5 comments about No Good Deed (Berkley True Crime).

1. I truly cannot finish this book. I have tried and tried, but just cannot. I even picked it up again after I saw a story of the crime on MSNBC. But the book is so badly written.........



2. This isn't a flashy story like so many we see in the media, but one of diligence. The murder of David Stevens was puzzling to the police and devastating to the Stevens family, as he had no dark side, no enemies, nothing that would cause him to be murdered so brutally. The only evidence was a set of palm prints on a mirror. The detectives had theories about what happened to David, and ran down every lead, but the only progress they made was ruling out suspects. The Stevens family felt the murder wasn't a priority, it wasn't solved in a timely manner, and they weren't being kept informed. They soon got caught up in a private detective's fantasy-world hypotheses and went public in their criticism of the police. After three years and nothing new happening, a call came in from a woman who claimed to have information on the murder. The story picks up, and we find out the strange and sad tale of David's last hours. If Ny Nourn had not come forward (for whatever her reasons were), the case may never have been solved, although I believe her involvement was more than what she testified to.



3. The story in itself is interesting, but not landmark. But what really hurts this book, is the writer. It reads as if written on some teenage boy's blog. Along with unneccessary commentary, Basinski includes constant comparisons to the O.J. Simpson trial. This opinion is not supported by actual research, by like so much of the book-mere commentary of the author. From page 191,
   "Maybe, in a burst of optimism, the defense attorneys might hope for a second-degree murder verdict based on Ron Barker's uncontrolled rage. Stranger things have happened. Remember a guy named O.J. Simpson?"
   Granted, many people joke about O.J. Simpson's innocence. However such jokes seem grossly out of place and read as unprofessional in such a book.
   It is if the whole book was written by free-association after doing the research. The author will switch from narrative writing to what one can only assume are his thoughts on what the person he is observing is thinking. Considering he supposedly interviewed many of these people, such liscense should not be allowed.
   There are also annoying little quips interjected throughout the text. After a defense lawyer's questioning where he asks for a dismissal for his client due to the fact that she was not involved with the cause of death, Basinski writes, "Yes, Mr. Stevens. I'm sorry to inform you your son's death was caused by two bullet wounds to the head and a gallon of gasoline." It's more a statement than the intended witty quip.
   There are many better books out there to spend your money on. I would recommend almost any other one.



4. I'm a fan of true crime and although this is a very gruesome case, I found it interesting to follow. . .but it was very poorly written and edited, reads more like a first draft. The inserted legal explanations--which interrupted the narrative--drove me nuts (most people who read these books are familiar with the terminology; if an author feels a need to insert the info, put a glossary in the back). This book could have been written so much better and it was irritating to shuffle through the choppy, repetitive sentences and poor grammar. I also wish the author had taken the time to research the two criminals' backgrounds more, to include--as Ann Rule does. That would have made the book so much better.



5. This book is quite well-written. I didn't see it on TV, but picked it up at a bookstore.
   
   Told from a pro-police point of view, the book covers all angles. The only way to improve it would be to have gotten more insight from the families of the victim and killers.
   
   The last few chapters giving the author's experience interviewing some of the key players was a good read.

5 comments about The Price of Experience: Power, Money, Image, and Murder in Los Angeles.

1. This is one of the great overlooked books of the 90's. It was overlooked, I believe, because of its length and the timing of its release: over a decade after its subjects, Joe Hunt and the Billionaire Boys Club, were in the media spotlight. What a shame because it a flat out masterpiece. As far as true crime books go this is a landmark and the top of the heap. Not only is it incredibly researched and hard to put down, but it is an amazing cultural history of Los Angeles and its reflection of America during the Reagan era. Out of the hundreds of books I have read concerning Los Angeles and American society and culture in general, none depicts so well out obsession with power, money, and image as Sullivan's book does. A hundred years from now I hope it will be read in American Studies, History, and English classes in universities along with such thematically similar books as The Great Gatsby, Sister Carrie, Davis' City of Quartz, Ellroy's LA Quartet and such films as The Godfather, Goodfellas, Chinatown, Mean Streets, LA Confidential, and American Beauty. Let's hope it stays in print. Read this classic.



2. An absolute masterpiece. Unbelievably researched and beautifully written. It's a shame this book never caught the public eye, obviously because the BBC was such a dated subject at the time of publication. There is not a single tome in my entire collection that has brought me as much pleasure and insight. Far more than a mere true crime book, this epic is a stunning cultural history of Los Angeles. In fact, stating that "The Price of Experience" is merely a true crime book is like saying THE GODFATHER is merely a gangster film. Almost everyone I know that has read it agrees it is the finest non-fiction book ever written.



3. How this book has failed to be recognized as a masterpiece is beyond me. The Price of Experience is an astounding accomplishment. The only other true crime books that can even bear comparison to it are In Cold Blood and the first half of The Executioner's Song. In fact, it denigrates The Price of Experience to classify it as simply a true crime book. Sullivan's rendition of Los Angeles in the 1980s provides the most vivid and memorable images of both the time and the place that I have ever found on the printed page. And his portrait of Joe Hunt is the the most compelling and insightful depiction of evil as a series of decisions--a process--that I can recall in contemporary literature. The characters ALL are exquisitely drawn and Ron Levin ranks among the most amusing miscreants ever captured in print. The Price of Experience deserves to remain in print for years to come and to appear on college syllabuses across the country.



4. Before reading The Price of Experience, I had seen television documentaries/docu-dramas and read a primer on the topic. But if you don't know anything at all about the BBC and Joe Hunt, or you want to know a lot more, this book is all you'll ever need to read...ever!!! Sullivan goes into such great detail on every individual involved, including murdered scammers Ron Levin and Headiah Eslamenia, that the reader feels like he now knows each of them personally and could talk about them at great length with anyone. Buy this book because if you don't, you'll merely waste gas driving to the library to borrow it again and again. A modern true crime masterpiece! Both an engrossing narritive and an exhaustive reference book on the Billionaire Boys Club case all at the same time. An off the charts winner. You won't be sorry.



5. This is a fascinating book and Sullivan recounts, in vivid detail, the rise and fall of the Billionaire Boys Club. Everything from the description of social dynamics at the Harvard School (which hold true today) to the financial dealings of the BBC to the astonishing and shocking trials makes it a pleasure to read. It is truly a remarkable story, and it is narrated superbly by Sullivan. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the 1980s or Los Angeles, or has a passing interest in one of the most enthralling trials in modern California history.
   
   My only regret is that there's not an updated version to tell us what became of Joe Hunt, Dean Karny, Jim Pittman, Ben Dosti and the other characters in the BBC.

1 comments about In Search of Melissa Thayer: Reinvestigating the Trim Triple Homicide.

1. I have read, "In Search of Sarah Ware." It is a well known story of Murder and conspiracy from Maine. When I read this book, In Search of
   Melissa Thayer, I had never heard of it.
   Most have not!
   It is an 1876 triple homicide that the author takes you back before the murders occurred through the end trial of Sea Captain, Edward Smith. Along the way, he delves into several suspects, most of whom weren't even questioned on their whereabouts on that fateful night of Friday the 13th.
   He also incorporates articles collected upon the way, one which lists over a dozen similar murders that had occurred over the years in
   Bucksport, Maine. This is a Historical Murder that needed to be recounted, before it was lost to time.

No comments about Unholy Matrimony: A True Story of Murder & Obsession.

5 comments about Gods of Death.

1. Admittedly reads more like a potboiler thriller at times, and I strongly suspect it was written with the big screen in mind - understandable, since much of the book is comprised of the author's financial concerns & what his obsession with finding out the truth behind snuff films drives him to do and spend, both monetarily and emotionally.

   When his investigation came to end, the author had a problem (another reviewer already gives away the ending, so I don't think I'm divulging any secrets): he hadn't managed to come up with the goods - he'd finally gotten his hands on a tape, but it was stolen from him while he was detained in a Serbian police station. So what do you do? His answer is to make a book out of the subjective experience of hunting down the truth - what he goes through, how it affects his family life, his psychological state, the potentially life-threatening situations he encounters, the characters he meets & how he gets on with them. This makes some sense, because the reader wants to understand the mental and moral state of people who could actually make, enjoy, or be in any way involved with these films, as well as what effects such images have on 'normal' people - as Svoray says, once you've seen them, there's no going back. Unfortunately Svoray doesn't have the psychological insight to make much of this (a much better example of real insight into monstrosity and evil is Christopher Browning's "Ordinary Men," which looks at a single battallion in Poland as a case study to understand how so many people could have committed the Holocaust) - great credit to him for his investigative skills, but his constant efforts at casting himself as moral judge disallow him from genuine understanding, and his portraits come straight from stock characters from standard thrillers. This problem potentially undermines the book's veracity, but one can also argue that he merely understands these people on the same terms borrowed from Hollywood, or that his co-writer (a screenwriter) compressed his character portraits to make for a fast read.

   The book is a very quick read and compelling at times, and the reader must admire the author's bravado. So, in the end, does his claim to have seen real snuff films stand up? What proof does he offer? Here's something: he claims to have set up a viewing for the actor Robert De Niro and a friend of De Niro's; he recounts a conversation between the two men in which they say they believed the film was real; and De Niro's press agent has confirmed the viewing. So, while Svoray couldn't come up with any hard evidence, the De Niro story is pretty convincing that such films do in fact exist, and that there is indeed pure evil (in Svoray's terms) in the world.




2. That "Gods of Death" [is] a sensationalist puff-piece written like a very slow spy novel.
   There is a lot of speculation over the validity of snuff films and while there's certainly a possibility that they do exist Mr. Svoray doesn't present a very compelling argument. The one thing he NEVER acheives is to convince us of a worldwide underground for this stuff. More to the point, he actually acheives the opposite with his bumbling investigation, which is convince the reader that snuff films are not so much an industry unto themselves but rather an isolated occurance.
   Throughout his investigation he askes the reader to accept a lot without giving us any real incentive. The "I know it doesn't look like much but you'll just have to trust me" method is the main device that is employed throughout this book.
   While you certainly won't find any meaty informative value in this book one might be so inclined as to read it just for morbid curiousity, especially in the light of recent movies like "8mm", and I can tell you in all seriousness that it falls flat in that avenue as well. "Gods of Death" [is] more or less like a pulp spy novel. The only problem is that it is too dreadfully paced and full of macho bravado to even entice the most desperate spy novel geek. And as it pertains to its main character, Mr. Svoray, he tries to put himself over but instead comes across like an irredeemable [idiot].
   While I'm certain that some reviewers are of the skeptic camp I'm also sure that there were a great many more that were like myself who went into it with a "show me" attitude. I was willing to accept a possible theory as long as there was sufficient evidence to back it up. Needless to say, there wasn't. As it seems "Gods of Death" makes its entire case on hearsay.
   If you are waiting for an intelligent and believable look into the world of snuff pornography I suspect you'll have to wait a while longer. If it's just perverse entertainment you're into then rent "8mm". It's more enjoyable and ultimately more realistic than Yaron Svoray would have you believe.



3. ...this endeavour narrowly avoids plummeting to Earth.

   As it is, it's just not all that good. By all means, do not pay full price for this book. Like the other reviewers, I will not spoil the 'ending', and I will also say that there is hardly a shred of evidence or compelling presentation to make you really believe this is all true.

   It's not investigative journalism. It's not entirely schlock, but it certainly is not the compelling story as promised by the slipcover.

   The story is littered with all sorts of events, but not a shred of documentation; he even states that he avoids a lot of truth by changing names, places, times, events. Sadly, this also destroys what little credibility the story has. Even the name-dropping he does, doesn't carry much weight (and you'd think Robert De Niro's name would carry some weight, no?)

   It's not a waste of time... but it's not the gripping story that one hopes it would be.




4. Having read the reviews here, I purchased this book full of enthusiasm for what is described as a work of non-fiction that reads like a "spy novel" or thriller. Having been blinded by that hype, it wasn't until I was on about Page 200 of 300 pages that I realized that what I was reading was/is a very boring book! Zzzzzz.....besides, a major hurdle that I had in getting comfortable with the story is this: if the author had seen a snuff film in Germany (which he claims to have done) that gave him repeated nightmares, then why the obsession with obtaining a copy of such a film in order to "prove" that they really do exist?



5. I find it hard to believe that there are people who doubt the existence of snuff films. It doesn't surprise me one bit. For a non-fiction book, this was a quick read. I understood why he took liberties with changing names and condensing events. Would I call it "journalism", probably not, but just because it is not true journalism doesn't mean it should be dismissed either.
   
   My main problem with the book, is that he seemed to be stating in the beginning that he was searching to prove that snuff films are this dark area of the PORN industry (which, I think is more unbelievable) and ends up "proving" snuff films exist as a tool of war, which I think is a completely different thing.
   
   I am not sure what to make of Robert DiNiro's appearance in the book. He doesn't come off very well, so if his press secretary does confirm he was at this viewing, I find that interesting. Svoray has gone on to do other interesting things and it is too bad that this book was not better done or taken more seriously.

1 comments about Red on the Hoosier Moon.

1. okay, i had to get over the title, but the plot is riveting. Its about a serial killer;a woman serial killer. What is interesting about this book, is her motives in killing. Usually we hear about men hearing voices of the devil, or men that have had violent pasts. Belle Gunness's perspective is a lot different. In some instances it is for her own preservation...not necessarily bloodlust. At the same time she is capable of some pretty heinous deeds....just because she wants to kill. What is amazing about this story is that she gets away with it for a long time. How? She is a woman living at the turn of the twentieth century. Women were not supposed to be capable of these things.

   The story line moves along quite fast. Its definatly not a book you have to struggle through to get finished. Even if you find her acts atrocious, even if you are sickened by what she does, you feel compelled to finish it. There are some graphic scenes in the book that are a little disturbing. If you like to try to understand how evil people tick, this is a great window(albiet a scary one)into the mind of one evil woman.

No comments about A Murder of Passion: The Astonishing Truth About the Life and Crimes of the Last Woman to be Hanged in Britain (Blake's True Crime Library).

No comments about The Murder of Ivar Kreuger.

3 comments about Kill Now, Talk Forever: Debating Sacco and Vanzetti.

1. There is a lot of information in this book. Editor Newby says on the back cover, as well as in the Foreword, that readers can teach themselves Sacco and Vanzetti. He says readers can become experts on this disputed case. Maybe so. The Introduction gives a fair summary of the case. Then the reader's job is to wade through several pages of the Dedham trial transcript. Then comes the various opinions about the case by critics. This includes opinions from 1920 to 2000. Which expert opinion can you believe? The Editor says you have to test each opinion according to the testimony in the transcript. The book also has an annotated bibliography. Trouble is, readers who do not know the S-V case extremely well will not be able to appreciate this tail-end information in the bibliography. Previous to the bibliography the editor has put a number of questions for readers to consider. Quite a number of these questions are in the yes-no category. Was Vanzetti carrying the Berardelli revolver when he was arrested? Or was his .38 H & R. revolver the Mogridge gun? Then there are 52 research topics. Some of these topics seem a bit involved or complicated. One topic is on Vanzetti's first trial at Plymouth.The Editor does not say so, but he seems to imply he does not want to dumb down America. The Editor dares to challenge entries on the Sacco-Vanzetti case in encyclopedias and in reference books on American history. Even a genius may be wrong at times, says Newby, quoting Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. Teachers at junior high level can decide if their students can succeed with some of these 52 topics. The question on Rosen looks like a reasonable topic for beginners. Some topics are easier than others. There is even one on a sonnet by the poet Babette Deutsch, which appeared in The New Republic in 1927. The final topic challenges each reader to create something original from all this mess.The cover of the book is attractive. The book has maps used at the Dedham trial. And it has a useful map on the geography of the Sacco-Vanzetti case. There are also photos of the factory buildings in South Braintree. Another good feature is excerpts from a number of book reviews. The reader therefore gets a fair range of opinions on the case. All in all this book--Kill Now, Talk Forever: Debating Sacco and Vanzetti--looks like a good effort to get at the truth of the Sacco-Vanzetti case. But I got lost in some of the research topics. The connection with the Rosenberg trial was not made clear to me. But it must be said that the Editor ties one or two of his research topics to the website of Douglas Linder--Famous American Trials. Linder has information that helps clarify and give greater perspective to items in Kill Now, Talk Forever. Always good to have an expert lawyer to set things exactly right. Book is stronger by revisions. Page 604, for example, now has two new items. One question is directed to the book of 2001 by Dr. Henry Lee and Dr. Jerry Labriola. Another question asks readers to look at the 1998 video: True Story of Sacco and Vanzetti (History Channel). Five principals on this video add a little sizzle to the debate. The five are Robert D'Attilio, Nunzio Pernicone, Richard Polenberg, David E. Kaiser, and David Felix--all featured in the editor's research topics.



2. The above review was actually written pseudonymously by the editor of this book. How do I know this? I got a spam from Mr. Newby, requesting my library buy his book, which includes the line "Newby creates 52 research topics, each one of which adds sizzle to an enduring debate". Note that the above review by "a reader" says "Five principals on this video add a little sizzle to the debate." I won't bore you by pointing out the numerous other stylistic similarities between the spam and this review, but I'd be wary of any author deceptive enough to try this kind of tactic.



3. "Principally an abridgement of the transcript of the trial as published in: The Sacco-Vanzetti case. 2nd ed. Mamaroneck, N.Y. : P.P. Appel, 1969; followed by a collection of remarks over the past 80 years about the trial and its significance." World Cat

   The editor is still spamming librarians to get them to buy this book.

   The message he sent to me is so incoherent that I had to read a lot of it to even figure out that he was trying to sell me his book. Beyond that, I am unsure of what he had to say. I accept his message as a sample of how the book is written and therefore will not recommend it for purchase.

5 comments about Murder by Numbers: Perspectives On Serial Sexual Violence.

1. I thought that it was a very good book on the subject, the author demonstrated a professional view that is lacking in other books in this catagory. All in all very informative.



2. The author seems to have a good feel for the subject and keeps the reader interested in the subject. Good reading.



3. After reading Murder By Numbers, I discovered serial murderers seem normal on the outside and co-exist in the public moreso than one would expect. Not only that, but as a woman and mother of two daughters, the chapter on Stalking provided beneficial information on how to avoid and handle the situation if it arises. I highly recommend this book for anyone living in a narcissistic society in this day and age of terrorism, cults, and twistedness.



4. After seeing all five star reviews of this book, I anticipated the work would be exceptional. I was sorely disappointed. While the author relates interesting tales of his encounters with homicidal individuals, his writing is on par with that of a college freshman. Don't expect well written sentences or precise use of psychiatric terminology. The book is in desperate need of professional editing. I suggest you shop around before spending your money on this one.



5. I had the unique pleasure of meeting the author at a seminar on this topic. His skill and perceptions are second to none. A great look into the mind of these individuals.