Written In Blood By Diane Fanning

An army brat-turned-marine, he saw combat in Vietnam, and returned a decorated soldier. An avid reader, his dreams of being an acclaimed novelist came true. His desire to find love was fulfilled when he married brilliant executive Kathleen Atwater, the first female student accepted at Duke University's School of Engineering. The Petersons seemed the ideal academic couple,well respected, prosperous, and happy. All that came crashing down in December of 2001, when Kathleen apparently fell to her death in their secluded home in an exclusive area of Durham, North Carolina. But blood spattered evidence and a missing fireplace poker suggested calculated, cold-blooded murder. Her trusted husband stood accused.Prosecutors introduced evidence at trial that sixteen years earlier, Peterson was one of the last people to see his neighbour alive before she was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her home in Germany. A dramatic trial followed in the explosive final chapter of a life that no novelist could ever have conceived...

I honestly thought I had reviewed this book already but apparently not.So THIS is the last Diane Fanning book until her new books get published around the end of the year.I have had "blogger's block" for about a week now and I decided to pull out one of my old books to review.I took out A Perfect Husband by Aphrodite Jones and then thought of referring the review on Written In Blood to that one because they are the same story and then realised,no review done yet!!!For the record I did enjoy the Aphrodite Jones version better but that could be because I had read her version first.

Diane Fanning has an effortless and easy way of writing and that could explain why I actually finished this book even though I knew the story already.I have been struggling the past week with two books that I am reading together and honestly I don't know which of the two is worse.So the stress brought on my blogger's block(lol).I loved the fact that Diane Fanning delved quite deeply into the background of the main characters and their lives up until the day of the murder.There is quite a bit of the court drama but what I love about her books is at the end she usually has an "afterword" section where she really captures the essence of the book and I always end up reliving the book for a few hours afterwards.

What did strike me at the end of this book though is how many Peterson husbands have killed their wives.This one Michael Peterson,then the Laci Peterson story and then the other Peterson guy,the one who pretended to go to medical school for four years and when the wife found out she ended up dead and now the latest is Drew Peterson.Another thing that I do as a matter of course is note the star signs of the people involved if they give the dates of birth and so far I have read 3 books where the Libra husbands murdered their Taurus wives.Laci Peterson is one of them.Strange,hey??

There are quite a few people who believe in Michael Peterson's innocence and the argument raised to them by people who believe he is guilty,is that how can the same man be in such close proximity to 2 women who die mysteriously by falling down a staircase?I believe he is guilty but here is a little argument for the pro-Michael Peterson people.You know the saying "lightning never strikes twice...".Well it has been proven that if you have ever been struck by lightning the chances of being struck again increases dramatically and if you have been struck twice then,okay,you get the point.

If you are interested in finding out more about Diane Fanning's version of the Michael Peterson story then South African readers can access via Kalahari Books and for more reviews on this book the Amazon link below will provide those.
Written in Blood

Here is a bit more information for readers who want to find the book from another bookstore or library.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9780312994037
Publication date: February 2005
Pages: 416
Illustrations: Illustrated

I read this book in March 2009 and it has the usual 8 pages of photographs.And the book cover I have is different to this one above which I found online so I have no idea what that is about.Maybe they do different covers for the same books?

Baby,Be Mine by Diane Fanning

In late 2004, two women met in a dog-breeding internet chat room. When Lisa Montgomery came face to face with eight-months-pregnant Bobbie Jo Stinnett, prosecutors claim she already had a plan. Investigators knew that Bobbie Jo had fought desperately for her life,and that her fetus, alive or dead, was gone. Investigators scrambled after a killer. An “Amber Alert” went out for an hours-old infant. And this horrifying case was about to shock neighbors and a nation: of a woman accused of murdering for a baby...

Another true crime book by Diane Fanning and if you have ever read one of her books,you will agree with me that all her books are written clearly and easy to read and follow.Another trend with Diane Fanning books is her ability to bring other current crimes into the story.They are either recent crime stories from the same area or as in this book,similar crimes around the country. I was shocked to find out how many women have been murdered by strangers while pregnant and all with one aim,to take their baby.

Diane Fanning also included in Baby,Be Mine the one crime story that brought this small town of Skidmore onto the map.Ken McElroy was a tyrant who had even murdered but always found a way to evade the law.One day,in the middle of the city centre with many witnesses someone pulled out a gun and shot him dead.No witnesses have ever come forward to identify who shot him.The people of Skidmore are still angry that every time Skidmore is in the news this old story is rehashed again and again.Because of this Diane Fanning had quite a bit of trouble doing research and finding answers for her book because the townspeople are still very wary of "outsiders."

I also found out about the "Patriot Act" in this book.This act gives law enforcement the right to seize computers with a warrant if the computer is owned by someone who is not a suspect.I have a question about this? What if upon seizing the computer,facts come to light which then,and only then,make the owners a suspect in the crime?What if law enforcement insist that a person is not a "suspect" just so computers can be seized without a warrant and then openly later declare the owner a suspect?This act seems to have a lot of loopholes, never mind possibly providing grounds for appeal/mis-trial in a later conviction.These are just my thoughts and I haven't had time to properly research this act but I will soon.Also included in this book was how the "Amber Alert" rules were changed from this one case.

The book also explored the rights of grand parents and laws passed subsequently.In this case I could imagine that the murdered victim's mother would get a bit over protective about her remaining grandchild,considering her only child was murdered.The son-in-law tried to restrict access to the child by Bobbie Jo's mother,the maternal grandparent.I can only imagine what grandparents go through in a case like this.Diane Fanning does provide the resolution to this problem in the book.

Basically this book was very easy reading considering the vast amount of information.This was obviously well researched and Diane Fanning books are known to have the information well laid out so that the book flows effortlessly.I love all the different tips she provides and I would not hesitate to read her next book.She left a comment on my post on Into The Water where she stated that her next books Poisoned Passion will be released on 1 September 2009 and the other one Mommy's Little Girl will be available on November 3,2009.I have already set a reminder on my online bookstore for these books.

If you would like to find out more about Baby,Be Mine by Diane Fanning then South African readers can access via Kalahari Books or if you would like to read some more reviews then the Amazon link below will provide those
Baby Be Mine: The Shocking True Story of a Woman Who Murdered a Pregnant Mother to Steal Her Child

I read this book in April 2009 and it has 246 pages and 8 pages of photographs.

Into The Water by Diane Fanning

To authorities she spilled the shocking details of a night of horror. It was the lead they'd been desperate for in a multi-state manhunt for an elusive serial killer. Where the witness took them was to the last man anyone would have suspected.

Richard Marc Evonitz was beloved by friends and family. He was handsome, intelligent, and compassionate. Serving a spotless eight years in the U.S. Navy, he was a town hero who lived in harmony in an exclusive South Carolina neighborhood. The only ones who saw Evonitz's dark side were his victims. They were helpless teenage girls who, one by one, were subjected to his twisted sexual fantasies of kidnap, rape, and murder-until his double life came undone by the brave cunning of his last young victim. But as authorities and the media descended upon him, Evonitz had one more shocking surprise in store for everyone-a stunning final act of violence and reckoning that would turn a bright sunlit morning blood red.

I have now read six books written by Diane Fanning and I must say they were all impressive.This one “Into The Water” is about Marc Evonitz (his first name is actually Richard but because Richard was also his uncle’s name the family decided to call him by the name Marc right from the beginning)who raped and murdered three girls, two of which were sisters. He was caught when his fourth and last victim managed to escape and identified him to law enforcement. The book details how this child cleverly kept her wits about her and bid her time until she could make good her escape.Reading about this child’s story and who at such a young age managed to work out a strategy of escape was absolutely awe inspiring.

Diane Fanning starts the book with a chapter on the final actions of Marc Evonitz and then proceeds into the history of his parents,how they met and subsequently married. The books offers great insight into Marc’s childhood and possible reasons as to why he turned out the way he did. I love true crime writers who go into details about a criminal’s early life.By doing this they satisfy my need to try and get into the mind of the criminal and find possible explanations for his later criminal behavior.Unfortunately I have read horror stories of some people’s childhoods and those same people do not become serial killers. Marc Evonitz’s childhood was definitely not a fairytale and yet his sisters turned out okay. This boggles the mind. What specifically short circuited in his brain that he would end up doing these evil murderous deeds? I suppose we will never find the absolute agenda that leads to the creation of a serial killer so I will just have to carry on reading true crime stories in order to find answers and reach some conclusions which make sense to me.

This book was also interesting in that it overlapped over other crime news that were happening at the same time and Diane Fanning is excellent in bringing those details in and working them into the main story effortlessly.I as a reader, felt that I had a very good idea as to how the locals were feeling and had a lot of sympathy for the investigators and their immense workload at that time.

One thing I am not impressed with (and it is really trivial) is the title of “ Into The Water”. Tell me if I am wrong but to me “Into The Water” signifies fun as when we jump in and splash and so forth. This book title is so because the victims were either found in the water or near a bed of water. I might be finicky here but this title then obviously is referring to the serial killer throwing the bodies “into the water” .This is a bit too much for me. This title offended me because it turned a phrase that is usually enjoyable into a window where I now see these poor children being killed and thrown into the water.I think a title like A Watery Grave or Dead In The Water would have been more appropriate.I know both of these titles are taken already but I am not a writer so I am assuming a writer could come up with something more appropriate. By the way this is in no way Diane Fanning’s fault as writers are sometimes bullied into choosing different titles by their publishers. So there you have it. If I have to go by Diane Fanning’s brilliant writing and the way you can feel through her words that she truly cares for the victims and the families left behind,then I would say this title was not her choice.

To summarise,another great book by Diane Fanning.I do believe I have now read all of her true crime books.I am going to keep track of any of her future projects via her website so I can be first in line for her next book.

To access some more reviews on this book please use links below
Into The Water By Diane Fanning- Kalahari Books for South African readers
Or below for access via Amazon
Into the Water

I read this book in March 2009 and it has 244 pages(including acknowledgements and afterword) and 8 pages of photographs.

Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9780312985264
Publication date: September 2008
Length: 172mm
Width: 107mm
Thickness: 18mm
Weight: 132g
Pages: 224
Illustrations: Illustrated

Out There by Diane Fanning

Lisa Nowak was dedicated, smart, and courageous—one of the first astronauts to fly a space shuttle mission after the horrific 2003 Columbia disaster. But that was before a fit of pure, primal jealousy landed her in an airport parking lot in Florida, where Lisa had a fateful, near-fatal confrontation with the woman believed to be her romantic rival.Did Lisa intend to kidnap—or kill—Air Force captain Colleen Shipman because she was involved with fellow astronaut William Oefelein? What was the nature of Lisa's connection with William: True love or dangerous obsession? As the details of Lisa's news-making journey unfolded—she donned a disguise, even wore a diaper during her 900-mile car ride to find Colleen—Americans couldn't help but wonder: Why?

Out There is another great book by Diane Fanning.This book is an extremely easy read and wonderful to follow.The story itself as outlined above is eye catching and hard to believe.The main story is not a run of the mill true crime story for the fact that the crime itself is quite trivial in terms of the crimes we get to read about in other true crime books.

The exceptional part of this book comes when the writer Diane Fanning starts to explore the background of this Lisa Nowak.I, as a reader, entered a world I never knew existed. The world of astronauts,the programs, the work involved, the training, the arduous hours. Diane Fanning provides a great insight into the ambitions of some individuals on this earth. The entire space program and the information on this which is in this book is very much from an insider point of view.It is exceptional and Diane Fanning earns herself an accolade for the way it is presented and for the hours which must have been spent on research.

The story itself is original and the main character being an astronaut definitely adds to the intrigue.The fact that Lisa Nowak was so highly educated immediately made me want to find out what exactly could have gone so wrong that she would end up in a situation like that.I have come to the conclusion,in this case, that being in a loveless marriage can be soul destroying,and to have your soul destroyed from lack of love does not target any specific individual.All human beings need love,even the highly intelligent ones.Love is as basic a need as food.This story convinced me of that.

This book is a bit of a disappointment in that the court case is not finalized and Lisa Nowak was still free by the end of the book. What Diane Fanning does offer is a great ending thoughtful chapter on the future of NASA,its space program and the astronauts involved in this program and the possible way forward for them.

I would recommend reading this book for the amazing information on the NASA Space program and not because it is a true crime book. I was in absolute wonder of how things work “Out There”.

To find out more about this book please go to any of the links below

Out There By Diane Fanning- Kalahari Books for South African readers and this following Amazon link for other readers
Out There: The In-Depth Story of the Astronaut Love Triangle Case that Shocked America

I read this book in March 2009.It has 278 pages and 8 pages of photographs.Nothing too personal on Lisa Nowak but rather photos throughout her career as an astronaut.

Through The Window by Diane Fanning:a true crime book review

The true story of Tommy Lynn Sells, considered one of the worst serial killers in history, and one of his victims--a ten-year-old girl--who survived her vicious attack and led authorities to the arrest of the 35-year-old drifter. photos. Original.
Ten-year-old Krystal Surles watched in horror as her best friend was murdered at the hands of an intruder. Then with cold-blooded precision, he brought a twelve-inch boning knife to Krystal's throat. With a single, violent slash, he severed her windpipe and left her for dead. Miraculously, she survived and would lead authorities to the arrest of 35-year-old Tommy Lynn Sells.

Prepare yourself for a totally surreal experience.I have no idea of the title of the book "Through The Window" is because the killer entered though a window in order to kill the little girl's friend and then try and kill her(she is the one who finally identified him and ended his reign of terror) or because the entire time you are reading this book you get the feeling that you are watching the events unfold through a window.

I consider myself to be quite versed on the happenings of the crime world but I could not believe that I have NEVER heard of this serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells.We have all heard of Jeffrey Dahmer and of course Ted Bundy.Jeffrey Damher and Ted Bundy had a specific modus operandi and "reason behind their madness".Tommy Lynn Sells in my opinion is the ultimate serial killer.He just killed for no rhyme or reason.Completely without emotion even to the final confession.He lived as he saw fit by his own rules with no regard to the consequences and completely and utterly remorseless.This man cannot even be described as an animal as animals have instincts.He has none of the qualities that would classify him as a human or a live breathing being of this earth.

Never mind that I felt I was watching through a window the worst thing is I felt he was watching the events unfold as well standing next to me at the window while his physical body committed the murderous acts.This book is not for the faint hearted.I just want to mention one killing spree so you can make up your mind if you can handle this book.He comes upon a small family.He kills the father.Then the little boy.As he is trying to kill the mother she goes into labour.He stops and watches the child being born.Then he kills the baby and then the mother.All for no other reason other than he could.

This books details all his criminal acts which he confessed to but the idea is there were so many that even he has forgotten about some.Diane Fanning wrote this book so brilliantly that any reader will be sucked into the events and as the book progresses you enter a self preservation mode where your mind numbs to the murderous acts and you are absolutely a zombie at the end of this book.It is a brilliant brilliantly written book for the out of body experience that it offers.I highly recommend this book.




I read this book in February 2009.It has 244 pages and 8 pages of pictures.

The Pastor's Wife by Diane Fanning

When Pastor Matthew Winkler was found dead at his Fourth Street Church of Christ parsonage in Selmer, Tennessee, both police investigators and parishioners were shaken and mystified: How could evil strike this cradle of faith? Meanwhile, Mrs. Winkler and her three daughters were still missing...
A frantic search for Mary Winkler and the girls ensued. Once they were found, on a beach in Alabama, Mary was charged with murdering her husband in cold blood. But why did Mary pull the trigger? What sexual and psychological abuses did she allege she had suffered?
In the months that followed, the crime--and the Winkler's marriage--would be exposed by the national media; Mary herself even appeared on Oprah, Set in a world of domineering men, obedient wives, and unshakable faith, this is the true story about what happened to Matthew Winkler and THE PASTOR'S WIFE

I am now officially a fan of Diane Fanning's books as well as Ann Rule books.I just had to get used to her style of writing.This book is extremely well written and really allows you to get into the mind set of Mary Winkler.I truly believe her reasons for doing this,although they are trivial but I firmly believe that in her bid to be loyal to her husband,has not mentioned all the abuse she encountered throughout her marriage.Although in this day and age it is difficult to believe that there are still women like Mary out there(shy and retiring) Diane Fanning writes in a way that you can empathize and believe in Mary Winkler.

The way Diane Fanning writes about the family dynamics and how it all falls apart is easy to follow and understand.Bearing in mind that Mary Winkler was loved by her in-laws and how this relationship falls apart when she tells the truth really re inforces for me that nurture prevails over nature.Her husband obviously was brought up in abusive home(this is not mentioned in the book)but I believe more of the passive aggressive kind.I believe this because what his parents did afterwards for me is unacceptable and just proves for me that they were not as nice as they portrayed themselves to be.But this is just my opinion and if you would like to find out for yourself please see below.

Please visit here and leave a comment as to whether you agree with me about my perception of the parents(after you have read the book).If you have already read this book I would really appreciate your opinion.

To buy from Kalahari Books-South Africa

Amazon Books-USA and Canada


Amazon Books-UK and Europe


I read this book in February 2009

Gone Forever by Diane Fanning

Susan McFarland was a vivacious, successful mother of three young sons. On November 25, 2002, she disappeared. Three days later, her car was found, keys in the ignition. Later that day, her husband reported her missing-- and a desperate search began. Her friends and family hoped against hope that Susan was not gone forever. But investigators became increasingly suspicious of Richard McFarland. When the charred, decomposed body of Susan McFarland was finally discovered at an overgrown farmstead outside of San Antonio, a new hunt began-- for justice. McFarland maintained his innocence, and investigators only had circumstantial evidence against him. While headlines screamed out new details in the case, and police tried to gather more evidence, a blockbuster trial was about to begin. Then, Richard McFarland finally spoke...and a terrifying, chilling truth came out...

As I said in an earlier post about books by Diane Fanning this will now be the second book that I read of hers.I am getting used to her style of writing.She initially starts with the crime scene and then only goes back into the history of the main characters.This is different to Ann Rule books where she starts immediately with the history part and then builds up to the day of the crime.It took a bit of getting used to so I didnt enjoy the first book so much but this one was much better.I have also completed the third book of hers and that one was brilliant.I will post on The Pastor's Wife shortly but for now will give my opinion of Gone Forever.

Prepare yourself to be completely irritated with the victim's husband who ends up being her murderer.I am amazed at this man's audacity and attitude and how this poor woman stayed with him so long.(and ended up dead because of this decision).I am appalled at the behavior he got away with and no one,not the family,friends or neighbors ,ever took him up on this behavior.He was just a financial burden to this poor woman and not a very good father.The book really captivates by explaining the murder victim's personality so well and I wish I knew her in real life.

This couple had 3 little boys and you will never in a million years guess where they ended up.Both the parents had a large extended family and my heart was broken for these little boys.I have tried to "google" their names to find out how they are doing but no luck...If anyone has any idea please let me know via the comments column.

By the end of this book I was starting to cultivate my own murderous feelings.This book is excellent and easy reading.I read it in 4-5 sessions and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

If you are interested in finding out more about this book please access via links
below

For South Africa-Kalahari Books


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For UK and Europe


I read this book in February 2009

Under The Knife by Diane Fanning

Handsome, charming, and a fixture on the New York City club scene, Dean Faiello had built a thriving beauty business. But money was never enough for Faiello, whose hard-partying ways constantly left him on the edge of ruin. So he did the unthinkable and worked as a cosmetic surgeon-- even though he had no medical degree, or training whatsoever. In the spring of 2003, a beautiful, successful woman named Maria Cruz went to Doctor Faiello for a relatively simple cosmetic procedure... and succumbed to a fatal complication while under his care. Faiello allegedly buried her corpse beneath a concrete slab at his Newark, New Jersey home-- and went on the run. It was only after Cruz's body was found that the true callousness of Faiello's plan would be dissected... and he would be accused of putting her UNDER THE KNIFE

Murder Date April 13,2003

I just finished reading this book now so before I forget important details I decided to post.

This is about Dean Faiello who pretended to be a doctor and performed laser surgery.One of his patients,Maria Cruz,had an adverse reaction to an anaesthetic he used and because Dean Faiello was already under investigation for performing medical duties without a medical license,he decided not to take her to hospital and she died instead.This is especially tragic as her reaction to the drug could have been treated easily if Dean had been a doctor.
The story outlines Dean Faiello's life as a gay,charming and handsome man and his relationships throughout his life until he was extradited from Costa Rica to stand trial in the USA for the murder of Maria Cruz.

I can usually work out how good a book is by how long I take to read it.If a book is really good I take half a day to finish it.Some books I dont even finish but I must say with True Crime books this rarely happens.This book took me 3 days.I think it is well written.This is also the first book that I read of Diane Fanning's.I saw her website and promptly ordered 6 of her books.I personally prefer female authors so I decided to check out her style of writing.Not bad.I will read a few more of her books before I make my final decision.

What I am hoping for with this post is to get readers opinions on how they feel about Dean Faiello's long suffering boyfriend Greg Bach.In this book the opinion is that he was a good guy who got taken for a ride.I think that is partly true but I also feel that he might have known about the body buried under the house at the time but after Dean ended the relationship he only then decided to alert the authorities.What do you think?

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or below for USA Shoppers


I read this book in February 2009