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

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



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



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



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



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

1 comments about The Only Living Witness: The True Story of Serial Sex Killer Ted Bundy.

1. I was 19 years old when Ted became headline news. Having grown up in Seattle my friends and I never thought anything about going alone to the U district, Capital Hill or for that matter anywhere by ourselves. Then Ted Bundy came along to ruin our eden-like existence, seeing male driving a VW actually made us so nervous we'd get chills. Seattle wasn't the safe and friendly utopia we had known all our lives, everyone was in a panic. The clean-cut guy next door might not be what he appears to be.
   
   The authors taking turns speaking with Bundy in his Florida prison, each having different styles of interviewing. Their key in opening this complex mind was playing up to Ted's ego and opinions on other serial killers. Finally after months of grueling interviews, Ted opened up by giving real information by way of a third-person's speculations. Author's Michaud and Aynesworth have written a true crime book from a totally different angle than most. The book gives us a look into a serial killer's mind as he goes merrily about his business of killing young women, with no remorse and vividly describing the how's and why's the murders might have been performed.
   
   Out of all the books on Ted Bundy this is the only one, in my opinion, that gets into Ted's head. So for those of us who wonder how a serial killer is "born", this books for you.

5 comments about The Irish Game: A True Story of Crime and Art.

1. This is the first true crime book I have ever read, and it won't be the last! Hart gives a history lesson of the Russborough Mansion and some of the paintings in it. You don't have to be familiar with art to really understand the heists and why the paintings were stolen. Hart gives you enough overall information; by the end of the book you will be an expert yourself. This book is packed to the max with great information. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants suspense, and historical information about the paintings.



2. A delightful book. If you like true stories about the almost perfect heist involving great works of art, then you'll enjoy this book. And like any good book, it is not only entertaining but teaches you something you didn't know...in this case about the world of crime and art.



3. 
   I don't generally read mystery novels;for the simple reason that when I finish one,I don't really feel that I've learned anything.Sure,there is the suspense, of trying to figure out whodunit;in the final analysis,logic isn't the governing factor;and the author calls the shot.
   True crime is quite a different matter,and I find that getting into the real mind of a real person,is much more interesting.
   Reading this book, one gets a very real insight into crime in the art world. The way the mind of Cahill works is unveiled as well as the way that the Irish police operate. After all,Irish culture is the result of many centuries of the people fighting the establishment.
   The author beautifully sums it up with this paragraph;
   "But the roots of insurrection stretch much farther back in time,into an ancient tradition of secret,peasant societies formed by the dispossessed Gaels in the centuries following the Norman invasion,and persisting into later times. These small,clandestine bands had no chnce of reversing history. Their mission was to exact a steady taxation of terror from those in power over them. They depended on concealment on the complicity of their fellow Irishmen,who shared their language,race and fate. This old tradition of resistance to authority was too deeply engrained to evaporate with Irish independence,and the job of a policeman in Ireland is always at war with the past."
   Along with gaining a good insight into Irish crime; we get a real understanding of the nature of crime in the world of priceless art. I often wondered why criminals stole these items when they are so easily identifiable and therefore virtually impossible to fence. This book clearly explains what goes on here. When a great piece of art is stolen,we also see that it becomes an international crime.
   This book reads like fiction; but when you come to the end ;you are left with the satisfaction that you've really learned something.



4. Matthew Hart's The Irish Game : A True Story of Crime and Art is an excellent read about Ireland, art, art theft, and criminal investigation. This is a very intiguing non-fiction book about the theft of art by Johannes Vermeer in 1986 from a great house/museum known as Russborough in Ireland.
   
   Not only is this book a pleasure to read, I walked away learning quite a bit about art techniques, and art theft. Whereas non-fiction, if not done right, can tend to drag, this real story moves along at a brisk pace due in large part to the story, compelling characters, and smooth pace.
   
   I really enjoyed learning about the Irish police AKA the Garda and the techniques they employed to track the art theft's chief suspect Martin Cahill.
   
   I would encourage anyone interested in any of the aforementioned matters, inlcuding but not limited too: art theft, criminal investigative techniques, art techniques, and Ireland, to give this excellent book a try.



5. "The Irish Game" tells the true stories of two separate art robberies at the palatial Russborough House in Wicklow. Of several paintings stolen, The Dutch master Jan Vermeer's "Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid" (called the Dublin Vermeer) is easily one the most valuable at several hundred million dollars. I'm not ordinarily predisposed to enjoying true-crime tales, but I found this intriguing and engaging. The world of art theft is a labyrinth of interconnected criminal factions and the trail of stolen art can easily traverse several countries. To accurately present the myriad details--not only of the heists, but also of the extraordinarily convoluted stings that would recover the stolen art--is a feat of painstaking research. To present this to the reader as a thrilling read as opposed to mere reportage is an even bigger challenge. I think that Hart did a splendid job in both.
   
   Whether there was too much background or not enough of the characters' lives, the heists, and the coterie of detectives, depends greatly on one's preference. In a story such as this, I consider it vital to be given a surplus of details rather than a mere spattering. The art theft world is not as straightforward as most people would assume, that is steal the art then sell it. Most of the stolen art, we are informed, are not fenced but used as collateral for other crimes, usually drug dealing and arms procurement. To catch these criminals and recover the lost art goes beyond conventional detection, to say the least, and Hart does a fine job in elevating the narrative from a mere recitation of facts to a thrilling account of this complex game. As to be expected, there are maps, illustrations, color plates, photos, etc., that serve as visual aids to heighten interest.
   
   Of particular interest to me was the segue into the discovery by an art conservationist of a Vermeer "secret." Anyone who's seen a Vermeer is amazed by the realism. The other thing that amazes is the perspective (the convergence of parallel lines into a vanishing point). To refresh my memory, I pulled out my copy of "Vermeer" by Arthur Wheelock, Jr., one of the National Gallery of Art's curators and the U.S.'s leading Vermeer scholar, and once again stared at each of the forty color plates. When I look at them, I get the sensation that I can almost `step into' the picture or that the scene depicted is immediately in front of me. It's both wondrous and chilling, and his mastery of perspective has baffled scholars for close to four hundred years. Several years ago, I saw a documentary featuring David Hockney of the "Secret Knowledge" infamy, illustrating his theory that the old masters had used optics such as the primitive versions of the camera obscura to help create their masterpieces. His theory was equated to heresy and fueled controversies and numerous critics, but I will admit that I found it logical and utterly believable. Shame on me. In Chap. 9, I was stunned by the spectacularly simple technique the innovative master must have used, and for some of us, it will evoke memories of the grade-school technique we were taught on how to draw a perfect circle (bet you want to know now, don't you?). I had forgotten that oftentimes, truth is simply...simple!
   
   Two of the more astonishing facts the reader learns is that the Dublin Vermeer was stolen twice from the same place, first in 1974 by a gang headed by Rose Dugdale, an IRA supporter and the spoiled daughter of a millionaire, and second by a career criminal, Martin Cahill, twelve years later, and the other is that the two separate cases were solved by a father and his son, Ned Hogan and Liam Hogan. Both were officers in the Garda Síochána (Ireland's police force) and Ned was one of the major players in the recovery in the 1970s. When the second heist occurred in 1986, Liam was instrumental in the recovery of the same Vermeer. As father and son look at the recovered Dutch Vermeer, Liam says to his father, "If they lose it again, they can get it back themselves." Ned's reply? "If we get it back again, we keep it."

No comments about Using Murder: The Social Construction of Serial Homicide (Social Problems and Social Issues).

2 comments about Dance with the Devil: A Memoir of Murder and Loss.

1. This is very personal to my heart since my very good friend is very close to the Bagby family & I am from Pennsylvania where this tragedy took place. David Bagby's writing is very eloquent, considering the circumstance. I hope this story of how the Canadian Government failed this family will help change the laws in Canada. An EXCELLENT read.



2. An excellent book. Definitely not a happy book, but one that is extremely informative about the US and Canadian Justice Systems, and their impacts on everyday families. An amazing glimpse of how people deal with tragedy, and what it takes to get a killer behind bars.

4 comments about Jolly Roger With an Uzi: The Rise and Threat of Modern Piracy.

1. A great book a book on a very rare crime.I think there's more modern pircay attacks then people think.



2. AS A PLEASURE BOATER WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN SAILING THE CARIBEAN, I FOUND JOLLY RODGER WITH AN UZI TO BE A MOST FASCINATIONG READ. ANYONE WHO GOES ANYWHERE ON THE OCEAN SHOULD BUY IT.



3. This subject is hard to get a handle on and the authors do make an attempt in a slim volume of work. But sadly, what I saw was the InternationalMaritime Bureau report on piracy, three years out of date.

   However, this is a good faith effort, details are hard to find, but, of course I would have liked more. Much of these incidents are sketchy, little more than a report on ship name, location of attack and what was taken.

   The authors do make the point that piracy is still rare, but it is a violent crime and does affect maritime community -- who wants a shotgun stuck in your face as they rob all your personal possession?

   The book lacks good methods for crews to counter piracy, "Maritime Terror," although a slimer volume, has more meat on that subject.

   The authors spent some time handwringing on whether to carry arms or use firehoses to repel boarders. They didn't spend much effort on what a ship could do to prevent boarding in the first place, other than suggest "wagging the tail."

   They did suggest one very good method of combating piracy, which was to insert special forces onboard during hih risk transits under a UN flag, but didn't flush that out in any detail.

   Also, I would have liked to have seen an overview of shipping lane traffic, the shippers, their cargo, and how those ships are crewed. They did give gross numbers in a risk analysis, but that could have made a good chapter.

   Finally, the risk to pleasure boats was lightly touched on. I would have liked to have seen a map plotting high risk waters, something to avoid. Also, a plot of all incidents and a rating of high risk ports.

   Overall, I was dissapointed. I expected a better book from the US Naval Institute.




4. Jolly Roger With An Uzi lays out the history, rise and threat of modern piracy on the high seas. Reported pirate attacks have increased more than 80% (with a large number believed to go unreported), and this much needed expose warns seafarers of the scope and ferocity of today's maritime violence, suggesting actions that can be taken to be secure on the oceans of the world. While pirate assaults principally occur in the waters off Indonesia, Brazil, Somalia, and the South China Sea, no location is entirely safe. Today's pirates use highspeed boats and automatic weapons, plan their attacks carefully, utilize information gained through government agencies in seaports, and cost severe economic losses, mounting deaths of mariners, and horrific tragedies for sea-going passengers. Jolly Roger With An Uzi also offers suggestions for American policy reforms, new roles for government agencies, military, and maritime enforcement unites, as well as a redefinition of jurisdictions on the high seas. A unique and long needed clarion call of alarm, Jolly Roger With An Uzi is highly recommended reading for students of international studies, maritime studies, maritime enforcement personnel, and the business community engaged in maritime shipping.

2 comments about Dangerous Women: Why Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters Become Stalkers, Molesters, and Murderers.

1. Larry Morris has approached a subject that is on the minds of everyone who watches true crime shows on TV or is one of the millions of readers of such stories who wonders: "How could a woman do this?"
   
   Tackling his subject with professional detachment, Morris, a forensic psychologist, takes a close look at the women in his collection--from Mary Winkler, who murdered her minister husband and was set free, to astronaut Lisa Nowak, who drove thousands of miles to do harm to a romantic rival. Morris explores roughly thirty "dangerous women" whose lives took a wrong turn to find out what turned them into stalkers, murderers, and molesters. Some may argue that Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan didn't quite reach this level, but as members of the "growing up dangerous" category who have all been jail bound for their behavior, they certainly belong in this book as examples of what NOT to do when bringing up a teenage daughter.
   I think the author has outdone himself with this book, and I can't wait to read his next one!



2. What a great book! Informative yet readable, intellectual yet approachable. Larry Morris understands why women are dangerous. He sees the necessity for understanding why people commit crimes and finds answers in the under-studied area of women's behavior and how it can lead to crime.
   
   Besides being relevant and informative, Dr. Morris touches on a subject that so badly needs our attention and focus-- the politically incorrect discussion of women as dangerous!

No comments about Road Without End: On the Run with Bonnie & Clyde.

5 comments about Cop : A True Story.

1. Being the first "true story" law enforcement book I ever read, I was very impressed. It definitely gave me the bug to read others, and to be active in supporting the law enforcement.



2. I found this book impossible to put down. I am currently going to school majoring in Law Enforcement. I truly enjoyed reading his take on being a Police Officer. It gives a first hand look into what they deal with each day they walk their beat. I have great respect and admiration for my local Officers here that I have done ride alongs with as well as Officers nationwide and worldwide. This book shows just how much they put their lives on the line each day. May you all stay safe out there and I can't wait to see you on the streets soon!



3. The author seems to have the need to applogize for the things he did as a rookie cop. Sounds like a corrupt jerk that did not have the balls to be what any good LA cop is, HONEST! This book is an uneducated joke of a look at actual police work in LA. If the author feels so bad about the things he did, he needs to go down to the DA's office and tell them about it, or did he write it when the statute of limitations ran out. You tarnish the badge for every good LA cop out there, just another whiny jerk that did not have any real respect on the street and within the divisions, no one I know knows this guy. Must have worked West Valley. Shame on you!



4. I enjoy reading non-fiction police stories, especially since I'm looking at working in law enforcement, and Michael Middleton's "Cop" was well worth the read. Middleton is completely honest with the reader, his words seemingly unaffected by political correctness or the need to look right in all matters. I enjoyed and appreciated his candor, despite the fact that he's been chastised for it - Middleton mentions in "Cop" that a fellow officer told him not to be so frank in his recollecting. Likewise, you can look at previous comments that lambast him for being so "corrupt." Policing can be a difficult job, and Middleton says it like it is.
   
   The book was not only informative of police life and the society that we live in, but also placed some of the harsh and uncomfortable truths into the light. I am grateful that Middleton shared some of his career with us.



5. I recently read this book and found it very interesting. I am not a police officer but I respect them with everything. Officer Middleton went through a lot while he was on the LAPD. The things that he went through day in and day out was amazing. I have a few friends that are police officers in the city that I live in and I trust them with my life. After reading this I have found out that there are good cops and there are bad ones too! Those ones that are good know their jobs and do it very well everyday. If anyone was wanting a profession in law enforcement they need to read this book. To all the officers that are out there I think you should read it too. My prayers are with all the men and women of all the police departments in the world!!!

5 comments about The Shadow Over Santa Susana: Black Magic, Mind Control and The "Manson Family¿ Mythos.

1. besides helter skelter, this is the best book i read on the manson case. learn a lot. i like the conspiracy theories. makes you wonder. the writer did his homework. well writen cody



2. Having read all of the available books on the subject of Manson and the Tate/Labianca murders, I find that this is the most definitive work. From the author's name, "Gorightly", to the final chapter this book is fresh in it's presentation. The old information is thought provoking and, to this reader there was a lot of new and interesting data. The author is candid about his sources and while decidedly biased he is entertaining in his approach. Having lived in California during the 70's reading Mr Gorightly's descriptions took me back to those warm Eucalyptus scent filled summer nights.



3. As conspiracy books go, it's no better or worse. Parts were interesting; parts were mind numbingly dull. What proved to be a major distraction for me was the extremely high number of copy errors. It's hard to take content seriously when the word "altar" was spelled "alter" throughout the whole tome. Made me wonder how seriously I could take it with such a sloppy presentation. Or maybe the mistakes were some sort of advanced conspiracy code lingo.



4. This book is unique in the many ways.It's the only Manson book that comes closest to the real story of Helter Skelter.It's the only one that delves into the area of witchcraft's influence on Manson and his misuse of it.And it's the only Mansonsque book that relates the idea that Manson was set up by the astute Zodiac.And the only book that shows the 60's new-rich and famous hob-nobbing with the talented yet poor and nameless.And the book unfolds the aftermath of their psychedelic masquerade .Out of five Druid stars,I with-held just one. I had two major qualms with the book,the misspellings and the snide attitude.In later press-runs,the errors should have been corrected by now.And the narc tone of the book,surfaces and ebbs every now and then.Just gimme some truth,and Gorightly overall does! Vincent B.'s "Helter Skelter" book is a fairly dry,superficial,prima facia report of the before and after events of that 1969 summer swelter .Whereas Gorightly makes the Manson story as topical today as yestreen.So, if you want a better version of what transpired,during those dog days til the witching hours on Cielo Drive,then buy Gorightly's book!



5. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have an extensive collection on the Manson saga and I have to say this comes as close to the "real" story as we will probably ever get. If you are interested in the Manson story this book and Paul Watkins book are your best bets. Both are insightful and compelling. Although we will never know the true story Mr.Gorightly weaves a thought provoking tale of weirdness, excess, and conspiracy. I loved it.