2 comments about The Litvinenko File: The Life and Death of a Russian Spy.

1. Extremely good portrayal of the devious, manipulative culture of the current day Russia. Very informative as well. For anyone who is not familiar with Mr. Putin's Russia this is an eye opener.



2. This was a fascinating and lucid account of the mystery behind who murdered Litvinenko. The author writes knowledgeably about contemporary Russia. It was a bit of a let down to find that the author was not in fact going to name the person ultimately responsible for the murder, though. Highly recommended.

No comments about True Stories of CSI: The Real Crimes Behind the Best Episodes of the Popular TV Show.

5 comments about Always In Our Hearts: The Story Of Amy Grossberg, Brian Peterson, The Pregnancy They Hid And The Baby They Killed.

1. I rarely cry when reading a book but this was an exception to the rule. Being the mother of teenage children, this book really hit home. The book is a nonfiction about a teenage couple who manage to fool not only themselves but their parents, doctors, friends and many others into ignoring the fact that they are about to become parents. This book gives graphic details about Amy's pregnancy, dorm life, daily worried life, eventual labor and delivery of her baby, disposal of the baby and the horrendous aftermath. It also details how Brian, Amy's boyfriend, handles the crisis and sends a stern lesson out to young folk. I fully recommend this book and although it's shocking, I think teenagers would receive a strong message about unprotected sex and the consequences.



2. As a Jewish person with family in the same section of New Jersey that is described in the book, I can totally agree with Most's analysis of the family/school/personal situations of these two kids. Doug Most has also immersed himself into the environment he is writing about not only by covering the case from start to finish for his northern New Jersey newspaper, but also interviewing most of the investigators, attorneys, friends and families of both teenagers and attending court hearings throughout the case. He is extremely knowledgeable about the history of the case (the facts) and he presents them very well, in a concise and easy-to-read fashion. The story will hook you, and you will feel like you know these two young people and their families personally.

   He also describes the forensic evidence over how the baby actually died in quite a lot of detail, which might be a little hard to understand and you will be introduced to a lot of attorneys, crime lab investigators, coroner's reports and the like. If you are into crime investigation, there is enough detail to interest you. I, however, was more drawn to the social aspects of the case. What made these kids act the way they did? Most explains that very well. You will learn what it is like to live in a posh neighborhood and having to be the very best so your parents will look better, and have to have the very best clothes and get into the best colleges so your parents can achieve status in the community. He describes how "cutthroat" high-school life is in these ritzy communities, and then you begin to see why Amy and Brian had to hide the fact that they were in trouble. "Teenage pregnancies just don't happen in our community", neighbors say. "Our kids are raised better than that." They don't want their parents to be embarrassed in the community. You learn about the decision-making process the kids go through and then you see how much of a shock people get when they see the reality of teenagers' lives. I strongly believe that every parent should read this book, especially Jewish parents, and discuss it with their kids. I say Jewish families, because after all, Amy's family is, and I think that being Jewish drives parents to "encourage" their kids to strive more for success.




3. I can't believed how many good review this book got, sorry but me I found it most of the time boring, I had to force myself to read it and I am usualy a fast reader.That stupid saying the poor rich kids who are so smart in their school work but they don't know the reality of life, come on! Saying they not like the street kids, teenager who are not rich, teen who didn't grow-up in a rich family know about the reality of life so they are more pepare to face the world then the poor rich kids, that a joke or what???Come on saying if the rich teen are so smart they most know the reality of life, if you are pregnant well the baby won't disapear if you just stop thinking about it, how dumb the rich kids are!!! I don't understand Amy Grossberg, she had her baby and said get it aways from me. Poor rich girl she was so scared her parents would know, she won't be the nice Amy any more, she could not take it but she could get ride of a baby that's far less worst she think then being view as bad by her dear parents.And her boyfriend took the baby and just put it in the trash, how cruel to do that. Still theses two teenagers didn't know what to do, they were I guess in shock and they choose a very bad descion to get ride of the baby.I think that was odd that Brian Peterson got less time in jail then Amy, he's the one who throw the baby in the trash but the justice said poor Brian he was so in love with Amy that he did everything she told him to do, so that is why he got less, it's was Amy who push him. Hey come on the guy got a mind of his own no? He should have the same time in jail then Amy.I don't beleived they are both a danger to society and they do deserve a second chance in life. Of course I don't approve about what they did but they didn't know what to do, they were caught in a situation that they felt have no issue except throwing the baby in the garbage, well to them that was the only way out but it was not and now they know it!



4. It took me a while to get through the whole book, as I am a slower reader, but I enjoyed it a lot. As a fan of true crime, a recommend this book. It's not the best I've read, but it is a good read just the same.

   You are taken into a world where the pressures of rich kids like Brian Peterson and Amy Grossberg take a turn for the worst. When Amy finds out she is pregnant by her boyfriend Brian, all she can think about is "getting rid of it." Afterall, what will her parents do? And what about her future? Unfortunately all this thought seems to cloud Amy's logical thinking, and is shown in the letters she had wrote to Brian filled with fear, depression, and just wanting the baby gone. Amy never develops any kind of bond with the baby growing inside her.

   To top it off, Amy's health deteriorates, and her lack of care for her unborn child hurts her and her baby. She makes Brian keep her secret and not tell a soul. Brian, being loyal to his girlfriend, obeys, and does what he can to go see Amy and take care of her, as they attend different colleges. Amy meanwhile, denys she is pregnant despite the suspicions of her roommates.

   To make a long story short, rather than go to a hospital, Brian and Amy end up going to a motel where Amy delivers their child. Amy wanted nothing more than for Brian to get rid of it, so Brian leaves the room, comes back with a garbage bag, puts the baby in the garbage bag, then throws the bag in the dumpster behind the motel.

   There was much controversy and hazing stories from Amy and Brian during the questioning, trial, etc. Was the baby dead when born? If so, was the baby still alive when thrown in the dumpster? Why was there damage to the baby's head? Did they do it before Brian dumped the baby, or was the trauma caused by the throw into the dumpster? Was the baby alive when this occured, or was the baby dead already? If alive, did the head trauma kill the baby, or was it hypothermia or suffocation? Did something fall on the baby's head in the dumpster?

   All these questions were gone over and over in an attempt to figure out if these two young lovers were killers, or just the innocent victims of poor judgement. It could have been easier, had one of the detectives not moved anything from the dumpster.

   In the end, both served some time for the mistake that they made. After reading this book, YOU be the judge; did Brian and Amy get what they deserve? What do you think REALLY happened to the baby?

   I guess the hardest part of the book was trying to keep track of all the detectives, lawyers and attorny's etc. There were a few names to memorize, and what their specific jobs were, and that kind of made the book harder to get through. But overall, enjoy the read of a very sad book, where through it all, those who cannot help themselves need someone ot stand up for them and be their voice.




5. If you somewhat remember the headlines from this story and can recall the basic outline of the situation involving Amy Grossberg, Brian Peterson and the disposal of their newborn son, you will probably like this book. For those who followed the case closely and are looking for very detailed and lengthy interviews with Amy and Brian and other law officials involved in the trial, you will be disappointed. You could save yourself the $6.99 and read a few CNN archive articles and/or the case history on crimelibrary.com and get the same information that is in this book. It does have eight pages of photos, again, nothing that new that has not been recycled throughout the media for the past ten years, and in black and white as well. In sum, for hardcore true crime fans or intense followers of the case only.

5 comments about Killing Time: The First Full Investigation into the Unsolved Murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

1. This book covers the various theories and timelines, and lets the reader decide what is the best evidence in the most highly publicized murder case of the 1990s. On June 12, 1994 Nicole and Ron were alive at 10pm; their bleeding bodies were found just before midnight. The limo driver picked up OJ Simpson at 11pm and drove to the airport. These facts are not in dispute. The Prosecution claimed the murders occurred after 10pm. The Medical Examiner said the forensic evidence indicated they died after 11pm. Hence the 'not guilty' verdict if you believe the facts rather than the unsupported allegations. The problem with eyewitnesses is they could be mistaken or lying when there is no corroboration for their statements. Keep this in mind to evaluate lone witnesses in general.

   The Prosecution timeline is on pages 22-24. They picked the only time when OJ Simpson could have done it given Ron's earlier presence at work and the limo driver's presence at Rockingham after 10:22pm. Aaronson and Mandel passed the crime scene around 10:30 and saw or heard nothing (p.21). Another couple found Nicole's bleeding body around 11:50pm. This defines the time limits for the murders (p.26). Given the time needed for blood to clot (about 40 minutes) this would place the deaths at 11:40pm to be still bleeding when the police arrived at 12:15pm. OJ Simpson could not have committed the murders. That is why there were no bloody shoes, clothes, or knives ever found. No proof of buying Bruno Magli shoes. The problems with the blood evidence are listed on pages 67-68. The Coroner's Report has facts that dispute the scenario created by the Prosecution. The blood evidence problems are on pages 74-77.

   The engine noise and headlights from a Ford Bronco would not let it arrive unnoticed by the limo driver that Sunday night (p.100). The problems with the prosecution's timeline are on page 102; the importance of the limo driver's testimony is on page 103. The topic of Planted Blood Evidence is on pages 137-139. Unlike other books, the authors mention the 'Los Angeles Times' story of 6-7-1996 where Vannatter picked up blood samples of Nicole and Ron from the coroner's office before evidence was turned over for analysis. This book assumes the murders occurred before 11pm (p.255).

   Pages 177-183 has the scenario for two killers. For those who doubt an official conspiracy, the authors tell of the Black Dahlia Murder (p.222). The secret information that would later appear in Stephen Singular's "Legacy of Deception" is on page 226 (did he have a secret source in the LAPD?). The Media "almost never reported on the actual substance of the evidence at the crime scene"; they "dealt in sensation rather than analyses" (p.236). Was this the result of Establishment Censorship? You can draw your own conclusions. This is the only book that printed the autopsy reports of Nicole and Ron and the information on the wounds.




2. The only book I read after the OJ trial was Chris Darden's In Contempt. After reading it, I was convinced OJ was the killer, though I'd never doubted it. Then along came this book and for lack of anything to read, I picked it up recently at my library. The front boasts, "The First Full Investigation". This book is nothing but ridiculous junk. Like another reviewer who thought this guy (the author) might have been on the jury, I thought Simpson probably paid him to write it. This entire waste of paper is about--put simply--everything the prosecution did wrong and how inept they all were and everything the defense did right and how brilliant they all were. All I read is how wrong, wrong, wrong the prosecution was. Well here's a newsflash. Neither Marcia Clark or Chris Darden witnessed the murders, therefore they cannot and never will be absolutely certain how everything went down there that night. The only one who knows that is the killer and I still believe, after reading this rubbish, that OJ is that person. This book was geared to steer guilt away from OJ and point it anywhere else but at him.
   
   There is a line in the book that says, "Picture a killer with a knife in a struggle against 2 strong, fit victims and dangerous guard dog", with the author once again trying to steer OJ out of the crime. 1. The dog knew OJ. 2. It's pretty difficult to put up much of a fight when one, you've been whacked in the head and then two, your throat is slashed so viciously that both jugular veins are severed.
   
   Then we're told that LAPD logged a 911 call at 10:30 and the caller asked if a double murder had been reported. The author explains, "Did someone--perhaps even OJ--pass by Bundy, see what happened and report it anonymously?" Portraying OJ as an innocent witness. Why couldn't OJ have had someone call because it was possible he was concerned about his children being there alone after he killed his wife and her friend? Is it possible he didn't want the kids to see the carnage he left behind? Why not that point of view? And if OJ had been the one behind the call, what kind of man would witness (if he's innocent like the author believes) a murder at the place his children reside, then go home, hop on a plane and head to Chicago? And aren't 911 calls immediately traceable?
   
   A big deal was made about the bruises on Ron's knuckles while putting up a fight? Obviously, according to the book, he hit the killer several times. There were also scrapes on his knuckles, according to the autopsy report. So, instead of hitting someone that should be bruised in turn and OJ was not bruised so he can't be guilty--isn't it possible Ron's fists hit the pavement as he fell? The author keeps telling us about the bruised knuckles but fails to tell us there were also abrasions on those knuckles, which I don't believe would get there simply from punching someone. But the author doesn't speculate that the bruises could have occurred when he fell.
   
   Then there is "Nicole & Ron - Amended Timeline"--So the author now would have us believe that Ron is in Nicole's house preparing to bathe, Nicole is out front talking to someone for almost a half hour when someone hears a woman's scream. The author assumes this is Nicole's scream, so I have to assume that Ron comes out to help her, right? Yes, according to the author. So before he comes back out of the house to assist her, he grabs the keys and the envelope with the glasses and runs to her assistance? Because those two things are photographed by his body. That idea is just nonsense.
   
   Further into the book, the author says, "Let us for now eliminate Simpson as a suspect". You mean, he actually was a suspect somewhere in this garbage? The last few chapters of the book have Ron being the target, Faye Resnick being the target and OJ being the target. A professional hit? A professional hit done so sloppily? And if Ron were the target, why wasn't he killed at his apartment instead of outside Nicole's house? If OJ was the target, why is the man still alive today? If Resnick was the target, why is she still alive today? All the wasted pages of drugs and sex and mafia and the other mumbo jumbo is all speculation.
   
   The "two killer timeline" is also a laugh. That Nicole would call Mezzaluna and ask Ron to come over at 9:42 if he is the man she is sleeping with and then "Nicole's date arrives" (another man) at 9:44. At 10:00, she's done with this date (?) and walks him out to the car, then goes back inside at 10:05 and 'in preparation for Goldman's arrival, she slips back into her dress'. WHAT? So now, the ruckus begins at 10:31 and continues until 10:45? An attack that lasts nearly 15 minutes, where supposedly Ron and Nicole are fighting viciously back and all we hear is one thing from Ron and one little scream from Nicole? I don't think so.
   
   The book is an entire waste of paper. We don't know what exact time these two people were killed, although I'm guessing that it was very close to 10:03 when Nicole's watch stopped. But then, according to the author, OJ can't be the killer because he was making a cellphone call that noone answered at 10:03. Is it possible (???) that Nicole's watch could have been a minute or two off? Now there's an idea. OJ pulls up, makes the call to try to create a flimsy alibi, gets out of his bronco and proceeds to attack her? I'm guessing that Nicole was attacked first and was in the process of being killed by her psycho ex-husband when Ron came upon the attack, yelled, "Hey, hey, hey", tried to intervene and then he was killed? I don't believe one killer attacked both of them at once. Why didn't the author address the photograph that was produced after the trial of OJ wearing Bruno Magli shoes? The author portrays OJ as being the one who is stalked by Nicole. Give me a break. He admitted looking in her windows.
   
   I realize my review is somewhat confusing, but so was this entire book. It threw a hundred different scenarios out at you and I think they were meant to confuse. None of them made any sense and I think Simpson is just as guilty today even after reading this junk.



3. The LA DA and press ignored much of the facts, well presented, in this book. It's a must read, if you want to discontinue being a programmed media drone.



4. This book was written after the media circus came to a close. The authors do a great job of starting with a timeline based on eyewitness and earwitness accounts. I believe that they did get a close "fix" on the time of death.
   
   This book sheds a lot of light on the investigation and prosecution of the crime. It's hard to fathom why a forensics team wasn't called to the crime scene a lot sooner! The impression one gets from the book is that the prosecution had their killer in O.J. Simpson and any evidence or witness that didn't fit this theory were discounted. The two things that helped immensely in Simpson's aquittal were the gloves that didn't fit and the timeline. "The Source" in law enforcement is quoted throughout the book. This source gives some insight into the police and prosecutors' mistakes,shortcomings and strategy.
   
   The theory that Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman were confronted rather than ambushed makes a lot of sense in light of the physical evidence.
   Another aspect of the murders was the use of two knives likely by two killers. It also makes sense that the victims were moved around at knife-point.
   
   The "Leads to Pursue" section was very good. Among the interesting points-
   A 14 year old boy who claims that he saw three Caucasion men in the alley near Nicole's house at 10:30 PM. This was very close to the time of the murders.
   A waiter friend of Ron Goldman's from Mezzaluna was mudered shortly before he was.
   Nicole may have believed that she was pregnant.
   
   The lifestyle of the victims may have had a connection to the killings.
   Could the murders have been related to narcotics? Faye Resnick? Or motivated by jealousy?
   
   After reading this book I am convinced that the case could have been investigated better. There are a multitude of scenarios that should have been investigated. I recommend the book as an unbiased investigation into the murders. The authors don't arrive at a verdict,that's left to the reader to determine after assessing the facts in the book.



5. I watched the whole trial on television.....E Entertainment with the lovely Kathleen Sullivan. For some time now, I have made it my motto..."Do NOT believe everything you are told!" I investgate things on my own. I do not trust the media! It is controlled by the Elite!
   When Johnny Cochran asked what the tiny blue "thing" was by the glove and was not allowed an answer or not allowed to tell....I prayed for a book that would answer this question for me because then and there I felt something was WRONG!! My prayers were answered with "Killing Time" by Freed and Briggs and unlike most of white Americans, my husband and I believed O. J. to be innocent of this crime right from the start by watching this trial and thinking for ourselves!! This book is wonderful!!! Thank you so much, Freed and Briggs!!
   Since this book, I have gone on to look for further information on this case and have found it! Anyone CAN!! Do it!
   From what I continue to find out.....O.J. was a mind-controlled- slave and was used in a frame-up in this horrid murder... to set up racial wars between white and black and this nearly was the case. The Rodney King case didn't do it for them. I understand they actually FILMED the murders and this tape is out there somewhere.
   O.J.'s mother worked for years in a mental hospital where babies were taken and mind-controlled and used for sport's heros as well as loosed onto the public like Charlie Manson was to frighten people!
   A lot of people are mind-controlled to intertain us as singers and movie stars and even used as sex slaves for the rich Elites! Check it out! We need to wipe out the CIA, Mafia, and the drug trade in America as well as the secret societies who control us. Always question everything and do your own research! I have done this ever since 9/11 and now the puzzle pieces all fit together and better times are ahead for all of us........especially for O.J. and people like him who have been tortured enough!!!

5 comments about Kiss Me, Kill Me: Ann Rule's Crime Files Vol. 9 (Ann Rule's Crime Files).

1. I'm a big fan of Ann Rule's. I enjoyed reading this collection of cases. Each story was different, yet had the same theme of love or attraction gone wrong woven throughout. I found the saddest story to be the last one. To never know what happened to a missing loved one, how horrible...



2. This was not one of my favorites of Ann Rule's books. The anchor story, "Kiss Me Kill Me," was confusing to read. She interjected other cases in it, making it hard to follow and choppy. The other stories were interesting, scary, and horrifying, but outdated. I agree with another reviewer that I would prefer more pictures of the victims and perpetrators rather than the investigators. Some of the cases, as well as victims in other cases, in this book had no pictures at all and that was disappointing.



3. Very disappointed. Have loved most of Anne Rule's books, but this on is definitely not up to her standards. Appeared to be put together just to make money



4. ms rule needs to stick to what she does best - novels. I stopped buying the crime file series a long time ago. Why rehash old crimes?



5. I really enjoyed Ann Rule's audio CD of the dentist accused of killing his wife, which I think was, "Too late to say goodbye." I had ordered it without reading the description, so I was on the edge of my seat most of the CD, there were lots of surprises I didn't anticipate, and there were some really interesting details about how the police proved their case. This audio CD was very disappointing by comparison. The stories are frequently disturbing without really having anything suspenseful happen, no big surprises in terms of investigation, etc. It's almost just like a chronicle of some of the more sensational cases she wrote about during a certain time period, but none of it gave me much insight or kept me on the edge of my seat.
   
   The Audio CD format was pretty similar to the other one I had listened to, namely, it involves a female professional reader who reads in a very dispassionate way, which I prefer.

5 comments about Sleep In Heavenly Peace (Pinnacle True Crime).

1. Recently there have many books published about mothers who kill there children. But this book by M. William Phelps relays the story of Dianne Odell who murdered four of the twelve children she would give birth to and then proceeded to carry their bodies with her around the country. It wasn't until she could no longer pay the bill on a self storage unit in Arizona did her murderous acts become public knowledge and finally put her in the criminal spotlight where she so belonged.
   
   Phelps attempts to keep the reader from falling into a rut while reading by jumping between time frames and point of views by chapter is a little annoying, and at times causes the information to become jumbled; it does actually add something unique to the book and many times incites a reader to keep reading to come to a "continued" part from a couple of chapters previous.
   
   Generally, I'm not a fan of mothers who murder, but the story of Dianne Odell is well worth reading if you are a true crime genre fan. Odell's explanations, history, and attempts at defense in themselves are interesting case studies into criminology. Was she simply a killer, or was she a killer because she was a victim? Read the book and form your own opinion!



2. SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE (SIHP) is the 4th of M. William Phelps' books I have read and reviewed. I feel that one, EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE, is outstanding true crime, but that SIHP shares the same strengths and weaknesses of the others, LETHAL GUARDIAN and PERFECT POISON.
   
   The strengths: Phelps is an outstanding and exhaustive researcher. His books are not cut and paste or rush to print jobs. He clearly invests a lot of time and energy in his work. And Phelps is an excellent writer when what he is writing about is interesting. The first 275 pages of this book are a fascinating look at the life and times of Dianne Odell, a woman accused of murdering three of her children upon their birth and taking them, packed in boxes, around with her wherever she moved for 20 years until she was finally caught and brought to trial. A lot of the information here comes from Phelps' interviews with Odell and is thoughtful, informative and unbiased. Likewise the lengthy account of various police interviews with Odell move briskly and are important to the story.
   And in SIHP Phelps uses a technique of every other chapter switching back and forth in time from past to present events. I note that some readers found this annoying. I found it to be effective and that it created a sense of dramatic tension that may otherwise not have existed.
   And, as always, Phelps has chosen a fascinating case to write about.
   
   The weaknesses: SIHP is way too long, at least 75 or so pages. The problem Phelps seems to have is knowing what to leave out of his books. In most cases the trial segments in true crime writing are better handled
   by summarizing what is important and omitting narrative which does no more than repeat what has already been made clear earlier. Phelps' plodding presentation of the trial is numbingly repetitive of information he has previously provided, often more than once. And I almost always find detailed rote reporting of forensic testimony boring. Not content with reporting once, for one of numerous examples, that - and why -
   Diane's attorneys had a dilemma in deciding whether to put her on the stand, Phelps repeatedly mentions it. He discusses the problems the pathologist, Dr. Baden, had in determining exactly how the baby died. Then he does it again. Then it is repeated in the trial section. And we are advised repeatedly that Baden is a major league star in his field.
   And the way Phelps' writes about Baden illustrates another aspect of his work that I find irritating, the glorification of law enforcement officials, policemen, prosecutors, whomever. I don't know that he especially intends this, but I've noticed it in each of his books that I've read.
   
   To summarize, when SIHP enters the trial section, basically the last 150 pages, it slows to a crawl and becomes tiresome to read.
   Reading it is almost like reading two separate books. The reader could just read the first 300 or so pages and then skip to the last 20, miss almost no new or valuable information, and enjoy a great read.



3. I just read Sleep in Heavenly Peace and thought it was great,I mean the horror of having some of your own children and then carrying them around w/ you from state to state in storage unit to storage unit and knowing that as long as you held on to those bodies you were bound to be caught sooner or later shows that this person has no remorse,I had just finished reading Because You Loved Me by Phelps and that book was sooooooo much better,but I also bought Perfect Poison which I started last night and on Chapter 25, and also bought Lethal Gaurdian and Murder in the Heartland recently.I only can hope the last 3 measure up to his other 2.It's not that Sleep In Heavenly Peace was bad because I found it great it was just that I would have given 6 stars to Because you Loved Me and I did buy the rest of his books that were published,so all in all I think he is a great true crime writer



4. Mr. Phelps has outdone himself with this one. While it might be a bit long as others have said, it is no less riveting. I was reading 3 books at the time and found I kept coming back to this one until it was done because it was just so intriguing. Who could imagine having 3 (possibly 4) babies and carrying their mummified bodies around for so long with no one discovering her secret until she forgot to pay the storage fee for the storage space they ended up in.
   
   To this day I still am not sure because of how well this was written whether Ms. O'Dell did this all on her own or her now deceased mother helped her. Awesome Work Mr. Phelps!



5. I really enjoy this author. He always does a great job researching his book. This is a really good book and very tragic, especially for her family.

5 comments about The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer.

1. I really enjoyed this book. It was intense, and very explainitory. It started with the terrible murder that happened in 1966 and the murder that happened after his parol in 1974. Then it went into Yukle's up bringing. It explained the lifestyles of his parents. They were both very good musicains. They taught Yukle music from a very young age and they were very strict with him. His mother was a perfectionist, and expected him to play every thing perfect. She would make him sit at the piano until he did. When his brother was born they weren't as strict with him. They let him do and be who he wanted. Soon his parents were divorced. He and his brother lived with their father and his new wife. He didn't see his mother for years after that. Yukle and his father weren't very close at all. His father was very cruel to him. He always made Charles feel unworthy. Yukle was a loner and kept to his music, the one thing he was very good at. His grades in school weren't that great except for music. He quit school to go into the army. He was still a loner there to. He was court marshalled and sent back home. He went back to school and met a young girl in band that he really liked. He moved to Chicago to go to school for photography. He felt like a different person behind the camera. Things didn't work out with the girl back home and soon he met his wife; she was one of two women that he was able to talk to, but he was never able to completly open up to her. It talks about the police reports and the events leading to his conviction. It was all very intresting. I like reading true stories rather than fictional, and this one kept me reading until the end.



2. Excellent writing. The author keeps you interested. By the end of the book I absolutely despised Charles Yukl. This is good reading for those who love true crime.



3. It is said a true story. We will never know what was in the killer's mind. And the author never attempt to guess either. Basically the author simply told us what happened. The book lacks of depth, in my opinion.



4. THE PIANO TEACHER profiles the eccentric offender and two-time murderer, Charles Yukl. Raised by an unloving, punitive father, and a controlling mother, Yukl matured with deeply rooted feelings of inferiority, especially where his masculinity and sexuality were concerned. He managed to marry a strange woman, Enken, whom he met while attending college, but he later admitted during a psychiatric interview that during their 14 years of marriage, he and his wife had sex a total of approximately 10 times. Yukl was also quite fond of exposing himself to the unsuspecting students who came to his apartment for piano and voice lessons.
   
   After murdering a young woman in 1966 and completing a rather short prison term, Yukl was paroled, having been described as a "model prisoner." Just 14 months after his release from prison, and still married to Enken, Yukl murdered again... unable to control his sadistic fantasies and murderous impulses.
   
   The history of the offender is detailed and, in parts, riveting. Without spoiling any part of the story, I will state that Yukl implemented an elaborate group scam to bring young women to his apartment, settling upon a select few as potential victims. Two of these young women are lucky to be alive, having been out for the evening when Yukl made his final, fatal telephone contact with an unsuspecting woman who thought Yukl was a legitimate professional.
   
   So, you may wonder, why only 3 stars? The author, a respected criminal trial attorney, is less than interesting when discussing himself. I found these portions of the book somewhat tedious and Tanenbaum's style of writing was, at times, arrogant. For example, on page 225, he writes: "I was attempting to design a mosaic: each piece in and of itself would not point inexorably to Yukl's guilt, but taken as a whole, my mosaic would relentlessly lead to the conclusion that Yukl was the killer." While I am not generally opposed to an author providing his or her impressions and observations of the murderer or describing his or her position as a key player, Tanenbaum managed to portray himself as a Know-It-All. (Perhaps he does know it all. However, he is less than humble and I am not fond of grandiose egos.)
   
   In addition, the pace of the book slowed considerably following Yukl's second arrest for murder and ended rather anticlimactically with a plea to First Degree Murder. As a professional psychotherapist, I do not believe Yukl meets the criteria for Sociopathic Personality Disorder. However, he is or was a very sick individual lacking basic impulse control and rational judgment. Although Yukl often pleaded for psychiatric treatment, as if this could somehow have prevented another tragedy, Yukl fails to address the fact that he met with a psychotherapist WEEKLY for close to one year while on parole. Although part of him seemed to desire knowledge of himself and his impulses, he lied to his therapist on many, many occasions and did not once mention the cunning con he developed to lure young women to his home. As a rule, psychotherapy is not generally successful when patients skirt the truth.
   
   In closing, Robert K. Tanenbaum has written many books. Having only read THE PIANO TEACHER, I cannot comment upon his total worth or talent as a writer. I speak only for myself when I say I probably will not read any other Tanenbaum books.



5. a great read I love every thing about amazon and the items they offer
   thanks

5 comments about Sweeney Todd: The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

1. While I'm grateful anyone wrote a book on the topic, this is a numbing look at the "facts." It's hard to believe such a slim book on such a rich topic is this dry and uninteresting. Half the problem is that the three or four antecendents of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd are awash in weak indistinguishable characters and developments that do not benefit from close study. The details of melodramas like "The String of Pearls" et. al. just do not engage me.
   
   Haining himself is tight-lipped and emotionally indecipherable. Just try to figure out what his tone is. It's not a good late-night tale of murder, it's not a crime dossier, it's not thrilling or even disturbing. There is no dramatic arc to his writing. You get the sense that he would have preferred the whole story composed as a giant chart of figures, or that his actual task was to trick readers into belief by sinking them in made-up citations.
   
   It was an enormous effort to pick this book up after each pause, and continue.



2. I found some of the facts mentioned in the book interesting. Those that had nothing to do with sweeney todd but, the history of London. It was a very slow and painful read. I wish there was a way to return all the wasted time i spent trying to get through this book.



3. 
   It seems that the previous reviwers who slaged this book and author wanted all this deep insightful detailed facts when in fact the author from the begining stated their were very few hard concrete facts !!! I too wanted all sorts of detailed facts but the author stated early on that after years of research on Mr. Todd amd Ms. Lovett there was very little documented information on Sweeney Todd and Ms. Lovett their arrest,her suicide and his hanging !!!
   
   The Author clearly tells what is fact and what is fiction and what is conjecture and leaves it to reader to decide for themselves what is a reasonable conculsion with the information that is available !!! Again the Author just gives you the information he could dig up and by his own admission there is more stories then facts....but there are some facts...he can not be held reasponsable because the actual facts are very little....and he also explains why there is such little information on these two people.
   
   The author does not hold back anything....he gives you all the stories past and current....stage plays or bedtime....and how some of these stories stem from some of the actual accounts that are known about Sweeney Todd and Ms. Lovett....the exploits of Mr. Todd have been sensationalized for entertainment purposes to be sure...but those stories do not change the fact there was in fact a serial killer barber and a psychopath pie maker....how did they met!? No one knows....how long they do these evil deeds...again no one knows....The author tell you that !! He does not give you something thats just not there !!!
   
   So....just read the book...take it for its worth...its not the bible nor does it claim to be....but I liked it....and found it very informative....its all good !!!!!



4. Even while you are reading this, you realize, that while Sweeney is PROBABLY based on some actual events or person, he really never existed, certainly not to the degree he is protrayed as. The story is good though. You can tell that the author REALLY wants the Sweeney of legend to exist. There was a good historical geography lesson of old London in here with the author's attempt to authenicate Sweeney, but to no avail. We can be GLAD that he didn't though. That was one MEAN serial killer!!!!



5. Well-written and entertaining (as is most of Haining's work), makes a pretty plausible-sounding argument that Sweeney Todd was a serial killer who actually existed, and was not simply a character inspired by a "penny dreadful." I'm not entirely convinced, because some of the "evidence" is impossible to validate, and some of the arguments Haining presents are a bit of a stretch, albeit well presented. Despite the typographical errors, it's an entertaining and interesting read, even if it doesn't leave you completely convinced of Todd's actual existence.

5 comments about Bones: A Forensic Detective's Casebook.

1. Although the authors are clearly very well versed in forensic anthropology, I was disappointed in the way they presented their material. The chapters weren't difficult to follow, but they read like memoirs of the authors' cases and I got the sense the authors were more interested in showing off than sharing knowledge with nonscientists. That made it tricky to isolate details, and frankly I've learned more from general crime scene books that devoted just one chapter to forensic anthropology. Bottom line: If you're looking for a solid reference book that you can turn to again and again, you'll probably find satisfaction only in the glossary at the end.



2. I have worked in the 'Osteoarchaeology' field for nearly 10 years and I when I bought this book I did not expect to be reading a novel type book. Books like this are dramatised on frequently watched cable/network tv - I live in Ireland! I have used other books by the author and found them invaluable, but not this.....an ok read but dreadful reference material.



3. This entertaining and educational book is about a Smithsonian curator who helps to solve crimes as an FBI consultant, and uses this same science to uncover ancient secrets. A forensic expert's testimony can mean the difference between a conviction and a miscarriage of justice. Hunters and gatherers of crops have long been important for discovering lost bodies. Connecting found bones to a missing person does not always lead to a suspect. The rules of evidence in court require a witness to speak from his observations, not from other's reports. Archeology is closely related to forensic anthropology. Human skeletal identification was used during the Korean hostilities. Forensic anthropology can enable the bones to speak in police investigations! The analysis of modern violence can explain what happened centuries ago. Large samples of skeletons can be used to determine the frequencies of various diseases. The 33,000 skeletons in the National Museum of Natural History provide a standard of comparison. Statistics promote objectivity.

   As a young student Ubelaker wrote a term paper on the femur. You could determine that it was human, the height, estimate the sex, age at death, ethnic origin, body weight, patterns of locomotion, clues to certain diseases, indications of occupation, and sometimes how he died (p.45).

   About 10% of those executed for murder were subsequently proven innocent (p.63)! The low number of reported poisonings suggest that medical examiners should be more vigilant in identifying murder victims (p.62). An "accidental overdose" could be murder. Far more crimes are committed with paper and a pen (p.74). Chapter 6 tells about distinguishing human from animal bones. Chapter 7 tells of determining sex, size, race, and age at death. Chapter 8 tells that much may be learned from the environment where a body was found. Time since death can be estimated from the type of insects feeding on the corpse (p.108).

   Tooth marks on bones can hide or destroy evidence, or create false clues. Insects, larvae, and mollusks can create signs of pathology. Issuing more hunting licenses can result in more found remains (p.120). Chapter 10 explains how "dreams" can help solve crimes. Chapter 11 says attempts to hide a murder by burning attracts attention to the crime, even if they destroy some evidence. Chapter 13 tells what can be learned from larvae in a body. Chapter 14 says sketches based on skulls are not too accurate, but work because they are close enough to get a response from someone 9p.169). The interpretation of evidence can be highly subjective, as when expert witnesses disagree 9p.195). Do professional witnesses shape their testimony to please their clients (p.196)?

   Chapter 16 shows Ubelaker misquoting that Borden jingle (p.208). Does the "alleged murder weapon" have a chain of custody? Page 221 tells of a skull drilled by a .25 caliber Black & Decker! "Children who are loved grow faster than those who are not" (p.228). The big challenge is to distinguish between evidence of foul play from other environmental changes (p.298). If other people know of a murder, eventually they will tell (p.258). Chapter 21 explains why there are so few serial killers around. A lot of murders go unrecognized (p.263). Chapter 22 tells of murderers that almost got away with it. The murderer of a Swansea Mass girl was named as a suspect, confessed to at least six of his friends, but wasn't prosecuted until five years later. Chapter 24 tells of the need to keep a certain distance from cases to preserve objectivity, and any emotional drain.




4. Loved it a must read.



5. Forensic anthropolgy is fascinating, and there are a number of excellent books about both the practice of the discipline and stories about it. Sadly, _Bones_ is not among the better of the lot. In a word, I found the book tedious.
   
   As the title states, it is a casebook - a memoir, actually - of several cases on which Ubelaker has worked on as a forensic anthropologist. The cases are interesting, to be sure: fragments of bone or an entire section of a murder site delivered to his laboratory for examination. It is the way in which these otherwise interesting cases are presented that I had diffuculty with. The percentage of probablity of determining time since death, gender and age of victim are focused on in a montonous fashion that really was detrimental to both the author and the subject. This is regretable, as things could have been written and disucssed in a much more lively (no pun intended) manner.
   
   _Death's Acre_ by Bill Bass is a much better book on the same topic, and is the measure by which I compare similar books on this subject. (Bass is considered the preeminent authority of forensic anthropology, and in fact taught Ubelaker years ago.) _No Bone Unturned_ is also good, although it is less concerned with the law enforcement aspects of the discipline. For those interested in the practice of forensic anthropology I recommned Bill Bass' _Human Osteology_ and Byers' _Introduction to Forensic Anthropology_. (Both are more "textbooks" than narratives, but they are interesting nonetheless.)

5 comments about I: The Creation of a Serial Killer.

1. Jack Olsen's book "I" takes the reader into the maddening world of a serial killer. Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the Happy Face Killer, was responsible for the death of eight women over a span of several years in the early 1990s. With "I" the reader gets into Jesperson's head and sees the world of killer, from Taunja Bennet to his last murder.
   By writing this book from a first person stance, Olsen's allows Jesperson to take the drivers seat in this narrative. All the killer's thoughts, feelings and visceral reactions are recorded in a very straight forward manner. Olsen shows Keith Hunter Jesperson for what he really is through his own web of words: an aggressive serial killer. The background information on Jesperson is provided in third person, and it fills in any questions about Keith Jesperson's past. With insight from his father and siblings, we can follow the path of a killer from childhood to incarceration.
   My only complaint is that the efforts of the police and their criminal investigation is left out of the book. But, that wasn't the intent of this novel, it was to get us into a killers head, and in that respect Olsen succeeds.



2. I don't mean Apology, I mean Apologia, a formal, written explanation of actions. In this case the Happyface Killer tries to explain how he became a serial killer because of 1) his family; 2) society; 3) women and 4) alcohol. This list is not exclusive nor in any specific order. I was rather tired of his self serving whining after the first chapter and it would have been better if there had been some balancing exposition from Mr. Olsen-- a writer I generally respect.
   
   This is certainly an antidote to the Hannibal Lector myth of the superior serial killer. Jesperson is a remarkably banal sort of killer-- focused on sex and money. Probably the most queasy making part of his story involves his claims of being a doting father intertwined with graphic scenes of brutality.
   
   Definitely recommended for those who want to romanticize the breed.



3. Keith Hunter Jesperson is an American serial killer who raped and murdered eight women while he worked as a long-distance trucker in the early 1990's. He is also notoriously media-hungry, known for having set up personal web pages with his delusional rants against the government during his early imprisonment, as well as starting a serial murderer pen pal club.
   
   Author Jack Olsen recounts Jesperson's story in two parallel story lines. One is told in the first person, from Jesperson's point of view, starting with his first murder of a mentally incapacitated barfly through his multi-state crime spree and incarceration. The other story is an objective, journalistic look at Jesperson's childhood and life in the media.
   
   This book is different from any other true crime story because Olsen allows Jesperson to speak uncensored (occasionally accompanied by footnotes with direct contradictions of Jesperson's version of events). Jesperson blames external factors--his father, women who are "bitches," society, bullies--for his desire to torture and kill both animals and women. Jesperson's narrative is an exercise in contradictions--he goes back and forth between loving and loathing his father, especially in their correspondence during his imprisonment. In one notable example, when Jesperson is suicidal and ready to turn himself over to authorities, he reflects on his experience with a woman with an infant he met outside a liquor store in Shasta, California. By his own account, Jesperson forced oral sex from the woman and roughhoused her against her will, then gave her a ride home when he was unable to kill her with ease. She filed charges against him. Several years later, at the end of his murderous career, Jesperson speaks of the incident as follows: "I thought about how hard it is to kill people. I snapped that Shasta woman's neck three times and she was still alive to lie about me." Jesperson seems to have forgotten that, by his own account of the encounter, he was violent and sexually abusive towards the woman, providing her ample reason to file a complaint with the police.
   
   Author Olsen lets Jesperson's account stand on its own, for the most part, and the reader is left to note the inconsistencies and contradictions for him/herself. Jesperson enjoys the spotlight, and toyed with the media during his trial in such a way as to disrupt the prosecution's case and make the public doubt his sanity (he claimed responsibility for hundreds or murders and made other outrageous, exaggerated claims). By allowing Jesperson to speak freely, Olsen provides an unprecedented glimpse inside the mind of a rapist and serial killer--Jesperson speaks candidly about the "death game" he played with his victims, how he desired to stretch their death out as long as possible, and his loathing for women jumps off the page at the reader. Not for the faint of heart.



4. I was absolutely amazed by this wonderful book... I could not put it down... From the very start this book had me hooked. I would recommend this to anyone who is truly into getting into the mind of a serial killer....



5. i would just like to say this book is well worth the read and i found i couldnt put it down once i started to read it. jack olsen is the best.