5 comments about Invisible Darkness - The Horrifying Case of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.

1. Hello true-crime enthusiest!
   I've read all six books on this case. Yes, there are truly six out there. I believe only O.J. Simpson and Charles Manson share this honor. Not all are available through amazon.com., however.
   "Invisible Darkness" is easily the best book on this case. I believe this to be the reason that only this book out of the six released on this case started out as a hard-cover, instead of paper-back. It shows you what almost three years of research can uncover. I enjoyed the other quickly printed paperbacks as well, though.
   I'm really looking forward to author Stephen William's new hardcover book on these crimes, "Karla: The Deal With The Devil", available on February 14, 2003, I believe. He is a true maverick of true-crime journalist.
   I hope this helps.
   "Invisible Darkness" is highly recommended!
   Five ***** Stars. Do try to purchase the hardcover edition of this book (Invisible Darkness) though. It has 43 color photos!
   Thanks! Jess



2. Stephen Williams has achieved a truly remarkable feat in writing "Ïnvisible Darkness". This is a well-researched, provocative saga that sails high above the other torrid, pulp trash which has been generated over this case.

   For those who have lived under a rock for the past 13 years, Karla Holmolka & Paul Bernado committed a horrifying series of rapes & murders in the early 90s that were once decribed as being as "Canada's Crimes of the Century".

   Dubbed the "Ken & Barbie of Murder & Mayhem" for their blonde, bronzed good looks & winning personas, Bernado & Holmolka shook Canadian society as they revealed that the evil in our society is not always the committed by the village idiot or escaped lunatic. Instead, it was committed by the charming accountant & his lovely wife - a petite, alluring veterinary nurse.

   It is hard to protect yourselves from the very model which is given as 'normal', & the petrified residents of the Niagra Falls region took to looking at their own adult children in an entirely different light. As a result, Paul Bernado has become the Boogeyman to Canadian teenage girls everywhere: a dragon in Prince Charming's clothes. Karla Holmolka, however, is simply regarded as Evil Incarnate - a soulless, vain grifter who sold out her own baby sister in order to curry favour with the object of her desire.

   Prior to reading this book, I despaired of ever finding an account which accurately described & analysed the case without sinking into the predicatable "Poor Karla" routine (a.k.a Nick Pron's "Lethal Marriage"), or spurting out breathless, gossipy 'revelations' from people who claimed to be the couple's 'friends' (eg., the shameless "Deadly Innocence"). However, Williams restored my faith & raised the bar when it comes to discussing a tragedy without deifying the victims & exonerating partners-in-crime.

   "Ïnvisible Darkness" was the first true attempt to see the reality behind the pastel, Barbie doll playhouse of dreams facade thrown up by this couple... & succeeded admirably. It was also the starting point from which Williams' admits he became obsessed with Karla, & relentless in his attempts to expose the creature that lurks behind her smile.

   A gritty, honest, compelling & committed book... GET IT NOW!!




3. Overall this book is engaging simply because the subject matter is amazing and terrifying. The writing, however, leaves a little to be desired. The writer jumps from person to person and scene to scene without transitions and this sometimes gets a little hard to follow. In an effort to not come across as a journalist, he also brings up and discusses things that seem to have little bearing on the case. A Masonic skull that warrants a picture and a couple of pages has nothing to do with the crimes. The writer vaguely alludes to the fact that there are other murders that Bernardo may have been involved in but doesn't give any details about what police are doing about these crimes or why Bernardo might be a suspect.
   
   My greatest criticism of the book is that it suggests that Karla (Paul Bernardo's wife) was somehow the catalist for the crimes and the prime mover. This suggestion was also part of Bernardo's defense. I totally agree that Karla was most likely an equal partner in these crimes and got off way too easy. But there is scant evidence to suggest that she is the reason Bernardo decided to start raping and murdering. The book also simply washes over the fact that Karla was at least on one proven occasion very badly beaten by Bernardo, instead focusing on abuses that she claimed happened that probably didn't.
   
   Women who aid and participate in crimes should be held just as accountable as their male partners. But they shouldn't be held "more" accountable as if they somehow inspire otherwise normal men to rape and murder. I got the feeling that the author wanted me to believe that without Karla Paul might not have gone to the extremes that he did. That I just don't buy.



4. I grew up in Burlington, and ran around with the same people as one of the victims. A friend from high-school was the other's best friend. I attended the same camp where Paul Bernardo worked as a counscillor during the same time period. For all I know, I might have met him....
   The thing is, though, as gruesome and horrible and terrible it is to learn of the atrocities this pair inflicted on their victims, they pale in comparison to the rumours that ran rampant during that year when I was 16.
   They died horribly and before their time. But this book has finally put to rest, for me, those troubling rumours I heard so long ago.



5. Invisible Darkness, is THE book about the Homolka/Bernardo case- so far. It offers background and insights that no other author approaches. It is obvious to the reader that admit it or not, author Williams has seen the infamous tapes. That being said, Williams writing is uneven and non-linear. Could it have to do with the French translation? Too many non-important characters. Too much jumping back and forth in time. Not enough quotes. Good, but the definative book is yet to be written.

1 comments about Karla's Web.

1. I didn't find this book as...well, useful...as the three more detailed works on Paul and Karla, although it was far more useful than 'Paul's Case'. This was actually the first of the works released, but didn't come to the attention of many until well after the three true-crime books were well-read by the public.

   Davey takes a different look at this case, examining the societal reactions rather than the case history. For the most part, he is using the Mahaffey-French cases to discuss the sociological impact that major events have on society as a whole. A great deal of the book discusses the Canadian publication ban on information pertinent to the trial, and there is even sections devoted to an Internet newsgroup, alt.fan.karla-homolka.

   I enjoyed this book from a sociological point of view, but don't recommend it to people who are into the true-crime genre. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a copy of it, the most interesting thing by far is the frequent black-outs found within the text.

5 comments about Lethal Marriage (Updated Edition): The Uncensored Truth Behind the Crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.

1. I title this review "unsure" for I am unsure that such a book should be on the market. I give it only one star for the same reason. Nick Pron is a wonderful writer, but should he have wrote this story.
   I read the entire book, was sickened by it, and will now be a more protective mother. What worries me is the "sick minds" that are also reading this book or other books like it. Those that sickly "dream" of such porn may be inspired to act. My copy will not be recycled to the public, but rather burned.
   My sympathy to the Mahaffy, French, and Homolka families.
   Too bad Paul & Karla couldn"t receive the dealth penalty.
   I would like Karla to know that no decent person allows such to happen. You should have contacted the police before Tammy was killed. You should have died trying to save her. You should never be allowed on the streets again.



2. This book is my third favorite book on this case. Beware! Karla is FREE from prison in JULY 2005.
   
   Make sure to read the others on this case.
   
   "Invisible Darkness" by Stephen Williams
   "Karla: A Pact With The Devil" by Stephen Williams
   "Deadly Innocence" by Scott Burnside and Alan Cairns
   "Karla's Web" by Frank Davey
   "A Marriage Made For Murder" by Brian O'Neill, ISBN # 0969977913 (Impossible to find)
   
   If interested, a must read is "A Venom In The Blood" by Eric Hoffman.



3. A wonderful book about the serial killer Bernado and his slave Homolka. Yes, I said slave. I believe so many have a difficult time understanding the psychological implications of Karla's relationship with Bernado. This was not a gf/bf relationship, it wasn't a king and queen relationship, it wasn't a husband and wife relationship, and it most definitely not a team relationship.
   
   Bernado took BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Sadism, Mashchosim) to the most perverse and horrible level ever known. He got a woman, who was interested in being mind-controlled by a Domimant man, but as with any Dom/sub relationship, there are suppose to be rules which makes scenes safe, consensual, and sane. Bernado, changed those rules, putting Karla at risk not just mentally and emotionally, but physically as well. Yes Karla was a victim/slave trapped into these horrible acts. Even though many will have a hard time digesting what I have written. She was not a willing partner.
   
   More than likely, she was doing what was told by her Master. She knew as long as she agreed she was safe from harm herself because she knew of his past- it frightened her to even think about questioning his agenda or motives. Because she was powerless in the relationship, her insane Master decided to give her power by making her participate in HIS criminal acts. In some ways it was a relief to not be a target of the very acts he placd upon her. Remember BDSM is consenual, I will bet she rarely consented to many of the things he did to her nor was given an opportunity to get out of his crazy scenes.
   
   In the book, I was disgusted by the acts and felt very sorry for the woman who was made to participate. For those who said she was just as guilty, of course, a crime is a crime, and she needs to be punished. However, I believe she is serving the time she was given nothing more or less. This woman was brainwashed and then when she started to question her Master, she was physically abused.
   
   When asked why she didn't help those women. Her answer was simply, "I don't know...I feel stupid." Of course she didn't know, because the mastermind of it all had her mind. Behind closed doors he told her what to eat, wear, sleep, and made her completely paralyzed with the unknown. Stolkholm Syndrome would be more appropriate here- she was a captive and he the Captor. What you see on the video is an act to survive.
   
   The book is very good and very well written. But not for the squimish. Very graphic and detailed and may cause triggers. Read with care.



4. A year ago, given Karla Homolka's pending release from prison, I was lent two books - this one, and Deadly Innocence, that both detailed the crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. I grindingly made it through Deadly Innocence - given that I didn't have TOO much information on the case before reading the book and found it too disturbing to read at times.
   
   This summer I decided to give the barbie and ken serial killers saga another run, and finished the book in two short days despite it's length of over 500 pages. Was this book particularly better than the other one? No. It was just a lot easier to get through the story once I had read it once already.
   
   That being said, Pron's account of the couple is far more disturbing than what was written in Deadly Innocence. His account is factual, detailed, and covers a lot of legal jargon that probably could have been glossed over the reader. Unlike Deadly Innocence, Pron includes the full transcripts from the videos as part of the story - adding a decidedly numbing, stomach-churing realness to the rape and murder scenes.
   
   Altogether, Pron does a good job of telling a good, fact-based re-telling of the story that covers every possible criminal angle of the story of Paul & Karla. However, his back lacks some of the emotion and character development found in Deadly Innocence, which gives you less insight into the motivations of the killers.
   
   The two books, and the many others out there, are both well-written and tell the same story in different ways - Deadly Innocence is told mostly through accounts from friends, acquaintences, etc. while Pron's Lethal Marriage looks at every possible character that lead to the deaths of three young women (at least) and the criminal actions and filing that went along with it. It has plenty of detail in the gruesome section of the book, but leaves notable holes in others. All in all, a good read to familiarize yourself with the story - but for a more indepth look I'd pick up another book or two.
   
   Be warned of the extremely graphic nature of this book.



5. 
   Nick Pron's Lethal Marriage easily qualifies as the most disturbing book I have ever read. It is about two of Canada's most demented serial rapists/killers: Paul Bernardo and his ex-wife Karla Homolka. Currently, Paul Bernardo is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole. His ex-wife, Karla Homolka has been released from prison in 2005 after serving a ridiculous twelve year sentence. That's twelve years for her involvement in the kidnapping, drugging, raping, torturing, and murder of several teenage girls, including her younger sister.
   
   Now that this sadistic individual is enjoying her freedom once more, I sincerely hope that she moved into a better location; one that's right next door to one of her morally corrupt defense lawyers who co-acted the infamous "deal with the devil." Yes, the Canadian criminal justice system is very weak... pathetic would be the right word, as Pron - perhaps unintentionally - reveals in this book. Who knows, perhaps one day Bernardo too may be set free and look for a new neighborhood to move into.
   
   However, this book is about the criminals themselves and not so much about Canada's criminal justice system. So the emphasis, of course, is on Bernardo and Homolka. Pron writes about their childhood years, their family background, their personalities, their ambitions, how the met, and how they committed unthinkable, utterly shocking crimes. Written more like a novel than a non-fiction, Pron produced a book I could praise as a page-turner. However, due to the ultra violent content, where the author censors absolutely nothing, some parts of this book are more like a page-skipper.
   
   As hard as it is to believe, Bernardo and Homolka videotaped their crimes for their own enjoyment, and Pron provides us with the transcripts. The transcripts are extremely disturbing. They contain vexing foul language and the information Pron presents are too graphic for me to even mention. Pron provides play-by-play commentary - as he describes to the greatest possible degree - the utterly disgusting things the killers did to each other, but mostly to their helpless victims; everything entirely uncensored.
   
   This includes the victims pleading for their lives, as well as the methods the two psychos used to administer the physical abuses and psychological torment. And the details are long and tiring; Pron keeps going on and on to the point where I started thinking to myself, when is this going to end? Eventually I began to skip a few of the repetitive paragraphs. Next thing I knew, I was skipping entire pages simply to avoid reading any more of the excruciating details, which quite frankly, angered me. I mean, how much is enough? Providing any further detail is completely unnecessary. It was too much to handle. Even if the author gave one-tenth of the details, that would be more than enough. I think that Pron should have shown a little restrain, for the sake of the victims and their families. I really don't see a point in going that far in giving every possible bit of shocking detail. But then again, when you're a crime reporter for nearly 30 years, such things are not as shocking or disturbing anymore.
   
   But aside from my discontent over the graphic descriptions of violence, I thought the book was thoroughly researched and very well constructed. Pron conducted a great amount of research for this project and gives us a crystal clear picture of who Bernardo and Homolka are, what they did, how they did it, why they did it and so on. The author also tells us about the police investigations, the tactics they used in their attempt to find the killers (which all failed), the frustrations they experienced, and finally, how the child killers were caught. A few words here and there about the killers' families and their reactions to the killings are also written. Then Pron moves on to the trials, the legal system, the lawyers, the plea bargains, the courts, and in the end, the sentences.
   
   It's an informative book, but I must warn that children or persons suffering from anxiety disorders or depression (or worse), or anyone who's sensitive to such subject matter, should not under any circumstances read this book. I'm not a psychotherapist, but common sense tells me that the consequences could be very negative.

5 comments about Invisible Darkness: The Strange Case Of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.

1. I had never heard of either Paul Bernardo or Karla until I picked up this book. I had been reading Ann Rule books that I really enjoy and I came across this one. This is one of those books that will stay in my mind forever. Rarely does a book shock or disturbs the way this one did. I actually had nightmares! This book is very graphic and my heart goes out to the victims. I can't believe that Karla actually walks around today a free woman. I would imagine that she must walk around looking behind her back at all times. Paul Bernardo is sick & twisted, but Karla is pure evil.



2. This item was exactly what i ordered in the exact condition that i ordered it in. Would definitly do business with seller again! Thank you



3. I am still waiting to receive this product, since 3/9/07!!! Very hard to rate something you are still waiting on.



4. I found this book to be very detailed and thorough. It is one of those books you don't want to put down, however the crimes described are gut-wrenching and very twisted. If you want to know the details of the crimes, this book will definitely provide you with the details, and basically I think that's what most people want to know. The book provides some details about the killers' background, but mostly as it relates to the crimes committed. The author believes that Karla is far more responsible for the murders than she claims, which some may consider controversial. Overall I highly recommend it, and incidentally agree with the author.



5. Best book I've read yet dealing with this subject matter. There have long been rumors that author Stephen Williams had access to the actual video recordings of the crimes and therefore they are described in chilling detail leaving nothing to the imagination. If you can handle it, this book won't let you down. You will not be able to put it down.

5 comments about Deadly Innocence.

1. Ok i have read this book a total of 6 times, from front to back. I absolutely believe that Karla was really a "battered wife" and she assisted in the heinous crimes, but only against her will. Yes she may have had a smile on her face on the videoptapes, but one thing will remain the same, she didnt do those things because she enjoyed doing those things, she did that stuff because HE made her. I can completely relate to being scared of my spouse, and under his control i would do anything he wanted. As many people who say that she is as evil as Paul, or that she got off way too easy, just dont understand the control a man can have over a woman. Before Paul, Karla was a confident, self contained person, and she would have never done anything as heinous as these crimes without a man like Paul to make her. But this book is the best one out so far, And i highly recommend this book.



2. This sordid tale stayed with me for a long time. It even prompted me to rent movies mentioned in the book that Paul Bernardo tried to emulate. The story is well written and very detailed and caused me to tell everyone I know about it as I read it. We still joke about "Snuffles". Read this and you will be in the know!



3. Until I read this book, I thought Anne Rule's the Stranger Beside Me was the best read to date. I could not put this book down and a week later I cannot stop thinking about these 2. I couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for Karla after all that Paul did to her. I can see how a young girl could be mentally "screwed" up and brainwashed after encountering and having their first relationship w/a man like Paul. I too have been a victim of abuse and can somewhat understand what this mentionally and emmotionally does to a person although I left long before it could get worse (I was a few years older than Karla before I got involved w/an abusive man so maybe I just knew better.) I do believe that Karla got off too easy but I don't feel that she should've spent the rest of her life in prison. 25 years would of been sufficient for her but I also believe that Paul Bernardo is probably the sickest most evil man I have ever read about and am very glad he is spending the rest of his life confined in a very small space. I think for the kind of person he is this is the perfect punishment, way worse than the death penalty which Canada does not have. Although maybe he should be left alone in general population as Dahmer did. It's sick to say but I'd love to see some of the torture retuned upon him. You cannot help but HATE this man. A very well written book and must have for any true crime fanatic such as myself.



4. I love to read; however, if a book bores me, I tend to put them down, never picking them up again. This book, on the other hand, was a page turner. It was well written, detailed, and interesting. What a tragedy though for the families involved. As far as True Life Crime books go, this one was fabulously written.



5. This is a very good true crime book. The authors start out detailing the attacks that took place and the information provided about them. They then took the time to talk to the friends of the couple and more of the story is revealed. We see the murderers as human beings who drink and hang out with their friends, and how their friends saw them as people and never expected them to commit acts that are so inhumane, despite the flaws that were visible in the relationship. (Karla moved too quickly with guys, she was too submissive to Paul. Paul was a jerk who always cheated on Karla when he left town, etc.)
   
   More of the story is revealed as Paul is arrested, and Karla begins to tell the police and her friends and family what was REALLY going on the entire time (And it's beyond horrific.) As the book progresses, it's revealed that Karla herself is possibly just as crazy and the trial (complete with video tapes) shows us the true depth of the depravity that they sunk to.
   
   I agree with all the reviewers who think Karla should still be locked up. I can't see her as anything but a disgusting psychopath who is just as bad as her husband for participating in these acts (whether he ordered her to or not) and doing nothing to stop them.
   
   Once again, a good read, an intense, detailed book that will make your skin crawl and probably give you nightmares. You almost don't want to give it five stars because the actions described are so inhumane and awful, but it deserves them.