Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death by Rita Cosby

She was famous for being famous-Americana at its Scarlet Letter-wearing best. A bodacious young girl from Texas, Anna remade herself into the centerfold of the world. She was a dumb blonde, a stripper, a Playboy Playmate, who boldly took her case against her billionaire husband's family all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Her tragic life and untimely death evoke an odd mix of fascination, shock, and dismay. And through it all, there still exists a voracious thirst to discover more about who she actually was...and how she really died.
In a book that is sure to surprise even the most avid pop culture junkies, Rita Cosby blows the lid off this astounding story. After an in-depth investigation, this is the definitive journalistic account of the Anna Nicole Smith saga-with unearthed secrets and explosive, never-before-told information.

Regardless of whether all the information is correct,the fact that there are thousands of conspiracy theories out there including the fact that the Russians got to the moon before the Americans,THIS conspiracy theory ranks amongst the best of them.As this forms the crux of this book I cannot reveal all.Here are some clues,Anna Nicole Smith's son dies mysteriously,then she dies,then suddenly Howard Stern is the father of the child,then it turns out to be Larry,and now everyone is living happily.This theory of Rita Cosby which is definitely hard to NOT believe as she has witnesses willing to come forward with pertinent facts and observations, brings all these facts together and they all make absolute sense in the context in which they are written.I,for one, am a believer!

Brilliantly written,seemed to have the appearance of massive research plus the fact that Rita Cosby herself was very much an insider with these main characters lends itself to a great book,albeit a major bone of contention as to whether it is a work of fiction or non fiction.If these are truly the facts then this story will bring forth the saying of "truth is stranger than fiction."

I enjoyed the brief moments with Anna Nicole Smith.I have always liked her.I think she was largely misunderstood and criticized.I admire her for the single mother she was,for her path to stardom.I am also of the opinion that most of the truly good people of this earth always end up drug addicted,in my opinion,for having feelings that run so deep,that their only outlet becomes drugs.You have to read this book to understand what I mean.It is an amazing book!





More book details:
Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death
Country: United States of America
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 9780446406116
Publication date: September 2007
Edition: Parental Adviso
Pages: 244
Illustrations: Illustrated

Precious Blood by Sam Adams

In the heart of Kentucky's mining country, in a tiny town where alcohol was against the law and no one locked their doors, everyone knew Jerome Boggs was a bad seed. Even so, no one suspected how vicious he was... A stone's throw from a church, in a neatly kept single-wide trailer, police found the body of a young man murdered execution style. In a bedroom they found Tim Cook's innocent 4 - year-old son T.J. lying among his toys with two fatal bullet wounds in his chest and tears still in his eyes... Soon police were hunting down Jerome Boggs and unravelling a stunning story of depravity. Holed up in a cheap motel and stocked up on liquor and beer, Jerome had wed his 20-year-old wife to a diabolical plan for murder. Now the only question was: what punishment could possibly fit their crimes?

This was a book where the blurb didn't look very inviting but the actual book turned out to be a really good one.Sam Adams' writing is really good and I'm quite surprised I haven't seen any other true crime books written by him since this book.Also with this actual published copy that I got the size of the print was just right but I cannot guarantee that every copy will be like that if published at a different time to my book.

I really enjoyed reading the way the court case was detailed,with the writer adding those extra little details that keep the reader up to date with what is going on.Although there is a bit of writing moving from the past and present it was really easy to follow and the information flowed freely.

I am going to spend more time looking into Sam Adams as a writer.I think it is a bit more difficult as search results for Sam Adams gives out Samuel Adams:The Father Of American Independence and a few other books on this.

Every time I encounter a book which involves the death of a child I find it very disturbing but more so when the child is the same age and sex of any of my own children.This little boy T.J. was four years old which is the exact age of my own little boy.Fortunately I read the book a while back but still.This little one looked so sweet.

This is one of the books I promised myself I would review though the Blogiesta and never did.



Here are some more book details:
Precious Blood
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pinnacle Books,U.S.
ISBN: 9780786018499
Publication date: April 2007
Pages: 300
Illustrations: Illustrated

Innocence Lost by Carlton Stowers

Undercover officer George Raffield's job was to pose as a student in the small town of Midlothian, Texas and infiltrate the high school drug ring. When Raffield's cover became suspect, word spread through a small circle of friends that the young officer would pay with his life. No one stopped it. On a rainy fall evening in 1987, Raffield was lured to an isolated field. Three bullets were fired-one unloaded into his skull. The baby-faced killer, Greg Knighten, stole eighteen dollars from Raffield's wallet, divided it among his two young accomplices, and calmly said, it's done. With chilling detail, Carlton Stowers illuminates a dark corner of America's heartland and the children who hide there. What he found was an alienated subculture of drug abuse, the occult, and an unfathomable teenage rage that exploded at point blank range on a shocking night of lost innocence...

Carlton Stowers was initally reluctant to write this book as he is from the same area where this crime occurred.Initally reluctant to perhaps have to release secrets of friends and family,he went ahead on the advice of his wife.The fact that he is so close to the story shows in the writing of this book.It shows in the respectful writing(from his close affiliation with the characters) and yet is honest and revealing no doubt due to his experience in writing true crime books,a talent he has which is admired by his fellow true crime writers.

He found out about this story when he was contacted by Karen Hufstetler,a psychic who informed him that the authorities were searching for an undercover cop.She then told him that they needed to be searching further south and when they found the pick up truck the keys would be missing.She was right.

This book will take you deeply into the drug scene prevalent in schools,the flippant attitude most teenagers have,the fact that they are absolutely not fully aware of the consequences of their actions,even their casual disregard for drug use,even if they themselves are not indulging then they definitely are not shocked at the fact that their fellow schholmates are indeed taking drugs.The most shocking part of this true crime story is how well known was the fact that George Raffield was an undercover cop,that some kids had promised to make him pay.Yet not one of the other school kids thought of alerting the authorities that this young man's life was in danger.

I believe that this book was especially excellent as the writer Carlton Stowers was able to get much insider information based on his relationship with the town.I assume alongside that was the fact that being a friend they could truly trust him to relate the story in a truthful and respectful way which he has done.

This is one of my "old" books which I am doing a review on in my bid to catch up on all my reviews.I can also tell from just looking at my old books which ones I enjoyed the most just by checking their general condition.A book which took me a long time to read will be dog eared and tattered.The ones which still look brand new I know I read really quickly which then translates into "I really enjoyed it".And no it would not mean I never read it because I really try to finish reading all the books I buy and if I was struggling then it would remain next to my bedside table.I would read one page and then clip a page to keep my space and then all the pages would show they had been clipped at one time or other(yes I do NOT have a book marker).My point is this book Innocence Lost by Carlton Stowers is practically brand new.

If you would like to know more about this book then South African readers can access via Kalahari Books and if you would like to read some more reviews then the Amazon link below will do just that
Innocence Lost
I read this book in June 2008 and it has 8 pages of photographs.

Here are some more book details:
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9780312995447
Publication date: May 2004
Pages: 336

My Question:
Do you think the kids who knew that his crime was about to happen but said nothing to anyone should be held accountable in some way?

Death In Texas by Carlton Smith

Robert and Doris Angleton seemed to have the perfect life. Until she was coldly murdered in her own home, shot thirteen times in the head, chest, and abdomen...
Suddenly the ideal husband seemed anything but perfect: he was jailed, accused of hiring his older brother, Roger, to kill his wife for money,possibly as much as $2 million. However, without the crucial eyewitness testimony of Roger,who soon committed suicide in a Houston jail cell,the case against Robert rested entirely on circumstantial evidence. But the facts raise more questions than answers...

* Doris Angleton,deeply involved in a secret love affair,had asked her husband for a divorce, which might have exposed him as a tax-skipping millionaire bookie and favored police informant...
* Extensive handwritten and typewritten notes, coupled with a secretly taped conversation between Roger and another man outlining the murder, were found in a briefcase Roger Angleton was carrying when he was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, it was later concluded that the second voice on the tape was not Robert's...
* Also in Roger's briefcase: $64,000 in cash, along with a money wrapper with Robert's fingerprint on it...
* Ultimately Roger confessed to the murder in his suicide note, exonerating his brother of any guilt...
A Texas jury came to one conclusion. (editorial review)

Carlton Smith was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting in 1988, and for the true crime readers who enjoy books that delve deeply into the investigation process Carlton Smith always delivers.This book did not have much background information on the main characters so in my case I was disappointed.

The investigation is detailed as and when the actual investigators would have found out about each certain fact.Due to this I got an insight as to how confusing investigative work actually is and how you ned to keep the facts in order in your own mind to avoid getting sidetracked by details which might be irrelevant.Carlton Smith does go one step further by helping to keep the details clear by emphasising on the importance of each.But this was a really complicated crime and his work was cut out for him from the get go.

This book is only available on Kindle now but I have the "real" book version.This review is part of my mission to review all my "old" books in the month of June and get that out of the way so I can concentrate on "new" and current books that I am reading.

I prefer true crime books that give a reasonable amount of attention to all the main categories of a true crime and this book was full of the investigation and very little background(which I enjoy) so it does not rate highly in my eyes.


Here is the link if you would like to read some more reviews on this book
Death in Texas: A True Story of Marriage, Money, and Murder

I read this book in November 2007 and it does have the 8 pages of photographs.I was also horrified that they would include a photo of the dead victim.How that happened I have no idea.It is not a gory photo at all but I really would have liked to have been warned first.

Here are some more book details
Format: Kindle Edition
Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's True Crime (October 4, 2005)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B000V6XNCU
and here is the ISBN code which I got off my original order from back in 2007
ISBN 9780312970758

My Question:
Do you feel more sympathy for husbands that kill wives who were going to leave them as in a crime of passion as opposed to husbands who kill their wives for money?

Bitter Almonds by Gregg Olsen

Stella Maudine Nickell's small-time world was one of big-time dreams. In 1986, her biggest one came true when her husband died during a seizure, making her the beneficiary of a $175,000,plus insurance payoff,until authorities discovered Bruce Nickell's headache capsules had been laced with cyanide. In an attempt to cover her tracks, Stella did the unconscionable. She saw to it that a stranger would also become a random casualty of cyanide-tainted painkillers. But Stella's cunning plan came undone when her daughter Cynthia notified federal agents. And troubling questions lingered like the secret of bitter almonds... What would turn a gregarious barfly like Stella into a cold-hearted killer overnight? Why would Cynthia, a mirror image of her mother, turn on her own flesh and blood? Did Cynthia reveal everything she knew about the crimes?

It is a known fact that when performing an autopsy on a person who has died from cyanide poisoning the body releases a strong smell of almonds.Hence this title "Bitter Almonds".This did not happen with the victim Bruce Nickell as an autopsy was never performed on him.It was believed and accepted that he had died from heart complications.The story outlined at the back of this book is slightly misleading as it implies that Stella Nickell,in order to cover her tracks,then laced painkillers in a drugstore with cyanide so that another random person would die as well.The truth is the reason she did this was because the insurance on her husband's life had a double indemnity for accidental death.Her greed was her own undoing.By poisoning another person or person(s)(she didn't care) then her husband's death would be seen as an accidental death and not a natural death via health complications.Stella Nickell had essentially gotten away with murder initially. The investigation then carried out into the cyanide laced painkillers is what unearthed her deadly plan which led to her subsequent incarceration.

This true crime story has many sub plots as the other woman who ended up dead from the other cyanide laced painkillers had a history of her own and this is covered in the book.The book is filled with twists and turns as the investigation reveals many potential suspects at first including people in this woman's life one of which was investigated thoroughly.In fact he seemed to be a dead ringer for the crime.At this stage I was left wondering how many innocent people are actually in jail nowadays for crimes they did not commit.Some people are really so unclucky that certain crimes can lead right back to them,even though they are completely innocent.

This is a very thick book with 568 pages but the story is really complicated and you need to keep your wits about you to stay on top of this story.Even though we know that Stella Nickell was the actual murderer,the details included in this well written story does lead the reader down the exact paths that I imagine the investigators were led.The book does leave a few questions still unanswered mainly,was Stella Nickell's daughter actually involved in the poisoning?What made her decide to turn her mother in? Did they have a falling out as to what reward Stella would give her for helping?This book was interactive as I was able to come to my own conclusions and any other reader would be able to do so as well.But the point is we would just have our own thoughts.Nothing is ever proven for sure.

For readers interested in finding out more about this true crime book then South African readers should access via Kalahari Books and for more reviews then see the link below
Bitter Almonds : The True Story of Mothers, Daughters, and the Seattle Cyanide Murders

Here are some more book details:
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's True Crime Classics
ISBN: 9780312982003
Publication date: August 2006
Pages: 576

I read this book in November 2007 and it has 8 pages of photographs.It was an entertaining read but you might have to skim though parts of the book as Gregg Olsen sometimes includes details which are just plain boring and slightly unnecessary and let me stick my neck out by saying "irrelevant".

My Question
Would you immediately report a family member if you knew they had committed a crime or would you ask questions first and then hope someone else reports the crime?

Appointment For Murder by Susan Crain Bakos

There was a dark side to St. Louis dentist Dr. Glennon Engleman--a twisted secret life of sexual perversion and murder. This electrifying true-crime story chronicles the two decades of brutal executions that occurred while the doctor was in!.(editorial review from Amazon)

This is one of the books I bought from my little hidden away,very dusty,used bookstore.If you don't remember one of my previous posts,then this was when I discovered this little shop with a shelf in the back corner full of true crime books.I bought out their entire stock and the little lady spent about half an hour writing out the invoice which included the titles,the price and the published date(why?go figure!)and after she had written a few down and we were 30 minutes down the line I took over.I asked the little lady to go have some coffee and relax.I gave my friend the task of reading out the titles and I wrote out the rest of the invoice.Then the little lady had to come out and check the prices and only then we started adding up the totals with the oldest calculator which to its credit was solar powered.We ended up outside trying to power up the calculator so we could finish this task.It was quite a mission but I now take my own calculator with when I go there which is about every 2 months.

This book is a hardcover version and very very old.The front picture of mine is grey with a few dentist tools.How I hate going to the dentist!This cover is different from the one included in this post and supplied by Amazon.My cover does not included the dreaded injection and has no blood.Needless to say my local online store does not have this book for sale.I don't even think they were operating when this book came out in 1989.

Remembering the movie The Dentist with Corbin Bernsen I had high expectations of this book.I was obviously in the mood for some very gory stuff but in that sense I was extremely disappointed.This dentist Glennon Engleman does not psychopatically attack his patients.Instead his motives were purely financial as he encouraged women to marry his future "victims".The plan was they would marry these "victims",then take out insurance on their lives,then they would be murdered.The proceeds would then be split between the "wife" and himself.This went on for many many years until his ex wife came clean and the entire scam fell apart but not before five men and two women had been murdered.

The one murder was especially gruesome.They convinced this one young man to come and help them dig a hole in a field somewhere.He was by then the husband of one of the women in the scam so he trusted them enough to go through with this idea.After he had helped did the hole they bashed him over the head with one of the farm tools and threw him in the hole.

The funny thing about this story is that this mad dentist hardly made that much money from these schemes and would most likely have made more money by being a practising dentist as he was qualified to be.Instead of doing that he instead chose to neglect his practice and spend an inordinate amount of time planning these murderous schemes.So yes maybe he was actually psychotic with an edge towards the financial aspect.

I did find this book interesting with the many twists and turns.The planning and constant running away from the law and/or avoidance of being caught makes for a great story which if I didn't know better,read like a fiction novel.

For more reviews and/or details please access via the Amazon link below
Appointment for Murder

While I was searching for a picture of the book for this post on my online bookstore I entered the writer's name Susan Crain Bakos and found a list of books that she has written since then.No more true crime stories.I have no idea if the writing of this book inspired her to write the following books(and give up on true crime) but she seems to have successfully combined religion and sex with the emphasis on self help sex books

-What Men Really Want: Straight Talk from Men about Sex
-The Sex Bible: The Complete Guide to Sexual Love
-The Orgasm Bible: The Latest Research and Techniques for Reaching More Powerful Climaxes More Often
-The Orgasm Loop: The No-Fail Technique for Reaching Orgasm During Sex
-The Sex Bible for Women: The Complete Guide to Understanding Your Body, Being a Great Lover, and Getting the Pleasure You Want
-The New Tantra: Simple and Sexy: Longer, Better Lovemaking for Everyone

I have no idea when I read this book but it was definitely in the past 3 years.My copy of this book does not have any photographs included which is strange for a true crime book.I sincerely hope that her new books published have some pictures provided as the techniques seem very complicated and highly technical(lol).

Here are some more book details:
• Paperback: 1 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle (July 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558175520
• ISBN-13: 978-1558175525

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.

Vanished At Sea by Tina Dirmann

Vanished At Sea,the true crime book by Tina Dirmann the true story of Skylar Deleon, a former child actor on the TV series Power Rangers, who was charged with the 2004 double murder of a wealthy retired couple in Long Beach, California.
It was supposed to be blue skies and smooth sailing for Thomas and Jackie Hawks. A retired probation officer and a stay-at-home mom, they were looking forward to entering the next phase of their golden years. Their plan was to sell their home—a 55-foot, $435,000 yacht—and start a new life on land and spend as much time with their grandchildren as possible.The Hawks were thrilled when a young man named Skylar Deleon wanted to buy the boat for himself, his wife, and their two kids. Little did Thomas and Jackie know that this unemployed,former childhood actor and dishonorably discharged Marine had another devious plan in mind:to lure the couple out to sea, force them to sign away their life savings, throw them overboard, and leave them to die.

I finished reading this book a few days ago but could only post my review now because of all the Easter happenings and then wonder of wonders,my blog was nominated for the One Lovely Blog award so of course I had to immediately post on the good news.

I read this book literally in one sitting.A really well written and easy reading book.I loved the fact that it delved quite deeply into the early life of the main people namely the Hawks who were the victims and also provided a detailed and interesting few chapters on the early life of Skylar the alleged murderer.I say alleged because the book does not provide the final details and courtcase of Skylar but it does mention that the state was going to seek the death penalty in their case against him.I have to add though that I did not feel that I missed out on not having the court details because for me that usually just means a re hash of all the details which you gain though the investigation.This book provides all of these investigation details and I am completely sure that he will be charged with the murder of this innocent couple.

Tina Dirmann does take the reader through the trial of Skylar's wife,Jennifer,who you will find as you read the story,that even though she did not commit the murderous act herself,was very instrumental in leading this couple to their early death.

I got shivers as the witnesses explained how this couple was killed.I think that the way this couple was killed must be one of the worst ways to die.I cannot imagine what was going through their minds when they were sitting tied up together knowing how these people were going to kill them.I am terrified at the very thought of having to go through something like that.I fully agree with Skylar Deleon getting the death penalty.

I would recommend reading this book and in fact any of Tina Dirmann's books on true crime as she is excellent at drawing the reader into the tale.
If you would like to find out more about this book then South African readers can go to Kalahari Books or to get other readers' reviews on this book then access the Amazon link below
Vanished at Sea: The True Story of a Child TV Actor and Double Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Saint Martin's Press Inc.
Publication date: January 2008
Pages: 248
Illustrations: Illustrated

I read this book in April 2009 and it has 8 pages of photographs and I got really angry thinking how a bunch of lazy pipsqueaks destroyed the lives of these two hardworking people(and their families') who waited so long to have their dream of owning and retiring on their yacht.

Hot Blood by Ken Englade:a true crime book review

Helen Branch left behind a huge fortune - and a mystery that would haunt the nation for year to come. A coal-miner's daughter, she was a beautiful hat-check girl who snagged a millionaire...only to become an eccentric, pet-loving widow who, one day, disappeared without a trace. Was she a victim of "The Galloping Gigolo?" Richard Bailey was an admitted swindler who spent years persuading rich women to invest in bum horses...even though he claims not to have harmed Helen Branch. Other suspects included a champion rider and an Olympic hopeful - each with dangerous connections to wealthy horsemen, and both with cold-blooded schemes to achieve their mission. One man is dead-set on finding out. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Miller launched an investigation into Helen Branch's death, he went from the polo grounds of Palm Beach to the lavish horse farms of Connecticut to Kentucky's thoroughbred stables in search of answers. What he learned would cast a dark shadow on one of America's favourite pastimes...

The title of this book "Hot Blood" is derived from the term used for thoroughbreds in the insider horse world.First off I did not enjoy this book.The story plot is not very interesting to start off with and this specific book has a lot of information to digest and so many names to keep track of,names of horses and names of people and the story keeps jumping back and forth and it requires a lot of concentration to keep track of everything that is going on.I was constantly paging back to re acquaint myself with some characters just so I could keep track of the story.It is also a very "technical" story without much of an emotional element so that is a further reason why I did not enjoy it so much.For the logical and fact hungry people this book should be a pleasure though.

To give credit to the writer Ken Englade this must have been a very difficult story to write as there is so much information and to try and keep to a specific timeline must have been a mind boggling quest.I think he did the best job he could with all the information at hand and I doubt any other writer could have bettered this.

Another reason I did not enjoy this book is the actual characters.They seem to be set in an age that is not in the least bit interesting to me.

What I did learn however is how the horse world operates and the many scams out there and how deceitful humans will always find a way to do in their fellow human beings.I do not regard reading this book as a complete waste of time as I learnt quite a bit that otherwise I would never have found out about outside of this book.

I give credit to the writer and the police who followed this over many years and eventually emerged successful in their chase of these scam artists.If you want proof of how much our police and detective force actually do out there this is the perfect book to read.Their determination and tenacity towards solving this case should dispel any doubts about how important a police force is and how valuable it is to have dedicated police force personnel protecting us and our families.




I read this book in August 2008.
It has 335 pages and 8 pages of pictures.To help stay abreast of the story there is a list of names of people in the story and description of how they feature in the story,also a list of important "horse" terms so you dont get lost while reading and a list or timeline of important events as they occur.Those are at the end of the book so it is quite easy to access in order to help you read and keep track.In fact I suggest you get this book and take on this challenge.If you conquer it then you know you will have exercised your brain.This can be your brain triathlon.

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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I read this book in February 2009