3 comments about Crime through Time 2.

1. I really enjoyed this sequel to "Crime through Time" more than the original. I thought the stories were much more insightful and interesting. My favorites were the first two stories;( especially "Murder One") for their wit and pacing. The collection of writers and story locations were mostly far removed from the first book as well. A delightful read!



2. I really enjoyed this book. I had read the first Crime Through Time book and I think this one is better because the settings and situations were more intriguing. One of my favorites is the delightful "Murder One" about the worlds first caveman murder. I also liked how there were segments of history not always focused on; such as the contribution of the chinese to the advancement of the railroad and the feelings of an Irish frontier woman. There is also a nice mix of main characters who are doing sleuthing for the first time. There was only one story that was obviously part of a series and not able to stand alone. I found it to be the exception however and not the rule.



3. If you want to pick up one anthology to represent some of the best writing in the historical mysteries genre, this is it. Better by far than the Mammoth books (although they are good bargains), and better than the first and third CRIME THROUGH TIME. Some of the stories that stuck in my mind were the first murder (in the Stone Age), and the chilling story of a young Venetian woman. Most of the stories stand very well on their own, and some might tempt you to read further works by their authors. Some of the authors I was already acquainted with, while others were completely new (and delightful surprises) to me.

5 comments about The Man Who Invented Las Vegas.

1. This is a top notch read. It is hard to find books of this caliber about the mob. The research is scholarly but still accessible. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the birth of Las Vegas and the gritty details of Hollywood history in general.



2. One man's chronic gambling habit became the foundation for modern Las Vegas: The Man Who Invented Las Vegas documents his rags-to-riches story and his impact on building the casinos and hotels of Las Vegas. Black and white photos pepper an examination of publisher Wilkerson's life and investments in the Las Vegas image in a fascinating blend of local history and biography.



3. Whatta story! If Mr. Wilkerson only had control of his addiction there is no telling what he could have accomplished. This is a talented man who had half the world by the tail, but couldn't get that 2nd half. He was able to accomplish a lot and was the creator of modern casinos in Las Vegas. This is a short story, but filled with interesting information. Highly recommended.



4. This is a sketchy at best account of a powerful man during his time. The book is short and did not give me enough details to his insight on Vegas except that he was a gambloholic. It left me wanting to know more about this man and his rise to power. Honestly I enjoyed more his accounts as the publisher of the Hollywood Reporter and the power he had there than his accounts of trying to build the Flamingo. I thought the book would give more insight on early Vegas but to me gave more to early Hollywood.



5. A really fascinating little book, with a very rare quality... it's really the first time this story has been told. Other Vegas books are good, some are great, but most in one way or another repeat the stories we've read before (another exception: Fly on the Wall by Dick Odessky).

5 comments about Jack the Ripper: The Final Chapter.

1. Not being a Ripper enthusiast, I had a very hard time plowing through this book. There's evidently a lot of good research behind it, but it's hidden beneath the taunting of the Diary doubters. The whole tone seems to be to whip up the folks who already agree with him. Folks who believe the Diary is a hoax won't be persuaded by this book, and people like me who have no prior knowledge of the controversy aren't likely to be convinced by Feldman's ranting.



2. Feldman's hypothesis is convincing and well-written. Kudos to Feldman, a non-author and not a "Ripperologist" for being able to piece together all the pieces of this complex story. An all-around great book.



3. This book is utterly frustrating to read. The author is stunningly untalented; the raw material he works with is fascinating, yet he manages to make it all seem banal, pedantic and trite, as well as incomprehensible. He totally lacks any type of story telling ability. For example, Feldman devotes PAGES and PAGES and PAGES to tracking down a confusingly-named line of illegimate descendents of his Ripper suspect, James Maybrick. He includes long details of interviews with these folks and even puts numerous photos of them in the photo section of the book. Yet, it turns out that these descendants of Maybrick have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH the real story, which is the finding of a controversial diary and a watch by yet ANOTHER line of Maybrick illegimate descendants. At another point, Feldman has assembled various legitimate and illegitimate descendants of Maybrick in the drawing room of the house where Maybrick died. Does he tell us the outcome of this Agatha Christie-style assemblage of characters? No, he mentions it in passing, then moves on to yet another section of mind-numbing geneological details. I don't recommend this book, but if you do buy it, skip the narrative (if it could be called that) and go straight to the "cast of characters" guide at the end. This is the most interesting and comprehensible portion of the entire book.



4. In order to save readers from spending money on this shoddily written novel (yes, novel, since it's completely fictional), I will repeat what I said about the forgery ("the diary") itself, since this book is essentially one expanded comment section of the original Maybrick hoax.

   In 1992 a junk dealer from London, Michael Barrett, presented what would become known as "the Maybrick diary", attempting to ping the guilt of being Jack the Ripper on James Maybrick. The "diary" became a media event, and people interested in making money and gain of it have attempted to "prove" its "authenticity"; needless to say, they were unable to, for one simple reason - it is a crude forgery, which was in fact quickly and shoddily updated as new Ripper facts came to light (e.g. when it was revealed that Mary Kelly's heart was missing,
   the forger was in process of creating the "diary" - and he quickly added an awkward note "No heart, no heart..." to the "Kelly section", but forgot to use the same ink to write it!)

   It would take too much space to list literally hundreds of errors and inconsistencies in the "diary", as well as dozens of proofs for its inauthenticity. Instead, a good summary is simply the fact that on 5 January 1995, Barrett admitted to the forgery. To quote his sworn affidavit: "Since December 1993 I have been trying, through the press, the Publishers, the Author of the Book, Mrs Harrison, and my Agent Doreen Montgomery to expose the fraud of ' The Diary of Jack the Ripper ' ("the diary") (...) The facts of this matter are outlined as follows: I Michael Barrett was the author of the original diary of 'Jack the Ripper' and my wife, Anne Barrett, hand wrote it from my typed notes and on occasions at my dictation, the details of which I will explain in due course. The idea of the Diary came from discussion between Tony Devereux, Anne Barrett my wife and myself, there came I time when I believed such a hoax was a distinct possibility. We looked closely at the background of James Maybrick and I read everything to do with the Jack the Ripper matter. I felt Maybrick was an ideal candidate for Jack the Ripper. Most important of all, he could not defend himself. He was not 'Jack the Ripper' of that I am certain, but, times, places, visits to London and all that fitted. It was too easy. I told my wife Anne Barrett, I said, "Anne I'll write a best seller here, we can't fail". Once I realised we could do it. We had to find the necessary materials, paper, pens and ink. I gave this serious consideration. Roughly round about January, February 1990 Anne Barrett and I finally decided to go ahead and write the Diary of Jack the Ripper. In fact Anne purchased a Diary, a red leather backed Diary for L25.00p, she made the purchase through a firm in the 1986 Writters Year Book (...) Sworn at Liverpool in the County of Merseyside, this 5th day of January 1995"

   Stay away from this crude forgery and don't support people who try to peddle it as "the real thing". The same kind of people would try to sell you "splinters from Christ's cross" in the Middle Ages...




5. I first read Shirley Harrisons 'The Diary of Jack the Ripper' in 1993 and was completely intrigued. Here for the first time was something concrete against someone thought to have been the Whitechapel murderer. Evidence that seemed to be more than circumstantial and to my utter surprise everyone seemed to revolt against the very idea. Instead of reading what the book had to tell with an open mind, people automatically claimed it to be a hoax, bashing everything the author implied. Then recently I read the 1998 updated version of the same book, which included new evidence and more information that had come to light during further investigations.
   
   Then I bought and read this book by Paul Feldman. Its been the most expensive Ripper investigation to date. Many years, money and effort has gone into proving the provenance of the diary as well as the watch. And I say provenance because thats what the author is trying to prove ... the origins of the diary as well as the watch ... where it came from ... who had it and how it could possibly have been passed down the family tree. Still today no one has conclusively been able to prove that the diary or the watch is fake. People jumped on the band wagon when Michael Barrett 'confessed' to having supposedly forged the diary. Anyone with half a brain have since realised (as the author did) that this could not possibly have been true. All the evidence he gave to support his 'confession' was immediately and unequivocally disproved. And as I have read some of the reviews posted, many have not read the book properly, because if you had you would soon realise that Barrett does not possess the skill to have produced that document.
   
   Although Paul Feldmans writing style is not the best around, this book makes it hard not to become a believer ... or at least someone who is willing to consider the possibility that the diary (and perhaps even the watch) is not a fake ... and that James Maybrick may well have been the Whitechapel killer.
   
   Why people are so vehemently against the idea that Maybrick could have been The Ripper I dont know. It seems strange that many would rather accuse men with a lot less evidence stacked against them, than seriously consider a man who could clearly have been guilty. Perhaps its a matter of egos ... who knows?
   
   This book, to me, was well worth the read. I was highly impressed with all aspects of the author and his teams investigations. I also appreciated the fact that questions raised by the diarys detractors were all answered in a concise and logical manner. This investigation was no cover up.
   
   Well worth a read!

5 comments about Deadfall.

1. I am the wife of DA Chief investigator Tim Kiely. I read the book because it was about his interview and confession obtained on the Annibel/Sloan case. The Pacheco homicide was his first one as a detective with the Sheriff's office and still bothers him that it has never been solved.
   
   I don't understand how the police depts and DA's office of Humboldt county could be so unwilling to get resolution for these families.
   
   If I was Lisa I wouldn't give up. EVER! There is no excuse with all of the physical evidence, circumstantial evidence and Annibels history of violence and subsequent confession that the DA's office should back away from prosecution. Technology today wasn't the same as it was when this evidence was collected. What is the harm of testing it again. If DNA from Annibel is found on Sherry Lynn or Andrea-they need to open up the investigation and do the jobs are paid to do.
   
   I am frustrated and had a long discussion with Tim after reading it. He feels the same way. I mentioned another missing coast woman to him, I believe her name was Kristy Krebbs, but Tim doesn't think Annibel was involved, however it was arround the same time in Fort Bragg and she has never been found. Kind of makes you wonder.



2. As a local Humboldt county girl, I had to read this since I know several of the folks mentioned in the book. My girlfriend's brother was even at the dance that Sherry was last seen at. Everyone I know at work is either currently reading this book or can't wait to borrow it. It is maybe not as well written as an Ann Rule book, but it is still great and the case itself is so amazing that the book is hard to put down!



3. Humboldt County just snubbed a woman trying to bring justice for the horrible and brutal murder of her beautiful sister whom she loved so much. Her sister was brutally strangled by this mad man John Annibel and they do nothing, not a dang thing to help her in this case. Blood found on hacksaws (still not enough proof for them) and all of the evidence and witnesses Lisa could have rounded up would have been not enough for Humboldt county.
   This book broke my heart and made me sick. Sick that this jerk got away with so much. Sick that they gave the raped and strangled victims little if any respect by trying to get this guy and he is running free. Just so sad that to them all of this proof was just a lack of proof.
   God bless Lisa for trying her heart out and God bless all of the victims of that sick jerk that got away with so much!



4. the book is in detail of what the reader is looking for. This book hits home for many that live on the California Coast and slightly in land. Murders took place in and near my home town. If you are from this area, names of people in the book are very familar to the readers.
   I couldn't put the book down it was a great book kept me at the edge of my chair.



5. After having read several of Scott's books, I was greatly disappointed with this one. There are so many quotes from too many people that the storyline gets lost in the process. In addition, the pages upon pages of interviews with murderer John Annible are scripted verbatum, instead of being summarized. This made the reading process even more tedious. Scott usually puts out good text. He was way off on this one.

5 comments about The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights.

1. I bought this book with the hope of enhancing my limited knowledge on this critical time in the city of San Fransico that took place back in the 1970's. I did read Clark Howards book on the same subject about 25 years ago. After reading Mr Sanders version of the events I wonder if they were both writing about the same incident. Needless to say, Mr. Sanders book leaves one with the feeling that the real crime was the fact that the Mayor of S.F. and the police were using every means at there disposal to put a stop to these horrible crimes.
   One fact that seems to be at odds with Mr. Sanders is the fact that after months of frustration, the police were able to create a crack in the case within a week of finally taking drastic actions in regards to a dragnet in the area where most of the killings took place. This is in direct contrast to the point that Mr. Sanders makes throughout the book which is to say that the then S.F. police department was completely corrupt and unable to solve crimes because they were so at odds with most of the citizens of S.F. A point most everyone else disputes.
   I believe the fact that the crime was solved only after the police applied direct pressure speaks for itself in terms of whatit really took to put a stop to these killers.
   I would not recommend this book to anyone who is searching for a truthful, insighful and accurate telling of this tragic chapter in the city by the bay.



2. "Enjoy" is probably the wrong word for the subject matter. But I found it fascinating. Both my father and my uncle were in the force at the time and I heard stories about the case and the paranoia it caused. I was on offence about the racial controversies described in the book till I saw the discussions both on this site and elsewhere and saw the names of people (all retired SFPD cops) who were bashing the material. Now I think that maybe the authors are not exaggerating... Regardless, I found the book to be very interesting and informative. Good work.



3. Any long-time resident of the San Francisco Bay Area will recall the Zebra killer, whose racially motivated drive-by shootings terrorized the city in 1973-74, and how they were eventually solved by a team led by two black detectives. This story comes alive under the hand of the city's first Afro-American police chief, who was one of these detectives, and pro ides behind-the-scenes expose information about the reign of terror and its investigation. The underlying politics and discrimination within the SFPD comes to life, as does the time of social turmoil, in this riveting story of a crime spree thwarted. Any California collection must have it.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. ZEBRA MURDERS: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights by Prentice Earl Sanders and Bennett Cohen is the true story of serial killings that took place in San Francisco in 1973 and 1974. The killings were racially motivated during a period when the United States was being forced to treat African Americans in a more equal manner. Although the Brown v. Board of Education decision had been made several years earlier, apartheid still existed. There were angry African Americans - some who were ready to step outside the law.
   
   The atmosphere surrounding the murders included the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, the birth of the Black Panther Party and continued segregation in the work place. Early in the police investigation, it was noted that all the victims were white and black men were seen running from the scene of the crime. Two police officers, Prentice Earl Sanders and Rotea Gilford, who were fighting their own racial discrimination battle with the San Francisco police department, were assigned to the case. All black men who were out after dark were stopped, searched and questioned. This behavior brought lawsuits to the city. In addition, the two black officers were concerned there was going to be a white backlash and so they pushed hard to solve the case, sometimes staying up for days on end. The killings were upsetting the entire city and Sanders and Gilford were afraid the 'racial profiling' was only serving to make matters worse.
   
   This is a well-written true story of American apartheid in the San Francisco police department and the ability of two black officers to overcome the obstacles and still solve the mystery. It moves along swiftly while interjecting the needed nuggets of history of segregation and discrimination in the United States. You can feel the frustration Sanders and Gilford felt as they fought the police department in a lawsuit and attempted to solve the mystery of black men randomly killing white people. Enough background was given so that the atmosphere surrounding San Francisco in 1973 was apparent. It is definitely a must read book.
   
   Reviewed by Alice Holman
   of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



5. As usual book arrived in record time in great condition. Very interesting good read about a horrifying true subject!

5 comments about Where the Money Was: The Memoirs of a Bank Robber (Library of Larceny).

1. Where the Money Was by Willie Suton was an excellent book. It takes you through his crimes, escapes, and prison time. I would recomend it to anyone.



2. This book makes you feel like you are side-by-side with Willie thru the planning, bank robberies, getaways, and even prison breaks. It is written in down-to-earth language and makes you feel like Willie is your buddy, and you are sitting there listening to him tell his story. Willie makes you feel like it was okay to rob the banks, and you find yourself rooting for him. It was amazing how his mind worked, so methodically planning breaking INTO the banks, and the same mindset is what helped him break OUT of prison.

   "HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"




3. This book was a great read.I remember hearing about Willie Sutton when I was a child.I have also read I,Willie Sutton which was written in 1953.This is by far the better book.Willie kept the code until the latter years of his life.After reading both books I saw the truth in this publication.Highly recommended.



4. Excellent fast paced read. Will keep you interested all the time. A real journey thru a bank robber's life. Must Read!



5. I stumbled upon this book in the library, and thought it looked pretty interesting, so I checked it out. Little did I realize how interesting it would be. This book details the life of Willie Sutton, bank robber extraordinare, a man who held the #1 most wanted spot for over two years. I expected him to be a thuggish man, but boy was I wrong. It turns out he was quite a gentleman and intellectual, who had some kind of compulsion to rob banks. He never fired a gun, never physically harmed anyone, and managed to steal so much money from the government that they made him their most wanted man. When they caught him and sent him to prison, he spent his time reading Kierkegaard, Kant, Victor Hugo, etc. He then escapes from a maximum security prison which no one has escaped from in it's 100+ year existence, and works in a nursing home while trying to lay low, because he wanted to help people. He gets caught again, escapes again from a maximum security prison, makes the Most Wanted list, and is finally caught when he is in his 50's. He ends up with three life sentences. He decided he was too old to escape from prison again, so instead he spent a few years reading all the law books he could get his hands on, appealed all of his court decision, and had all of them overturned on technicalities that he had come across while reading. He spent the last 10-15 years of his life peacefully, as a law abiding citicen. Quite an interesting story to say the least. When asked by a reporter why he robbed banks, he supposedly said "Because that's where the money is." Hence the title of the book.
   
   I did a little research on Sutton after I read the book, thinking that perhaps he had just tried to make himself look good. It turns out that he spent his post-jail life lecturing on prison reform and helping banks increase the level of their security. Mr. Sutton is perhaps the only class act robber I have read of this side of Robin Hood.
   
   Overall grade: A

5 comments about Breaking Point (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. The first half of this book was interesting. The second half was good, but it seemed they wrapped the whole book up in the last chapter and it left you craving for more info. What happened????????????? Also, there were booking photos of some women who were only breifly mentioned in the book and it never expanded on why in the world they were booked for anything. I felt excited at first, but just let down at the end.



2. This book would have been much, much better if they had A) stayed on topic and B)Waited until the trial was over.

   Why A)? I don't even get the connection between the Worrenikis or whoever, and then the fact that the 2 photos of the girls could have been used for family pictures that proved that Andrea is not some sadisitic child-murderer.

   B) What is the point on profiling a case when you can only speculate the end result?

   On to the case. How is it that Susan Smith was, at first, only given 30 years at the minimum for the cold-hearted, greedy murder of little Michael and Alex? Yet Andrea Yates, an obviously sick woman, was given life w/ no chance of parole for the murders of Noah, John, Paul, Luke and Mary? Andrea did it out of love; Susan did it to get back at David and get with Tom. I don't think that there are any exceptions to the murdering of kids, it's all horrible, however I think there should be different sentancing. The fact that Belinda Hill rejected Andrea's insane plea blows my mind and it's obvious that Belinda Hill did not research Andrea's history.

   The jury that day not only took away any chance of Andrea getting better, yet they took away Rusty's only remaining family, and Andrea's family's dreams.

   If only doctors had realized how serious Andrea's sicknesses really were, those five children would be alive and well today, Andrea would be in treatment, and June 20, 2001 would not be a day that Americans remembered. THe day that five children were tragically taken away-not only by their mother's hands, but by the Texas doctors.




3. Being from Houston where this crime took place I liked the behind the scenes info on TV cameraman John Treadgold and the first police officers reaction to being first on the scene of this tragedy. The background into the families life was very detailed. Some reviewers question the book not covering the trial: but it was mainly a P.S. to the actual act anyway.



4. Suzy Spencer did a great job in telling a story that left me furious at the end of the book.
   
   I do not know who I want to strangle first: Andrea's self-centered and emotionally distant husband Rusty who kept the poor woman pregnant and isolated; that idiot of a preacher, the sexist (and bedbug crazy) Michael Woroniecki; the DA that was determined to have this obviously insane woman put to death; or the incompetent psychiatrist at Devereux.
   
   What IS it with the state of Texas and its zeal for executing women? Darlie Lynn Routier was railroaded onto death row, where she remains to this day. They were all too glad to execute Karla Faye Tucker, even though they had no problem with commuting Henry Lee Lucas' death sentence.
   
   Andrea Yates was mentally ill, and yet they wanted to stick a needle in her arm. Appalling.
   
   There are some women who should not have children; I think Andrea Pia Kennedy Yates was one of them.
   
   The poor woman didn't have a life. There was no "ME time" for her. She was constantly pregnant, even though she suffered postpartum depression from Day One. She had to homeschool her kids and at one point was made to live on a bus!
   
   Abuse doesn't have to be physical to be abuse - I believe Andrea Yates was abused by her husband -- and the mental health system let her down.
   
   I couldn't believe it when I read how Rusty Yates alienated the women he worked with at NASA, asking them why they were working and why they weren't "at home where they belong"? (I would have asked the domineering Mr. Yates, "And WHY are YOU getting in MY business?" Right before dumping a cup of coffee in his lap.)
   
   I also couldn't believe how he stated his "main objective as a parent" was to make his boys "stay quiet for longer periods of time."
   
   Excuse me? Children are not automatons or robots! What a control freak!
   
   I was beside myself with anger when I heard Rusty Yates now seeks a divorce from Andrea. Excuse me? What's he going to do.....find ANOTHER woman with little or no self-esteem and keep HER pregnant and a virtual prisoner until SHE snaps, too?
   
   Good job of story-telling by Suzy Spencer of how far women STILL have to go and how fundamentalist beliefs continue to screw up people's heads and lives!



5. A person cold bloodedly chases down her children, one by one. Holds
   them down in a bathtub while they fight for their lives, again one by
   one. She gets sympathy from the author. Sad. Whats with this rash of
   "poor pitiful murderer" books coming out lately?

5 comments about America at Night: The True Story of Two Rogue CIA Operatives, Homeland Security Failures,Dirty Money, and a Plot to Steal the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election- by theFor.

1. America at Night is one of the most riveting books I've read in a long while. I absolutely couldn't put it down. Not only is the story completely intriguing, but Kolb--unlike many true crime authors--can really write. The man is obviously a born storyteller. And in this case, the story he's telling happens to be true--which makes the book all the more fascinating. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in how politics really works in this country, or anyone that just enjoys a compulsive, compelling read.



2. This started off as interesting, but I lost interest when he started writing page after page about Muhammud Ali as the greatest man who ever lived. Toward the end, the book became a reason to bash the right, although the author claims he isn't. Kold is a left wing partisan, and it shows. Too bad, as the books holds real promise.



3. An entertaining book, as long as you don't believe the far-fetched conspiracy theories. The author takes a fact here, a factoid there, on and on and tries to put them together for a grand conspiracy. As far as I could tell, it's really just the story of some con men, talented and interesting though they were.



4. I'm sure most of what Mr. Kolb says is true about Hirschfeld and Sensi but I suspect he uses this capital to serve his ultimate goal -- to trash everything Republican. As a hit piece of this magnitude he is unconvincing. Ironically, if the picture Kolb has painted of these two con men is accurate and their abilitiy to use powerful figures is proven, then why is he not looking to find innocence in the many Republican politicians that seem to have been used? Why does he automatically see conspiracy on a wider scale within the GOP?
   
   He seems to trust "The Gray Eminence" and other people he has actually talked to like Engin Yesil. John Kerry is a war hero (Bush a poseur). He uses the term neo-con as a perjorative. Wolfowitz, Rice et al are war mongers out of touch with what....the omniscient benevolence of the Kerry team? A balanced outing of the "facts" would have at least included some rebuttal. There is none. He says at the beginning he is non-partisan. Nice try.
   
   He believes he is saving the world from evil. Has Kolb read Bill Sammon's book "At Any Cost - How Al Gore Tried To Steal The Election"? How that egalitarian and progressive organization, the Chicago Daley Machine was called in as a fixer for the Florida recount? There is no paucity of evil in America. Why be seletive?
   
   The fact is that both parties have operatives. Both parties are involved in scullduggery. And because of the hightened political climate both parties have a stake in deeming the other an enemy. I think the day of a mere advisarial relationship between left and right is over.
   
   We all pick sides. Kolb is on the Democratic team.



5. This book has some very interesting insight into a real story that depicts how some things work in this world... how someone can get all the way to the "kitchen" with the Bush's and be an outlaw. Very well written novel also! Only con would be some far fetched conspiracy theeories laid out at the beginning of the book and never proved during the book.

5 comments about A Fistful of Kings.

1. Saw this guy on TV in Biloxi. He was wild. I bought a copy of the book there. It's a really good read. It keeps escalating all the way through. Surprise "cliff hanger" style ending was a bonus. Recommended - I really liked it. The Chuck Norris Enterprise stuff was pretty alarming. Brotherton is lucky to be alive!



2. I didn't realize, until I was on to the clues, what this book was really saying. I'm now up to 21 confirmed clues. Brotherton weaves well - quite well. Once you know what the AGENDA really is, you're hooked. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, but not for the squeemish. If you've solved clues, please e-mail me directly.



3. So far I've identified 18 clues and I'm stumped to find the rest. Brotherton's got a good weaving style. I will keep trying. This is a good book for the main story and the hidden one.



4. Wow. When I started to read this book I thought it was a work of fiction. I live in Lake Charles and knew just about every major player John Brotherton named. When the riverboats came into Lake Charles I was only in elementary school so I did not know what really happened (happenes still) in Louisiana politics. This book opened my eyes to how crooked our state really is. This book is excellent for anyone who would like to read a book that you will not put down. It is a combination of scandals, spies, fiction only imagined, crime and above all else the truth. I can highly recogmmend A Fistful of Kings to anyone. Enjoy.



5. I bought this book at the Baton Rouge "Books A Million" with two other casino-type books before attending dealer school. I started the book and read it all of the way through without stopping. A very good read for casino people as well as just a good thriller. Highly recommend.

No comments about The Killing of Sharon Tate.