5 comments about The Ultimate Evil The Truth About The Cult Murders, Son of Sam and Beyond.

1. This book was so compelling I have thought about it for many years. I read it when it first came out in first printing. Have been looking for it for years,and have been unsuccessful. Now I will order it and read it again. This is the ultimate truth is stranger than fiction read. The powerful distracting the populace with horror we can not escape for the purpose of leading astray from a the truth send shivers down your spine.



2. The law enforcement community should not let politics block a new invetigation of the case.The evidence is there and the families of the victims should have some closure.More importantly, the other killers involved must be brought to justice!



3. I read this book several years ago and it chilled me to the bone, I can remember the things taking place in my hometown of Minot ND. Reading this book was frightening to me as I read and knew many of the people involved in this case. Maury Terry is right -- Berkowitz did not act alone. A must read for anyone interested in FACT not fiction.



4. Having lived in California during the decade of the sixties I recall that the Haight Ashbury scene turned very vicious around 1969. Where people would share their homes, beds, food, wine (and dope if you were so inclined) freely in '67 and '68; by '69 a real evil, rip off, vicious, criminal type element drove people away from that scene, or into isolated seclusion, in droves. It culminated graphically in the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont in 1969. The street thieves, cults, criminals basically took over as if the flower people were lambs for the slaughter. This book, while often having a "nailing jelly to a wall" feeling, puts the whole change into perspective with the elements of Manson, the entertainment industry, mafia, cults, devil worshippers, pedophiles and upper class perverts as a driving force. The author mentions the London scene, Marianne Faithful, Kenneth Anger and the Stones in passing. For many years I've wondered about the reports that Brian Jones had been intentionally drowned in his pool by a rough element in July of 1969. (The kind of rough element the author cites as surrounding Mama Cass.) Marianne Faithful attempted suicide soon after Brian's death. Anita, (Brian's lover and later Keith's wife) was involved with the occult and some years later a teenage lover killed himself in her bed. Many music celebrities were into the occult (from Satanic to S&M to Nazi symbols and themes) from the late 60's through the 70's. It reminded me that Brian Jones was invited to the Monterey festival in '67 by John Phillips and may have known or met many of the same people in California and London that were into the occult fringe the author describes. It also occurred to me that the perfect theme song for this book and the scenes it describes is "Sympathy for the Devil" written by the Rolling Stones in 1968 (".... Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste....") In addition to all of the intermeshed tentacles of this Godless underground of killers and perverts, it is really scary that the author's words and photos reminds us that Berkowitz and alot of the other criminals involved looked like regular people, had 9 to 5 day jobs as trades people, doctors, lawyers, policemen, etc. I guess you never know who is sitting next to you on the subway or who is knocking at your door. If Maury Terry writes another one, I'll buy it. I hope he puts an index on the next one.



5. Everybody knows that David Berkowitz is the Son of Sam and he is held responsible for the senseless murders and shootings in the summer of 1977. The author does an excellent job in bringing about the era as well as explaining the circumstances regarding all the victims. Apart from this book, I barely read the Son of Sam case since it didn't interest me as much as others. The author also tries to tie Son of Sam murders with a bizarre murder case at Stanford chapel in Palo Alto, California in 1974 involving a young wife from North Dakota whose husband was a student at the famed university. The book is a heavy read and there is a lot of information to sort out but the author does write clearly and well regarding the possible connections between satanic cults and the murders and deaths of so many others as well. I am one for conspiracies anyway so I am beginning to believe Maury Terry's argument that there is more than meets the eye.

No comments about A Tale of Two Murders: Passion and Power in Seventeenth-Century France.

5 comments about Forgive Me, Father: A True Story of a Priest, a Nun, and Brutal Murder.

1. Even though John Glatt is apparently totally convinced that Father Robinson is guilty, the evidence is far from overwhelming, or even strong. To believe that Father Robinson is guilty you have to:
   
   1. Believe that he was so deeply into the occult that he committed a "ritualistic Satanic" murder when, in fact, the only evidence showing that he ever had ANY connection to the occult in the 66 years preceding his arrest is a) a single book on the occult found in his room b) the "recovered memory" (and we all know how great that is right?) of a woman who claims that as a child Father Robinson was involved in totally bizzare ritualistic torture of her including locking her in a coffin full of cockroaches, killing a 3 year old child (but none seem to be missing) "raping" her with a dead snake (uh...not to get into details, but how is that done?) etc. Her testimony has never been found credible in a court of law or by any other investigatory body. (Police did go to an abandoned house where this was supposed to have happened and all kinds of things were supposed to be buried but found nothing.) If you exclude her testimony, there is ZERO to connect Father Robinson to the occult -- yet he was so far into it that he committed murder??
   
   2) Believe that a letter opener Father Robinson had in his room absolutely irrefutably had to be the murder weapon. This is all based on analysis of the wounds and of blood splatter on the altar cloth near her. But it is totally clear that the prosecution hired people, not to do an independent analysis, but precisely to "develop" proof of this. They never informed the defense that the victim's body was going to be exhumed and re-autopsied. Thus, they defense had no way to affirm the independence of these tests.
   
   Basically Father Robinson was a somewhat cold and distant guy who didn't have an alibi and who had a letter opener in his room. Pretty much that's the whole case. The prosecution itself said that the 33 stab wounds showed "overkill" of the type associated with extreme hatred of the victim or violent mania. Yet the guy had only a minimal acquitance with the victim. Zero evidence that they had any significant relationship at all, much less violent hatred leading to frenzied murder. Zero evidence that the guy had any history of violence or anger towards ANYBODY, much less the victim. Hence the need for the "Satanic" motive, which is utterly unproven.
   
   One of the defense attorneys commented on the re-opening of this case 24 years after the murder as follows: "There's a reason these are cold cases. They're cold because the evidence wasn't that good in the first place." And it still isn't that good. Nowhere near beyond a reasonable doubt.
   
   PS If John Glatt (or his publisher) thinks that "Forgive Me Father" has some meaning in Catholicism (like if he thinks that's what is said in the confessional) he's incorrect. The only use I can imagine for the phrase would be if you stepped on a priest's foot. As a title, it's completely meaningless here. Similarly, one of the detectives stated that he had to bone up on Catholicism to understand all the ritualistic parts of the murder (he read "Catholicism for Dummies") and that he was so ignorant he didn't even know that "the Eucharist" and "the Blessed Sacrament" were two names for the same thing. They aren't.



2. Okay, I have trouble believing the priest, Father Robinson, was the murderer of Sister Margaret Ann. Yes, there was tension but was it a motive for murder in such a brutal, heinous way. Wasn't there somebody else behind such a crime? The story of Sister Ann Louise was a little farfetched and unbelievable at times. While I don't discredit her story of being involved with an underground cult, I find it hard to believe that there was no evidence to support her history. The murder of Sister Margaret Ann was cruel but I find it hard to believe that Father Robinson killed her to prove a point. There is the fact that she was planning to retire soon and would be out of his way anyway. The priest has the right to decide how to run his mass. The timing of the crime and how quickly it supposedly happen is just hard to swallow and how Father Robinson was acting so suspicious. In the book, I never got the feeling that the Toledo police did a thorough investigation. After all, who would want to kill a nun on the verge of retirement? There was nothing in Father Robinson's history to suggest such a violent nature. I'm halfway through the book but I had trouble believing that he did it and the biasedness of the author and the lack of thorough investigation is hinged on Father Robinson's behavior and the letter opener. Is it possible that it was the weapon but used by the murderer at the time? I just have more questions than answers. I don't know if Father Robinson is guilty of the crime. The whole crime was just brutal and terrifying. I feel sympathy to the Pahl family but want the truth. Even if the letter opener was the weapon, it may have been left there before the murder. While it seems like the circumstantial evidence points towards Father Robinson, there is enough to reasonably doubtful of the circumstances such as the motive. Remember, Sister Margaret Ann was going to retire and leave Mercy Hospital. Father RObinson did not need to have killed her. He had every power to control his mass despite her objections. I just don't think this book makes me believe that a Catholic Priest is guilty of murder even though we all know that priests have used and abused their power in the Catholic community which went without reporting for decades. Sister Annie Louise's refusal to submit to a psychiatric evaluation would have benefited her to get the necessary help and healing that she needs. I believe the Pahl family needs to know the truth just like everybody else. I'm not totally convinced and I can't explain my doubts.



3. John Glatt tells the intriguing story of a gruesome and ritualistic cold case crime which took place in a chapel of a hospital in Ohio. Glatt goes behind the scenes and does an in depth investigation revealing dark secrets which were covered up by the Catholic Church for many years. Although this violent and humiliating act was between an angry priest and a nun, the final judgement was not by God, or the Catholic Church. Judgement of a man killing a woman took place many years later, in a court of law, using the laws of man. Glatt's descriptions of Robinson are creepy and riveting. It's hard to believe that this monster still has some supporters in the Polish Catholic community of Toledo!



4. I have read and enjoyed other books written by Mr. Glatt, and found this one to be fascinating, well-researched, and well-written.
   
   The case itself is intriguing: a priest accused of killing a nun. In a brutal, possibly Satanic way. 25 years ago. The book does not concentrate on being lurid or sensational, but presents a matter-of-fact telling of the facts of the case, up through investigation and the eventual trial of the defendant over 25 years after the murder.
   
   Sister Margaret Ann was brutally choked and stabbed to death on the day before Easter in a Toledo, Ohio church hospital in 1983. At the time, Father Robinson, a priest at the hospital, was the prime suspect due to questions about his whereabouts and some strange behavior he exhibited. However, due to lack of evidence, the case lay dormant for over 20 years until it was picked up by the new "cold case squad". Especially interesting is how we learn about the forensic evidence- in this case, an unusual letter opener and bloodstains on an altar cloth from the crime scene. Robinson was convicted of the crime, causing people in his community to question how could a priest kill someone? Especially a nun? In a chapel? These certainly are intriguing questions, and the author does his best to address them, although Robinson does not confess and offers little insight into his character.
   
   If you're a fan of true crime, especially thoughtful, well-written material, then you're sure to enjoy this one.



5. I enjoyed this book it put into perspective how far the Catholic church will go to protect their priests. Sister Margeret can finally rest in peace. It is sad it took nearly 30 years to happen.

3 comments about Will to Murder, 3rd Edition.

1. I just finished reading Will to Murder and I couldn't put it down until I was done with it. I read the first few chapters then toured Glensheen. It was very helpful knowing some of the history of the house and the murders and knowing exactly which rooms they happened in. The tour guide was asked how the University got the mansion and the tour guide said Elizabeth passed away. She didn't once say anything about the murders. The daughter has a lot of problems.



2. As a life-long resident of Minnesota and a frequent visitor of Duluth, home of the famous Congdon mansion (aka Glensheen), I grew up with a vague idea of the murders that happened in that house. The story was that one of the adopted children of the elderly Ms. Congdon killed the poor woman for money. After reading this book, I see how very, very little I really knew--about the murder AND about Marjorie Congdon. As it turns out, being associated with the vicious murder of her own mother is virtually just part of a "normal" day for Marjorie. I was absolutely floored by her outrageous behavior--all in the name of attention and extreme greed. She literally stopped at nothing to get her way, and if opposed she exacted calculated revenge to very scary degrees. I've loaned my copy of this book to several people and have recommended it to many. In fact, while on a second tour of Glensheen recently, I stood in the gift store and pointed it out to patrons. There are many books about Marjorie, but I doubt any of them is as comprehensive as this one. It's written by the journalist who covered much of Marjorie's court drama and who became well acquainted with the lawyer from whose point of view the story is often told. It's far more than "just the facts." It's written like a novel with richly-drawn human characters. (Truly, it seems fictional sometimes, because I've never known anyone who pulled off what Marjorie does.) The book also includes a good selection of photographs and provides an up-to-date account of Marjorie's latest status. In conclusion, you don't need to be from Minnesota or even the Midwest to appreciate this book. It's an American tragedy, quite certainly. And you'll find yourself recommending it often.



3. This was a very interesting read. If you are planning a vacation to Duluth, MN and visiting Glensheen, this makes the history and the tour a lot more interesting. I would recommend reading this if you are going visit Glensheen or just like a good true murder mystery.

5 comments about Auto Focus: The Murder of Bob Crane.

1. Graysmith iosn't someone you wanna listen to considering he finished his book on Bob before the trial was even finished! Leaving a ton of things out isn't the way to inform people of a murder. Auto-Focus, the movie, is filled with lies and the director has publicly admitted to putting them in to make the movie sell. The book is no different. If you wanna read the real story of Bob Crane, this isn't it. At all!



2. This is a book I came across after watching the movie "AutoFocus" which I liked very much. I read the book hoping to get into greater detail surrounding the investigation of Bob Crane's murder. The book covers Crane's social exploits in detail. This part of the book is effective and conveys the casualness of the swinger lifestyle and Crane's cavalier attitude towards women and sex. It is also a look into the celebrity worship that is deeply embedded in our culture. When Crane is murdered the police immediately suspect his friend John Carpenter who was in the vicinity the night before. Most of their evidence is circumstantial and they do not indict Carpenter until the mid-90's. This part of the book is very interesting as Graysmith does a very good job of juggling the evidence and the personalities involved in the delayed indictment.
   If there is a flaw it is that Graysmith obviously has some affection for Crane as an actor and coupled with the fact that all of his information comes from police sources the book is pretty one sided. It is obvious that Graysmith wants a conclusion to the case and he, like the officers, are quick to jump on John Carpenter as that conclusion. In the end though the evidence is flimsy, and without a solid motive, circumstantial evidence doesn't go very far. This is not a heavy criticism of Graysmith, his book is still an excellent work up of the case, and Carpenter most likely was the killer. There was reasonable doubt there and it could have been explored deeper. I recommend this book to anyone who likes good true crime, mystery, or Hollywood scandals.



3. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Autofocus. I bought the book after seeing the movie on cable. Graysmith, naturally, does a great job weaving all of the details into a fine crime novel. I have enjoyed most of his crime books and this one was no exception.
   
   Others have criticised Graysmith for focusing too much on Carpenter but after reading the book and the statements being based on fact and supported by statements from the detectives, I have to say that Carpenter really does look guilty. In saying that, I think the police departments could have done a better investigation of the case and looked more into some of the suspects mentioned in the book. It is amazing that police departments were so careless.
   
   The book doesn't go into great detail about sexual specifics and graphic sexual descriptions (this is not one of those fiction love novels!) but he gives you enough detail which leaves you shaking your head at Crane's exploits.
   
   A typically good Graysmith book and definitely worth a read.



4. He was the guy who played the lead role in history's strangest sitcom, a farce about Allied soldiers imprisoned by the Third Reich. A few years later, Bob Crane was a prisoner himself, of typecasting and a swinger's lifestyle that was not only miserable and unhealthy, but as Robert Goldsmith posits in his book "Auto Focus", ultimately fatal.
   
   
   
   Crane was bludgeoned to death in a Scottsdale, Arizona bedroom one June morning in 1978. That brought into sharp focus the sordid way he lived, using the dregs of a once-flourishing career to latch on to as many willing women he could find. Suspicion quickly centered on John Carpenter, a video guy who trolled for sex with Crane, yet the case against him was circumstantial and the horizon of others with motives too vast.
   
   
   
   "When you go out like he did, you put yourself in positions where there are very sick scenes," says Joy Claussen, an actress working with Crane at the time of his killing. "When you are that open sexually, you are that nondiscriminative in the way you pick people, you are liable to find some sick people."
   
   
   
   Originally published in 1993 as "The Murder Of Bob Crane", which became the subtitle when adapted for the screen as "Auto Focus" in 2002, Graysmith's book is poorly constructed and occasionally repetitive, but oddly hypnotic in the way it draws you into Crane's drab yet compelling world. It's like the flip side of "Boogie Nights", showing you the sad and sordid underbelly of the hot-and-horny 1970s. Like "Auto Focus" the movie, "Auto Focus" the book is explicit in its details but hardly erotic. You might prefer a vow of celibacy than living like this guy did, even minus the brutal end.
   
   
   
   KSG's earlier comment here about feeling the spores in the A/C was right on. Graysmith not only charts Crane's last days in hourly detail, but provides a 3-D floor plan of the apartment where he stayed and was murdered. What were Carpenter's swim trunks doing in Crane's place? What clue did the killer give to his identity by cutting a wire from an almost-inaccessible location to wrap around the already-dead Crane?
   
   
   
   Some criticize Graysmith's unwillingness to entertain more than one suspect seriously. It's obvious he thinks Carpenter, feeling betrayed by Crane's apparent unwillingness to continue their relationship (Crane's son Bob Jr. suggests his dad was losing his taste for the "kicks" he got with Carpenter tagging along), had the motive, and it's hard to argue with the blood-smeared rental car Carpenter left as evidence. But Scottsdale police, unused to murders, left some loose ends, and there were other worthy suspects, like angry husbands, freaky girlfriends, and a future ex-wife who stood to inherit Crane's fortune.
   
   
   
   Graysmith sucks up details like a Hoover, and doesn't synthesize well. He brings up episodes like an opening one involving a flat tire that seem to portend much but is left flapping in the breeze. Too often he seems to be paraphrasing the police report, with no commentary of his own. Yet his artless style has a certain validity in how it presents critical case facts interspersed with ephemera, leaving you to make the connections. Even his detours into the desert life of Maricopa County, and the series run of "Hogan's Heroes" years before Crane's murder, brings out aspects of the victim's life and lifestyle that resonate when you think about them.
   
   
   
   "Detectives had enough leads for a dozen murders," Maricopa County Attorney Charles Hyder declares in deciding not to pursue a case against Carpenter. Crane left a great story behind, and a life not worth emulating. "Auto Focus" is an intriguing police procedural and a worthy morality tale.



5. While the case of the murder of Bob Crane has faded from the public conscience, the plausible and implausible theories have continued to grow particularly in the advent of the internet. Robert Graysmith, best known for his books on the Zodiac killer, also has a theory on Bob Crane's murder which is included in "The Murder of Bob Crane" or the repackaged version "Auto-Focus". It is unlikely that anybody will be convicted of the murder of Bob Crane nearly 30 years after the event. So if nothing else, Graysmith has outlined a collection of the facts in this book with his theory.
   
   It is apparent in the mind of the reader who the author suspects the killer to be in this book. In the first publication, he made his case before John Carpenter ever went to trial. At times, Graysmith becomes cumbersome in his redundant recitation of the facts. The portrayal of the character of Bob Crane is thorough. Graysmith does not shy away from Graysmith's sexually promiscuous lifestyle. The background of other characters seems less clear. Little of John Carpenter is noted aside from his relationship with Crane and fellow Hogan's Heros co-star Richard Dawson. At times, Graysmith seems to suggest that Dawson may have been involved in the murder.
   
   While this is an interesting read, the evidence is largely circumstantial and does not stack up. This may be why Graysmith chose to write such a thorough history of the show Hogan's Heros in the middle chapters. While I enjoyed Graysmith's work on "Zodiac", he seems to be writing this book with one intention. However, he failed to convict Carpenter in my mind.

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

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Irish Mob.

1. Better than the Kevin Weeks expose, and far grittier than the journalistic looks at the Bulger gang, this one takes the cake for depravity with readable writing to make it go down like acid. As Mob tales go, the Boston version is more blue collar, but every bit as riveting as insider looks at the best of the New York gangs. The early section on the author's depraved and deprived childhood is particularly chilling. If only these guys had been so literary back when they were actually gangsters, maybe they wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble.



2. I'm an Irish-Catholic guy in his 40's who grew up in Boston in the late 60's and 70's. I've read Streeet Soldier and Brutal several times each, and I personally believe much more of what Eddie Mac has to say about the "real" Whitey, as opposed to the relatively reverant tone in which Weeks still speaks of Whitey. Sure, Eddie Mac and Weeks are both equally dangerous sociopaths, and will surely go to Hell (assuming it exists) for all the evil they inflicted on their fellow human beings over the years. Having said that, Weeks still seems to be loyal to Whitey, and probably knows exactly where he is hiding out these days. For that reason, I don't believe a word he says when he defends Whitey against allegations that he was a rapist, a child molester, etc. Eddie Mac definitely gives the reader more insight into what Whitey was really like...and isn't that why we all read these books, anyway?



3. I might be wrong but John "red" Shea lasted 12 years without saying a word. The guy who wrote this book sold out and ratted. Can someone correct me if im wrong, I read Rat Bastards by Shea twice.



4. There are far too many ways that our world produces guys like Eddie Mackenzie. Born to parents who were too young, wild and restless to be good caregivers, he was thrust into foster home, where abuse and neglect were more the rule than the exception. It was all but inevitable that he would grow up seething with rage and a thirst for revenge. Mackenzie's Southie upbringing brought him into contact with the kill-or-be-killed mentality that propelled him toward brawling and martial arts -- used for self-protection as well as for unleashing his inner demons -- then into crime and drugs and finally into the icy grip of killer Whitey Bulger.
   
   Mackenzie's story is fascinating and horrifying. Every page brims over with tales of fights, beatings, narrow escapes and strategic surrenders. The picture Mackenzie paints of the hyper-tough poverty-stricken neighborhoods of Southie are repulsively fascinating. The nuances and subtleties of the code of "honor" -- rat to save your skin, but never on your friends -- is worthy of a Shakespearean plot.
   
   Mackenzie's story overlaps with that of the MacDonald family, unforgettably penned by Michael Patrick MacDonald in "All Souls." No surprise: Mackenzie and the MacDonalds were pals during the same volatile period. In fact, readers of both books will recognize a few of the same incidents. But while MacDonald's family was decimated by the drugs and violence Bulger brought to the neighborhood, Mackenzie thrived -- selling drugs, doing enforcement duty for Whitey and reaping the rewards (booze, girls and respect) that flowed from his ties to the mobster.
   
   "Street Soldier" is a quick, exciting and full of violent action. Sometimes, it seems that "Eddie Mack" revels too much, even in hindsight, in the mayhem he created. The almost sexual pleasure he gets from feeling a bone break under his hands is disturbing. For those with lesser reservoirs of hatred and rage than the author, we will be glad we were not born into his cauldron of barely civilized violence. Mackenzie's book is also an act of courage. He names many, many names and ties Bulger and his associates to innumerable murders, tortures and drug deals. His motive, as the reader will quickly discover, is revenge over the discovery that Bulger, the ultimate enforcer of the neighborhood code of silence, himself broke it repeatedly to save his own skin.
   
   Mackenzie is a tough and scary guy, though with a soft side. He dearly loves his daughters and tries hard to elevate himself from his hoodlum past. His book is at once a memoir of a life gone terribly awry, a documentary of the criminal behavior (his own and others) that afflicted Southie in the last 30 years, and an indictment of the authorities, notably the FBI, that for their own reasons allowed the killing, drugging and violence to continue without letup. An honest, eye-opening and disturbing book.



5. Whether you believe some or all, the author(s) have cashed-in on the "Black Mass" windfall just as many former 'Southie' sociopaths have done. Written for money, targeted at the prurient-voyeur audience.
   
   Without actually witnessing the acts, his co-writers-editors coaxed from the author, it is near impossible to know whether the central character now a somehow reformed sexual predator and convicted felon DAD is at all credible. There are many egocentric tough guy testosterone oozings about sex and self gratification and 'Southie' the current 'Whitey' worship-pulp rage. The authors omit the others separate from Eddie Mac's closed macho 'Southie' culture and miss all the good ethnic tribal stuff that came from that little spit of America. Was it the devil, poverty and drugs that made them do it?, likely money just now. We'll never really know.

5 comments about The Casebook of Forensic Detection: How Science Solved 100 of the World's Most Baffling Crimes.

1. This casebook is written to be very specific to how an individual was caught and nothing more. For example: Ted Bundy was caught in large part by the bite mark evidence collected from the Chi Omega Sorority house victims. So, the case covers that incident; however, leaves no mention of twelve-year-old Kimberly Leach, in my opinion, had a great deal to do with his execution in Florida's electric chair.



2. I bought this one along with another forensics book when she first started showing an interest in forensics. The other book failed where this one succeeded. The material was written well enough to catch her interest, and the stories were well told. As far as forensic detail, she said it was a little lacking, but that it was still fun to read and kept her interested in the subject. If you're looking for textbook type writing, this isn't it. It's not a research tool. But it is fun, and it should make for a good read if you like the nuts and bolts of how the science helped solve crimes.



3. The book is very complete in the author's normal style. The cases are sorted according to forensic evidence type. Most of the cases are pretty old though.



4. The casebook of Forensic Detection is a very detailed book with great description.My daughter enjoyed it very much.



5. This is a good book for the reader who wants to read about some real life crime stories and how they are solved.
   Also a useful read for someone looking for a good real crime story, to buy ANOTHER book to read further about it.
   Personally I found this book entertaining and read it with interest, because i mostly get bored with a crime story that covers a whole book, that goes on and on about what the neighbor' s wife told the police about what her husband told her that he saw and all the not-so-useful-facts.
   Beware though that the story for each crime is real short, it mostly covers the forensics point of view of how a crime was solved.

5 comments about The Octopus: Secret Government and the Death of Danny Casolaro.

1. This book is interesting, but many questions remain unanswered. In this kind of affairs, the number of protagonists, places and sub-affairs -the whole surrounded by a thick haze of secrecy and deceit- gives a headache...and is somehow frightening...but in the same time I think we feel unsatisfied. We'd like to go farther and deeper. Is it a kind of addiction ?



2. If you read a good newspaper, watch the network news, get a weekly news periodical (all of which I do) and think you pretty well understand American politics (as I did) then you REALLY REALLY need to read this book. I have come to believe that one cannot possibly understand how this country operates by getting one's information from the mainstream press.
   
   If you find some of the information a little hard to believe and you are tenmpted to dismiss it, you might want to try to do a search on the relevant topic. You will almost always find supporting information.



3. This book begins with an investigation into an attempt to corner the market for law enforcement software and ends with the death of Princess Diana and 9/11. One needs a formidably extended elastic to find a link between the latter events and the death of Dany Casolaro.
   It is a very meager extension of L. Fletcher Prouty's book `The Secret Team'.
   The only interesting pages are those explaining the PROMIS program (and backdoor software) and its ability to track movements of vast numbers of people around the world by tapping into the computers of, e.g., utility and credit card companies. Example: A sudden change in water consumption could mean that a person has `guests'.
   
   I cannot recommend this book.



4. I read this book about a week ago and I have to say that although it was quite informative, it left many holes. Unfortunately, we may never know exactly what happened to Danny Casolaro because powers that be will prevent it from becoming public knowledge. The book was mostly a gripping tale about his life as he tried to expose connections between the CIA, drug trafficking, hollywood, and weapons procurement in a tax free Indian reservation. The book lost me when they added a chapter about Lady Diana which had absolutely no connection to his death other than the CIA knowing about it. Still if you want some forbidden knowledge, I'd recommend the book anyway. It is a fairly quick and easy read.



5. Excellent book that uncovers the truth about who
   killed young Danny Casolaro and more importantly,
   why! Mr. Norman and Mr. Skolnick were both on RFA
   several times and the reader sould also look for
   Skolnick's books here on amazon as well! Pick Up
   on any that talk about the Nugan-Hand Bank, BCCI
   or the Inslaw case!

5 comments about The Boston Stranglers.

1. I very much enjoyed this extremely well-researched, suspense-filled account of the saga of Albert De Salvo. The writing is marvellous - one forgets that this is non-fiction, as it runs as smoothly as a novel from evidence to evidence and crime to crime. It really reads like a superb piece of detective fiction. I am impressed by the research involved, and by the wealth of detail that never bogs down the reader, but rather keeps us turning pages. The "Update" is particularly interesting, as it combines a suspenseful journey with gruesome detail and real hillarity. This is a standout in the works of true crime.



2. I was blown away by the last chapter, which describes in detail....wait, I don't want to spoil it. Read it for yourself!
   
   This book is very well-written and documents years of painstaking research.
   
   Particularly fascinating to me was the section on how the film version got it entirely wrong. It makes me wonder how many other films embedded in our consciousness are wildly different from the true events that took place.



3. I read a number of books about this subject, and this is one of the best written. Susan Kelly interjects humor and irony at just the right moments and for a true crime account, it reads more like a novel. I truly enjoyed this book.



4. This book is obviously extremely well researched, and the narrative is easy to read, but only 100 pages into it I am finding it necessary to make my own lists, timelines, and charts to keep track of the players and events. She failed to provide any, even though she introduces multiple threads. She discusses at least three sets of victims (DeSalvo's, Nassar's, and the Boston Stranglers'); several players at several levels of police, judicial, and political jurisdictions; several attorneys, and several different political factors, including cross-jurisdictional squabbles and who gets what kind of publicity. Nevertheless, the reader is given no tie-backs to help keep all of those straight, including which names belong to which set of victims or law enforcement agency, even though 50 pages and multiple other players frequently separate references to specific individuals or significant factors.



5. Susan Kelly has produced a very thoroughly researched and documented book on the subject of the Boston Strangler case of the early 60's.
   
   The Preface tells of the circumstance that led to the author's interest in the case.
   
   She describes the political and public pressure to solve these cases. The media distortion was a major problem.
   
   The author frequently references books by Gerald Frank and F.Lee Bailey as well as numerous newspaper articles.
   
   A few things brought up in this book make a very strong case that Albert DeSalvo wasn't the strangler. His confession in it's entirety would have exonerated him. There is evidence strongly suggesting that some of these cases weren't even related by M.O. or victim type.
   DeSalvo was the "Green Man" guilty of sexual assault but the leap from that to the Strangler was tenuous at best.
   
   Susan Kelly makes a strong argument that Albert Desalvo was looking for fame for himself and financial security for his family. He was offered a chance at both by one of his attorneys and he was no doubt coached by nore than a few people, one being the man that killed some of the "Bostan Strangler" victims. Another factor was that details were published in the newspapers regularly. A casual reader could pick up enough information to make a more compelling confession than DeSalvo did on some of the cases.
   
   The author examines some of the prominent suspects known to be in the areas of the killings, as well as information on the victims, their actions and crime scene details.
   
   "The Boston Stranglers" is an excellent book on the subject and characters involved. It is well written and I highly recommend it.