5 comments about Deadly Mistress: A True Story of Marriage, Betrayal and Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. This California case of a spurned lover who conspired with a real loser to eliminate her lover's spouse, and in a twist the lover himself, was a fair read at best. While the author did his best to describe the police investigation into the murders it seemed long in details and short on excitement. (even with the twist) Not recommended.



2. It's a tough read. It does not keep my interest. I will finish it because I started it, but it is one I could definitely put down.



3. I have an interest in true crime books and this one is well worth reading.



4. I just heard about this story on CourtTV. I have no sympathy for the Doc. What a fool. It would have come out so much better had he just legally separated. Doc's lover was full of deception and the hitman he hired to undo his wife was actually sleeping with his mistress behind his back. So the plan was for the hitman to kill the wife and wound the Doc whilst they were in the car. Hitman and mistress had other plans. Instead of just killing the wife and wounding the Doc, hitman killed them both. Doc never saw it coming.



5. This is a hard book for me...Dr. Carolyn Stahl was my optometrist, and I had an appointment with her scheduled the day after she was murdered. She was the sweetest, kindest doctor...the entire doctor's staff was shocked and horrified...even if the book is rather detailed and maybe somewhat dry in spots, it makes a difference having known the victim...

2 comments about When Battered Women Kill.

1. This book outlines the well-documented psychological cycle that keeps women in abusive relationships: 1) period of slight tension 2) escalating tension 3) explosion, attack of mental and/or physical abuse 4) Honeymoon period: the perpetrator is sincerely apologetic, regrets his actions, often plys the victim with gifts and promises of "never again." 5) see 1

   This works very, very well because a person who is traumatized is temporarily desperate for love. They crave comfort from any source - even the perp. Her vulnerability (following an attack) coincides with the abuser's promises and hugs. She gives him another chance.

   This same dynamic occurs with kidnappers & hostages, as I'm sure you've heard.

   The key to ensnaring the victim is a slow escalation. Most women, hit out of the blue, will be angry and leave. If their relationship progresses through mild verbal controls, etc, grabbing an arm, then slowly to a severe shaking... you can see how the cycle asserts itself gradually. It's that damn frog again: Drop one in a boiling pot and it'll leap out. Place it in cool water and heat it up slowly and it will sit there until boiled to death. Some people feel they have too much invested (a child, time, etc) to leave. Others have been abused or witnessed similar behavior with their parents, and may on a deep level think it's normal. Very sad.

   The bad news about the escalation is that it almost never stops. Abuse, once started, continues until the victim leaves or is killed. Women who feel they can't leave tend to fight back with deadly force when a new boundry has been crossed: The first time he touches the daughter, for example.




2. The book is in OK shape. It was mailed 7 days after it was gauranteed to be shipped, seller never responded to emails. Would not recommend this seller if you are looking for prompt service. I was dissatisfied.

5 comments about Sins of the Son.

1. In his book Carlton Stowers tells us of his son, an irresponsible, self-centered sociopathic monster who would ultimately end up killing his wife in a vicious, drug-induced rage.

   What I consider most compelling about Sins of the Son is the writer, Carlton Stowers himself. Carlton's son, Anson, began showing signs of anti-social behavior from a very early age. Gradually, Anson's criminal behavior escalated to more serious crimes as his drug addiction and aggression grew. And every step of the way, dear old Dad is there at the ready, to bail him out, fostering in Anson the belief that personal accountability was something other people had to worry about, not Anson.

   For example, when Anson steals Carlton's car, and takes it out to Louisiana and uses it in an armed robbery, what does Carlton do? He flies out and hires him a lawyer. When the boy escapes the Louisiana prison and returns to Texas, Carlton expresses in his book the hope he felt that Anson might be able work out a deal with Texas authorities to serve out his Louisiana time at home in Texas, where Anson might be more comfortable. To his relief, that's just what happened.

   After doing just a few years in Texas for the armed robbery charge, Carlton writes in his book of the frustration he felt when his miscreant son did not make parole the very first time up. He even contacts a well-connected Dallas businessman who ends up somehow securing the boy's release. Hello? Your son stole your car and used it when he stuck a loaded shotgun in a woman's face while he robbed her!

   Out on parole, Carlton tells us about how he opens his home to Anson, and, ironically, pays for a car for him to use so he can get back and forth to his parole officer's weekly visits. Shortly after that, Anson begins using drugs again. He then ends up moving out and into his girlfriend's apartment. After this point, Carlton makes only the slightest reference in his book to the fact that his drug-addicted son had become physically abusive to his girlfriend, who, against her better judgment, marries him anyway.

   The entire book is filled with, "Dad, I'm in a jam, I need some money," or "Dad, can you help me out," or "Dad, I really need a hand, can you spare a few bucks?" Each and every time, the writer maddens his reader by telling of his caving in to his wife-beating son's requests for money, even though the writer confesses he knows much of the money he is handing out is going to pay for drugs!

   But nowhere is Carlton's compulsive obsession with his son more evident than when he discusses Anson's wife, whose photo does not appear in the book and whose family is never mentioned even once. He knows his son is physically abusive, beating up his wife, and yet he does nothing. When the inevitable happens and his son finally murders Annette, Daddy Carlton faithfully visits the prison and pays no homage in his book, nothing, to the family of the young woman whose life was snuffed out by his son. Carlton rues the fact that his son was sentenced to sixty years and laments that he won't be eligible for parole until the age of 45. Perhaps the writer ought to be reminded how fortunate it is that he has the opportunity to even reach that age at all. It sure is more than what one can say for his son's victim.

   The interesting thing is, this book has been heralded as some kind of "courageous" piece, an "inspiring," and "brave" work. Nonsense. This is the work of cowardly and frankly self-absorbed individual who lacked the courage to admit that his own flesh and blood was a sociopath, a homicidal drug addict whose only rightful place is on death row. Because of the writer's shameless pattern of bailing his son out no matter what he's done, facilitating his freedom to commit the ultimate crime, murder, it's an exceedingly maddening book to read, and an unbalanced and poorly written one at that. I would not recommend this book.




2. I found the author's lack of insight into his son very troubling. One would think that a true crime writer would have more of a grasp of the human psyche. Like his son the author ran away from problems and saw himself above other people, including his first two wives and his son's wife. How could you not express condolences to the family of a woman who who was part of your family for several years. How could you not protect her, because she was a stripper! I couldn't help but wonder if white privledge wasn't part of the picture but never mentioned.



3. This true story is every parent's worst nightmare. Carlton Stowers was a journalist raising his two sons. His oldest son, Anson, had been a good child. He had a normal youth that involved sports and animals. In school, he did well and was not a problem. Then, he began to change.

   How did this normal child turn to a life of crime, drugs, and eventually murder?

   This is an excellent book. It addresses the issue of a child's misbehavior from the point of a father, a journalist, and an award-winning true crime writer. He deals with the issues of his son honestly and openly, as only the person experiencing the crisis can. However, he fails to examine his own problems. Since the title is "Sins of the Son," I suppose he did not feel that the sins of the father would be pertinent. Personally, I feel that the father is as much at fault as the son.

   Carlton Stowers is the author of To The Last Breath and Careless Whispers. He has won the Edgar Award twice.




4. I've just finished reading this book, and although I found it hard at times to put it down, what struck me when I finished the book was that there is little to no mention of the other family that was affected by the author's son. I understand that the purpose of the book could have been to find out where the father went wrong, but what about some sort of consolation for the family of the murdered victim? Aside from that, the writing was engaging and I look forward to reading more of Carlton Stower's books.



5. This ia a book written by Carlton Stowers about his own life, and his own son who turns into a murderer. It is SO well done. The book is interesting enough as a true-crime book, but Stowers obviously has the inside information about all of the characters in the book. He is quick to point out mistakes he made as a parent while also acknowledging that he was not at fault for what eventually happened, you can feel the pain he went through for years with his son, and he becomes an even more admirable man once you learn that he fought for his kids and raised them on his own once he was divorced from their mother. Any parent who has ever struggled with an out-of-control child will love this book, any true-crime fan will love this book. I did not want it to end. This one is a must-read!

5 comments about Without a Trace: The Disappearance of Amy Billig--A Mother's Search for Justice.

1. I read this book in a few hours. I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what would happen next. It was fascinating! Sue Billig simply amazed me. As a mother I was able to feel her pain and frustration. What she went through trying to find her daughter stemmed from pure courage, tenacity and love.

   I was frustrated myself at the end. I was hoping so much it would tell what happened to Amy, but mainly you just have to guess for yourself.

   Mind-blowing read!




2. Horrible and haunting. You want so much to believe she's still alive.



3. Reviewers before me have said it best. Out of all the true crime books I've read, I estimate 10% rate as "can't put down page turners" and this is one of them. That says it all.
   I would put this book in a class of my favorite true crime books including:
   Careless Whispers
   Zodiac
   The Ultimate Evil
   Dreams of Ada
   Minds of Billy Mulligan



4. I am a True Crime addict and I remember watching the story of Amy Billig on "Unsolved Mysteries." Even though I had seen the story, I figured I would learn a lot more if I bought the book, so I did. I am a slow reader and usually it takes me months to read just one book. "Without A Trace" was different. This book kept me interested all the way through and I seemed to breeze through it. It is a very good read. I even read it in the bathtub while I was taking a soak!
   
   Amy Billig was just 17 when she disappeared from Coconut Grove, Florida in 1974. Amy had planned to meet friends for lunch and was going to drop by her dad's art shop on the way. However there were some greasy, tattoed, leather-clad visitors who were also dropping by that fateful day. The forboding rumble of motorcycles going through town told people to heed their caution. It was the annual biker gathering again. When Amy didn't arrive at her dad's shop and never met her friends, Amy's parents, Sue and Ned Billig, knew something terrible must have happened.
   
   Let me say that reading this book made me take a second look at mankind. I was angry as I followed Sue's relentless quest to find her missing daughter only to be taken advantage of by greedy, shallow-minded people such as the Glasser twins, who claimed to have Amy, and Hank Blair who tortured Sue Billig with sexually explicit telephone pranks about Amy for about two decades which lead to a lengthy court battle in the process. But through it all, Sue would do anything to find her daughter from searching into different tips, meeting up with and traveling with bikers such as the infamous Paul Branch who had claimed to have Amy, traveling to prisons to interview bikers who may have a clue, and even frequenting biker bars to search for her daughter.
   
   Some of the images portrayed in this book make your spine shiver. How about picturing a pint-sized, middle-aged woman from a well-to-do life, clinging to a rough and rowdy biker while riding on the back of his motorcycle? How about picturing this woman mingling with dirty, tattoed, chain and leather-clad bikers armed with guns inside scudzy trailors cluttered with rusty auto parts, beer cans and cigarette butts? While these bikers are peeking out of windows fearing any vehicle that drives up, a biker couple can be heard having sex in the other room. Authors Greg Aunapu and Susan Billig do an outstanding job of taking us on the journey over the boundaries of safety and into the world of the bikers who are murderers, drug dealers and woman-beaters. After all, women are considered property and bikers give them away and pass them around to other bikers as such. As a female myself, this was difficult to read about. But I think I can safely say that I would do the same things that Sue did if my daughter went missing.
   
   The most frustrating part (and indeed I feel for Sue and can relate to her frustration), is all the leads that fall dead. Unfortunately with just about every huge case, there are leads that are looked into and nothing comes of it. Therefore you've just wasted precious time. Poor Sue had to go through so much of this. Calls at all hours of the night, plane trips to places like Tulsa, Seattle and New Jersey on tips from bikers such as Paul Branch, investigations into strip bars where bikers usually make their "old ladies" work at; everything seemed endless. But Sue was relentless, taking every call to heart and jotting virtually every call down in her journal. Many leads brought people who said Amy was a biker girl who was drugged up and called "Mute" or "Sunshine." The tips came and came. She was at this particular market with wome Outlaw bikers buying soup and crackers. She was at this store in Seattle looking at health food. And it's truely amazing how many biker names come up in the search for Amy, from Paul Branch, to "Dishrag Harry," to "Creature." It seems endless.
   
   I just have to give the ultimate kudos to Sue Billig for all that she had to go through in her search. She is the real model of strength that many women should strive for. She is inspiring in every sense of the word. When people told Sue to give up, she wouldn't. When people told Sue that Amy may be brainwashed and never the same, Sue didn't care. When there was any little hint that Amy may be in a particular place, Sue would dash there. If she needed to stand up to bikers, she would stand up to bikers and force herself to be unintimidated. Even cancer couldn't keep Sue down, nor her husband's tragic death. She is an obsessed mother determined to bring her daughter home. Some may think being that obsessed is a bad thing, but it is not. It makes you amazed at how the human spirit handles pressures when things get to be dangerous and life seems to crumble.
   
   The description of the bikers and their hangouts and the places that Sue explored were absolutely fantastic. Every detail gets you right into the book and you are automatically sitting there suffering with Sue. You are riding on the back of a biker's motorcycle with nerves pumping through your body and the wind tossing your hair around. You smell the smoky air, the sweat and leather. You hear the rough voices and see the scowls and other facial expressions. You feel the rage and disappointment when pranksters exploit. And the hardest part through it all is that Amy always seems just out of reach somehow. There is always this feeling of not being able to get to her. I personally have had dreams like that and needless to say, it is tough on the emotions. Even in the end, Sue is still taken advantage of from Branch's "old lady," "Tootsie's" so called deathbed story, to British producers ordering Sue to engrave Amy's name on a headstone. The anger of it all!
   
   But the question remains. Is Amy still alive out there? Is she dead? Is she tortured daily? Is she a drugged-up stripper? Is she pregnant? How did Paul Branch really know of Amy's appendix scar, or that she liked folk music? We may never know what ever happened to the carefree 17 year-old who loved life and was truly inspired by it. It was the simple things in life such as a sunset and the wind blowing in the trees that Amy loved. She was indeed special and very insightful. It was also a much different time. It was seemingly a more innocent time; at least away from the underworld of the bikers. But much has changed since 1974, and as the years progressed in this book, I could truly feel that nostalgic emotional feeling of the fact that Amy had been gone for so long as the times changed.
   
   Although Sue spent 25 years searching for Amy, she had eventually found a way to bring that chapter of her life to a close even though she still mourns for her beloved daughter. Now her son Josh has kids of his own and she is able to channel her energy through them and see traces of Amy in them. The ending of the book was very fitting. It is a haunting passage that Amy wrote shortly before she was kidnapped and it shows the very essence of the wonderful young woman she was/is. It will leave you thinking for days after you finally put this book to rest.



5. Amy Billig was a teenage daughter in the 1970s Coral Gables, Florida. She had loving parents and an equally loving brother. One Saturday, she went hitch-hiking to meet some friends for lunch downtown. Hitch-hiking in the 1970s was common, acceptable behavior. Nobody thought it was dangerous. Amy Billig was never heard or seen again! I will always remember reading this book while I did jury duty and I have seen Susan Billig on television searching for her daughter. She would travel the world searching for her. She doesn't know for sure about her fate. That's the tragic part of this book is that she would rather know than not know. I remember reading "Not knowing is worse than knowing." It is because Susan probably has accepted that Amy will never return home. Her daughter would have never stopped contacting her parents or try to get in touch. Susan has researched biker gangs in America and in England. She has spent all her savings in search for her daughter. A mother's love like hers is not rare because Susan is an extraordinary woman who is relentless in her pursuits for the truth no matter how painful that can be. I think deep down that Susan has accepted Amy's fate but as she wrote to not know is worse than knowing. If Amy is dead and it's sure, she can grieve and move on with her life. Until then, I can't imagine Susan not searching or ever giving up hope.

5 comments about To Kill and Kill Again (Onyx True Crime ; Je 323).

1. Definitly a book for adults only, this is the tale of a furniture delivery man named John Wayne Nance who is confirmed as having killed four and possibly eight people in a twelve year period up until his death in 1986. He attacked a couple in their home who fought back and killed him. My heart went out to the victims and their families, in particular three orphaned children. John Nance must have been SICK to do the revolting crimes he did and to hell he can go!! The book is a moving account of what happened and also very graphic. Two of the victims remain unidentified to this day. May those who died rest in peace.



2. I worked at Conlins in 1982-83, and became good friends with Sheila Claxton and Wayne Nance. She was another sales person and Wayne was one of the delivery guys. We spent many hours at work and after together as friends. He was very mysterious to say the least. When he did weird things we just agreed it was just Wayne. After he tried to kill our friends and Manager of the Conlins Store, we knew he had done it and all the other killings, but it was not until I finished the book that it became real to me... and I was truly afraid....

   I had moved to Missoula just as the Ministers wife was killed, and then the children found along the highway, later women, and former clients dying under mysterious circumstances. Then having it all placed in front of you and finding out it is a friend who has done it was almost too much to believe.

   This was a wonderful, suspence filled, truthful book and I thank him for telling the story. Our lives will never be the same. I am sure you will share it with others after you have read it.




3. When I was 5 years old in Missoula, Wayne Nance murdered my best friend. I will never, even all these years later, shake what he did - this book helped me come to grips with a small part of what happened as I was too young then to understand. I'm glad for that, but on the other hand, I'm torn. The victims of his horrific crimes deserve far more attention than he got in the end. My friend deserved better. *ALL* his victims deserved better.



4. I lived in Missoula MT at the time this guy was on his murder spree. My sister went to school with him. I was in school at the time and not even aware of any of this going on. This book is very interesting and certainly would make any reader sharpen their radar for wierdos. Keep your head on a swival and maintain awareness. I could not put the book down, it is very good and very creepy.



5. John Coston has written a rapid-paced true crime thriller about Wayne Nance who killed mostly women and girls for 12 years.
   The actual number of victims is not known.
   
   His childhood was a disturbing one with Nance frequently getting into trouble and in one instance showing a cruel streak directed at some kittens. He also had an acute interest in the occult and sacrificed animals. Nance was definitely a loosely-wrapped head case when he started murdering as a teenager. What made him so dangerous was his ability to earn peoples' trust and come across as almost normal while hiding the fact that he was "a mercurial,seething psycho".
   
   Like a lot of serial killers you read about, Wayne Nance made mistakes and kept a few trophies. He avoided detection in small part by the tunnel vision of the sheriff in one of the cases. What's frustrating about the case was the fact that one of the investigators early on suspected him but couldn't get enough evidence. Things were a lot harder before DNA became a tool for law enforcement and Nance was very lucky.
   
   He was also an anomaly among serial killers, prowling a very small area and avoiding detection for more than a decade.
   
   "To Kill and Kill Again" is a riveting true crime book. Among the best at telling the story not only of the killer and his victims,but also the heroic survivor who ended the killing spree.

5 comments about Bloodsworth: The True Story of the First Death Row Inmate Exonerated by DNA (Shannon Ravenel Books).

1. 
   Jerry Layne Rogers, Sr. -- wrongfully convicted and innocent. From 1989 - 1992, I was his investigator at CCR [The Office of Capital Collateral Representative, a state agency representing death-sentenced persons].
   
   Mr. Rogers' case consisted in 1992 of at least 80 boxes of documents, from court files, prosecutor and law enforcement files, trial and evidentiary hearing transcripts, etc. Mr. Rogers's case was the largest and most complicated that CCR has ever represented that I am aware of.
   
   The second largest and most complicated was that of Mr. Gerald Stano, whose lead attorney during most of the development of his case was Mark E. Olive.
   
   In 1995, Mr. Rogers began receiving pro bono representation from the Washington, D.C. law firm Covington and Burling. The result was an unanimous Florida Supreme Court (FSC) 26 page opinion ordering a new trial in Mr. Rogers' case due primarily to prosecutorial misconduct, in particular Brady v. Maryland violations.
   
   To read the opinion, go to the FSC website, then at "Public Information", to the recent opinions, to the year 2001, then toward the bottom at February 15, 2001, one will find the FSC opinion.
   
   During the summer of 2002, Mr. Rogers was re-convicted, however sentenced to life upon the jury recommendation. Now twice Mr. Rogers has been wrongfully convicted.
   
   In 2004, the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal denied relief. The FSC declined to accept jurisdiction and thus denied the petition for review.
   
   Mr. Rogers' case is pending Federal review.
   
   
   
   
   For those interested in reading the narrowly decided by four to three vote Florida Supreme Court opinions regarding two more death sentenced persons whose innocence is an authentic issue, please go to the FSC website, then go to the recent opinions, then chose the correct year and scroll down to the following two cases:
   
   Roy Swafford: April 18, 2002
   
   Peter Ventura: May 24, 2001
   
   
   Additionally, the issue in the below cases is DNA testing that proves that Roy Swafford did not rape Brenda Rucker:
   
   Roy Swafford: March 26, 2004 Case Nos. SC03.931 and SC03.1153
   
   
   
   Please also read other books about Florida's death row by David von Drehle and Michael Mello - also availabe at Amazon.
   
   



2. Tim Junkin does an excellent job of recounting the horrid turn of events that led to Kirk Bloodsworth's arrest, indictment, conviction, and second conviction for a crime he didn't commit. Neither Bloodsworth nor Junkin ever lose sight of the fact that an appalling crime was committed, and Junkin is not afraid to show Bloodsworth, warts and all.
   
   The arrogance of the prosecution in this case is staggering. Even when faced with incontrovertible evidence that the wrong man had been charged, convicted, sentenced to death, and incarcerated for years on end, the prosecutor's office refused to acknowledge that it had been mistaken. Moreover, it waited a decade after Bloodsworth's exoneration to run the DNA it had through CODIS. Unbelievable.
   
   The quibbles I have with the book are few. I wish there had been a detailed index. While the bibliography is immensely helpful, I wish it had included some texts by Elizabeth Loftus or Robert Buckout on the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. In fact, Buckout was hired as an expert by Bloodsworth's defense team in his first trial, but incredibly not permitted by the court to testify. Finally, like many nonfiction books about legal cases, Junkin's book begins almost at the end of the story and then backtracks, finally picking up the story's final threads again toward the end of the book. This tack leads to some overlap and redundancy in storytelling. It may be bothersome to some readers. Is any one of these complaints enough to merit subtracting an entire star from a review of the book? No. Maybe half a star, if that.
   
   If the book Bloodsworth interests you, you might also want to look at the website [...] for more information about the wrongfully convicted and how dedicated lawyers,scientists, and lay people are helping them to see the light of day again.



3. I met Kirk Bloodsworth on an airplane ride, and what an amazing person. His perserverance and positive attitude about his experience is true. The book is a true reflection of the man.



4. I have never taken the time to review a book on this site but if any book ever deserved it, it is this book. This is the story of the first death row inmate ever exonerated by DNA evidence. I have long held the opinion that the death penalty should be abolished because our system simply isn't reliable enough to impose that ultimate punishment that can never be righted should the system have failed. This book is real, concrete, powerful, moving proof of that idea.
   
   Kirk Bloodworth spent 9 years of his life locked in prison, cockroaches crawling all over him, inmates urinating through the front grate in his cell because he was a "child killer", the guards forcing him to paint the gas chamber where he was awaiting execution. He missed his mother's funeral, lost his 20's, was forced to turn into a near animal just to survive, and had to think daily that he was going to be killed by poisonous gas or spend the rest of his life in prison for something he did not do. Can you even imagine what that must feel like?
   
   This was an incredible book and I think everyone should read it. We need to know the stories of people like Kirk Bloodworth because there are many more of them out there and we owe it to them to at least be aware. And, even though you know the main outcome of the book before you start, it still managed to have a surprise ending that literally gave me goosebumps. Definitely add this to your "to read" list.



5. BLOODSWORTH is well-written and provocative and interesting. But Kirk Bloodsworth in his youth was not a sympathetic character. Had he been executed, it wouldnt be a great loss to society. He comes across as a kid with no future, in bad company, going from one buzz to the next. I suspect the murder rap saved him from a pedestrian execution by his doper companions. His antics and histrionic emotional displays are annoying. Bloodworth's sense of entitlement is annoying. And youre compelled to wonder about what sort of criminal nonsense he got away with before the murder rap.
   
   Yet, his situation occurs all the time. When the child-savers and newspapers and cops and prosecutors get into a feeding frenzy, such as Bloodsworth experienced, they want blood. And it is a career killer for anyone in the system to champion a contrary theory that exonerates the defendant. Been there, done that.

4 comments about Assassination of Marilyn Monroe.

1. I have always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe and often wondered how and why she died so young. There are so many conflicting theories, but the contents of this book are little short of explosive. They may not be correct, though someone must know the truth? Seems never published in the USA. Why not? Has someone got something to hide. Methinks... probably YES!
   I would not part with my hardback English copy for $1000.



2. I have always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe and often wondered how and why she died so young. There are so many conflicting theroies, but the contents of this book are little short of explosive. They may not be correct, though someone must know the truth? Seems never published in the USA. Why not? Has someone got something to hide. Methinks... probably YES! ....



3. This book was simply superb, and it contained a lot of hidden information unknown to me. For instance, the lovechild between
   Marilyn and Kennedy and the scandalous secrets about the ... Kennedys that led to her death. The author has a very introspective view of the complete chaos her life was in during the end, and of treacherous friends who had woven a web of deceit around her plying her with drugs to keep her off balance
   and confused. Luring her to Cal-Neva to be sexually abused and silenced by threats if she persisted in pursuing the Kennedys and vowing to hold a tell-all news conferance that would have been the end of Camelot. Oh! the shame of it all, heres a girl who had it all, beauty, fame and fortune but no inner peace for the tortured Norma Jean. For as it says "What does it mean to gain the whole world but lose your soul"!

   I highly recommend this book for anyone who holds a good thought
   for Marilyn, and is searching for the truth asto how she really

   died, laying to rest the lies and coverup of the suicide theory,
   kept in place for over forty years. Dynamite!! 3 thumbs up!!!




4. This book touched me. Not only does it give you insite in to what really happened that terrible night so long ago, but insight into who Marilyn Monroe really was and some of the reasons behind some of the things she did. The inter-linking of people that entered her life, the Kennedy's, her childhood, marriages, and the details of that terrible night of her death (murder to be sure) are all there. There have been so many books on Marilyn Monroe and speculation of how she died. I read it and kept shaking my head that so many people "got away with" so much! The lies, the cover ups, the "lost" evidence. It's all there. You can't help but feel sorry for a woman that just wanted to be loved, and discusted at the way the investigation (what a joke) was handled. People went to their graves with secrets, but the secrets are out now. If you are a Marilyn fan or into conspiracy theories, this is a great book!

5 comments about The Ultimate Evil The Truth About The Cult Murders, Son of Sam and Beyond.

1. This book was so compelling I have thought about it for many years. I read it when it first came out in first printing. Have been looking for it for years,and have been unsuccessful. Now I will order it and read it again. This is the ultimate truth is stranger than fiction read. The powerful distracting the populace with horror we can not escape for the purpose of leading astray from a the truth send shivers down your spine.



2. The law enforcement community should not let politics block a new invetigation of the case.The evidence is there and the families of the victims should have some closure.More importantly, the other killers involved must be brought to justice!



3. I read this book several years ago and it chilled me to the bone, I can remember the things taking place in my hometown of Minot ND. Reading this book was frightening to me as I read and knew many of the people involved in this case. Maury Terry is right -- Berkowitz did not act alone. A must read for anyone interested in FACT not fiction.



4. Having lived in California during the decade of the sixties I recall that the Haight Ashbury scene turned very vicious around 1969. Where people would share their homes, beds, food, wine (and dope if you were so inclined) freely in '67 and '68; by '69 a real evil, rip off, vicious, criminal type element drove people away from that scene, or into isolated seclusion, in droves. It culminated graphically in the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont in 1969. The street thieves, cults, criminals basically took over as if the flower people were lambs for the slaughter. This book, while often having a "nailing jelly to a wall" feeling, puts the whole change into perspective with the elements of Manson, the entertainment industry, mafia, cults, devil worshippers, pedophiles and upper class perverts as a driving force. The author mentions the London scene, Marianne Faithful, Kenneth Anger and the Stones in passing. For many years I've wondered about the reports that Brian Jones had been intentionally drowned in his pool by a rough element in July of 1969. (The kind of rough element the author cites as surrounding Mama Cass.) Marianne Faithful attempted suicide soon after Brian's death. Anita, (Brian's lover and later Keith's wife) was involved with the occult and some years later a teenage lover killed himself in her bed. Many music celebrities were into the occult (from Satanic to S&M to Nazi symbols and themes) from the late 60's through the 70's. It reminded me that Brian Jones was invited to the Monterey festival in '67 by John Phillips and may have known or met many of the same people in California and London that were into the occult fringe the author describes. It also occurred to me that the perfect theme song for this book and the scenes it describes is "Sympathy for the Devil" written by the Rolling Stones in 1968 (".... Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste....") In addition to all of the intermeshed tentacles of this Godless underground of killers and perverts, it is really scary that the author's words and photos reminds us that Berkowitz and alot of the other criminals involved looked like regular people, had 9 to 5 day jobs as trades people, doctors, lawyers, policemen, etc. I guess you never know who is sitting next to you on the subway or who is knocking at your door. If Maury Terry writes another one, I'll buy it. I hope he puts an index on the next one.



5. Everybody knows that David Berkowitz is the Son of Sam and he is held responsible for the senseless murders and shootings in the summer of 1977. The author does an excellent job in bringing about the era as well as explaining the circumstances regarding all the victims. Apart from this book, I barely read the Son of Sam case since it didn't interest me as much as others. The author also tries to tie Son of Sam murders with a bizarre murder case at Stanford chapel in Palo Alto, California in 1974 involving a young wife from North Dakota whose husband was a student at the famed university. The book is a heavy read and there is a lot of information to sort out but the author does write clearly and well regarding the possible connections between satanic cults and the murders and deaths of so many others as well. I am one for conspiracies anyway so I am beginning to believe Maury Terry's argument that there is more than meets the eye.

5 comments about Signature Killers.

1. Keppel is obviously a very intelligent man with vast experience in serial murder investigation, and at the forefront of his field. The book explores some very interesting concepts through the use of many famous investigations. However, Keppel seems to write with a real lack of emotion, which I guess is necessary in his job. Which is why he should stick with that job instead of trying to be a writer. The lack of emotion made it feel like I was reading a calculus textbook. Keppel also seems to repeat himself over and over throughout the different chapters. This only adds to the boredom.



2. Bob Keppel cut his teeth working the Ted Bundy murders in Washington State in the mid-1970s. He later went on to work the infamous "Green River" investigation, as well as consulting on other high-profile serial murder cases like the Atlanta child murders in 1979-1981. He has worked with leading law enforcement professionals on the state and federal levels. As such, Keppel is well-positioned to discuss serial murder.

   Signature Killers focuses on sexual offenders who leave "signatures" at their crime scenes. These individuals are compulsively forced to commit certain acts that will not vary from crime to crime. So while a murderer may change his modus operandi -- climbing in a window one time, picking a lock the next -- his signature will not change. Perhaps even more interesting is Keppel's theory on the "arc" of violence that murderers move through. Included are discussions on sadism, picquerism, and even cannibalism.

   Many reviewers have complained that Keppel's writing style leaves something to be desired. While this is probably true, I think it should be pointed out that this book almost certainly derives from Keppel's dissertation in pursuit of his Ph.D. Keppel appears to have taken sections from his thesis and added commentary to form a book. The discerning reader can see where the structured style of the dissertation leaves off and the conversational, casual style begins. I don't consider this a fault; I'm glad to have this accessible book to read instead of a dry, stuffy doctoral dissertation. Keppel should be commended for making this material available to a wider audience.

   Anyone interested in the motives of serial offenders can hardly do better than to turn to Dr. Bob Keppel. Others have said, and I agree, that Keppel's last chapter -- regarding the cause(s) of increasing violence in our society -- leaves a bit to be desired. But Keppel is entitled to his opinion (which, in this case, cannot be proved or disproved with ease) and it certainly doesn't diminish the comprehensive knowledge on serial sexual offenders that Keppel makes available to readers in Signature Killers.




3. As a lover of true-crime books, I appreciated Keppel's detailed explanation of how a signature differs from an MO. Keppel does a wonderful job of explaining the process of determining a serial killer's signature, and exactly what these signatures tell the investigator about the killer. He also uses real cases and the details of the crimes to walk the lay-person through the actual apprehension.

   As previous reviewers have already stated, and I would agree, Keppel isn't truly a "great" writer. His style does tend to be very factual and rather dry. This probably stems from having to give just hard facts when writing reports but translates to often dry data for an average reader. Moreover, Keppel has an annoying habit of repeating the same thing over and over and over and over... well, you get the idea. Sometimes, it actually felt insulting, as though he thought the reader wasn't smart enough to remember what he had explained a few paragraphs before.

   Finally, as another reader already stated, the final chapter was truly annoying. Instead of using the opportunity to summarize on the info gained from the book, or to bring out final thoughts for the reader; instead Keppel used this to soapbox his views of the American Family Structure. While much of this may or may not be right on target, I was not interested in Mr. Keppel's opinion on the state of Family Values. I would and have read sociology books to garter that type of information.

   Overall, however, I would recommend this book. It is a quick and easy read and a wealth of good information for true-crime readers. Just bare in mind that you may find yourself reading the same information over and over at parts. Just bare in mind that you may find yourself reading the same information over and over in parts. LOL. ---Kathryn White-Fidram




4. I am the Director of Justice Studies at dodge city community college in dodge city, kansas. I teach a class on serial killers. Keppels book is excellent! He does an excellent job of explaining the difference between an MO and a signature. I encourage my students to read Keppels books and John Douglas's.



5. I found this book to be one of the best on the market on behavioral science with respect to serial killers. Unfortunately, many other readers are determined to point out Keppel's faults as a writer. I believe this text is meant to be more informative than entertaining. Perhaps if they are seeking entertainment, they should look for Crime Novels rather than True Crime selections.
   
   On the other hand, I agree with the other readers in regards to the author's annoying habit of repetition. However, I won't let that stop me from reading his other book, The Riverman.

2 comments about Inner War and Peace: Timeless Solutions to Conflict from the Bhagavad Gita.

1. This is an outstanding book. If you are interested in discovering the source of your inner conflicts and finding a way to navigate through confusion and uncertainty then you must get a copy of this book and READ IT! I've read hundreds of books on eastern philosophy, but this is among the very best and most powerful. Get a copy now!



2. Let's face it, reading the Gita is rather tedious and boring...similar to reading the Bible. The Gita is rather complex in its psychology and it is very easy to lose focus while reading it. What Osho does is bring relevant questions to life. There is no doubt in my mind that this book is worth it's weight in gold. I would like to buy several copies and give them to friends, but not many people are into Gita.
   
   From back cover...A person who himself is eager for war doesn't care whether the opponnent is eager to fight or not. A person who is eager for war is blind. He never looks at the enemy. He only projects the enemy. He doesn't want to look at the enemy-in fact, whomsoever he meets is an enemy for him. He doesn't need to see the enemy; he creates, he projects the enemy. When a battle is raging within, enemies appear on the outside.
   
   Osho's illuminating commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most famous of Hindu scripture, explains how the patterns and conditionings of our mind create pain and misery, dilemma, conflict and war.
   
   Arjuna, the tortured and reluctant hero, speaks with his enlightened mentor, Krishna, on the eve of the Mahabharata war. Throwing brilliant light on Krishna's responses, Osho exposes the roots of our contemporary personal and global problems and proposes his timeless solution.