5 comments about The Missing Girls: A Shocking True Story of Abduction and Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. I picked this book up because I remembered the story of the two missing girls, but I never knew the outcome. I was very interested in what happened. Unfortunately this book is so poorly written I don't think I can finish it. Whoever was the editor/ghost writer for this book was either blind or an idiot. Don't waste your money or your time. I really hope a talented person or even semi-talented person decides to write this story over, anything would have to be better than this book.



2. I tackled this book with relish, but found that it was too drawn out alot of time, and should have been condensed a little. Ms. O'Neal, while to be admired for her efforts, did seem to overplay her role in this case. Also, being a family member, she was very "soft" on her comments on Ashley's mother, who should've never allowed her daughter to be near that man. At least the man was found and convicted, so the family has some closure. A recommended read if a true crime fan, but not for the reader just looking for a good story.



3. The entire narrative concentrates on how the author was the "only" one who was capable of finding the truth. In some deluded wanna be V. I. Warshawski way, writing with hind sight being 20/20, she was obviously correct and always on the right trail... Or maybe just cashing in on the fact that she lived in the area at the time that it occurred and therefore can claim some fame. It is a poorly written recap of news articles available to everyone.



4. This book was well-written and it gave good insight into the whole case of the murder of these two young girls,Miranda and Ashley. I read true crime often and I believe the best true crime stories present a solid background that explain things like family dynamics,environment,different types of social behaviors and things like that.
   
   The reason I say the book is disturbing is, of course the nature of the crime against these two children and how this evil man could do the things he did to them. Especially Ashley-someone needs to explain to me how her mother allowed her to go and live with this man, a man who eventually raped her and took her life. I also do NOT believe that a man as depraved as Weaver did not ever assault/molest his own daughter. I think she was scared to tell the truth-but it's either tell the truth and get counseling for what she endured-or suffer with the nightmares for the rest of her life. I just really hope the daughter got help, and as for Weaver I hope he got hell in prison.



5. I haven't finished this book yet but, with less than a hundred pages to go, I've read enough to get a very good sense of what its like.
   
   While this book has got the basis for a good story, I think Linda O'Neal should have left the telling of it to someone with better writing skills than her. Not to mention someone who could tell it a little more objectively than she. I don't know if I can completely blame her for this book, seeing as how she's just one of its three writers. What I do know is that her sections (which I assume were at least partially written by her, if not completely) are sloppily written. The narrative moves back and forth between the missing girls case and various unrelated events that occur in her day to day life. I don't know why all that info about her mother was included. Not that it was boring or anything. It could have been an interesting story if placed in the right book. It just didn't have anything to do with this one.
   
   This case is certainly interesting. And it's definitely a tragic story that deserves to be told. I bought this book so that I could read more about what went on in this case and I'm not really disappointed in that regard. I knew the very basics of this case but there was more that I wanted to know. And I did learn more about the case from this book, assuming that what I was told was fairly accurate. I realize that it's morbid curiousity that prompted me to buy this, not a desire for great literature. But still, this material could have been handled so much better. When the book goes out of Linda's head and into a sort of neutral perspective, it's better. In those sections, the story remains on track and doesn't veer off into reflections on food and mothers and cars named Marilyn and so on. This is why I feel it should have been written more objectively.
   
   Check this book out if you're looking for some more info on this 2002 case, but keep in mind that it's quite frustrating to get through. It could have easily been a hundred or so pages shorter. And even then, it would have still needed some heavy editing.
   
   You know, I got the feeling that there were times in the book when Linda O'Neal was trying to turn this into her own story when, really, the story is supposed to be about the crimes committed against those two little girls. Everything comes back to them and the way society failed them. It's not about Linda blowing her own horn about her hard work on the case, it's not about her loving husband or how she's related to Ashley Pond through her husband's ex-wife. The point is that what happened to Ashley and Miranda should never have happened in the first place. Linda does make this clear but that's really what she should have focused on when telling this story. She should have cut all the other stuff out. The whole idea behind this book just rubs me the wrong way. It just seems wrong to me that someone would help write a book about how her tireless efforts and fearless hard work saved the day. Yeah, I know that Ashley and Miranda are still dead, but anyone who reads this book can't deny that it feels like it's a celebration of Linda's work. I do think there are things to admire about her but I think that when a person writes about her own adventures in a flattering way, it's a recipe for disaster, especially if this woman doesn't seem to have much experience when it comes to writing well. It would have been best if the book had taken a more objective approach to the whole thing.

5 comments about The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride (Harlequin Presents).

1. I absolutely loved this book. It is one where you find yourself giving a wistful sigh as you finish it.
   
   Hero: the exotic "buccanner" described Prince Rafiq. Heroine: Belle, a fiercely independent & feisty career-oriented woman with an archaeological group, doing work in Prince Rafiq's arab kingdom.
   
   Storyline: Belle is kidnapped along with a male co-worker, as part of a political up-rising attempt. They are brutalized and left for dead on a spit of an island. Rafiq rescues her, but not until after she shows her fighting spirit, and he greatly respects & admires her from the beginning. Wait until you read the sexual chemistry these two have for each other---ooh, la-la! Unique situations really make the story sizzle. I don't think I'll be forgetting the beach storyline anytime soon.
   
   Both Belle & Rafiq respect each other highly throughout the entire story, and this was so refreshing & wonderful to read. Rafiq is not only described as a sexy dreamboat, he acts like one, too. *swoon* lol; he is definitely on my Top-10 Best Harlequin Heroes list.
   
   Another reviewer mentioned the peacock jewelry, and it is part of the story to understand that this little arab country is a new democracy with the country's people still believing many years of traditions & firm cultural beliefs; so they would have considered it a sign of political weakness for their prince to give in to the terrorists and relinquish the sacred jewels unless it was to save his beloved, so after experiencing the kind of terror Prince Rafiq's enemy creates first-hand, Belle makes a conscious choice to help the people in this nation by going along with their traditional beliefs until the terrorists are caught; otherwise they would continue their bombing raids. Essentially, Belle is helping Rafiq buy time for finding the terrorists.
   
   Belle is never, ever wimpy. She is a heroine that makes women cheer for her bravery. If you ever yelled at a tv or movie screen whenever a wimpy woman stood back & let her guy almost get killed instead of joining in the fight--this book is for you, because Annie West created a wonderful heroine for us.
   
   Annie West writes so beautifully, with rich descriptions of events, people, places & things--to the point where one can easily imagine themselves transported to this beautiful place. I could tell you more of the story but that would ruin it for you...and I hate to do that. Ms. West writes almost poetically, her descriptions of things are often so evocatively beautiful.
   
   So, bottom line: the hero & heroine both talk to & treat each other with great respect & caring, even when they don't say the "L" word yet. The chemistry between these two are sizzling, and anticipation makes the yearning these 2 characters have for each other all the sweeter. I hope no one passes up this book.
   
   I'm definitely reading more Annie West books!



2. This book is fantastic, Annie West's best so far. The characters have such reality and emotional depth and the love story is just breathtaking. Even if you're not into sheikhs, give this one a go. It's a great story and I bet you won't be able to put it down. I sure couldn't! Sexy, passionate, compelling, vivid. What a winner! Thank you, Ms West. Can't wait for the next one!



3. From the very beginning, I was captivated, intrigued and on edge as this story begins with a kidnapping, a ferocious storm and two very captivating characters Rafig (ruler and monarch) and Belle, a marine archaeologist who along with her co-worker was kidnapped and held for ransom. Immediately the stage is set as Belle and Rafig are thrown together, he her protector and Belle with everything she's been through, her strength and courage shows throughout in this desert tale.
   
   
   Belle's homeland was Australia; she and her sister were for the most part, raised by her mother. Belle is strong, beautiful, hard working and proud. She has come to Q'aroum to explore and excavate a sunken first century trading ship. She and her co-worker are kidnapped by Rafiq's cousin and the ransom demanded is the "Peacock's Eye" not only very valuable but of importance to the people of Q'aroim. For generations it has been the gift of the Sheikh to his bride and Rafiq has given it up in order to save Belle and her co-worker!
   
   Rafiq, is lilke no other sheikh or monarch.......his character ireminds me of something out of "The Arabian Nights". He's handsome, intelligent, fearsome and very proud and he wants Belle......he wants her for his bride! Sparks fly off of these two characters as they both fight their attraction to each other and along the way find their way into a romance you won't forget. A tale of East and West, two such different cultures and people who find a bond, mutual respect and love!
   
   This is Annie West's first "sheikh" book and I personally feel was exceptional, full of intrigue, chemistry and a wonderful love story set on a dessert isle.



4. Belle Winters and her colleague are kidnapped by rebels while visiting Q'aroum. Left to die in a broken down shack, they are rescued and ransomed by an unlikely savior. Belle is taken to his palace not knowing the price she is expected to pay. When Belle offers to pay the man back, she is informed of the expected payment. He wants her as his wife, in every way. Can she do as he asks and still keep her heart intact? What happens when she finds out that Rafiq is not pretending when he acts as if he cares for her? Can she walk away and return to her life as a marine archaeologist?
   
   Sheikh Rafiq Kamil Ibn Makram al Akhtar, Sovereign Price of Q'aroum rescues Belle only to find out that she is all that he's ever desired in a woman and more. She's tough and caring, but how will she react when he informs her that she is to become his wife in every sense of the word? When Belle is wounded by a bullet that was intended for him, he realizes he cannot live without her and will do everything possible to keep her by his side. Can he convince Belle that he truly loves her and would do anything for her?
   
   With THE SHEIKH'S RANSOMED BRIDE being Annie West's first foray into writing about Sheikh's, she did one heck of a job. I could not put the book down and even had to read it a second time. Belle and Rafiq are two characters who learn to give each other what is needed without sacrificing anything. I have to say that this book tops my list of favorites in the Sheikh's category. Of course I have always fantasized about a Sheikh kidnapping me. *deep dreamy sigh* Granted, I know it will never happen, but as long as authors like Annie West write so wonderfully about Sheikh's, I will continue to read and dream.
   
   Reviewer for Romance Junkies



5. This is a very exciting & interesting story line. I couldn't read fast enough to find out what's going to happen next, & then I feel sad that I finished it so quick. The story has so many twists & turns, actions & the `hot' love scenes are added bonuses. This is such a well thought & well written story. The author has described how the hero & heroine gradually fall in love, how they wanted to protect each other from harm ways, very endearing. I just love reading it and I am going to read it again, slower this time.

5 comments about Fugitives of Chaos.

1. 
   ORPHANS OF CHAOS introduced five boarding school students who discovered, beneath a physical and conditional facade, they were far greater beings than the awkward human teenagers they thought themselves. They were actually gods (as in Greek; as in thought to be mythical and thus unreal by twenty-first century earth dwellers; as in not unreal at all in this John C. Wright universe) taken hostage in a Titanic war! Spying on their "elders," the band of five learned of the Machiavellian motives for their forced confinement and amnesia. They fought their captors valiantly but appeared vanquished as Part One cliffhung.
   
   FUGITIVES OF CHAOS portrays the fives' struggle to regain lost memory and powers, escape their god-too jailers, and penetrate the maze of politics and strategy underpinning the cataclysmic struggle between Cosmos and Chaos that holds the key to their fate.
   
   Or perhaps it is the reverse, and the five "young people" hold the true key to the fate of the struggle between Chaos and Cosmos? They may also be mankind's and all life's only hope for survival!
   
   Victor, the "robot" man; Amelia, the dimension-crosser; Vanity, the dream tunneler; Colin, the psychic; and Quentin, the witch (he may really be a she), all risk life and limb to breach the boundaries of the only place they remembered as home -- the old-fashioned school by a fishing village called Abertwyi. Believing themselves freed, they experience bits of the world such as hitchhiking, "Jerry's Fine Cafe" on Christmas, Paris stores, Vanity's magic sea craft, and luxury on "The Queen Elizabeth II" sailing for New York.
   
   As in ORPHANS, FUGITIVES serves up a cornucopia of sci-fi/fantasy ideas. Since all five "teenagers" interpret the world from their own separate paradigms, they describe their perceptions differently. Amelia, for instance, is the geometrician of the group, while Colin reckons through the psychic's angle of personal responsibility. These differences require a great deal of group communication to enable understanding and cooperation.
   
   Indeed, a large component of both CHAOS books published thus far is talk; the old writer's saw about showing rather than explaining isn't always observed. Not only "must" the five engage in long discussions with each other, but the sheer complexity of Wright's theme relegates other gods besides the teens to protracted explications. Although Amelia is the primary first-person narrator throughout the novels (so far anyway), other characters tell of adventures they had away from Amelia. Vanity, for instance, tells her companions about overhearing two Cosmos-camp gods -- Boreas and a Centurion Infantophage -- speculate at length about which Chaos god might try to seize the throne of "the entire sidereal universe." This dialogue means to enlighten the readers, along with the five, about the cast of potential threats in and the direction of the third volume of CHAOS. It does, but keeping track of all those gods (a single entity is often referred to by several monikers) is a bit mind-spinning for readers less conversant than Wright with mythology.
   
   And since the young heroes of this trilogy are ostensibly teenagers, they retain that maturity level by and large. So, there is a lot of adolescent ribald ribbing and sexual innuendo (though serious sexual aggression is left to the "adults" and even then is more threat than act), as well as general silliness and cluelessness. Usually, this banter is welcome, but at certain crises stages where the five waste precious time debating and smart-mouthing, one wonders why their adversaries don't press full advantage to smartly subdue them! One wants to cuff the kids into faster action. At least, I did.
   
   The concluding threat in FUGITIVES OF CHAOS is a beaut! The five do engage in a bit of their usual fumbling and arguing, but they spring to action pretty fast. And what action. Kudos to the author for a riveting springboard into TITANS OF CHAOS. I can't wait. April 2007 isn't that far away.



2. After reading the first book in the series (Orphans of Chaos) I wasn't very impressed. It was a good book, but I wasn't sure if the next book would be worth the effort.
   Fugitives of Chaos is much better than the book before it. Even if you only kinda liked the first book, I recommend that you read this one. The technobabble is still there (but less of it), and the story goes a little smoother.



3. This was as good as the first book. I was kept interested in the resolution of all the problems, and he introduced new, interesting problems. The characterization was excellent, and the pacing was also good.



4. Pretty apt title.
   
   The four children, or teenagers, or ancient Chaos entities, however you prefer to think of them, are finally old enough and sure enough of themselves to decide that making a break for it is a good plan.
   
   First they need to recover their memories, and abilities.
   
   "You are thinking of these things as super-powers, aren't you?" ... "Like a mechanism you turn on and off. I don't think it works that way." opines Quentin.
   
   Many mistakes, terrors, arguments about who should be boss and escapes follow.
   
   Not to mention magic ships and cruises.
   
   "The second most horrible moment of my life. My friends were doing experiments, fascinating new experiments, and getting new super-powers, all without me!" laments Amelia, on the downside of actually being the boss and putitng yourself in danger.
   
   The five have to work out if the theories about the various Chaos powers and opposition are correct, and avoid being dragged into a world-destroying war.
   
   
   3.5 out of 5



5. I loved the Golden Age trilogy (was HIGHLY recommended by a friend) and I LOVE this series! His range and depth is truly impressive. Take the leap and enter the mythos!
   
   -bigbirdtommy

No comments about FBI Files on the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping.

2 comments about Our Roommate Is Missing (Girls of Canby Hall, No 2).

1. This could have been a good book for young readers, but it falls short. When Shelley is kidnapped by art thieves who mistake her for the daughter of world-renowned art experts, who conducts the search? The same people who find clues that Shelley was able to leave despite being held hostage. When Faith and Dana find out, they set off in an a not-very-intriguing quest to save their roommate. Gee, do you think they'll find her? This is okay is you're about nine or ten years old, but don't even pick this one up if you have access to a Newberry winners list.



2. This book was so sad. As a fan of the Girls of Canby Hall series "Our Roomate Is Missing" had great potential to be a thriller but it was rather slow and not so exciting. Shelly was kidnapped and Dana and Faith get to the bottom of things. This book had alternate covers also, both serviced by Scholastic.

5 comments about Ransom: The Untold Story of International Kidnapping.

1. A while back I picked up Robert Pelton's absolutely fascinating "World's Most Dangerous Places, 4th edition". After reading his intrepid accounts of kidnapping in places like Colombia, I was intrigued & wanted to learn more. I bought "Ransom" expecting the same engrossing level of detail that W.M.D.P. provides. Instead, what I got was a patched together, overlong work that purports to give us the "inside scoop" on international kidnapping and instead is a series of chapters verging back and forth between fawning profiles of counter-kidnapping professionals (sans any real insight into what it is they *do*) and melodramatic tales of victims in Kashmir. I'm sure Auerbach meant well, but her book does not provide enough interesting information to be worthwhile; her style is overblown and windy, and her reporting is not up to par. If you're really interested in this subject, my advice is to save your money and pick up W.M.D.P. instead-- you'll be glad you did.



2. If Robert Ludlum wrote non-fiction, this would be his kind of book. Ann Hagedorn Auerbach gives us the inside story of the global kidnapping crisis. Despite what the tourism industry would have us believe, the problem is not limited to - or even done mainly by - political terrorists. Auerbach, who is quoted in this week's People cover story, shows us that most kidnappings are motivated by money. That fact tells us volumes about the growing gap between rich and poor. The globalists tell us that a WTO-dictated economy is raising all boats. But Auerbach - who, in Crichton-like fashion, weaves an action-packed story with a broader lesson - shows we are merely creating a small rich elite in third world countries. The chickens will come home to roost on all of us - world travelers or no - if we do not insist that rights for workers and small farmers, and our need to preserve our small planet's environment, become universally respected.



3. The romance of travel today is seriously threatened by the problem Auerbach's book details. People who follow their dreams to beautiful, isolated parts of the world sometimes become pawns in conflicts they had no part in. Auerbach's scrupulous research and moving descriptions form a memorable--and chilling--cautionary tale for globe-trotters and armchair travellers alike.



4. Auerbach's brilliant and prescient book shows us how terrorists-including Osama bin Laden-have been financing their operations all these years: kidnapping innocent tourists and businessmen in a now too-famous part of world. Auerbach's writing is wonderful; the book reads like a thriller. Her reporting is the best of journalism, sensitive and informative. She gets behind the scenes of the private kidnap consultants and the U.S. government that, for complicated political reasons, failed to protect and save Americans in that troubled region. And her message is very important. Your safety is your own reponsibility. No one may be able to warn you more specifically about these terrorists' intent or come to your rescue if you fall into their hands. Auerbach was ahead of her time. But now we all know how right she is. Read the book for your own protection. The kidnap problem is ongoing--and getting worse.



5. This book is just a jumble of disconnected thoughts in incoherent paragraphs, each having nothing to do with any other. I was so excited to begin reading this book. Then, after reading 100 pages, I was so excited to throw it away. Please, please, please don't buy this book. Not buying it will teach the erroneous editors that let it pass, that people want something better for their reading.

4 comments about Kidnapped in Yemen: One Woman's Amazing Escape from Captivity.

1. Quin has an appealing writing style and writes on issues of great import. They say you should write what you know, and write real characters. Quin does both.
   
   Any disappointment with the book is more related to how it is billed then the book itself. There are a few chapters here and there that relate less to the events of the kidnapping, and simply more to the events of Quin's life, that could perhaps be edited for a more streamlined work. In a 22 chapter book, it gives nothing away to say that in the 4th chapter she is freed- this book has less to do with being kidnapped, or escaping, than the after-effects of a kidnapping on the life of a woman and geopolitical events.
   
   And for that it is an incredible resource. Though this is an engaging read, it is also nonfiction, and thus provides a great deal of relevent information on life in Yemen and the situation in an Islamist kidnapping (as opposed to a tribal kidnapping). As I contemplate possibly moving to this country, Quin gives solid warnings on possible dangers to be faced there. Additionally, there are a wealth of insights on how an individual deals with the stress of a kidnapping; how it can change their lives and bring to light new possibliies that would never have existed otherwise. Quin is not only a great writer but also an excellent researcher. I was continually amazed at her ability to uncover truth, connect seemingly disparate circumstances, and gain information form interviewees by putting them at ease and yet asking the hard questions. If you are interested in the effects of kidnapping, the situation in Yemen, or the events of the modern terrorist world, then this is an requisite book.



2. About this book, Daniel Pipes wrote: In her mid-40s, a successful executive just placed in charge of Xerox's Color Solutions Business Unit, Quin had a taste for exotic travel that took her in late 1998 to Yemen with a group of eighteen other Western tourists. She and they had the misfortune to have their Land Cruisers driven directly into a war between the government and an Islamist outfit called the Aden Abyan Islamic Army (AAIA). The entire tourist group was taken hostage on December 28 and held for more than a day before Yemeni military forces attacked the AAIA, leading to the deaths of four tourists, two terrorists, and one soldier. Quin herself had a close brush with death, but the terrorist holding the gun in her back was hit before he could do damage to her; in an act of daring-do, she managed to pull from his still-live hands his AK-47, an act which left her a changed person. (The mild-mannered, liberal feminist admits that as she exultantly fought for the gun, she had a revelation: "So this is why men like war.")
   
   The story of the capture takes up but the first quarter of Kidnapped in Yemen; the remainder consists of Quin's personal account, mixed with her sleuthing to figure out what had happened to her and her companions. Through assiduous press research plus personal investigations that took her to London's Finsbury Park mosque (to meet the notorious Abu Hamza) as well as a journey back to Yemen and the scene of the crime, she comes up with a coherent account of the tensions that culminated in her seizure. In addition to making available the story of an important terrorist incident, once which foreshadowed the current problem of Western Muslims traveling to Iraq to engage in violence, Quin provides a fine account of her own growth, indeed transformation, as a result of her brief but searing experience as a hostage.



3. I am currently studying Arabic in Sana'a, Yemen and read this book while preparing for my trip. Now that I am here, this book really annoys me. Quin was part a of tour group being led around the country in what can only be considered spoon-fed tourism. I see these kind of groups walking around Sana'a all the time and it is as if they are moving in a bubble, completely isolated from the native people around them. While being led by the hand around the country, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time but was lucky enough to not be hit in the crossfire. Her story might make a good magazine article but is hardly substantial enough to warrant a book deal. The result leaves the last three-fourths of the book to describe her mundane personal life, "research" of media articles that leads to nothing conclusive, and another week-long, hand-held trip to Yemen.
   
   In my opinion, you shouldn't write about a country unless you actually know something about it. Tim Mackintosh-Smith lived in Yemen for over a decade before writing his book and Steven Caton lived with a Yemeni tribe for a significant amount of time too. I would recommend either of their books over this one.



4. Kidnapped in Yemen by Mary Quin is one of the most moving books I have ever read. I have never finished a book and just wanted to call the author and say: "Hi, I loved your book, it spoke to me on so many levels, and I want you to know how much I appreciate you writing it."
   I'm sure there were many painful moments in the research, which took the author back to that life threatening event. She touched deeply on so many topics that are near to my heart: New Zealand~a country I love, Alaska~my home for the past twenty-five years, Hunting~putting words to the incredible experience of a hunt, Relationship~finding someone to love amid the mêlée, and last but certainly not least, the experience of being a hostage. Two of my family members were held hostage and Mary Quin's description of what happened during and after that life changing event rang so true to me. She touches very delicate subjects with clarity and understanding that was obviously hard-fought. Marvelous book and I thank the author for `risking' and writing this important piece of literature.

No comments about Sherlock Jones: The Missing Diamond (Sherlock Jones).

5 comments about When Capone's Mob Murdered Roger Touhy: The Strange Case of "Jake the Barber" and the Kidnapping That Never Happened.

1. The Roger Touhy case has always fascinated me. I once firmly believed--back in my "armchair expert" days--in the innocence of Roger Touhy of the alleged Factor kidnapping, though, like author Tuohy, I was also skeptical of Touhy's own book The Stolen Years, which presented Roger as basically an "innocent bootlegger" rather than a real gangster. Mind you, I haven't necessarily changed my mind on this. Touhy may very well have been framed. It's just that there has always been a lot of evidence both for and against a frameup. Such as the wiretapped conversations between members of Touhy's gang and Jake "The Barber" Factor after Jake's release, threatening to kidnap him again unless further ransom was paid. Author Tuohy--no relation to Roger--neatly explains this by revealing that members of Touhy's gang were involved in the frameup. It's very believable but the credibility of the book is not enhanced by its numerous factual errors. Most deal with characters only marginally associated with the case but still undermine the book. Alvin Karpis was never a labor slugger for Capone. He was a bank robber and kidnapper whose only motivation to become involved in the Hamm kidnapping was pure profit. Karpis had no interest in framing Touhy for the Hamm job and certainly nothing to do with the Factor case. Karpis was, in fact, a friend of the Touhy gang and they had a mutual friend in "Baby Face" Nelson, whom Karpis introduced into the Dillinger gang. Melvin Purvis, who arrested Touhy for the Hamm job, which Touhy was subsequently acquitted of, was probably just another innocent dupe. Attached to the Chicago FBI office at the time was an Illinois highway patrolman, a so-called expert on the local underworld who seems to have actually been a double agent for Capone. It is curious that author Tuohy never stumbled upon this but he should have, as this was probably the "informant" who misdirected Purvis in Touhy's direction. Instead, the author implies that Purvis was part of the frameup, stating, erroneously, that Purvis knew through informants that Karpis had engineered the Hamm kidnapping. Purvis had no knowledge of this at the time. The FBI did not learn of the Barker-Karpis gang's involvement in the Hamm case until the following year, when they first heard of it from dying Dillinger gangster Eddie Green. The information on Gus Winkler (true name Winkeler) is also erroneous. Winkler was arrested for a million-dollar Lincoln, Nebraska bank robbery but he did not sell out his accomplices to beat to the rap. In fact, he was as innocent of this robbery as Touhy was of the Hamm and (probably) Factor kidnappings. Winkler simply bought back the stolen bonds from the actual robbers and returned them, beating the rap this way. None of the actual Lincoln bank robbers went to prison, through information from Winkler or any other way. No one--at least no one who's talking--knows why Winkler was killed but some evidence suggests it was just Frank Nitti consolidating his hold on the Capone empire by eliminating potential rivals, another of whom was North Side gangster Ted Newberry, a mutual friend of Touhy and Winkler. The connections of Touhy and Newberry to Mayor Cermak are well known but the case for Capone involvement in Cermak's murder, as presented here and elsewhere, is highly speculative at best. Personally, like many other researchers, I doubt that Capone or Nitti would have used a loser like Zangara for a hitman, or to have been stupid enough to have staged the assassination of Cermak while he was meeting the President-elect. Getting back to Touhy himself, the author does make a good case for Roger's innocence of kidnapping but his research strayed too far into other areas of gangster history in which his expertise is less than certain. Some source notes would have helped but the obvious errors detract from the author's equally obvious research. Still, someone--the Outfit? Jake the Barber? or both?--wanted Touhy out of the way in 1959. This book does go a long way toward explaining that. Despite its obvious faults, this book is a worthwhile addition to any gangster aficionado's library.



2. If you're into mafioso, read this! I loved it. Bought a copy for my brother to read for his birthday--good stuff.



3. Mob stories like Tuohy are a fascinating study in psychology of criminal deception. While criminal enterprises require a measure of loyalty. The question is always, loyalty to what, to whom, and for how long? Tuohy really understands the incredible gullibility to those who want to believe in surface appearances, while he keeps his eye on his own main chance. Unquestionable it takes the kind nerves of steel that only a sociopath has to be able to betray those around him to the extent that Tuohy (the con)does.

   Author John William Tuohy's startling account of Ken Lelek and StarNet is even more incredible. It must have required amazing personal courage - few people would have the guts it to do it and expect to get away with it.

   The "mob" world is not for the faint of heart, though. The moral of the Tuohy yarn is that in the end the ferryman expects his due.




4. An amazing story, I'm surprised it hasn't been turned in to film yet. Tuohy (The author) has tackled a difficult subject, an, considering the complexity of the issue has done well with it. Highly recommended



5. A complex tale of gangsters, political kickback, mob wars and corrupt politicians told with wit and humor at a good pace. Highly recommend this book.

4 comments about The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper.

1. I read this book as a child twenty years ago and now find myself narrating this wonderful story to my children. It is as exciting to them now as it was to me then. The never ending excitment and suspense captures the imagination of all children as they see themselves living in the dollhouse at Macy's among their favorite toys. No library should be without this book.



2. AND it's not being published! Tell me where I can get it! Please! Have searched my brain for the name of this book and just got lucky. Wonderful book, from what I can remember, since I, too, read it long ago. If the reader from Tampa FL can tell me where to get it, I would be forever grateful!



3. I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this tale one Christmas over fifteen years ago, and ever since, my dramatic reading the story one chapter a night until the finale on Christmas Eve has become a cherished family tradition. I admit I have read the other Marvin, Fats & Raymond stories as well, but this one often seems to be the one that keeps us coming back year after year. I hope the story one year take its place next to Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree & The Christmas Box. Don't miss reading this classic.



4. I purchased a copy of this book over twenty years ago when my children were young. It quickly became a favorite of ours as it also became a family tradition. Each Thanksgiving at bedtime I would begin reading a few pages to my son and daughter, and continued until the week of Christmas. My children were always as eager to hear the story no matter how many years I read it. I teach first grade and also read it to my students each year. They love it! I now am purchasing a copy for my two grandchildren so they can begin their own and continue the family tradition. A great book with a wonderful plot, dialog, and super characters. I recommend this book for parents to enjoy with their children.