas should pounce. This reader enjoyed Chapter 4 which is devoted to the history and development of Myrtle Beach. The activities described in DD aside, the town appears to be a nice place to visit!



3. The first half of this book was good. Interesting and well written. However, I felt it unnecessary to read the second half for I already knew what was going to happen.



4. I was so engrossed in Dance of Death that I read the book in two nights. What amazes me is that Renee Poole was so devious and evil that she could stand there on the beach and watch her boyfriend kill her husband, the father of her child. Even worse, she planned the trip and lured her husband to the beach, knowing all the time John Boyd Frazier would be there to kill him. How could one woman be so cold? Only Renee Poole knows the answer to that question. This is the second book I have read by author Dale Hudson and I have thorougly enjoyed both. Normally, I don't write reviews, but this author has been criticized very heavily for errors and misspellings in the book. Granted, they take away from the story, but I don't think it is the author's fault for these mistakes. Every book has them, it is just that this particular publisher has a few more errors than normal. But it still doesn't take away from the story that Hudson has written. True crime stories are always about mayhem and death, and this author does a super job capturing these moments. I would recommend this book to any reader.



5. I really couldn't get into this book. I really enjoyed Hudson's "An Hour To Kill". Infact, I couldn't put it down, so I figured this would be same. However, I just felt bored while reading it.

4 comments about Simon Says: A True Story of Boys, Guns, and Murder.

1. The shocking teen violence and depravity in this country that a decade ago seemed like a horrid anomaly, unfortunately now seems to have become a weekly occurrence. On New Year's Eve 2000 in the rural countryside outside of Colorado Springs, just twenty months after the Columbine massacre, a Grandmother, Grandfather and their fifteen year old Grandson were brutally and senselessly murdered.
   
   The investigation that followed revealed that four teenage boys with ages that ranged from fifteen to nineteen years old were involved in committing the murders, planning the murders, and destroying crucial evidence. One of the boys, fifteen year old Isaac Grimes, who was later convicted of murdering fifteen year old Tony Dutcher by slitting his throat from behind with a knife in such a heinous way as described in the court records: "at issue, is the brutality with which the defendant killed Tony. The autopsy showed he sawed back and forth." "The D.A. demonstrated a sawing motion with his hand against the loose skin of his own neck." "He severed the spinal cord, not just the spinal column." What makes this repulsive crime even more incredulous is the fact that Isaac and Tony used to be best friends.
   
   The Grandparent's Carl and Joanna Dutcher were slaughtered in a salvo of bullets. But the backdrop of this horrendous crime that joggles the imagination and all human sensibilities, is the relationship and "pecking order" of the four teenage criminal sociopaths Simon Sue, Jon Matheny, Isaac Grimes and to a lesser extent Glen Urban. (He destroyed evidence.) Simon at nineteen was the oldest high school student and he filled the role as a "Svengali" like leader. His parents were originally from Guyana a small South American country. None of the future criminals had many real friends, so Simon targeted them to become part of a non-existent "secret" paramilitary organization, "Operations and Reconnaissance Agents" (OARA). Simon said "OARA stood ready to serve should a coup arise against the standing Guyanese government, the People's Progressive Party. Under Simon's tutelage the boys learned to assemble and disassemble weapons, practiced shooting and planned and carried out burglaries. All without any of their parents knowing what was going on. When Simon demanded they murder Tony Dutcher and his Grandparents while Simon was conveniently out of the country, the other boys followed orders, later saying Simon's threats to murder their families kept them from telling anyone.
   
   After the murders the police and CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigation) during the course of their investigation turned up among other things at Simon's house alone; THIRTY SIX GUNS, MOST OF THEM MILITARY ASSAULT RIFLES, WEDGED INTO A CLOSET... THEY TAGGED UZIS, SKS,'S AND AK-47'S. As heart wrenching as the murders themselves are, the domino "death-affect" tremors of loss to all surviving family members is just as important in the telling of this tragic senseless crime. Charles Dutcher alone lost his son and his Mother and Father. The authors writing style is not poetic, nor does it revive memories of Hemingway or other famous authors. But what the author does succeed at is terrific investigative reporting. There is not a wasted chapter or a wasted page. The reader is taken step by step through this entire sordid mess. She cannot give you the big answers, because that's the problem with this heart-breaking catastrophe, no logical person with a heart beating with even an ounce of humanity can answer the questions that this story and far too many stories like this raise. As many scientists state: "THE BEST EXPERIMENTS CREATE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS" AND PERHAPS THIS BOOK SHOULD BE FILED UNDER THE SAME HEADING!



2. Kathryn Eastburn is at her best with the telling of this tragic tale. She approaches the subject with a reporter's objectivity, yet true to form with all of her writing, there is an underlying humaness that refrains from stooping to sensationalism or lecturing.



3. Make sure you have a significant amount of time available before you start to read this book, because you will have a difficult time putting it down. I read it in two sittings. It rates right up there with Judgment Ridge, the story of the two Dartmouth professors who were murdered by two Vermont teenagers less than one month later in January of 2001. Simon Says is an appropriate title for this new book because it is the tragic story of a very controlling and charismatic high school student named Simon Sue who manipulated those he saw as vulnerable into doing whatever he demanded. If they failed to do his bidding the threat of death to themselves and family members was made to appear real. One of the vulnerable boys, Isaac Grimes, murders his former best friend, Tony Dutcher, by cutting his throat as he slept while another, Jon Matheny, murders the boy's grandparents in their home by shooting them to death. The book covers the boys' relationship with charismatic leader Simon Sue, the murders, detective work needed to get confessions, the guilty pleas of each of the defendants, and subsequent appeals. This is a book filled with tragedy not only for the boys involved, but for other family members as well. It is a story without any winners. The only redemptive feature is a forgiving relationship between Isaac Grimes' mother and the mother of Tony Dutcher, the boy who Isaac murdered. It is the tragic story of an individual with a controlling and charismatic personality preying on vulnerable and younger individuals who otherwise would have never have become involved in such tragic behavior. The books' cover says it quite thoroughly, "A True Story of Boys, Gun, and Murder." I definitely got the feeling the boys, however belatedly, appreciated the beauty of their Colorado surroundings and would now not be able to enjoy the freedom they once had.



4. So just what is going on here? How can teenagers be so gullable and what's with this fascination with firearms? Whatever happened to playing varsity and intramural sports, going to Friday night dances and trying out for the school play? For me the harrowing events depicted in Kathryn Eastburn's "Simon Says" serves as a stark reminder that evil really does exist in this world and that young teenagers are a prime target for those who seek to spread it. You will find yourself just shaking your head again and again when you learn about the senseless murders of three members of the Dutcher family in the remote hamlet of Guffey, CO in the wee small hours of New Years Day 2001. Incredibly, the individual who ordered the "hit" on the Dutcher family and the two young men who carried out the bloody deed were all students at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs. "Simon Says" is a chilling tale that brings to mind the likes of Charles Manson and the Reverand Jim Jones.
   Author Kathryn Eastburn does a marvelous job of portraying the young men who would become caught up in this tangled web. The leader of the group was a young man named Simon Sue. Simon had moved to Colorado with his parents from his native Guyana. He was a natural born leader in search of malleable young minds to exert influence over. Sue was fascinated with guns and with the military and bragged to whoever would listen that he was part of a secret paramilitary group known as the OARA. In the fall of 2000 he found a pair of recruits in 15 year old Isaac Grimes and his older pal Jon Methany. Later on another young man named Glen Urban would join the group. Just a few short months later, Simon Sue would order his troops to kill the Dutchers and his willing accomplices carried out his wishes.
   Of course, "Simon Says" offers comprehensive coverage of the investigation into this heinous crime and of the subsequent trials of these young men. You will meet the detectives who finally managed to ferret out the facts of this case and the lawyers who argued for both sides during the interminable proceedings that would follow. Then you will learn how each of the families, the students at Palmer High School and the community at large tried to cope with these sensational events. There are so many issues to ponder here and I am sure that each reader will attempt to make sense of it all. But in my estimation this is simply not possible. At the end of the day far more questions than answers remain. Despite Kathryn Eastburn's best efforts to help us to understand I don't believe that anyone can present a rational explanation for what went down on that cold January morning in the Rockies. Nevertheless, I found "Simon Says" to be an exceptionally well written book that managed to hold my interest from cover to cover. Highly recommended!