4 comments about Closing Time: The True Story of the "Goodbar" Murder.

1. Well told story of the 'Goodbar Murder,' which in many ways was an emblem of 70's urban America, where therapy was often sought in bars and bedrooms, often with strangers. Big question of course, is what the name 'Goodbar' had to do with any of this, meaning the event, the movie, and this book, but maybe I missed that. As a writer myself, I read on the dust jacket that author Lacey F. lived in San Francisco, so I looked her up in the phone book and called the number, only to be told by her widowed husband that she'd died nine years ago, which was sad and not a little unnerving, although the ex-husband was quite appreciative of my nice words about the book and Lacey's taut journalistic style. This is the end of my review. Thank you.



2. this is not a review. What I would like to know are there any pictures of Katherine or Joe Willie. ? I can't find any in the book or on line.



3. okay folks here is the confusing deal. Katherine Cleary is the fictional name used in the book Closing time, The true account of the murder of the actual deaf children's teacher Roseanne Quinn (Katherine Cleary in the book - Don't know why the author felt the need to use fictional names) She was murdered by John Wayne Wilson. (The real guy) So here is what we know as fact; Looking for MR Goodbar is the fictionalized version of the real murder of Roseanne Quinn. The looking for the Goodbar Killer TV movie is the closest version to the actual truth of the murder on Roseanne Quinn. (Katherine Cleary in the film) Actually it's just like it happened, except they don't touch on the fact that John Wayne, and his gay benefactor-boyfriend also shared their apartment for about 6 months with John Wayne's pregnant girlfriend who knew and actually preferred when he was hustling males in Times Square for cash. Anyway everything you want to know about the case is available in the NYT archives if you put in Roseanne Quinn's name in the query. Although it would cost you. I find the whole story sad but fascinating. So don't get mixed up you are talking about the same case but confusing the fictional account with the real account and then to mix things up more the fact that they used fictionalized names in the real accounts in the book and the tv movie.



4. If you've seen the movie "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (with Diane Keaton & Richard Gere), then this book is a nice follow-up because it goes into tremendous details about the characters.
   
   This book also goes into a thorough background into other areas, not just regarding the story as shown in the movie, but also into the murder scene & other characters (such as the detectives, the victim's relatives' roles in the situation, and of course explaining the role of the murderer's other lovers & family) .
   
   
   This is a rather sad book, but described with "sensitivity" (imho) because it tries to describe the victim's reasonings as to why she , (such a sweet teacher), went out at night and picked-up such low-life people. Also, this book describes the murderer's childhood,---something the movie did not do.
   
   Sadly, the author of this book died at quite a young age, so she was not able to write another follow-up to this fascinating story. Too bad because this young author could have become a more noted author, had she lived longer.

2 comments about Who Killed...? Pittsburgh, Pa (Who Killed...?) (Who Killed...?) (Who Killed...?).

1. The Yelenic murder investigation seems to be going no where and "authorities" only stonewall when hard questions are asked. The family is sick of the excuse that "real life is not like the CSI TV show."



2. 
   Author Jack Swint brings these cold case Pensylvania murders back into the publics eye in his no nonsense straight to the point style of writing. As the second book in the "Who Killed?" series, Swint has detailed these unsolved murders in hopes someone will come forward to police with new information and clues to solve these brutal and senseless crimes.
   
   I am confused though why Rooftop Publishing Company is not giving any acknoledgement or credit to this author. When I purchased this book online it arrived with NO AUTHORS name on the cover or anywhere in the content of the book. Jack Swint also wrote "Who Killed?" books in Savannah GA, Jacksonville, FL and Cleveland, OH.
   
   Rooftops publisher needs to acknolwedge and give their writers credit!

2 comments about Poison Widows: A True Story of Witchcraft, Arsenic, and Murder.

1. Really interesting story. Good colorful, funny characters. I learned a lot about life in the Italian community of Philadelphia in the 1930's. I especially enjoyed the funny "voodoo" that the killers practiced and victims believed in. Very entertaining. I can't believe they got away with so many murders before they were caught. A good "gang that couldn't shoot straight" type tale. And it's all true!



2. I originally bought this book hoping to learn more about the so-called "poison widows." What I got was a book that devotes more than two thirds of its pages to the trial. There is alot of extra info about the lawyers in this case that I really didn't think helped the flow of this book.
   The author only briefly delves into what life was like back in the early part of the century. There is even briefer mention about the women's lives. You are told in passing that some of the men beat their wives, for instance.
   The main portion of the book, the trial, isn't told very well either. I understand that there were alot of women that went to trial, but most of them get a few pages. Two of the trial lawyers get more coverage than most of these women.
   Overall, more of a general synopsis of what happened than anything with real depth.

5 comments about Trial by Ice: The True Story of Murder and Survival on the 1871 Polaris Expedition.

1. I did not expect to find "Trial by Ice" so good.
   Using very colorful and vivid writing style, author presents events during the ill-fated polar expedition. Action takes place on the deck of steamer Polaris, along the north/west Greenland's shore and on the ice floes of Baffin Bay.
   This is a classic tale of survival describing international motley crew of officers, seamen, scientists and Inuits fighting for their lives after Polaris destruction.
   Without leadership and teamwork all efforts are difficult and dramatic. Dark human nature and low morality quite often prevails, hardship creates lack of loyalty, national partiality and racism.
   This book has an extra flavor - elements of crime and detective story.
   Writing and explanations are enhanced by author's scientific and medical knowledge combined with his experience of living in a harsh climate of Alaska. He knows what he is writing about.
   The story of Polaris is just another example of how little we usually know about causes and reality of current political, criminal and social events. True facts and motives stay hidden and masked to be fully exposed and published at much later time.
   I rank this book in the same category as "Wreck of the Medusa", "In the Heart of the Sea" and "South".
   If Dr. Parry was as good surgeon as he is now a writer, then many patients must be missing his medical practice.



2. I am a avid reader of Non-fiction only so when I find a book that can combine fact with good reading i highly recommend it. The author did an excellent job presenting the facts while adding interest in the use of his words. Good riviting story that i couldn't put down.



3. As a huge fan of American history, I found the book a wonderful discovery of a virtually unknown expedition and a superlative example of how the excitement delivered in historical literature can far exceed the most imaginative fiction. The Polaris Expedition story is compelling on its own merit, but Richard Parry has enhanced the saga by skillfully weaving together the pervasive risks of polar exploration, the failings of human nature, and the hubris of 19th Century Western culture. Demonstrating the talents of a master craftsman, Parry is to be lauded for buttressing a truly incredible series of events with vivid images of nature that elevates the book from good history to great literature.
   
   Skip the "reality shows" or your favorite edition of CSI and read this book! Neither my wife nor I could "put the book down" and we genuinely anticipate a suspenseful screenplay and block-buster movie that will inevitably fall short of the book. There is just too much scenery, intrigue, suspense, and action in "Trial by Ice" to squeeze into a two-hour movie.



4. Mr. Parry tells the story of the Polaris expedition in a highly readable fashion. Gleaning facts from the sailor's journals and court testimonies, he paints the grim picture of what occured on this tragic journey.
   
   Although C. F. Hall had grand plans to reach the North Pole, he was thwarted on many levels. Most of the men he wanted along on the journey were passed over and others placed under his command had little regard for this self-taught man. Hall had the hardiness to succeed and hard won knowledge of survival in the inhospitable Arctic climate, but he was undermined again and again by men who had their own agendas. Conflicts arose along lines of nationality and difference of opinion as to the more important tasks of the expedition - finding the North Pole or scientific research of the region.
   
   Hall dies a terrible death at the hands of a murderer. Soon after, discipline falls by the wayside and eventually it is "every man for himself". Interspersed with the facts, Mr. Parry has placed vivid descriptions of the Arctic panorama, from the beauty of the aurora borealis to the thunderous sounds of the colliding icebergs. The reader feels as if he is there with the crew as they endure unthinkable hardships. This is a first-rate story of impossible odds and the will of man to survive.



5. I was very glad that I read this book, but also very glad that I was finished reading this book, if you know what I mean. The story is fantastic, and what happened to Hall and his team contains instructive lessons that can be applied throughout history and today. BUT, my god was there some bad writing going on here. For example, Parry LOVES the word inexorably. EVERYTHING moved "inexorably towards"...something else. I lost count after the 27th usage of the word. Also, it couldn't be "bitterly cold" it had to be "a cold that would cut to the mens very souls and challenge their will to survive it" or words to that effect.
   
   Without the authors weak stab at poetry, the book would have been a lot shorter, and a much more enjoyable read.

1 comments about The Old Regime Police Blotter I: Bloodshed, Sex & Violence in Pre-Revolutionary France.

1. How great to have this insight to pre-rev France! I have studied the period and place before, and it had always seemed so...foreign and distant. But through these translated police records and other accounts in this book, life and people come alive in a way that they are suddenly, wonderfully familiar. And I am hoping that this book is only the first in a series.

5 comments about Power to Hurt: Inside a Judge's Chambers : Sexual Assault, Corruption, and the Ultimate Reversal of Justice for Women.

1. As with all of Darcy O'Brien's work, the greatest aspect of this book is his gift for bringing people off the page and into your living room. Without condescension, he manages to bring dignity to the victim Vivian while maintaining professional distance. With well-chosen description and a strong sense of allowing the situations to speak for themselves, Darcy O'Brien managed to strip away years and years of filth from a typical American town and expose what those women - and without a doubt, many more women - suffer at the hands of those in power.



2. Darcy O'Brien has done an outstanding job of putting skeptics like myself in place of the victims. While I have a rather extensive library of true crime books, this one is the most riveting. As I read though, I couldn't help but make the inevitable comparison to another elected official who also appears to operate under "color of law."



3. I wasn't fond of the title, but as I read the back of the book and skimmed the first few pages I was hooked. I couldn't believe what these poor women went through. Lanier was so thoroughly evil and couldn't even realize it. To think that women would want what he did to them is rather typical of a lot of men I think. He acted on his sick fantasies and them held the women's children's welfare over them. What a beast. I hope he stays in prison forever and inmates give him a dose of his own medicine.



4. I'm an avid true crime reader and sometimes get jaded but this book really grabbed me and took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. It's hard to believe that one person would be allowed to hold the power that Lanier did and hard to believe that a high court would release him the way they did. I have complete admiration for the women who stood up to this disgusting piece of "humanity", their courage is a model for all women!



5. Power to Hurt is a very good book that might have been made even better with a little editing. At times it reads like an earnest slice-of-life novel, the type that asks the reader to spend a little more time than necessary inside the heroine's head. But she is, indeed, a heroine, and the book is quite moving at the end -- something that can't be said about many true crime stories.

   The book only takes us up to the midpoint of the judge's career. It ends with the full Sixth Circuit hearing the case "en banc." Soon afterward, in a bizarre ruling, a majority of the court's members held that a judge's sexual assaults (some committed while he was literally wearing his black robe) did not constitute a civil rights violation because the US Supreme Court had never explicitly ruled that they did. That type of reasoning, needless to say, never stopped them or any other federal court from finding a civil rights violation when a cop or prison guard assaulted someone, but judges, you see, are different because, well, because the Sixth Circuit is composed of them.

   The US Supreme Court reversed -- unanimously -- and sent the case back to the Sixth Circuit with instructions for it to get real. But then Judge Lanier, who'd been out on bond all this time, skipped off to San Diego where he lived under an assumed name. He eventually slipped over the border into Mexico. The Sixth Circuit ordered him to turn himself in and when he failed to do so, it dismissed his appeal, finding that by showing disrespect for the court he had forfeited his right to ask it for assistance. Just a day or two after the dismissal, the judge was arrested in Mexico and brought back to the States. (Was the timing coincidental?) To the end he had his supporters on the Sixth Circuit -- incidentally a spectacularly dysfunctional institution, with judges who aren't reluctant to go public with their mutual loathing -- but he's safely locked away now.

No comments about A Murder in Our Town.

No comments about The Carmack-Cooper Shooting: Tennessee Politics Turn Violent, November 9, 1908.

5 comments about Married To Murder.

1. I have no idea why the main character had the motivation to definately murder 4 people (and possibly 7, but he did not admit to the others) It is an o.k. that would have benefited from interviews with family members of the murdered victims who knew the killer Bob. It also would have benefited from an interview with Bob himself (but I realize this is impossible due to him being deceased. )



2. I brought this book and finished it withen a day, although a bit desturbing it is one that you will not be able to put down, i have a few of robert scoots books now & they are all easy reading & very detailed, a must for any book collection



3. As a general rule, I found Robert Scott to be an excellent true crime genre writer; however, with this book I was a little disappointed. While the story was definitely one that should have been written, often the reader is subjected to phrases such as "It is unclear..." and "It is unknown..." Unfortunately, these phrases seem to proceed sentences that would have contained facts very important to the case...and, of course, the reader.



4. I just finished this book and wish there had been more "meat" in it. Of course, the story, which is very interesting, (what kind of person would kill his own teenage children and two of his wives without a shred of remorse?) practically tells itself. The problem is that the author failed to think about the kinds of questions a reader might have. For example, he spends only one paragraph mentioning that Robert Spangler's father died under very suspicious circumstances when his son, who stood to inherit a large amount of money, visited him. I wanted to know more! The author also tends to include too many quotes from newspapers, police reports, etc., but doesn't seem to provide a lot of fresh information. Text is repetitive (for example, stating the location of an FBI lab not once but twice within a few paragraphs), contains grammatical errors, and there is just too much conjecture (also repetitive) on the part of the author. Why wasn't this book more carefully proofread?
   All in all, I wasn't left with that satisfied feeling I get after reading Ann Rule, who just states the facts and does a lot of digging to back up any conclusions she makes.



5. I disagree with some of the other reviewers. I too read a lot of true crime books. Robert Scott has written a true crime book about one of America's most dangerous serial killers. Robert "Bob" Spangler was the adopted son of a prominent Iowa state professor. Sadly, all those around him started dying mysteriously. Bob who was married unhappily to Nancy Stahlman and the father of two teenage children wanted out of the marriage but his mistress did not want the troubles of teenage children. Sadly, Bob arranged to make his first wife's death to look like a suicide on December 30, 1978 in Littleton, Colorado (hometown of Columbine high school). He also murdered his children with a gun and made it look like it was entirely his wife's fault. Bob continued to live in the house of death afterwards without much conscience. His second wife who he killed for would also die under the suspicious circumstances of a pill-forced suicide in 1994. His third wife would be pushed down in the Grand Canyon in Arizona during one of Bob's many hiking trips. His adopted father died under mysterious circumstances despite his advanced age after a visit from his son. His motivation was all selfish. He never did anything for anybody else. He was a successful businessman in his own right but his personal life was surrounded by death. Bob could sleep very well in his Littleton house as well as other places. Until the law finally caught up with him, it just seemed like he was getting away with murder. His second and third wives had included him in his estate if they died before him. His father also had a sizable fortune. Bob just didn't want to work no more and he took a very different road. He killed his own children because he couldn't control them anymore as teenagers and showed absolutely no remorse for his crimes which are just unspeakable and horrendous. I can't imagine somebody to be so cold, calculated, and homicidal towards the people including his three wives and two children who he was supposed to love. Imagine, he shot to death his own children for no reason because they would just be trouble with his extra-marital relationship. I can't blame his wives because I think they were madly in love with him and paid dearly with their lives as well one way or another. His children were another story. Maybe they would have brought him to justice for their mother's death. Most people in Bob's situation would have just left the wife and divorce. I guess Bob just couldn't handle losing his money and grip on his life.

5 comments about Others Unknown : The Oklahoma City Bombing Conspiracy.

1. In trying to justify his defense of Tim McVeigh, which needs no defense, since we all know everyone is entitled to a good defense no matter what the crime, Stephen Jones tries to convince us that Tim McVeigh may not be guilty of bombing the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, or at least that there are a number of others involved.

   His main defense consists of trying to convince the reader that certain eye witnesses do not agree with each other on important sightings of McVeigh, but you don't have to know much about legal proceedings to know how unreliable eye witnesses can be. Another strong pillar of his defense is the finding of an unidentifiable leg in the bomb debris. A leg that apparently belongs to none of the known victims. Presumably, the owner walked away on his remaining leg and never showed up at any hospital in the area. Presumably, the medical examiners trying to patch up numerous body parts got it all right and could not have made a mistake.

   On top of that, Jones was a party to fake confession of McVeigh's that was designed to confuse far right milita units who might be talked to admitting things they knew about, since Tim had already taken credit for the bombing. This little subterfuge backfired on the defense when the Dallas Morning Times illegally learned about it and proceeded to tell the world about the confession, not realizing it was fake.

   But like all murder trials, you can't help but feel the accused is guilty when he won't take the stand in his own defense. McVeigh taking the stand was never even considered as far as I can determine from this account of the story. And since McVeigh would rather go to his death, and Nichols to life in prison, rather than incriminate anyone else, one can only conclude they are truly guilty.

   Nevertheless, I recommend this book to all buffs of courtroom trials and conspiracy buffs who can probably have a lot of fun with it.




2. This spring I enrolled in PSCI 398 Domestic Terrisom. As part of my outside reading, I came across this book. I found that it was very informative and offered a new insight into what happend in Oklahoma City. Though I read this book on my own time, it gave me lots of good ideas on how to explore the question that plagued my class "What is domestic terriosm?" This books explains why everyone including the guilty deserve a defense.



3. Stephen Jones, the lead counsel for Timothy McVeigh, writes an engrossing book that is not only about his client's case, but gives equal treatment about a nefarious government reminescent of Rome of the Roman Empire. In his writings Jones not only presents many deficiencies in the Federal government's case against McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing, but also paints the picture of a government agency completely hell-bent on "winning." Jones, in advocating for his client, contends that the prosecution's case was incomplete and circumstantial; exculpatory evidence was either withheld or stalled that could have helped in giving McVeigh a fair trial.

   In his analysis, Jones does raise enough doubt in McVeigh's "direct" involvement in the bombing, and more that one can of worms is opened. For example, an extra leg is found in the Murrah Building rubble that does not belong to any victim. Additionally, several red flags that are discovered by Jones and his team may imply that the bombing was planned from abroad. For example, how can only two men plan and execute such a bombing of such magnitude, something said to be impossible by bomb experts in other countries where this kind of thing is routine? Jones questions Terry Nichols' ignorance of the OKC bombing plans. Nichols made several trips and many telephone calls to the Philippines, a hotbed of terrorist activity -- that's never taken seriously in connecting Nichols, much less in mitigating McVeigh.

   Jones' book is also his own biography foray into a high profile case that transformed his life and his beliefs about U.S. justice. His book, as he writes, is not meant to cash in on this case, but to expose the truth. Jones believes McVeigh should have been found not guilty (Read especially the acknowledgements!), and portrays his client as a man, not the demon characterized by the press. Although Jones does not offer why McVeigh was involved at all, this would seem to be covered by attorney-client privilege. Despite this, whether or not Jones convinces the general public of the facts that McVeigh did not receive a fair trial and that the government successfully hid the truth is left for the reader.




4. Others Unknown put into print what the majority of thinking Americans sensed about the Oklahoma City Bombing.

   There had to be more people involved.

   It all started with the FBI drawings of mystery man number 3, who was described by no more than 3 people to have been with McVeigh. He looked Middle Eastern. Hmmm, nope no terrorist acts would ever occur on American soil right. Then the second little facts that weren't put to light, the bomb making materials that they had receipts for would never have been enough to do that sort of damage. And on it goes.

   The interesting thing is that Stephen Jones (the author and McVeighs attorney) even points the finger at Osama Bin Laden back in 1998. Hello is anybody listening. Hindsight is great, but I think we all knew there was more than meets the eye about this ordeal.

   The weakest part of the book is that MR. Jones never delves deep enough into why the government cover-up. He barely scratches the surface, but I think that is the real mystery. Why was the government not screaming that we know there was at least one other person involved and we need to find him? Is it simply that Bill Clinton didn't want to rock the boat? Could it have been that he was trying to create a legacy for himself, other than ????gate (you fill in the scandal)? Did he think naming an Arab as a suspect might destroy peace talks with Israel and Palestine? These are all only conjectures but the book should have hit these issues harder.

   Overall a good book, especially for the ignorant Americans who are spoon-fed their daily dose of propaganda from CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Etc., and think its news.




5. Stephen Jones blends an insightful analysis of the events that have transpired since April 19, 1995 and the date of McVeigh's execution in Terre Haute, Indiana based on two important premises: The government investigation was incomplete and McVeigh did not receive a fair trial. This is as much a book for law students as it is for conspiracy artists. Jones' southern charm comes forth in his capacity as author yet his role as defense lawyer never escapes the reader. Jones covers his bases much of the time, pointing out early in the prologue that he would not have been able to write this detailed account of his conversations with McVeigh had McVeigh's appellate team attacked his capacity as a lawyer during McVeigh's trial.

   This book is far from sensational and actually is closer to a calm, reasoned look at both McVeigh as a person and United States v. McVeigh as a trial set in perhaps the most bizarre and compromising circumstances in the past fifty years. This book perfectly suits any law school course involving mass destruction or suits any university course concerning political dissent or even the political science of law.