5 comments about A Death in Belmont (P.S.).

1. A very good book that was easy to read. It often seemed like a novel. I particularly liked the "Conversation with Sebastian Junger" by Jill Owens at the end of the book. I pointed out some subtleties that I missed.



2. I have some doubts regarding Albert DeSalvo's guilt in the Boston strangling murders in the early 1960s. The author does argue for the innocence of an African American Roy Smith who is falsely accused of killing Bessie Goldberg since he was there to clean her home. He had left before the murder occurred and her body was discovered by her husband. The police of Belmont believed that Roy Smith was responsible despite his pleas of innocence. How could a man who had witnessed such cruel behavior in the south such as lynchings and murders if he so much looked at a white woman. Besides Bessie Goldberg wasn't his type. She was much older and could have been his mother. Junger also describes the creepiness surrounding the presence of Albert DeSalvo, a married father of two children, who helped work in his parents' home. Junger is a good writer but he doesn't make me want to read this book at a record pace like a I normally would have done in a true crime case. He does allow and explain the circumstances of life especially Roy Smith's circumstances. Granted, Roy Smith was no angel but he was no killer much less the Boston Strangler. He was just there at the wrong place at the wrong time not because he witnessed the ghastly rape and strangulation but that he left before it happened and nobody else saw the Boston Stranger go into the Goldberg home that was a safe place in the suburbs away from the crime of the city. Ironically, the Boston Strangler struck and killed in the nearby suburbs of the city itself.



3. S. Junger has traveled far from the truth in his attempt to connect the murder of Bessie Goldberg from his hometown of Belmont , Massachusetts to Albert DeSalvo the discredited Boston Strangler who once worked for Junger's mother. The facts of the case are cast aside as Junger exaggerates, distorts, lies, and omits important trial evidence.
   
   The murder victim advertised as a neighbor of the Junger family actually lived on the other side of town. Between the two homes were 95 private residences, 15 cross streets and approximately 40 stores.
   
   Although in 1966 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court , after appeal, upheld the conviction of Roy Smith, this information is never revealed.
   
   Junger who says that Smith, a career criminal, never lied to the police has seriously misinformed the reader. According to the Supreme Court Justices as they spelled out the evidence from trial testimony, Smith lied about his times of arrival and departure from the Goldberg home, staying almost two hours less than he claimed. Although Smith told authorities he had finished cleaning the house and left it "in order" the police testified that the house had never been cleaned. The living room furniture was found pushed to the center of the room, the mirror was covered with cleaner (complete with Smith's handprints), the living room ornaments were sitting on the dining room table waiting to be dusted while the vacuum cleaner complete with attachments lay nearby.
   
   Nothing much is made of the testimony of Smith's friends who said he spent $15.00, the amount stolen from the Goldberg home, on liquor the night of the murder. When questioned by the police Smith could not account for the source of his funds.
   
   The Supreme Court Justices stated, " The jury could have found unusual opportunity, motive, possession after the crime of unexplained funds, incriminating action in leaving the house in disorder and the work unfinished, and subsequent conduct and false statements showing consciousness of guilt."



4. I have been avoiding this book for a long time. It sounded good when I read the snippets of information on it, it just isn't the kind of thing I enjoy.
   Finally, I went ahead and bought it. It then sat on my night table for months.
   
   I knew I had to do it, but it wasn't easy cracking a book about a serial killer. The descriptions were chilling but not overly graphic or gratuitous. Junger made sure to keep the facts of the murders quiet and respectful, even in their gruesome reality.
   
   I knew nothing of the Boston Strangler, so I learned a lot about that time and how terrifying it must have been living in that area at that time.
   
   The grave injustices made my blood boil and have given me a new perspective. It was well worth the wait and a great read.



5. Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea (P.S.), grew up with the story of Albert DeSalvo, the admitted "Boston Strangler," who once worked as a carpenter at the house where his parents lived in Belmont, Massachusetts, when he was an infant. And when the murder of Bessie Goldberg occurred not far from there, it was his mother who rushed outside and told Al about the murder. Since Al came and went on errands throughout the day, it would have been possible for him to have committed the murder and returned.
   
   Using this "hook" into the story, Junger thoroughly investigates all aspects of the strangler and the murders. In the case of the Goldberg murder in Belmont, a black man, Roy Smith, who had worked cleaning her house, was accused of the crime, though he staunchly denied any involvement. Racial prejudice, the absence of any black families in Belmont, and the lack of any other plausible assailant led to Smith's arrest. Full disclosure did not exist then, and his lawyer was denied access to much of the evidence. The witnesses were coached by law enforcement, and the trial went on during the weekend of the assassination of President Kennedy. Smith had had some minor scrapes with the law in Oxford, Mississippi, where he formerly lived, and he was convicted and sentenced to life on the Saturday two days after the Kennedy assassination--by an all male jury drawn from Kennedy's former legislative district. DNA tests did not yet exist.
   
   Albert DeSalvo eventually confessed to being the Boston Strangler, and though he admitted to most of the thirteen murders and provided details, he always refused to admit to the Goldberg murder, despite the fact that it fit the Strangler's M.O. better than some other murders DeSalvo did admit to.
   
   Junger takes the reader through the evidence, using his access to the trial transcripts, the police records, witness interviews, newspaper accounts, and interviews with some of the surviving witnesses. He analyzes the nature of a serial killer vs. the spontaneous killer of one person. He evaluates the importance of circumstantial evidence in lieu of real evidence, and stresses its importance. His psychological analysis of the way the guilty behave when questioned, as opposed to the truly innocent, provides insights into whether Roy Smith was really guilty.
   
   Best of all, Junger keeps an open mind. Though he grew up believing that Roy Smith was innocent, there are times during the book in which he presents evidence which would convict Roy, and there are also times in which he wonders if DeSalvo could really have committed these murders. Ten years after the murder, when Roy Smith is eligible for clemency, based on his exemplary behavior, and when Albert has changed his mind about having said he was guilty, the book becomes even more complicated, leaving the reader to deal with the aftermath. There are no conclusions about whether DeSalvo or Smith really committed the crime(s). Junger leaves that up to his individual readers. n Mary Whipple
   
   Fire
   Biography - Junger, Sebastian (1962-): An article from: Contemporary Authors Online

5 comments about The Valachi Papers.

1. I could not stop reading this one!!! Joe Valachi was the first Gravano, in other words the first to flip and start talking. His account of how the present day mafia came to be is different from most other books out today. Here was a guy who witnessed it all from the start. The beef between Masseria and Maranzano, the beef between Maranzano and Luciano, and lastly the beef between Genovese and Costello and Anastasia. So much history and so many names you'll recognize in this book. Before Valachi came forward, no one outside of the mob knew the structure or full power of the organization. Without his account, I doubt the government would even have known what to do with info it was collecting. Believe me, this book is one of the best ever.



2. The Valachi Papers is a masterfully, in-depth look at the more seedy side of American history. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, the Cosa Nostra was a powerful force in many of this country's most important eras. Lucky Luciano used his influence to protect the New York waterfront during WWII for example. What I love the best about this book in particular is that it is not a romanticized version of a life in the mob. Rather, Mass using Valachi's testimonies and writings, gives a chronology of brutality that spans over 30 years. Prior to engaging this book I had my notions about the mob despite what all of my previous research had indicated. Lets face it, movies like 'the Godfather' and 'Goodfellas' make being a mobster seem pretty appealing if not down right cool. What Maas' work does is dispel those fantasies by showing a man whose life in the mob was rife with turmoil, danger, murder, betrayal and hardship. He was no stranger to the inside of a prison cell. His mob connections, even as a 'made' man, could not shield him from economic hardships and, in many cases, were the source of his problems. Valachi was no more a rat for speaking out than his boss Vito Genovese was a rat for savagely murdering all opposition, real or imagined, in his greedy grasp for more and more power. Maas' work is a factual account that makes no claims. It is the portrait of a man whose life was the very thing that ultimately led to his downfall and the subsequent testimony that would follow. I found this book to be a must read for anyone who fancies themselves a 'student' of mafia history.



3. This book provides a wonderful birds-eye view into the early Cosa Nostra. Well- written and well-researched by the author, he skillfully organizes the thoughts of Joe Valachi, a racketeer and soldier in the Cosa Nostra from way back when. Valachi's reminiscences of the mob of the nineteen twenties through the nineteen sixties come alive for the reader in the expert hands of the author, an award winning investigative journalist. It is a cohesive, interesting, and painstakingly detailed account of life in the Cosa Nostra.
   
   This was one of the first such insider accounts of the Cosa Nostra, and it almost never got written, as the federal government sought to bar the author from writing and publishing such a book. The author, however, took on the federal government on that issue and filed a lawsuit. Ultimately, he emerged victorious, and the book, one of the first of its kind, became a bestseller and a motion picture that was a box office hit.
   
   For those who enjoy reading about true crime and the Mafia, it doesn't get much better than this.



4. This is the second time I read this title. And, like the first time, it was great! Valachi gives the Mafia buff a gem of an expose with this title's author, Peter Maas. No matter what the others say, this is the primer on the Mob. Pick this one up before you consider the others and you'll get something to compare the others with....



5. Valachi was a small time street mobster but his story was big. He opened everyones eyes to the family structure of the New York underworld. Not all of what he said was true or right but the overall story is a real eye opener. Peter Maas does an excellent job.

5 comments about A Rage To Kill and Other True Cases: Anne Rule's Crime Files, Vol. 6 (Ann Rule's Crime Files, 6).

1. One of the most frightening aspects of these ten true-crime stories is that the early release dates for many of the perpetrators have already passed. I would hate to think that any of these particular criminals are free to kill again. Ann Rule has selected gruesome cases to include in "A Rage to Kill."
   
   Fortunately a few of the most vicious killers did not survive their capture. Unfortunately one of them was never identified, and some of the stories have had to have their body count revised upward.
   
   Ann Rule, a former policewoman writes about the victims with a compassion that sometimes ventures over the border into cliché. Many are described as stunningly beautiful, innocent, soft-spoken, harmless, well-loved, kindhearted creatures who would certainly have qualified for sainthood if their lives had not been cut tragically short.
   
   The killers are more interesting, as in that old Vaudevillian cliché, "the snake has all the lines." A transvestite prostitute stabs his customer to death when the john discovers his true sex. A prison official must decide whether this particular killer should be incarcerated with other men or put in a prison for women. Spree killer Chris Wilder drives one of his victims cross-country, then puts her on a plane back to California instead of murdering her.
   
   Rule's homicide detectives are all a heroic blend of hard work, perseverance, and courage. They do not stand out as individuals as they would if say, Joseph Wambaugh had written this book. I will remember the murderers in "A Rage to Kill" much longer than the bland policemen or the saintly victims, because they are the characters upon which Rule lavishes her most original prose.
   
   Most of these cases took place in the Seattle area, and only one that I know of has received extensive, nation-wide media attention. True-crime aficionados will appreciate Ann Rule's meticulous attention to detail, and the extensive contacts with law enforcement officials that give her a unique perspective into each of these ten stories.



2. Ten different cases profile the victim and killer in Ann Rule's typical style. She reveals the vulnerabilities of the victim and the psychological influences that drove the murderer. Some are sex crimes, one is a spree killer and one murders a bus driver resulting in 30 people hurtling five stories down from a bridge in the out-of-control bus.
   It's a diverse batch of murderers, so true crime readers can surely find a few that fit their interests. Rule's detailed research and analysis of the motivation illuminate these frightening case studies.



3. One of the most frightening aspects of these ten true-crime stories is that the early release dates for many of the perpetrators have already passed. I would hate to think that any of these particular criminals are free to kill again. Ann Rule has selected gruesome cases to include in "A Rage to Kill."
   
   Fortunately a few of the most vicious killers did not survive their capture. Unfortunately one of them was never identified, and some of the stories have had to have their body count revised upward.
   
   Ann Rule, a former policewoman writes about the victims with a compassion that sometimes ventures over the border into cliché. Many are described as stunningly beautiful, innocent, soft-spoken, harmless, well-loved, kindhearted creatures who would certainly have qualified for sainthood if their lives had not been cut tragically short.
   
   The killers are more interesting, as in that old Vaudevillian cliché, "the snake has all the lines." A transvestite prostitute stabs his customer to death when the john discovers his true sex. A prison official must decide whether this particular killer should be incarcerated with other men or put in a prison for women. Spree killer Chris Wilder drives one of his victims cross-country, then puts her on a plane back to California instead of murdering her.
   
   Rule's homicide detectives are all a heroic blend of hard work, perseverance, and courage. They do not stand out as individuals as they would if say, Joseph Wambaugh had written this book. I will remember the murderers in "A Rage to Kill" much longer than the bland policemen or the saintly victims, because they are the characters upon which Rule lavishes her most original prose.
   
   Most of these cases took place in the Seattle area, and only one that I know of has received extensive, nation-wide media attention. True-crime aficionados will appreciate Ann Rule's meticulous attention to detail, and the extensive contacts with law enforcement officials that give her a unique perspective into each of these ten stories.



4. This is Volume 6 of Ann Rule's Crime Files. Some of Ann Rule's best books have been her "Crime Files" collections, but only when the volume is built around a book-length treatment of a fairly fresh case. The best collection by far has been "Last Dance, Last Chance". This book is somewhat like "Without Pity" in that the cases all seem kind of old. If, like me, you are a big Ann Rule fan who can't get enough, and waits anxiously for each new title, you should definitely get this book. It contains some interesting cases, just none that will knock your socks off. There is not the psychological depth here that we hope for in Ann Rule's very best work, that leaves the reader totally blown away. If you are new to Ann Rule, read one of her truly great books, like "Small Sacrifices", "The Stranger Beside Me", or "Everything She Ever Wanted". Read any of these and you will be hooked on Ann Rule too.



5. I have read several of Ann Rule's books, including her Crime Files series, and for me, this collection of true crime short stories is one of her best. While I enjoy all her books, I have wondered how she decides which cases will receive more in-depth treatment than others in the Crime FIle series. This collection, on the other hand, gives just enough length to provide a good understanding of each case, and more importantly, helps the reader recognize some of the bizarre psychological profiles of individuals they may have actually encountered personally, as well as the fatal mistakes some innocent people make. Ann's preface to the case "As Close as a Brother" may describe your own teenage or college-age daughter's naivete very well; for this reason alone, it is highly recommended reading.
   As for Ann Rule's prose, it is refreshing to compare her highly readable and absorbing work to the slipshod, error-riddled products that are somehow published so frequently these days. Thank goodness she knows her stuff and writes with great ease; this is what allows her to produce such a generous body of work.

5 comments about Bitter Blood: A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder (Onyx).

1. Twenty years late I find a copy of this at a yard sale this weekend. Murder, Mayhem and Mystery being my favorite genre, I found it irrisistible. All 573 pages. I sat down to read it right off and rushed home to keep reading between my regular Sunday obligations. This story is uncommonly horrifying, and for such an overwhelmingly complicated, convoluted story, it was exquisite in its detail; character development; and in the smooth flow of its unweildy, appalling, riveting, repulsive, terrifying, mysterious, chilling, absolutely gripping story. I coudn't put it down. Thank you, Jerry Bledsoe, for all the work it took to research all those details and then to write with the tons of skill and talent it took to suck me into it right in the beginning and not let me go. How did you do that? I was greatly rewarded when you kept going and kept going and kept going... wanting with all your bone marrow to do the right thing by this book and the people in it, no matter how many obstacles and family secrets and denial and skanky politics; and questionably inept or inadequately trained or poorly organized and led, the takedown finally was, you wouldn't let me go. And I grew to care about those people as much as you did, and so repelled by others, and I was at long last satisfied with where you took me, and lamented the end because I would have loved to keep on reading and learning more. EXCELLENT job. I'll be reading more of your books. This one will be a hard act to follow though! Thank you very much.



2. It is very well written and researched. I highly recommend this book. It's unbelieveable that this person was able to get away with the things he was doing for so long. How this mother could let something like this happen to her children is scary.



3. What happens when you take a narcissist, pampered and over indulged in a somewhat delusional well to do old southern family, and mix her with a psychopath from a more twisted and more delusional branch of the same family? Well it spelled disaster for the innocent people who ended up dead as a result of this volatile incestuous combination.
   
   This book was a long, but very interesting look into a horrific series of murders and those tasked with investigating them. I know when I finished this book, I was convinced that the ultimate fate of this pair seemed insufficient, and makes one hope for an eternal brand of justice. I was also amazed at how some families can delude themselves in regard to the true character of their members, and regardless of all evidence to the contrary can continue to make excuses for their evil acts.



4. This is about as engrossing a true crime book as one can get. Well researched and compellingly written, it tracks the story of three families whose lives intertwine only to culminate in boodshed. It is a story that will enthrall the reader, as well as tug at the reader's heartstrings, because of the tragic familial implications.
   
   At the heart of the horror that this book reveals is a beautiful southern belle, Susie Sharp Newsom Lynch, who together with her first cousin and lover, Fritz Klenner, the mentally unbalanced son of a prominent doctor, goes on to be involved in unspeakable acts. It is a riveting book that will keep the reader turning the pages and is one of the best books in the true crime genre.



5. I read this book 19 years ago and just finished it again after a family member mentioned their dentist was Tom Lynch.
   
   I met Tom and Suzie when he first came to Albuquerque and worked with the Gianni's (the mafia, according to the psychos). I recall she had a very hard, cold, dark stare. She gave me the creeps, I guess that's why I remember her.
   
   This book is a great read and the historic details help the reader understand each character and their motivations.

5 comments about A Scream on the Water: A True Story of Murder in Salem.

1. "A Scream on the Water" is the story of Thomas Maimoni, a narcissistic sociopath who lived a life of lies and abuse culminating in murder. This is a very well-written book. The setting is very well-developed. The descriptions of the people and places around Salem Mass. are well-rounded and satisfying. The reader feels as if they are there, and get inside the heads of the victim, her husband, the police investigators, and the wives of Maimoni and many other victims of his deceit and manipulation. For years Maimoni lied about everything to everyone: his marital status, military career (ha!), education, and jobs. This book is not only interesting to the true crime reader, it is like the works of Ann Rule in that the writer uses the opportunity to warn the innocent among us that people are often not as they present themselves. Even those who sensed that Maimoni was full of bull had no idea how explosive and deadly his rage could be when threatened with disclosure. A well-developed, psychologically complex, and thrilling cautionary tale.



2. Nicely written, with lots of insight into the killer's mindset as well as the psychology of the investigators. Absorbing.



3. The heartbreaking tale of the murder of Martha Brailsford, as told in A SCREAM ON THE WATER, formerly published as Counterpoint: A Murder in Massachusetts Bay, is a very interesting book. Just keeping up with the lies told by convicted murder Tom Maimoni is enough to keep a reader fully engaged.
   
   As many other reviews have related here, Maimoni had a difficult time accepting "No" for answer when it came to women; and he was willing to tell them anything to keep from hearing that dreaded word. Yet his passive-aggressive tendencies did not make him a vicious man, only one to be feared by what was not at all expected from him.
   
   This was a great, fast read true crime. While there is nothing that really separates Maimoni from so many other murderers, his modus operandi is one that is, at times, fascinating. I recommend reading this book if true crime is chosen genre.



4. I very much enjoyed this true story of a murder, covering all aspects of the characters involved, the crime itself, and the trial and it's results. It is well-written, informative, thorough, and easy to read.



5. you may thing people are harmless but looks can be deceiving. Never trust anyone! Evne people who you know they may think about you in a different way and get desperate when you don't acknowledge them and resort to murder.

5 comments about The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers.

1. The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, is not an A-Z guide to the killers as the title implies.
   There are no indexes or chapter guides to look up specific killers. Instead it has sections A through Z that list places and things. One would think that the individual killers would be listed under the respective letters such as Ted Bundy in the T section or in the B's under Bundy,Ted. This book rather lists (for example) in section "A" Alligators and then gives a couple paragraphs about which killer and how they were utilized in the crimes.. and in section "B" there are sections on Bathtubs and Body Parts; and yet again with a couple paragraphs each about which killer and how these items were utilized.
   
   While there are a 6-7 killers that have their own sections dedicated under the respective letters, it doesn't really matter because they are already discussed under dozens of different A-Z listings in this book. This book does have good information and fun facts, but the format doesn't allow for reasearch of individual killers.
   
   For the average reader, this is good to read a couple chapters at a time over several weeks, and you can skip around to different chapters and go back to others later. I will give this three stars as it has some good info and light hearted dark humor.



2. This is a light-hearted introduction to the dark world of serial killers - a great book to start an obsession with. Although it doesn't go into great depth on any one subject, it covers most of the bases in the serial killer world and thus provides great jumping off points for further exploration.



3. This book is not really an encyclopedia of information on serial killers, but more of an overview of the more notorious. The format was somewhat lacking; not in a manner that one would take very serious (there's not even an index). It is a quick read and does provide entertainment; as long as you have a twisted couriousity (which I do).
   
   James A. Forrest - Eye of the Storm



4. This is a very interesting book about anything you want to know about Serial Killers. Every killer you know is in there along with many you don't. If you are a crime reader or love crime in general you will love it.



5. I consider Harold Schechter to the male equivalent of Ann Rule, a famous and popular true crime writer. Unlike Rule, he is more objective regarding the criminal backgrounds but he doesn't make excuses for his crimes. He supplies a brief synopsis for each killer and aspects of the crimes themselves. He has done his homework and he doesn't hide necessary facts in understanding the criminals themselves. I still prefer Schechter in many regards since he has already wrote books on H.Holmes of Chicago, Ed Gein of Psycho fame, and others as well. He brings his wealth of knowledge and experience of research and studies to this encyclopedia. His sections on serial killers such as Gacy, Bundy, Dahmer, and others are brief because it's more designed in an encyclopedia style like the other books out there. Although Schechter's more superior because he explains a little further and little more regarding the serial killer's behavior, childhood, and possible explanations as to the evolvement of a serial killer.

5 comments about Kiss and Kill.

1. The author did a great job of taking you behind closed doors of domestic violence. Domestic violence has become a hot topic in the past several years. This book will pull on your heart strings and make you wonder why someone as talented and gifted as Patty Jo Riddick Pulley was murdered for the reasons portrayed in the book. I recommend this as an excellent true crime book.



2. Rick Pulley had a wonderful, devoted Christian wife who was a talented musician. Both were dedicated to the Christian ministry and to music. Patty Jo Riddick Pulley was the ideal wife. From appearances, Rick and Patty Jo had a desirable, ideal, Christian marriage. Although childless, having children was a source of friction between the pair. Rick was at a dead end in the church ministry with a low paying job while his wife worked two or three jobs to support them. They were financially troubled by themselves much less if they had a child. They lived in a very cloistered Christian community which suprised Patty Jo's family after Rick declared her disappeared. The women were subservient and obedient to their husbands. The small Christian community of Ringgold, Virginia had their own share of problems. They appeared backwards to Patty Jo's family. Rick enjoyed the power that he felt he had in the community. His relationship with the young girl was quite bizarre as she described Rick becoming more like Jim Jones. Patty Jo encouraged her to leave which is something that she never had the chance to do. Despite her love for Rick, she was also being abused by him. It was inevitable that he would kill her but nobody knows exactly how and why. The author does paint a portrait but not enough of the small tight-knit Christian community of Ringgold, Virginia. he does detail Patty Jo's loving family that did not recognize the signs of domestic violence. Rick's past is somewhat vague. his mother is practically non-existence. I don't know much about the author's experience in Ringgold and the community or how factual about it's members. Regardless, Rick killed his wife after abusing her for so many years. I don't blame the community but I blame Rick who is completely responsible for Patty Jo's cruel murder. I don't know much about Ringgold not even from reading this book and I'm wondering about the facts about the community itself. I don't recall the author speaking to it's citizens or members of their church. When I read a true crime book, I expect it to be factual and I'm surprised by some of the comments about this case. A true crime author is expected to write and detail as much information and background about Patty Jo and Rick's life in Ringgold. I felt the book was just thrown together and not written adequately.



3. I WAS EXTREMLY DISAPOINTED IN THIS BOOK. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. THE ENTIRE FIRST HALF OF THE BOOK WAS SO BORING THAT I FOUND MY MIND WONDERING TO OTHER THINGS. THE AUTHOR WENT ON AND ON ABOUT STUFF THAT REALLY DID NOT MATTER. HE WAS VERY REDUNDANT, OFTEN REPEATING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER. IT GOT A LITTLE BETTER IN THE END, BUT NOT MUCH. I COULD NOT BELEIVE THE AUTHOR DID NOT INCLUSE WHAT RICK'S SENTENCE WAS. OR MAYBE I MISSED THAT WHEN MY MIND WAS WONDERING. I HAVE READ ONE OTHER BOOK BY THIS AUTHOR AND IT WAS OK. I MAY AVOID THIS AUTHOR FROM NOW ON.



4. I read a good deal of true crime books. This one is true bottom of the barrel. It is poorly edited and the author is chronologically challenged, making the book so hard to follow at time.
   What a mish-mosh of events with no rhyme or reason. There are too many good books available to waste one's time with a book that requires the reader to reread due to unfounded time-jumping and blatant errors in editing.
   It was funny that several people asked me if I was enjoying this book. Usually people are so used to seeing me with my nose in a book that I am not often asked this question. I felt terrible that I had to answer so many people in the negative but this book was not worth the paper it is printed on. I was stubborn about reading it to the end simply because I had begun the task, but I really should have spent the time elsewhere. (Perhaps walking on hot coals...) Waste neither time nor money on this one.



5. I am the niece of Patty Jo Riddick Pulley and can tell you that this book is NOT supported by family and I. The book has false and misleading information in it, not to mention information that was taken directly from the MSS of the victim's niece. I do not know how this book has managed to get on the same Amazon page as Quiet Moment's, but it certainly is not welcomed there and if anyone can tell me how to have it removed, Please do so! My family and I do not wish to associate ourselves with Dale Hudson or anyone who is a fan of his.
   
   Connie Smithson (Niece of Patty Jo Pulley and Author of Quiet Moment's)

5 comments about Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice.

1. Extremely one-sided, extremely biased and not well written. I was expecting much more from this. Keep your hands off this book, it's absolutely not worth the money. If I had the option of giving this book 0 stars I would have chosen 0.



2. Although I tend to agree with Jane Jervis, that Danny's Widow has "made a career of her husband's death"(P.262;6), Maureen Faulkner's ability to explain the propensity of her position, is phenominal. And the ending is just chilling.



3. I am a firm believer that Cook murdered a policeman, and I would support any cause against Cook. I thought the book was a hard read, but am glad I read it for the perspective from a very courageous woman and wife of a hero.



4. It had to be done. I read a reviewer state that "Maureen has made a career of Danny's death". If it wasn't for the psychos on the left, she wouldn't have had to write the book in the first place.The whole circus just turns your stomach. The one positive of this whole fiasco, is that 25 years after Dannny's murder we are still talking about him. I highly reccommend this book.



5. Finally! The truth known to a majority of Pennsylvanians about Mumia now sees the light of day! This is in thanks to a courageous woman, her family, and of course Michael Smerconish.
   I remember this trial, as well as the whole Mumia and Move saga, and I can tell you that there is no conspiracy! Mumia killed Officer Faulkner on that cold December night, and was fairly tried in a court of law, despite the deliberate disruptions by Mumia himself! The lawyer he wanted, one Joe Africa of Move, is not a lawyer, and therefore cannot represent Mumia in a court of law. The lawyer he ended up with was one that was recommended to him by his family! This fact, and the other facts of the case can be found in this book, as well as the justice4danielfaulkner site, and in the trial transcripts, that his often ignorant supporters refuse to acknowledge!Yes, I called his supporters ignorant, because they are ignorant! This was proven by a local Philly radio station that went undercover at a Mumia rally a few years ago, and found that many of the participants had no idea who they were supporting! They compiled many of the responses of not only of the Mumia supporters at the rally, but also the rally speakers, who acknowledged the ignorance of the crowd. The station not only aired these tapes, but they had a website outlining the case for all to read.
   As a Philadelphian, and daughter of a former police lieutenant, I am outraged that this murderer, (who has never offered any other explainations about what happened that night), is still alive, and has garnered support from the many gulliable and ignorant celebrities, politicians, and college students out there! It must be really frustrating for Mrs. Faulkner to constantly have to defend her husband, and the facts against Mumia's supporters. If you want the truth, don't look to Mumia, Weinglass, Pacifico radio, Pam Africa, or Partisan, because they are LIARS!!!
   I highly recommend this book to both sides of this Mumia debacle, because I think it is not only an accurate account of the facts of Daniel Faulkner's murder, but also a loving tribute to the man who has been eclipsed by his murderer! Officer Daniel Faulkner and his family are not only the TRUE VICTIMS of this story, but are also the TRUE HEROES! If there are still any Mumia supporters after this book, I will be astonished!
   If you guys want a real hero to worship, look towards the courageous men and women of the police, fire, and military! They are the ones who fight for our rights! They even fight for the right to be a moron, which is a characterization that we Philadelphians give to the Mumia supporters!
   Jennifer Hoey

5 comments about Bestial: The Savage Trail of a True American Monster.

1. A very well documented account of the "Dark Strangler's" life. This book brings together everything that makes a typical great Schechter book: a very well documented research, an excellent work of putting things into perspective (history, popular culture, etc), a gripping writing style, etc.
   
   It's true that this killer may not be the most astounding killer in history (but still... he strangled women to death and then raped their dead bodies, and afterwards he concealed them under beds, in closets, behind furnaces, etc) but this isn't a good parametre to judge by, at any rate. Sure, his modus operandi is consistently the same, but I don't think this changes anything really. Moreover, that is the killer's deeds, not the author, so it would be slightly ridiculous (perhaps even immoral) to blame Schechter for the killer's "unoriginal" acts; also, it's a bit strange a complaint to make: "I wish that killer did more gruesome things for my personal pleasure as a reader." But anyway...
   
   Harold Schechter's work is impressive because of his documentation and the manner with which he leads the whole thing. As usual, I appreciate it very much when the author quotes newspapers and gives the reader some insight in those times. It's truly a work of History that Schechter offers us here. And that's something I really like about this author: you never fall into the merely morbid curiosity and always benefit from the historical perspective on violence in popular culture, as well as other matters worthy of one's interest.
   
   Excellent book.



2. This is one of Schechter's best, and IMHO, one of the best true crime novels I have read. It is about a murderer/rapist nicknamed the Gorilla Man, who seemed to be "cursed" from birth. He was abnormal from the beginning and lived a bizarre lifestyle his whole life. Both of his parents had and died of syphillis--it makes you wonder if this disease somehow affected this child's brain and warped him. Even his eating habits were more than strange. He later takes to killing and raping landladies while posing as a potential or actual tenant. He manages to get married--to a woman more than 30 years older than him and proceeds to make her miserable--and scared.
   
   This was a riveting read. I could hardly put it down.



3. This incredible, but true story is so well written that one really wishes Hitchcock were alive to capture it's alluring power on film. And I really think that's what makes this book a great and unforgettable journey. I've read two others by the talented Mr. Schecter, both hard to put down, but this one is so deviously fascinating and consistantly well documented. It's not only a well researched piece of journalism, but a bonified shock treatment that lingers long after you've finished it. Highly recommended for crime buffs. And young film-makers please take note: "Saw" and "Hostel" are sheer piffle compared to the hideous life of Earl Leonard Nelson. Truth really is stranger than fiction.



4. Harold Schechter has produced several highly acclaimed works of true crime including "Depraved" and "Deviant". In "Bestial", Schechter takes on the lesser known Earle Leonard Nelson. On a cross-continental spree that is documented to have taken the lives of 22 landladies and other women, it makes for an interesting chapter in the history of true crime.
   
   Schechter is comendable in his attention to detail in telling the story. While telling the story, the author must be credited for stepping back and allowing the reader to wonder guilty or guilty and insane. Yet at times I found his digressions frustrating. Taking entire chapters to explore facets of the time period or give superficial facts regarding other murders of the era, massively sidetracks the pace of the story. The profile that is painted of the "Gorilla Man" seems clear for a man that has been deceased for more than 80 years and is largely forgotten in American history because of his arrest and execution in Canada.
   
   Those that are fans of Schechter's other books are likely to enjoy the detail of the Nelson's modus operandi. A graphic crime scene picture included in the book is certain to thrill fans of the genre. Still, I can not help but think the book would have been better with certain chapter full of digressions on the editting room floor.



5. Book looked interesting. Ordered it used but would have prefered to order it new. When I got it there was a huge sticker on the front which was disappointing. Would have ordered it new if I knew it was going to look very used.

5 comments about Down by the River: Drugs, Money, Murder, and Family.

1. This book is brilliant! Only gifted readers will be comfortable reading it though because it is an incredible read! THE TRUTH WILL AMAZE YOU if you are clever enough to hang onto the pages as you turn them!
   
   I admire Mr. Bowden so much because this book is based on 7 1/2 years of research and detective work. The detective work starts with one individual and spirals into a nonfictional mystery of global proportions leading the reader to a place where their reality of what being a U.S. citizen means is forever changed.
   
   THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR EVERY CITIZEN IN THE UNITED STATES!! EVERY PARENT SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!
   
   
   "Saying NO to Drugs"... isn't working folks!! THE WAR ON DRUGS is a BLOG to keep the average American from reading books such as this!
   
   Our leaders are making sure the drug problem won't go away . THIS IS A PROFOUND BOOK ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THE ERASING OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
   
   Thank you Mr. Bowden for having the courage to write it!



2. 
   
   Charles Bowden has written a well documented story of a span of time in the drug history of the U.S./Mexico border. Certain drug cartels intertwine and are involved with the same several families for years. Thousands of people are put into bondage, murdered or disappeared with little or no trace of them ever again. Many Mexican politicians, even a president or two, are involved with the drug scene and with stealing and removing to other countries, the wealth of Mexico. One murder, which is never solved conclusively, has enormous impact on the life of one DEA officer and on the survival of his extended family. It's a raw picture of one of the reasons to not allow wholesale amnesty of illegal aliens.



3. When I read this book, back in Dec. 2002, I didn't realize just how it would change my life. It altered my perception of reality forever and I am 60 years old. Mr. Bowden has made a compelling case for the failure of the War on Drugs. In heartbreaking detail he summarizes the story of a family in El Paso who suffered greatly as a result of their child being murdered by another child. But the background to the War on Drugs is as byzantine, complicated and murderous as it gets. Its as if the average U. S. citizen lives in a completely alternate universe where this issue is concerned. It also explains why millions of illegal immigrants cross our borders every decade. Five years after reading this book, I am still affected by it every day. May I suggest Sibel Edmond's gag order case and the MadCowMorningNews as another place to go to understand the nexus between terrorism and drug trafficking, greed and money laundering. Great book--though a complicated read at times---images of the desert are beautifully described.



4. An all to honest look at the war on drugs. This book takes you down some very dark passages. Things will not look the same again.



5. My emotions ran the gamut from rage, indignation, incredulity, to fear.
   ANYONE considering moving to Mexico or doing business in Mexico, or for that matter any more including the U.S., should read this book!