1 comments about The Beast of Gevaudan: La B¿te du G¿vaudan.

1. This is by far the best Beast Of Gevaudan book ever compiled. On it's own it is also a great intreagueing read on all levels. Here is the story, presented in full, uncut, with all the actual factual documents and accounts of the terror of LA Bete. Truly scary true story.

No comments about Daemonolgie.

1 comments about The Plumber: The True Story of How One Good Man Helped Destroy the Entire Philadelphia Mafia.

1. An excellent book,how one small time man can bring down a large powerfull organisation,very well detailed, leaving you in no doubt as to the strugle that the plumber and his family had to go through, the court transcripts at the end are and added bonus that i enjoyed very much

No comments about In Good Faith.

5 comments about Poison Mind.

1. This book started out interesting, and then became bogged down in an undercover officer wasting her time discovering NOTHING. After an exciting beginning, it was a disappointment in the end.

   It seems all the 'danger' the officer was in was in her head, as the alledged killer never threatened her or did ANYTHING even remotely scarey, other than act like a 'geek' (which the police found suspect).

   Im my opinion, Susan Goreck's undercover operation of George Trepal was a total waste of time and money, coming up with nothing solid in the end. She seemed to find him suspicious because he was an introverted loner, who happened to hold a PhD in chemistry. All the evidence was circumstantial. All the personal information revealed about George and his wife had nothing to do with the case, and is an embarassment these petty things came out in an 'official' police investigation.

   Such a bad piece of undercover work is a disservice to the poor family who suffered these tragedies.

   Whether George Trepal really did it or not, the undercover investigation uncovered nothing interesting. The only good news is the book was well written by ghost-writer Jeffrey Good, and the case itself is interesting.

   Thank god I live in Illinois, because the Florida police seem to equate computer users with killers!




2. I found this book interesting. It's worth of the money i spent.

   Firstly, it was very strange to see that a Mensa member ruined his life in such a way. It's a fact that the intelligence of a person doesn't guarantee his/her happiness or his/her success. This man could be a great scientist, like Albert Einstein or Nicola Tesla. He could have discovered the cure for cancer or AIDS. However, he succeded in drugs and death.

   Furthermore, this book shows the way of living of an undercover agent. Susan, faced a lethal danger being undercover near a dangerous killer. It was very hard to keep (and losing sometimes) balance between being hershelf and being somebody else.
   The man's mind will not ever be discovered. It's a great chaos. Susan discovered the attractive, intelligent and interesting side of the killer (fortunately, it was not hard for her partners to ....bring her back to normal).

   Finally, i found it very interesting. It doesn't show only facts, evidence and law enforcement. It shows the life and the emotions of all involved in this case.




3. George Trepal has been a friend of mine since the mid 1980s, long before he was accused of this crime. What bothers me about this book is also what bothered me about the investigation: that other people with motive, means and opportunities were not thoroughly investigated, and that the victims continued to be poisoned while in the hospital and not within George's so called reach. I do not know if George did the crime, but I do think this book is a reflection of the real crime here, and that is of professionals doing a poor job of examining all of the facts before rushing to judgment. I think an impartial review of the facts does not lead to guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. George may have indeed committed this crime, but I think he was falsely convicted of said. This book could have looked at that aspect better. Djordan@cfl.rr.com



4. True crime buffs will undoubtedly enjoy this book, particularly if you've seen the television programs devoted to this case. However, some of the authors' attempts to create suspense during Susan Goreck's undercover work seem a bit overblown. All of George Trepal's personality quirks, no matter how minor, are made to seem evil and malevolent. We are repeatedly told that Susan was risking her life throughout her surveillance, when it's abundantly obvious that she was in little (if any) danger from the geeky George.
   
   The authors also place unwarranted emphasis on George and Diana's interest in BDSM sex; their leather goods, sex toys, basement play dungeon, etc. are described in ominous detail. Only the most naive reader will think this has anything to do with Trepal's crimes.
   
   Some more in-depth information about Diana Carr would have been most welcome. Her role in the poisonings has never been fully explored.
   
   To their credit, the authors thoroughly debunk the popular image of Mensa as a lofty, serious organization with high ideals (it's more like a singles club for snooty, socially-dysfunctional geeks).



5. If George Trepal really did poison his next door neighbors, he will go down in history as one of the sickest minds to ever live. If on the other hand, Trepal didn't do it, he will be remembered as a victim of great injustice.
   Either way, the book is superbly written. How one human being could cause such terrible suffering on his fellow human beings will perplex me till the day I die.

5 comments about May God Have Mercy: A True Story of Crime and Punishment.

1. to Roger Keith Coleman-Con Man Par Excellence. Has there ever been a better one? This lying, murdering piece of human debris who brutally raped and killed his own sister-in-law somehow managed to convince thousands of well-meaning but stupid people that he was innocent of this heinous crime. Including, perhaps, some high officials in the Commonwealth of Virginia who fought for years against using more sophisticated DNA identification techniques which would conclusively have proven his guilt or innocence. Now we know the truth and the well-meaning idiots who somehow convinced themselves of Coleman's innocence are left with egg on their faces. Serves them right. Roger Keith Coleman was a lying, sociopathic con man in addition to being a murderer. It wasn't the first time a guilty man has managaed to convince many good people of his innocence. Too bad it won't be the last either but maybe now Wanda McCoy, Coleman's almost forgotten victim, can finally rest in peace knowing that justice was indeed served in 1992 when Coleman was put to death for her murder.



2. Even though this book is nicely written, easy to follow, and quite intriguing, it has now been proven both out of date and wrong. The man accussed of murder, Roger Coleman, was conclusively proven guilty just recently, using DNA tests, which did not exist back when the murder happened, nor when this book was written. Unfortunately the author clearly thinks that Coleman is innocent, because the evidence appeared weak. So you will probably only enjoy this book if you are interested in a case where a man was executed on what looked like weak evidence.



3. Don't bother to read this one, folks. Coleman was found guilty after his D.N.A. was re-tested posthumously. All that publicity for a murderer, yet no justice for the 19-year old girl he brutally raped and killed. This man is exactly the pig we thought him to be, and now it's been proven.



4. I was lucky enough to meet someone who had worked on Roger Coleman's case and who knew the author, John C. Tucker. Despite what many of the reviewers here imply, Tucker did not write this book trying to convince the reader that Coleman was innocent. In fact, upon completion, he said he still wasn't sure about Coleman. On the one hand I was disappointed that Coleman was guilty because I'd grown to like him over the course of the book; On the other hand I am pleased that Virginia did not execute an innocent man.
   
   But beyond that, this is an amazing story of the way the justice system works sometimes. As a member of the legal profession, with experience working on murder trials, I can say that the evidence in this case was grossly inadequate to convict Mr. Coleman. Even though he was indeed guilty, the evidence was purely circumstantial and there were plausible explanations for even the most damning evidence. His attorney was a first year tax lawyer who had never tried a criminal case in his life, up against the best prosecutor in the county. He was denied his last appeal because of a filing error that resulted from a mis-calculated 3-day weekend. The procedures by which his lie detector test was administrated are enough to make anyone embarrassed of the criminal justice system. Again, putting aside his guilt, one can't help but be angered by the imperfections of our legal system.
   
   For anyone interested in criminal law and capital punishment this is a must read.



5. I was born & raised in Grundy; as well I am the same age and did attend school with Wanda. She was a very sweet little girl that did not deserve to die in the horrible fashion that she did.
   
   It was a very small town where everyone knew everyone and it was in this way that I also knew Roger, he was a lowlife in every sense of the word.
   
   He was a rapist, a murderer, and a liar to the end.
   
   The end of his life should have been as painful and terrifying as the one he made for Wanda.

1 comments about The White-Collar Crime: Offenses in Business, Politics and The Professions, 3rd Ed.

1. This is a great book, especially for those in Wise's legal research class.

No comments about The 9/11 Commission Report.

5 comments about Night Stalker (True Crime (St. Martin's Paperbacks)).

1. A hispantic man in the Los Anglos area goes around killing people. He tortures, mutilates and kills many innocent people for his own pleasure. He does this things to "please Satan". He makes his victems swear to satan that they won't scream. Richard Rameriez is the killer. He leaves the pentagon (a satanic symbol) in each victems house. His man target is Asian people. He only does these things to the people in a one story house and that live close to a highway. When he is caught he admits to his crimes and he feels no remorse for what he has done. He is proud of what he has done.



2. The Night Stalker has the tendency to keep you on the edge of your seat. There's no way possisble to not finish this book. You will learn more about what happened in LA in this one book than anywhere else. It is very detailed in what had happened to all his victims and it puts you in the victim's families place. I highly recommend this book but only if you're into true crime.



3. Not what I would call a well written book.

   Not even what I would call a factual book.

   That being said, I'd suggest that if Richard Ramirez fascinates you, and you wish to learn more about him and the crimes that he committed pick up a copy of Philip Carlo's book "The Night Stalker: the life and crimes of Richard Ramirez". Carol's book is a much better documented account of Ramirez, due in part, because Carlo actually interviewed Ramirez numerous times.

   If you really don't care that the information is correct or you just want a macabe story to read, then by all means, get this book. Otherwise, buy Carlo's book, you'll be happy you did.




4. "I'm your night prowler, break down your door
   I'm your night prowler, crawling 'cross your floor
   I'm your night prowler, make a mess of you, yes i will
   Night prowler, and i am telling this to you
   There ain't nothing you can do"
   
   AC-DC's "Night Prowler" (1979)
   
   From to 17 March to 8 August 1985, fourteen people were murdered and mutilated, with others surviving horrific ordeals. This was a serial killer, who in the case of couples, killed the man first, and if the woman was lucky, her too, as many left alive suffered even more. What initially puzzled the LA police was that the victims cut across race lines. Even though the first victims were Oriental or East Asian, the addition of dead Anglos put paid that theory. But what set the killings apart from the usual convenience store shootings was their sheer savagery, as one of the victims had her eyes plucked out. Another victim bravely spoke to him after her ordeal so she could remember his face should he be caught.
   
   Clifford Linedecker's account of Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, is a well-detailed account that takes the reader from the first victim, to his being sentenced to death by a California jury, and even a to-date postscript, showing that he is still on death row.
   
   The book delves into more than just the killings themselves. Linedecker explains the race and population demographics in LA as a background. LA is such a racially diverse place, that various race groups formed their own enclave in the metropolis, such as the Japanese and Chinese in Cerritos, the Thais and Salvadorans in Hollywood Hills, and Mexicans in east. It's also such an economic powerhouse that it could be an independent country if it chose.
   
   Night Stalker also details the working of the press and how things haven't changed since the days of Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde, that of making killers into heroes. In this case, it was the Los Angeles Herald Examiner that gave Ramirez his well-known monicker, The Night Stalker. And the methodology used by detectives in tracking down serial killers-Wayne Williams and the Atlanta Child Murders is used as the example-is included.
   
   If anything, Ramirez turned LA residential areas into fortresses. Demand for guns, security systems, fences, and guard dogs skyrocketed, Neighbourhood Watches sprouted like duckweed, and any unfamiliar person in the neighbourhood were reported. In fact, one husband gave his wife a cyanide pill should the Night Stalker break in, figuring that death was better than what he would do to her. But what also amazed me was the relative laxness in home security. Ramirez entered via unlocked doors. Why not just put a sign on the door saying "Hey, Night Stalker, kill and torture me"?
   
   Another chapter delves into the clues and how they weave into past history and the prevalent pop culture. Ramirez's AC-DC cap fuelled the fire of heavy metal being the devil's music, and all amid the teen suicides that took place because parents blamed albums by Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest. In fact, "Night Prowler" from AC-DC's Highway To Hell album was made the Night Stalker's anthem. Another is the pentagram drawn on one of the victims. There follows a brief discussion on the devil-worshipping and the Knights Templar. At least Linedecker gets accurate Anton LaVey's sect that they don't sacrifice animals or people.
   
   The final section deals with the trial, which took three and a half years of legal juggling on the side of the defense. Ramirez wasn't the most genteel of defendants, his outrageous behaviour resulting in his removal from the courtroom.
   
   A well-documented account of one of the U.S.'s most notorious serial killers.



5. This is the WORST book I have ever read in my life. Riddled with discrepancies, the author felt the egotistical heroism to change the name of some of the victims (which are readily available to anyone who wants to research them anyway) all this book does is irritate and confuse those who are already familiar with the Night Stalker case. Even some of the names he DIDN'T try to cover up, he got wrong. The suspect's sister, as one example. The author is obviously biased and will make underhanded cheap shots at Mr.Ramirez at any open opportunity. It's childish and disgusting and makes for a terrible read, completely un-educational, the false facts poison the entire story. Mr.Linedecker couldn't even get the number of siblings Richie had/has correct, he consistantly goes back to change the "facts" he had already mentioned and gotten incorrect (such as how a victim had been killed, going from shooting an incorrect number of times, to stabbing). Falsified information, he repeats himself endlessly, skips details altogether, and just plain makes things up. I have zero respect for this author, this was an uninteresting read through and through. Before I had even begun, I was curious how someone could fully cover a subject like this with so few pages, and the answer is--you can't. I felt as if I was reading the rough draft of an awful story that a 5th grader had written, I hope the author didn't get paid for this piece of trash. Take this one out of the 'true crime' section and file this one under FICTION, in the bargain bin.
   
   If you want the real deal, please, I cannot beg you enough, read Night Stalker by Philip Carlo. He's a brilliant author who spent over 100 hours talking with Richard Ramirez himself. I trust that he got all the information he possibly could, as close to truth as humanly possible. He's creative with his words, expresses environments in such a way you can nearly feel it, and most importantly he isn't biased. He brings us enlightenment on every area of the subjects life, this book provides a wonderful insight into the killers mind, and puts you right there in the action.
   
   Leave Linedecker's garbage in the trash, where it belongs.

1 comments about Death by Cannibal: Criminals with an Appetite for Murder.

1. I thought I'd heard of all the worst cannibal killers, but Albert Fentress & John Weber were new to me. The chapters on John Weber are fantastic. This book tells you everything you wanted to know, and then goes beyond into things that you almost don't want to know, but you can't stop reading. I liked that the murders chosen are a bit obscure- there's no Dahmer for example or Ed Geines and this pleased me- we've all heard & read all about them already. This book is a page turner!