A Cold-Blooded Business: Adultery, Murder, and a Killer's Path from the Bible Belt to the Boardroom by Marek Fuchs

The fascinating, chilling true story of what happens when you murder someone--and get away with it. Olathe, Kansas, was made famous by Truman Capote in his nonfiction novel In Cold Blood, in which he told the story of the Clutter family's murder in 1959. But few people know that Olathe achieved notoriety again in 1982, when a member of Olathe's growing Evangelical Christian population, a gentle man named David Harmon, was murdered in his bed, beaten so badly with a club that his face caved in beyond recognition. Suspicion quickly fell on David's wife, Melinda, and her boyfriend, Mark, student body president of the local Bible College. However, Melinda and Mark were never officially charged with murder, and they went on to lead successful and law-abiding lives. A Cold Blooded Business documents the shockingly amateurish police investigation, which was resumed in 2002.A fast-moving true detective story.

As a first book,this writer Marek Fuchs shows great potential to go on to bigger and greater things.The book starts off with the actual crime and then goes back in time to the events which unfold until the murder takes place.I felt like I hit the ground running with this book as the writing is very fast paced.The botched investigation,then onto the separate lives of the two suspects after they move on without ever being charged.The portion on Mark is extremely interesting as he went on to become quite a power house in the business world.Then the events which lead to this cold case being re opened.The stunningly short re investigation which is due to the investigators talking to Melinda,and not being in the presence of her father as before,starts talking albeit offering many different versions of what actually happened that night.The fact that her story had changed immediately alerted the investigators that they were onto something.Then onto Melinda and Marc being charged with the murder.The book also explores their current lives in jail after being sentenced.

This book had an impact on me as it is one of the few who have actually made me note when the "murderers" will be up for parole so I can keep track of what happens.While the book doesn't offer any "believable" reasons(for me) for why this murder took place other than Melinda's deeply religious belief that divorce would be worse than murder I have been thinking of my own set of possible scenarios.

David Harmon,the murdered victim,had at one stage put his arm on a friend's leg while he was driving.In the book this event is told by the friend who believes that David had wanted to tell him of the affair Melinda and Marc were having.This event led me to this scenario.David was gay.He had a brief interlude with Marc,who later on,ashamed of this,planned and murdered him in a horrific fit of anger.

Or Melinda,Marc and David were involved in a menage a trois.(Marc was close friends with Melinda and David)I can imagine that being deeply religious that Marc and Melinda would have remained quiet about this all these years,initially for their beliefs and later on to hide this possible motive and still later,once charged, to secure their lesser charges and retain their standing in their social circles once they got out on parole.

The information on this supposed affair between Marc and Melinda is very flimsy and I,for one, do not believe there was any physical affair.I cannot believe that an "emotional" affair would erupt into this absolutely horrific beating.Then these same people capable of this go on to lead impeccable law abiding lives?

Another theory is that Melinda arranged for someone else to kill her husband.I think she was in love with Marc but he did not feel the same.Maybe she came up with this as a way to kill a few birds with one stone.The mind boggles...

From the details supplied I found Marc to be extremely likeable,Melinda to be pathetic and the victim in life,to be childish and immature.I guess my possible murder conpiracies are based on these.I think this story still has some more interesting information to be revealed and Marek Fuchs the writer should go and interview some more people.Maybe now that the "murderers" are in jail,the people who know more would be more willing to talk.

Melinda will be up for parole in April 2010 and Marc in May 2011.I am going to keep track of this true crime story.



Watch this space as I will be doing a book giveaway on this book soon and also I will be interviewing this writer,Marek Fuchs.I have LOTS of questions.The post should be around the end of August.

Here are some more book details:
A Cold-Blooded Business: Love, Adultery, and Murder in a Small Kansas Town
Country: United States of America
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
ISBN: 9781602392540
Publication date: February 2009
Pages: 201
Illustrations: Illustrated

Fred and Rose by Howard Sounes

This was the bland semi-detached home of Fred and Rose West, and the guardian of their incredible secret: the remains of nine young women - many of them dismembered, decapitated and showing evidence of sexual torture - were buried under its cellar, bathroom floor and garden. The remains of Fred's eight-year-old stepdaughter were under the extention of a nearby house; his first wife and nanny were buried in windswept fields some miles away. There are undoubtedly many other victims whose fates may never be known. Yet Fred and Rose West, who committed at least nine of these murders together, continued to preserve the facade of normal married life. Friends and neighbours considered them a loving if somewhat eccentric couple, and their crimes went undetected for over twenty years.FRED & ROSE documents the lives and crimes of the most notorious murderers in Britain's recent criminal history, and offers completely new insights into these strange and tragic events.

Just in case this true crime story is not as widely known as I might think,this couple Fred and Rose sexually tortured and murdered many girls and then buried the bodies in the basement of the homes they lived in.Among the victims were their own children.

I still get the shivers when I just look at this book.Luckily it is only on my desk now so I can do this post but otherwise it is in a cupboard well hidden away.This book was one of the first true crime books I ever read so I have no idea if the shivers are due to having read it then before I was a seasoned true crime reader or if it was because it really was a horrific story.To be honest I think I must err on the side of the horrific story.The details included in this book are truly terrible.I could not get my mind around the fact that customers/clients were entering the house at all times of the day,a house that at any one time included at least 3 children.Customers who were coming to visit Rose who was prostituting herself for extra money or kicks,this fact is not really made clear in the book.

The details of the abuse of the young girls in the house was also very disturbing.The methods used,the activities entered into by this sick couple and the decision to include the children as well made me want to puke.I would recommend this book only to readers who are absolutely sure that they could handle all the gory details.

This book also highlighted for me (same as Secrets In The Cellar by John Glatt)how some neighbors are so involved in their own lives that they are totally oblivious to what is going on around them never mind right next door.Surely all these men visiting at all hours of the day and night must have raised some doubts? Then after the fact,the number of boarders (Fred and Rose also took in boarders)who then testified as to the strange noises they heard at night,is further proof that most people just do not want to get involved in the troubles of others.

Even more appalling is that after all of this,Fred then manages to commit suicide and never have to face the families of the victims.Surely he should have been watched day and night after being put in prison awaiting trial.

This book has lots and lots of photographs.Really personal photographs of Fred and Rose when they were still young.Photographs of the children and victims when they were alive and well.Photos of the house 25 Cromwell Street.There is also a 3D diagram of the house with all the different floors and a very confusing and unbelievable family tree which includes various boyfriends who were the fathers of some of Rose's children,then the children Fred had with other women,the children that this couple had together,and still the foster children they had.Really you would think there would be authorities checking up that these children were safe,but apparently not.

This writer,Howard Sounes,is able in this book to take many confusing details and present them in a way which is easy to read and folow.It is the details themselves which are very disturbing and not for the faint hearted.Venture at your own peril!



Here are some more book details:
Fred & Rose: The Full Story of Fred and Rose West and the Gloucester House of Horrors
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Softcover
Publisher: SPHERE
ISBN: 9780751513226
Publication date: December 1995
Edition: Paperback original
Pages: 362
Illustrations: Illustrated

Couples Who Kill by Carol Anne Davis

Couples who kill comprise only twenty per cent of killers, but they often murder serially and are responsible for particularly inhumane deaths. Comprising thirteen case studies, this book, which focuses on the psychology of murderers, explores the formative influences of these killers and their deadly dynamics.

As soon as we see "couples" we immediately see "man and woman" right? This book covers 13 cases of couples who have killed but it actually refers to killer duos rather than "couples" as we know it.

This book is one of the books I bought used from my little bookstore with the dodgy guy with the ladder who lurks in the backroom unless a customer needs him to reach a high shelf so he appears with his ladder and then returns to the back.For E.H. who wanted to know what he does at the back,he actually fixes toasters and stuff unless he needs to help out customers by getting down the very high books.This book is also one of the ones I promised to review in the last blogiesta which was a 1000 moons ago.

Back to the book,this was a good read.It blends psychological facts into a well researched storyline.Most of the case studies has childhood background on the main characters,the crime itself and the victims,once caught it delves into the defense strategy of each participant,the prison sentences each received,the myth on each specific case i.e. what actually happened,who killed who,etc...,then the dynamics between the killers which resulted in the murderous spree,and finally (I love this!)an update on where the killers are now.

Case 1-Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris
former prison friends who kidnapped,raped and killed teenage girls

Case 2-Frances and Marc Schreuder
Mother and teenage son who conspired and killed the mother's father and the son's grandfather.

Case 3-Alton Coleman and Debra Brown
They were a couple in the conventional sense of the word.This pair is unusual in that they were a killing black male/white female duo.They killed multiple times.There was no apparent MO, with males and females being killed,the only striking similarity is that all the victims were black.

Case 4-Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono
These were two cousins who embarked on a serial torture-killing spree.(There is a full book dedicated to this true crime story called The Hillside Stranglers:ISBN 978-0786711581)

Case 5-Dean Corll and Wayne Henley
This is also a couple in the conventional sense of the word.They were homosexiual lovers who went on to torture and kill at least 27 boys.

Case 6-Diane Zamora and David Graham
This is the fairly well known true crime story of a young couple who after a fight,David pretended to have had sex with another girl.Diane Zamora,in a fit of jealoysy and anger,decided that David must kill this girl in order to preserve the sanctity of their relationship.

Case 7-Leonard Lake and Charles Ng
These two murderers killed babies as well.They also filmed the killings.Thi is quite a well known and publicized case.There is a book devoted entirely to this true crime story:ISBN 978-0786019267)

Case 8-Marlene Olive and Charles Riley
Marlen Olive had a highly abusive childhood and no doubt from that developed her manipulative nature which ended up with her manipulating her teenage boyfriend Charles Riley into killing for her.

Case 9-Lucas Salmon and George Woldt
A pair of friends where Lucas was a sexually repressed misfit and George Woldt,a wife beater,eager to take the dominant role in this killing relationship.Together they killed one girl.For a full book on this specific true crime story read my review here on Partners In Evil by Steve Jackson

Case 10-James Daveggio and Michelle Michaud
This killer couple sexually assaulted 17 female victims,ending up in murder.

Case 11-Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson
A young teenage couple who decided the best form of birth control was to have the baby,strangle it,and then throw the baby away with the garbage.For a full book dedicated to this true crime story read my review here on Always In Our Hearts by Doug Most.

Case 12-Myra Hindley and Ian Brady
A killer couple who over the period of their crime spree killed many young victims.(I am not too happy with this writer's views on Myra Hindley being more battered than an equal member of this killing couple.Considering she is the one who would coerce young victims to their death,I find that viewpoint a bit sickening)

Case 13-Rose and Fred West
The ultimate killer couple,this couple raped,tortured and killed their victims,even their own children.(Review coming soon on the book Fred And Rose by Howard Sounes)

Further a chapter on British couples who kill children,another chapter on British couples who kill serially,another on British couples where one partner is exonerated.

Chapter 17 is on bizarre couples who kill with quite a few examples with very interesting storylines including brief backgrounds on each.

The final chapter entitled "The Abuse Excuse" provides a brief summaration of the case studfies mentioned earlier this time delving into the psychology of each crime and the after effects of abuse.

I would recommend reading this book if you are especially interested in the childhood background and psychology of killers.



Here are some more book details:
Couples Who Kill
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Softcover
Publisher: Allison & Busby
ISBN: 9780749081751
Publication date: March 2007
Pages: 398

And some more books by Carol Anne Davis which run along the same formats but about a different type of crime

Women Who Kill: Profiles of Female Serial Killers

Children Who Kill: Profiles of Pre-teen and Teenage Killers (2003)

Parents Who Kill: Murderers of Newborn, Pre-Teen and Teenage Children

Youthful Prey: Child Predators Who Kill

A Love To Die For by Patricia Springer

On January 12, 1995, in Knoxville, Tennessee, 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer went for a walk with her friend, 18-year-old Christa Pike. Suddenly, Christa turned on Colleen, accusing her of flirting with her boyfriend. Then, the words turned to shocking blows. An enraged Christa used a box knife to cut her rival's throat and a mini meat cleaver to inflict more havoc. Half-naked, Colleen crawled through her own blood begging for her life. In the middle of the hour-long assault, a satanic symbol was carved in the dying girl's chest. And when Christa was finally done, she took a piece of Colleen's skull as a macabre souvenir. What were the dark forces that drove angelic faced Christa to commit such a savage murder and become the youngest woman ever to be put on Death Row? In this shocking expose of a case that stunned the nation, Patricia Springer takes us through a horrifying crime scene and into the heart and mind of a murderess who killed for love-and would die for it, too. (editorial review)

This book has the most gruesome photographs I have ever seen included in a true crime book.The photographs include how the victim was found half naked,her slashed throat(2x),the carvings on her stomach,her butchered back.her skull which really gives you an idea of how much she was tortured.Really really gruesome photos!!I really have no idea how the family feels about this but I would have fought to not have pictures of my family exposed to the world like that.This book was published in 2000 and I think that the trend in true crime books is now to have a lot more respect for the victims and their story.I believe true crime writers are now really targetting normal readers who read these books for the stories and maybe explanations of how the crimes occured and ways to avoid them,the psychology behind the crimes rather than readers who are trying to satify some strange sadistic interest in voyeurism.

Patricia Springer is actually a very good writer.This story included excellent information and the actual crime is told in great detail with the conversations that took place between the teenagers before,during and after the crime.Being teenagers I believe that they remembered vividly how this all transpired and this information was in the court transcripts.To explain what I mean here is a piece of the conversation.Colleen Slemmer's body had gone limp after the beating and Tadaryl Shipp and Christa Pike were trying to drag her body through the mud one more time and Christa decides to stop trying to do this saying "She's all gooey.I don't want to touch her anymore".Even details after the crime where Christa Pike informs her friend Kim that she was using the piece of skull taken from the crime scene to eat breakfast.This was a really disturbing book and not for the faint hearted.

Needless to say the details of the crime in this true crime book are fairly extensive and detailed.I wanted to read this book as it is essentially about the youngest woman on death row Christa Pike.I also wanted to find out how teenagers get to a point where they kill a friend.How they manage to convince others to join them.How they feel afterwards.What I should have known (and found out in this book) is that killers of this kind have no conscience.These teenagers especially Christa Pike was lost in a world of her own with no rules,compassion or respect for human life,even ultimately her own life.


Here is the link if you want to access some more reviews on this book'
A Love To Die For

I read this book in April 2007 and has 8 pages of photographs(gruesome).

Here are some more book details:
Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Pinnacle (March 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 078601086X
ISBN-13: 978-0786010868

My Question:
Do you think that sentences imposed on teenagers(or people under 18) should be less severe than those imposed on adults who commit the same crimes?

Loving Natalee by Beth Holloway

In May of 2005, Beth Holloway received the worst phone call a parent can imagine. Her beautiful daughter, Natalee, had vanished without a trace in Aruba during her high school senior class trip. Four years later, Beth Holloway steps forward to tell the story of her daughter's disappearance and her own harrowing ordeal and her never-ending belief in the power of faith that gave her hope against all odds.
When Natalee went missing, her photograph was splashed across newspaper front pages and television screens from coast to coast. Desperate for clues to the whereabouts of the lost eighteen-year-old, Beth searched relentlessly with the help of a dedicated army of volunteers, encountering roadblocks, obstacles, and misinformation at every step and unbearable questions that had no answers.

The very first sentence of this book is "I'm the parent who got the dreaded call".This is in the preface.I was crying before the end of the first page."I will forever be Natalee's Mom".When I first ordered this book I checked out the reviews and there is a very strongly worded negative review chastising Beth Holloway's views on the conduct of the Aruba government during the investigation.I just have one question for you,have you read this book?Why would Beth Holloway lie about this,especially as she lives in eternal hope of finding her daughter still one day?Why would she tell lies and risk alienating the Aruban forces who fought to retain all investigative rights?Let me answer you,because they were alienated from the beginning,because she is telling this story with the total truth as a way of bringing sense into her daughter's disappearance,as a way to help other parents avoid the same thing happening to their children.And for my readers who have no idea what I am ranting about let me give you just one piece of her many disastrous experiences whilst dealing with the Aruban authorities.

Beth Holloway flies immediately to Aruba upon receiving the news that Natalee had not made it to the plane.When she gets there she tries endlessly to have Natalee reported missing.She eventually gets to an official and is sitting in his office ready to give her statement of everything she knows thus far.This is the answer she gets from Detective Jacobs.He says"I'll have to eat my frosted flakes first,"and then,running a hand across his jaw,adds "and get a shave before I can deal with you.".They wait 2 hours and she eventually ends up outside sitting on the pavement where the police chief comes and tells her angrily "You can't sit in the gravel like this.Come back inside".This books is filled with many more situations like this where she is treated with disdain.I am convinced that she was treated this way because she is American.I will tell you this,(agreeing with Dr Phil),Aruba will never see me or my tourist dollars EVER!

I do realise that I always seem to enter emotions into my reviews but that is just me.I am first and foremost,the mother of a daughter so needless to say this story is really close to my heart.I was appalled at the way this mother was treated,crazed that they would think that treating her like this would make her give up on her daughter,that they would be so naive as to try and dismiss a mother's maternal instinct.

Beth Holloway's book is so raw with emotion I could not help but be carried by it.Her words are not angry,simply stating facts as they happened.I am the one who got angry.Here is a bit of her writing to prove to you how well she tries to explain her feelings and what she was going through.This is towards the end where she is explaining where she is right now mentally."I can take the bullets to the gut and hold them now,keep them from exploding like little pellets all over my body.And release them on my time.When I'm ready."

This book is absolutely brilliant.An amazing story of a mother's love for her child,an absolutely raw account of the most dreaded journey any parent could take,with writing guaranteed to take any reader on the same journey with her.Fortunately we get to put the book down and move on.Beth Holloway will be living with this her entire life.

I have starting rating my books with a star rating system.I cannot use this rating system with this book.That would be classifying it as any other book.I will not do that to Beth Holloway.What I will say is thank you to Beth Holloway for sharing her story with me.I am in awe of you.To my readers,please read this book.She has excellent words of advice on how to avoid this with our own children.

If you would like to know more about this book then South African readers can access via Kalahari Books and for more reviews please see the Amazon link below

Loving Natalee: The True Story of the Aruba Kidnapping and Its Aftermath

Here are some more book details:

Author: Beth Holloway
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Harper
ISBN: 9780061468797
Publication date: May 2009
Pages: 256

I read this book in June 2009 and I kept referring back to the front cover so I could look at the photos of Beth and Natalee Holloway.Natalee looked just like her mother and after being raised for 18 years by this strong woman,all I can say is what a tragic end to a life that was so promising!

House Of Evil by John Dean

In the heart of Indianapolis in the mid 1960's, through a twist of fate and fortune, a pretty young girl came to live with a thirty-seven-year-old mother and her seven children. What began as a temporary childcare arrangement between Sylvia Likens's parents and Gertrude Baniszewski turned into a crime that would haunt cops, prosecutors, and a community for decades to come.When police found Sylvia's emaciated body, with a chilling message carved into her flesh, they knew that she had suffered tremendously before her death. Soon they would learn how many others,including some of Baniszewski's own children,participated in Sylvia's murder, and just how much torture had been inflicted on one person.

The original edition of this book sold more than 55 000 copies in 1966 and 1967.The author had this true crime book,House Of Evil,republished by himself in 1999.He made more money from the first 100 copies than he did on the 55 000 copies sold thirty years before.A Hollywood movie has been made about this case,An American Crime,which debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

John Dean has attempted successfully to re create this complicated story in order for the reader to understand and digest the facts of this true crime story in a well set out time line starting with the panic stricken kids as they realise that Sylvia Likens,the victim, is not moving and appears dead.The events that unfold are ,I imagine, as they happened so many years ago.One of my gripes is that there was no background or childhood information on the main characters and this is answered by the author right at the beginning.Apparently he had the same complaints from other readers when the book was first published.

Another problem I had,and this is my fault,is that half of the book is dedicated to the torture that Sylvia Likens went through.Bearing in mind that she was tortured over a period of 3 months and eventually died.No conventional weapon such as a gun or knife was used to kill her.Just plain torture in every imaginable way you can think of.There has never been any convincing proof of which method of torture actually caused her death.The details were horrifying and highly disturbing.Like I said,this is my fault,and I should have expected this,as the book is publicized as The Indiana Torture Slaying and the word torture itself signifies suffering over a period of time and should have been obvious to me that those details would have to be included.I do believe that the writer John Dean did not include those details to sensationalise in any way.

So apart from being highly disturbed I still read the book.Then the next half is dedicated to the court case.And what a mess,all the defendants(Gertrude Baniszewski,her kids and some friends) were tried at the same time(save one).They each had their own attorney and with all the objections coming from all sides and warnings to the jury "this information must not be referred to this one's case because he was not here at that time" so the jury had to make notes on which information to exclude when deciding on the guilt of each one.Honestly,if anybody is thinking of studying law,they should read this book about this court case.I would have walked out if I was a juror.

Just to give you an idea of how juries can be manipulated, read the following.The mother Gertrude was pleading insanity.So her lawyer calls the author of this book(John Dean) as a witness to testify as to whether he thinks she is sane or not.So he asks John Dean the question and before he can answer the prosecution objects(obviously because he is a reporter not a psychiatrist) but the reason the defense did this was because with the objection,which was sustained,the jury gets the impression that the reporter was going to say "yes,she is insane" but actually John Dean did not think she was insane and the prosection had to object as he did not want to set a precedent to have all and sundry being brought in as witnesses to testify to Gertrude's insanity.So with manipulation,the defence scores one point.Makes you think,doesn't it?

I will be honest and say that the court case details got very tedious for me.I was irritated and confused most of the time.I don't believe that this confusion arose from the way the book was written but rather from the fact that so many defendants were being tried at the same time and so many lawyers in the same court room all choosing different times to object.It was stop and go all the way.

This book took me longer than usual to complete because my nerves were shot from the first half of the book and then the second half was just plain confusing.If I was the judge I would have thrown everybody in jail including the lawyers.







If you would like to find out more about this book then South African readers can access via Kalahari books or if you would like to read more reviews on this book then the Amazon link below will provide that.

House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

I read this book in May 2009,Here are some more book details:

Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's True Crime Classics
ISBN: 9780312946999
Publication date: July 2008
Pages: 231
Illustrations: Illustrated

Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell

On a summer night in Houston, two bright, beautiful, success-bound teenage girls crossed paths with a group of young men fueled with alcohol and rage.At first, the teenage boys grabbed Elizabeth, while Jennifer escaped. But Elizabeth's desperate cries brought Jennifer back to help her best friend. Both girls were subjected to sexual assaults of every conceivable kind and long, painful, drawn-out deaths.Four days later, when searchers finally found Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena, their bodies were unrecognizable.
For days afterward, the killers bragged openly about their crime. By the time prosecutors got the case, convictions for double murder looked like a "slam dunk." But the families of the victims were in for a horrible surprise. In this terrifying case, justice would be a torturous journey...

I watched this true crime story on the Crime & Investigation channel.It was shown as part of the Crime Central series and although I enjoyed it,I noticed that it did not have all the information that this book provided.The information specifically being the background and childhoods of each and every defendant and victim.Corey Mitchell has a chapter dedicated to each of them and from reading this,you can really get an idea of the "time bomb" which was waiting to explode.The boys/men accused of this crime were Raul Villarreal,Efrain Perez Jr,Peter Cantu,Jose "Joe" Ernesto Medellin and Derrick Sean O'Brien.Venancio "Yuni" Medellin,Jr turned state witness.Their victims were Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena.

The book then evolves to the actual crime which was quite explicit and disturbing but had to be included as it involved the long drawn out torture of these girls.The events after the crime and before these thugs got caught is detailed with the reader in mind.Each chapter has a date and time of each event which was really easy to follow and interact with other events happening at the same time.

It was so tragic that Jennifer had actually gotten away and she came back to help her friend.If only she had run away and gone to get help!Can you imagine being the parent of this child who came so close to getting away and just because you tried to bring her up with proper morals she went back to help her friend?There is quite a bit of the book dedicated to the parents and their struggle with this tragic event.

This book is very well rounded in that it provides details for whichever type of crime reader you are.Background,crime detals,investigation,court case and is written to captivate the reader.

Corey Mitchell donates a portion of his royalties on the sale of this book to the Heidi Search Center.Here are some more links below:
For Pure Murder updates and extra please visit:
www.coreymitchell.com
Corey Mitchell is also the founder and contributor to In Cold Blog

If you would like to find out more about this book then South African readers can access via Kalahari Books or for more reviews then the Amazon link below
Pure Murder (Pinnacle True Crime)

Here is some extra information on the book if you would like to get it from somewhere else

Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
ISBN: 9780786018512
Publication date: June 2008
Edition: illustrated edition
Pages: 377

I read this book in January 2009 and it has 8 pages of photographs.The book cover above has the picture of the two female victims but my copy has a photo of Elizabeth Pena and two of the boys accused of killing them.I prefer the cover above as mine did not include a photo of Jennifer Ertman and she was the truly tragic part of the story for me.And something that struck me as so special is that Corey Michell dedicated this book to Kyle and Darrin Mitchell with the words"You know what they say about brothers..."

A Fatal Lie by Sally Chew

18 year old Kelley "Turtle" Tibbs,legendary ringleader of the teenage lesbian scene, lived in the city's gay Carytown district in Richmond, Virginia.Her home,a brick row-house was the meeting base for all the surrounding shaven headed female teenagers and always had lots of beer.Melissa Etheridge provided the vocals in the form of loud music on the stereo.Tracy Bitner was Turtle's tall possessive girldfriend.
18-year-old Stacey Hanna, a new roommate who moved east from Lynchburg had a huge crush on Turtle. Stacey tried numerous times to drive a wedge between Turtle and Tracy and eventually this backfired.One night, Turtle, Tracy and two friends literally dragged Stacey to a wooded area and kicked, slashed, and stabbed her to death.

This true crime book is about a lesbian love triangle turned deadly.What struck me most about this book was how Kelley Tibbs was able to manipulate these two admirers to such an extent that one was eventually murdered.She was saying one thing to the one and another to the other one.Things like "I like you" to Stacey Hanna and then to the girlfriend Tracy she would say that Stacey won't leave her alone and is pursuing her.She was then in a spot (between a rock and a hard place)when Tracy decided to take action and she had to go along.She,alone had caused this situation to erupt to the point of murder through her deceit and lies.On the other hand,as a reader, I had this constant feeling of trouble brewing,all the time.I also believe if it had not been Stacey Hanna that died it would have been someone else.This situation was a "murder looking for a place to happen".One of the girls even told a detective"just one of those times...when somebody had to die."

Sally Chew includes quite a bit of dialogue from everybody involved so you do get the feeling that you are getting the whole story,from the perspective of the defendants at least.That fact also re enforced the idea I had that it was a case of somebody,anybody,had to die.The victim and her family do not feature prominently in the book.There was also,unfortunately for me,not a lot of background and early childhood details on the girls and that information would have really added to the book.The details supplied however did carry through and made for a good read regardless.

For more reviews on this book please access Amazon link below
A Fatal Lie: A True Story Of Betrayal And Murder In The New South (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

I read this book in June 2007 and it is unfortunately no longer available on my South African online bookstore.If you would like to access via another store please see extra details below

Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's True Crime (April 4, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312970145
ISBN-13: 978-0312970147

I was also unable to see any other true crime books written by Sally Chew so I guess this is her only one.

Who Killed My Daughter by Lois Duncan

This is the story of a mother's search for the truth behind her daughter's death and shows how she was able to uncover information that the police could not.In one sentence you get an idea of what the book is about but truthfully this book is really about a mother's love for her daughter,the journey she took to find her killers,a process of healing,an idea that if she could not control the circumstances leading to her daughter's death then she could try and control what happens afterwards.A tragic journey into the mind of a parent who loses a child,an insight of what every parent most dreads.

I got the distinct feeling that Lois Duncan wrote this book as a letter to her daughter,to let her know wherever she is that her mother loved her.That her time on this earth was precious and she will be in her mother's heart now and forever.

I chose this book to review because of what happened today.My daughter did not go to school today as she has an ear infection.I had to go to work and left her at home alone.At about midday I saw there was a missed call from her on my cell.I tried calling back and no answer on the landline and no answer on her two other cell numbers.I started panicking and immediately as I was driving back home I had these thoughts on how I was going to perform CPR and call the ambulance at the same time and worrying that they were going to ask me to spell out my street address as this happens every time and wondering why people that sell houses never make this a selling point,as in, your street name is David Street,you will never have to spell it out when you order take outs,ever.I called a friend and said they must be on stand by so that if I miss called,he is to call the ambulance right way.As I screeched to a halt in front of my house she finally answered the phone,I burst out crying,she told me she had been in the bath and then called me a "retard" for being so emotional.My daughter,my angel,my reason for living!!

Back to this wonderful book by Lois Duncan,this courageous mother who decided to take action and do something,anything.My heart goes out to her.She wrote this book in such an open way,and totally bares her feelings for all to see.The writing itself was so easy to read and follow despite the painful content.The story leaves a lot of unanswered questions but the investigation by this mom raised a lot of questions which might never have arisen were it not for her.Some questions are answered,some not.Quite a few unresolved issues but I would not have missed reading this book for the world.

The most tragic for me is when she explores in hindsight what she could have done to prevent what happened.Could she have insisted Kaitlyn not go out?So many little things she could have changed if only she could have foreseen the future.Guilt she will live with forever.No human being should have to shoulder pain like this for a lifetime.

Basically this was a book about a mother's love for her child,a love letter,a final journey she took with her daughter,putting her own mind to rest,gaining some peace,an apology "I couldn't protect you".I have always loved you and will always love you.

I feel priveleged to have read this book.I read it in May 2007.For South African readers who would like to know more about this book please use this link for Kalahari Books or if you would like to read some more reviews on this amazing book then use the Amazon link below.
Who Killed My Daughter?
There are no photographs in this book but the front cover was all I needed.The way Lois Duncan wrote this book was enough for me to be able to visualize all I need to know.

Invisible Darkness by Stephen Williams

This book Invisible Darkness by Stephen Williams is the true crime account of the case of Paul and Karla Bernardo and the couple's seemingly storybook marriage, which involved kidnapping, imprisonment, and the murder of high-school girls to satisfy their sexual cravings.

Rebecca requested this review so this one's for you but I hope everyone finds it useful.To my new readers who might not know this here are some tips on how I am going about this blogging thing.I started reading true crime books back in 2007 but only started blogging about them in February this year.So I review my new books as soon as I have read them but also in the meantime am trying to do reviews on old true crime books that I have read from as far back as 2007.This book is one of them.

I am also trying to think up a rating system which is going to be more based on preferences of true crime book readers.Some true crime readers prefer in depth investigations(for me sometimes,depends on true crime writer),some prefer a major portion of the book dedicated to the background and early childhood of the characters(that's me) while some might want more graphic details of the crime itself(not me)so basically my rating system would advise how much of the book is dedicated to each.I do not do reviews on books I did not enjoy(probably because I would then not finish reading it)so all my reviews are on books which I would advise on reading with extra information for the reader.

So to get back to my review of Invisible Darkness.This book contains graphic details of the crime and is not for the faint hearted.I distinctly remember being very very jittery while I was reading this book.What absolutely amazed me was the front picture of this couple on their wedding day where they look so much like a normal happy loving couple and then to read this book and find out how crazy people can feed and grow off each other's evil was mind numbing,at best.Despite those details Stephen Williams provides background and early childhood details which kept me clinging on for dear life.

Further in the book it comes out that all the crimes were video taped and to get descriptions of what was on the tape and having a well developed imagination I did not even need to actually see those videos to actually know what was in there.Plus the fact that the books contains photographs of the victims made it even easier for me to be an absolutely wreck by the time I finished reading this book.

The point is I enjoyed reading the book because Stephen Williams is an excellent writer and obviously his aim was to tell the story and those graphic details are absolutely necessary to tell the story of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka because their crimes are totally based on those details.My advice is to proceed with caution.Have a light hearted book ready to read immediately after you have read this book.I suggest Chicken Soup For The Soul because it will re instate your belief in people and the fact that (I believe) people are more good than bad.

I don't believe that Karla Homolka got the sentence she deserved because I don't believe in the defence theory of "he made me do it".To help you understand my thoughts on Karla Homolka I want to add that her younger sister was also a victim of this couple.At least Paul Bernardo got what he deserved.

This book is not an easy read because of the content but is worth reading for the insight it provides into the way this couples' minds worked and I believe their minds were totally in sync for the crimes they committed.

If you would like to find out more about this book then South African readers should access via Kalahari Books and if you want to see more reviews from other readers then the Amazon link which follows will provide that.
Invisible Darkness: The Strange Case Of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka

I read this book in November 2007 and it has 532 pages and it has 8 pages of photographs.

Partners In Evil by Steve Jackson

In April 1997,pretty 22 year old Jacine Gielinksi stopped her car at a Colorado Springs red light.She has no idea that she was being followed-or of the unspeakable horrors that awaited her.Within minutes,Jacine would become the victim of a pair of twisted friends whose obsession with ultra-violent pornography inspired them to abduct,then brutally rape,torture,and mutilate the helpless woman,turning a deaf ear to her desperate cries for mercy....

Best friends George Woldt and Lucas Salmon were an unlikely pair.Woldt was a fast talking liar and a well dressed ladies man.The deeply religious Salmon couldn't get a date to save his life.But Salmon worshipped Woldt,and Woldt sensed in his willing friend someone who would join him in his deadly obsession....

I really enjoyed this book.It is excellently written and begins with the life story first and allows you to really know the characters.I have found out that when you feel you really know the people involved that the emotions evoked upon reading further really allows you to enter their world and live with them for as long as you are reading the book.In this book you get to know the victim Jacine and her family and meet a great lady in the form of her Mom and really realise the power of the maternal instinct.Steve Jackson writes really well and you also get to know the monsters and while you are with them you will feel uncomfortable but thank goodness we never have to meet those monsters in real life hopefully.

My passion for true crime books is derived from the fact that I want to know what makes these monsters tick and to prepare me should I ever be in a deadly situation.This book will leave you totally confused because the religious Salmon is not someone I would ever have thought capable of these terrible acts.But what it has taught me is that people who are very easily influenced and appear to lack confidence can be as deadly if they encounter an evil person who uses their influence to instigate evil in people of weak character.

This is a book you cannot put down but also cannot wait to end so that you can put it far away from you.These evil guys were just too much for me.Such senseless crime just because they were bored...

This has also made me realise that I really should look into other true crime books which Steve Jackson has written.

Amazon Books-USA and Canada


Amazon Books-UK and Europe


I read this book in August 2008