1 comments about A Woman Scorned.

1. Simply put, I was shocked by what I read in this book (being a person who firmly believes we live in a just society). I figure this "just" attribute is something left from childhood that is overly naïve and is something that needs to go out with the trash next week. Not knowing much concerning the issue of acquaintance rape apart from some exposure to the issue by hearing sad stories of abuse from college days, I figured I would read up on this issue. I am very glad I did as this book covers the history of rape, how the law has been against the female sex for over 300 years in dealing with rape, and how the majority of rapes are committed by people the person knows. I suggest this book for all people who need to move beyond the objectifying nature of women in society, and to create the space for much needed empathy for all people who have encountered sexual abuse within their lifetime.

No comments about The Ultimate Violation.

2 comments about Stalked: A True Story.

1. This is a real eye-opener. Who would think it could possibly happen to the same person twice. Should be requred reading for every woman. It certainly says a lot for her that she could find it in her heart to forgive. What is the title of the movie? I don't think one was made, but should have been.



2. This book scared the heck out of me. Lavonne is one brave woman, and the things she endured makes me shudder. I read it in one day, I just could not put this one down.

No comments about The Politics of Rape: The Victim's Perspective.

No comments about Rape And Society: Readings On The Problem Of Sexual Assault (Crime and Society Series).

1 comments about Sex Crimes.

1. I took a sexual devience course in college and this was required reading. I still own the book and love it! I thought that it was very organized and written in a straight forward style- no holds barred. Not for the weak stomach or anyone who even kinda gets the hebbie-jebbies by, say....child pornography. Holmes WILL describe hideous events involving all sexual deviences. What I liked most about this book was that there wasn't a lot of confusing deep analysis of peoples' psychosis. This is a good learning tool for anyone interested in criminology/psychology or sexual devience.

3 comments about Cry Rape: The True Story of One Woman's Harrowing Quest for Justice.

1. Cry Rape is the story of a rape victim's victimization by the criminal justice system. It is a story about a cop who seems predisposed to "prove" rape victims liars, about a police department that protects bad cops, about a district attorney's office willing to further victimize the victim to protect bad cops, about judges willing to interpret the law in ways that protect bad cops and bad policies, about elected and appointed officials who stand behind the victimization, and (though only peripherally) newspaper editors who don't seem to care.
   
   It is also the story of one woman's heroic and uphill fight against the system and the small group of people who believed and supported her and were sometimes victimized as a result.
   
   Conversations in Cry Rape, suggest that the majority of rape victims choose to walk away and admit defeat rather than standing up to a criminal justice system that is more interested in closing their file than helping them find justice. This victim's inner strength makes her story the exception.
   
   This story takes place in Madison, Wisconsin, long perceived to be a bastion of progressive ideas. But Cry Rape exposes the plain fact that Madison's government can be as self-serving and self-protective as governments anywhere. The central story is the rape victim's years-long ordeal; but the strong secondary story is the way the system deals with a cop who shouldn't be a cop. He is rewarded and remains today an honored officer.
   
   In spite of the ugliness exposed in Cry Rape, it does offer us a spark of hope. It shows that investigative journalism can make a positive difference and that there are some reporters and editors willing to stick with a difficult story. We learn that there actually are honest attorneys who seek justice for their clients instead of just clocking billing hours.
   
   Readers unconnected to Madison or Wisconsin will be entertained by Cry Rape's distinct detective novel feel and the twists and turns that lead to surprising discoveries throughout the story. Alert, informed readers might find similarities between the way Madison's city government and the University of Wisconsin, Madison deal with liars and bad apples. Promoting such people seems to be the Madison Idea.



2. I sat in stunned silence as I turned the final page of "Cry Rape," Bill Lueders' heart-rending story of a rape victim doubted, and ultimately tormented, by police. My 10-year-old son asked about what I had been reading, saying, "Is it a mystery?"
   
   I replied, "No, it's about a lady who was hurt badly in a crime and told the police. Not only did the police refuse to find the person who hurt her, they accused her of lying. Eventually they found the criminal who hurt her but even then, the police didn't help her."
   
   His response: "Oh, so it's a horror story."
   
   It is the most fitting summary I've yet seen of this tremendous book. Lueders' story unfolds chronologically from the first page, which begins with the shock and terror of a brutal rape. It leads to eventual vindication, but not without further terror and further brutality -- at the hands of police, attorneys and others the victim trusted most.
   
   This book must be read not for how it is written though Lueders' dramatic-documentary style makes the story impossible to forget. It must be read because it shows us how our most vulnerable citizens can be further victimized by the very systems designed to help them. In short, it is a morality tale that highlights the immorality of the institutions many of us trust.



3. As I read this book, I could not stop turning the pages. I read the first 120 pages without getting up. I already knew the end of the story, but I had to read the remarkable journey. This lady opened herself up for such an honest portrayal of the most hideous events of her life to share them publicly and it is truly amazing. Know this, Patty, and Bill for writing it, if for nothing else, I am a life that was touched.
   
   My mirror holds much the same story, and the same deals are offered to me. Everything within me says "stand by the truth" - but the truth is so hard when it hurts you. You have given me renewed courage to fight the fight. I will not give in and I will continue to tell the truth. The system has got acknowledge when it's wrong. Thank you both so much.

5 comments about Predator: Rape, Madness, And Injustice In Seattle.

1. I'd expected the book to be good, but it was excellent. I highly recomend it to all true crime fans. The book gave just enough background, just enough of the trials, just enough opinions etc. It was very informative and such a compelling read. I was already familiar with the wrongful conviction of Steve Titus, and found Olsen's account to be quite accurate and compassionate.



2. I am a fan of thrillers and suspense books. Books such as this go far in proving that real life events can be far more terrifying than anything we read in fiction. Any fan of real life crime, criminal psychology or of books about our criminal /judicial system really need to read this book.

   There are two aspects to this story...more if you want to start considering the many rape victims left in Mac Smith's wake. The first aspect is Mac Smith himself. The story goes very far in explaining how personalities such as Mac Smith's are formed. Jack Olsen portrays Mac as a well-rounded individual, even a likeable person. Yet, Mac is truly twisted and sick. Extremely manipulative. It is frightening to know that this person could be out on the streets in another 4 years...

   Then there is the story of Steve Titus. This is, perhaps, the most frightening part of the whole story. It really makes you wonder how often innocent people are convicted of another's crimes. This man suffered for 8 months...through his arrest which he jokingly thought was all a mistake, a trial, a conviction, and finally numerous postponements of his sentencing before his innocence was finally proven with the assistance of a news reporter. His life was destroyed....he lost his job and eventually the woman he loved.

   This book is a truly compelling read. I read it in one day of nonstop reading. After reading this book, the next time you hear someone in jail profess their innocence, you will hesitate before you sneer and say, "Yeah...that's what they all say..."




3. If you are a fan of True Crime, then get your hands on this book. Jack Olsen is one of the best True Crime writers around. Not only will this book keep you on the edge of your seat, but it will also enrage you at the injustice put upon one man. I highly recommend this book.



4. This was a case of police creating evidence to fit crimes. As I first began to read Predator, I thought it was going to be a shallow account of mistaken identity, but as I got further into it, I was totally caught up in it. How sad that in the police's efforts to clean up a case, a man's life was ruined. Nothing can make up for the railroading of Steven Titus and how it ultimately affected his life and death. Jack Olsen succeeds in delving into the case and all the personalities involved. This is an excellent book.



5. I first read this book many years ago and the feelings of rage and injustice are still very sharp. My late father was an Army MP and then a deputy sheriff and I remember how my world was turned upside down by what happened to poor Steve Titus. And of course I always felt that the cops should have been punished somehow. Not just for what they did to him but because of all the women who landed in the crosshairs of a serial rapist who went undisturbed by a real investigation.
   Whenever I hear people gossiping about the justice system and how we coddle criminals and how lawyers are morally as corrupt as their clients, I always ask, " Do you remember the Predator case?" To date, nobody I've ever asked has ever heard of it. When I tell them, they tell me it's not true, or that Titus must have done SOMETHING!! Some will question me about being related to a victim, or being one of the attorneys. For the record, I work in a warehouse and I don't know anyone in the book.
   This book was the first in the genre I ever read, and got me hooked on true crime. I recommend it to everyone, especially as a first attempt at non-fiction.
   I also recommend 'All sHe Ever Wanted' by Aphrodite Jones (it's the book that was made into the movie 'Boys Don't Cry" with Hilary Swank; and 'The Michigan Murders' whose author I don't recall.

No comments about Rape on Trial: How the Mass Media Construct Legal Reform and Social Change (Feminist Cultural Studies, the Media, and Political Culture).

No comments about Set Free! True Accounts of Those Who Have Been Liberated from Pornography, Sexual Addiction, Masturbation, Rape, Molestation, Incest, Lesbianism and Homosexuality.