5 comments about Are You There Alone?: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates.

1. The recent Court decision to over-turn the conviction of Andrea Yates was based in part on the evidence presented in this well-researched book on the "unspeakable" crime. Ms. O'Malley caught a number of mistakes in the way Yates was treated and the way her case was presented, but uncovering the erroneous testimony of the prosecution's expert witness, Dr. Park Dietz, was the central factor in discrediting the state's case against Andrea Yates. By virtue of her careful reporting and analysis, Ms. O'Malley managed, not simply to observe the trial process, but to become one of the most powerful participants in it. It becomes clear in this book that the psychiatric treatment of Yates is one of trial and error, if not downright neglect. Even reading the transcript of the Dietz interview is enough to convince one that Ms. Yates, whatever she may have known about right from wrong under the McNaughton doctrine, was not in control. She never doubted her actions were illegal, and she seemed convinced that they morally wrong; yet, at the same time, and in a way that makes her case for insanity that much more provocative -- she seemed convinced that she would be judged morally wrong for not drowning them, or otherwise ending their lives. She had talked herself into a tragic corner -- herself inevitably damned, she opted to save her children from the certain damnation that awaited them if, in her warped view, she did not act. No one denies that Ms. Yates suffered from mental illness prior to and at the time of her act. But the depth seemed to elude a number of people. The endless attempts to get Andrea to specify her thoughts at specific points in time for the purpose of the trial record would be risible but for the fact they were real. When Dr. Dietz asked her, "What were you wearing at the time of the drownings?" She responded, "clothes." She was so hopelessly operating at a cognitive level that simply didn't fulfill the requirements of an advarsarial system -- and yet she was there, having been declared sufficiently sane to stand trial. The decision allowing her to so stand was, in effect, the second tragedy.



2. I am almost finished with the book but it's taking me time to read it as it's not the kind of book you can read quickly. I'm anxious to see how it ends. I would rather have reviewed it after I finish it. I think the book is probably going to get better closer to the end then I am.



3. Having read St. Martin's rush-to-press book, "Breaking Point," as soon as it hit the stands, I was disappointed with O'Malley's long-awaited book about the Andrea Yates tragedy. Whereas Spencer interviewed relatives, friends, and acquaintances, O'Malley relied heavily on court transcripts and seemed to take a point of view from a telescope.
   The book about Andrea Yates that I want to read has yet to be written. For example, I want to know where she stored her pots and pans while she was home-schooling three children in a bus and ironing her husband's shirts so he'd look normal while working at NASA. I want to know why she didn't lose her mind earlier.
   As for Texas justice....We're talking about a state that found Andrea Yates to be as sane as the woman who hacked her ex-lover's wife to death with an axe in the 1980s. Only difference is, the axe muderess was found not guilty.



4. I read this book because it was a list of good reads. I felt it was. The topic is horrofic. How can a mother do this to her children? You get a sense that the author tries to be objective as possible with the reason. The author I also felt does a good job of pointing out the inconsisties with the time line with the attornies as a well as when Andrea Yates was on medication. She also does a fair job of looking at the story after the verdict. Overall I felt it was a fair balanced book contray to what others think. She presents the facts and details as objectively as she can and lets the readers make up their mind.



5. To be honest, I was very hesitant to even read this book. Like most people, when Andrea Yates killed her five children by drowning them in the family's bathtub, the only information I knew was what I heard from the media. I almost immediately formed my own opinion -- Andrea Yates was evil. So it took me awhile to open my mind to the fact that there could be more to the story.
   
   Once I started reading ARE YOU THERE ALONE? I absolutely could not read fast enough. This book is fascinating in delving into the issue of mental illness, and what it truly means. I learned about psychosis, about postpartum depression, about bipolar disorder, and much, much more.
   
   Although there are things I still don't understand (how Rusty Yates, Andrea's husband, could have left her alone with their children when he knew she was seriously mentally ill, for example), I have to say that I have a greater understanding of why Ms. Yates did what she did.
   
   Hers was a horrific crime, and one for which she deserved to be punished. But she also deserved to get help for the problems that had plagued her for many years. For that, Suzanne O'Malley and the doctors, nurses, and many others involved in the case are to be commended.

5 comments about The Dreams of Ada.

1. This book is a great read, one of injustice and leaves the reader puzzled and sad, and wondering why in God's great world is this man (the DA) is still in office. It must be an embarrassment to the citizens of Ada, OK. I am in prayer for these men and their families.



2. No American can afford to not read either The Dreams of Ada by Robert Mayer or The Innocent Man by John Grisham. Coming from a family of cops I have always known that innocent people are convicted of serious crimes all the time but the cases outlined in these two books are detestable. You absolutely must read these books. Now.



3. I bought this book after reading The Innocent Man by John Grisham. I personally could not get into this book like I did the other one. But other reviews tell me it is an excellent book.



4. I live in Pontotoc County. Now that everything has settled down, it's back to normal. This is a scary place to live. This book is a very accurate account, things like that happen here all the time again. OSBI, doesn't seem to care. FBI will not return anyones calls. It's a must read people!! I just hope I don't disappear for saying so. You just don't go in front of most of the Judges here for anything. I am glad to not be a criminal but around here you don't have to be. I have been lucky thus far.



5. I read this story from three different authors. It is a sad but true story. Worth your time to read.

5 comments about All I Want To Do Is Kill (Pinnacle True Crime).

1. This is the second book I have ready by Dale Hudson. It was so well-written and so intense that it gave me nightmares. The murder scene was
   so vivid and surreal that I felt like I was right there all the way, watching as Holly Harvey and Sandy Ketchum killed the Colliers. I have never read about any murder before that scared me this much. My only problem was that even though I was frightened by what I read, I couldn't
   stop reading until I was finished. I highly recommend this book for any true crime lovers, but caution you to keep the lights on while you read.



2. Such a heinous crime commited by girls that are really no more than young children. How could their lives have gone so wrong to committ such a heinous crime against elderly grandparents ? I highly recommend this book as a true crime read. It is very graphic and well written. The author takes you on a roller coaster ride. Some parts are very intense, then he gives you a little rest and back to the drama unfolding.



3. This book was very hard for me to read. I had to take breaks because it was very graphic and such a tragic ending that didn't have to be. Such a horrible way for a couple of elderly grandparents to spend their last minutes of life. I highly recommend this book. The author certainly put in some leg work with researching this story. Thanks for a well written true crime read.



4. I had originally read this story in brief in a magazine and decided that I needed more info. I found the book hard to get into at first. So many details and facts not much about the victims or the killers. After the first chapter I could not put it down I read the book in full in three days. I think that the author did very well in describing the details. I felt sorry for everyone involved. I didn't to much agree that Sandy was as innocent as the author made it sound, she played a equal role. But I enjoyed the book over all. Such a tragedy such young girls doing such a horrible thing.



5. While it's certainly shocking what these two girls did to Holly's grandparents, I was shocked that a book this poorly written and edited made it to the shelves. It was so poorly written, in fact--so full of misused words, typos, silly idioms and redundancies that it distracted from the fascinating story. The author really, REALLY needs to be a little more careful and not in such a rush to meet a deadline. Editing truly is important. A lot of editing would have made this a much better book.

5 comments about Strangler.

1. Once again, Corey Mitchell holds my intrest with his story telling. He is sure to become a favorite among true crime readers.



2. I read this book in only a few days because I couldn't put it down. The way the author went into the backgrounds of not only the victims but some of the detectives, lawyers, etc. was really nice and cool. It helped remind me where I had heard some of the names before. Last night I was only gonna read to one part and as I was reading that mark kept changing until it was 5:45 AM and I was at the end :) A must for any true crime reader! Great job!



3. This is the first book I have read from Corey Mitchell, and based on the strength of this one, I will be purchasing his other true crime stories. Mitchell has a gift. Even with presenting what could be dull facts, he keeps the pages turning. His writing is clear and concise, and never gets boring. The story of Anthony Shore is interesting and the author really details his life nicely. You can never really know what makes a talented musician and very intelligent guy turn into a murderer, but Corey Mitchell lays out all the facts and gives you everything you need to get into the twisted mind of this killer. Very good book.



4. "Strangler" is another excellent offering from true crime author Corey Mitchell.
   This is the second book from Mr. Mitchell that I have read. Like "Evil Eyes" it didn't disappoint.
   
   The author includes transcripts from Anthony Shore's confessions.
   The reader gets a chilling insight into the mind of an incestuous serial killer. He sensed that he would be discovered after submitting a court ordered DNA sample. Mr. Mitchell gives accounts of some of Shore's disturbing activities as a youth.
   
   Corey Mitchell does a great job of detailing the investigation and prosecution of Anthony Shore.He writes about the crime lab scandal and that makes the independent DNA lab very important as a part of the prosecution's case. Add to that the tragic suicide of one of the homicide detectives,and the revolving door of relationships that the killer had and you have a very chaotic period.
   
   The author provides a fast-paced but focused book on virtually every aspect of theses murders,from the victims,their families,Shore's family,the detectives determination to solve the cases,and the Assistant District Attorney who successfully prosecuted the killer.
   A great read from one of the best true crime writers of the day!



5. I like the way Corey Mitchell writes, this book is excellent as is Evil Eyes. Both held my attention throughout with plenty of interesting details and juicy bits without sensationalism. After having read stacks of true crime books that declare they contain pages of "shocking photos" this book actually contains a really disturbing picture, I love it! Corey Mitchell writes true crime that almost takes you there. I dont pretend to read this stuff for purely intellectual reasons. I want to experience what the crime scene technicians and profilers experience. While I am very interested in what may separate a homocidal maniac from Joe America and I want to know warning signs and patterns and all of that. I admit I want a thrill of the forbidden and the chase. Corey Mitchell gives you the feeling of looking over the shoulder of the killer in my opinion and I like that. This is a really good book; but, I think Evil Eyes is even better. If you feel like I do, you probably should look into buying both of them.

5 comments about Novels in Three Lines (New York Review Books Classics).

1. This is an extraordinary collection of short newspaper stories.
   
   Félix Fénéon (June 22, 1861 - February 29, 1944) was a French anarchist and art critic in Paris during the late 1800s. Fénéon was the editor of "Revue Blanche", where he featured Achille-Claude Debussy as his music critic and André Gide as his book critic and published Marcel Proust, Apollinaire, and Alfred Jarry, as well as his own translation of Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey".
   
   Here's an example of his reviewer's style, taken from a search on Google Books:
   
   "The tones of M. Paul Gauguin's pictures are very little separated from each other; because of this, there is in his work adull harmony. Dense trees rise from the fertile soil, abundant and humid, invade the frame, pursue the sky. The air is heavy. Bricks seen between the trunks indicate a nearby house; things are lying about, muzzles are scattered in the thicket--cows. These reds of roofs and of cattle the artist constantly opposes to his greens and reflects them again in the waters, encumbered with long grasses, which run between the tree trunks."
   
   After the "Revue Blanche" folded, Fénéon went to work as a journalist, first for the conservative "Le Figaro", then, starting in 1906, for the liberal broadsheet "Le Matin".
   
   Taken together, the collection is a fascinating view of Paris, and an intriguing insight into Fénéon's mind.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008



2. This book gave a real insight into all the bad things that were happening in France back in 1906. It was a list of all the three line items that the writer put into his newspaper to fill out the page. Some of them had some wry humor but most struck me with sadness because of the terrible crimes and accidents that occured. The brevity of the items intensified the emotion. I couldn't read too many pages at a time. This book is not for the squeamish. I recommend it because it gives a view of life back then.



3. To anyone familiar w/Charles Mudede's Police Beat column at the Stranger (to those not, it's one of the most bohemianly sensible features of Seattle's free weekly of bohemian sensibility), Fénéon has got to be Mudede's inspiration. He has the blueprint for finding the sublime in the tawdry, for finding the severe brutal beauty of the kosmos in an episode of COPS.
   
   In these grisly little bits, FF makes his claim for a spot on the pantheon of Grand Guignol, a storied company that includes Baudelaire & the great medieval master, Villon.



4. Digesting an entire story and reproducing it in three lines is an art form. To have had it your daily paper was a privilege denied to all of us. Feneon could make the most mundane news item into a fascinating gem. He could communicate angles with extraordinarily efficient use of words. He was the Al Hirschfeld of news. Like Hirschfeld, Feneon's news items are tinged with humor:
   
   Brandy he thought. Actually it was carbolic acid.
   Thus Philibert Faroux, of Noroy, Oise, outlived
   his spree by a mere two hours.
   
   If you read this book while imagining the nationwide roundup page in USA Today, you will mourn the death of creativity. Journalism today is so dry and careful, so politically correct, as to be completely disposable and avoidable. Try this item, one of series describing the ongoing battle to get crucifixes out of classrooms in 1906:
   
   Two mayors in the Somme were determined
   to restore to classroom walls the image
   of divine torture. The prefect suspended
   those mayors.
   
   And let me leave you with one last gem that could also never appear in an American paper today:
   
   The name of a man arrested in Blainville
   as a spy: Tourdias. His age: 24. His
   profession: traveling salesman of bandages
   and medicine.
   
   Truly a novel, an elevator pitch for a Hollywood thriller. Leaves you asking questions, like nothing in the papers today. And that's the whole point, isn't it? Leave them asking for more!



5. A great book, opening up an aspect of modern literature that needs to be much more fully explored and understood. In his celebration of the quotidian, Feneon made it clear that the real world offers all that is needed to refresh one's vision. We could not have had Rauschednberg without Feneon, though I've no idea if he ever read this brilliant, modest book. Great introductory essay by Luc Sante makes this an even more important book for anyone trying to understand why so much modern art feels the way it does.

5 comments about Aruba: The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise.

1. I never finished the book. About 2/3 of the way through I got really tired of hearing the bitterness within the words of the author (Natalees Father). Yes, I felt his pain but he continuously seemed critical of Natalees Mother and it showed in every chapter. Both parents lost a child here and a public book was not the way to express his obvious bitterness about Natalees Mothers 2nd husband or his money. Throughout the book he speaks in terms of "I" as though he were Natalees ONLY parent. As a Mother myself, I felt outraged that it was not "WE". Even though Natalees parents are divorced, they shared this loss.
   
   Many statements in the book are extremely contradictary and confusing. At one point it says the people of Aruba seemed to be hiding something and then in the next paragraph it says that almost everyone in Aruba offered to help in the search. I felt this book was more about the author than his daughter and I was greatly disappointed.



2. "Aruba" This is a well written story that all parents and their teenagers should read and realize that the laws in other countries do not protect or cooperate with Americans. I was amazed that the FBI could not do more to find out what happened to Natalie. This book is an eye-opener for all travellers and my heart goes out to Dave Holloway. I can hardly wait to read Beth Holloway's new book, "Loving Natalie" and hope this story stays on top of the news until she is found. Sadly, there is no ending to this journey, but there are lessons to be learned, as there are no fairy tales in this day and age. M. Newton, Los Angeles, Ca.



3. Very recomended. From the heart of a very sad story, one not found any where else.



4. book well written.very sad story,will always think of natalee and pray for justice for her.



5. I think this is truly an amazing book. Natalee's father goes into a lot of detail about things that went on in Aruba. You can really tell how much this father loves his daughter. I think it is really sad about what happened to this family, and I hope one day she can be found for the family's sake. I thing this is a wonderful book and I'm actually thinking about rereading it

5 comments about Talking with Serial Killers: The Most Evil People in the World Tell Their Own Stories.

1. I'm not a huge fan of true crime but I couldn't put this book down. The true stories of the serial killers,especially Aileen Wuornos and Arthur Shawcross, were very interesting. Although I'm no expert on the genre, I believe it was well written and well researched, and the stories about the killers' childhoods and brutal crimes really grabbed me. The fact that the writer didn't make excuses for these monsters was a plus.



2. When a book is subtitled The Most Evil People in the World Tell Their Own Stories you would expect large portion to be interviews with them and their own words. This was my belief when I bought the book and I was surprised not to find that.
   
   There are good backgrounds on each offender and their laundry list of crimes without too much detail. There are also times that they are quoted directly but for the most part the story is relayed by the author and the end of each chapter is stamped "from an interview with...". Some offender's are not quoted directly at all.
   
   Overall, it's a decent book if you do not know about the crimes or offenders. If you are looking for a scholarly or clinical insight into the minds of these offenders, look elsewhere. It surely isn't here.



3. This author is so full of himself! He talks about himself nearly as much as the killers. If anyone says they are an author, and writes a codenmed killer enough, they would probably be granted an interview too. I was disappointed in this book!



4. Author does not get as much information from the subjects as the title suggests. It talks more about the generalities of the crimes which is easily obtained from internet research. Also, the author give himself a lot of credit for his unsuprising findings - however, I find that most authors of true-crime non-fiction are that way. Gives information on little-known killers - ie: Carol Bundy.



5. I read the reviews before I bought this book. The reviews were rather mixed, so I decided I would read it and decide for myself. Well... the author IS full of himself. He is also from England, and he uses different British words for the "American" words we are used to, which isn't bad, just very annoying. He takes a lot of poetic license in this book, writing a lot of times of the events the way he thought they would have happened. One reviewer was correct, you could get the information found in this book on the internet for free. I also think he left out several serial killers that I would consider more evil than the ones he wrote about. But, he probably wasn't able to get "exclusives" or interviews from the other killers, so he left them out. If you can get the book cheap, but it. Otherwise, don't bother.

5 comments about Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith.

1. My heart broke as I read this book. The horror that Beth Holloway must have felt at the news of her daughter's disappearance is overwhelming. While I'd like to stick my head in the sand and believe that this could never happen to my family, this book made me realize that it could happen to anyone.
   
   However, instead of letting her brokenness over her daughter destroy her life, Holloway used her tragedy as a call for action has been spearheading a campaign to strengthen travel safety.
   This book is a tribute to mother's love and the faith that helped her through her pain.
   
   I was glad I read it. If you've followed the story of of the Holloways at all, you will be glad to read it too.



2. Loving Natalee was a true testament of what any parent would never want. The book makes me wonder what i would do in the situation natalee was in. Her mom tells the story from begining to end and tells everyone the details about natalee and her life. she really shows how she is a normal person and it could happen to anyone.



3. Who doesn't remember the mysterious disappearance of the Alabama HS senior while on vacation with her high school friends in Aruba, now almost 3 years to the date. When I saw this book, I simply had to pick it up and read it for myself. One may think that you know the whole story, but until you read this book, you really don't.
   
   In "Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith" (255 pages), Beth Holloway, the mother of Natalee, brings us in brutal details what she experienced as a mother when her daughter went missing (and is now presumed dead). Holloway kicks off the Preface of the book with "I am the parent who got the dreaded call. The parent no one wants to be." Right then and there, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach, and indeed this is no easy book to read, as Holloway describes the nightmare she and her family and loved ones went through upon arriving on Aruba, and try and find Natalee. The utter incompetence, if not outright unwillingness to assist and underlying corruptness, of the Aruba police authorities is beyond comprehension, even as it is clear that 3 young men are directly involved in Natalee's disappearance. Just sickening.
   
   What keeps Beth Holloway going is her strong faith. I am deeply saddened by what she has had to go through, and (being a parent of a HS senior myself) can only hope and pray that I will never have to go through this. As to the culprits who did this to Natalee, they will receive their due, be in in this life, or in the next when they sit in judgment of our Lord. My prayers are with Beth Holloway and her family.



4. This is a true story of a young girl written by her mother. The book was sad, but I could have waited and gotten it at the library. Not the type of must have book.



5. Beth Holloway is a "Fearless Faith" Fighter and protector of her child. She is an example to all parents. She may not know where Natalee's body is but she knows in her hearts she's with God. I was so truly touched by this woman's determination and drive she has motivated me to reach out and help others. I am the mother of a rape victim and believe helping others after suffering is what heals your soul. Thank you Beth. God has great plans for you ad Natalee!!
   A fellow "Fearless Faith" Fighter and protector of her child

5 comments about Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H.H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago.

1. I too bought this book after having found out about H.H. Holmes from reading Erik Larson's The Devil In the White City. I read a lot of true crime books and had never heard of him before, so I had to find out more and I think this book did a really great job in describing his crimes without glorifying them.
   
   Harold Schrecter had a way of keeping me interested even during some parts that could have been very tedious with all of the details, but then I think details are important in cases where you are trying to understand how someone could commit such terrible crimes especially over 120 years ago.
   
   A must read for anyone into true crime and anyone who is a fan of Edgar Allen Poe, since the types of crimes this man actually committed belong in one of his tales of fiction.



2. I read this book a couple years ago, so I can't remember enough about the writing style to comment on it, but as far as I recall it was well written and certainly informative.
   
   What makes me compelled to write a review, is due to the subject matter. Not to downplay such infamous murderers as Ted Bundy or Ed Gein, but Holmes is in a league all his own. This guy had the most elaborate schemes to kill people that I've ever heard of, and he did it in high volume. We're talking potentially (unverified) in the range of 240, or so, people!! He was a true psychopath in every sense of the word, and you really need to read this book, or the other one mentioned, about H.H.Holmes. What you THOUGHT was the worst and most unbelievable horror story you've ever heard, will seem tame in comparison.



3. it was a good read but it wasn't as disturbing or as interesting as deranged. i would still read it though , it's really well written



4. Like most people, I had just finished reading "Devil in the White City" and was interested in learning more about the infamous H.H.Holmes. "Depraved" was a good supplement and follow-up to "Devil", and comparing the coverage of the common material was interesting. "Depraved" very often went into more detail, particularly of the post-World'sFair period and Holmes' trial, but I somehow came away feeling like I got a more personal insight into Holmes' personality from "Devil" rather than "Depraved"; I'm not particularly sure why.
   
   "Depraved" is certainly a worthwhile and easy read (if just a tad on the long side), particularly if you're interested in the fascinating H.H.Holmes or crime histories.



5. Superb in all ways, writing, research, readability, construction, cohesiveness. Superb. What more is there to say?

5 comments about Everything She Ever Wanted.

1. I was able to keep up with the order in which the events occured without much effort. That means a lot when you only have time to read a chapter before you have to go to work or other things. But one thing that did tend to drive me crazy was the author's cont. comments about the allegedly beauty of Pat Allanson. From the pictures that were in the book except for when she was three I thought maybe the author was being fecisious. Pat may not be ugly but beautiful is a little over the top. The women has buck teeth for goodness sake. And that picture of her in a two piece were not exactly model looks. I also had a hard time feeling any sympathy for her victims except the elderly ones. Her oldest daughter for example was given many clues about what her mother was doing and she chose to ignor it as did so many others. Since that was their choice I find it hard to feel sorry for them. Of course her parents got just what they deserved. Anyway except for that loved the book.



2. At first, this story would not have been interesting without Ann Rule's insights into the diabolical mind of Mary Patricia Vann Radcliffe Taylor Allanson who was always the center of attention since her infancy. Her crimes are just shocking and always selfish to best suit her needs. Never mind that she provoked her brother's suicide by outing his former girlfriend or revealing his true paternity, she manipulated her former husband to murder his own parents, she poisoned his grandparents and those she took care of. how did she get such a position when it was already known that she poisoned her husband's grandparents as well and went to jail. She is a true sociopath in the terms of Sante Kimes. You have to feel pity and admiration for Susan, the daughter, who went against the family, and even Debbie who played the dutiful daughter unaware of her mother's true intentions. Ann Rule is again in Georgia working on another true crime story. This story should be made into a movie as well. Of course, Ann has moved on with other stories but this story is with you long after you stop reading it. It's such a shame that there are no color pictures in my book but black and white. The story is long and complicated. Pat's crimes won't be forgotten. Her daughter Susan's only crime was being truthful. How she didn't get stopped before is a wonder?



3. I blame Ann Rule for making me forget all about Thomas Hardy and the 19th century and turning me to a life of crime.
   After I read her book, "The Stranger Beside Me," (about working beside Ted Bundy before he was known as our nation's first true serial killer) I was hooked on crime and non-fiction. Unfortunately, I found out that most crime writers don't write like Ann Rule. She is very special.
   True, the book "Everything She Ever Wanted" has been out for years and it doesn't need any kind of comment or review by the likes of me....But I spotted it in one of my bookshelves, took it out, thumbed through it, ended up reading it again and....There just aren't that many non-fiction crime books of the high caliber Rule sets. She is the ablsolute best. (Except for maybe that guy who wrote "Echos in the Darkness" or whatever it was called.)
   I e-mailed her once to tell her how disappointed I was by the last book (at the time) she'd written. To my shock, she e-mailed me back and in a 'round about way told me I'd hurt her feelings. Though she made me feel awful, I still think that book she wrote about the husband from San Antonio killing his wife wasn't up there compared to her others.
   "Everything She Ever Wanted" is about a woman who loves no one but herself. If she'd loved any other human as much as she loved herself, she'd been crowned a saint.



4. I've become something of an Ann Rule junkie over the last year, after friends gave me her Green River Killer book as a present during a hospital stay.
   I found myself a bit intimidated by the size of this volume. But, I dove in and was glad I did as it tuned out to be quite the page-turner.
   
   I found myself filled with all sorts of emotions while reading 'Pats' tale. Anger and disgust that she was allowed to hurt so many people. I felt a sense of incredulous humor as time after time her actions were forgiven and she continued being enabled by her family.
   I even admire her in a strange way. Despite only a tenth grade education, she was an absolute master at the art of scheming and manipulating people. Devoting as muchtime and energy into destroying others than most people put into a lifetime working 9-5. One wonders what she might have accomplished had she been given a little discipline.
   
   If this truely were a just universe, this creature would still be rotting in prison somewhere, rather than living free in Georgia.



5. The way it was written the story read like a dark comedy. For instance, when Pat Radcliffe accuses Walter Allanson of exposing himself he denies it by stating the he hasn't had sex in years because he can't get an erection...his lengthy explanation is so quirky it becomes comical. Then there's the chapter where Tom Allanson hides in a hole in the basement of his parents home, and Walter pokes him and yells to his wife "I got him trapped in the hole." All of the characters are very eccentric and quirky, and it's so hard to take them seriously because the way their actions and mannerisms are presented the story reads both bazaar and farcical. Nevertheless, Pat does indeed come off as manipulative, sinister, and evil in a very real way. I think much of the book was padded, and the story could have been told using far less space than it did.