5 comments about Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves.

1. This is not the kind of book I usually like, but I couldn't put this one down. I don't like those CSI-type dramas, or the forensic crime shows, but this book was truly interesting. If you like CSI and crime dramas, then you must read this book. If you're interested in high profile crime, but don't generally like the "blood and guts" part of it (sort of how I feel--I don't like blood and gore) than you may really still enjoy this book. I'm not saying it doesn't describe the violence. The author tells the background stories, the psychological aspects and the secrets that were kept between the killers and the victims leading up to the crimes.



2. This book and some details are just too much for me to absorb like "modern day movies" with too much gruesome detail but Jane Velez-Mitchell is just reporting the truth rather than providing mega-bucks hollywood slock aka "entertainment". This book is crucial to be read and for our law makers to make changes nationwide to better protect women from abuse and murder. What is clear are these murderers where giving off plenty of signals or even had criminal records that were neon signs. I hope her book brings change to people's awareness, safety and the "the system" which does not protect the victims. Velez-Mitchell points out that "economic abuse" plays a role in the abuse of women and it can be found at all socio-economic levels. Her point about the how women can be the harshest judges of fellow women blaming them for their own rapes and murders is right on. "Why was she out so late?" "What was she wearing?". I hope this book raises awareness and brings national changes in our legal system, in protecting women and children and state of the art technological warning systems to alert communities of the movements of repeat offenders that our on the outside and we need to ask ourselves how and why the legal system continues to set free people that are so violent. Why is so much hostility and rage towards women accepted in this culture. Read this book and find out Velez-Mithcell's answers and the sad truths about why so many women stay home in what I call "good girl prison" but as she points out men do not stay home because they are not afraid of being harmed. Read this book and I hope Jane Velez-Mitchell "Secrets can be Murder" helps to bring change and prevent unacceptable hostility and rage towards women that is very much accepted in America to successful reforms to protect the innocent and successfully prosecute the guilty. Jane Velez-Mitchell ends on a spiritual uplifting note and she has a list of important resources and she urges readers to get involved! Read this book!



3. This book was an unexpected surprise...I thought it would be another compilation of headlining true crime cases from a Court TV reporter's perspective, and instead it was a psychological journey into the background of the cases and participants. Some reviewers opined that Velez-Mitchell blames the victims/victims' families (as in the case of the Laci Peterson case and exploring the triangulation of Laci, her mother Sharon, and Scott), but I disagree. Ms. Mitchell takes pains to explain that she is not blaming the victims or families for the violence perpetrated against them, rather she is is searching for an explanation for the crimes, what may have led up to the crimes from a family systems and relational perspective. Instead simply claiming that a crime occurred because of an evil or insane perpetrator, she actually delves into the family secrets behind well-publicized cases and provides insight into how intergenerational family secrets can create havoc generations later~hence the title.
   
   Ms. Mitchell examines well-known cases, (such as the aforementioned Laci Peterson murder)Phil Spector, as well as some of the highly publicized teacher-student rape cases. I highly recommend to true crime fans and people interested in exploring crime from a family systems perspective.



4. this a terrific book telling why these sick individuals did their horrific crimes etc, worth the money.



5. I am a fan of true crime books, so a friend loaned this to me. While I found some of the case details interesting, by the time I was less than halfway through the book, I found myself repeatedly reading Mitchell's bio on the IBC, searching for ANY qualifications other than journalism. There are NONE. Yet, she offers advice as though she is a seasoned & experienced therapist, or psychologist.
   
   I increasingly became so annoyed by this, that I put the book down & couldn't finish it.

5 comments about Final Truth : The Autobiography of a Serial Killer.

1. This autobiography by serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins is brought to you by the apparently easily-duped co-author, journalist Wilton Earle. Gaskins' justifications and distortions are passed along with little examination or challenge, and probably bear small resemblance to the facts.



2. This book is a good read ( i finished it in a day ) but i just have some trouble beliving some of Pee Wee's stories - he even states himself that he has told several versions of the stories -so why should i believe without doubt that this book is "the truth"? ... from reading profiling books on serial killers - you find that these killers may change up the way they kill / despose of their bodies - to make an improvement - but gaskins has 2 ways of killing people and he bounces back and forth between them -- doesn't make much sense ...
   at the end of his book he lets the readers know that he wanted to become famous - but, he and his crimes really aren't known outside of the southeast ... i'm not saying he didn't kill a lot of people, i'm not saying he didn't torture them ... i'm just having a little trouble beliving mr gaskins versions, i just get the feeling that he is admiting to more, for one last attempt to in his words "be famous" ... he even mentions that back when hurricane hugo hit the grand strand, that there were reports of bodies (remains) being found, but it was reported that those were from graveyards .... i believe that to be true because, gaskins said that he "sank" his victims, with big chains, etc., and sank their belongings, he also says that when he felt he was about to be caught he took all of the tools he used for his killings and all the chains he had left and sank that to the bottom of the marshlands in horry and georgetown counties ... when hugo came through -- this is a definate time that things would have been brought up from their watery grave ... but no reoprts of the 30 plus chains, and other tools have been documented



3. I first heard the name "Pee Wee Gaskins" in 1994. My new boss and I were traveling through the upstate part of SC to pick up a company car. We were discussings things unrelated to work and getting to know each other. When he asked if I enjoyed reading, I told him I enjoyed reading books about true crime, serial killers in particular. At that time, he told me I should get the book "Final Truth". I did.
   
   After reading the book (which I found somewhat disturbing because of the details yet refreshing for the truths told about the corruption in the "justice system") I began traveling extensively through rural SC for work. After visiting that particular part of the state, I found it quite believable that Gaskins could have commited all the murders stated in Final Truth. There are rural parts of the state where there isn't so much as a house or gas staion for literally miles.
   
   Not having actually known anyone who knew Gaskins, I took this book at face value. While it may be true that Gaskins wanted "notoriety" like Bundy or Dahmer, I actually got from the book he was telling the truth.
   
   There are a few questions I have always wanted to ask ANYONE who knew Gaskins. I have actually talked with people from Sumter, Florence and that area in general but only people who "knew of" Gaskins and his crimes.
   
   Did the police ever search the areas where he claimed to have buried his "coastal killing" victims?
   
   Has anyone ever seen any of the "artwork" that he supposedly taced, signed and sold from death row?
   
   Gaskins spoke of a "writer" that wrote a book (I'm assuming) about him which was filled with lies about his wives and children. Does anyone know what he is talikng about? The only other book I can think of that Gaskins was referring to was titled "Slaughter in Carolina". I have not read this book but am looking for it. He calims in Final Truth this libelous book or story was written by a woman and a woman wrote "Slaughter In Carolina" (I finally found this book and have written a review of it as well as scanned an image)
   
   I never got from the book that Gaskins was an abused by his mother. In fact, he claims the only abuse at home was from his step father and that was just an occasional slapping (no type of sexual rape is discussed in the book at the hands of his step father). I believe the gang rapes discussed by Gaskins at reform school and prison are probably accurate.
   
   If anyone would like to discuss this, please email me at pumpkins2002@comcast.net



4. As someone who lives in Sumter, SC I've heard a good bit about Pee Wee Gaskins. He actually used to live in a house right down the street from where I sit now. In any case, I have talked with people who are friends and who actually knew Pee Wee back when he hung around places like The Neck, (which by the way was 100% described accurately in the book..... it was a ROUGH place where the cops would NOT venture into) and they described him as a 'nice guy' but one that you would definitely not want to cross. He was known for a hot temper and my friend said that there were bodies that people would never find left from Pee Wee (I trust my friend on this one.... he was involved in a lot of things back then before he got his act together.)
   
   If you are reading this for a glimpse into a serial killer's mind then this is an excellent book. There were parts that made me cringe, especially since my best friends can remember some of the incidents (missing persons) when they took place (I was too young then). It adds a frightening touch to think that I drive by places everyday where it is rumored that he had buried bodies.
   
   For those who have 'researched' and hold the belief that Pee Wee lied about all of this and was only seeking to be more 'famous', I'd like to remind everyone that the deal was made with the author that this book would NOT come out until after his execution and that he received NO funds whatsoever (nor did his family) for releasing this book. I feel that if he only did it for 'attention' that he would have wanted it released before he died. And after talking to people whom I trust who could tell me about his personality and demeanor, I firmly believe that 90% of the book at least is true (everyone embellishes after all... so I'll leave 10% for that).
   
   All in all, a GREAT but sad look into the life and mind of this murderer.



5. I see some complaints about whether everything Donald Gaskins said was true. That's not the point. The book really let's you get a feel for this person. Much more so in certain repects, than any other criminal I have read about. Colin Wilson suffered a psychotic breakdown as a result of listening to Gaskins and was temporarily hospitalized.

5 comments about Scream at the Sky: Five Texas Murders and One Man's Crusade for Justice (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. This is the first book I have read by Carlton Stowers and now I intend to read each and every one of his books. He is an excellent writer.
   
   This book is the true account of five brutal murders in Texas. We experience in great detail the savagery of these totally senseless crimes as well as their aftermath. We get to know each and every victim and their family members and what they went through trying to cope with these tragic murders. You can really feel the pain of what these poor people went through.
   
   For me, the book moved a bit slower towards the end, but it was still a great book and worth reading.



2. Author Carlton Stowers relates the story of Faryion Wardrip, who murdered a total of five women in a seventeen month time span. Unfortunately, at the time, only the murder of Tina Kimbrew was linked to Wardrip as he confessed to police in Galeveston, Texas; where supposedly he had gone to kill himself for what he had done to Kimbrew.
   
   Fast forward fourteen years, when D.A. Investigator John Little enters the scene. And to make a long story short, he uses his savvy investigator skills to obtain a coffee cup recently used by Wardrip and take it to the forensics lab for DNA testing. The outcome, of course, confirms what Little already suspects: Wardrip is responsible for the murders of Terry Sims and Toni Gibbs.
   
   The remainder of the story, especially how Wardrip is convicted of the murder of Ellen Blau (where no DNA evidence was left at the scene), is one you have to read for yourself. There is no real intensity, no major drama; yet the story is still one that keeps your attention and is interesting to read.
   
   My only disappointment with this book was that there was no background information provided on Wardrip than refute by Wardrip's brother, Bryce, as to Wardrip's claims of poverty, ridicule, and an alcoholic, abusive father. Other than that, readers are told nothing of Wardrip's past.
   
   Overall, an intersting book that I would recommend to lovers of the true crime genre.



3. In 1980s rural Texas, over a span of seventeen months, five young women would have their lives cruelly snuffed out at the hands of a serial killer. Unfortunately, many years would pass before justice was served. This was due in part to tunnel vision on the part of the investigators and District Attorney involved. That tunnel vision caused them to focus on individuals that were actually innocent of the crimes.
   
   It was not until fourteen years later that a new investigator, John Little, took a new look at some of the cases and with no preconceived notions, was able to review the evidence and discover just who the serial killer was. Of course, his investigation was greatly aided by the use of DNA. Still, he was able to discern quite quickly what former investigators had failed to see.
   
   This is a very well-written true crime book. Various perspectives are explored, including the effect of the crimes on the victim's families and friends, as well as on those who were falsely accused or suspected of these crimes. The book is written in a clear, concise fashion and will keep the reader turning its pages. Aficionados of the true crime genre will greatly enjoy this book.



4. "Scream at the Sky" is a well-written true crime tale about Faryion Wardrip and the murders of five young women in the Wichita Falls area of north Texas.
   The story of how Carlton Stowers came to write this book is interesting in it's own right.
   
   This is another baffling case of Texas justice where a man kills a victim and gets released after serving a small fraction of his sentence! I'm sure that Wardrip felt secure in his belief that he got away with the other murders that he committed. And he did for more than a decade.
   Until determined D.A. Barry Macha joined up with a new Investigator named John Little, the cases were unsolved and the connection to Wardrip was unknown.
   
   Carlton Stowers does an excellent job of detailing the brilliant investigative work involved and the sorrows and pain endured by the survivors. DNA technology and Roy Hazelwood's profile were also aids in the investigation.
   
   Wardrip reverted back to his old deceitful, manipulative ways after getting the death sentence. He killed out of anger and he comes across as the unbalanced kid that hurts others when he doesn't get what he wants. His brother sets the record straight at the end of the book.
   
   "Scream at the Sky" is a top-shelf true crime book that leads the reader through the twists and turns of the cases from start to finish.



5. A set of cold cases is reexamined nearly a decade and a half after the murders took place, leading to the arrest and conviction of a serial murderer. This story shows just what a little bit of determination can do, especially when investigations stall.
   
   I feel for the family members of the victims.
   
   Mr. Stowers has done his job well.

3 comments about Murder at 40 Below: True Crime Stories from Alaska.

1. Surprise, surprise! The Birdman of Alcatraz hails from Alaska. I had no idea. Tom Brennan brings news from the depths of frozen he!! with accuracy and style. Ten stories for the price of one. Cases include The Trophy Hunter and The Newman Family Massacre.



2. This book tells the stories behind what the author believed to be the ten worst murderers in the State of Alaska. It read like a Hall of Fame story of this state's worst killers.
   
   The stories are easy to read, nicely told and I believed got the details right. A well written book told with certain flair and justice. People who read this book will be surprised that Alaska do have its share of violent criminals that can be equal to any in the lower 48 states and Hawaii.
   
   I am looking forward to volume 2 myself.



3. I wouldn't say that I'm someone who's especially into true crime novels or regional Alaskan nonfiction, but I have to say that I really did enjoy this book--as much as a person can enjoy a book about this sort of thing.
   This book collects ten of Alaska's most sensational true crime murder stories and tells them in a fast-paced, engaging, and creepy way.
   The book seems to fawn a little too lovingly over some of the crimes' grisliest details, at least for my taste, but at least it can never be accurately accused of being boring, slow, uninteresting, or tedious. (It kind of freaked me out--I used to hitchhike all over Alaska, and half of these stories tell of psychopaths picking up their victims that way.)
   If you don't live in Alaska, consider reading "Murder at 40 Below" for its stories. And if you do live in Alaska, read this book the same way you might read a book about grizzlies: knowing that what you're about to read might have a very real impact on just how safe (or unsafe) you feel in your own home.

5 comments about Who Killed Kurt Cobain? The Mysterious Death of an Icon.

1. This book has been popularized as the one that contains private investigator Tom Grant's theory that Courtney Love hired someone to kill Kurt Cobain. I read it thinking it would be borderline wacko with the conspiracy theory. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was an exhaustively researched account of the history of Nirvana, Kurt, Courtney, the days surrounding Kurt's death, and the investigation of the incident by the Seattle PD. The authors do present Grant's theory and his main arguments pointing to murder, but they are quick to point out that there absolutely no smoking gun, nothing explicity incriminating Courtney. They even point out some failing's in Grant's work and theories. Their main case is that there are enough unanswered questions and questionable actions during the investigation that the case should be re-opened. In fact, most people who review Grant's theory, when polled, say that the investigation should be re-opened to lay to rest all the discrepancies that he turned up.
   
   The authors took nothing at face value when writing this book. Anytime someone claimed to have a degree, or that an incident happened, or the police were called, or that they said a certain thing, anything, the authors looked it up and verifyed whether it was true. If they couldn't verify it, they identify it as a claim. A lot of Courtney's official bio seems to be her wacky brand of lies and tirades, since the authors found many, many discrepancies in her statements, especially those to her biographer, Melissa Rossi.
   
   Courtney is a fascinating woman, a spectacle, a force to be reckoned with. The authors remind us that no matter how much Courtney bashing goes on, we have to remember that our icon Kurt did love and trust her, and she was one of the few people he was close to. The portrayal of Courtney in this book has made me want to learn more about this dynamic woman.
   
   Read this book to see an excellent case laid out in front of you, and then see what you think. I'm reading the author's 2004 follow-up, Love & Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain next.



2. I have never read anything so poorly written before.
   
   This "book" is a waste of time and of paper.



3. This book would have been a waste of time even if it had been free.
   
   It doesn't answer the question in its title as it has no answers it is only a book of questions . . . what if this, what if that, what if . . .?
   
   I might as well have been spending the weekend with by sister and brother-inlaw and their 2 year old who only asks why this, why that, why, why, why?
   
   It was a poorly thought out book that has managed to sucker in thousands of buyers.



4. So Courtney lied.
   So Courtney is a addict who is always stoned.
   
   That is all the real evidence these two have to sell their theory that she murdered Kurt.
   
   They must be aspiring to write for the National Inquirer.



5. Well, for one. I didn't see what Kurt's sex life had to do with the book's investigation. In fact I don't need to know what he did between closed doors, and frankly neither does anyone else. Also this book is long and drawn out. Though, there is a lot of facts that point out some weird unsettling clues about his death, there also isn't any obvious evidence that Courtney Love was behind it. Hell, I highly doubt that she could devise a plot to murder her husband, when she can't even stay sober long enough to perform on Jay Leno. And Finally. Even if Kurt Cobain was murdered, do you think this book could bring him back. No. Be it suicide or homicide, he died and unfortuneately for his family, friends, and fans there's no changing that.
   
   This book was made for the purpose of getting money from angry, grief stricken younger fans of Nirvana.

5 comments about The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul, and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles.

1. Well, I was really really undecided whether to get the fictional version of Black Dahlia or this book. Then I figured, I wanted to read about facts. So, I chose this book instead but it was a disappointment. Not much about Black Dahlia but all these other stories about Bugsy, etc. It was interesting to find out about the LAPD, corruptions, and the newspaper companies at that time but all I really wanted was the story about Black Dahlia. So there, I thought Mr. Wolfe was all over the place and not really concentrating on the main subject matter of this book....



2. The most macabre murder in LA occurred in January, 1947. The murdered person was Elizabeth Short. Elizabeth was a raven headed beauty from Medoford, Mass. Her murder has been the subject of countless media articles; films and tons of books. As of this date her murder is still offically unsolved. The case is cold and what really happened to this tragic lost soul is still the subject of heated debate among Dahlia buffs.
   Into this mix add the new book "The Black Dahlia Files" by native Angeleno Donald H. Wolfe. Wolfe was a young man at the time of the murder. He injects into his narrative his feelings at the time of the horrific murder. He also, more importantly, has given a very plausible scenario for the perpetrators of the foul homicide.
   Wolfe concludes that:
   a. Elizabeth was murdered in a mob hit by the infamous Bugsy Siegel who was having a turf war for the vice trade in LA with a longtime mafia opponent, Bugsy had accomplices including an abortion doctor who severed the young beauty's body in two.
   b. Elizabeth was likely pregnant at the time of her murder. Wolfe speculates that the father was Norman Chandler the owner/publisher of the LA Times who was in cahoots with the corrupt LA police department in covering up various nefarious activities in Los Angeles.
   The book is profusely illustated with coroner's inquest testimony; pictures of the chief characters in the sleazy drama and includes a thick bibliography. Wolfe has done his homework. His theory is plausible to this reviewer. This is one of the better tomes on the Black Dahlia murder. It will keep you turning pages.



3. As a long-time researcher of the Black Dahlia case I have read everything that is published and a ton of unpublished work about the crime, the victim and the many hypotheses on the case. This book will give you a deep look into the Los Angeles arena in which the victim lived and died. You will learn about the mob scene in 1940's Los Angeles and be able to come to a few of your own conclusions about what may have happened on that fateful day in January 1947. As a research tool, it is indispensable and will surely help me in my endeavors.
   
   Elizabeth Short - May you rest in peace.



4. All I can say is wow. If you bought this book and bought into its theory, you've been had.
   
   Dahlia buffs should not buy this book. Why? It adds nothing new to the case (nothing new that is credible anyway). All Wolfe does in this highly fictionalized piece of garbage is quote John Gilmore's Severed, the original highly fictionalized piece of garbage on this case.
   
   And as for the title, how misleading is that? Let me count the ways:
   1. The Mogul. There is probably all of two mentions of Norman Chandler throughout the entire book, neither backed up with any evidence linking him to Beth Short, The Black Dahlia.
   2. The Mob. Well, there is a lot about the mob in this book (entire chapters even), but again no evidence linking Siegel and Co. to Beth Short.
   
   All in all Wolfe's theory makes for a fascinating "What if?" scenario about how and why Beth was brutally murdered, but unfortunately he chose to sell it as a Non-Fiction True Crime work - which it most definitely is not.
   
   If you are new to the Dahlia case, you should not buy this book. Instead, read Steve Hodel's Black Dahlia Avenger as an introduction to the story of Beth Short and her murder. Though Mr. Hodel has many vocal critics of his theory, he is about a gazillion times more competent a researcher than Wolfe (maybe it helps that he was a police office and cares about things like, say, evidence?). Also, it is clear that he believes in and is passionate about his theory, whereas Mr. Wolfe (ha! what a fitting last name) was just trying to make a quick buck off of a sensational yarn about a tragic, unsolved murder.



5. A book that generates suspense (without trying) you can't put it down. The author covers every angle of the Black Dahlia files and beyond. Not only readers understand the facts about the case, but how the newspaper industry works, and how the LAPD works, how Las Vegas come about, and how the world operates in real life in the 1940s.
   
   The writing was simple, yet intriguing; honest with authenticity in the author's narratives. Good collection of photos of good quality prints, and the word prints are large, easy to read.
   
   First half of the book described about the murder and the victim, her life, her associations, etc... The last half is about the bigger picture about life in the 1940s, and how the world operates, and how all the bits of the puzzle fit in, how Elizabeth Short's murder exposed the world we lived in - in Los Angeles in "the dark alley of the 1940s"
   
   I was not familiar with the author before reading this book, and was surprised how much I enjoyed his writing techniques. His theory about the Black Dahlia's murder is applausible.
   
   Highly recommended to anyone who are into mystery, thrillers, nostalgia of the 1940s.

5 comments about No One Can Hurt Him Anymore.

1. People need to read this book. It raises awareness about things that should be looked out for when a child is being abused. Too many people are afraid to report or, according to their traditional views, think that it is taboo to remove a child from his family and that the family has the right to "discipline".
   
   What is amazing about this situation is that it was obvious that A.J.'s stepmother had long crossed the line of discipline, yet nobody intervened. His biological parents turned a blind eye, followed by neighbors and those at his school. Perhaps they would have thought differently had they known that their ignorance would result in his death.



2. read this book and it is so sad and I hope this little boy can rest in peace



3. I don't understand why he had to die? Why couldn't someone get involved. The step mother was a monster and the boys biological father wasn't any better. He let his son die over a woman who only cared about herself. What a b@tch



4. This is a very emotional book as the reality of A.J's short life is revealed. There were so many witnesses to A.J's abuse, and the step mother barly took means to hide her hatred towards A.J. And this happened in 1993....shocking. All I can say is that I wish A.J was my beautiful son.



5. *** & 1/2*
   While this book does a fine job of chronicling the many horrors this little boy endured, it could have been a bit more `in depth' where his (so-called) parents were concerned. Particularly Jessica Schwarz, whose background is hardly mentioned, not that it would have incited any sympathy in me toward her.
   
   Another thing I found disappointing (apart from the cruelty and indifference A. J. suffered in and of itself) is prosecutor Scott H. Cupp's self-satisfied smugness that seems to suggest he should've won a medal or something because of Jessica's 30-plus years sentence. He would have deserved one (and I might've handcrafted the damn thing myself) had he not let Jessica's
   co-conspirator-by-dereliction-of-duty, David Schwarz, escape justice. He witnessed Jessica's violent behavior and did nothing to stop it.
   
   I was also amazed at how so many people knew that this child was in a dire situation and no one took any significant action to save his life. I guess they all feel they've made up for being so useless to A. J. in his life by testifying at his murder trial.
   
   R.I.P A. J. S.

5 comments about The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers.

1. I can't really say much more that what has already been said.
   
   I feel this is a great resource for those who are eager to know almost a history of serial killing. So many people only know a few names (i.e. Jack the Ripper, Ed Gein, Ted Bundy). This book takes you back to show that Serial Killers are not a new phenomenon. It introduces you to serial killers not only from the past but also from different regions.
   
   I found this book to be one which encouraged me to learn more and more about those killers who are not as well know. Overall, a great book and very informative.



2. This is a great Coffee Table book. The title should be An Introduction to Killers. There is a mixture of Serial Killer, Mass Murders, and Spree Killers in this book. There is a definate difference between all three. I am not sure if anyone told the author that a the definition of a Serial Killer/Mass Murder/Spree Killer is three (3) or more kills. The book wastes' its time on kills of one or two victims which is irrelevant for the subject matter. Before publishing a book this individual needs to be researcher of the subject such as Holmes, Jenkins, Egger, Sears, etc., these individuals are the forefathers of studying Serial Killers.



3. I picked this book up, on remainder, at the local Border's. It was only six dollars, and for this price, the book has served its purpose. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers reviews, in a few paragraphs, numerous killers throughout history. It is organised like a typical encyclopedia, alphabetically by the killer's last name. Additionally, serial-killer 'phenomena' (for lack of abetter word) are explored (eg, cults, cross dressing).
   
   The writing is stilted, and dry: for such an interesting subject, this book manages to really make serial killing clinical and, yes, boring. As a reference book, The Serial Killer Encyclopedia contains factual information. That said, each entry must be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, the Jeffry Dahmer entry does contain some obvious factual inaccuracies (one may easily compare to, say, other books on him, internet resources, crime resources, etc). So, the information in the book should be double-checked if you're going to be using it for a paper or similar.
   
   "The Serial Killer Files" by H. Schechter is, overall, a better book - I own that, as well. It is more entertaining, more fun to read, and contains much more 'interesting' information: the historical tidbits and facts are really captivating. Unfortunately, the organization of Schechter's book has something to be desired.
   
   Overall, The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers is a passably good introduction to the hundreds of killing sociopaths who have graced the earth. It provides a necessary gateway for those unfamiliar with the field, but should not be the end of one's research (though it may serve as a good 'starting point' for one to establish which killers, if any, one is interested in learning more about).



4. I felt the book was very interesting, very well organized, but to me it lacked something. Not sure how to put my finger on it but a good reference.



5. ....and I'm glad they haven't! This book both disturbed and fascinated me. It's nothing less than a compilation of all the notable people throughout history twisted enough to turn to killing innocent people for personal pleasure (most crimes are sexual, too). Although I normally love this stuff, this book disturbed me more than any others have (including "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote, which came close). I mean....at the risk of sounding hopelessly naive, THIS IS REAL. I can read story after Stephen King story, but these are real crimes and real killers.
   Now, there is always the question: Why are we, as a people, so fascinated with the idea of the serial killer (I hope I'm not ripping off the Introduction to the book here)? Are our lives so dull and void of danger that we need pages of other people to speak to us about their lives of hate, death, insanity and more hate. Do we want to be disturbed? ARE we disturbed? I could go on forever-I don't have the answers.
   All of this aside, this is a well-written book, written from the point of a mind neutral and apparently immune to so much human suffering.
   And God, how they suffer....

5 comments about A Deadly Affair (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. This was a very boring book that read as if the Fletcher family were writing it themselves thats how bias the Author was. If you want to know about this story without driving yourself bored in to unconsciousness with this book watch it on Forensic files and Cold Case files. It was much more interesting with all the facts on these 2 shows.



2. Fast delivery by Amazon. The details of the case were given in an interesting style.



3. This book was so slanted in favor of Mike Fletcher, that I could only read half of it.



4. From the first page a reader can sense where author Tom Henderson is going with A DEADLY AFFAIR; his agenda is to convince you, the reader, of Michael Fletcher's innocence. And, if you don't get that from the first few pages, just skip on over to page 345 where it is literally laid out in black and white.
   
   As a matter of fact, go ahead and make that skip. At least when you get there, you've passed all the majority of the useless, disorganized dribble Henderson THOUGHT made a interesting book. I don't need a complete history, along with genealogy lines, of each and every judicial staff member involved in this case; and add to that, that I could care less about the once promising singing career of Fletcher's sister. What's the point?
   
   I found myself skipping more pages that I did reading. I wish I had taken the time to read these reviews before I purchased this book. Could have saved myself some cash and time.
   
   I suggested you skip to page 345? On second thought, just skip the whole thing!
   
   P.S. To The Author: You didn't convince me of his innocence. I still believe and can't be changed in my belief that Fletcher murdered his wife. Maybe you should consider a rewrite.



5. Unlike most reviewers, I found this book to be one of my fave true crime reads. (and I've read over 100 TC books!). The beginning is pretty standard fare; character analysis, crime scene, setting of the 'town'. The best part comes at the end when the author begins to question things. This is someone who sat through the evidence, and seemed honestly shocked by the outcome of the trial. If you watched the 20/20 piece, Henderson is dead on about the jury's reactions. I especially liked the written responses provided by Fletcher at the end. If he's innocent, they are sad, if he's guilty, they are chilling. Most TC books don't question the trial outcome, and I really found this looked at both sides of the coin. Most people however, seem to think Henderson was trying to sway them that MF is innocent. I thought it was fair.

5 comments about The Execution of Willie Francis: Race, Murder, and the Search for Justice in the American South.

1. over 60 years ago..this took place..and this author..who has written..what?.. his credentials?..
   
   is pushing this! NOW...as for what?.. possibly..an agenda, eh?.. besides his profit?.. (oh, is the profits of this book going to something else?.. like legit anti-capital punishment organizations, like ones that have existed longer than the history of this case?..
   
   this author..IMHO..is pandering!..
   
   GOD..this is SICK..: an author pushing his agenda for his profit, at the expense of first--trully guilty criminal individuals--and most horrific--the victims of the trully guilty criminal individuals-who most likely did not scream, "I AM N-N-NOT DYING!"...
   
   BUT!: "dont dont dont please dont kill me..please dont dont dont please dont kill me ..dont dont dont please dont kill me!!.. why are you doing this?.." (that is if the victims had the chance)..
   
   PANDERING FOR PROFITS!



2. Everytime I read a book like "The Execution of Willie Francis" I wonder aloud why I had never come across anything about this incident before. American history is replete with long forgotten and fascinating tales like this one and author Gilbert King has come up with a real winner here. "The Execution of Willie Francis" is a riveting book that paints a vivid portrait of life in the Louisiana bayou in the 1940's. And for the most part the picture is not a very pretty one. Willie Francis was just 16 years old when he was charged with the murder of popular St. Martinville druggist Andrew Thomas. Willie did not deny that he had killed Thomas. The preponderance of evidence would seem to confirm it. But were there extenuating circumstances here? Willie had worked for Andrew Thomas at the drugstore doing odd jobs. In his written confession Willie Francis makes an extremely curious statement recalling that "it was a secret about him and me." Yet at his trial, which most objective observers would consider to be an absolute travesty of justice, his court appointed attorneys failed to mount any sort of defense at all on behalf of their client. Young Willie Francis was sentenced to die in the electric chair. On May 3, 1946 Willie Francis was strapped into the portable electric chair known as Gruesome Gertie and the switch was thrown. Remarkably, Willie Francis did not die! The execution had been badly botched and Willie Francis would live to see another day. At this point a young Cajun attorney named Bertrand LeBlanc would get involved in this case. LeBlanc's ancestors had been heavily involved in the white supremacy movement in Louisiana but young Bertrand rejected this way of thinking. Like so many other young men who had served alongside Negroes in World War II the war had changed his thinking on the subject of race. Much like Aticus Finch in Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "To Kill A Mockingbird", Bertrand LeBlanc would incur the wrath of his community to defend this young black man. Over the next year this story would take numerous twists and turns as the state of Louisiana sought to return Willie Francis to the chair a second time. In fact, Bertrand LeBlanc would succeed in taking this case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and the fate of Willie Francis would become a national story.
   While Gilbert King certainly does a workmanlike job of presenting the facts surrounding the trial and subsequent execution of Willie Francis "The Execution of Willie Francis" turns out to be about so much more. This book examines the sad state of race relations in the South during this period. At the same time King presents in clear and concise language the complex legal issues that surrounded this most unusual situation. Finally, readers catch a somewhat unflattering glimpse of how the U.S. Supreme Court handled this particular case. I must tell you that "The Execution of Willie Francis" had this reader mesmorized throughout. I simply could not put this one down. It is a story that you will never forget. Very highly recommended!



3. This is a well-written account of a crime committed in the forties by a young black man against a white man. It takes the reader into the unfair conditions of race in the forties. One feels a bit uncomfortable with the truth of it.
   
   The death penalty is at the center. It's always been hard to know if the death penalty is fair or not. It's easy to see the reason on both sides. At any rate, this book offers a look into a story in history that most of us haven't known about and it's well worth the read.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   -Susanna K. Hutcheson



4. This is simply a great book. Gilbert King's gripping account of injustice, racial prejudice, and the brutality of capital punishment is at times poignant, at times harrowing, but always sure-footed in holding the reader's interest and propelling a tightly constructed narrative such as movies are made of. Indeed the cast of characters to be found here, from the tragic Francis--railroaded by the law--to his fearless Louisiana attorney, Betrand DeBlanc, who risks his standing in the Cajun community by working so zealously on Willie's behalf, make one think immediately in cinematic terms. A profound, powerful, magnificent book. Highly recommended.



5. I had never heard of the Willie Francis Story before, but after reading this book I will never forget it. Taking up a difficult, emotionally charged subject, Gilbert King adopts a tone that is at once dispassionate and relentless, exposing the injustice done to Willie Francis, a black teenager, convicted on thin and seemingly trumped up evidence of the murder of a white man in Louisiana in the forties. King pulls no punches describing the intense racism of that time and place, but always backs up his assertions with hard facts and telling details. When Willie miraculously survives his first, botched execution by electric chair, and yet is sent back to death row, the almost saintly figure of Bertrand DeBlanc, whom King brings vividly to life on the page, emerges to champion Willie's cause at the risk of his own reputation in the local community. The drama of DeBlanc's legal efforts and the poignancy of Willie's doomed situation make this a profound and memorable book.