5 comments about O.J. Is Guilty But Not of Murder.

1. We all watched that weird "low-speed chase." We all watched at least a little bit of the trial... and we all argued about whether O.J. had done the murders. A lot of us thought he'd gotten away with murder. When I was a graduate student a couple of years later, a group of us did a study on public attitudes toward O.J.'s guilt/innocence (results: black males thought he was innocent, white females thought he was guilty, black females and white males fell into the middle of the statistics).
   Now, WOW! William C. Dear's extensive, complete, detailed analysis of the evidence shows that O.J. didn't do it! His son Jason did it! Mr. Dear has convinced not only me of this, but also a number of crime experts, friends of O.J., psychologists, etc.
   Not every part of Mr. Dear's case is equally strong. The motive, for example, is a bit weak - supposedly Nicole stood up Jason after planning to have a large party at the restaurant where he was a chef. But the psychological information on Jason; his history of violence; his strange behavior throughout his life....they point toward guilt. And O.J.'s behaviors too. He said, remember: "I didn't do it, but it's all my fault!" (He meant, because Jason turned out so messed up and did it.) Also, the morning after the murders, O.J. hired a top murder lawyer TO REPRESENT JASON. Nothing came of this, because the LAPD never really took a look at Jason; but come on! It's pretty clear why O.J. did that. And there is much, much more evidence.
   The book is written in a slightly grainy first-person style that I found quite enjoyable. It's a bit rough and spotty, but that makes it all the more believable. I never would've thought I'd rate a book like this one so highly, but I must admit, I read it until I fell asleep and then got up and started reading again in the morning.
   This book deserves more attention than it has received. Kudos to William C. Dear.



2. I read this book last night right after I received it in the mail. It's absolutely eye-opening. First, you have to have an open-mind to read this book. If you have concluded that O.J. Simpson is guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, then you should not read this book unless you are to ready to learn something or use your mind to determine your own conclusions. The author here does a briliant job in developing a case against Jason Simpson, O.J.'s son. Of course, maybe Jason would have emerged as the prime suspect if the police or district attorney's offices talked to him. That's right, the LAPD and the district attorneys like Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden already concluded that O.J. Simpson committed the crimes. This book states he was protecting his son, Jason, who you would learn is emotionally disturbed and suffers from mental illness and has a history of blindess. Oh let's not forget that Jason is an excellent chef who carries around his own knives in his chef's kit. Remember, O.J. hates the site of blood which is documented. This book has also painted a portrait of Nicole Brown Simpson not as a victim but a strong woman who survived a violent domestic relationship to O.J. Simpson but their relationship was far more complicated than the media allowed to believe. She was a woman who was enjoying the good life and the freedom to pursue men but she always talked about O.J. to others. When they were together, they were inseparable. Apart, they talked little about anybody else to their friends and relatives. O.J. wasn't or isn't stupid. He may have covered up for his son's deeds and it cost him more than anything he could have imagined such as the loss of his true love, the public's demonization, and financially. He lives in Florida and plays golf but is still dismissed as the killer. I think he would rather bear that than lay it on Jason who would have probably been sentenced to death row at San Quentin in California. Of course, let's remember that nobody else was ever charged or even investigated. The whole crime was displayed as murder but Dear doesn't mention that O.J.'s physically damaged by his years of football and drugs to commit such a heinous crime and manage to get away with it by running for his life. At least, this author does investigate the possibility of Ron Goldman as the ultimate target. He investigates the entire Simpson family including the death of the infant daughter, Aaren. He also digs into Jason's medical history rather illegally but at least he is doing the work that the L.A.P.D. has not done at all. They never questioned Jason, never verified his alibi which wasn't airtight, never bothered to verify his story, never bothered to investigate Jason as a potential suspect. At least, Dear appears to be on the side of the truth. It is not that O.J.'s inner circle isn't aware of his existence. Maybe O.J. wrote his recent book to disuade the notion that Jason is a suspect because this book does reveal a lot of interesting facts. Regardless of how you feel about O.J. Simpson, the former celebrity, sports hero, and now social pariah, this book sheds light never shown before on a man who might be guilty but not of murder but of protecting his son, Jason. Dear writes sympathetically about Jason as a complicated and troubled man who needs help. At least, he has been quiet but who knows what really happened that night on Bundy Drive. Who is to say that the criminal jury got it wrong and maybe the civil jury got it right because O.J. felt responsible. When I read that Jason couldn't view Nicole's body at the wake, it should have been a wake-up call. O.J. and the mourners sat there for hours while Jason was too distraught. At the trial, he was kept away until the verdict.



3. I enjoyed Mr Dear's book The Dungeon Master(5 stars).
   Thats what led me to buy this most recent book
   
   One thing that bothers me when I'm reading his books is that the author seems to be writing more about himself and how great he is as a detective and how intelligent he is. It just stands out to me. That he trying to prove to the whole world that he seeing things that no one else sees.
   I went back and reread several other OJ books and just about everything he preaches said been said before just not in as much detail.
   
   This book was was interesting and a little strange. It took me 6 months to receive it from Amazon. I couldn't find a publisher. I guessed he published it himself and he did a nice job. Take the dust cover off and the book is nicely done.
   
   What's weird is this JUROR BALLOT at the back of the book.
   You are supposed to fill it out then tear the page out and mail it to Mr. Dear so he can take it to the L.A. District Attorney's office:
   
   Here's what I imagine happening:
   
   First, do you remember what happened at the end of the OJ trial? LAPD and the L.A. District Attorney's office was embarrassed beyond belief in front of the whole world when they lost that trial after 9 months of work.
   
   Here comes Mr Dear strutting up the LA District steps with a file folder filled with "Dear's Official Juror Ballots" to give to the DA.
   
   Then Mr Dear walks up the stairs into the District Attorneys office and announces " I'm William C. Dear and I'm an International Private Eye from Dallas, Tx. and I insist and the readers of my "OJ is Guilty But Not of Murder Official Juror Ballots" insist that you immediately reopen the OJ Simpson murder investigation.
   
   Fifteen seconds later, I would advise you not to be standing in front of the double wide, clear glass doors of the downtown LA Court House because you will witness 2 burly guards approaching the door, each guard having one arm under a leg and the other arm around the back of a flopping International Private Eye from Dallas just before he is tossed like an Abiline straw bale down the steps to hopefully land on the internationally famous, inlaid platimum glitter, 4 1/2 inch heeled, genuine, imported from Corpus Cristi, Texas diamond-backed garter snake skinned boots.
   
   All joking aside the man could be right and I like his books but I still don't want to be standing in front of the doors of the LA D.A.'s office when Mr Dear gets escorted out.
   



4. This book explains the Simpson case in a completely plausible and compelling way. The explanation even adds a new tragic dimension to the story. Read this book and decide for yourself.



5. Dear certainly makes alot of strong points and this was definetley an entertaining read. He succesfully shows jason simpsons shortcomings in life and does show viable proof that jason simpson was a troubled kid with severe medical issues that were seemingly overlooked. He also breaks down jasons odd behaivor the night of the murder with a fabrication of an albi that is simply not true. He does provide a solid motive and the evidence after the crimes is certainly intresting because it does make sense and its all very odd behaivor. But the fact remains that there is no solid evidence that ties jason simpson to the actual crime scene that night. There was no blood from jason simpson found anywhere at bundy (nicole's condo) or any shoe prints. If Jason simpson murdered ron and nicole there had to be at least some evidence at the crime scene to tie it to him there and the only thing dear provides is a unidentified hair found near the knit cap but being this is an outdoor scene chances are that hair could have landed there via wind. Dear also lays claim that jason contacted his father via phone to tell him what he had done but there has never been a phone record produced to show this ever happening and with the amount of fixiation on oj's whereabouts during this time i find it hard to believe if a phone record did exist it was never produced considering how the prosecution had broken down every little thing oj had done that night. Dear also seems to ignore all the evidence against oj simply claiming oj was a broken down man because a source told him oj struggled during the famed excericse video filmed weeks earlier. All in all while Jason simpson very well could have committed these murders dear never provides concrete evidence jason simpson was at the crime scene.

5 comments about The Man Who Invented Las Vegas.

1. This is a top notch read. It is hard to find books of this caliber about the mob. The research is scholarly but still accessible. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the birth of Las Vegas and the gritty details of Hollywood history in general.



2. One man's chronic gambling habit became the foundation for modern Las Vegas: The Man Who Invented Las Vegas documents his rags-to-riches story and his impact on building the casinos and hotels of Las Vegas. Black and white photos pepper an examination of publisher Wilkerson's life and investments in the Las Vegas image in a fascinating blend of local history and biography.



3. Whatta story! If Mr. Wilkerson only had control of his addiction there is no telling what he could have accomplished. This is a talented man who had half the world by the tail, but couldn't get that 2nd half. He was able to accomplish a lot and was the creator of modern casinos in Las Vegas. This is a short story, but filled with interesting information. Highly recommended.



4. This is a sketchy at best account of a powerful man during his time. The book is short and did not give me enough details to his insight on Vegas except that he was a gambloholic. It left me wanting to know more about this man and his rise to power. Honestly I enjoyed more his accounts as the publisher of the Hollywood Reporter and the power he had there than his accounts of trying to build the Flamingo. I thought the book would give more insight on early Vegas but to me gave more to early Hollywood.



5. A really fascinating little book, with a very rare quality... it's really the first time this story has been told. Other Vegas books are good, some are great, but most in one way or another repeat the stories we've read before (another exception: Fly on the Wall by Dick Odessky).

5 comments about The Chase for Beauty.

1. I read this book because I'm a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and I heard a lot of buzz about the story of Dr. Hurwitz, The Total Body Lift and the clockwork orange murder in Squirrel Hill.
   
   I finally decided to pick it up after reading an article about it in the post gazette back in September. The article describe the book as having a short beginning, a long middle, and an ending that was going in the right direction. I personally felt like the beginning and the middle were page turners, while the ending didn't have enough closure, probably because these were all true accounts.
   
   I also felt like I wanted to learn a lot more about the murderer of Karen. In the Post Gazette article, it says the author interviewed the murderer for 5 days at Fayette County prison. I'd love to read the transcript of that interview. I was definitely confused as to whether or not the boy was crazy, jealous, or both.
   
   What I loved most about The Chase was that the author recreated Dr. Hurwitz's life and made me feel like I was an actual part of it.
   
   Pick up this book if:
   - you're from Pittsburgh because it will without a doubt hit home
   - you need to be inspired by someone who has had it a lot worse than you
   - you want to learn how to appreciate the joy and beauty in life



2. Like a couple of the other reviewers, I'm not a huge reader (although I spent much of college in literature classes).
   
   I was drawn to this story because it sounded almost like fiction when I heard about the horrific murder and the glitzy plastic surgeon. Indeed it was a page-turner.
   
   A great part of the book was the descriptive style that Mendelson uses to take the reader into the lives of the Hurwitz family--their joys, their great sorrow and their need to move past the terrible tragedy.
   
   Without giving too much away, my favorite part of the book comes after the murder, when Dr. and Mrs. Hurwitz make a decision for their future.
   
   All in all, it was a good read. The only thing I might have changed was the title. I'm not sure that "The Chase for Beauty" captures enough of the emotion that the book truly exudes.



3. I read this book in one day. Every time I got to the end of a chapter, I found myself unconsciously rolling into the next.
   
   At first, I thought that I was interested in this book because of the setting. Being from Pittsburgh, it was exciting to notice familiar landmarks in the the story. But, upon reflection, I realize that it was the story, itself, and the messages attached to it, that really kept me engaged. Of course, the writing style also helped. Reading this book was effortless, but the reward and experience was incredible.
   
   This book is a must-read for anyone who: doesn't like to read, loves to read, has lost a loved one, has a personal struggle of their own, is looking for motivation, needs help rebuilding, has an interest in religion, likes crime or drama, is interested in the medical community, or wants to be moved.
   
   In truth, this page-turner is a perfect fit for anyone who wants a good read. It explores a range of emotions, from shock and fury, to empowerment and peace.
   
   Not only does the book capture the emotional roller coaster of sorrow and joy, it also looks at everyday situations and challenges in a honest, simple way. This true story is a personal, fresh read with a momentum of its own. Once you pick it up, it's impossible not to get swept away.



4. Even though this book is about a gruesome murder, it is so beautifully written that I couldn't put it down. I kept turning each page wanting to read more and more about the Hurwitz family. With half the book left to read, I had to take it with me on vacation instead of opting for a beach book full of fluff. A must read about a family that doesn't give up no matter how ugly life gets!



5. Great read. I would absolutely recommend this book. Can't wait to see more things by this author. He really made the story personal and exciting. Couldn't put it down.

5 comments about Mob Over Miami.

1. I thought this was a great book. It had a lot of facts. It connected what was going on with Chris from the beginning to his arrest. You kind of get tired of the deviation from Chris' story of fame, fortune, and fatal faults. That is until Chris gets arrested than your glad because you know actually how the arrest for a crime from so long ago came about. Michele did her research and wrote a good book. It kind of reminded me of a mini mob series. Like the sopranos were tons of different events happen in a coincidental way to the detriment of one person (or a crew of persons in this case.) Great book, lots of information, and still sexy.



2. OLD NEWS: BUT WELL PACKAGED. IT'S AMAZING THE STUFF YOU CAN LEARN IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK.



3. "Mob Over Miami" details the rise and fall of one Chris Paciello, who, through a combination of luck, toughness, street-smarts, and charisma, became a major player in South Florida's nightclub scene after he left New York. I hesitate to divulge anything else, for this book is such a great read I wouldn't want to give anything away. I will state, however, that, in my opinion, the author, Michelle McPhee, is without a doubt one of the best writers around today. Once I picked up this book I found it difficult to put down. After you read this story, I think you'll agree.



4. Man, did this book suck!!!!! Nothing personal, but the author's writing style was like something out of US WEEKLY or PEOPLE magazine. Not to mention Chris Paciello's mob contact was very little once he left New York. I don't know, it just wasn't that great of a book. Imagine you just finished reading MURDER MACHINE or BLOOD AND HONOR, and then you pick this one up. BIG LETDOWN!!!!!



5. Chris Paciello's rise to stardom represents everything that is wrong with this country's blind celebrity worship. A shiftless thug with no legitimate accomplishments to his name bludgeons his way to nightclub fame in Miami, destroying lives along the way and exacting a huge toll on society.
   
   Paciello and his buddies were gangster Staten Island wannabes with none of the intelligence or style of any of the wise guys they emulated from several generations earlier. Mob Over Miami is rampant with tales of awkward shootings in broad daylight, conspicuous firebombing of competitor nightclubs, and fights that more often than not were the equivalent of sucker punching a deaf and blind man. What a fake Paciello was: his muscles were fake (he was a steroid abuser); his Italian name and heritage were fake (he's German); and, most flagrantly, his business acumen was fake and earned at the barrel of a gun. Still, those things didn't stop lowlifes like Madonna, Ingrid Casares, and Niki Taylor from their abject worship, even when Paciello's criminal past was impossible to ignore (e.g., he was part of a botched burglary attempt that left a housewife answering the door shot dead in her own home).
   
   The only good thing to come out of these graceless accounts of criminal ineptitude is when these worms tuned on one another or, better yet, rubbed one another out (e.g., Paulie Gulino). Unfortunately, Paciello sang quickly and loudly enough to authorities to evade punishment, and is allegedly in the Federal Witness Protection Program.
   
   Michelle McPhee did a fabulous job of making this story entertaining while somehow giving her subjects as much dignity as she could, given what she had to work with. Mob Over Miami is nowhere nearly as tabloid-ready as it probably deserves to be. It's easy to see that the author was passionate about her subject matter, and she wove a riveting tale that made you forget that Paciello is more Joey Buttafucco than John Gotti. She's a tough New Yorker, too, which lends the tale a healthy dose of credibility and flair.

5 comments about Catch Me If You Can: A California Saga of Murder, Greed, and Two Heroic Detectives (True Crime (Avon Books).).

1. Detectives were vain not thorough? Poorly written, overly dramatic and unfairly biased? Do these people have the right book?
   
   Besides being extremely well written and very much like a novel in the way it read, the thing that impressed me about this book was the research that must have gone into it. It's like the thinking man's "CSI". If you want fluff, or if you have the attention span of a toddler, you probably won't appreciate Hanadel's work. Buy another book at the same time because you'll be through this one in a few days.



2. Really enjoyed this book. The author is definately above par. Recommended to everyone.



3. This book is a real find in the true crime genre. Having never heard of Kraig Hanadel,I wasn't expecting much,but was surprised. His treatment of this true crime story is masterful,and excellently written, quite unlike some of the pulp-type paperbacks that are cranked out. Reading much like a detective, or mystery novel, it's all the more fascinating because the story is true. I searched for more books of the same type by Mr. Hanadel, but alas,no luck.



4. I had so much fun with this book. It was writtten very interestingly and I had a hard time putting it down. I think this book perfect because it doues not focus to much on the gorey details, but it lets you follow the process of catching a murderer. Reccomended.



5. I remember watching this air on Arts and Entertainment about the terrible murders. A son, Dana, involved in planning and executing of his parents and sister on Easter Sunday. The father was a businessman who made his living from airplanes. The family prospered in Fresno, California. Unfortunately, Dana was not a grateful son because he felt the family's wealth was owed to him. He was consumate liar and unconsciousable brother and son. He had no regards that his family was completely executed. Of course, the book helps explain how the authorities caught up with Dana and put him away forever where he belongs. The Ewell family should rest in peace now. Although, it is just still unthinkable but not hard to imagine a spoiled brat like Dana who could destroy his whole family for money.

4 comments about Fatal Innocence: The Crime That Shocked the World-The Story of Two British Ten-Year-Old Killers and Their Three-Year-Old Victim.

1. Excellent and thorough book about the terrible tragedy in England. Not to be missed for the true crime buff. The boys who killed were children and the story is basically unbelieveable, but it DID happen and will probably happen again given the same circumstances of the parents lifestyles and "two of a kind" together at the right (wrong) time and the right (wrong) place.



2. This is one of the saddest books I have ever read.I don't know of anyone who could read it and not cry for poor little Jamie and his family.I hope the murderers themselves get all the help they need,they are after all only children.A very graphic account of a very sad event.Keep your tissues handy.



3. In Australia, this book was tiled "The Sleep Of Reason," and yes, that is what reason did on the fateful afternoon of 12 February 1993 - it slept, and it slept very soundly indeed, leaving us profoundly disturbed and scratching our heads and asking the perennial "Why? questions that can never be answered. Are, or were these boys evil? Nobody can answer that for sure. Surely a child of 10 knows that when you throw a brick at someone and it hits them, it will hurt. Surely they knew that when you beat someone, blood will be shed. And surely they must realise that when you attack someone and cause them to sustain the grievous injuries sustained by little James Bulger, a likely outcome is death? So, my personal analysis leads me to the conclusion of evil, but that fact is really only for the sociologists and Sigmund Freuds among us to debate.

   Totally unbiased, this is reporting at its highest level. Smith describes the atmosphere in which the offenders were bred, their lives before they committed the crime, and the fatal cynergism between them which resulted in a brutal death for a 3 year old boy and a lifetime of grief for his anguished parents.




4. I am 17 years old and almost every page of that book brought me to tears. How anyone even a child could commit such a murder is beyond me. In the beginning of the book the Author recounts all the killings throughout Europes history that were committed by Children and I never thought such things were possible. That book made me want to become a Lawyer so that I could put people like that away. When you are 10 years old you know what your doing you just act innocent and pretend you dont-believe me I know. The last thing I could find on the killers was an article in 1999 about how they had an "unfair" trial because it was public and if they are released they will be given new names,new identities,new social security numbers, and so on, in my opinion that is WRONG. It's wrong to the family of James Bulgar and it's wrong to the people of Europe...

4 comments about Simon Says: A True Story of Boys, Guns, and Murder.

1. The shocking teen violence and depravity in this country that a decade ago seemed like a horrid anomaly, unfortunately now seems to have become a weekly occurrence. On New Year's Eve 2000 in the rural countryside outside of Colorado Springs, just twenty months after the Columbine massacre, a Grandmother, Grandfather and their fifteen year old Grandson were brutally and senselessly murdered.
   
   The investigation that followed revealed that four teenage boys with ages that ranged from fifteen to nineteen years old were involved in committing the murders, planning the murders, and destroying crucial evidence. One of the boys, fifteen year old Isaac Grimes, who was later convicted of murdering fifteen year old Tony Dutcher by slitting his throat from behind with a knife in such a heinous way as described in the court records: "at issue, is the brutality with which the defendant killed Tony. The autopsy showed he sawed back and forth." "The D.A. demonstrated a sawing motion with his hand against the loose skin of his own neck." "He severed the spinal cord, not just the spinal column." What makes this repulsive crime even more incredulous is the fact that Isaac and Tony used to be best friends.
   
   The Grandparent's Carl and Joanna Dutcher were slaughtered in a salvo of bullets. But the backdrop of this horrendous crime that joggles the imagination and all human sensibilities, is the relationship and "pecking order" of the four teenage criminal sociopaths Simon Sue, Jon Matheny, Isaac Grimes and to a lesser extent Glen Urban. (He destroyed evidence.) Simon at nineteen was the oldest high school student and he filled the role as a "Svengali" like leader. His parents were originally from Guyana a small South American country. None of the future criminals had many real friends, so Simon targeted them to become part of a non-existent "secret" paramilitary organization, "Operations and Reconnaissance Agents" (OARA). Simon said "OARA stood ready to serve should a coup arise against the standing Guyanese government, the People's Progressive Party. Under Simon's tutelage the boys learned to assemble and disassemble weapons, practiced shooting and planned and carried out burglaries. All without any of their parents knowing what was going on. When Simon demanded they murder Tony Dutcher and his Grandparents while Simon was conveniently out of the country, the other boys followed orders, later saying Simon's threats to murder their families kept them from telling anyone.
   
   After the murders the police and CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigation) during the course of their investigation turned up among other things at Simon's house alone; THIRTY SIX GUNS, MOST OF THEM MILITARY ASSAULT RIFLES, WEDGED INTO A CLOSET... THEY TAGGED UZIS, SKS,'S AND AK-47'S. As heart wrenching as the murders themselves are, the domino "death-affect" tremors of loss to all surviving family members is just as important in the telling of this tragic senseless crime. Charles Dutcher alone lost his son and his Mother and Father. The authors writing style is not poetic, nor does it revive memories of Hemingway or other famous authors. But what the author does succeed at is terrific investigative reporting. There is not a wasted chapter or a wasted page. The reader is taken step by step through this entire sordid mess. She cannot give you the big answers, because that's the problem with this heart-breaking catastrophe, no logical person with a heart beating with even an ounce of humanity can answer the questions that this story and far too many stories like this raise. As many scientists state: "THE BEST EXPERIMENTS CREATE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS" AND PERHAPS THIS BOOK SHOULD BE FILED UNDER THE SAME HEADING!



2. Kathryn Eastburn is at her best with the telling of this tragic tale. She approaches the subject with a reporter's objectivity, yet true to form with all of her writing, there is an underlying humaness that refrains from stooping to sensationalism or lecturing.



3. Make sure you have a significant amount of time available before you start to read this book, because you will have a difficult time putting it down. I read it in two sittings. It rates right up there with Judgment Ridge, the story of the two Dartmouth professors who were murdered by two Vermont teenagers less than one month later in January of 2001. Simon Says is an appropriate title for this new book because it is the tragic story of a very controlling and charismatic high school student named Simon Sue who manipulated those he saw as vulnerable into doing whatever he demanded. If they failed to do his bidding the threat of death to themselves and family members was made to appear real. One of the vulnerable boys, Isaac Grimes, murders his former best friend, Tony Dutcher, by cutting his throat as he slept while another, Jon Matheny, murders the boy's grandparents in their home by shooting them to death. The book covers the boys' relationship with charismatic leader Simon Sue, the murders, detective work needed to get confessions, the guilty pleas of each of the defendants, and subsequent appeals. This is a book filled with tragedy not only for the boys involved, but for other family members as well. It is a story without any winners. The only redemptive feature is a forgiving relationship between Isaac Grimes' mother and the mother of Tony Dutcher, the boy who Isaac murdered. It is the tragic story of an individual with a controlling and charismatic personality preying on vulnerable and younger individuals who otherwise would have never have become involved in such tragic behavior. The books' cover says it quite thoroughly, "A True Story of Boys, Gun, and Murder." I definitely got the feeling the boys, however belatedly, appreciated the beauty of their Colorado surroundings and would now not be able to enjoy the freedom they once had.



4. So just what is going on here? How can teenagers be so gullable and what's with this fascination with firearms? Whatever happened to playing varsity and intramural sports, going to Friday night dances and trying out for the school play? For me the harrowing events depicted in Kathryn Eastburn's "Simon Says" serves as a stark reminder that evil really does exist in this world and that young teenagers are a prime target for those who seek to spread it. You will find yourself just shaking your head again and again when you learn about the senseless murders of three members of the Dutcher family in the remote hamlet of Guffey, CO in the wee small hours of New Years Day 2001. Incredibly, the individual who ordered the "hit" on the Dutcher family and the two young men who carried out the bloody deed were all students at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs. "Simon Says" is a chilling tale that brings to mind the likes of Charles Manson and the Reverand Jim Jones.
   Author Kathryn Eastburn does a marvelous job of portraying the young men who would become caught up in this tangled web. The leader of the group was a young man named Simon Sue. Simon had moved to Colorado with his parents from his native Guyana. He was a natural born leader in search of malleable young minds to exert influence over. Sue was fascinated with guns and with the military and bragged to whoever would listen that he was part of a secret paramilitary group known as the OARA. In the fall of 2000 he found a pair of recruits in 15 year old Isaac Grimes and his older pal Jon Methany. Later on another young man named Glen Urban would join the group. Just a few short months later, Simon Sue would order his troops to kill the Dutchers and his willing accomplices carried out his wishes.
   Of course, "Simon Says" offers comprehensive coverage of the investigation into this heinous crime and of the subsequent trials of these young men. You will meet the detectives who finally managed to ferret out the facts of this case and the lawyers who argued for both sides during the interminable proceedings that would follow. Then you will learn how each of the families, the students at Palmer High School and the community at large tried to cope with these sensational events. There are so many issues to ponder here and I am sure that each reader will attempt to make sense of it all. But in my estimation this is simply not possible. At the end of the day far more questions than answers remain. Despite Kathryn Eastburn's best efforts to help us to understand I don't believe that anyone can present a rational explanation for what went down on that cold January morning in the Rockies. Nevertheless, I found "Simon Says" to be an exceptionally well written book that managed to hold my interest from cover to cover. Highly recommended!

5 comments about Blood Rush.

1. This is the first time I have ever written a book review, but here it goes. In my opinion, Blood Rush is a story of a sick man who believes in what he is doing. I think that however cruel and messed others may see Ricky Green, he saw what he was doing as a favor to the world around him. His molestation as a child caused him to become savage to all males who made moves on him, or tried to hit on him. This savagery caused him to lash out and destroy those who were not fit to be in this world(whores and homos...his words). He had a great deal of hurt in his life and was due some respect, and he believed that children from families like his deserved respect too. He thought that if went straight to the source of the problems, the bad parents and child molestors, he could save the world and somehow make his killings acceptable. This book tells the whole story of Ricky Lee Green's life, and I think that I was able to see why serial killers are able to do what they do, kill people.



2. First of all I want to say that Patricia Springer is my favorite true crime author and I have read all of her books (which isn't many unfortunately) and I've been reading true crime for many years now and this book is the best I have ever read. I absolutely could not put it down no matter how hard I tried. My mother is reading at the moment but as soon as she gets done I will read it again. It's like an obsession I can't get rid of. I feel so sorry for Ricky Lee Green even though everything he said may be untrue. And it makes me so damn mad that his ex wife just got off with 10 years probation. Why should only he have to pay the price for something she had a hand in too? It's totally insane!!! But I do think that Patricia Springer did a great job on her very first book!



3. It's a decent book, but the graphics could have been a lttle better.



4. One of the best true crime books in my mind.
   I really like the style of Miss Springer. lots of details.
   You will read how Ricky lee Green was raised. His abusing father, the relation he kept with that father even as an adult. How he met his coming wife Sharon,and how she became his partner in murdering. Having sex in somebody's blood!! A crazy couple.they killed for the thrill, sexual pleasure they got out of it.
   I could not lay this book aside. Its a shocking story very well written. Definitely one to buy!!



5. SOME OF THE STORY SEEMED UNBELIVEABLE. THE FACT THAT THE DAUGHTER, SARAH, NEVER HEARD "ANYTHING".-FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE. MR. GREEN AND SHARON ARE TWO VERY, VERY SICK PEOPLE. RICKY FATHER'S IS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING TO.IT'S ALSMOST LIKE THE CHILDREN DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE SINCE THE DAY THEY WERE BORN!

1 comments about Suspect Zero.

1. The book was a fine read and very interesting, but I was very dissapointed to find that so much it was not true. Names, addresses, locations, etc. are almost all incorrect. Perhaps the author or publisher changed them to protect the privacy of those invloved. If so, then that should have been clearly stated. I was hoping for an historically accurate representation of these events and I have no idea if anything in this book is true or not.

5 comments about The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia: Corn Sugar and Blood.

1. There was room for five families in New York. In Cleveland there was only room for one. The Lonardos and the Porellos struggle to control the manufacture and distribution of liquor during prohibition is well-chronicled in this work. Moe Dalitz financing of Las Vegas casinos is discussed. The book even continues on into the racketeering of Danny Greene and the ILA in the 1970's.



2. Organized crime flourishes beyond New York and Chicago and the mob wars of Cleveland, during Prohibition and since, were as colorful and violent as any elsewhere. Rick Porrello is a fantastic writer, a dedicated Mafia researcher, and as both a Cleveland cop and a descendant of Joe Porrello has the inside track on the Cleveland Hit Parade!



3. Great historical facts. Could have been better if it flowed better with less jumping around. Would have enjoyed learning the facts more if it had been done as a factual novel. A must read for any history buff interested in the Clevland area.



4. I love mob books and this one doesn't dissappoint. Must have for the mob book lover.



5. What a book!!! I had no idea Cleveland even had a mob until I started researching Tampa's mob history. There I found out about the Hotel Statler mob meeting back in the 20s, and later when I read up on Vegas and found out about Moe Dalitz. This book gives you insight into the art of rumrunning. This borgata starts out so fierce in the beginning, but just died off and lost strength due to guys getting old, getting killed, and getting flipped. Thanks to this book I'm no longer in the dark about the full scale of organized crime in America.