5 comments about The Sex Slave Murders: The Horrifying True Story of America's First Husband-and-Wife Serial Killers (Sex Slave Murders).

1. Hai (dont mind my English cause I'm from Holland)
   
   I,m sorry I bought this book cause I dont think this is a very good one.
   I was very irritated by the writer finding excuses all the time for the wife of Gallego.
   It made me very angry.
   She Charlene Gallego lured the innocent victims in a trap,(in the back of a van,asking them if they wanna smoke some marihuana) knowing what her husband was planning to do to them. and Mr Flowers is writing how quilty she felt and that she could not do anything else,had no other options!!
   How does he know?
   And then on the end of the book he suddenly changes his mind?
   Dont buy this one. There are much better books than this one...



2. Where to begin.....first of all the print is large and there are a lot of chapters so there are a lot of blank pages. Must have been the publishers way of making the book apprear to be longer than it is. Secondly the author repeats himself, well, repeatedly. He uses the same phrases over and over. Again a ploy to make the book longer. If the editor and publisher had done their jobs this book would have been only half as long. Also, the writing is dry and unimaginative. This story could have been much more interesting if he had taken the time to flesh out (pardon the pun) the characters, their deeds and the storyline itself. I found that I had to stop myself from skipping pages as I was bored with the pace of the book. I've read much better. Hopefully the author will improve with experience.



3. After reading this story, the only real reaction the book elicited from me was a shrug of the shoulders and a "meh" (tm Bart and Lisa Simpson). I am attributing this to a couple of factors. First, the chapters are very short, and the story jumps back and forth between the crimes and the trials of one of the main characters. While this can be an effective way to tell a story, it's not working for me in this book. The chapters are quite short, and at some points the story shifts back and forth with each chapter - this results in a very choppy flow (or lack thereof) to the story.
   
   Second, the writer really seems to project a lot of Charlene's mental state into the book without any indication of where this is coming from. Did the author interview Charlene directly? Did he make assumptions based on the trial testimony she gave? Is he a mind reader? I find it a bit strange that he is continually writing declarative statements of how Charlene felt or of what Charlene was thinking without giving any context as to where this information was coming from.
   
   All in all, I think the book did have one strong point, in that there was no lingering on the actual crimes - no graphic descriptions, no gratuitously gory descriptions of murder scenes. As another reviewer has said, the author also does a great job of humanizing the victims, rather than just making them names to add to the roll call of a body count. Overall, though, I just didn't feel like there was anything in the book that really grabbed my attention.



4. Sitting at Barnes and Noble bookstore I was rummaging through the True Crime book section, looking for a new book to read for a school book project. I came across "The Sex Slave Murders" by Flowers and decided it would do for my project.
   Not only did this book just satisfy my criteria for school, it satisfied me as a reader. Normally, I am one to skip pages and not want to read, but I couldn't put the book down. From victim to victim I became more appalled by the Gallegos, but couldn't stop reading. I was so curious to see what would happen next.
   Every other chapter Flowers wrote about a new victim, what happen to them, what the police think happened to them, and how Gerald and Charlene covered up their tracks. Flowers showed us back and forth the struggle Charlene had killing and helping her husband rape other women, afraid she would be the next victim if she didn't help.
   I think Flowers did a great job getting into the heads of these criminal masterminds. I also enjoyed the fact that he go back and forth between trial and murder, that way I wasn't overwhelmed with their cruel acts all at once.
   I give this book a 5 star. It kept me hanging on till the very end. I would recommend this to anyone, Flowers shows the world the sick and demented creatures that roam the streets like one of us. The Gallegos put fear into eleven victim's eyes, and I was able to see that through Flowers writing.



5. Well, I just paid $7.50 for this paperback from a competitor, and I'd say that's what it's worth. If you're into this case, it's worth the read. Just be sure to do a search for the title. It can be easily found for under $10 at many sites.

3 comments about We're Dead, Come on in.

1. One of the better books I have read about deadly force incidents. It actually included photographs and, more importantly, diagrams of what occurred. Few authors bother with any diagrams and spend almost all their effort on background of the participants; as a result, readers of most such books know plenty about the actors but little about the actual event.
   
   This author took the time to describe the events in detail and included the court testimony and diagrammed the incident. A much better account of this event is the result. I wish more books about unfortunate incidents took this author's approach.



2. Very good history of Springfield and Greene County, Missouri during the 1930's for those dreadful days.



3. If you are interested in the 1932 Springfield Police Massacre open your wallet and buy this boook. The author truly hits the mark when it comes to describing the actual gunbattle,the folks involved, and the investigation. The only problem is-- he apears to be out of his element when he attempts to give historical background concerning the depression era in the Ozarks,Pretty Boy Floyd, Oklahoma, etc. While he clumsily attempts to work in the Civil War battle of Wilsons Creek and the Bald Knobbers(in all the wrong places) he fails to mention such things as the Leonard Short Gang (A very high profile bunch of area bootleggers and bank robbers operating at the time)or the Bilyeu-Meadows fued. The book is also a bit structurally disorganized in places. But--best work to date concerning this interesting subject. Well written (style-wise). All in all--a bit flawed but a good read... R.D.Morgan... author of "The Tri-State Terror" and "Taming the Sooner State"

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

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



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



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

5 comments about Scary Monsters and Super Freaks: Stories of Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N' Roll and Murder.

1. You have probably read some of these articles over the years in magazines and weekly newspapers. Here are some great stories of the last twenty years. Stories about John Holmes and Rick James are great. Mike Sager goes into great detail to give a rounded picture of all his subects. The stories about journalists Janet Lewis and Veronica Guernin are pretty intense. Some of this stuff is about obsessions we all had about ten years ago like Easy-E Eric Wright and the Heaven's Gate Crowd. It's funny how time flys. Check it out.



2. I bought this book on a whim because it looked interesting in the store. I'm glad I did as I've enjoyed it very much. The book is a collection of nineteen articles originally published in Esquire, GQ, or Rolling Stone. The subjects are generally sad and sordid but Sager takes the time to understand his subjects and explain not only what happened to them but why. Some of the incidents he describes are familiar but Sager's work has depth and reveals and explains things other more superficial coverage missed. I recommend this book and will be looking for future work by this writer.



3. each piece in this book is somewhere in the 20 to 50 page range, but despite the brevity, you feel as though you've gotten an in-depth look at some dark, dark american lives. nothing here that you could call feel-good fluff. but it is mostly all very interesting; it kept my fingers flipping the pages faster than 90% of the other books i've been reading of late. highly recommended for those who like good writing on sex & drugs & murder & other sorts of mayhem. and personally i don't think there is a lot of good writing out there on those sorts of things.



4. First things first. I bought this book based on having read Sager's "The Devil And John Holmes" story in Rolling Stone back in '89 and really enjoying it. While I enjoyed all 19 of the stories presented here, I was close to tearing the damn book in half by the time I reached the final offering. Why? Because as I progressed through the book, I began to dread Sager's pet phrase of having someone "cut their eyes" at someone or something else. It's in almost half of these stories. Don't believe me? Check out pages 24, 39, 138, 154, 170, 209, 299, 357, and 416. I fault his editors at GQ for this as at least 6 of the 9 stories were first published in that magazine. Would that stop me from reading anything else by him? No, but in the back of my mind I'd be waiting for someone to "cut their eyes".



5. Based simply on the title of Mike Sager's "Scary Monsters and Super Freaks: Stories of Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N Roll and Murder," I had to buy the book. The title promises a lot, and the book delivers.
   
   The compilation of essays from Sager's journalism career at GQ, Esquire and Rolling Stone magazines features stories of real people who find themselves in improbable situations and what becomes of them. Love triangles, religious cults, musicians, surfers, politicians, cokeheads, moms, pornos, law enforcement agents and prisoners: every person and situation that Sager presents, he presents in a way that one might not normally think of. The 19 stories serve our culture up to us in sometimes unappealing but always intriguing ways. And because each chapter is a complete entity unto itself, the book is good for picking up and putting down if you have a hectic schedule.
   
   Completely enjoyable (though I confess there was one story that I had to skip over - which one it was, I won't say!). Thoroughly recommended.

3 comments about The Lyncher in Me: A Search for Redemption in the Face of History.

1. Warren Read is the great-grandson of Louis Dondino, one of the ringleaders of a riot in 1920 Duluth that led to the lynching of three circus workers accused of raping a young girl. In an effort to make amends, the city of Duluth dedicated a memorial to Elmer Jackson, Elias Clayton, and Isaac McGhie. Warren Read spoke at the ceremony, apologizing for what his great-grandfather did.
   
   Read follows Michael Fedo's (author of THE LYNCHINGS IN DULUTH) lead in disguising the names of the two young people responsible for the lies that resulted in the murder of the three blacks. If you're hoping for "the why" you won't find it here.
   
   Read provides some interesting anecdotes, mainly Elmer Jackson's rather casual response to his own hanging. Just before he died, he surrendered a pair of dice, saying "I guess I won't need these anymore."
   Another touching narrative was Louis Dondino's friendship with Black Bill, a railroad worker he knew later in life after he moved to Washington state. Warren Reid also spends most of the book complaining about his own dysfunctional family. His father also did time in prison for molesting his own children, and his stepfather seemed to revel in psychological if not physically abusing Warren. There's even a somewhat humorous incident involving a twelve-year old black girl who bullied Warren for an entire school year after he insulted her hair-do. Also, during the summer, Warren and his sister Karen would escape to their grandparents home in Wisconsin. Read does an excellent job describing what sounds like rural living from the nineteenth century. His grandparents had no indoor plumbing or electricity. They took sponge baths and got their water from a nearby spring.
   
   After his speech at the ceremony in Duluth, Read tracks down Elmer Jackson's relatives in Topeka, Kansas, and in Marshall, Missouri. His historical account of the all-black community of Pennytown near Marshall is extremely compelling. Coincidentally, while staying at a hotel in Topeka, Read, a gay man, just happens to run into a demonstration by The Westboro Baptist church led by Fred Phelps, the virulent homophobe, that picketed Matthew Shepherd's funeral in Laramie, Wyoming, and funeral of fallen Iraqi War veterans. Call me a cynic but this seemed like an awful coincidence.
   
   Much of Read's book is rather self-congratulatory, especially after he apologizes for his great-grandfather's part in the lynchings. It's easy to apologize for somebody else's mistakes. Read's version of the Lyncher in himself, was his hatred for the black girl who'd bullied him in his band class. If he'd confronted the Phelps demonstrators, I would have been more impressed.



2. This is an unusual book in that it's both a memoir and an interesting look at American history. Read manages to retell an event in compelling "true crime" fasion while laying the possible effects that event had on his family in the traditional "family dysfunction" memoir style. The fact that he seeks out the family of the victims for a kind of reconcilation might puzzle some people, but I thought it was a pretty amazing thing to do and the perfect ending to a powerful story. I thought the connection to Fred Phelps in Topeka was a timely reminder of intolerance today(I've been in Topeka and that family is out in the streets constantly, so the author very likely did see them). There were moments that struck me as "preachy" but maybe that was just my interpretation. This is a different kind of book--a real story where the author does more than just "tell", he dissects and reflects on his experience, so the reader needs to be prepared be more than just an observer of someone else's life. I didn't realize the lingering effects of this book until well after I put it down. A strong companion to other books written for this genre.



3. Lynchings of black Americans was a form of terrorism that existed too commonly in our country years ago. It's a legacy that still has a hold on society today and anyone who doesn't see that is fooling themselves. Read looks at the idea that the tendency to create violence--in society, within our families--is a reality that most of us could relate to. The writing in "The Lyncher in Me" is poetic and evokes stark images of dysfuntion, violence and, ultimately, redemption. The criticism that Read is "self-congratulatory" or "preachy" is absurd. I was able to hear him speak at a reading and from what I gathered upon meeting him, nothing could be further from the truth. He might be proud of what he's done, but after having heard and read about his experience, I think he's earned that right. He not only shoulders the task of trying to make amends for his family's role in the lychings, he goes above and beyond to try and put out a story for one of the victims.
   
   The final third of the book really delves vividly into the story of Elmer Jackson (one of the men lynched--Read wasn't able to find any leads on the other two men). It's clear in reading this portion that Read has taken great pains to meticulously research and reconstruct this man's life and history, including all things related to him. It's fascinating and impressive. I'm not sure that I would have the tenacity and determination to stick with something so daunting (especially since Read apparently is not only a writer, but a school teacher and a father to three growing boys).
   
   For those of us who come from family violence, it's a wonderful lesson in coming to terms with the humanness of those ugly parts of our family that we too often like to pretend are buried and forgotten. A beautifully written book, highly recommended.

3 comments about Homicide (Foundations of Human Behavior).

1. This book presents the view of evolucionist pychology. These authors have some excellent points, especially concerning social anthropology and some of Freud's misinformation, and anyone interested in psychology should not miss this book. However, once the authors have given an overview of behavior in the species homo sapiens, their theories cannot be translated to the individual. They have not taken into consideration the complexity of the human brain and the resultant behavior, especially the ability to symbolize. I felt like I was reading a book on how to assemble a Swiss watch using a pick and shovel



2. Although nominally about the material designated in its title, this book is no mere collection of statistics, but contains wide-ranging discussions of evolutionary psychology, which Daly & Wilson use as the framework for an understanding of the phenomenon of homicide. So if the propensity to homicide is bred into the human race by millennia of natural selection, so also are other phenomena with which society struggles, like sexual harassment. I guess my point is that this book is about homicide and more. It's also lucid and even witty. It reads like a detective story, which indeed it is, but the culprit here is manifold rather than singular. The book will also furnish guidance to those who subscribe to the view that arrest, conviction, and incarceration will have only limited effects on the homicide rate, and that homicide be treated also as a public health problem. Daly & Wilson consider anthropological data from around the world and historical data as well to draw their inferences. In the most common type of murder the perpetrator and victim are young men who know each other and are in (ostensible) conflict over some trivial matter. But Daly & Wilson say that murder is the rare outcome of a common situation where two men face off against each other with each trying to appear more formidable and dangerous than the other. The (biological) reason they behave as they do is that such behavior causes them to acquire (or keep) control of the reproductive behavior of their women. Think about it: wimps, who allowed their women to be taken away from themselves, left no wimp genes in the gene pool. Of course there are a lot of other kinds of murders: children are occasionally murdered, sometimes by their natural parents, but more often by step-parents. It appears that there is a basis for the ever-popular myth (in many cultures, not just western European) of the evil step-parent. Husbands murder wives, but this seems to be a case of violence being used to control the wife's reproductive behavior, and the violence gets out of hand. When wives murder husbands (a rarer occurrence) it tends to be defensive in nature. Wonderful book! Very thought provoking.



3. I've now read this book about 10 times over the past three years while teaching an evolution of human behavior course at the college where I'm employed. I was motivated to say a few supportive words about this book because I have become convinced of its groundbreaking importance in the scientific literature. After a decade of reading and studying evolutionary anthropology/psychology I find no other single book that so clearly and convincingly articulates the application of Darwinian thinking to modern human behavior. It is a perfect text to use with students as it not only teaches a wealth of information, but is also an excellent example of critical interpretation of data. Many of my students have commented on the power of this book to transform them into appreciative readers of science. From my own experience, it is one of a few books that transformed me from a standard social science undergraduate--mired in theoretical mush--into a more critical and thoughtful scholar. The other books that influenced me were by Sarah Hrdy, Don Symons, and later, Jarome Barkow et al. I encourage anyone interested in human behavior to read this book. Bring along a collegiate dictionary if your vocabulary is anything like that of my undergraduates!

5 comments about I Was a Killer for the Hells Angels: The Story of Serge Quesnal.

1. I thought this book would give a better insight into the world of the HA, but I came away disappointed. Quesnel's story is interesting and controversial, but I don't think his story reveals enough details.



2. Not a very good or entertaining book. More of a ramblimg egomaniac's diary. The book did not contain much detail on the events and jumped around way too much. He tries to make himself into a heavy and when it got hot he turned.



3. Very poor insight into the Red and White which is why I bought the book.Comes across as a wannabe who could'nt cut it when the going got tough.



4. A rat is a rat......is a rat. I guess this guy and others like him (see Henry Hill and Sammy the Bull) feel if they can make some money getting average citizens to read about their exploits maybe they can justify (to themselves) their betrayal of their friends and brothers. You'd be wise to save your money and not make these kinds any richer...especially one like this who is short on details when it comes to his association with the Angels. In my opinion he only used their name to help sell the book. Don't bother. Read Sonny's instead.



5. Not such a hot book. I would read other books on the subject.

5 comments about Homicide Special: A Year with the LAPD's Elite Detective Unit.

1. Although the book was a very interesting read, most of the cases highlighted in it had not been solved by the time the book went to press, leaving me wondering what happened.



2. My husband picked this book up from a bargain table at Borders. I was skeptical, looking at the cover, but it's one of the best true crime books I've read. Throughout the accounts of each murder investigation, Miles Corwin peppers you with intriguing information about the detectives, the victims, the suspects, various LA neighborhoods and LA history. It's riveting, to say the least, and you don't want it to end.



3. It's not an awful book, but it gets tiresome after a while. And it gets tiresome because all of the cases are successful cases that get solved quickly. So the book fails the drama test.
   
   Corwin oughta know that boredom is inevitable when your book's subjects go from one success to the next, to the next. Its like reading the biography of someone born beautiful, smart, rich, talented, and lucky. They get picked Prom Queen and quarterback, and their moms loves them more.



4. What was interesting was that most of the murders were committed by immigrants or illegal aliens. The First Chapter was the Russian sex trade in LA. They were all illegal and the woman who was murdered was selling other women. When she made her pot of gold she was going back to Russia.
   everyone comes here for money and they murder for it too.
   Another man came here and imported Brides from his own country , while he was a crook. This is called Chain immigration of course.
   I learned a lot about how easy it is for immigrants to come here.I would say that none of them made any attempt to intergrate into the dominant culture,they stayed in their own segregrated world( by choice) and murdered those close to them.
   This is what diversity is and I recommend that people go to Numbersusa dot com and find out how to limit immigration



5. I live in L.A., and I originally bought this book as research material for an article I wanted to write. Expecting something either too dry or sensational, I wound up falling in love with Corwin's vivid, immersive writing style. It was a really pleasant surprise. He knows how to draw the reader into the world of homicide investigation, conveying the tedium of investigation without losing the excitement of the pursuit. He peels back layers of compelling detail on cases that were well-published by the press, revealing a flawed yet fascinating process of tracking down our most dangerous criminals. I felt like I was right there with him and the RH detectives he follows for the year. I couldn't get enough. And the way he portrays the detectives of RH who work tirelessly on these high-profile cases was truly endearing. (Maybe his portrayal was too sympathetic. Who knows?)
   
   I had a few maddening moments reading about the case for Robert Blake's wife with the perspective we have now. With little effort -- the case spoke for itself -- Corwin conveyed a powerful message about the influence of the media on our collective prejudices, as well as how helpless investigators can be when dealing with uncooperative witnesses. The book finished on this case, leaving me with not just a profound understanding of the homicide investigation process, but how our city has handicapped some of its most valuable law enforcement personnel.
   
   I wish Corwin would return to RHS and do this again. I'd not only buy that book, but I'd buy copies for my friends!

5 comments about Lethal Guardian.

1. Lethal Guardian was an exceptionally well researched and satisfying read. Buzz Clinton was an imperfect man trying to get on the right track in life, who married Kim Carpenter, a young woman who had a vindictive and manipulative family. She brought with her a young daughter whom Buzz wanted to adopt and raise as his own. The Carpenters resented Buzz and fought hard to get legal custody of the daughter. Buzz never backed down, and though the Carpenters did what they could to mar Buzz's character, the legal system found Buzz and Kim to be competent parents. In an effort to remove his new family from the hatefulness and manipulation of Kim's parents and sister, Buzz was preparing to move to Arizona. This didn't sit well with Kim's sister, Beth Ann, who had started her own campaign to get rid of Buzz. Beth Ann used her feminine wiles with both her boyfriend and her boss and anyone else she thought might be useful. Her boss, Haiman Clein, completely smitten with Beth Ann, was a lawyer who not only represented a drug dealer, but was also a heavy cocaine user himself. Beth Ann was able to convince Haiman to find someone to kill Buzz. Hard to believe, but the story gets even better and more complicated. I won't go further into the tale, but Phelps does an excellent job of sorting out all the details and people mixed up in Beth Ann's web. In the end, I felt like everyone got what they deserved. My one question is about what happened with Kim and her children. The Clinton's did all they could to accommodate her and their grandchildren after Buzz's death, but I wasn't clear on what Kim chose to do with her life. I applaud the Clinton's for their strength throughout the long ordeal that finally put those involved in Buzz's murder away.



2. "Minority opinions" are tricky but this reviewer believes one has to call `em as he sees `em, even if out of step with his friends in the amazon community. LG is a serious, studied tale of a custody dispute between 2 families that goes awry. Terribly awry. Someone meets his/her demise! The Clinton and Carpenter clans are the adversaries and a child names Rebecca is the focal point. LG is set in the area around New London, CT-not a typical true crime locale. Author Phelps weaves an interesting plot with some bizarre true life bad guys, though none qualify as "hardened criminals". In fact, two are decidedly white collar types. This reviewer tries to avoid divulging resolutions but most readers should be relatively satisfied and unshocked by the conclusion. LGs principal weakness, it says here, is its' length. There is too much detail! For example, Beth Carpenter's trip to England and Ireland could have been truncated. A stern editor with a sharp blue pencil should have shed some weight from the text. (Do such editors exist anymore or have they all been laid off?). Many may believe that LGs heft was needed to draw out the characters. As my friend Tundra has already noted, the Ann Rule rule is in effect! Skip those tempting centerfold photos because they divulge everything. For that matter, one should also ignore the front and back covers. There are "hints" thereon! The foregoing aside, true crime aficionados should still enjoy LG. Folks living in eastern Connecticut should pounce; they could easily add a star or two to the admittedly strict rating above.



3. Author M. William Phelps writes the mouth-dropping, mind-boggling tale of the Carpenters and the Clintons, described perfectly within as modern "Hatfields and McCoys." This well written story is the twisted actions of two attorneys, most specifically Beth Ann Carpenter, who would do anything for love and custody of Beth Ann's niece, Rebecca, respectively. And to accomplish their goals, they seek out low life criminals who will do anything for money to fund their criminal lifestyles.
   
   I found this book to be one of the best true crime stories I have read. It has everything an avid true crime reader loves including dirty little secrets, sordid affairs and kinky sex, devoted parents, and thrill of the chase.
   
   Five stars to this top author and his exceptional true crime book!



4. Leathal Guardian blew my mind. It amazed me that the case was solved at all. Phelps does a great job of digging into the character's past and making it all make some kind of sense. His empathy for the victims shines like a beacon in his writing making him a star in the True Crime venue.
   Kari Butler



5. LETHAL GUARDIAN (LG) covers the murder for hire of Buzz Clinton by an assortment of low lifes including a pair of thug/misfits, a drug addicted and sexually perverted lawyer, and Clinton's sister in law, Beth Ann Carpenter, who is also a lawyer. I feel about LG much as I did about another M. William Phelps book, PERFECT POISON.
   
   Phelps is a good writer and an exhaustive researcher. This is no cut and paste, casually written, slop job as are many true crime attempts. Phelps has obviously spent a long time in the research and writing of LG and has turned out a creditable and entertaining book.
   
   I have not rated this book 5 stars, however, because, as with PERECT POISON, I have some problems with the writing. I feel that the best true crime is written as reportorially as possible. Phelps does this to a large degree, but there are still too many "signposts", with Phelps indicating if not directly telling the reader what to think. His style is a little too chatty for my taste. This is, however, not criticism so much as observation. It is simply a matter of taste, and Phelps' is clearly different from mine in this regard. And it IS his book.
   
   Secondly, as I have stated, Phelps is a serious and dedicated researcher. But LG is too long, by maybe 50 or so pages. This may be due in part to what I believe is Phelps' problem in deciding what information to omit.
   
   Finally, Phelps engages in repitition - not a lot, but a little - and unnecessary verbiage - not a lot, but a little - which ultimately become somewhat irritating. I noticed this particularly in the last 100 pages or so where it felt as if Phelps started rushing as though he had become slightly tired of writing LG and wanted to hurry up and finish it.
   To provide some examples, several times during the trial phase of the book, Phelps provides us with testimony and then reminds us that it "it was up to the jury to decide" its worth. Well, yeah.
   As another example, throughout the book, and more than once, Phelps has provided the reader with important and detailed information about the personal weaknesses of the main characters. As such, it wouldn't seem to be necessary in the trial phase to repeat the numerous reasons that these people would be less than stellar witnesses. It has already been made abundantly clear.
   And as a final example from page 428: "If the jury was in need of latching onto a particular witness and drawing sympathy from that person, Tricia Gaul was that person - and Kane and McShane knew it." Well OF COURSE they knew it. They have already been described as fine and experienced lawyers who could be presumed to know what they were doing. A little less of this would, in my opinion, improve Phelps' style, increasing its intelligence.
   
   Still Phelps is a good writer and none of my disagreements are at all deal breakers. LG is fast paced and always interesting. Phelps handles both the trial and police investigation parts well. Lesser or unconcerned writers will often quote trial transcript directly, substituting verbatim copying for research, and will routinely discuss the minutiae of police investigation, probably because it is easily obtained, to the point of tedium. Phelps does not, and has no need to, do so.
   
   LETHAL GUARDIAN is very good true crime. I'm glad I read it and I think most fans of the genre will enjoy it.

5 comments about Dying For Daddy: A True Story of Family Killer Jack Barron (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. This is the son of Starla. This book contains many lies. I lived in the house with Jack Barron. Jack and my mother did not have sex. There are also many other false facts and disgusting lies. I find it offensive that my mothers name has been drug into the dirt by this book. Also, just to let everybody know, my parents never finaled the divorce and are still very hapily married. I just thought everybody should know this. To the author, you're an ill informed sad example of a man and you should have got your facts straight before you wrote this terrible book. This is something I thought every reader should know. I lived with the psycho Jack Barron the author didn't.



2. Often with true crime, you know up front who the murderer is, so the interesting part is what mistakes did he make, what circumstances or character development led to the crime(s), how the police solved it and how the trial played out.
   In this book, the motive is vague (insurance money, anger at father's desertion) and the character description doesn't really unfold enough for the reader to make an assessment.
   The police part is pretty ho-hum, without many breakthroughs, mostly bumbling along. The final trial isn't included in the book.
   I'm sure if I were a friend or family member, it would be riveting despite these drawbacks, but for me it was not a very satisfying example of true crime writing.



3. This is a pretty straightforward telling of a true crime story that involved Jack Barron, a man whose wife, son, and daughter all seemed to have died in that order in their sleep in Sacramento California within two years of each other. Thanks to a bumbling, seemingly incompetent, Coroner's Office and a fairly uninterested Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, what should have been obvious after his wife's death, went unnoticed by those who should have known. One cannot help but speculate what might have been had the authorities acted with some semblance of competence. Perhaps, there might not have been three more needless deaths.
   
   Consequently, Jack Barron went on to ensure that his little son and young daughter met the same fate as their mother. Still, no one in Sacramento law enforcement made a move to stop Jack Barron after each death, and the Coroner's Office still dithered in terms of its medical findings and conclusions. It was not until Barron moved to another jurisdiction, Benicia, California, and his own mother met the same fate as her daughter-in-law and grandchildren, did the Sacramento authorities really sit up and take notice, as law enforcement in Benicia was immediately suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his mother's death, especially when they discovered what had happened to the rest of Barron's family in Sacramento. The Coroner's Office for Benicia had no problem determining the cause of death for Barron's mother, given the medical findings. They were the same findings that had existed for Barron's wife. The only difference in the determination of the cause of death was the competence of the Coroner for the corresponding jurisdiction.
   
   While the story is told in a fairly straightforward fashion, it is a story that is somewhat premature in the telling, as the book ends with Jack Barron awaiting trial for murder in Sacramento, California for the deaths of his wife, son, and daughter. His trial for his mother's murder would follow the one in Sacramento. So, there is no trial information or resolution in this book. One has to go on the internet to discover the eventual result of the trial. The lack of this information in the book is disappointing, as it leaves the reader hanging. Those readers who enjoy the true crime genre will still get a modicum of enjoyment from reading this book but will be brought up short by the obvious drawback in the story.



4. I am always annoyed when I read a book that lacks grammatical correctness. It is a sign of poor writing skills and/or sloppy editing. For me, it detracts from the story line and interferes with the smooth flow of the book.
   I found the plot line to this book to be hapharard. At times it's difficult to determine who is narrating the story. The author is very repetitive. Also, don't look for a conclusion to the story.
   This book was written prematurely. My guess is the author couldn't wait to write the book so he could start raking in the bucks.
   Consequently, we're not informed of the outcome. Isn't that 99.99% of the reason for reading true crime books?
   This one's a rip off!



5. Dying For Daddy: A True Story of Family Killer Jack Barron (St. Martin's True Crime Library) I HAD NOT HEARD ABOUT THIS CRIME, AND TO BE HONEST, IT CAUGHT MY EYE BECAUSE MY MAIDEN NAME IS BARRON. I THOUGHT THE STORY WAS WELL WRITTEN AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING. IT IS FASCINATING THAT A PERSON'S MIND COULD BE SO WARPED THAT HE COULD KILL THOSE PEOPLE WHO LOVED AND CARED FOR HIM SO EASILY. THE PSYCOLOGY IS WHAT INTRIGUES ME.