5 comments about The FBI Killer.

1. I loved the book but i want to know what is going on now. Is Mark Putnam out of jail at this time. I got done and closed the book and wanted to keep reading and finding out more about it and can't seem to find anything on the internet about it.



2. I have never read this book yet but I do intend on doing so. I went to school with Susans boy who just recently passed away at age 19 last month. Also I read where someone was asking about the killer and yes hes now out of jail he has been for a few years. Why in the heck hes out I dont have a clue a killer doesnt deserve a second chance. It just broke Bradys heart whenever he got released from prision. Justice wasnt served thats for sure.



3. Often in true crime, we find that the victim (and even sometimes the suspect) is made out to a sympathetic soul who others are shocked wound up in a homicide situation. Not in the case in this extremely well written book by Aphrodite Jones about FBI Agent Mark Putnam who killed his pregnant mistress, Susan Smith, when she began pressuring him to support his child that she was carrying either by support payments are divorcing his wife, Kathy, and marrying her.
   
   Putnam eventually confessed to the crime after failing a polygraph administered by the FBI. However, he told a 'sweet and endearing' version of how his 'accidentally' killed his mistress. Unfortunately, Pike County officials let him enter his plea and confession before forensics were completed and Putnam was sentenced to sixteen years; not even in a state penitentary but in a Federal medical center.
   
   Jones provides a clear, concise, yet unopinionated, account of the politics played in closing the books on Susan Smith's case; just a poor girl from the hills of Kentucky, who was well known to use and sell drugs and defraud the welfare system. Kentucky and FBI officials make it clear that Smith just wasn't worth Putnam serving a life sentence. Quite frankly, I had the feeling that, given the opportunity, Putnam would have walked away a free man if not for his confession.
   
   This is truly one of the best true crime books I have read. Everyone in this book is portrayed just as they are; readers are not given the 'airbrushed' version created by many authors, especially of law enforcement officials.
   
   If you enjoy reading the truth, irregardless of it's ugliness, check out The FBI Killer. You will not be disappointed.



4. AJ gives us a really good insight into what happened to Susan Smith. And good thing because I'm pretty sure Putnam's confession consisted of 95% lies and only about 5% truth. What I find reprehensible is the FBI's role in the whole crime. They not only chose to ignore it in the beginning but then when they were forced to deal with the issue they basically did everything they could--even after Putnam confessed--to make it easier for the murderer, to cover up important details and, from my understanding, to dispose of some of the remains that would have told a more incriminating story than the one Putnam told, if they'd been examined. And Ron Poole--what was his deal? He acted inappropriately from the get go. I can just see all these professional federal agents sitting around the Pikeville FBI office drinking their coffee and eating their donuts and laughing like a bunch of bozos about Putnam getting a little from the cute little informant. Made my stomach turn. Makes you wonder what kind of people we have looking after us. Mark Putnam, like the book said, is a much darker figure underneath the surface. When I first began reading the book I thought Susan probably fabricated most of their time together. But by the end, I was sure there was more to it and while his version was mostly fiction, hers was not.



5. This was a great true crime book, these books usually are. Mark Putnam was an upper crust athelete from New England, Susan Smith was a poor Appalacian girl. Through twists of fate, their paths crossed, and Susan's dead body was thrown off the side of a road up in the mountains.
   
   Mark Putnam graduated from the FBI academy and was stationed in the West Virginia/ Kentucky region for his first assignment. He met and used Susan Smith as an informant to nab a serial bank robber known as 'Cat Eyes'. They had an affair behind their spouse's backs. Everything went well until Susan got pregnant and Mark got reassigned to Miami.
   
   Well poor Susan was a loose end that demanded child support, so Mark came back from Miami to 'take care of things'. For killing his lover and his unborn child he got 16 years. In Kentucky, it is not murder to kill an unborn child. Nonetheless, Mark got off easy and the 'system' protected him.
   
   Aphrodite Jones was a very fluid writing style and made this book and enjoyable 2 day read.

5 comments about Fire Lover: A True Story.

1. This is the first Wambaugh book that I've read. I've heard lots of good things about his books. I work in law enforcement and have enjoyed other true crime books written by former law enforcement personnel, so thought I would Wambaugh as well. I had seen the documentary about John Orr and wanted to know more.

   However, although the author is an excellent writer, this book was very biased and Wambaugh comes across to me as very arrogant -- a trait that I cannot tolerate under any circumstance. In fact, his bias that police officers are better than firefighters is downright cocky.

   Although I knew the story of John Orr and felt he was guilty, while reading Fire Lover, I found myself wanting him to get off from page to page because of the cockiness of the writer.

   I would NOT recommend this book to anyone.




2. I think he could have written in 200 words or less that he hated John Orr, thinks cops are better than firemen, and thinks prosecutors should always have the upper hand.

   One thing he could have included was photos, to make the book less boring. And, he could have explained just how we went from the judge disallowing Orr's manuscripts into evidence to the prosecution being allowed to use them as evidence.




3. This is an unusual book. I don't think I've ever read a book about an arsonist before, certainly not a non-fiction book, and the story that it tells is so fantastic that it's one of those stranger-than-fiction tales that defies belief.

   The book tells the story of John Leonard Orr. Orr was a frustrated individual, from a split household, who tried to become a policeman and failed, and wound up becoming a firefighter, both in the Air Force and then in the city of Glendale here in Southern California. He rose to become Glendale's senior arson investigator, actually teaching classes that other arson investigators, even Federal ones, attended. He was considered one of the leading authorities on arson fires and arsonists in California. Then suspicion fell on him and his activities, and he was arrested and accused of being an arsonist himself. The accusation was followed by a pair of trials.

   Now I live in Montrose (yards from the border of the city of Glendale) and used to actually live in Glendale, so it was interesting to read about the locale and the people of my new home (I've lived here for five years). Everything's reasonably well-recreated, though I didn't think Glendale was made that unique compared with other Southern California cities. Orr comes across as something of a nerd, a doofus who's always trying to fit in while never quite making it, and always cheating on the current wife with the prospective one, while paying child support to the ex.

   Wambaugh's writing style is interesting, in that he uses a lot of slang and emphasis to show what he means, and has a very conversational style. It'd be interesting to hear Ken Howard read this book: it reads as if it would sound better than it looks on the page. I will confess that the cast of characters is large enough that I had trouble keeping track of all of the investigators and attorneys involved, and I think it would have helped if the author provided a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book.

   One note: several of the other reviewers presented the idea that the author thinks cops are somehow better than firefighters. This is erroneous. It's his position, stated and restated through the book, that the crime spree was solved by a firefighter turned arson investigator, and that he was ignored by his cop colleagues until the evidence confirmed his suspicions. He does say, several times, that cops themselves sometimes think themselves firefighters, but he's clear that he thinks this is unfortunate. Strange when people have read the same book as you, and come to a different interpretation of what was written. Altogether a good book, though.




4. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed four of Wambaugh's earlier books, I was sure this one would be a page turner; however, it was strictly the story and not the writing that kept my interest. So my feelings are mixed and my rating is lukewarm. Wambaugh tries too hard to depict John Orr as evil, yet without the hard-sell, the reader would come to that conclusion anyway. I finished the book still feeling that there is more on John Orr that could have been included in the book. An additional thought - one reviewer mentions that Wambaugh copies Truman Capote's style of not including photographs of the characters, yet Wambaugh's own picture is on the back. I'd much rather see who I'm reading about.



5. In Fire Lover, Wambaugh attempts to get into the mind of a convicted serial arsonist, one who nevertheless has never (at least as documented in this book) admitted to his crimes. The story is well-written, intriguing, and at times even a page-turner. The few occasions when the story drags are most often in the telling of Orr's trials, when Wambaugh seeks thoroughness in telling the story of the trial, but occasionally at the expense of the reader's interest. But all told, this is a good, even haunting story of a true case.

3 comments about Crime through time: new and original tales of historical mystery.

1. Luckily, you don't have to have a history degree to enjoy this book. The joy of an anthology is finding new authors. In this book, there is a broad span of well-known writers, and some that are not so well-known. It will be fun to find other works by some of these writers. It's worth the money



2. Worth it for the Steven Saylor Roma Sub Rosa story alone..



3. I picked this book up at a library sale, and have been browsing through the stories one at a time. The origins of the historical mystery in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series is explained, and Cadfael is what turned me onto this genre in the first place. Some of the stronger stories are the story by Steven Saylor(featuring Cicero and an elegant explanation of the Archimedes Principle) and a story featuring Sir Francis Drake and several sailors on the High Seas. A story about a Regency dandy turned detective reminded me of other Regency-based mysteries authored by Rosemary Stevens and Alice Chetwynd Ley (however, I found the "fancy" names given to servants slightly unconvincing); the motive was compelling and the plot well-researched. "Death of a Place-Seeker" which I read three times, seeking to spot all the clues I had missed the first time. [That, in my view, is the true test of a strong story]. I made a mental note of certain authors I intend to try later, having already discovered Steven Saylor and Peter Tremayne from other anthologies.

   While this anthology has been interesting and entertaining, there were some weaker stories, notably the contribution by Anne Perry, where the story seemed oddly incomplete (what happened to the villain? What did the hint about the villain profiting from the letters mean exactly?). On the other hand, the story about Mrs Hudson as a sleuth-cum-social worker was delightful - and it was rather fun to see Sherlock Holmes get his comeuppance. The story about the Salem witchcraft trials was interesting to me, given my study of the patterns of accusation at some point in my college career.

   The reason I assign this collection only four stars (about 4.4) is because some of the stories seem incomplete or hastily written. Some of the historical settings seemed unconvincing, while others were simply brilliant. Compared to the second volume CRIME THROUGH TIME II (which I read first), this collection comes off badly. If possible, I would recommend reading the volumes in order. On the whole, this is a good introduction to many interesting authors.

5 comments about Crimson Stain: The Shocking True Story of the Only Amish Man to be Convicted of Homicide (Berkley True Crime).

1. Eddie Gingerich is a pretty frightening example of the downside of living in an isolated, doctrinal community. He was headed over the edge and there wasn't much in his community frame of reference to get him the help he desperately needed. The book is impossible to put down. The publisher has helpfully provided an unintentional promotional gimmick by printing "Crimson Stain" with such cheap, smelly inks and paper that you begin to sympathize with Eddie as he works away in his shed, inhaling the "petrochemical fumes" which allegedly contributed to his insanity. It's a whole new way to bring the reader into the book's world. Fisher is a good true crime writer, and it's involving from start to finish.



2. I remember when this crime occured, but only recently saw this book. It was a great read. I thought it was very inciteful, as opposed to a lot of "true crime" tabloid-type accounts.

   A few quick comments:
   - The details leading up to the crime and the murder itself were well described. As other reviewers have mentioned, the section on the trial was weaker. The author could have started with describing the trial and presented the details in various flashbacks at appropriate points. I've never written a book myself, so I find it hard to be too judgmental.
   - Given the reluctance of the major figures in the book to become involved in the trial or any other activity outside their own community, I was very curious as to how the author was able to compile such detailed accounts. A preface or additional material on the method he used and the main players he interviewed would have been nice.
   - The story was great in providing a complex look at the Amish society which is usually only seen in cliched calendars and tired stereotypes - the peaceful, simple folk, who shun the evils of the outside world. This would make such a better movie than "Witness."
   - A very minor point. The author wrote disapprovingly about the local residents who drove by the murder scene after hearing of the crime. I thought that this was pretty ironic in that the disapproval appears in a paperback account detailing the lives and personal problems of the people involved. Curious nonparticipants are exactly the kind of people that would be reading the book...If another edition ever comes out, hopefully it would include some additional information about the participants in the intervening years.




3. The book is a meer thin paperback that took me months to read and I didn't even get to finish it I was so bored to tears.

   Jim Fisher repeated himself over and over in every chapter. One was like reading the other. I read about 5 books a month, this was the most boring book ever in my life to read. Don't waste your money on this book ... if you "must" read it try your local library, or buy it through Amazon.com for a buck 75 or less/




4. Ed is shunned from his Brownhill Amish community and is allowed to see his children for one hour once a year. He writes and receives letters from them and his family. He is currently at a specialized Amish community with people of his faith who also have similar mental problems, where he helps counsel, and works 15 miles away for a Mennanite farmer doing mechanical work. He recently rebuilt a molding machine that can be used to make tongue and groove flooring.
   
   He's staying on his medication regimen and communicates "normally", and clearly. He sounds like he is in fairly good spirits over the phone. I talked to him for about a half an hour on October 30, 2005 and we talk several times a year.
   
   Katie's mother moved to NY state to get away from the area and the memories of all that had happened. Katie's brother, Emmanuel Shetler, built my house and several out buildings.
   This entire tragedy would have never happened if his community and family understood that mental illnesses do exist and that Eddie suffered greatly. By simply saying "the Devil" was in him or made him do it, is a poor summary of the situation. With the proper medication, from the right doctor, this could have all been prevented.
   
   And for those of you who labeled Eddie as a quick-tempered bully, I've known Ed 2 years before the tragedy and never heard him raise his voice. We drove 6 hours to Lancaster, PA to look at a diesel engine that he saw advertised in an Amish paper, and when we got there and saw the engine, it was not as described in the ad. He did not show any anger or hostility. Not one negative comment.



5. While the topic was interesting, the cause for the book was tragic. But let's talk about the actual writing of the book.
   
   I found the introduction of the characters and locations incredibly tedious and laid out in a manner that was very hard to follow. I nearly tossed the book after the first couple of chapters due to this. Introducing a large family in alphabetical order makes about as much sense as introducing the extended British Royal Family in alphabetical order, especially when many family members have the same first name. Sure, in the book, the family list identifies middle initials to distinguish the people, but the middle initials aren't used in the rest of the book. How about presenting the families in chart form, such as a basic family tree? That would have been so much easier to sort out.
   
   I also found myself getting really bored due to repeat information (nearly throwing the book out again many times) and *hoping* that something unexpected would occur, not because I thought the underlying story should have such twists and turns, but because the writer tries to entice us into believing there are possible twists of the story, and then leaves us flat because those events didn't really happen. I kept thinking, 'a-hah! the prosecution will call so-and-so as a witness" based upon the writing, but alas, false hopes all around.
   
   And, I don't think I'd be giving anything away here, after all the cover of the book states "The Shocking True Story of the Only Amish Man Ever Convicted of Homicide", but I don't understand why Fisher tried to make it sound as if there was a possibility that Mr. Gingerich might be acquitted of homicide in the latter portion of the book. The cover clearly states he was convicted. By the end of the book, I started just skimming paragraphs to find out what the sentence was for Mr. Gingerich's conviction. If I did pause to read a paragraph, I was faithfully disappointed.
   
   All in all, I'm so glad that I bought this book at a $1 store and didn't pay regular price for it. Had it been a library book, I would have just returned it without ever finishing it. I usually donate my used books, but this one is going straight to the recycle bin.

1 comments about Black Gangsters of Chicago.

1. Black Gangsters of Chicago is a true crime chronicle of Chicago's legendary and infamous black criminals. John "Mushmouth" Johnson, Jeff Fort, and Larry Hoover may not have been as publicly high-profile as Al Capone, but their deed were just as brutal and notorious. From brief biographies of prominent black gangsters, to their connections to La Cosa Nostra and its assimilation of the numbers racket, to the fascinating (and disturbing) tale of how gangs carried out their business while behind bars, Black Gangsters of Chicago is a thorough exploration of an oft-overlooked aspect of the seedier side of Chicago's past. A recommended and worthy addition to true crime shelves.

5 comments about The Last Gangster: From Cop to Wiseguy to FBI Informant: Big Ron Previte and the Fall of the American Mob.

1. First it is known in the LCN circles that former members of law enforcement should not become made members. This is one of the rules but yet Previte slipped in. The whole recollection of Merlino (a former racing jockey) and Ralph Natale are hillarious. Time and time again Previte explains how these two could not get on the same page.
   
   Anastasia himself gets better with time. He is Philadelphia's Jerry Capeci. Despite the fact that in the scheme of things Previte was a high-level in a crime family that pales in comparison under the previous leaders. A good read and likeable subject!



2. Previte sounds like a loud mouth braggert to me. He is one of those guys who talks like hes done it all but sounds like a phony. The FBI are not as dumb as Previte says they are. I doubt he recieved all the money he says the government gave him. The other characters in the book are dull, immature. If you want to read about the mob try a book about Chicago or NY.



3. I love mob books and this one doesn't dissappoint. Must have for the mob book lover.



4. Anastasia is perhaps America's leadest expert on the mob -- and certainly the most skilled writer. The Last Gangster is up to even his high standards with well-sketched portraits of mob thugs, rats. cops and corrupt politicians. Unfortunately for the reader (though fortunately for the rest of us) the mob isn't as powerful as it once was, and these crooks are pathetic indeed by the standards of the old Bruno-Scarfo mob. The title may stretch things a bit -- "The Last PHILLY Gangster" would be more appropriate -- but it's valuable to understand why there really is no honor among thieves, and why the Italian mob is dying.



5. Usually, I breeze through books like this. I read WiseGuys in one sitting. I had to resolve myself to finish this. I think it's less the author's fault and more the fault of his subjects. These guys are boring. Their crimes are quotidian. There is no Lufthansa heist here. I'd recommend only if you have an insatiable curiousity about the mob in Philly.

5 comments about Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley?.

1. Let's face it, Mark Fuhrman is not somebody that I consider reliable. Dominick Dunne, another old man bent on revenge over his daughter's murder, goes after the Kennedy family. Okay, I'm not saying that Michael Skakel did it or not because he was convicted of the crime but the story's not over until the case was done in the court of law. I believe the book came well before the guilty verdict which was too soon and judgmental. Yes, the Kennedys have a lot of power and money but Greenwich is still a place where people drive expensive cars, live in mansions, and are completely out of touch with reality. I don't believe Fuhrman anymore than I believe Dunne because they're totally ready to convict based on little evidence, hearsay, and gossip.



2. The problem with this book is that Heir Furhman takes the credit for solving the crime. This couldn't be further from the truth.
   
   If you want to read the most factual account of this murder, read "Conviction" by Len Levitt.
   
   However, I believe that if Mr. Skakel can't recall if he committed the murder, how can anyone else be so sure.



3. My book is called Murder In Greenwich and it is about a murder of a 15 year old girl named Martha Moxley.The book is written by Mark Fuhrman.The case was never solved but i think its an excellent book because it gave alot of details.It also show pictures of where the murder occurred and also of Martha Moxley.The author is also an excellent writer.I recommend this book if u like Mark Fuhrman books or mystery books!I would not recommend this book to people that dont like murders or blood. ~~~~BY TORI SORIANO 16 YEARS OLD LINCOLN CITY OR!!!~~~



4. This is an okay book. Furman repeats alot of the info over and over. I didn't even finish the last few pages as they started out the same as everything we already read.



5. This book was a great read! I started reading and couldn't stop until it was finished. Mark Fuhrman is a top notch author, he really constructed an excellent book here.
   
   Be careful not to do too much research about the Moxley case before reading this book, it may ruin the ending for you.

4 comments about In Her Own Backyard: A Perfect Husband, A Perfect Marriage, A Perfect Murder (Berkley True Crime).

1. I love true crime stories. But, this was not one of them. If you love Ann Rule books, as I do, skip this author. Too much "legal(eze)" & not enough story. I am not interested in the law being explained to me. More interested in the STORY not the legal aspect of it. No background interviews, as Ann does. Just the facts. Boring. Skipped over most of it. Don't waste your money.



2. This book was one of the biggest wastes of my time. Having read true crime for many years now, I'm well past (as most readers are) in needing a quick study into the legal workings of our justice system; especially when they come from an egotistical, self-promoting Assistant District Attorney.
   
   The book, one is led to believe, is based on the story of David Mead who killed his wife Pamela in the couple's backyard fishpond. On the rear cover, readers are told how David Mead almost escaped justice by avoiding arrest for three years; yet, we see Mead's arrest within the first 100 pages!
   
   The Meads' story IS in the book, but readers must wade through a lot of legal mumbo jumbo to find it; not to mention all the boasting by the author Howard Lemcke about himself, his colleagues, friends, secretarial assistant, etc. - anyone that Lemcke has, in my opinion, had interaction with during his life!
   
   Don't waste your time with this one. It's horrible. And beware....this book was previously published under the title Death in a Fish Pond: A Perfect Husband, a Perfect Marriage, a Perfect Murder?



3. This should be called the "I Am The Best....the True Story of Howard Lemke" as it is chock-full of little tidbits he must think we care about such as where he ate for lunch and what he ordered.......I have tried to finish this book for over 6 months. Just not enough of a story to motivate me. Most crime novels I can't put down and I will read them in a day or two. Not so with this author. It is more about him than the victim.



4. It's been awhile since I tried, with great effort, to read this book. So this review comes as an after(little)thought! I'm fairly certain this was THE most boring piece I ever attempted to read. There was absolutely nothing to hold my interest. I kept it around for awhile to use in case I ran out of toilet paper, then realized it wasn't even good for that!

3 comments about Chain of Evidence: A True Story of Law Enforcement and One Woman's Bravery.

1. It feels pointless to write about a book that is out of print. However, this book made me wish for more by the same (pseudonymous) author. I became very interested in the Hell's Angels, and thought a lot about the man who acted as an informant. In my experience, this was a book that really stays with you.



2. Wayne Carlander a Sargent for Orange county division of narcoatics is teamed up with a new partner one Victoria Seele he is not to pleased to have a new partner and that being a woman to boot. But he has a plan they dectectives have been wanting inflitrate the bikers to gather information and Carlander has his chance when he gets Cliff Mowery to turn to be a informant or rat in exchange for early parole and teams him up with investigator seele and go undercover.
   
   Seems like unlikely team victoria is the picture perfect all-american girl you know the perfect cheerleader and cliff a biker with a hatred of cops well known in the biker community and buffed out bad boy the one that all the women secretly fantaisize about.
   
   This follows them in the mid to late 70's as they go undercover and infiltrate the hells angels. But unkown to mrs seele that this will have lasting effects and will change her in ways she could never know in the beginning.
   
   I gave this book 4 1/2 stars even though it was a pretty good book because the author and the author explains this in the forward that he has put in dialogue to keep the interest of the reader and you have to notice this in sections of the book because you know there is no way even through interveiws that he could these accounts so it makes you go How Does he figure that or know and this in turn makes you wonder how much is made up dialogue. But this is a good book so give it a read



3. A unique trip into the anatomy of the toughest of the bikers combined with an exciting, real life drama of undercover work on the edge of disaster.
   
   
   Through his connections in both law enforcment and the biker culture, Detroit has captured a true story that reads like fiction. Mix together one compromised biker willing to trade his fellow bikers for a get out of jail free card, a beautiful undercover deputy sheriff willing to ride with the bikers and law enforcement constrained by the rules of the game and you have one hell of a story.
   
   The writing style has the tight feel of a screenplay where more emotional content will be added on the sound stage. The absense of emotion does however add to both the reality and the stark terror of a very dangerous undercover operation running on the edge of disaster.
   
   The result of the operation was spectacular with dozens of felony arrests and numerous convictions.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   It is sad that for whatever reason, perhaps the desire of some involved to continue living, that this story has not made it to the screen.

No comments about Sneak It Through: Smuggling Made Easier.