5 comments about Cold Blooded (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. Reviewer Jim Greenhill's analogy with the Coen brothers Blood Simple, a modern film noir was excellent. The thing great about this is that it's real. Much sadness and heartbreak but I thought this was a very well written book and I've read a lot of true crime. I firmly believe the saying "Truth is stranger than fiction," and this is once again confirmation on that point. The book and characters are unbelivable and twisted but most are frighteningly unaware that they are so. Even the main character is a person who seems driven to do what she does. It brings questions to mind about hereditary factors, brain chemistry or maybe the idea that there may or may not be good and evil



2. Typically I am not much of a Carlton Smith true crime fan; however, I found Cold Blooded to be a tremendous piece of writing for the true crime genre. Most often writers are prone to present a bit of background, followed or preceeded by the known details of the crime and then the remainder of the book is generally the trial and sentencing of the accused; and, more often than not, is written almost word for word from trial transcripts.
   
   Not so in Cold Blooded! There is NEVER a dull moment in this book! The life and doings of Laren (aka Elisa) Jordan/McNabeney is better than any beauty salon gossip any day! And Carlton Smith details these events in a fast paced, attention gripping style that makes putting this book down difficult!
   
   Highly, highly recommended for true crime fans!



3. This book was just okay. The storyline is excellent for true crime, but the author's presentation is bland. I had a constant feeling of "the book is gonna get really good now", and while it is good, it never drew me in to where I couldn't put it down.



4. If you are used to the quality of Ann Rule, you will be deeply disappointed. Smith often has not researched the history and will generously use phrases such as "this area is a little murky" or "not much is known about this time period" etc. Very frustrating. Also the time line is very confusing.
   Not impressed.



5. I was looking forward to reading this book after watching a fascinating account of the case on CourtTV's "The Investigators." Sadly, Carlton Smith's account of the Larry McNabney murder is a real disappointment. CourtTV focused on Deborah Scheffel, the detective who broke the case; Smith builds his narrative around the misadventures of Elisa, Larry, and Sarah Dutra and makes the detectives minor players. Due to an apparent lack of information, Smith resorts to filling page after page with speculation and guesswork about what might have happened between these three bizarre characters. The story -- at least as Smith presents it -- has no tension or momentum at all. In the last third of the book, dealing with the events after Sarah's arrest, Smith simply quotes huge chunks of police interview transcripts in which Sarah babbles away in a self-serving manner. The whole book feels inadequately researched and lazily written.
   
   One other thing: the back cover promises "8 pages of alarming photographs." That's probably the biggest exaggeration I've ever seen on a true crime book. Yes, there are eight pages of photos, but they are about as "alarming" as watching ice melt.

1 comments about The Trunk Murderess: Winnie Ruth Judd.

1. I was completely unfamiliar with this case when I read this book. The first section is quite dry with extraneous detail (a common foible of true crime books, I admit) about Phoenix of the 1930's and I almost decided to put it down. I'm glad I didn't. Although the details of the crime itself were interesting, I found the real enjoyment of this book came from following the bizarre course of Ruth Judd's life. I kept turning pages to find out what would happen to her next. About the time she opened up her own beauty salon in the insane asylum, I was totally hooked. What a fascinating life she led, albeit a sad one.

5 comments about Profiles in Murder: An FBI Legend Dissects Killers and Their Crimes.

1. Although most reviewers of this book have given it excellent scores I am afraid that I will have to break the trend. Had it not been for the coverage of the Richard Trenton Chase case (a delusional psychotic who killed his victims and then drank their blood because he though his own was turning to powder) and a few other interesting accounts this book includes I would have gave it two stars. For starters the premise of this book is that you join a classroom of aspiring criminal profilers. While some of the discussion its entertaining, at many times it leaves the reader feeling like they are sitting in a classroom. Do you find sitting in a classroom fun? This book does not probe the depths of human depravity and the minds of the depraved as the title might imply. It merely gives accounts of depravity and then challenges the reader to find out what of the offenders personality was reflected in the crime before revealing the answer. I would not call this book terrifying but would rather say "shocking". It does not create in the reader a feeling of fear for the hapless and helpless victims of crime but instead just gives you in your face gory accounts of crimes and crime scenes.
   
   I suppose I have ragged on this book enough now and can shed light on its good side and give my opinion as to who would benifit from this book. As said earlier this book includes an engaging account of the Richard Trenton Chase case and does have a few insights into the dynamics of the criminal mind. It also provides plenty of info as to how an offenders personality will be reflected in his/her crime scene. I would say that this book would be good for those involved or who wish to be involved in police work, investigations or profiling but not many others. If you are a detective and wish to test your IQ as a sleuth (or to build it up) then go for it. I will put it this way- think of the game of chess. Now think of a chess player and a non chess player. The chess player will undoubtedly be absorbed into a book like "Chess Tactics for Tournament Players" because chess is something he is into and he desires to know more, however the non chess player will be quite bored and unentertained by the same book. The same thing applies to this book. If you are an aspiring profiler then this will definitely entertain and better prepare you for your line of work. On the other hand, if you are just your average true crime fan and are looking for in depth interesting tales of criminals, their life stories and captures the look elsewhere. Robert Resslers Whoever Fights Monsters or I Have Lived in the Monster will whet your criminal profiling appetite without sounding like a seminar.



2. I believe I've read all the books by Douglas, Ressler, and all the others writing about psychological profiling, yet I still found this an absorbing and fascinating book. Vorpagel presents a number of cases in which the crime scene is not always what it appears to be, and the unexpected (but plausible) explanations are more surprising than the rabbit-out-of-the-hat endings of 99.9% of crime fiction. The story of the training exercise in Chapter 7 alone is worth the price of the book. Highly recommended.



3. While this book outlined in detail the experiences of the profiler, it was set in a classroom type format. This was distracting to me because I wanted more information on serial killers. Having profiling explained over and over detracts from the information; I got it the first time around. I did enjoy the book and learned about how profiling got its start.



4. I would suggest this book to anyone to read it is a excellent book



5. This ghostwritten book uses a stagey narrative device: it consists of direct quotes of Russell Vorpagel, the "author", and students in his criminology class. The result is contrived and non-believable.
   
   Chapter 3, for example, begins with an alleged verbatim transcript of a classroom exchange:
   
   "'The Richard Trenton Chase case,' Vorpagel [the author] said, 'went a long way in establishing the credibility of profiling.'
   Gary [a student] said, 'That's the first time I've heard of a real vampire case."
   'They are rare. Yet, at almost the same time as the Chase case, another man with bloody habits was captured."
   'Another vampire?' Marcus [another student] asked.
   'A joker name Crutchley started a rampage in West Virginia that ended in Florida. etc. etc.'"
   
   Come on. Was the ghostwriter taping hours, days and weeks of classroom exchanges between Vorpagel and his students, then transcribing him for this book? I don't think so. This narrative device is supposed to convey a feeling of authenticity, but it comes across as phony as a three-dollar bill.
   
   Moreover, the book is not a thoughtful summary of the science of criminal profiling. It's a series of bloody stories of heinous crimes. If that's what you want to read, fine. If you want significant insights into the purported subject of the book, forget it.

No comments about Beauty Sleep: A Glamorous Mother, a Woman fromHer Past, and Her Mysterious Death.

5 comments about Inside the Mind of Sexual Offenders: Predatory Rapists, Pedophiles, and Criminal Profiles.

1. This is a better book than Inside the Criminal Mind, but not as good as the works of Lonnie Athens. Stevens seems to have done his fieldwork by dispatching students with questionnaires to prisons. The result is an insightful guide into the mind of serial rapist with some compelling advice for potential victims based on his findings. The text is hampered by numerous typos (there is more than one reference to people "steeling" for example) and a few glaring grammatical mistakes. He does, at least, rely more on what criminals have told him than on vague statistical studies and he is no dupe. His strength is that he understands the complicated factors that go into making a predator, the difficulty of getting them to change, and the need for better programs to protect the public from the development of such hard core abusers. You will have a better, less slanted insight into how a rapist thinks after you read this book. Stephens, like Lonnie Athens, dares to look at the problem head on, refute the myths and political expediencies of the past, and suggest a program for both government and individual citizens that could go a long way towards reducing the incidence of predatory rape and pedophilia.



2. This book was full of typos and other mistakes, which made the reading difficult. The author does illuminate some theories, but not fully. He spends a great deal of time bashing the media and other sources for their perpetuation of the rape myths and fears. While I agree that his insights may be valid and certainly share some important views, the book is basically a collection of interviews from convicted sex offenders and their perspective. Most sex offenders will tell you that they rape for sex. Most people often don't realize the true motivation for their behavior. I don't think the offenders interviewed had the insight or the vocabulary to truly describe their experiences and cognitive processes, but their actions certainly reveal how they objectify women and use them to satisfy their own desires. Therefore, the book contains their own accounts in their own words with little commentary from the author on the psychological significance of their statements. Rather, the author spends more time arguing that we should base research on these sources rather than anything else. As a therapist, I didn't find this book particularly enlightening or useful in treating these individuals in therapy. The grammatical errors and misspelled words also made the book difficult to read.



3. This is a brilliant and fascinating subject matter, however, I could not for the life of me decide how a Ph.D. author could possibly get a book published with so many English spelling and grammar errors that I had to check repeatedly the front cover for the name of the author. I thought perhaps English was not his first language. But a Ph.D? And a name like Dennis Stevens? Well, in any case, there were so many completely unbelievable spelling, grammar, and syntax errors that unfortunately these over-shadowed what may have been a good book. Also, be forewarned: If you CAN get past the errors, this author loves statistics, he does his studies by interviewing actual inmates or felons/criminals themselves, then goes on to say less about the mind of the criminal than the statistics of the crimes they are likely to commit. I usually pass on my books. This one is trash. I gave it two stars because there actually was a paragraph or two that made sense.



4. This book was a complete waste of money. Even if you can withstand the many typographical and grammatical errors that occur on every page, you cannot get over the fact that the author relies on an incredibly small sample size (only 61 offenders) to draw far-reaching conclusions about his topic. The book seems to be a compilation of several different "studies" he has done, and there is a great deal of repetition throughout. It is an embarrassment that someone with a doctoral degree would produce something of such poor quality. This reads like a first draft of a term paper by a failing high school English student.
   
   As other reviewers have hinted, this book's only redeeming quality is the space the author devotes to the actual words of the offenders. However, I would recommend "Predators" by Anna Salter instead. "Predators" includes much more of the offenders speaking in their own words, and Salter's conclusions are based on a much larger sample size. Salter also makes several important recommendations for parents about how they can be more vigilant and take steps to protect their children.
   
   Stay away from "Inside the Mind of Sexual Offenders."



5. Certainly it's an interesting work, and probably an important work, but gosh I wish the author had employed a copy editor. The book is full of unintentional howlers, probably the result of putting too much faith in voice-recognition software or optical scanning software, and then somebody was asleep at the spellchecker. We find,
   
   --- "...adults can bass in the sun of safety," when the word obviously should be "bask."
   
   --- Use of the word "emerging" when the context clearly calls for "immersing."
   
   --- One dreadful sentence says "His brothers and sisters took refuse with his aunt." No, no, no, it was REFUGE they took. I'm sure of it.
   
   --- "Darin was easily leered into the relationship." Cute, but there's a very strong likelihood that word ought to be LURED.
   
   --- something "saved him from his dome," when I'll bet you a nickel it was supposed to be DOOM.
   
   --- in the instances where the interviewee calls a woman a "hole", I suspect that a more accurate transcription would be 'HO.
   
   
   
   My candidate for worst blooper concerns a pedophile blaming his victim, who asked for it by using the "secret fag eye beam." Next, the creep makes the boy promise not to use his "bean" on others. Laughing out loud yet? The rape of a child is not a topic suitable for inadvertent humor. Really, there's no substitute for a pair of eyes with a literate brain backing them up. Attention, all writers who hope to be taken seriously: please get yourself a human proofreader, or run the risk of looking foolish. A reader who is busy gleefully combing through your text for the next inexcusable proof of ignorance, can't give really good attention to your arguments.
   
   
   
   And another thing - although the present author is by far not the only one guilty of this. Stevens notes that Edward Gein "danced in the moonlight wearing the face, the hair, the breasts and the vaginas of his victims." First, the grammar police say all his victims did not share just one face. If they had vaginas, plural, then they also had faces, plural. And although the victims did indeed have vaginas, neither Ed nor anyone else has ever danced adorned with any victim's vagina, because a vagina is a negative space; literally, a hole. Even a PhD can't pin a hole onto anything.
   
   
   
   On the plus side, I like Stevens's style. Making a strong point, he is apt to begin a sentence with, "Look,..."
   
   
   
   I like the un-academic way he puts himself in the book. Of the wrong-headed "don't fight back" advice that has been given to women, he says, "That makes me equally angry as some of these rapists in this study."
   
   
   
   Discussing the refinement of earlier research, which led him to rewrite his conclusions about some point, Stevens says "I was wrong." Anybody who can say "I was wrong" is a superior human being.
   

5 comments about The Boys from New Jersey: How the Mob Beat the Feds.

1. Forget about "The Sopranos" - this is the real thing -- The New Jersey mob at its gritty and funny best. I've read a lot of "true" crime stories, but this one had me turning pages with all the anticipation of a suspense novel -- while laughing at the real-life antics of "The Boys." It's a treat to read.



2. As a young man living in the area where this story takes place I can say that just like the man that is telling this story some is truth and some is fiction all in all it portrays Newark N.J. in the 70,s



3. Certainly worth the read, slow to start but when the story speeds up its pretty hard to put the book down.
   In a nutshell, the Feds put together what they think is a watertight case against Lucchese capo Anthony Acceturo's New Jersey crew, but get more than they bargain for when the case reaches the courtroom, due in no small part to Martin Taccetta's attorney, one Michael Crithley.(Taccetta being Acceturo's protege and successor).
   In a case that made history in the US, droning on for almost 2 years, the Feds roll out ex cons who have been planted in the Witness protection programm to put an end to thier one time partners in crime, only for Crithley to shoot them all down in flames, questioning the governments double standards in letting off convicted murderers and drug dealers,if they cut a deal with them,which sometimes might make you think that its the Feds on trial and not the Mob.
   One of the main characters in an out of sorts thug called Jackie Dinorsico, who represents himself in the trial, and somehow stumbles his way through the trial,upsetting anyone that stands in his path.(the Judge and fellow defense attorneys included),and quite often humouring them.
   Not your typical Mob read but definetly worth it, just to find out how 20+ mafia members and hangers on somehow managed to convince 12 weary srangers that it was the US government and not themselves were the bad guys after all.



4. Although Anthony Acceturo doesn't endorse this book, records and witnesses back up Rudolph's story. Anyone who is a diehard fan of The Sopranos on HBO knows that the character of Tony Soprano is based Anthony Acceturo. Their fictional and nonfictional paths mirror one another to the present - except Acceturo is now free of the Mafia and a legit businessman.



5. Hilarious-----and True!!! Better written, better styled than anything written by Jimmy Breslin or Murray Kempton. If a movie was ever made, danny deVito would be the star. I know of no other book more widely read in law enforcement circles than this. I know one law sch prof who made it required reading.

5 comments about Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley?.

1. Let's face it, Mark Fuhrman is not somebody that I consider reliable. Dominick Dunne, another old man bent on revenge over his daughter's murder, goes after the Kennedy family. Okay, I'm not saying that Michael Skakel did it or not because he was convicted of the crime but the story's not over until the case was done in the court of law. I believe the book came well before the guilty verdict which was too soon and judgmental. Yes, the Kennedys have a lot of power and money but Greenwich is still a place where people drive expensive cars, live in mansions, and are completely out of touch with reality. I don't believe Fuhrman anymore than I believe Dunne because they're totally ready to convict based on little evidence, hearsay, and gossip.



2. The problem with this book is that Heir Furhman takes the credit for solving the crime. This couldn't be further from the truth.
   
   If you want to read the most factual account of this murder, read "Conviction" by Len Levitt.
   
   However, I believe that if Mr. Skakel can't recall if he committed the murder, how can anyone else be so sure.



3. My book is called Murder In Greenwich and it is about a murder of a 15 year old girl named Martha Moxley.The book is written by Mark Fuhrman.The case was never solved but i think its an excellent book because it gave alot of details.It also show pictures of where the murder occurred and also of Martha Moxley.The author is also an excellent writer.I recommend this book if u like Mark Fuhrman books or mystery books!I would not recommend this book to people that dont like murders or blood. ~~~~BY TORI SORIANO 16 YEARS OLD LINCOLN CITY OR!!!~~~



4. This is an okay book. Furman repeats alot of the info over and over. I didn't even finish the last few pages as they started out the same as everything we already read.



5. This book was a great read! I started reading and couldn't stop until it was finished. Mark Fuhrman is a top notch author, he really constructed an excellent book here.
   
   Be careful not to do too much research about the Moxley case before reading this book, it may ruin the ending for you.

4 comments about The Lynchings in Duluth (Borealis Books).

1. I visited Duluth for the first time last year and liked the town so much, I went back three days ago. The title of this book was enough to shock me into buying it and reading it from cover to cover within a few hours of leaving the shop. The subject is depressing, yet fascinating; the book overturned my outsider's assumptions about the town and the state. Fedo does not get sidetracked by excessive detail or the urge to be judgmental; he tells a horrible, simple story in a way that is both easy to read and deeply disturbing. He tries to understand the motivations of most of the key players, the heroes and the villains, and conveys the difficult choices faced by some of those present. For the police and bystanders in Superior Street that day there was a very thin dividing line between complicity and innocence. As William Green asks in the introduction, "at what point is one's guilt by association manifest?".

   This tragedy could have happened in any state in the country and it would be harsh to say the events of June 1920 suggest that Duluth folk were uniquely bad amongst the people of the North. A set of chance occurrences came together at that moment in that place with consequences that reflect badly on the entire nation in that era. If Duluth is stained by the murders it is as much for the shameful cover-up (the collective amnesia that allowed three victims to lie forgotten for so many decades) as for the events of eighty years ago. Fedo deserves a lot of credit for excavating this episode from his town's past.




2. I stumbled upon this while doing research on my family--imagine my shock to discover my great-grandfather's name mentioned several times in this book. My mother and I read it apprehensively, unsure of what we would discover. My mother worried that her "pa" would be portrayed as a monster, but Mr. Fedo's writing is factual, fair and honoring of the era's perspective. Disturbing and horrifying, I appreciate this valuable document as a lesson in humanity and a testament to how even the most upstanding, warm people can be capable of abhorrent things.



3. When I was growing up in the Duluth area, I had heard references to this event in the city's past, but no one seemed to know much of anything about it. Finally, I see and understand more clearly what happened that night in June 1920.

   I also feel now that I understand the city of Duluth better than I did before I read this book. I always thought that there was a black cloud over the city, but only those who have lived in the city all their lives seemed to be in tune with it. I now see that intense skepticism, lack of passion, and a touch of guilt had been passed down to future generations without those persons even realizing it. I hope that with a memorial on the spot where this tragic event occured that the healing can begin.




4. Much like the public hanging of 38 Dakota in Mankato, MN, the 1920 lynchings that took place in Duluth were part of a dark piece of the state's history that were tacitly buried--almost to the point of being forgotten. Fortunately, Michael Fedo wrote this somewhat comprehensive account of the events and social conditions that culminated in this abhorrent outburst. Unfortunately, the citation is minimal and a couple of key names were changed to protect the people involved; Fedo, a Duluth native himself, originally wrote this book in 1979 (to a lukewarm reception) and seems to have been a bit wary of upsetting people who were involved in the incident and still alive at the time. However, despite these shortcomings, this is one of the only books that documents the lynchings of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie on June 15, 1920, and the trials that followed. (The only other book that I could find that gives a detailed account of the lynchings is John Bessler's LEGACY OF VIOLENCE--much of his material is cited from Fedo's book).

5 comments about Shower Posse: The Most Notorious Jamaican Crime Organization.

1. You know there are a lot of books that come out saying that certain groups were the most notorious. I heard of these cats coming up, but I am not 100% sure that Shower was the most notorious. I know they were hustlin strong in Philly and were doing things in D.C. and what not. I like Duane's writing, but I just dont think it was enough details. Jamaican gangs were a dime a dozen back in the 80's. And I think it is a bit biased because he is writing about his Pop which I can respect. Good job anyways



2. This was a good inspiration for my friend. I was a gift to him.



3. I agree with Big Mu Ha's review. I feel Duane Blake didn't go into enough details about the events that took place. I am sure for legal reasons it makes sense to leave a lot of detail out. The book went into details about people. The beginning of the book is very strong, it kept me the reader very engaged. Towards the end, during the years of prison seem very high-level - not too much detail. I def recommend this book to anyone who enjoys organization crime, gangs, murder stories. Esp if you are Jamaican, you can relate to much of the content. Great story to remember..



4. I think the book was excellent in terms of its exposure of the infamous drug hustle game that so many get caught up in. The book serves as a true testimony for others to learn from. I however was very disturbed about the amount of grammatical errors in my book. Was it just my copy or is that just how the book is.. if so? Please think about revising the book and coming out with a 2nd edition. I also think a screenplay for this movie would be ideal.



5. I love to read, but the writing style of this book is so amateurish, it was like pulling teeth. Hundreds of names of insignificant people, and events that added nothing to the story. The Blake family should have hired a professional writer. A great story exists here but, the writing style is so annoying, you lose focus

5 comments about When the Dancing Stopped: The Real Story of the Morro Castle Disaster and Its Deadly Wake.

1. Every so often I come across a book that grabs my attention in the opening pages and keeps me fixated right until the very end. "When The Dancing Stopped" is just such a book. Author Brian Hicks relates the incredible tale of the cruise ship Morro Castle and fantastic events that led to its untimely demise in September 1934 off the New Jersey Coast. The Morro Castle, flagship of the steamship company known as the Ward Line, carried all of the mail between New York and Cuba. It was a lucrative government contract worth more than $750,000 per year. The ship was also outfitted to carry hundreds of passengers on its weekly jaunts to Havana.
   None of the passengers or crew members of the Morro Castle could possibly have anticipated the bizarre and deadly events would unfold on that fateful evening of September 8, 1934. Within just a few short hours the ships captain Robert Willmott would be found dead in his quarters and a deadly fire would break out on board the Morro Castle. To make matters worse a tropical storm was rapidly approaching the disabled vessel from the South while a massive Nor'easter was bearing down from the North. All the ingredients were in place for a major catastrophe!
   What makes all of this so disturbing is that there was ample evidence to suggest that Captain Willmotte just might have been murdered and that the fire was indeed no accident. What could possibly motivate an individual or group of people to perpertate such dastardly deeds? This is what "When The Dancing Stopped" is all about. You will meet the members of the crew and learn how they reacted during this tragedy. You will be appalled to learn why so many of the lifeboats on board were never even used. You will also learn the identity of the individual who many suspect may have been motivated to set these horrible events in motion. Brian Hicks does a splendid job in researching this book. Hicks also makes use of recently declassified government documents that shed new light on this 70 year old mystery. But the story does not end with the Morro Castle. The individual suspected of planning and executing the events on that fateful night would continue to wreak havoc for another 20 years. It turns out that this portion of the book is every bit as compelling as the story of the disaster itself. Whether you are a fan of disaster books like I am or enjoy murder mysteries I suspect that "When The Dancing Stopped" is a book you will certainly enjoy. Highly recommended!



2. Having grown up only minutes from Asbury Park I have seen the many photos of the Morro Castle beached in front of Convention Hall for years, but never knew the details of the fateful voyage until reading this excellent book. Unfortunately too much remians unknown about the ships true fate, and many years have passed. The author does an excellent job of trying to solve the mystery, but the ultimate explanation will never be known. Nonetheless "When the Dancing Stopped" is a well written, suspenseful book; a worthy read for anyone interested in maritime history or the history of New Jersey.



3. The strange story of the cruise liner S.S. Morro Castle is truly one of history's most intriguing "stranger than fiction" mysteries. The Depression-era Morro Castle sailed regularly between New York and a then pre-Communist Cuba. But even though old Havana was a prized tourist destination in those days, the political turmoil of the island in and of itself infected the Morro Castle with intrigues. The Morro Castle's cargo business involved it in what can only be called gun running, and the repressive "banana republic" governance found in Cuba lead to political agitation amongst her crew. Labor unrest in general seemed to be a constant since the liner's owners seemed a bit too ready to take advantage of the desperation of the crew for jobs while the Depression raged. And as the troubled liner plied her trade, her captain, Robert Willmott, himself became more and more troubled. Mysterious fires broke out on the ship during her runs. Stories reached the captain about explosives and toxic chemicals being smuggled aboard to either sabotage the ship or injure him personally. On the Morro Castle's last voyage, Willmott had become so paranoid that he had nearly cutoff all contact with passengers and crew.
   
   On that last voyage on the last night of the cruise, the beleaguered captain dropped dead under circumstances that can only be called mysterious in the light of subsequent events. The exhausted up-since-dawn first mate, William Warms, has to take charge only to find himself piloting the ship through the most bizarre weather imaginable. A hurricane is traveling up the East Coast from the south while simultaneously a Nor'easter is traveling south - trapping the Morro Castle between the two and leaving her no escape from gale force winds. Three A.M. sees the ultimate horror when a fire breaks out amidships in one of the few rooms aboard that is not fitted with smoke detectors or sprinklers. In minutes the fire burns out of control and cuts nearly everyone off from lifeboats. Most of the passengers and crew find themselves forced to decide whether to burn to death or jump into storm tossed seas. Over a hundred die from the fire or in the water off of the New Jersey coast and in an eerie coda, the burned out liner herself drifts ashore at Asbury Park and draws gawkers to watch her smolder for weeks on end. The sequence of events that night was so bizarre that speculation began immediately that the suspicious fire wasn't accidental but was purposely set.
   
   The story didn't end there, however. It became even more disturbing. One of the ship's officers - one of the few that ended that night being lauded for his heroism - proved in subsequent years to be a homicidal sociopath. It was discovered that he had a criminal history prior to his time aboard the Morro Castle. Not only was he convicted for robbery, but he was strongly suspected of having committed arson to hide his burglaries. After his time on the Morro Castle, he attempted to murder a co-worker with a homemade bomb, was suspected of poisoning a water cooler at his place of work, and finally was sent to prison for life for the gruesome murder of his elderly neighbors. Although this proves nothing about the events of that awful September morning, the path of devastation this man wrought in his life can't help but fuel speculation as to whether he had a role in the death and destruction that took place on Morro Castle's last voyage.
   
   I have the distinction of having read every book written about that terrible fire at sea, although that's not that impressive an accomplishment given the fact that Hicks' is only the fourth. Since I read the other three so long ago, however, I don't feel it fair to compare this newer book too directly to those others. There is admittedly not too much new here to those who also may have read a prior book about the Morro Castle. What Hicks' narrative has, however, is a tremendous driving energy that pulls you as deeply into the events of that night as possible. Even though I knew exactly what was due to come next, I still found myself seized with a tremendous foreboding with the recounting of each new ominous turn in the story. In fact, I think that this masterful narrative drive is actually Hicks' biggest contribution to the historical record as well. As well acquainted as I was with the story, I still never realized just how bad the hand William Warms was dealt that night. Up since dawn, finding a respected friend dead in the middle of the night, and having to assume command in the middle of not one but two tropical storms, he must have been a nervous wreck well before the fire started. One can always argue that a different man might have better risen to the occasion that morning, but past accounts of this tragedy have tended to paint the poor man as an incompetent bungler - a portrait that seems grossly unfair in light of the mounting series of problems he faced.
   
   What also becomes clear from Hicks' account is how thin the line was between nuisance and outright disaster. In fact, it's not even clear that the fire wasn't already out of control the moment it was discovered. When one thinks of maritime disasters, one inevitably recalls the Titanic. But the Titanic sank over the course of four hours, giving plenty of time for all aboard to react in the best manner possible. The Morro Castle fire was more in the nature of an engine falling off an airplane wing - the pilot has one split-second decision to make that determines whether the plane crashes or lands safely. In some ways the situation aboard the Morro Castle was even worse in that successfully fighting the fire or saving as many people as possible would have entailed a series of split-second decisions by scores of crew members located all over the ship. Once the fire had spread out of control, the lifeboats were already essentially inaccessible by the passengers. This left the crew with little they could do to save lives. The fire also quickly spread to the engine room and knocked out the ship's engines. This left no way for the bridge to control the ship and left the ship's acting captain helpless to do much to save passengers. Crew incompetence is a big part of earlier recitations of this story but even though there were some incidents of undeniable cowardice on the part of the crew, it's not easy to see how the crew could have lessened the disaster in a substantial way once the fire spread out of control.
   
   I think Hicks has also improved on earlier accounts in his handling of the testimony of the enormously unlucky radio operator George Alagna. Past accounts of the Morro Castle's last days have tended to treat Alagna's tale as gospel. Frankly, I think this is because his testimony casts everyone aboard in the worst light possible. Hicks, however, demonstrates that Alagna was a bit of a hothead and troublemaker. This doesn't totally discredit his account by any means, but does imply that one should subject it to the same skepticism accorded to the testimony of any of the other officers onboard. Keeping Alagna's testimony at arm's length actually makes the story of that morning richer and more human. I'm sure that the Morro Castle's officers where good men who, had things not progressed to disaster so quickly, might have pulled together to salvage what they could of the situation. The fire, however, left them all in a hopeless situation. And what can be expected from men in a hopeless situation? Ego-clashes. Finger-pointing. Self-pity. None of these are pretty, but they are completely understandable. Hicks has done a great service here I think by humanizing these poor men while other books have tended to paint them to a man as hapless failures.
   
   As I grow older I find myself less and less inclined to believe the sensational. It's entirely possible that the sequence of disasters that overtook the Morro Castle that night were nothing but bad luck. On that awful night in September in 1934, the fates may just have collided over the waters of New Jersey to make the Morro Castle the worst possible place on the planet to be. Certainly, no human agency is to blame for the freakish weather which in and of itself claimed the most lives that morning. Willmott's death - while suspicious - was not unambiguously murder. The man wasn't found stabbed or shot, and he had earlier complained of things like chest pains that point to the very real possibility of a heart attack. And just because there was a wicked man aboard that night capable of committing arson, it doesn't mean that the fire was definitely set. The biggest criticism I have of Hicks' account is his failure to mention a very real possibility as to the cause of the blaze. The writing room locker in which the fire was initially discovered was backed by the ship's funnel. It's certainly possible that this funnel was malfunctioning and running hot - not only sparking a fire in the writing room locker but also super-heating its surrounding walls on several decks. This would also explain why the fire so quickly spread as deck after deck could have been heated to ignition temperatures over the course of the evening by the hot stack. And yet, while I think a lack of discussion of this possibility is a real problem with Hicks' telling, I still absolutely loved this book and strongly recommend it. The strange tale of the Morro Castle is a fascinating part of American history, and I devoutly wish that Hicks' wonderful telling acquaints or reacquaints as many people as possible with it.



4. This is, by my reckoning, the fourth book-length treatment of the Morro Castle disaster. It is also arguably the best of the lot, while not without its flaws.
   
   Thomas Gallagher's "Fire At Sea," published initially in 1960 and reprinted a few years ago by Lyons Press, told what was a compelling tale on the surface; however, some of the author's claims fall apart on closer scrutiny, in no small part because he presented as fact incidents that could kindly be called apocryphal (some of which were known, at the time, to have been false). "Morro Castle" (Hal Burton), while a competent offering--here the author sticks to the facts--breaks no new ground. "Shipwreck" (Thomas/Witts) I've seen compared--accurately, it should be said--to a screen treatment; the writing is dramatic in all the worst ways, and the authors make some factual leaps in service to their story, rather than sticking to events as they happened. Each of these books covers slightly different facets of the event, giving a Rashomon-like quality to a narrative whose true nature may never be known.
   
   Against this backdrop, "When The Dancing Stopped" appeared in 2006. Hicks takes as his protagonists passenger Doris Wacker and crew member Tom Torreson, whose stories are covered, to varying degrees, in the previous books. He does, however, further flesh out their stories, and much of the rest of the back story both of the vessel and the Ward Line, the company that operated her. He further makes use of FBI files that had previously been unavailable, shedding some new light on the character and actions of the disaster's "hero," Chief Radio Operator George Rogers.
   
   On the other hand, much of the Rogers material had been uncovered earlier by Gallagher's research, and much of what Hicks has "unearthed" merely corroborates that part of Gallagher's story. Furthermore, Hicks, like Gallagher, builds the case against Rogers without giving serious consideration to the other possible causes of the fire. One would grant, based on the evidence presented in these two books, that if the fire was caused by arson, Rogers is the prime, if not the only, suspect; however, this is far from an open-shut case.
   
   Burton's book, while acknowledging the possible Rogers connection, raises another possibility. While it's more prosaic, it's every bit as plausible, and is compelling in its own right. Without giving the game away, I would refer you to yet another book: "The Aspirin Age," edited by Isobel Leighton, which contains an essay on the Morro Castle that lays out in depth the case that Burton makes only in brief.
   
   But I digress. Hicks has delivered a well-researched, eminently readable book. While it doesn't close the nearly 75-year-old case, it's a more-than-worthy addition to the (sadly limited) canon on this disaster. But there's a caveat... Hicks managed to avoid his predecessors' shortcomings and pitfalls, save for one: I can't help but think, based on the evidence, that the author allowed his narrative to shape his research, rather than seeing where the research took him, and writing accordingly. I wonder what this book could have been if that hadn't been the case, and it's what kept a very good book from being an excellent, perhaps even definitive, one.



5. There have been a few books written on this disaster at sea, and this book got good reviews.... But I found it disappointing. It seemed to me like a longggg magazine article. Maybe the problem was that the characters are all so very unlikeable. After the fire and the chaos, for which there was no excuse, there are many good words written about passengers, but the crew was, almost to a one, petty, ignorant of their duties, and just basically unlikeable, so I didn't care about what happened to them. I don't like cruise ships, anyway; I find them claustrophobic and boring, unless perhaps if you drink and gamble, which I don't do. I am aware of improvements over the past many years since this incident, but still we read about almost-disasters happening in our seas week after week. After reading this book, it just confirms my refusal to ever go on another cruise.