2 comments about PLEASE DON'T KILL ME.

1. If true murder mysteries are your thing, this book may well become one of your favorites. I literally had to read the entire book the very day I purchased it, trying more than once to put it down. Having lived within 20 miles of the actual murder scene while attending college in the late 90's, I was drawn into the mystery like none other. Worth every penny!



2. Hi, just wanted to let you know that bill wrote a very good book, i don't necessary agree with some of the things he wrote about because i know the person that killed milo and i know dear. he wanted to write another book but the person who killed milo wanted to just let it go. he was a very young man at the time and has served his time.with out his help there would not have been a solved muder.with out him the people involved would not have been brought to justice, this is why i loved the book, bill did all he could to write about the truth and the muder happen just as he wrote but the results were much more dramatic.

5 comments about Lay This Body Down: The 1921 Murders of Eleven Plantation Slaves.

1. After reading the other reviews of "Lay This Body Down : The 1921 Murders of Eleven Plantation Slaves", I noticed not one mentioned the Notes at the end. I found Freeman's extensive documention one of the most important aspects of the book. Finally, the author of a "true story" backs up his facts with references! In addition to providing sources, many of the Notes introduce relevant information not included in the body of the book.

   I highly recommend "Lay This Body Down..." to anyone interested in "true crime", southern history, or just a good read. And don't forget the Notes!




2. I felt the fear coming out in Freeman's 'Lay This Body Down'. This true story gives you an idea of what blacks had to endure in the south before the civil rights movement began. It's a chilling account of how 11 plantation slaves were brutally murdered by the hand of one of their own and the white plantation owner. It confirms through the fact of peonage-slave labor, and brutal punishment, just how unjust the south was in the early part of the 20th century. There are gruesome details that left me a bit uneasy, but....justice does prevail. As unsettling as this true story may be, it is a subject that should be recognized and remembered.



3. LAY THIS BODY DOWN was a small portrait of the double standards that existed among those who owned slaves. Such a "family man" as John Williams could inspire fear, hatred, and murder in his slaves and his sons. He was even a murderer himself. Yet, he could be kind to his wife and daughter. I read the book, not because I enjoyed it, but because it is a reminder of the evils inherent in the abuse of other people and other races. If we are not reminded, it will be repeated. John Williams was evil incarnate.



4. This book is one of the most involving reads I ever had, more so cause this is based on concrete facts and the author clearly gives the sources, mentions that the statements are either quoted in toto from courtroom notes or from the newspapers. The author must be applauded for writing on such a sensitive topic and not trying to sensasionalize one side of the argument or the other.

   I wouldn't recommend it as light reading, this should be read with a view to understand what went on in the southern states before and/or after the great emancipation. It was tremendously helpful to me to understand the varying treatment of the slaves in different plantations, frankly I was confused before by the contradictory treatment of this topic in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and 'Gone with the wind'




5. Simply unbelievable! This book is based on court transcribed events and if it had not been for that simple fact, the atrocities found within the pages of Lay This Body Down would be incomprehensible. This fact based accounting of the 1921 murders of 11 plantation slaves in Newton and Jasper Counties, Georgia is horrific but sadly true. Yes you read correctly, the year is 1921, not during the officially recognized time of slavery. Slavery was legally over but a new system was rearing its head in the south - peonage. Peonage was a practice given prominence by southern plantation owners to employ workers (read enslave) for cheap or at no cost. If a Negro owed a debt and was unable to pay the debt he would be thrown in prison. With little to no hope of paying his fine -sometimes in amounts as low as a few dollars- he would sit in prison until... Wealthy landowners would visit the prisons and pay these menial fines and the person would be released to this landowner to repay the debt. It could and often did take a lifetime for this person to pay of the debt so they would be Peon's or Slaves to this person. Such is the case of the people found on the John S. Williams Plantation. Mr. Williams and his wife and 12 children occupied land in Newton County, Covington, Georgia. His older boys had plots of adjacent land and too employed peons. The Federal Bureau of Investigation from the Atlanta office had been called in to look at cases of Peonage - which was illegal, and their investigation lead to the Williams Plantation. Mr. Williams not being immediately present on the day the FBI came to call, found these revenuers interviewing his hired hand and overseer, a Negro named Clyde Manning. Understandably nervous and frightened Mr. Manning answered questions posed to him truthfully but they conflicted with Mr. Williams accounting. Now it was Mr. Williams' turn to become nervous and his remedy was to murder those Negroes who posed a threat to his families way of life. A cunning man, Mr. Williams had Mr. Manning conduct the murders. In an unprecedented decision, Mr. Williams was found guilty of murder based on the testimony of a black man and from 1921 to 1966 this did not happen again in a Georgia Court Room. Mr. Manning was also found guilty but both men were spared the death penalty.

   These shocking and horrific crimes were well documented by the author, Gregory A. Freeman. He did a wonderful job of backing up this true tale with documented facts, figures and pictures. It's sad that this story had to be told but it illustrates that the south wasn't used to the idea, some 56 years after slavery- that all men are created equal. It is sad that Mr. Manning felt the need to comply with Mr. Williams wishes to kill his own people for fear of his own life and that of his family. Sadly not a lot of Georgians know about this case and I'm trying to determine if it is because this is just one of many cases and in the telling of family history this was commonplace. Read this book not to anger yourself but to get a greater understanding of the true side of history.

3 comments about True Ghost Stories of Lancaster County Pennsylvania.

1. I have read most of the writers other books as well as this, and let me say that she adds such reality to her books. Each story is written from actual accounts from the people that have had the experiences, or have been researched to the validity of the story. She tells it with such clarity that you can almost see the images. You can feel the hair on the back of your neck start to perk up. But just when you're feeling your nerves at the end of one story she throws a light little comment at you to calm you enough to get ready for the next story. This truly is wonderfully written you'll enjoy every minute of it



2. The stories in this books are easy to read and enjoyable. I recommend buying this book if you live in the Central PA area (or not). [...] Keep the great books coming though.



3. i read the previous reviews, got the book, etc. I'd call this 'light true ....".. There are few 'real' ghost stories, and unnecessary time was spent on questionable parts, like Three Mile Island. At sixty some pages, I wondered, is this all? The places are bewildering to out siders like me but the map helps. Author has a light style and makes easy reading. There are far better ghost books out there, search! Even if they aren't under 7 bucks.

5 comments about Soliah: The Sara Jane Olson Story.

1. As a song of the era said: Something happened here. What it is ain't exactly clear.
   
   Kathleen Ann Soliah ("pronounced SOH lee ah - accent on the first syllable") was born January 16, 1947 in Fargo, North Dakota. She was involved with the "Second Team" of the Symbionese Liberation Army in California in the 1970's. (Most of the "First Team," who kidnapped Patty Hearst, was killed in a shoot-out with the LAPD in 1974.) There were bank robberies. There was a bomb placed underneath a police car.
   
   Time passed.
   
   In Minnesota on June 16, 1999, Sara Jane Olson, community activist, community theater actress, and doctor's wife in Highland Park, "one of St. Paul's most upscale neighborhoods," was arrested by a cadre of law enforcement personnel while driving her minivan, and extradited to California to stand trial as Soliah for alleged sins of the 70's.
   
   This is an intriguing part of Americana. But this book does not do it justice. Nor is the reader left, in the end, with a clear picture of whether justice has been done.
   
   Ms. Soliah is introduced in the beginning of the book, but then she all but disappears until "Act III" at page 113. In this interim, the author attempts to offer an historical context of the times.
   
   From her picture in the back of the book, suburban Twin Cities author Sharon Darby Hendry looks like she might be a part of the Baby Boomer generation- but from the way she describes the era, this reader did not get the sense that Hendry was THERE. If she was alive during these turbulent times, one gets the impression that she was busy procuring pedicures at the Edina Dayton's and attending Tupperware® parties. It's in the nuances and simple things. For instance: Arlo Guthrie's anthem "Alice's Restaurant" is directly quoted as "you could get anything you wanted there" (p.12) Uh, not exactly. I guess you had to be there. Ok, all you Boomers out there, Start singing! "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant."
   
   Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley's version of the 1968 Democratic National Convention is unquestioningly set forth, even though it is later reported that "Attorney General Ramsey Clark was reluctant to enforce the new provisions [of the 1968 U.S. Civil Rights Act, which made interstate travel with the intent to incite a riot a federal crime] and viewed the Chicago violence as a `police riot.'" (p.22)
   
   To approximate the historical context, I suggests that you would be better informed getting Reunion: A Memoir, by Tom Hayden; In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution by Susan Brownmiller; and Father Andrew M. Greeley's novelized retrospective: September Song: A Cronicle of the O'Malley's in the Twentieth Century (Family Saga).
   
   I wanted to learn from this book by a local author. But the slant and downright mistakes caused me to view the entire work with a skeptical eye. The book ends with the 2001 pre-trial Sacramento court "reunion" of those accused in the robbery of the Carmichael Bank - in which Myrna Opsahl, who was there to deposit the weekend's Church offering - was slain. Yes. Something happened here. But what it is ain't exactly clear in this book.
   
   /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer



2. What brings an obviously bright young woman to an obviously corrupt organization like the SLA and then, even more mysteriously, has her completely change her stripes and become, inexplicably, a soccor mom. Because Sarah Jane lived in my back yard, so to speak, I wanted to know who she was: the soccor mom or the terrorist. The book refused to answer that question for me, as it should, but rather than making judgements it told her story, using facts and the voices of people in Soliah/Olson's life. This book was better than a summer mystery and reads like a novel: I couldn't put it down. I heartily recommend the book.



3. Soliah captures the in-depth history of the 60's and 70's and wraps the story around Kathleen Soliah. It is difficult to understand how this woman could create a false identy for herself. Particularly because she lied to her three daughters about her name, age, and her deceitful past. She activily participated in the events of the SLA and should pay the price for her criminal actions. I would recommend this novel to the true-crime seekers and everyone who lived in this time era. Also, to the younger generation who are interested in the Patty Hearst / SLA saga.



4. The Last book on the Symbiones Liberation Army was written 20 years ago (Every Secret Thing, by Patricia Hearst, released in 1988 paperback as "Patty Hearst" in conjuction with the movie by the same name). Beyond this the books seemed to stop in mid to late 1970's so excluding Hearst's autobiography, the first book in a quarter century on the SLA. Opinions on the SLA and Hearst have often been politically charged with the strongest opinions often held by those who have limited knowlege of the subject.

   Sharon Darby Hendry, like myself, is a very long term Minnesota resident. We were both here back in the 1970's. Quite frankly, the SLA wasn't a significant Minnesota story in the 1970's. Even though I lived among the lefties in Dinkeytown all during the 1970's, and even though I had a loose connnection to SLA member Cammillia Hall I had to take a crash course in the SLA after the June 1999 arrest of Kathlenn Soliah here in Minnesota. I followed the case since the June 1999 Soliah arrest through my website ... reading more than a dozen old books on the SLA. Most are rare and unavailable so the first part of the book SoLiAh is a good primer on this era. It upsets the romantic view of the SLA by including the unpleasant realities, such as the assasination of Oakland's first Black School Superitendent Marcus Foster by the SLA, which, ironically, preached an anti-racism credo.

   The portion of SoLiAh dealing with the June 16, 1999 arrest and aftermath explained the dramatic events and they unfolded from a Minnesota perspective. With nine trial delays, at least five lawyer changes and the plea "flip-flops" the book had to follow events as they were unfolding. The last dramatic event was the January 2002 arrests in the Myrna Opsahl murder (the "Harris's" and Borton have since made bail, Soliah-Olson is serving time for the LA plea). Is they story and the book SoLiAh open ended?

   Absolutely! It looks like the Opsahl murder trial won't start before 2003 at the soonest. Has justice been done and will it be done? That is for the reader to decide but they can better ponder it with information and background on the case. The Opsahl murder was long considered unprosecutable even though it was obvious that the SLA did it. Just getting the January 2002 indictments is one of the greatest cold case revivals in modern history. Reading SoLiAh with an open mind will help the reader, especially those, not "there", or with a romantacized view of the old far left to understand it and to also understand the roots of the domestic terrorism threat facing the USA now.

   ...




5. I would give this a 3.5 star rating if Amazon allowed me to do so. This book contains interesting and useful information about the Patricia Hearst/SLA/Kathleen Soliah story, and yet somehow does not truly capture the "feel" or atmosphere of the times and events it describes. Hendry's explanation of opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War is both oversimplified and overly brief, which limits her ability to analyze and explain the appeal of the New Left in general, much less the desperation and rage of the extreme, militant, revolutionary left of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Without such analysis, members of the SLA and Weatherman factions seem nearly inexplicable in their attitudes and actions, and this in turn limits Hendry's ability to make readers comprehend all that was at stake, or seemed to be at stake, in the SLA's worldview. Hendry could have explained this more effectively without, as one reviewer put it, "romanticizing" the violent, fringe New Left at this time.
   
   This book is most useful as a supplement to Patricia Hearst's memoir, _Every Secret Thing_, and to a good overview and analysis of the 1960s student and New Left movements, such as Gitlin's _The Sixties_ or Kazin and Isserman's _America Divided_. But no reader should pick up this book expecting to get a full or sophisticated explanation of how the New Left's early commitment to democratic socialism and participatory democracy morphed, for some activists, by the late 1960s and early 1970s, into an honest conviction that no peaceful solutions for change truly existed, that the U.S. politico-economic system was hopelessly corrupt and doomed, and therefore that electoral politics and working within the system were utterly pointless. Only by understanding such a worldview can readers truly begin to comprehend both the "logic" and the extremism of groups like the SLA. And only then can readers begin to understand what's at stake in the Soliah case and aftermath.

2 comments about Alive If Possible...Dead If Necessary.

1. This is the first book by Dee Cordy, which examines the beginnings of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the crime era of the 1920s. It goes into detail on the murder of OSBI Operative Luther Bishop and the trial which followed. Also told is the murder and bank robberies compiled by several bandits of the 1920s, and the lawmen who tracked them down. Cordry's book also has many unpublished photo's and detailed graphics. I would highly recommend it to historical buffs and those wishing to read about Oklahoma lawmen and outlaws of the 1920s.
   
   Michael Koch, Author of "The Kimes Gang."



2. This excellent work covers the early statehood years of Oklahoma and the formation in the Roaring 20s of the Oklahoma Crime Bureau. Written by a veteran operative of the Bureau, the book covers the Osage Indian murders, the Al Spencer gang, the Kimes boys, the epidemic of bank robberies (in which Oklahoma led the nation) which led to the bureau's formation, and the murders of Bill Tilghman and Luther Bishop. An outstanding study of law enforcement in the era that revolutionized both crime and criminology.

5 comments about When Satan Wore A Cross.

1. Mr. Rosen has crafted one of those page turners that helps us survive those long waits at the doctor/airport/high school detention.
   Satanic signs! Dark, strange churches at night! The senseless, grotesque murder of a nun! Seriously kool stuff.
   
   And it's all true -- like the Catholic Church doesn't have plenty to
   worry about already. I don't think they have enough hail Mary's to cover this one.
   
   I'd love to see this as a movie. It definitely creeped me out.



2. This was an incredibly interesting story,and an important one, if the accusations of systematic police cover-ups are to be believed. However, the style of writing never climbs beyond the realms of cliched tabloid sensationalism. I have never seen the use of "?!" punctuation outside of blogs before. The author seemed bizarrely driven to discuss 20th century films at inappropriate points of the book. The reader might be better served seeking out other books about this genuinely shocking case.



3. Just an awful book, and I love the "picture in the middle books". Way too much of Rosen...I, I, I, I. Glaring errors when talking about Church matters - did not research thoroughly.



4. What a piece of amateur trash. I thought I was reading a college freshman term paper. Filled with enough fluff to fill 200 plus pages but could have been written in 75!



5. It is amazing to me the cover ups in our society...this story is just about this subject.

3 comments about Murder On A Horse Trail: The Disappearance of Chandra Levy.

1. This is a must read. Lots of thought provoking questions.
   Everything you thought about what you knew on this case,
   is very questionable at the very least. It definitely smells
   of possible gov't corruption and cover-up. Who was pulling
   the strings??????? MANY questions asked in this book that
   begs for answers.

   Kinda reminds me of Tom Capano and Anne Marie fahey in NJ.

   For sure the WHOLE investigation stinks to high heavens.




2. This is a book that has been highly overlooked. Read how a Stanislaus County Sheriff's Detective from Chandra Levy's home district, was sent to Washington, D.C., at the beginning of the missing persons investigation to help the investigation in any way, but was sent back home again by the D.C. Police
   Department. Also the D.C. police asked Stanislaus County to not do any more investigating on the case.
   
   A statement by Congressman Gary Condit early on in the
   investigation said:
   
   "'It is not appropriate for any of us to make any further public comments about the facts of this case or to speculate about a matter that is under police investigation." Condit, 53, six-term congressman, said in a prepared statement.
   
   'All of us should focus our attention on getting her
   home,' he said."
   
   Was that a normal response to a missing persons case
   where Amber Alerts are usually sent out, and the public is informed?
   
   What went wrong in Washington? Read the book and decide if Stanislaus County should now be allowed into the investigation.



3. it was a very well written and interesting book-the only problem I had with it was it was a little repetitive in places.I would highly recommend it

5 comments about Lost Wings: The True Story of a Disgraced NYPD Cop.

1. This is a great book! The book is about an ex-cop who unfairly lost his job. The author unveils deep dark secrets about the NYPD by exposing the hidden truth about New York's Finest. You will be shocked to learn how cops think and why they treat civilians the way they do. I read the book and I think it's great! Whether you love or hate cops, I recommend this book to everyone! Let the truth about law enforcement be known!



2. The author is a local from my area (NYC) and I got my hands on a copy of LOST WINGS the first day it was released. The book started off a little slow but once I got into it, I could not put the book down! While the book involves the story of a police officer that lost his job, I think it's something that just about anyone can identify with. It is also interesting because the cop himself wrote the book. Overall a great book!



3. It has been a while since I've picked up a book that has intrigued me from beginning to end, and has still kept me wondering. This young author seems to have a talent to tell a story and make it interesting even though most biographies fail to do so. It doesn't matter if you believe or disbelieve his story, the telling shows that either way, he has found his calling. I read the story from cover to cover and enjoyed every up and down in his young roller-coaster experience. I highly recommend that you buy, beg, steal or borrow this book!



4. What a book!! I know the author but never expected to read a story like this. He wrote one of the most amazing real-life books I have ever read. I enjoyed it so much, I could not put it down it took me only two days on the train to read it, that is how good it is. I can only hope that it brings him much success and hope he continues to write more books like this one.



5. If you buy one book this year, get this book. It's a fast-paced, expertly-written rolller coaster ride about a kid and his fight to save his career and his reputation. It's so well written that it's almost like watching a movie. The book is not really about being a cop - if mean, if you want the foot pursuits and 911 calls and what it's like to wear the uniform, that's all there of course - but the book is really about love and loss and coming to terms with the hand that life deals you. If you've ever lost something that was everything to you, then reading this book will literally rip your heart out. Highly recommended!

4 comments about In A Child's Name.

1. If you saw the TV-movie of IN A CHILD'S NAME (starring Valerie Bertinelli), it didn't tell half the story of wife-murderer Ken Taylor, his child-stealing parents, and their accomplices, of whom some were unwitting. With this book author Peter Maas raises the stakes for true-crime writing. Read IN A CHILD'S NAME!



2. This poor girl should have gotten out of this awful marriage. It showed how close to her family she was and at what lenghts family will go to to do the right thing. The book presented how strong and what great character her sister had.I have met her sister on several occasions and she is nice,kind and sweet. How this family can go on the way they do is an inspiration to others.



3. The movie " In A Childs Name" was the best movie that I have ever saw. It brought back memories of what happened to my sister. Now I have ideas to help my nephew.



4. In A Child's Name by Peter Maas is an outstanding non-fiction book. Maas finds factual information about the custody case, because he was one of the reporters. He interviewed both sides and wrote the book based on what they thought, and not his own opinions. He describes in great detail about the battle over Philip Taylor that was between the victim's sister and her in-laws. The book, however, has too many explicit details that younger people should not read. Even older readers can find some parts disturbing. There is a lot of violence, anger, and hard feelings that the reader can feel just by reading the book. The movie of the book is good; however, it leaves many of the details out. The movie doesn't tell about Theresa and what she did with Ken. I didn't know half of the things that went on with Theresa, Ken, and their families until I read the book. I was shocked to find some of the information that Maas wrote about. It also doesn't tell everything about Ken, like the book does. For the full understanding, the book is an excellent source. This is one book that could catch the reader's interest from the beginning to the end. I thought that this book was one of the best books that I have ever read, because it kept my interest. I would definitely recommend this book to people whom like custody cases mixed in with a murder case.

5 comments about Stolen Away: The True Story Of Californias Most Shocking Kidnapmurder.

1. I first began reading true crime books when I was a sophomore in High School. Although I cannot recall the author, I will never forget the name of the book: Perfect Victim. The book was about the shocking kidnap and brutal sexual torture suffered by Colleen, (I believe the last name was Stanton), at the hands of the young couple who abducted her. Since that time nearly four years ago, I have read nearly two dozen true crime books, my favorite among them being In Cold Blood by Truman Capote and Bitter Blood by Jerry Bledsoe. When I purchased the book Stolen Away, I was looking forward to reading it, because not only was it about the first use of the controversial insanity defense, but it also occurred in the late 1920's, and I have always considered history to be one of my favorite subjects. I felt the author, however, didn't do a sufficient job of telling the henioius story of how young Marion Parker was abducted and killed. I almost stopped reading the book during the first few chapters when the only topic covered for page after page was the mental problems that the killer's mother had endured throughout most of her life. I knew a brief mention of it was important in understanding why the defendant ended up the way in which he did, but I began to feel the book was written about Eva Hickman instead of her son, Edward. Although this, among a few other things, is what stands out as being one of the most disappointing elements of reading this book, I felt the biggest letdown was the fact that the author told all the important facts of the story in the very beginning and left no room for the climax that I have always looked forward to in every other true crime story I have read. This book was a major disappointment, and it has made me decide to never buy another Michael Newton book again.



2. If there was ever an advocate for the mentally disturbed is is the author of this book.

   After reading most of Mr. Newton's books one major theme keeps popping up. Criminals are good and should be worshipped and the Police are bad. What is this guy on?

   If you're a big fan of the common criminal you should really enjoy this book. If, however, you are normal, you might want to skip this one.




3. I wasn't sure what this book was about when I picked it up. I had never heard of the case. Soon after I found myself reading it nonstop. It was well-written and full of information. Michael Newton did a great job.



4. I had heard about the Marion Parker kidnapping/murder years ago in an old book about L.A. history. It was a short paragraph or two and I hadn't run into anything more about it until I saw this book. Michael Newton, the writer that brought us the disturbing "Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer" is up to his old tricks in this book as well. Too much detail, too little editing in it. The story is worth the read but beware, there are way too many pages of history that matters little (imho) to the crime. Is Mr. Newton trying to explain why this young man would murder a little girl? Perhaps. I didn't buy it though. Anyway, worth a read to those, like myself, who love true crime and early Los Angeles.



5. I don't know why one of the other reviewers claims that Michael Newton shows sympathy for the young murderer, Edward Hickman. Although Newton clearly believes that the prosecution's psychiatrists were biased against Hickman, he in no way suggests that Hickman was anything other than a twisted, arrogant, and reckless psychopath. The background involving Hickman's family lasts only one chapter and is obviously relevant to the case.
   
   Newton did his homework, drawing on trial transcripts to give us a thorough review of this shocking homicide. The only thing that surprised me was that he does not seem to have read In Defense of the Fox, a memoir by Hickman's attorney, which would have shed additional light on the topic. Still, I think anyone who enjoys reading about crime, punishment, and old-time Hollywood will be rewarded by this book.