5 comments about Hot Blood (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. this expose of the otherwise ignored goings on in the world of Hunters and Jumpers is shocking to those not on the "inside". To others, it is business as usual. Unfortunately. Truly appalling is that these people who KILLED their horses for money are STILL involved in the business. AND there are others who didn't get caught...

   This book is a MUST READ for anyone involved in the horse world.




2. Anyone involved in the showing of hunter/jumper horses on the
   A-Circuit should read this book. It is well researched and I could not put it down. Although it came out in 1996..the same thing is going on in 2004.
   I show horses & what I have seen during the past few years in the name of "sport" is disgusting. This book accurately portrays the greed, lack of character & criminality of some so-called horse people. It is such a shame for the honest,good horse professionals out there. They usually get drummed out of the A'Circuit if they won't play ball w/ the crooks that have control
   In the Virginia, Maryland area, it is business as usual. Drugging horses & ponies, showing lame animals, ruining them & "having to put them down"...because, "oh well, they can't do the job anymore" & collecting insurance to buy another expensive horse & pay more commmissions to the trainers & middlemen.
   I've seen a well- known broker/dealer of ponies becoming rich by lying & conning unsuspecting parents who are listening to the "advice" of their trainers...not realizing that they are all tied in on the "con". Kickbacks, pay-offs, drugging,not claiming sales/commissions on tax returns, falsifying the true ages of horses & ponies, as well as, falsifying vet records. You name it, it's happening right now.
   AHSA (now called USEF) the governing body of show horses has been completely ineffectual in rectifying this criminal behavior. When trainers are caught using illegal drugs on their ponies & horses, they get a mere slap on the hand. The type of customer that stays w/ them is just as bad...the win at all cost attitude w/ no regard for the harm it does the horse or risk for the rider...many who are children.
   I applaud the DA in Illinois who went after these scum (some who are currently still involved in the horse business)
   I think a criminal investigation should be opened up on this entire racket. It is a huge fraud.
   THis book accurately depicts the horse show world right now.



3. The FBI could not solve the Helen Brach murder because I think an FBI agent found the truth and was payed alot of money.
   
   When the FBI screws up or gives up on a case they give it over to possibly the most corrupt organization in the world! (The ATF)
   
   The ATF mainly special agent John Rotunno pays informants to lie for them. Joe Plemmons and Cathy Olsen have lied over and over again then 10 years later totally change their stories to make money and lie for the ATF!
   
   Michael and Donna Hunter have been paid lots of money and let off crimes to say exacltly what the ATF wants to set people up.
   
   Alot of what you read in these Helen Brach murder books are ATF lies to help set people up. Joe Plemmons and Cathy Olsen have just proved that by lieing for the ATF. Joe Plemmons, ATF John Rotunno and Chuck Goudie have just been caught in a big scandel!
   
   Look on the internet and see the truth of the Helen Brach murder investigation. This will go down as one of the biggest blunders by the ATF. Please take note of ATF agent Bob Hauffmans remarks on Jan 10, 2005 on CBS 60 minutes saying that he can substantiate one of the three ATF woman agents saying they have been sexually harrassed by ATF agents. He went on to say that in all of his years as an ATF agent, (all of the criminals he has put away have more HONOR than the TOP OFFICIALS OF THE ATF!) He said I know this is sad commentary but this is my experience working with the ATF!



4. Excellent reading and an amazing and startling story of the greed and determination of some of high society within the equestrian industry.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone involved in the Equestrian industry.
   
   Jack Fort Lauderdale, Florida



5. A real page turner. Ken Englade did an excellent job organizing and presenting all of the people, facts, and situations involved...not an easy task.

5 comments about The State Line Mob: A True Story of Murder and Intrigue.

1. The "Walking Tall" trilogy was interesting and, I must confess, a favorite movie series of mine. That said, the entire premise is laughable: a man who uses only a stick to fight crime prevails against crooks who can use guns? Get real!
   
   The "Walking Tall" movie series is based loosely (very loosely) upon a triology of books written by the now deceased W.R. Morris. The first, "The Twelfth of August," was the basic story of the first two 'Walking Tall' movies, although it focused more on his family. A second book, "Buford," covered from the end of the first book to the death of Sheriff Pusser. This was the third (and final) installment, and the stories told are altered somewhat to give a fuller picture.
   
   I have not read 'Buford,' but I have read 'The Twelfth of August.' Pusser is presented, basically, as an American hero who stood up to the goons who beat him up, much as the movie series plays. The reality, of course, is somewhat more complex.
   
   It is clear by the time of this book (which came out in 1990) that Morris does not regard Pusser so much as a white knight on a horse as he does a complex individual with varying shades of good and bad. Morris conducted additional interviews with many of the principals he features, and the result is an outstanding book with less of a pro-Pusser slant and a more sympathetic view (in some cases) of the 'bad guys.'
   
   The story actually begins in Phenix City, Alabama just after World War 2. Nearby Fort Benning was the site of many a Marine who entered the crooked bars and dives of this east Alabama city and were beaten, robbed, and sometimes killed. In 1954, Albert Patterson was elected Attorney General of the state on a promise to clean up Phenix City. Before he even took office, he was assassinated. This led to martial law in the city and federal troops ran the criminals out. Many of them relocated to the Alcorn County (MS) - McNairy County (TN) line, where both counties were 'dry' and set up a new operation.
   
   Ten years later, one victim of those beatings, Buford Hayse Pusser, moved back home to Tennessee and campaigned on a promise to clean up the state line. Often lost in the hype - but deftly covered by Morris - is the fact that the 'State Line Mob' was as responsible for its own demise as Pusser was. Louise Hathcock conspired with Carl 'Towhead' White to murder her ex-husband even before Pusser was elected. (Hathcock's deceased ex-husband, Jack, himself had been involved in the murder of a business partner, "Pee Wee" Walker, who had been having an affair with Louise). White and Pusser wind up in a three-year long personal war that results in the death of Pusser's wife, White's girlfriend (Louise Hathcock), and White, leaving Pusser the sole survivor.
   
   The book has a lot of interesting information in setting the stage as to how some of the local criminals grew up to be that way. I would like to give it five stars, but I cannot. The main reason is because Morris is given to repeated use of metaphors that sound juvenile. For example, he says, "It would have been easier to turn Billy Graham into an atheist than get members of the state-line mob to turn on each other in court." One usage of such device would be OK, but Morris seems to do this every time he doesn't have much to say. The book also has an unusually large (for its size) references to sexual slang and colorful language. It is most certainly not for the pre-teen or adolescent set.
   
   The book is an overall good read, and it is more interesting (and intriguing) than the movie series. If you liked 'Walking Tall,' enjoy this great book and see the story behind the story.



2. Once I started reading the book, it was hard to put it down. I live only a few counties north of where all this was taking place. I only thought I
   had an idea of what was taking place and about the people who were running the gambling, illegal whisky, and prostitution operation. That was one tough
   area vs one tough sheriff who had to "fight fire with fire".



3. Morris covers some interesting material. However, I don't believe he did as good a job as he did on The 12th of August. Much of the material in this book is just a reprinting of some of his previous book. I compared the two books as I read this one though and sometimes the wording of conversations had some variation. This book is not well written for someone with the journalistic background of Morris. Yet there are some interesting theories in regard to Buford Pusser's possible involvement in taking out some of those who he believed were involved in murdering his wife. I think the book is an overall worthwhile read but there are places in the text where Morris used vulgarity for no other apparent reason than to be vulgar. It did not help drive home the point any better.



4. W.R. Morris was Buford Pusser's authorized biographer, he wrote the best selling "The Twelth of August" however in 1973 he told People Magazine, "Buford can be a really nice guy one day and the next day he's barely civilized. I thread delecitly in the book." Did Pusser and Morris have a falling out or did Morris' research cause him to have a change of oppinion on the hero?
   
   Regardless, this book is the origins of the loose mob that Pusser destroyed. The crime element along the Tenn and Mississippi border was the result of a government crackdown on the illegal activities in Phenix City, Ga in the late 40's. The displaced con artists and prostitutes settled on the stateline of Tn/Miss on highway 45. Morris provides a fasinating discription of the self destructive lives of this murderous group. It seems that Alcorn County, Miss is the hot bed of much of the criminal activity-yet McNairy County, Tn got the title of "Murder County USA" due to it being the dumping ground of many of the unsuspecting victims of the so-called "state line mob." One of these victims was a young Buford Pusser, who had the guts to go back and rob the robbers.
   
   The ring leaders of the mob have an amazing ability to avoid long term jail sentences. They are soon challanged by a new sheriff- Buford Pusser, who has an amazing ability so withstand knife wounds and gunshots. Pusser believed in "fighting fire with fire" a true unconventional law enforcement warrior. Shortly after taking office he picked up a mob leader and took him out to the swamps and beat him up for three hours. Morris, as well as the author of "Mississippi Mud" believe that Pusser knew who was behind the ambush that killed his wife, but he kept the information from the authorities only to track down and kill, or hire to kill, the men himself. The result of this book is that Buford Pusser may have been a flawed and tragic hero, but in the end he got the bastards- and walked damn tall doing it, even if outside the law.



5. Well written book, tells the true story behind the State Line Mob and Sheriff Bufford Pusser. I wish that a movie had been made of this account of the legend that is Bufford Pusser, although some of his tactics bordered more on vigilante justice then actual law enforcment action, it is clear to see and understand that what he needed to do and did were none the less heroic.

5 comments about Dirty Dealing: Drug Smuggling on the Mexican Border and the Assassination of a Federal Judge-An American Parable.

1. The early history of El Paso (my birthplace) was very interesting to me. My family and I moved overseas when I was 4 years old, so I didn't have much opportunity to know about my home town. To make a long story short,I discovered when I was 27 yrs. old that my "Dad" was not my natural father. I was informed of this books existence in 2003 by a maternal Aunt. Upon reading it, when I turned to page 200 my jaw dropped. The resemblance I share with the picture of Joe Chagra was uncanny. My children had the same reaction. Because of the time line the possibility of Joe being my natural father is not realistic. The book made reference to Lee being a womanizer before he was married, and after. Upon receiving a picture of Lee's oldest daughter many months later (we're about the same age) and the strong resemblance to one another, some of my uncertainties regarding my parentage have been dispelled. I may never know the truth about my natural father, short of DNA testing, so this is as close as I may come. If not for your book Mr. Cartwright, I would probably still be at square one. My mother, also a native El Pasoan, refused to divulge any information to me, hence the almost 18 year seperation, not only for this reason. I hear that Jimmy was reunited with a daughter he never knew about while in prison, but alas it wasn't me. I'll bet she's slim, attractive, with creamy-coffee colored skin though.



2. Like a Greek tragedy, the victims or players as some readers might want to call them, had no way out. All of them, good, bad, rich or poor, got entangled in a spiders' web of which they would never be able to get out.
   
   To some of us, money is the source of all evil. To others money is a commodity, a need, a necessity. The more we have, the more we want, and the more we want, the deeper we get into the quagmire of bad and possibly even evil.
   
   The author, Gary Cartwright, of "Dirty Dealings" does not aim a literary (literally speaking) shotgun at anyone in particular. He points the literary shotgun at everyone. Above all, he does not discriminate concerning the victims or players in the story. He tells it as it is; as it was; as it happened.
   
   The arrogance and dictatorship of many leaves the reader with fear, dread, and apprehension due to the fact that those who were supposed to uphold the honest, honorable pillars of good and justice were just as bad as those they considered the bad seeds of a society. For sure, two wrong's can never make a right, and likewise, two right's can never make a wrong.
   
   Mr. Gary Cartwright not only tells it like it was, but gives the reader an excellent background on the history and culture of city where the injustices by many---good, bad and evil-- took place.
   
   I highly recommend for everyone, regardless of his or her stature in life, to read this book.



3. I've read a lot of true crime books and the best ones take the reader through the mystery and ultimate solving of the crime in question.
   
   Most authors of true crime books realize that they are dealing with criminals, police, and prosecutors and they walk a fine line in trying to tell a story of a crime that has in some unique way become interesting enough to the general public to warrant a book being written.
   
   The author of this book, while going through the facts of these criminals lives and their crimes, from the first page on, glorifies these criminals and their murders and lifestyles. The facts of the crime(s) are secondary in this book to presenting these criminals as heroes because they have used the vast amounts of drug money to become vastly richer then they otherwise would ever become.
   
   In every single page of this book the criminals get the "good" adjectives describing these dope dealers and murderers as "robin hood" types and the judges and the prosecutors get the uncomplimentary words to describe them.
   
   According to the way this author portrays the people who murder and bring drugs into our society they are the good guys and the people who try to put them in prison, to keep them away from our society and children, are the bumbling fools always making mistakes and letting the "good guy criminals" go free.
   
   This author has a chance to present a more fair-sided book but instead opted to glorify the criminals and their drug crimes.
   
   If you don't believe what I say about this author idolizing the dope dealing criminals and murderers, then buy this book and read the first 50 pages.
   
   But don't waste your money and time and pay over 50 cents for it.



4. The true story of the Chagra brothers drug smuggling empire and high rolling gambling is an American classic. It is so engrossing that if you read the first page you will be hooked! ElPaso, Las Vegas, the murder of a powerful federal judge, sex, drugs, movie stars, gambling for extremely high stakes ... it has everything.



5. I enjoyed the story immensely but found the first half of the book before Lee Chagra was killed more interesting than the second half of the book which delved into his brothers' subsequent life of greed and excess. The book was a bit long and I found myself skimming over an excess of detail about Jimmy Chagra's life. There are lots of lessons in this book. A must read in my opinion.

3 comments about Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates.

1. Authors Stewart P. Evans and Donald Rumbelow are not only two of the most well-respected authors in the field of Ripper studies (with such titles as The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell and The Complete Jack the Ripper), they are also two former London police officers who are directly responsible for finding and preserving important documents about this case for posterity. Put the two of them together and you can expect a book just full of great information, much of it brand new and fully documented with footnotes. On top of that, this is also easily the Ripper title with the most illustrations, many of them never before seen in any other modern publication. This book is simply required reading for anyone with a serious interest in the Jack the Ripper case.



2. An Excellent book, very well researched. Another perception of the facts as an insider reviews the details of murder and investigation.Extremely intriguing.



3. Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates is claimed by the authors, Evans and Rumbelow, to be the first JtR book based solely upon the evidence that the police of the time had. The opening chapter on Charles Warren was fascinating and the book stayed on a top level of research and evidence presentation. It covers the canonical five and also a few of the other potential victims. Evans and Rumblelow know what they are doing, each of them has at least one other book out on this subject. They do not give you the long list of suspects presented after years of speculation brings about. Rather, they present to us the events and investigations through the documentations of the time period. Since it is "from the police" viewpoint, there are focuses on Warren, Munro, MacNaughten, and Anderson; all men who had prominent roles in police events of those years.
   
   If you are interested in the case and want a book about it, this is a good text for you. It covers the murders and investigations but offers no real suspect list (as many of the suspects began to arise well after the events by more modern researchers). If you are more 'into the subject' and read many books on JtR, this is pretty standard fair and absolutely worth putting in your collection; however, there's litte new information that you can ponder. Plenty of fantastic photos and the research is top notch. Glossy pages are a bonus and it's a large sized book (7 3/4" x 10 1/2") of 294 pages. The Appendix A gives you a list of divisions in the Metropolitan police force. Appendix B contains a timeline and brief content of a multitude of letters sent in to various divisions and news agencies.

5 comments about The Man Who Killed Boys: The John Wayne Gacy, Jr. Story.

1. Linedecker's description of the events as they were portrayed in the media is accurate and complete. Trouble is, it appears he simply went to all the old newspaper articles to cull the information he needed. He also managed to go through police reports. But this books is scant on first person interviews. All the quotes in the book appear to have been taken from newspapers. The book follows an easy narrative, one that is logical and continues to move forward. I agree with another reviewer's comment that the narrative at times is homophobic. But that's not surprising from a book originally published in 1980. While this book is lacking in content, it should not be ignored by those who are interested in Gacy. It at least provides a perspective of how the horrific events of the murders were revealed, as well as the typical nonchalance police exhibit when confronted with missing teen reports.



2. While not as good as Buried Dreams or Killer Clown,which go into much greater detail about the entire story,this book had some details that I had not known when I read the other books many years ago. A lot of info on gacys neighbors,friends and mostly,some of his victims stories that were not as well publicized as the other unfortunate kids.



3. This book really was rather disappointing. After reading the back cover and Introduction, the reader is told to expect detailed insight into the details of this near north side Chicago house of horrors and the man who owned it.

   While The Man Who Killed Boys offers to the reader a reasonably accurate chronicle of the events that were Gacy's twisted reality, it fails to dig deep below the surface to explore what made him tick. Moreover, it fails to probe Gacy's past as it glosses over his childhood years and spends the majority of the pages reciting murder after murder scene.

   The back cover tells us that The Man Who Killed Boys recreates the drama of Gacy's trial... the book spends less precious few pages talking about the actual trial, while it consumes many a page discussing Gacy's jail conditions and other items related to his confinement.

   If you want to read a story, this is probably an acceptable choice. But if you're seeking an explanation for or insight into what powers a monster like Gacy, keep moving as you wont find it here.




4. If you are reading all or much of what material is out there on the Gacy case, you will likely come across this book. Published in 1980, it's now a rather dated account of the Gacy murders. Other reviewers have mentioned the book's homophobic slant, with which I agree. Linedecker also uses the last few pages to editorialize on the faults in "the system" for dealing with known sexual predators, criticizing--among other things--the "liberal" civil right activists who Linedecker feels thwart law enforcement's efforts to treat sex offenders.
   
   Linedecker covers the main points of the Gacy case, and the book itself is a quick and easy read. It's obvious Linedecker made the effort to interview the victims' families at length, as you will find information on several of the victims that is not provided in other books on the case. Then again, at the time the book was published, a gag order was in effect for many of the direct participants in the case, so the number of sources Linedecker had access to was limited. Book is average at best, not a total bore but not in the "couldn't put it down" category either. For a better and more complete account of the Gacy case, skip this one and buy "Killer Clown" or "Buried Dreams" instead.



5. The man who killed boys should be called the man who loved sex with dead boys, because that is ultimately what Gacy was doing with the boys he killed. This book while it does NOT go into much detail concerning Gacy's childhood, is still a very good read. I found the interviews with Gacy's neighbors to be very interesting and they revealed some previously unknown details about the man (or monster?). I sincerely believe that Gacy's bizarre obsession with bodies has its roots way back in the 1950s and quite possibly includes the Peterson-Schuesler murder from that period. I had the opportunity to correspond (verbally and literally) with one of Gacy's childhood friends from that period recently and what he revealed about Gacy's childhood was downright shocking. Hopefully one day the complete TRUTH will come out concerning this man...or monster...

5 comments about Ted Bundy : Conversations with a Killer.

1. First, I want to say that I love Ted Bundy and reading anything about him. That's why this book got 3 stars instead of maybe 1 or 2. From everything else I've read about him, this is nothing new. And the way it's presented is so BORING. You can see how manipulative Ted is in his monologues which are often verbose. A lot of times he doesn't make much sense.
   
   If you've read a lot about Ted Bundy, I wouldn't recommend this book. The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule is a much better book. I guess if it's your first time reading about him, it might be interesting.



2. Ted Bundy murdered over 30 women in the late 70's and has a kind of cult status among people who are obsessed with serial killers and voilence, which is not why I read this book. I read this book because I was hoping it would shed light on a problem which seems to be a product of modern American society.
   The First half of this book is very interesting. Ted creates a hypothetical psychological model of a killer and in the third person describes how this person developed from a regular guy with deep emotion issues into a full fledged mass murder. That part of the book is very frightening and thought provoking. Ted describes the killer's initial fascination with alcohol and violent pornography. From there he describes the slow progress of the killer instict: how his trips to the pornographic book stores became more frequent and urgent, how he spent a year spying in women's house before almost attacking a woman one night, followed months later by an actual attack, then a rape and killing.He also describes the killer's remorse between killings and his frequent promises that this would be the last one.
   Toward the middle of the book it gets pretty boring. The second interviewer takes over and keeps trying to get Ted to admit his guilt, which he won't do. Most of the answers in this half of the book are evasive and tiringly repetitive.
   It is redeemed in the last interview in which Ted makes some rather interesting statements about how it is our society which creates the serial killer. He also talks about how this a problem which manifests itself rather early in the life of these sick men,and what's even more frightening, he states that for every man arrested for multiple homicide there are five or six more that are not caught. With a little money, Ted states, a man can kill indiscriminately for the rest of his life without fear of detection. This book is a must read for anyone interested in Abnormal Psychology.



3. Pages and pages of verbatim interviews with a megalomaniac, even one as twisted as Ted Bundy, get dull after a while. It would be a necessary reference book for anybody writing a doctoral thesis on Bundy or the psychopathic mind, but really holds little interest for the average reader.



4. I found this little number in my local used bookstore. Having been fascinated with Ted Bundy over the last couple of years but yet to read anything in depth about him, I bought it, hoping to learn something new.
   
   Unfortunately, "Conversations With A Killer"'s biggest flaw is Bundy himself. I feel really bad for Michaud and Aynesworth; they honestly try to write a ground-breaking book about the case, and Bundy promises them before the interviews that he will reveal to them "the truth about everything." How could any print journalist say no? Rather than embarking on the horizon of a new look at Ted Bundy, however, the duo are instead treated to interview after interview of Bundy whipping them around this way and that, never once giving them the kind of information they need.
   
   After initially being asked point-blank about his whereabouts during the crimes he is committed of and clamming up immediately, Bundy is instead offered the ability to speak of these crimes in the third-person, freeing him from self-incrimination. Instead of offering any new outlooks, however, Bundy dances about, choosing to "speculate" about the killer's mental workings and treating us to paragraph after paragraph of half-baked, psycho-analytical noodlings. I'm surprised Michaud and Aynesworth didn't fall asleep while interviewing him; when Bundy's not pumping his side of the testimony full of mostly-nonsensical, winding explanations of the "killer's" mindset, he chooses to be very vague about his choice of words, offering a lot of "could be" and "might have been that, also might have been this" and "I don't know". And, of course, he denies absolutely everything about his involvement in these crimes, standing infuriatingly adamant about his innocence all the while. Michaud and Ayneworth ask him numerous times about his whereabouts during crimes or about the testimony of witnesses, and Bundy is rarely ever able to give them an answer, either sidestepping the question and weaseling his way into another subject, or simply refusing to answer at all.
   
   The book does have a few positive marks, as few as they are. The first few chapters of the book do offer a decent, albiet selective, history of Bundy from youth to the (then) present, revealing an education in words passed on by his mother, crippling shyness during high school, and his strange fetish with socks. Also detailed are his struggles with bi-polar disorder, using his escape from jail in Glenwood Springs as a compelling example. Lastly, one can glimpse some truths behind Bundy's words, including the dangerous influences that both "stress" and pornography had on his transformation into a serial killer. However, while these are great tidbits for a newcomer to Bundy's persona, they're not nearly enough to provide one with a fulfilling look at the man and his life & doings.
   
   As for Michaud and Aynesworth, they humble Bundy at the beginning and are eager to try new approaches, but as the book is chronological, it is easy to grasp their growing impatience with Ted's mind games. Aynesworth gets especially agitated, and his multiple outbursts of anger at Bundy (only to be met with smiles, jokes, denial, irritation, and sidestepping on Bundy's end) are by far the most interesting parts of the book. And that's got to be a sad statement: that the anger of one of the authors at the subject of the book is ultimately more interesting than the sum of the book's parts.
   
   I can't really recommend it. Only those truly interested in Ted Bundy or the way his mind works could grasp much enjoyment out of it. Much of the book will just bore you to tears. An interesting first look at Bundy, it proved to be a vastly unfulfilling one for me, and I hope that Ann Rule's "The Stranger Beside Me" will prove to be much better. Good luck next time, Steve and Hugh.



5. I enjoyed the insight on how Ted Bundy thinks and how manipulative he could be. On a more personal level, some of the things he said are eerily similar to the way I operate. For example, when he said he used to fantasize about having an endless supply of socks and underwear so he never had to worry about a clean pair being available. I impulsively buy a new pack of each every two or three months, long before I've had to throw any out. I could go a month or more without washing laundry and never run out of clean socks or underwear. Many times throughout the book, I found myself thinking, had I been the right age, at the right time, in the right place, I would have gotten along with Ted, and wondered if I'd have made a suitable victim, although he probably wouldn't have "gone there" with someone who was a true friend.
   
   Similarities aside, I was more interested in the details of the crimes, the investigation, trial, and sentencing. In that respect, this book was not what I had hoped for or expected. Any time the interviewers got too close to the topic at hand, Ted would veer in the other direction. At times it got so painfully slow and repetitive, I found myself skipping entire paragraphs, then going back to re-read just in case I missed something interesting or important.
   
   If all you're interested in is Ted Bundy: The Man, this is a great book with plenty to offer, although according to one reviewer, it's nothing new. I wouldn't know, as this is the first book on Bundy that I've read. It just wasn't what I was looking for, and I guess I shouldn't hold that against it.

5 comments about The Killing of Tupac Shakur.

1. I place this book beside another three books on Tupac which I feel are must reads: [1] "Back in the Day" by Darrin Keith Bastfield, [2] "Holler if you hear me" by Michael Eric Dyson, and [3] "Got your back" by Frank Alexander. These three plus Cathy Scott's book paint a complete picture of his life and death. Cathy Scott's book is thoroughly researched but some facts that are commonly excepted as fact are expressed differently by her. It is evident in this book that she wishes she could talk about the investigation into Pac's death but the sad fact is that there is no investigation. Witness's refuse to cooperate and the incidents on the night of his death make the whole situation difficult for the police. Scott tries to circumvent this very hard but in the end she fails. The book also deals with the murders of Biggie, Orlando Anderson, Yafeu Fula and discusses how moronic the "he is alive" theories are as well. Very good book overall and a very quick read.



2. With so much controversy about his death, I decided to get the facts from this shocking, yet very informative book from acclaimed journalist Cathy Scott.

   While also telling you about the man himself, Scott reveals the many flaws in the investigation of the shooting that took place on the night of September 7th, 1996 - the scene of the crime not being secured quick enough, the fatal release of key witness Yafeu Fula, Suge Knight's attorney playing hard to get with Les Vegas Police and the confusion of other witnesses Frank Alexander and Malcolm Greenridge - which makes you wonder just how much effort did police put into this case?

   Not just providing the facts, Scott also presents the many possible motives and turns heads to several known suspects. An interesting read, showing you not only a violent, but tragic story about a young man who lived hard and fast all the way to the end. With information on Tupac's background and other events related to him and his murder, you get to know about the man as well as the musician, with additional comments made by various writers - Kevin Powell, Michael Eric Dyson - and those who knew him well - Jasmine Guy, Suge Knight, a moving letter from his Godfather and a final comment from his mother, Afeni Shakur. The book even uncovers the rapper's mystique - his obsession with death, the alive theories and many other strange coincidences.

   'The Killing Of Tupac Shakur' is a revelation that will both shock and fascinate you in more ways then one. A must have for Tupac fans.




3. 2PAC...was,is,and will be forever in our hearts.
   I really don't know what to believe:is he death or not...because here,in romania a lot of magazines keep saying that he is not death...why?Just becaue they wanna be close to him,or what?
   suspicious events:13th is a day which usually doesn't bring us good news.Interesting is that there weren't any pictures with PAC bleeding.In his song "Life Goes On"he is talking about his own death . The driver of the car,SUGE KNIGHT hasn't been present at the inquiry of the event."i'm not paid to solve murders"said him
   The white cadillac in which where the assasins,just after the murder ,passed near PAC's car,but nobody tdyed to stop theme.
   His video,"I Ain't Mad At Cha"was released rigt after the shoots.
   in that video,2pac was an angel in Heaven...and there are a lot of theories like these...anyway,his lucky number seems to be 7...
   Even if they say yhat he isn't death,I think that we should respect him,even in his death!
   Keep ya head up and folllow your dreams!
   Peace,love and respect for this ANGEL!



4. There aren't many actual facts in this book and honestly, this is slipshod work at best. I am very knowledgeable about Tupac Shakur and truthfully, I would have written a better book. The autopsy photo disturbed me greatly and who took that photo anyway? Whoever took the autopsy photo should be shot! I was not at all impressed by Ms. Scott's conjectures that she tried to pass off as facts. This book is a waste of time and money if you're really interested in the death of Mr. Shakur. I wouldn't recommend this book to my neighbor's dog.



5. I find it hard to believe this author managed to get a book published. She describes the BMW as a $47,000 V8....wrong. '96 750's were V12, and more like $90,000. Difficult to put much faith in whatever else is written when basic facts cannot be nailed down. Scott also describes Run DMC as 'a rapper', good god. One plus, the book is easy to read, because it's written at about a 3rd grade level.

4 comments about Stolen in the Night: The True Story of a Family's Murder, a Kidnapping and the Child Who Survived.

1. my only problem is that mr.king wrote word for word from already released info on all the news channel websites. i yahoo'ed the last name of victims in story and was disgusted to find that everything i read in this book was already word for word on many websites. thats very upsetting considering in reading this book I expected to read something different than i had already read about this tragic story on the websites,, Mr.King may I suggest what a disappointment it was to find that you copied websites into a book and rushed for publishing with nothing new to add.. anyone could have written a book just by copying from websites. thats sad..story is excellent with no new info on this crime..
   also there is no BACKGROUNDS AT ALL ON THE FAMILY INVOLVED OR THE KILLER....AGAIN, RUSH TO PUBLISH.. I WONT BUY ANYMORE GARY KING BOOKS KNOWING THAT HE COPIES FROM WEBSITES..I'LL JUST GOOGLE A STORY FROM NOW ON... sorry about mispellings.. have multiple sclerosis and its now effecting my sight and frontal lobe so ...



2. This is the first book that I have read by Gary C. King. I can only hope that this wasn't one of what is considered to be his better works as I found the writing to be only mediocre and barely able to keep my attention.
   
   I disappointed that the background of the victims was only brushed over, and the background information on the convicted, Joseph Duncan III, was little more.
   
   While reading this book, I reached the epilogue thinking that the writer had completed his work and rushed to publishing before we knew the resolution of this particular case. Instead I found that King placed the resolution, along with "editoral" about sex offenders, in the epilogue. This practice is quite unusual for true crime and, quite frankly, was confusing.
   
   Overall, I would choose to read the book when there seemed to be nothing else to read. There are plenty better, but there are just as many worse.



3. The author of this book clearly didn't do his homework. The book seems to be hastily written and it's doubtful that he even left the comfort of his chair. Copy/paste from crime detailed websites, glaring errors and lack of history make this book an easy candidate for the trash can.
   
   Googling some of the phrases used in the book, the reader will find that the author copied a majority of the book.
   
   Apparently the author was too busy copy/pasting to bother to research much in depth. For had he done his homework, he would have known without a doubt that Duncan was born in Fort Bragg, NC. Instead, the author of this book cites three locations where Duncan "might" have been born. Any person with even the slightest knowledge of the Groene/MacKenzie murders knows that Duncan was in fact born at Fort Bragg.
   
   The author could have added several interesting chapters to this book,had he done at least some small fraction of his homework. History on Duncan's involvement with Wacksman over the years as well as Crary, past girlfriends and his childhood would have added a great deal to the interest of the book.
   
   If you're looking for a book that details the life and crimes of Duncan, don't bother with this book... save a tree, save your money and read about it on the internet.



4. I recently started reading more true crime books and this one is the best by far. The details are excellent and it gives the reader a very detailed look inside the life of the killer as well as the lives of all those involved. It is outstanding and will continue to by books by this author. I recommend this to anyone who likes true crime reading.
   
   A++++++ Book

5 comments about Ghosty Men: The Strange but True Story of the Collyer Brothers and My Uncle Arthur, New York's Greatest Hoarders (An Urban Historical).

1. Is it bad that, after reading this book, these men became my instant heroes? You'll have to read the book (ha, ha-- librarian trick) to find out. From my point of view, they're ensconsed warmly amongst their piles of junk, their tottering piles of old newspaper, their stacks upon stacks of boxes, their miscellania gathered from the sides of the road and trash cans-- four floors of bliss! Protection from the outside world! A true, not-metaphorical barrier from the slings of everyday life! I sleep (candid admission!) with piles of junk surrounding me on my bed. To be surrounded by piles of junk in an entire decaying old New York mansion? Indescribable bliss. My only complaint about this book is that it does not spend quite enough time on the Collyer Brothers themselves, dwelling more instead on Uncle Arthur (fascinating himself). But Five-plus stars to the lifestyle.



2. If this book doesn't get you to clean out your basement, nothing will. A true story about a couple of hermits whose junk collection got the better of them.



3. To much story about Uncle Arthur and not enough about the Collyer Brothers. This was a real disappointment, save your money and get it from the library.



4. I'm a compulsive hoarder of sorts and picked this up because of a link to another book on the subject. I disagree quite strongly with the previous reviewer. I absolutely adored the few chapters on the author's Uncle Arthur and thought they provided great insight and immediacy to the story on the Collyer Brothers. Given the wealth of detail about the brothers in this fine book I don't understand how any careful reader could feel cheated. If anything, I'd love to know more about Uncle Arthur, who, by the way, is cited in the title of this book. So, his inclusion should not come as much of a surprise.



5. This is a great (short) read. Local early 20th century History (U.S. History). Very entertaining!

3 comments about Blue Thunder: How the Mafia Owned and Finally Murdered Cigarette Boat King Donald Aronow.

1. This book has to be the best summary of politics, drug running, the offshore powerboat industry, the Mafia, crime, corruption and intrigue that I have ever read!! Aronow was an old friend of my family's in New Jersey and when he got murdered we all waited for the book to come out, sure enough it did and was excellent. If you love the mob, fast boats, fast cars, fast horses and beautiful women, BLUE THUNDER is a MUST READ!! Enjoy . . . . . H.L., Florida



2. If you have an interest in offshore racing, take the time and read this compelling book about the father of the the industry. Ever heard of Thunderboat row? Find out the impact he had on some of the largest manufacturers in the country, and their attempts to to keep him out of the boat building business. You will learn about the rise and murder of Don Aronow and how state law enforcement of Florida(at the time led by the infamous Janet Reno) either bungled the investigation, or for whatever reason, let his death go unsolved. You will learn of the allegation that Don Aronow had ties to the mob, South American drug smugglers, and to the DEA. At the end you can surmise what you will of what his life was about, but you can't take away what he meant to the sport of offshore racing. Read it and pay homage.



3. I have really enjoyed this book. I like true stories, and am especially interested in speed boat racing, and stories about how the Mafia infiltrates businesses, and eventually takes them over! It certainly is an interesting read.