5 comments about Rattlesnake Romeo.

1. As an avid reader of true crime, I must say this book was really boring. I have to agree with a fellower reviewer on the writing of the book. This story had more to it then just "teen gone bad". I would have loved to read this book had the late, great Jack Olsen written it. Ann Rule or Corey Mitchell, also would have done the story justice. I think the writer failed terribly, when she did not give us more background on the killers. She just left it to us to figure out that, Valessa was probably a little girl lost, a child of divorce who felt abandoned by her father, and then again by her mother, who seemed to been with her boyfriend more then her children. Did she deserve to die? certainly not and that's where the drugs and Adam Davis enter the picture.



2. I know Adam Davis. I took Adam into custody back in 1995 after he stole a van. He was living in the woods where he later disposed Vicki Robinson's body. His father was dead, his mother abandoned him, and none of his relatives wanted him because of his chronic behavior problems. The court placed him in fostercare, and the rest is history. I told Adam he had an opportunity to change his life for the better. He ran away from the fosterhome about an hour after he was placed there.
   
   Little of his juvenile record is in the book. Those records arent available to writers. But theyre interesting reading.
   
   This book is well-written and the most coherent account of the Robinson murder I've come across. I learned a lot from reading it, and knew a lot beforehand. Joy Wellman did her homework in this book.



3. If you can get past the poor grammar and misplaced punctuation you might become interested in the real "it-could-happen-to-you" events of this tragedy. Unfortunately, the reader gets very little background on the protagonist/victim (Vicky Robinson) and her antagonists (daughter Valessa; her boyfriend Adam Davis; and their friend, the plea-bargaining Jon Whispel). The writer simply did not interview nearly enough people nor dig through enough records; even worse, it becomes quite clear that she has a soft spot for the victim's daughter (who was found guilty of 3rd degree murder and sentenced to 20 years) as little as a quarter of the way through the book. Any avid true crime reader will tell you that once the reader senses a slant, they lose a level of integrity for the author and their agenda, ergo-- they lose interest in the story. This author even gives her own take on the case in the final chapter, therefore, it became nothing but propaganda, not a good true-crime read.



4. As a reader of over a thousand true crime novels, this book was very disappointing. It was fraught with fragmented sentences, poor english, disjointed and scattered thoughts, and was written is a very biased manner. Valessa Robinson got a sweetheart sentence, for without her this crime would not have occured. (Let us remember Pam Smart, who wasn't even present at the murder of her husband. She was just as guilty.) The author seemed to blame the mother for her own murder by being too lax in her dealings with her daughter. She mentions throughout that Vicki's friends were very anti-Valessa, forgetting that these are the very people who knew both the victim and her daughter and had a very good understanding of what was going on in the Robinson household. A writer should not allow herself to become one-sided in her reporting of a crime. I wonder if Ms. Wellman has had teenage children. The writer needs an English class, or, at least, a new editor.



5. I agree with the other reviewers who were turned off by the author's writing style and bias in favor of Valessa. As I continued reading this book, I was increasingly surprised that it ever got published, so pervasive was the poor grammar and sentence structure. It was disjointed and confusing and lacked substance; I learned so much more from reading a piece that was written on this case for the St. Petersburg Times. I think Kathryn Casey or Ann Rule could have done so much more with this tragic story. Furthermore, the author's bias towards Valessa was very clear, thereby victimizing Vicki Robinson all over again. Please, Ms. Wellman, most children who grow up in far worse circumstances do not take part in murdering their parents. There were NO excuses for Valessa's actions.

3 comments about Vendetta: A true story of the worst lynching in America, the mass murder of Italian-Americans in New Orleans in 1891, the vicious motivations behind it, ... tragic repercussions that linger to this day.

1. A simple, if not scholarly, account of a mass murder perpetrated on a number of helpless innocents. This would be a fine True Crime book, but Richard Gambino does not want to simply tell a story America forgot. He delivers the details of the henious crime set in the intrigue of the New Orleans political scene. And gives insight, with historical perspective, to the diplomatic backlash and the response of an apathetic America. A must read for Italian-Americans, who crave a little righteous rage or for those who have any interest in the Immigration debate. This book is a reminder of one of a series of pass sins commited by a "multi-cultural conscious" society.



2. A simple, if not scholarly, account of a mass murder perpetrated on a number of helpless innocents. This would be a fine True Crime book, but Richard Gambino does not want to simply tell a story America forgot. He delivers the details of the henious crime set in the intrigue of the New Orleans political scene. And gives insight, with historical perspective, to the diplomatic backlash and the response of an apathetic America. A must read for Italian-Americans, who crave a little righteous rage or for those who have any interest in the Immigration debate. This book is a reminder of one of a series of pass sins commited by a "multi-cultural conscious" society.



3. Gambino makes one of the most heinous crimes in American history into a fine narrative. In some parts of the US, hatred of Italians was more pervasive than the animus directed at blacks and for decades Italians - specifically Southern Italians and Sicilians - were placed at the lowest rung of the social scale. This all came to a head when local, state and national officials all played a part in the worst mass lynching in US history. Even the president thought it "a good thing." There are lessons to be learned and Dr. Gambino delivers them in a fast-paced tale of the greed and hatred that resulted in a mass murder.

5 comments about Guarding the Secrets: Palestinian Terrorism and a Father's Murder of His Too-American Daughter.

1. In November 1989 in St. Louis, the FBI inadvertently tape recorded the entire episode of a teenage girl's being killed by her Palestinian father and Brazilian mother (the Feds were looking for evidence of terrorism, which they also found). In a ghastly eight-minute sequence, Zein Isa stabbed his daughter Palestina thirteen times with a butcher's knife as his wife held the girl down and responded to Palestina's pleas for help with a brutal "Shut up!" The killing ends with Zein screaming "Die! Die quickly! Die quickly! . . . Quiet, little one! Die, my daughter, die!" By this time, she is dead.

   Harris, a St. Louis television reporter, has done admirable spade work going through the court transcripts and interviewing everyone connected to the case in an attempt to piece together the interlocking stories of family murder and active support of Abu Nidal's terrorist organization. In addition, she successfully conjures up the small and exceedingly unpleasant world of Zein Isa and his family of rabid anti-Americans living right in the American heartland. The murder culminates their lives of frustration, greed, and vulgarity. Unfortunately, Harris spent more effort digging up information than she did writing the book; so the more-than-casual reader must read and reread its pages to piece together the sequence of events and the scope of the Isa family's involvement with Abu Nidal. Doing so repays the effort, however, for Harris has compiled a treasure trove of materials on two usually elusive subjects.

   Middle East Quarterly, September 1995




2. This book starkly frames the force of hatred which overtook New York City and the world with the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It relates specifically to Zein Isa's November 1989 murder of his daughter, Palestina. The West Bank immigrant and his Brazilian wife co-conspired in the brutal St. Louis murder of their teenage daughter, whose friendships they believed had endangered their terrorist plans.

   In their search for terrorists, the Federal Bureau of Investigation inadvertently taped the actual killing. Zein Isa and his wife were sentenced to death.

   The book reveals much about the village life in the West Bank, where most families, according to Maria Zein, belong to radical military groups whose ultimate goal is to destroy Israel. Many West Bank residents are actually "refugees from other countries." According Maria Zein's account, her husband knew "men from Syria, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi." Maria Zein told the author that her husband had traveled from the West Bank village of Beitin, to Jordan, Syria, Libya and Bolivia. He lived undetected for years in the US, and also claimed to have lived in Europe.

   The book reveals twisted morals, which condone murder for the sake of family honor. It unmasks intense hatred that evolved into conspiracies to slaughter Jews, blow up the Israeli embassy in Washington and to murder Tina because she posed a threat to these plans.

   It also exposes the frighteningly broad inroads that the Abu Nidal terrorists have made into American cities and life. Alyssa A. Lappen




3. This true-crime story is written in the sensationalistic fashion typical of the genre. It grabs your attention right from the beginning and doesn't let go.
   The author describes the irony of Tina Isa's life: to any otherAmerican family she would have been cherished as a charming, friendly, hard-working teen...
   The author also describes the network of Palestinian terrorist groups living in the U.S. and the role they might have played... This story is gripping and very informative because the author did a lot of research and provides so much background information about the Palestinian culture, the lives of generations of the Isa family, the Abu Nidal terrorist organization and more.
   ...



4. In the wake of the tradegy of 9/11 this book is eye-opening. It goes into detail about how this family/group operated here right under our noses.



5. This was such a horrible story of Palestinian parents who murdered there daughter. They called it all in the name of Honor for she was becoming to American. What it's called is murder. The story was not written very well though. The author was all over the place and did not keep the story in one place.
   
   The show forensic files has an episode on this. It gets to the point with out traveling all over the place as the book did.If your curious about the story wait for it to come on forensic files or look it up on line. There is tons of information on line about this tragic story of the lovely , kind innocent girl who did not deserve to die.

2 comments about Why: The Serial Killer in America.

1. I don't mean to sound like a high school student who was just told that they have to read Beowulf, but this totally sucks. The "factual" mistakes in the forward alone caused me to question just how many of her statements within the main text would be correct (e.g., "Richard" Dahmer, the inception of the M'Naughten Rule, as well as her overly generous view of the current capability to predict future violence). I finally gave up reading it because I didn't want to have a head full of incorrect knowledge. Hey, being the occasional pedant is bad enough; being a misinformed one is even worse :) Avoid this book!



2. Wow, what a monster. I love reading about this man. It amazes me that he is still alive. This is a very good book to read if you are as fascinated with serial killers as I. I am still waiting for someone to make a movie of this guy.

4 comments about Fallen Son.

1. I decided to read this book because it is about a Delaware man, Charles Cohen, who was in the prison Toastmasters program I sponsor. I found this book to be very intense. I was compelled to continue reading it, yet I didn't like what I was reading about. I knew and heard of several people mentioned in the book . . . Delaware is a small state. This book also mentioned that Charles had an aunt with the same uncommon last name as mine. I sat next to Charles one evening and asked him if that were true. He said, "Yes" and he asked if we were somehow related. We aren't. That was the last time I saw him, since while we were sitting there that night in the chapel, the largest prison-break in the history of Delaware was in progress in the same prison we were sitting in. Charles was transferred to another facility the next day. I highly recommend this book if you want to be kept on the edge of your seat...unfortunately the story is true.



2. I was most impressed with this book. I am an avid reader, especially of true crime and mystery. Good true crime books are hard to find, and rarer still are those where the author allows me to "decide for myself." This story is presented in an understandable, yet exciting way, and by the end of the book I felt that I had peaked inside the lives of the perpetrator and the victims. Mr. Walsh obviously knew the people, took the time to gather facts, and used his remarkable talent to give readers a great story.



3. I grew up with Charlie Cohen, and we were best friends; he lived a block from me, and I spent a great deal of time at his house and with his parents. It was a shock to hear he had killed them and gone on the run, and I spent about 4 hours meeting with the author as he researched this book. I was quite impressed; overall, he was quite accurate in his depiction of the Charlie that I knew (but boy, did he change!). I do not read a great deal of true crime, but naturally I couldn't resist reading this. It's well-written, not over-sensationalist writing about a real tragedy.



4. Charlie Cohen, born on December 6, 1964 appeared to have a good life mapped out for him. Desperately wanted by his older parents and doted on from birth, Charlie appeared to have all of his needs met.

   Charlie began exhibiting bizarre behavior during his high school years in the late 1980s. He would wear weird costumes, dance in the hallways and called himself Super Fly. He became increasingly antagonistic at home and after several unsuccessful attempts at college, Charlie drifted into drugs and crime.

   He became quite a traveler. At one point during this period, he was busted in Arizona; he made yet another unsuccessful attempt at college and was back on the streets. Indulged by his desperate parents, he was allowed to table college and pursue a goal to be a punk rock star. This lasted a short period as his band mates were more impressed with his technical equipment than with him. Wanted by dealers and the law alike, Charlie fled constantly.

   Resentful of his indulgent, yet strict about rules and education parents, Charlie murdered them in the early 1990s. He fled across country from Delaware to California where he steals a car after disposing of the family car he stole; kills an older man who agreed to let him spend a night in his apartment; drifts eastward to Louisiana where he lives on the street where drugs and prostitution are major parts of his life. From there he travels northeastward to New York City where a security guard befriends him and lets him move in with her and her son.

   Charlie's odessey finally comes to an end. By the mid-1990s when Choo-Choo Charlie's train comes to a grinding halt, he is extradited and faced legal charges for his crimes.

   This is a very sad story of how deeply twisted a person had become.

5 comments about Massacre at Waco: The Shocking True Story of Cult Leader David Koresh and the Branch Davidians (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. It seemed that the ashes of the fire that claimed the lives of David Koresh and his followers had not even cooled when this book about the Branch Davidians, their Living Prophet Koresh, and the tense siege with law enforcement officers appeared on bookshelves at drug stores and supermarkets everywhere. Because of this, Clifford Linedecker's narrative clearly favors the law enforcement side of the tragic events and what inside information into the compound life seems to come from former members with understandly negative opinions about their experience at the compound. Linedecker does relate the fascinating history of the Seventh-Day Adventist splinter group and their long line of Living Prophets, for this the book might prove interesting to True Crime fans, but many of the facts and the characterization of life in the compound has, over time, come into question.



2. I picked this up, I suppose two months ago, because I enjoy tales of true crimes and various infamy, and the subject of Waco appealed to me. I was a little too young to remember it clearly, but I remembered the big fire incident, so figured I may as well learn what the whole thing was about. This book was a great launching point for the endeavor.
   
   This is no masterpiece of literature or amazing retelling of the events. Everything is presented in a fairly straightforward fashion, with the history that led up to Waco and a basic retelling of the events themselves, a good deal of which still remains shrouded in mystery.
   
   I'll be honest: I thought the book was simplistic. But its simplicity is part of its beauty. Because the facts were unfettered by any poetry, I remember them, and I find I've suddenly accumulated a decent amount of knowledge about the whole affair and its history. The history was the most interesting part for me, with the various splits off from the Seventh Day Adventists and bizarre leadership changes really putting the whole event into context. I had trouble keeping some of the names straight and found a few details potentially conflicting (and not adequately explained) but for a quick, easy run-down, the book succeeds.
   
   This is by no means a great piece of modern historical literature, or even a particularly great overview of Waco, but it is informative and easy. If you're just curious without wanting to be inundated or overwhelmed, the book works. It's a quick enough read that its rather lackluster properties are forgivable in view of the greater purpose of accumulating a bit of extra knowledge.



3. Before this book is even picked up, the reader should be aware that it was written by a journalist. Journalistic writing has its own set of stengths and weaknesses. It is good at dispensing a lot of material quickly and clearly, but usually lacks analysis and detachment. What it has in breadth, it lacks in depth. Linedecker's piece, written during the tragedy and just after it, is a clear example of this.
   
   I liked the book's support of law enforcement. Too many critics have lambasted the ATF and Janet Reno for the raid, likening the authorities to a police state. But even if only half the charges made against Koresh were true, a raid was in order. And in any event, the ATF could hardly send everyone home following the bloody shootout, nor wait a full year for the cult to run out of food.
   
   The author's contempt for conservative, religious, rural America hurt his understanding of the event. He seems to think of Christians as simple minded fools who are all much like Koresh. I suppose this is what one should expect from a contemporary journalist.



4. If you are looking for an open minded approach to the Branch Davidian tragedy, this is not the book to read. Linedecker does little more than regurgitate the status quo. He basically demonizes David Koresh and the Branch Davidians and upholds the, in my opinion, out of touch ATF and FBI agents of the raid. I didn't enjoy the book at all.



5. I hate to leave a bad review on a Clifford LineDecker book because I like his writing style in general and I enjoy the true crime books he writes that seem to be his speciality,but I have to because this book is frankly awful.
   It is probably the worst book he has ever written.
   First of all,this book came out in June 1993,less than two months after the tragedy . Not much time for research on a subject as involved and complex as this one. In fact , knowing as much about this as I do, I can say with confidence that Mr. LineDecker did little if any independent research for this book. The entire thing consists mainly of information cobbled together from various newspaper articles and TV shows. The Author is also extremely biased against the Davidians. His prejudice against them shows on every page.
   The book was slanted in support of the government. Throughout the book, I don't believe I saw even one instance where the Author took a less than hostile stance towards David Koresh & the Davidians or tried to see their side of the story. The Author also made a huge mistake in presenting and writing the book in the flashy, sensationalistic style in which he writes most of his books. That works well for many true crime books, but if you wish to have more than a surface understanding into the beliefs, history, experiences , faith and motivations of the people in a serious, devoted religious group like this,you can't write about them the same way you would a serial killer.It doesn't work. Its a shame that Mr. LineDecker didn't do more of his own research on a deeper level over a longer period of time instead of relying on media sources alone.I think he missed an opportunity to write a decent book on the tragedy and one of the biggest examples of government abuse of power in US History. Instead this book comes across mainly as a quickie,exploitive book designed to cash in on the interest in the aftermath of a huge tragedy. If you want to read everything you can about Waco, sure go ahead and read this book. Just don't let this book be the only book on Waco that you read.
   For those interested, I suggested starting out with The Ashes of Waco by Dick Revis and A place called Waco by David Thibodeau.

3 comments about The Murder of Marilyn Monroe.

1. This is one book that really surpasses all when the reader finishes it. It is written through the eyes of four psychics who were "allegedly" transported back in time to August 4th and 5th 1962, the scene of the Monroe murder. The book's Forward and Preface gives the reader an informative overview in the world
   of the psychics. It delves into the world of the "occult" and explains the differences between those who practice the so-called "black arts" "channeling with the "demons" (devil),
   as opposed to using the practice of "channeling" friendlier "spirits. The controversial use of the "ouja"
   board and meditation through "seances" are used by the
   authors in this book to summon the "spirit" of a woman
   who lived much earlier than "Miss Monroe" in California
   who inturn was in contact with her spirit as well as
   Mr. Peter Lawfords' spirit. The reader will also come
   in contact through the "psychics" Monroe's former vocal instructor while she was still a struggling starlet;
   "Fred Karger". They ("psychics"), also come in contact
   with Monroe's mother Grace, and the spirits of JFK and RFK. Again, this book is extremely different in its content
   (subject matter) than any other book that I have read
   on Monroe and should be viewed in an "objective" fashion.
   I myself, while reading this book was surprised,
   intrigued and saddened at the reinactment of the
   Monroe murder as it was told by the "spirit" of
   Marilyn Monroe. What I found most interesting was that
   the psychics were instructed by the "spirit" and
   supernatural visions to draw the would be ("suspects")
   assasins and later show them to Marilyn Monroe's spirit
   for her to identify and verify that they were the ones
   who killed her. As I mentioned earlier, this is a very
   unique book that anyone who reads this must have an
   objective viewpoint on what the subject matter is;
   that is the use of "channeling" spirits and the use of the "Ouja" board.
   ...
   I don't know how many of these scenarios through the
   eyes of these psychics were true, but, the reader will
   make his/her conclusions as to its'credibility.
   Interestingly, Monroe's spirit was satisfied as to how the "psychics" conducted its'investigative findings and
   urged them to do what ever possible to "re-open" the
   MM Murder Case. Monroe's spirit was extremely troubled
   because people the world over believed she died of a "drug" overdose and not by a premeditated murder scheme contrived
   by powerful people she was in contact with. In closing,
   whether you will believe this book to contain the slightest amount of credibility is up to the reader. For those conspiratorialists of wrong doings such as crimes and
   murders of famous celebrities may find this book
   entertaining as well as thought provoking.
   I for one thought so!



2. The honesty and sincerity with which this book was written is truly captivating. What I find most interesting are the facts that have come out about Marilyn's demise that these authors found out on their own years earlier.

   I have heard these authors had a second book near publication but it got withheld because they were too close to revealing the truth about other questionable deaths.




3. This book was a great read and really makes me believe Marilyn Monroe was murdered. The book takes you into Marilyn's home to experience the last hours of her life. Through the help of psychics you learn how Marilyn was murdered in a great cover up. This great cover up involves president JFK, attorney general RFK, FBI and Chicago mafia Boss Giancana. It was really sad to read how Marilyn was killed. I don't think Marilyn knew she was in over her head angering some very powerful men. I believe this shows in this book. Marilyn was a woman in love with a President who just used her for a fling. When Marilyn became too attached to JFK and threatened to tell all she was murdered. The way Marilyn was murdered in this book is very believable. There would be no easy way to trace the murder evidence. I would like to see Marilyn's body exhumed so that detectives can extract the murder evidence from Marilyn's hair. We now have the technology to find how Marilyn died and the only way to find out is to study Marilyn's hair. Marilyn didn't commit suicide she was murdered, which truly shows in this great book. Anyone who has read Marilyn's book "Her Life In Her Own Words" knows Marilyn wanted to live. Marilyn talked about wanting children and looking forward to her life. Why would Marilyn kill herself? I want to see Marilyn's name cleared so she can finally rest in peace. Hopefully someone will start a new investigation into who killed Marilyn Monroe.
   Overall the Murder of Marilyn book is a great book and a must read for Marilyn Monroe fans.

No comments about Henry Lee Lucas: The Shocking True Story of America's Most Notorious Serial Killer.

2 comments about Stalked: A True Story.

1. This is a real eye-opener. Who would think it could possibly happen to the same person twice. Should be requred reading for every woman. It certainly says a lot for her that she could find it in her heart to forgive. What is the title of the movie? I don't think one was made, but should have been.



2. This book scared the heck out of me. Lavonne is one brave woman, and the things she endured makes me shudder. I read it in one day, I just could not put this one down.

2 comments about Women Behaving Badly: True Tales of Cleveland's Most Ferocious Female Killers: an Anthology.

1. "Women Behaving Badly: True Tales of Cleveland's Most Ferocious Female Killers" by John Stark Bellamy II is an anthology of 16 true crime accounts involving women who committed murder in the Cleveland area from 1868 to 1965. The book is fascinating, even in the preface, where he lists a few cases he didn't include and explains why.
   
   This is great fun, in a gruesome sort of way. The cases are not dramatized for effect; some of the writing reads like a newspaper account. In fact, he reprints excerpts of newspaper articles and editorials pro and con for many of the crimes. When possible, the author gives us enough background to let us guess at the killer's motivation, and then he summarizes the trial and the fate of the killer. The book is straightforward and easy to read, and each case is short enough that when you finish one, you want to start on the next.
   
   The husband seems to be the victim of preference for most of the "ladies," and poison -- especially arsenic -- seems to be the weapon of choice. But some of the killings are just brutal. Velma West, for example, took a clawhammer to her husband's head and then went to a party where she played piano and "was the heart and soul of the fete." Martha Wise loved funerals so much that she created a few of her own --?providing her relatives as the bodies -- and famously claimed "The devil made me do it!" The Eva Kaber case involved arsenic as well as stabbing and "remains the only homicide in the history of the world in which a grandmother, mother and granddaughter were indicted for the same first-degree murder."
   Some of the tales are still mysteries. One woman unknowingly fell in love with her half-brother -- but did he know she was his sister? And who was the Black Widow of Cleveland?
   
   These cases seem to present proof that marriage can be hazardous to your health and to offer a cautionary message to would-be seducers. This author has also written "They Died Crawling," "The Maniac in the Bushes," "The Corpse in the Cellar," "The Killer in the Attic" and "Death Ride at Euclid Beach."



2. John Stark Bellamy II, Women Behaving Badly: True Tales of Cleveland's Most Ferocious Female Killers (Gray and Company, 2005)
   
   Women Behaving Badly is Bellamy's greatest-hits album, complete with exclusive tracks recorded for this just so the fans will buy it despite having it all on the old albums. There are two new stories here, but if you've read Bellamy's other books of Cleveland (and environs) crime, you already know most of the stories here; it's worth pulling out of the library to read the new ones if you're a fan of Bellamy's storytelling style, which is on a par with today's better true crime writers, but it's not worth buying the book if you've got the others. If you don't, however, this is a pretty good introduction to Bellamy's style, and it contains a pretty varied cross section of stories, ranging from the late nineteenth century all the way up to the 1950s.
   
   If you need an introduction: this is a collection of short pieces from Cleveland's prodigious crime history, with this collection focusing on women-- mostly female killers, but a few victims, as well, and at least one case where we'll never know whether the woman in question was criminal or victim. Bellamy's stories cross a storytelling air with the florid diction of the yellow journalism of the time he's reporting; more than once I found myself amused by a turn of phrase or an anachronism that seemed to reflect the newspaper articles Bellamy often quotes at length. The pieces are snappy, well-balanced (in the main), and quick reads; Bellamy's a good read for those who like true crime stories, especially those from the past. Worth checking out, if that's you. ***