No comments about Sexual Aggression: Issues In Etiology, Assessment And Treatment (Series in Applied Psychology : Social Issues and Questions).

5 comments about Venom in the Blood.

1. What I can say is that the author did alot better job than Lt. Ray Biondi. I introduced Charlene to her second husband, and I know her well. Eric Hoffman captured Charlene so well, it's eerie. This book is the best portrayal of Charlene and Gerald that I have found. This is the first time I have even admitted in public that I know her, and it's not easy for me. She continues to live near my family home and I want nothing to do with her. But as a reader, this book is very factual. Eric Hoffman did a great job.



2. Gerald Armond Gallego and his young wife Charlene shocked the world with the sexual serial murders of many young women. This book captured the grizzly details of the murders and makes you wish they would've gotten more of a punishment than they did. Truly a well thought out book.



3. A VENOM IN THE BLOOD by Eric van Hoffmann is a shocking and gruesome true story about Gerald and Charlene Gallego, the husband and wife serial killer team who kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered teenage girls throughout the American Southwest. A well-written true story that had me spellbound throughout!

   John Savoy
   Savoy International
   Motion Pictures Inc.
   California




4. Gerald and Charlene showed no remorse during the tial and Charlene only gets 16 years for killing 11 people. she needs to still be locked up. What about Kippi Vaught, Rhonda Scheffler and the rest of the victims. one of my friends was Kippi's cousin and was supposed to go shopping with her that day. why would they let Charlene out? Gerald had no remorse about killing the victims as Charlene did. So she needs to go back to prison.



5. I have never read a book in this particular genre, i.e. true crime, so I have absolutely nothing to compare it to. I must say though, I did enjoy it at a certain level. The language is vivid and, to be quite frank, crude, but that was part of the appeal. The author's style was much like that of the old dime novel and tabloid type and I rather enjoyed that. This is the story of a (the only one the book tells us) husband and wife serial killing/raping/kidnapping team in California. As I said, the language is graphic and the story rather sickening, but it does hold your interest and is rather fascinating at a certain level. The book is a rather quick read, and even if you do not like it, not much time is lost. The work did seem to be quite well researched, as far as I could tell and the author certainly did not pull any punches in his vivid descriptions. I suspect that if you are into this particular genre of literature, this would be an excellent read and I do recommend it. I doubt if I will be seeking out further examples of this type of literature, but that is due purely to personal taste...I simply am not all that interested. On the other hand, I am glad I read it.

No comments about Sexual Assault: The Victims, The Perpetrators And The Criminal Justice System.

2 comments about Visible Man: A True Story of Post-Racist America.

1. Though the book is non-fiction, it at time reads like a quirky novel, with memorable charactors like Buddy the overweight lesbian.

   Now that the nation's welfare system is in its final years, its interesting to see the effects of New York State's extreamly generous welfare benefits had on a low-income neighborhood and its residents in the first few years, which is the background of the story, which concerns a black man falsly accused of raping a white woman.

   The books is very well-written and engrossing. I read it in only two sittings.




2. Gilder wanted to title this book "Sam Beau" but the editors, he said, wouldn't let him. It is doubtful to me that Gilder has any genuine interest in the welfare of the nation's underclass, but he does have a strange fascination with delinquency and depravity. Gilder is attracted by Sam as some derelict version of genuine masculinity, and takes delight in enumerating all of his failures and pinning the blame on the well-intentioned liberals who put him there. More specifically, welfare reverses the relation between men and women: the woman, as the welfare breadwinner, supports the man, who lives off her income and becomes dependent on the "welfare queens," moving from one to other when they turn him out, impregnating each so that they will remain tied to him, and avoiding work so that his wages won't be garnished. For the liberals, he is a father so far as he earns money, and for the woman and her children he is a father only in the biological sense. For the unemployed father watching tv in the afternoon, masculinity can seem restricted to nonconjugal sex (perhaps there is another word for that) and set-to's on the street or in the bar. Again, this fascinates Gilder (or else he wouldn't have written such a quickly forgotten book), and perhaps part of the attraction is being a white man interloping in a largely black world.

1 comments about Unfinished Murder: The Capture of a Serial Rapist.

1. James Neff's book is a disturbing account of the crimes, trial, and conviction of serial rapist Ronnie Shelton. The chapters are divided into very short subheadings, and initially the episodic nature of the writing is somewhat distracting. However, the book gains momentum as the investigation draws to its climax and Shelton is captured. I was appalled to learn that during the years of Shelton's crime spree, he was arrested fifteen times for a variety of lesser offenses, yet every time he was released with no connection made between him and the highly-publicized rapes. There was little effective coordination among investigators in various precincts and divisions, who were slow to realize that they were all looking for the same man. The investigation was also hampered by the common misconception that voyeurs (like Shelton) don't engage in, or progress to, violence and rape

5 comments about Body Hunter.

1. The author did a tremendous job of bringing the facts on several Texas murders together into an easy to read format. A need to be read story.



2. Between December 12, 1984 and May 6, 1986, there was a string of murders in Wichita Falls and Houston, Texas. Because these murders fell in various jurisdictions, there were not linked to a serial killer but were investigated as individual cases. The story of these murders illustrates one of the worst mistakes of law enforcement in our country. If not for two detectives that refused to give up, these cases would still remain unsolved except for one. This is the story of these crimes and the man who committed them.

   On May 6, 1986, Faryion Edward Wardrip murdered Tina Kimbrew. A week later, he telephoned 911 and stated that he was going to kill himself. When officers responded, he told them that he had killed Kimbrew but it had been an accident. She had been his friend. He was traumatized over the loss.
   
   On the way to the jail, the officers asked if he had known Ellen Blau, who was killed on September 20, 1985. He admitted knowing her. Fearing that further questioning before he had a lawyer would jeopardize the case, the cops did not discuss Blau any further. Instead, they noted in their report that he knew Blau and sent a message to the investigators. They failed to act on it.

   Four days after his arrest was made public, one of his friends, Thomas Eugene Granger, telephoned the police to explain that Wardrip had a connection to four of the dead women. He had worked at the hospital with Toni Gibbs, murdered on January 19, 1985, and Terry Sims, murdered on December 21, 1984. He lived across the street from where Ellen Blau worked. Then, he moved near where Debra Taylor, murdered on March 24, 1985, was abducted. Her car was abandoned just around the corner from his house. When police did not take action, Granger called them a second time. Still, they maintained that the murders were the work of multiple killers. They ignored the tip.
   
   This book is an excellent read. It seems more like a work of fiction that truth. The writing is lively and moving. You will have trouble putting this one down. Get it and read how a serial killer managed to walk away with parole and begin a new life, even though police had plenty of tips to connect him to a series of murders.




3. I am originally from Wichita Falls, Texas, where this book takes place and remember well not only the actual murders but the shock when Wardrip was actually caught. It was interesting to read this book to see inside information. And since I'm already pretty familiar with the case, I was pleased to find out some things I hadn't already heard. However, and I guess most people wouldn't notice this kind of stuff, the lack of attention to detail irritated me to no end. Unless you're from the Wichita Falls area, you probably don't know that the funeral home is called Aulds Funeral home and not All's Funeral Home. Or you might not notice some of the geographical errors or misnamed streets. Someone not familiar with this area would probably gloss right over them. But being familiar with the area, it peeved me to no end that Springer couldn't take a little time to get her spellings straight and her roads right. It made me feel as if the book was sloppy and left me wondering what else may be wrong in it.



4. ALTHOUGH I ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING, SEVERAL THINGS BOTHERED ME. FIRST OF ALL, ON THE COVER IT STATES: "BEFORE THERE WAS BTK, THERE WAS THE BODY HUNTER". THIS IS INACCURANT SICE BTK STARTED KILLING IN THE 70'S AND THE BODY HUNTER DID NOT START UNTIL THE 1980'S. SECOND OF ALL, I FOUND THE PICTURES IN THE BOOK SHOCKING AND UNNECESSARY. I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS GENTLEMAN'S REVIEW. I FOUND THE PICTURES TO BE DISRESPECTIVE OF THOSE KILLED AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE AUTHOR SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR INCLUDING THOSE IN HER BOOK. I AM NO TRUE CRIME NOVICE, I HAVE OVER A HUNDRED TRUE CRIME BOOKS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN PICTURES LIKE THOSE IN A BOOK. ALSO THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MURDER WAS A BIT TO DETAILED. I PREFER ANN RULES METHOD OF FOCUSING MORE ON THE VICTIMS LIFE RATHER THAN ON ALL THE GRUESOME DETAILS OF THEIR DEATH. OVERALL THIS BOOK MADE ME VERY SAD FOR THE MANY PEOPLE AFFECTED. I GAVE THIS BOOK 3 STARS SINCE IT DID HOLD MY ATTENTION. HAD IT NOT INCLUDED THE HORRIFIC PICTURES, I MAY HAVE GIVEN A 4 OR A 5.
   
   SHAME ON THE AUTHOR AND SHAME ON THE PUBLISHER FOR BEING SO DISREPECTFUL!!!



5. Patricia Springer writes a very well-detailed and maybe too detailed with unforgettable pictures of the victims. There were five murdered women, Toni Gibbs, Terry Sims, Ellen Blau, Debra Taylor, and Tina Kimbrew who were all murdered between 1984-1986. The killer, Faryion Edward Wardrip only confessed to the Kimbrew murder. Unfortunately, Texas doesn't have a life without the possibility of parole which might make more juries choose the death penalty. Wardrip served 11 years in prison and 2 on parole with an ankle belt detector knowing where he was 24 hours per day. Faryion was obviously deeply troubled by his depression and his drug induced rages which consumed him. In 1996, DNA technology would be advanced enough to either exonerate or indict him on four more murders. Sadly, there were other victims besides their families. In Taylor's case, the suspicion fell on her husband, Kenneth for years. In the Gibbs case, there was a hung jury after a trial trying to convict Danny Laughlin (he died in 1993 in a car accident). Even until Danny's death, he was seen as involved in her brutal murder. The author shows the brutality of such crimes that none of the victims deserved. They were not only brutally murdered but raped and left for dead in fields where their remains were ravaged by maggots, insects, and other animals finding food. For Taylor's remains, they had to identify her through dental records and the jewelry left on her. His second victim tried to crawl out of an abandoned trolley car where she met her death from the bleeding and exposure. It was January 1985 in Wichita Falls, Texas. The first victim's murder occurred at a friend's house on December 21, 1984. Both victims were nurses. Ellen Blau had moved from Connecticut to Texas for her boyfriend. The relationship didn't last but she was unlike other victims. Blau attended private boarding schools but she managed to maintain a working class lifestyle trying to be independent with the help of her friend, Janie Bell. She also had a job working at a subshop. Wardrip's family also suffered from his crimes as well. He awaits execution in his jail cell. The book is very detailed regarding his crimes which is not for the faint at heart.

5 comments about Whispers of Romance, Threats of Death.

1. My wife chose this book and I read it aloud to her. This would be considered true crime, however, any suspense is non-existant as the author only talks about one suspect and no others so you know from page 5 who the culprit is. If others were mentioned as to rape suspects and a little bit of history given to others, then it might have been more interesting.

   The interesting part of the whole story is how the culprit leads two different and distinct lives for a period of time and then how his personality begins disintegrating toward the end and the ruse used to get a confession out. The major victim is given a roller coaster ride that is heartbreaking.




2. Collaboratively written by Carol Bryan Cook (artist, poet, and spokesperson for Victims Outreach, an organization providing grief and trauma counseling to crime victims) and true crime expert and author Ted Schwarz, Whispers Of Romance, Threats Of Death is the true and personal story of Carol Cook who moved to Dallas, Texas in order to be near her three daughters when she was attacked and raped and threatened with being killed by a stranger in a ski mask who broke into her luxury condominium. Not long after this horrific event, Carol met Gilbert Escobedo, who befriended her, helped her regain control of her life, and then went on to become her business partner and lover. Self-made business success, generous with his money, giving thanks to God every week in church, friendly with members of the Dallas Police Force, Gilbert Escobedo even rode along with law enforcement personnel in pursuit of Dallas' most dangerous serial rapist. No one knew that loyal, friendly, gallant, religious, helpful, kind, and tender Gilbert Escobedo was also the wily, elusive, brutal Ski Mask rapist. Whispers Of Romance, Threats Of Death is a compelling story and highly recommended reading.



3. While no reader could possibly doubt the strength and courage of Carol Cook, this book seemed to go into more detail about the history of the city of Dallas then about either Cook or the crimes. I was excited to read this because Cook herself had a hand in writing it and I thought it only served to show what an indomitable woman Cook is that she had the strength to write of her ordeal, but there is really very little about it at all in the entire book. My heart goes out to Cook and all of the other victims but this is the book to read if there's anything you ever wanted to know about the city of Dallas. Except of course the crimes and criminal who terrorized it for so long.



4. The premise of this true-crime book is so interesting, I find it hard to believe what an unreadable book it turned out to be. The writing was very stiff. Carol came across as a vain and unsympathetic character. The reader only needs to be told one time what a successful, beautiful, talented, slender blonde she is. Reading over and over and over about her tasteful and expensive knick-nacks was also extremely tiresome. There was also way too much information on Dallas history. I can't help but compare this book (and its heroine) with the book "Citizen Jane", also about a woman who had to deal with being the victim of a horrible crime. Jane Alexander, the hero of "Citizen Jane" comes across as being a great person, an intelligent woman, and a real hero and fighter. Her book is really well written and engaging. Too bad she didn't help Carol Cook write this book.



5. I wanted to read this as I am interested in the way Dallas residents thinks of themselves as somehow special and a bit above others, especially the wealthy...but this book is just terrible. How many times does the author tell the reader how beautiful, blond, intelligent, slim and cultured she is? And could she possible refer to Dallas as the Big D less than a dozen times per page? I am sorry she was attacked, but she is not at all a sympathetic person in this book and her sheer lack of "getting it" when the police were telling her over and over that the rapist was her "dear" friend and sometimes lover was just too much...she insisted she suspected him yet continued to see him, meet with him, forgive him again and again for her suspicions? Come on! I applaud her for trying to help other victims but this book does not help her cause at all. She comes off as no less shallow than the material girls of "Big D" she claims to be so unlike...and when her apartment is later robbed, she mentioned her jewels and furs and her items of exquisite taste were taken...give me a break! Not much to sympathize with here...move on to the next book on the true crime shelf...

5 comments about Exit to Freedom.

1. To the authors: I just wanted to let you know how much the book moved me (enjoyed is clearly not the right word). Calvin's powerful, heartbreaking story is so eloquently written, I shared his frustration and anger over the idiocy of the bureaucracy that wrongly imprisoned him, and then read on with awe as his spirituality lead him out of the darkness. What an amazing human being - I am thrilled at his newfound happiness and full life. I have always been an opponent of the death penalty, and an advocate for prison reform, but if I had had any doubts about those convictions, your book would have wiped them out. Exit to Freedom should be put in the hands of every judge and DA in the country.



2. I first heard about Mr. Johnson's experience on NPR and immediately purchased the book. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. I do not normally read autobiographies, but working in the judicial system, I was interested in reading what Mr. Johnson's experience was like; a black man, falsely accused of crimes he could not have committed and then being incarcerated for the entirety of his youth.
   In one sense this was a heartbreaking tale of an educated young man's life being stripped away from him because of pride and prejudice. When I had learned that he went to trial in 1983 I was astounded by the blatant racism that still existed in Atlanta, Georgia, a city I thought was the mecca for Black progression and tolerance. Obviously I was wrong.
   Mr. Johnson spent his entire youth in prison, among men that he himself admitted he would not be friends with if he were out on the street. Johnson had a college degree, came from an affluent family and knew how to work hard to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, like many of us when we are young, he made some dumb decisions and because of them got his name and face in the criminal justice system.
   However, this book is not a tale of a life wasted, but how, even through the worst of times, a man overcame his anger, hatred and hopelessness and forgave those who had a hand in putting him behind bars. His recount of prison life is raw and graphic, but it also shows that the men behind bars are not animals and that each of us need forgiveness and friendship. The only part I found difficult to read was the recount of his trial. It absolutely infuriated me that a judge and jury could hold so much prejudice against a man because the color of his skin. The judge that presided over Mr. Johnson's case is now retired, but there were times I wanted to write the most brandishing letter admonishing him for not upholding the Judicial Code of Ethics. However, C.C. Johnson forgave, so must we.
   This is a definite must read for anyone interested in the criminal justice system. It is an eye opener of how things can go wrong for a charged offender. But, like Mr. Johnson said, we must have laws and even with its imperfections, our system of justice is still the best in the world.



3. Calvin C. Johnson Junior's story shines a spotlight on the issues within the American criminal justice system, yet is story is also one of self-discovery. Together Johnson and Dr. Greg Hampikian write of a travesty with honesty and integrity. Even though this story has a happy ending, don't expect it to read like a novel. It deals with heavy topics that are handled without ever forgetting there are real people involved. The authors don't attempt to paint Johnson as a hero or a victim. They portray him as a human complete with flaws. At time he will infuriate you and at others touch your heart deeply. Telling someone's truth as it really was is a difficult job, but Johnson and Hampikian shine in Exit to Freedom.



4. This book was on my "save" list for some time after I heard about it on NPR. Glad I finally ordered it. Another well-written, moving story about how unequal "justice" can be in this country. It's easy to get burned out and not want to deal with it, but stories like this remind us why we have to keep caring.



5. What an outstanding work! To feel the thoughts and emotions of an unjustly imprisoned man is heart rendering. I enjoyed reading this book far more than John Grishom's "Innocent Man." Exit to Freedom is written in the "first person" and engages the reader from the outset in an extremely powerful way. Grishom's book is like reading a 200 page newspaper article.

No comments about Heavy Justice: The Trial of Mike Tyson (Sweet Science: Boxing in Literature and History).

5 comments about Smoldering Embers.

1. It is mind boggeling that three women are standing up to the Florida Supreme Court. A man who killed 9 women and raped women and children shouldn't be taking up so much time and money. Every time I remembered the story was true, I'm enraged. Still I couldn't put it down. Jane Bowen



2. The courage of these three brave women personifies the plight of American women in a society of preditors.



3. One of the most poorly written books I've ever read. Dispite the serious subject matter, I found myself laughing aloud at the tortured prose, stilted dialogue and ridiculous non sequiturs -- not to mention the many grammatical errors. This lady needs an editor!



4. This has to be the WORST "true crime" book that I have ever written. While giving credit to Lisa McVey and Susan Replogle (victims of the book's subject), this piece of work is nothing but disguised effort to toot the horn of the book's primary author, and actual writer, Joy Wellman.
   
   Many of the ingredients typical of a true crime were missing from this book; such as details regarding trials, the investigation, many other victims, etc. The reader is provided pretty indepth detail about two victims, general information is provided about others, but some victims are mentioned only in passing. The remainder of the book focuses on the author and co-authors friendship, their desire to teach women to speak out against sexual crimes committed against them, and their lives following Bobby Joe Long, the convicted. And it for this reason that this book should be listed in the biography section versus the true crime category.



5. This book takes you on a rollercoaster ride of feelings and emotions. Anger,nausea,pity,anddisgust. The women in this book give detailed insight into their hellish encounters with a serial killer, and then are further violated by our court system. This story should empower all victims of crime to demand judicial change.