5 comments about Altered Evidence.

1. A real-life X-files episode unfolds within the pages of Altered-Evidence. Investigative journalist James Sanders writes about how he AND his wife were targeted by the justice department for uncovering evidence of a severely flawed investigation into the TWA Flight 800 tragedy. Those he criticized reacted by prosecuting him, rather than cleaning up their act.

   The FBI illegally obtained his phone records and seized his computer's hard drive. By intimidating friends and sources, while carefully manipulating the press, the Justice Department successfully indicted a journalist and his wife.

   Altered Evidence tells this story in detail and presents evidence the mainstream media chooses to ignore. Evidence: the nearest surface vessel to the tragedy remains "unidentified" by the FBI; this ship did not assist in search and rescue, but steamed away at 30 knots into an armada of similar targets; most (~30) of these were traveling into a military warning zone; suspicious activity at the border of the warning zone has not been explained by government investigators--in fact it, the area was not included in the government exhibits.

   This and much more can be found within the pages of Altered Evidence. Anyone who enjoys and wishes to maintain the freedoms promised in the 1st Amendment should read this book.




2. I first picked up Sanders' Downing of TWAFlight 800 in 1997 in a grocery store and was astounded at the suggestion that a missile took down Flight 800 off Long Island in the summer of 1996. I then began to research the issue myself and discovered that there was classified military activity out there, nitrates were found on debris, fist-sized holes were found in steel seat backs. The story that explosive residue found in the plane was from a dog-training exercise was not true. Later, to my amazement I learned that the government had indicted Jim Sanders for conspiracy to remove evidence from a crash site. A TWA pilot, Terrell Stacey, who questioned the investigation and was a part of it, gave Sanders a worthless piece of fabric from a seat back to have tested, since the FBI had refused to let the investigators know the results of their test of the fabric. Sanders' testing showed chemicals which could have been from solid fuel missile exhaust, something certainly deserving of further inquiry by the NTSB. Instead the FBI indicted Sanders and his wife, who had trained most of the flight crew on the plane: they lost 18 friends. Sanders, a conservative Republican retired cop and accident investigator was demonized by the FBI and NTSB to the families of the victims and convicted last Spring. He was sentenced to 20 hours community service even though the Chairman of the NTSB, Jim Hall, had written a letter to Judge Seybert recommending she make an example of him. He was facing ten years in prison for essentially questioning the government's version of the crash where the official position is that no missiles were involved. Sanders' new book, Altered Evidence, is the story of this First Amendment case and presents much evidence (including photos) to buttress the suggestion that a missile, and possibly two, hit TWA Flight 800 during classified military maneuvers. The evidence? New radar data showing a virtual flotilla of objects ten miles south of the crash site heading into W105, a military restricted area, admission of classified activity by official documents and even former FBI head Jim Kallstrom in a taped phone call, not to mention the 96 eyewitnesses who the NTSB even admits saw something rise from the surface and go up toward the plane. These eyewitnesses were purposely left out, kept out, of the public NTSB hearings in Dec 1997. Many people think terrorists missiles were involved, but the overwhelming evidence points toward military activity beyond what a few terrorists in a speed boat could possibly do with small shoulder-fired missiles. This was a tragic accident which we need to own up to and compensate the families accordingly rather than persecute the messengers and make a mockery of the Constitution. Everyone should read this book and decide for themselves.



3. Compared to his "The Downing of TWA Flight 800", this new book by James Sanders,"Altered Evidence" provides a lot more information about the tragedy and its aftermath. There is much more information concerning the "friendly fire" thesis, a considerable quantity of information concerning the legal case and trial of James and Elizabeth Sanders, and relevant analysis of the author's concerns about the current state of America's news media.

   A reader may approach "Altered Evidence" with the question as to whether James Sanders has retreated from the "friendly fire" scenario he was advocating in print almost three years ago. The answer to that question is clearly a loud and definitive "No!". In examining how "Altered Evidence" approaches the "friendly fire" missile scenario, it immediately becomes apparent that the topic displays two major divisions: evidence suggestive of an exterior hit upon TWA Flight 800 by one or more U.S. missiles, and efforts of the government to conceal that possibility.

   In analyzing the federal reaction to the destruction of TWA flight 800, author Sanders discusses some of the strategic milestones in what he considers the government's concealment of the true nature of the tragedy. According to this view, the knowledge that TWA Flight 800 had been struck by one or more missiles was known by officials almost immediately. Another key development was the formation and execution of a investigative strategy to allow the FBI to control the flow of TWA Flight 800-related information and to permit it to maintain a tightly controlled investigation. Sanders calls this technique the "crime scene scheme", and it results in a condition he calls the "sanctity of the crime scene facade"."Altered Evidence" explains how those strategies were constructed and carried out.

   The book examines a great many other topics in addition to those referred to above. For example, there is more on the mysterious "red residue" subject...more on the dubious "canine explosives exercise" story...more on the Navy and its exotic CEC program...much more on the radar data...more on eyewitnesses to the disaster....and lots more on official behind-the-scenes conduct.

   Chapters 17 through 41 tell the story of the pursuit of James and Elizabeth Sanders by the FBI and their prosecution by the Justice Department after it had become known that James had acquired and tested residues which had been found by official investigators in a small, well-defined, and crucial part of the TWA Flight 800 reconstruction. The legal issues involved are important and interesting, and from these pages it is not difficult to appreciate why the Sanderses are appealing the convictions the government achieved against them. Persons who followed the trial in the media should read these chapters carefully to survey the issues from the point of view of the defendants before arriving at their own personal verdicts on the case.

   I think one of the most interesting chapters in the entire book is Chapter 42. It carries the title "Propaganda or Journalism?" In general, it is an energetic philippic against the American news media, which author Sanders believes has grown fat feeding at the trough of official sources and no longer has the ethics, heart or legs for energetic and independent investigative reporting. Dan Rather takes a hit as well...as does "Good Morning America"...."Dateline" (that's three networks already!)...the "New York Times"...and other journalists who have echoed the official line on TWA Flight 800.

   Each of these instances is interesting support for the Sanders view that the media is not a part of a vast and active government/communications conspiracy, but that the media has developed a world-view in which government spokespersons and their minions are given every benefit of the doubt while "outsiders" with contrary information and opinions are subjected to mass media hostility, ridicule, or the cold shoulder.

   I enjoyed reading "Altered Evidence" by James Sanders, and I think this is a very useful book. I recommend it to anyone who has any interest whatever in the TWA Flight 800 case, for the current status of the American legal system or of the American news media. There is disquieting information in this book, and I am sure portions of it will spark debate among persons having an interest in what happened on July 17, 1996.




4. I felt very saddened by the state of the media in the USA. It confirmed my suspicion I had based on other news issues, that the minds of the media are owned by corporations. Any reader of this book will soon appreciate his/her local free press.



5. The sheer size of the alleged conspiracy is what makes the author's thesis absurd and untenable. No leaks from any of the thousands that had to have been involved? Cover-ups and lies not only from bogeyman feds and Clinton admin, but lowly sailors, airport workers and public employees? I don't think so. And neither should you.

   This febrile, demented garbage is all of a piece with the most paranoid conspiracy theories of the age, chiefly out of the so-called libertarian right, from Waco, to Mena airport, to Vince Foster's suicide, right through to the protocols of the elders of Zion. There is not one single solitary piece of hard evidence to back it up. All the discrepancies and confusions in the TWA 800 story resulted from the FBI and the NTSB having to share an investigation and not being used to it. And guess what. Some discrepancies might be the result of honest errors.

   One irony is that, like these authors with the aluminum foil covers on their heads, the investigators originally thought it was a bomb or a missile. Only the evidence led them to realise it was not, and that the center tank exploded because it was full of inflammable vapors. It happened before, and unless the NTSB's recommendations are carried through, it will happen again.

   Neither a bomb, nor an errant missile, nor angry aliens. This was an aviation industry standard crash.

5 comments about Dead Center: The Shocking True Story of a Murder on Snipe Mountain.

1. My husband and I both enjoyed reading this book. Having been to the Uncompahgre Plateau several times, and having lived and worked in the same area that the main characters in the book lived and worked, it brought the entire story to life for us. We remember when it happened, although we knew none of the characters in the book. It is very well written, easy to follow, and although detailed about firearms, Mr. Daniels wrote an easy book to read. I highly recommend the book.



2. This book gave me insight to the details of a killer's mind. Janice is someone who could walk amongst us on any given day yet her greed made her take that extra step into evil that most of us are able to resist. The description of the gathering of evidence and of putting a case together so that Janice would not get away with this murder is presented in an organized and exciting way. I highly recommend this book to everyone from those unfamiliar with the investigation and court system to the trial lawyers.



3. Dead Center is a well paced and descriptively vivid and evocative tale of murder on the high plateau. The reader is drawn into the ambiguities of a capital case. Of particular fascination is the ability of the prosecution on behalf of the People to win a first degree murder conviction without a murder weapon and also without specifying whether or not the defendant acted as the principal (pulled the trigger) or as a complicitor. The Colorado Court of Appeals has affirmed the verdict in a case that was extremely difficult to prove.



4. This book is a great read. You really get the feeling of the hard work and long hours put into investigations, even if arrests are sometimes a bit slow in coming (at least in the minds of us outsiders). I definitely recommend Dead Center.



5. There have been stories like this before, but they are very rare, and incredible when told. It is the tale of a black widow murderess who kills her husband for financial gain. Often stories of this ilk rise to national consciousness because it's so astonishing when a woman kills in such a cold-blooded manner. Usually the MO is poison, but not so for Janice Dodson the central character in this murder. She shot her husband on Snipe Mountain in the Colorado wilderness with a high powered hunting rifle, dead center in the chest.

   What makes this story so intriguing is the perspective from which it is told. The author is the prosecutor of this case, and he recounts in great detail the complete investigation and subsequent trial. The reader gets a sense of the incredible amount of work and dedication it took from law enforcement and the DA's office to bring this case to trial. That it even came to trial is remarkable, and a true testament to the dogged determination shown by the author and others over a five year period.

   All in all, a fascinating narrative of an incredible story and a great read.

4 comments about Faces of Evil.

1. If you ever had the talent to draw people, you could be a great portrait artist. Lois Gibson writes about her traumatic rape as a young woman in Los Angeles but also her aspirations to be an artist. She just didn't decide one day to be a forensic artist for the Houston Police Department. She had to convince them that her forensic art was necessary to track down and find horrendous criminals who were guilty of rape and murder. She opens the book about the case of LaShondra, a young girl who was badly beaten and decomposed. Ironically, she gets the case on September 11, 2001. She writes about how she uses her own experience to help the traumatized and argues that Elizabeth Smart could have been found sooner if they had used the portrait developed by her sister, Mary Catherine, months before she was actually found. Rather than going by instinct of an actual witness, the police felt it was not in their best interest to use the drawing even though it's not Lois' but another forensic artists. In cases where the fugitives are dangerous criminals to society, forensic artistry can be a necessity in order to catch him. This book is a great argument for the use of forensic artists in major police departments around the country. I encourage those with the talent of drawing people and faces offer their talents to even the smaller town and city departments. It's tough enough getting a job like that as Lois will tell you because it just didn't happen overnight. She had to fight for the reason of having a forensic artist on the Houston Police Force. But Lois writes about how witnesses provide the necessary information in order to apprehend dangerous criminals. This book is a great read for true crime buffs like me. Lois does use her personal experience to help with traumatized victims with a great touch of comfort and respect.
   I just can't help wonder why she wasn't contacted for the BTK case.



2. I know the author personally and have witnessed the astonishing things she accomplishes with an artist's touch. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys seeing evil take a back seat to the artisan who works in tandum with law enforcement to put a face on predators.



3. I found "Faces of Evil" one of the best books I've ever read. I just couldn't read it fast enough. I had the honor of seeing Ms. Gibson, the Author at a conference in my city. Her story inspired me to purchase the book and I'm glad I did.



4. I picked up this paperback and couldn't put it down. I even had my wife read it just so she would know the slime that was out there. I'm not someone that wants to draw, I couldn't draw a matchstick person, but I read a lot of true crime and Lois put together a large amount of infomation in that area. She told it in a great manner. I highly recommend this book. Mick Addington

1 comments about An Act of Kindness.

1. 
   "No act of kindness goes unpunished" might be an alternative title for this explosive and meticulously researched book. It is a fast-paced indictment of the festering Bubba subculture in southeastern Louisiana, a subculture engulfed in ignorance, seething hatred and extreme violence.
   
   In the midst of one such backwoods garden of evil lived a woman who was virtually a paragon of goodness, Jane Nora Guillory, affectionately known as Genore. She was a professional woman of color with comfortable means who worked for a local insurance office. A loving and generous woman, Genore took into her heart and her care some thirty forgotten dogs, kenneling them along with the horses that she owned. She distinguished herself by many selfless acts, such as providing money and work for white neighbors who were struggling financially.
   
   It was all the more shocking that this lovely forty-two-year-old woman would be raped and murdered in an act of unthinkable cruelty. But who would do such a thing and why? The community was unprepared for the answer.
   
   Hustmyre, a writer with 22 years in law enforcement and retired federal agent, deftly takes the reader through the intimate twists and turns of the investigation. The reader can easily feel the frustrations of a dedicated sheriff's department that had solved the unsolvable, only to find that the DA that wanted to dismiss charges against the white supremacists responsible for her death.

4 comments about Book Of Medical Mistakes.

1. This book is definitely not the book to buy if you are looking for a credible source on medical mistakes. However, if accuracy is not a concern, it is an interesting book to read.

   The book tells of countless blunders by early medical practitioners up to modern day doctors. I learned a lot of interesting about the history behind many of present medical practices. Some topics covered are medications, surgeries, and their side effects, fraudulent billing practices, negligent doctors, and unethical procedures and practices.

   This book is extremely sensational. It is fast to make claims and statements that are not backed up by facts. The book offers no references or citations as to where to where the data and information was gathered. There are also hundreds of grammar errors and typos.




2. This book is a horribly inaccurate collection of stories. I found several mistakes well beyond just "typos". For example, the authors describe a normal sleep stage (Rapid eye movement sleep) as abnormal and causing "suffering" in patients. The case of Phineas Gage (p. 215) is also mistakenly described. The authors take advantage of the fact that most people have not taken a course in neuroanatomy or basic physiology to advance their agenda. I bought the book in the hope that it would be an important addition to my education, but was sorely disappointed. I now believe that any "fact" put forth by these authors should be taken with a grain of salt.



3. The grammar is not wrong,but is the way the English spell!.Has the first reviewer even thought of this or even aware of this?.....what curious arrogance to criticise the authors from a country that invented the language!...................



4. OK, the writing can get a bit flippant, and there are lots of typos! Still, for a nifty exploration of some really seriously bad medical errors, this is a fine read! Starting out with the thalidimide babies of the early 1960's, some really creepy stuff, and the lives of some of these individuals laters,moving on to cosmetic surgery mishaps, cases of poorly written and misread perscriptions, operations on the wrong part of the body, the Dalkon Shield disaster, and very weird medical ideas over the ages, the short mistreatments related here are cause for concern, and may provide a little numbness as you plow through. So for someone near illiterate in medicine and pharmacy, this is a bizarre and sometime frightening book!

3 comments about London 1849: A Victorian Murder Story.

1. Though it's sub-titled "A Victorian Murder Mystery", there is little mystery to be found in this book; the details of the crime and its aftermath are clearly described in the book's first chapter. That said, London, 1849 provides an accessible view of Victorian England's filthy, plague and crime-ridden capital. Branching out from the murder of Patrick O'Connor by Frederick and Maria Manning, London 1849 goes on to detail such topics as health issues, prostitution, poverty, marital relationships, sexuality, class issues and crime and punishment in Victorian London. Very detailed (if not a touch dry in a few spots), London, 1849 is recommended to anyone with an interest in Victorian life.



2. Frequently I read books not for the main subject matter but for the details of what life was like for the average person in a given time period. This was a pleasant surprise in its detail of life in London in 1849. It is not based on Kings, Queens, and Nobility but on the everyday life of the common people. I loved it.



3. As the second reviewer said, there is little mystery about this book as the actual crime takes up perhaps eight entire pages of 220. Other reviewers have said, however, that it was nice to have so much information about ordinary life in victorian London. I have to say that I was not much impressed. Most of the information was extremely basic and some merely based on the author's conjecture or reliance upon popular historical theory. The book itself was not terrible but not quite what I felt was advertised.

No comments about Bodies of Evidence: The Shocking True Story of America's Most Chilling Serial Murderess... From Crime Scene to Courtroom to Electric Chair.

4 comments about A Knight of Another Sort: Prohibition Days and Charlie Birger, Second Edition (Shawnee Classics).

1. If Paul Angle's BLOODY WILLIAMSON got your attention, you might consider DeNeal's portrait of Birger and his violent life as a natural companion piece. His exhaustive examination of the gangster's persona and the spectacle of his death is well-written and enjoyable. For those not so interested in the particulars of Birger's life, this study offers a solid snapshot of southern Illinois culture during the years just before the Depression. Ballowe's smart, albeit brief, introduction is also nicely done.



2. Growing up in southern Illinois, the stomping grounds of Charlie Birger, I always heard the stories of gangsters. For anyone who has lived in southern Illinois, it is hard to imagine gangsters, bootlegging, etc. going on in this rural part of the state. Being curious about what was fact and what was fiction regarding Birger, I found this book.

   It is a really good read, covering all aspects of Birger, as well as some background information on southern Illinois and the Prohibition period there. It is especially interesting to read about areas you know really well, and soak in the history that took place there. I would recommend this book to anyone from the southern Illinois area.




3. I purchased this book originally while doing family research in Southern Illinois. My family had for years heard stories of my grandfather and Charlie Birger. I wanted to see if any dates/events coincided and to my surprise and relief there were not very many. During the reading of the book, however, I found myself being drawn in and even beginning to become enchanted by Charlie Birger. Don't get me wrong - he was a very dangerous and troubled person - but the writing by Gary DeNeal really drew me in. The history lessons as well as the interesting look at the world of a small time (even though Birger thought he was big-time) gangster was quite interesting. One of the most interesting facets was his association with other local gangsters and the historical look at how East St. Louis, now suffering from urban decay, was once a thriving and beautiful city. This book was a lot of fun and Mr. DeNeal did his research quite well.



4. I picked up the original edition of this book years ago. It seemed then to be the definitive biography of Charlie Birger but Gary DeNeal has seen fit to update it and expand it with new info. This is one of the best gangster biographies I've ever seen and the rural background adds to the fascination. The Birger-Shelton gang war, complete with machine guns, armored trucks, and aerial bombing, equalled the violence and color of Capone's Chicago. A well-written and researched work that brings to life the Prohibition era.

5 comments about Serious Surveillance For The Private Investigator.

1. This is a case of a simple minded man writing a simple, useless, and outdated book. How anyone can conduct surveillance (exclusively)out of a van is beyond me. I've been tracking people for 18 years and getting film of what they do. Life is just too fast moving to sit in a van. Investigators must be responsive on short notice; that means using a host of vehicles to suit whatever situation is at hand. Bob just sits in his van; worse yet, his cloned backup shows up in another van. Bob had a heat stroke from sitting in his van. Had to be rushed to the hospital. Give me a Toyota extended cab with a good AC, I'll use my wits to set up and run a smart surveillance; and be quick and fresh when its time to follow and film. If you can't follow then you can't film! Bob gives the following bad advise: he says: give the attorney the original film (Hey Bob, attorneys lose stuff!); he says: don't film the claimant if he changes his tire because everyone will think you flattened the tire (Hey Bob, film everything!); he says: when the claimant departs, just sit and wait for him to come back (Hey Bob, learn to follow and get the film wherever the claimant goes)I would fire someone for using Bob's static approach. Nothing worth spending money for here.



2. Please note that this review is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, an assessment of Mr. Bruno's skills in and/or knowledge of the private investigation profession. I personally consider Mr. Bruno to be one of the premier investigators in the nation, especially in the area of covert surveillance.
   
   As a licensed private investigator, college instructor of private investigation courses, and an experienced covert surveillance operative, I can personally tell you that the title of this book is highly misleading. This book contains little information regarding actual covert surveillance techniques/procedures - certainly nothing worthy of the title. As always, be fully aware of what you are purchasing and you won't be disappointed.
   
   Bruno's book is good for those investigators that have the time and resources to equip a van specifically for covert surveillance. I can personally tell you however that I, like most private investigators, perform the vast majority of my surveillance activities using my personal vehicle, which I have equipped accordingly. So if you are looking to equip a surveillance van, this book might be what you are looking for; other than that, I would advise against purchasing this title.
   
   If you are looking for a title that actually contains useful (emphasis added) surveillance techniques/procedures, I would highly recommend: "Covert Surveillance: The Manual of Surveillance Training" by Peter Jenkins (ISBN: 0953537803). I have had the pleasure of reading this fine text, which I consider to be the only covert surveillance techniques/procedures book worth recommending. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a copy for purchase.
   
   As always, check with your local library or bookstore to see if you can read/review this or any title before deciding to make a purchase. This method has effectively allowed me to make the most of my investigative library budget.
   
   I hope you found this review helpful. [...]



3. I think that "Serious Surveillance for the Private Investigator" is a great book for anyone interested in surveillance and investigation. I found several good ideas , but as I like Computer Forensics, I've read too "Le Guide du Cyberdétective", published in France by Editions Chiron, ISBN 2702707831, with interesting things about software surveillance



4. Having spent a great amount of years carrying out surveillance both for the government and in the Private sector, I can honestly say that this book has to be one of the worst I've ever read on the subject.
   
   As someone else said, it should be entitled "How to Equip a Surveillance Van". It tells practically nothing about anything else - no real tactics (unless you include "blasting through a red light!") - and is of no benefit at all to a new surveillance operative. It will more than likely get you compromised, and also fired if you use the shoddy outdated report format the author suggests!
   
   The book is in dire need of an update - but even then, unless the content changes dramatically, it would still be of no use. In my opinion, the best book on the market at the moment is "Advanced Surveillance" by Peter Jenkins - even old hands can learn a trick or two from it. Buy that if you want to learn - don't waste your money on serious surveillance - its a serious joke.



5. When this book was written it was the first one on the market for anyone seeking ANY kind of information on surveillance. While I am the first to agree this book is way past it's time several things still prevail. It has been said that the title is misleading. I guess that would be a matter of perspective. When I spoke of SERIOUS, I was referring to the amount of money one spends on buying the best equipment out there to do the job with. At the time of the writing, what I had was state of the art. While, several of you would disagree about "Doing one thing, about converting and old van into a surveillance van" is all the book is about. I have a couple of comments about that, that anyone doing surveillance should agree with. Once you are outside of your vehicle, your danger rate goes up about 90%. Your personal danger that is. If you stay in your van, or vehicle and stay far enough away, with powerful lenses you should have no problem being "Made". Your only concern are those around you. While at the time, I had serious competitors, I have now retired and can say what I want. I purposely left things out of the book so they could not see what we were really doing. If you live in NY, I would agree, this book is not for you. If you are over 40 you should have a van. Why? Comfort.
   This may be a mobile society, but being scrunched up in the back of an SUV is not my idea of doing a complete surveillance. We did a survey and found (This was all based on insurance surveillance) that men made terrible claimants. They couldn't stay indoors for a full 8 hours. (We would be on station for up to 10) We knew they would come out for air and we knew we would catch them on film. When they became mobile, we casually followed. They may go to the doc's office, they may go to physical thereapy and finally they may go to the grocery store. When they do, THAT was the video I wanted and needed. I had plenty of time to set up, plenty of time to capture those most needed moments. I kept my distance (we) and the claimants never knew they were even followed. O.k. I missed them going into the doc's office. So what did I miss? Them opening the door, them limping? What? SO I missed them going into physical thereapy, I got them coming out. I got that famous limp. Was that enough?
   Not really. But I got them coming out of the grocery store carrying 6 bags of groceries. 3 in each arm! Was that worth it? One has to decide what, during their day they would hope to capture on film. We knew age groups, ethnic backgrounds and work they did before the injury. Statistics was a good precursor to what we would see that day. While it did not always work, in 80% of the cases it did. If the claimant was a welder, you can bet your boots at one time or another he will do it again, injury or not. Same with other blue collar fields.
   About my reports. During and up till the time I retired, most attorneys did NOT want a report and allow the video tape to do the talking. I did my best to detail every movement of the claimant, but all that happened was the attorney never produced it. In fact I was told time and again to either not create one, but If I had to, do it generically. No specifics.
   So now you all know why and what was SERIOUS. You would show up to a job site with no tools, would you? And if you did, you didn't buy them in the home section at Wally mart did you? NO, spend the money. Borrow it(The money) and be serious about what you are about to embark on. Remember, buying cheap is buying twice. I am placing my e-mail address in here for feedback if you desire. I am not looking to be harranged, just what about the parts I left out? AND there were many. Look at the date of the writing. You won't find a book on amazon older than it. BUt to this day, the knowledge still applies. I can't tell you how many times I have seen investigators doing surveillance out of mini vans, with dark tinted windows, no plate and their vin covered up. This also goes for SUV's. When you get older, comfort is a big issue. As far as "Being a mobile society" Well, if one is doing domestice work. I would have to agree. WHile that is a way to make a living, to me it's seedy. Not my style. I could write another book, but I guarantee you, by the time it came out, several database companies will be out of business and a new camera format will prevail. In fact, as far as filming goes my book was outdated the day it hit the market. At least equipment wise. I retired at age 53 and live very comfortably. Look at yourself, and where you are. I must have done something right. As far as an author goes, well, I could use some help, I sure am not denying that. E-mail me, I'll tell you what I couldn't in the book. That way, you'll get your moneys worth. [...] and good luck. Bob Bruno

5 comments about Fatal Tryst : Who Killed the Minister and the Choir Singer?.

1. The author writes a clear summery of the case falling prey to repitition in places. However, I cannot be persuaded by the author's conclusions. It seems that the auther should have paid more attention to the "Iago of the Vestry" who had a previous affair with the murdered woman, was bitterly dumped by the murdered woman, just happened to be on the scene the night the murder happened and whose car mysteriously went up in flames shortly thereafter. Also, what happened to Daniel?



2. This newer compilation was written after everyone involved had died. It lacks an index to its many photographs, and complements Kunstler's book. Page 71 mentions the curious phone call from Eleanor; doesn't it sound like a coded message? The posed photo on the cover lacks the letters.

   Chapter 12 ridicules the "Pig Woman"; is this just class bias? He says "her story changed"; but is this unusual? I believe her story to be true since it dovetails with other known facts. Tomlinson says her story was made up because of the "Oh Henry" cry; yet this just happened to be her brother's name! (Or was it her version of "Oh Hell"?) You can test if a khaki coat (or pants) looks gray in the moonlight.

   Many times the author questions statements made by the people involved, as reported in the newspapers. Then or now, how reliable are newspaper stories? Page 217 uses the word "katzenjammer". Think of a cat when it wants to go outside: frantic and nervous. Page 226 tells how fingerprints could be forged in the 1920s. On pages 236-7 Tomlinson commits the folly of trying to analyze someone from a long ago newspaper account; it doesn't convince me, and seems like a smear of the chief prosecution witness. Why use the comments of Salome Cerenner when there is no corroboration? His description of psychopaths' "grossly inflated sense of their self-worth and importance" sounds like many managers found in the corporate world. Jane Gibson's story was checked out by the detectives; Kunstler's book explains this. Does her story sound too good to be true? Is it very different from other eyewitness stories?

   Chapter 23 shows Tomlinson doing a better job than Kunstler in analyzing Willie's testimony (p.253), and in the story of the examination of Reverend Hall's checkbook (p.271). His comments on Simpson (p.300) seems to be just a whitewash of the trial. On page 309 Tomlinson rules out the Stevens as not the type to murder to avenge family honor. Were they from South Carolina where that was more common? On page 313 Tomlinson mentions Jeffrey MacDonald; he needs to read "Fatal Justice".

   Chapter 29 provides "One Man's Solution" which makes Willie the sole perpetrator. He talks about the failed marriage of the Mills, but says nothing about the Halls; why not? After earlier rejecting Jane Gibson's story, he adopts it as his solution! His comments as to a blood-stained Apperson and Willie's suit are very good! I believe his solution is wrong because he previously rejected Jan Gibson's testimony but adopted it for Chapter 29. The straw hat covering Reverend Hall's face says somebody wanted to keep the crows from pecking at and disfiguring the face; I think this says Mrs. Hall. The throat cutting and excision of the tongue and larynx suggests jealous hatred; I think this says a woman used to cutting up chickens. Some say the 1926 trial was bungled because of the 'not guilty' verdict. But it also succeeded in preventing the Stevens from ever being prosecuted!




3. What was the cause of those murders? Why did it occur then, when the affair was going on for years? I have a suggested solution.

   It happened a few days after the Halls came back from their New England vacation in the mountains. I think something happened there, where Mrs Hall had a narrow escape from a fatal accident while with the Reverend. She thought about it, and realized that if she had an accident, Reverend Ed would inherit her fortune, and be free to seek another rich wife. Eleanor would be dropped like yesterday's newspaper. Mrs Hall discussed this with her brothers, and they decided to confront the Reverend while he was with Eleanor, so he could not deny the affair, and would be forced to end it. The emotional interaction escalated beyond reason, and the deaths occurred. The best laid plans of mice and men still go astray.

   The case was not solved so justice would triumph over the law. The Reverend Ed messed up his own marriage, and destroyed the Mills' marriage. Alive, he would break up another marriage. It was all for the best. When someone poor falls in love with a rich person, the poor person often comes to an unhappy ending. The rich have many resources to accomplish their ends. This is the moral of "Love Story", that love does not triumph over material facts. No matter how hard you wish it were different. Love conquers all? Forget about it!




4. Tomlinson losses track of his own thoughts very easily dismissing important details. His "suspect" illicts laughs and eye-rolling from most people close to the case and its history. With a focus almost entirely on the sensational, there is a persistence to enforce his reasoning as "sound" and "psychologically based." It is none of those things. It leads to a lot of bias in his assumptions YET it does demonstrate why this case was unsolved: Too many seeking a scandalous resolution to a rather unspectacular murder, were it not for the participants. There are far better treatments of the subject. Kunstler's Minister and the Choir Singer and another difficult to find book, THE GIRL ON LOVER'S LANE, in particular. Ramsland also offers an excellent overview online of the facts of the case with only a few inaccuracies. Her article appears usually appears readily through most search engines.

   Tomlinson's self-promotion is admirable, though.




5. I was looking to buy the definitive book on this crime and found, via the "Acute Observer" analytical commentary, that the only way to get the whole story is to buy both the Kuntsler and Tomlinson accounts. That way, whatever one has missed or mixed up, the other has it covered!
   
   However just by reading the massive New York Times' stories and other newspaper accounts of the time, along with modern-day forensics and profiling, I think that I have the answer. Mrs. Hall had the motive, means, and opportunity. Her much-younger "toy-boy" trysting with a tender and lusty "golddigger"? In public, clowning her in front of her peeps? Oh, hell, naw!! She got her possé (2 brothers and a male cousin) together and rode out after her man who was meeting his lover under the crab apple tree 'round midnight.
   
   Mrs. Hall didn't pull the trigger but she sure as hell cut out the young woman's tongue and covered her husband's face after he took one to the head. Text book behavioral traits of a passion killing. Add in the overkill (3 shots to drop Girlfriend), along with the inability to look at the face of your lover. Then the final posing of the bodies was the coup de grâce. In spite of the police failing to secure the integrity of the crime scene, a prosecutor today could have still made a good circumstantial case and won a Murder 2 conviction against all charged. (Yes, we know it was with malice aforethought, but many a case is lost when the defendant is overcharged.) But, this is now and that was then - a whole different way of looking at society crimes existed then. Who could ever imagine the delicate (although very unattractive and dowdy) wife of a clergyman conspiring and carrying out such a premeditated and gruesome act? And, of course, the others were wealthy "gentlemen" of good breeding who would never compromise their values and integrity by involving themselves in such a low deed, even to avenge their sister's honor. That kind of behavior was reserved for the poor and low-born - people of quality would never get their kid gloves dirty - it just wasn't done!!! But WE know that the player-hating rich wife did the dastardly deed. She, nor her brothers, were going to allow the cheating preacher-man to get his hands on their hard-stolen money and then spend it on the lovely and trim Mrs. Mills, who cared nothing of her reputation and was straight dissin' her hubby. (Where was he anyway? Cavorting with the downstairs maid?) Mrs. Mills obviously had an agenda here. I ain't saying she's a golddigger......
   
   Anyway, thanks to many of these excellent reviews and analyses here, I'm going to buy BOTH books to get the real down-low on the preacher-playa and wicked singin' woman! I must know more about Mrs. Jane "The Pig Woman" Gibson, her claim of gunshots, and allegedly hearing a woman exclaim the phrase "Oh, Henry!" in the vicinity of the now infamous crab apple tree. Was it the name of Mrs. Hall's brother, Henry (a retired marksman) who allegedly accompanied his sister to the scene or was someone enjoying the newly-introduced chocolate, nuts and nougat candy bar by the same name? Was the poor doomed Mrs. Mills calling out because she was shocked to see "Ol' Henry" with the .32 caliber pistol that the other brother, Willie, was known to own? (Willie, who was said to have been a "wild & crazy guy" had to have the firing mechanism on his gat filed down so that he wouldn't hurt himself - later, at trial, that screwed up the ballistics tests on the weapon. How convenient!)
   
   With this cast of characters, two books has definitely got to be better than one!