Heart Full Of Lies by Ann Rule

An idyllic Hawaiian wedding held the promise of a wonderful future for handsome, athletic Chris Northon, an airline pilot, a confirmed bachelor-turned-devoted family man; and Liysa, an acclaimed surf photographer, loving mother, and aspiring Hollywood screenwriter. But few, including Chris, had seen Liysa's other side -- her controlling behavior and dark moods, her insatiable hunger for money and property. And no one anticipated the fatal outcome of a family camping trip in an Oregon forest. Liysa soon revealed herself as a victim of domestic abuse that culminated at the campsite, where she shot Chris in self-defense. But crime scene evidence led detectives to wonder if Liysa was a killer, not a victim. Her controversial trial stunned all who thought they knew her. A lifetime of sociopathic manipulations and lies had been expertly hidden behind her facade of perfection -- as was her rage to destroy any obstacle to her ultimate happiness, even if it was the man she vowed to love forever.
People were dispensable to Liysa Northon.As quickly as she would allow them into her lives,she would get rid of them,if they failed to satisfy whichever plan she had had,upon entering this specific relationship.If you were a non confrontational kind of person,you would get to escape alive.If you were like Chris Northon,and you had bonded with your son,to the extent that you would have added certain provisions to the custody agreement,then you would die.That is what happened.Despite Chris Northon's desperate attempts at making the marriage work for the sake of his son,he had made clear that in the event of a divorce he would not be the silent bystander that the father of her first son was.

Liysa Northon was the ultimate female sociopath.She was well liked by anyone she ever met.But yet,she had planned for years to murder Chris by circulating stories of physical abuse in the marriage.Abuse which were only stories told by herself to friends and family.No one ever saw for themselves any of this abuse or even noted any marks on her,at any time.

This decision to murder Chris probably came about for different reasons.Chris had refused to invest in any more properties.This woman was obsessed with the acquisition of properties.Chris was growing more and more tired of her frequent moods and outbursts.But in my opinion,their personalities clashed.Chris was a very independent man who loved outings on his own.Liysa loved being the center of attention.He tended to ignore her and his attitude was more "Stay,its ok.Leave,it's also ok" which would have frustrated her to no end.In fact he was the only husband she was faithful to (of the quite few she had before marrying Chris).

I enjoyed reading this book but I would not class it as one of Ann Rule's best books.Probably because I could not relate on an emotional level with any of the main characters.They both irritated me,but that's just me!!

Buy from Kalahari Books-South Africa

OR for more reviews from Amazon:



Here are some more book details:
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9780743410137
Publication date: October 2004
Pages: 447
Illustrations: Illustrated

Dead By Sunset By Ann Rule

This is the horrific account of a charismatic man adored by beautiful and brilliant women who always gave him what he wanted...sex, money, their very lives.... When attorney Cheryl Keeton's brutally bludgeoned body was found in her van in the fast lane of an Oregon freeway, her husband, Brad Cunningham, was the likely suspect. But there was no solid evidence linking him to the crime. He married again, for the fifth time, and his stunning new wife, a physician named Sara, adopted his three sons. They all settled down to family life on a luxurious estate. But gradually, their marriage became a nightmare.... In this gripping account of Cheryl's murder, Ann Rule takes us from Brad's troubled boyhood to one of the most bizarre trials in legal history, uncovering multiple marriages, financial manipulations, infidelities, and monstrous acts of harassment and revenge along the way.

The next time you hear someone described as charismatic,I suggest you run a mile,away from the charismatic man.These are just a few of the actions of THIS charismatic man:
-Served divorce papers on 7 month pregnant wife
-New lawyer girlfriend serves the papers
-Disconnected phone at pregnant estranged wife’s apartment,she really needed the phone in case she had to phone emergency if she went into labor,being all alone.
-Had the car repossessed while estranged wife was in hospital giving birth
-Paid child support by cheque religiously every month so that ex could not claim from welfare then would have the cheques cancelled.
-Convinces his daughter to come live with him,tormented her,then when she asked to go back to her mother he took all her clothes away because he bought it.She then caught the bus wearing tattered clothes
-Picked up kids for weekend visit,then destroyed the new clothes the mother bought and sent them back with old clothes
-Beat up wives and convinced them they were stupid
-Sent faxes to estranged wife’s work with naked photos taken while they were married
-tried to convince estranged wife’s co workers that she was loose and wild
-when all else failed,killed wife and made sure one of their kids was there to see that happen
-Then he got involved with a new woman,convinced her to adopt the kids,then left this woman and sued her for child support (while she was still paying off the USD1 million debt he incurred and left her with)

And the list goes on...
This man was cunning hence I introduce you to Brad Cunningham!

This book centres around the murder of Brad Cunningham's fourth wife,Cheryl.Ann Rule takes us back into the past of Brad Cunningham,and from witness accounts,the details of his life lived and the cruelties he imposed on the people in his life,including his own children.This man is a piece of work!You know how we all moan about the man in our lives from time to time.This man,Brad, made me realise that most of us are actually with brilliant,wonderful,loving,amazing men if we use Brad Cunningham as the yardstick with which to measure how great our partners truly are.

It took me a while to get close to Cheryl(the murdered wife) specifically because she was the attorney girlfriend who had served divorce papers on the pregnant wife.I just could not get past the fact that in my opinion any man who would do that to the mother of his child,would obviously not be prime husband or boyfriend material.PLUS I have my own views on the "sisterhood" and one of the basic rules is "Do not go anywhere near a married or committed man".But as time went on and I saw what Cheryl went through I began to empathize and the eventual feeling was "No one deserves this,not even if they looked for this trouble"

And to meet a truly amazing woman,read about Sara Gordon,his fifth wife, a doctor who despite all the trauma she suffered at the hands of Brad Cunningham,did the ultimate selfless act.But I won't tell you what she did.You will have to read the book!Hint: it has to do with the three sons that Cheryl has with Brad.

This book was brilliant and I have yet to meet a man like Brad Cunningham,even in my true crime books.He had such an massive sense of entitlement that I am now convinced that there should be a study into what kind of childhood creates this "abnormal" feeling and what kind of crimes it can lead to,and possibly the different ways to avoid and treat this problem.

If you would like to read this book,here are some links:
Dead by Sunset
or Kalahari Books-South Africa

And for those who would like to find this book elsewhere here are some more book details:
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9780671001131
Pages: 544
Illustrations: Illustrated

To see what Cheryl looked like go hereand a photograph of the amazing Brad Cunningham is here

Worth More Dead and other true cases by Ann Rule

Worth More Dead is the 10th true crime file by Ann Rule.The crime files usually consist of one longer true crime story,and a few shorter stories which all run in a similar vein.This book as the title suggests are all crimes where the victims were worth more dead than alive.The main story in this case is called:

Worth More Dead
Marie Archer and Roland Pitre had a relationship while they were both still married.When Marie's husband was found shot to death,Roland Pitre confessed to the crime stating that he had paid another man,Steven Guidry, to commit the crime when Marie Archer had asked him to kill her husband.All three appeared in court but only Roland Pitre and Steve Guidry were convicted of murder.Marie Archer had pleaded not guilty,stating that she had happily reconciled with her husband,Dennis, and that Roland Pitre had murdered her husband out of jealousy.Marie Archer went on to live her life.Roland Pitre was sent to jail.Remember the wife that Roland Pitre had left for Marie Archer? Well,her name was Cheryl and Roland convinced her while he was in jail that he was innocent and she took him back.Once he was released,they reconciled and had a second child.Roland Pitre,as was usual,carried on with his extra marital affairs and eventually left Cheryl again.But this time Cheryl Pitre was found dead...(215 pages)

It's Really Weird Looking At My Own Grave
This case highlights how important it is for the victims of rape to try and memorise as many details as possible of their attacker.This rapist-murderer killed one victim,but two young girls managed to outsmart him and once released by him after being raped,their memories of their attacker helped tremendously in catching this killer.(44 pages)

Old Man's Darling
This is the story of Teresa Perez and Justyn Rosen and their love affair.Justyn Rosen was 80 while Teresa was barely 40.Teresa was extremely beautiful and could have any man she wanted but Justyn Rosen was already married.The twist here is that Teresa was dumped by Justyn and SHE plotted to murder him...(42 pages)

All For Nothing
A woman,Cheryl Sweiger,fatally injured by stabbing,was taken to hospital where she later died.The police entered her house to investigate the crime further and found two dead men,one was in the bath.Police enquiring closely,saw the dead man in the bath sit up and surmised that it was the dead body in its final convulsions but this time the dead man was actually alive.He had slit his wrists and taken several sedatives but as the water in the bath cooled down,his body had come out of its self imposed sedation.

Bill Pawlyk,after being rejected by Cheryl Sweiger, had come to her house to murder her and her lover, Larry Sturholm, a semi-celebrity who hosted a series of shows called "Larry At Large".(40 pages)

A Desperate Housewife
This is a story especially for those people who think that verbal abuse is maybe not as serious as physical abuse.Robert and Carolyn Durrall seemed the perfect couple.Underneath this facade was a husband who was a control freak and a wife who submitted to his obsessive demands to keep the peace.Once Carolyn established a career and realised that she was not as useless as Robert had made her out to be for many years,she decided to get a divorce.This was the first and last decision Carolyn had made in many years....(73 pages)

This book is one of the best books in the true crime files series of books.I would recommend reading this book.

If you would like to find out more about this book:
South Africa-Kalahari Books
OR
Worldwide-Amazon

Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule

I will be moving house soon so I have to catch up on reviews of my old true crime books because at the moment I have them in two piles-reviewed and not yet done.When we move they will all be dumped into one box and then I will have to sort them out again so I thought I would do all of them so then no need to sort out when I stack them up on my new shelves.Good idea,hey!!

This is a full story book of Ann Rule's and it runs a lot like like Jerry Bledsoe's Bitter Blood.Intricate family drama.

From the back:
Joined in a romantic love that most people only ever dream about,Pat Taylor's marriage to Tom Allanson was all she ever wanted.Both came from fine Southern families,and both longed to re-create for themselves a plantation where they could raise horses,grow roses and move with grace and style in the highest social circles of Atlanta:in short,to be the Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler of their time.

But scarcely two months later,their perfect world had erupted into family hatreds,terror,bloodshed and murder.The beautiful estate was mysteriously burned to the ground and Tom Allanson stood accused of the brutal slaying of his own mother and father.Before the terrifying truth about the perpetrator was revealed,other innocent victims were to suffer attempts on their lives as intricate personal loyalties and cruel,obsessive jealousies were played out....

First off,you have a family tree where you can find out where everyone fits in.What struck me the most about this story was the fact that men tend to find wives like their mothers,so it applies that if your mother is slightly mentally deranged,the chances you find a wife who is also slightly mentally deranged is quite high.After all,home is where the heart is,and if madness feels like home then...

Tom Allanson's mother was known as "Big Carolyn" because Tom's ex-wife was also Caroline so she became Little Carolyn.Big Carolyn did not like Tom's new wife,Pat Taylor, and remained very close to Little Carolyn.

With the atmosphere fraught with strife,accusations started being flung from both sides.Iin some cases,some accusations were even reported to the police.One such accusation made by Pat Taylor was that Tom's father had come to her house and exposed himself to her.You can imagine the situation,when both sides consisting of men who,at their strange wive's bidding,will do anything,no matter how bizarre the requests.

Ann Rule delves quite deeply into each character's background from childhood to present day.With this type of writing,the reader eventually establishes a bond with a certain character.The book then evolves to current events which include the crime,the investigation and subsequent incarceration of the "guilty" party.

Unfortunately,the characters in this book struck me as all mad.A bunch of crazy people who should have invested in satellite tv or at the very least gotten a library card.For goodness sake,they should all have gotten a life before the situation exploded into murder and mayhem!

This is a very entertaining book but don't expect to feel compassion(as is usual with true crime books) for any of these people.It is still an excellent book.

For readers from South Africa,you can find out more about this book at Kalahari Books and for everyone else,Amazon.

Too Late To Say Goodbye by Ann Rule

Jenn Corbin was found dead early one morning by her young son,Dalton Corbin.She had died from a gunshot wound to the head and a gun lay next to her.It was initially presumed that she had committed suicide although the gun being partially covered under the bedcover raised some doubts with the investigating officer.To rule out a possible homicide an investigation was started.The husband Dr Bart Corbin,was obviously the first person to try and rule out.

The investigation revealed that Jenn Corbin had been intent on divorcing Bart Corbin and had also started an internet affair.Bart Corbin had been emotionally abusive all throughout the marriage and had conducted many affairs out of the marriage,including one with a married woman even from before he married Jenn.

But the plot thickens.The person Jenn had been having an affair with was not who everyone thought this person was.Dr Bart Corbin avoided speaking to the investigators at all costs and had "lawyered" up very early in the investigation.Then the investigation revealed that some years earlier a previous girlfriend of Bart's,Dolly Hearn,had also died by committing suicide.

Little Dalton's first words were,without prompting "Daddy killed my Mommy" although he had not actually seen this happen.This story is an amazing account of the brilliant investigators who refused to give up,especially when it came to tracking the origins of the gun found next to Jenn Corbin.Due to these tenacious and determined investigators,this crime case ends with the ultimate climax.

I would recommend reading this book wholeheartedly.You can feel Ann Rule's compassion throughout the book.Her relationship with the families of the victims is so very real and loving.Despite this,the story unfolds with no bias but the facts.

Usually in books where the one spouse murders the other,there are always children who for the most part,are either abandoned or put in the care of the murderer's family.In those cases I always wonder how the children are doing and it is absolutely heartbreaking.Thanks goodness I don't have to worry about these two little boys.Jenn's sister,Heather Tierney,is raising them with her own two children and doing a wonderful job.

Little Dalton,strikes me as such a clever little boy and Dillon,the younger brother,was too young at the time to remember much,and is faring better.Both boys have no wish to see their father.I cannot give the whole story away but I just want to add some interesting bits.

Dolly Hearn,the ex girlfriend who had apparently committed suicide had a cat called Tabitha.When she broke up with Bart Corbin he made her life a living hell by stalking her and even kidnapped her cat and abandoned her far away.After a month or so,Dolly convinced him to tell her where he had abandoned Tabitha which he did and luckily the cat was found,a little worse for wear after living on the streets for a month,but otherwise okay.This same Tabitha lived for 21 years,that was amazing to me.

Dolly Hearn,who had been studying to be a dentist,was murdered a year before she completed her studies.Despite her fellow students lobbying for her degree to be awarded posthumously,it was denied as the board believed she had committed suicide as she had not been doing well at her studies(this stalker Bart Corbin had destroyed a few of her important study projects causing her to nearly fail in her studies)and believed the rumors that Bart had spread about her being suicidal.Well the good news is that a few years ago they did award Dolly Hearn with her degree and she is Dr Dolly Hearn.

This book has so many twists and turns.There are even some unsolved murders of women who knew Dr Bart Corbin.Really you have to read this book to understand what I mean.If I had not known it was a true crime story I would have really believed it was fiction.But all of it is true and Ann Rule is at her best in this book.



Here are some more book details:
Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal
Author: Ann Rule
Country: United States of America
Publisher: Wheeler Publishing
ISBN: 9781597224116
Publication date: June 2007
Pages: 602
Illustrations: Illustrated

Jeffrey Dahmer's Dirty Secret by Arthur Jay Harris

Do you remember 6 year old Adam Walsh's disappearance? The son of John Walsh who hosts America's Most wanted? This case was closed finally after many years with the investigators announcing that his killer was Otis Toole,a serial killer who confessed to the crime.If that sounds clear cut and simple,you are so so wrong.

This book Jeffrey Dahmer's Dirty Secret written by Arthur Jay Harris is a book on this writer's 13 year investigation into this crime.He was long convinced that Jeffrey Dahmer had committed this crime but chose not to publish until he had the other side of the story which would be the proof that the investigators had that this crime had indeed been committed by Otis Toole.Despite many attempts by reporters and others to have the police files released and made open to the public,this was only done recently after the police officially closed the case and announced Otis Toole the murderer of little Adam Walsh.

Arthur Jay Harris was convinced that in these same files would be information that the police investigators had missed which would point the finger at Jeffrey Dahmer instead.And it does but I will get into that further.First I want to mention this amazing thing which got this writer to start investigating Jeffrey Dahmer instead.Jeffrey Dahmer had murdered a boy who turned out to be the brother of another boy he had assaulted some years before which had ended up with him being sent to jail for that assault.When interrogated about whether he had known the two were brothers with the second attack his answer was "I just saw him,I didnt know him from Adam".A common term to use...

Back to the book,Arthur Jay Harris did finally find details in those same police files which further confirmed that Jeffrey Dahmer actually killed Adam Walsh.This is my own conclusion.This writer gives you all the facts about Otis Toole and on the other side proof against Jeffrey Dahmer.You have to reach your own conclusions but to me it was as clear as day.
The witnesses who came forward who had seen Dahmer,proof that he had been working in the area,the blue van sighted at the scene which he had access to,the fact that when Dahmer was caught for the other crimes his attorney had stated that he refused to be interrogated on crimes from states which had the death penalty (As Adam Walsh's home state).This book is absolutely full of interesting information most derived from this writer's own investigation.He followed up on so many leads,some not successful but quite a few which produced amazing results.This is a brilliant book on investigation and the amazing thing is it is written by the writer as it happens so the reader feels as if they are on that same journey.Because of this reading experience the writing does jump around a bit but it's really worth it because of how all the information eventually unravels into the amazing conclusion that Jeffrey Dahmer did kill Adam Walsh.

I haven't nearly covered all the details in case I spoil the book but I will add this for you to keep in mind in case you do decide to read the book.Most investigators have announced that Adam Walsh did not fit the profile of the victims of Jeffrey Dahmer as he was too young.Bear in mind that this would have been one of Dahmer's first crimes.The age difference between himself and Adam Walsh was smaller than in quite a few of his later crimes.And the fact that Otis Toole recanted then admitted guilt then recanted again and went on this way.Yes,no,yes,no..

I am left with one disturbing thought.Why the high resistance to seeing the facts and announcing that Jeffrey Dahmer could have killed Adam Walsh?Dahmer is dead,killed very soon after entering jail.Why the cover up?What is going on?

I would recommend reading this book with one bit of advice.There is so much information that you need to just go with the flow.Take it all in.Do not try and reach any conclusions till the end.See how you feel then and weigh it all up.It is a wonderfully researched book on investigation and an insight into what writers go through when they research and find out about certain information which has not yet been reported by the media.

To find out more about this book you can access Amazon

Here are some more book details:
Jeffrey Dahmer's Dirty Secret: The Unsolved Murder of Adam Walsh
Paperback: 354 pages
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (July 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439236275
ISBN-13: 978-1439236277

A Rose For Her Grave and other true stories by Ann Rule

This is the first one of the Ann Rule crime files (Volume 1).Ann Rule decided to start doing these crime files when she realised that she would never have the time to write a book on each of the cases she researched and investigated.So in order to try and provide some "air time" to most of her true crime stories she decided to start with these crime files.The last one of these I read was Mortal Danger which is Volume 13,which reminds me that I have to go check out her website for any new books.

In this volume,A Rose For Her Grave,the main story is about Randy Roth,a sociopath whose main victims were women and children,although there were occasions when men suffered his wrath,those occasions did not end with deadly consequences as did his crimes against women and children..He married many times,each time becoming a widower one more time.This man was an absolute health freak,with regular exercise and detested alcohol and smoking.It seems his only major vice was a love for all the good things in life and a need to acquire money in the worse way possible.(341 pages-book length)

Campbell's Revenge
This is a shocking story of a mother who was raped.The rapist/murderer was sent to jail but through some official glitch managed to return to this same home and kill the mother,her 9 year old daughter and a friend.(30 pages)

The Hit Person:Equal Opportunity Murder
The story of a beautiful,intelligent young Polish girl who took up employment as a housekeeper in order to be able to live in the US.After a while her rich employer married her but the marriage was doomed.Wanda wanted to study and establish a career while her husband would have preferred her to carry on with the housekeeping duties that had initally brought her to America.The divorce proceedings were under way when Wanda was found murdered.A hit woman was arrested for her murder.(40 pages)

The Runaway
This is such a tragic story.This family had recently lost the young father at 41 to a heart attack.The mother was now raising her four daughters alone.The youngest daughter,Janna Hanson,at 13, was the youngest child.When Janna disappeared the police originally believed she was a runaway.(25 pages)

The Rehabilitation Of A Monster
The story of Richard Marquette,a sexual predator who mutilated and murdered his victims.Ann Rule gives a brief history of each of the victims and the pitiful life stories are heartbreaking.Before this story,Ann Rule had not believed in the death penalty.Upon researching and investigating these gruesome crimes by Richard Marquette,she changed her mind and is now a supporter of the death penalty.In her opinion,these types of murderers are always on their best behavior once incarcerated,they make model prisoners who ultimately make it out of jail on parole,only to immediately re offend.Their signature traits are first and foremost a complete lack of remorse and no conscience at all.They operate on criminal instinct alone and therefore cannot be rehabilitated.(31 pages)

Molly's Murder
This story is really close to my heart.In 1986,Molly Ann McClure was just starting out in life.She had gotten herself an apartment,had added a few pot plants,started working,and having no car had made sure that the apartment was located close to bus routes.I remember being in this same situation,also starting out around the same time,being so proud of my very small apartment,using what little money I had left over to decorate,sewing my own curtains,working and studying in the evenings.It was wonderful!Molly Ann McClure was murdered in her own bed.It could have easily been me.(38 pages)

If you would like to find out more about this book then South Africans can access via Kalahari Books
or for more reviews from Amazon

Here are some more book details:
A Rose for Her Grave (True Crime Files)
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Softcover
Publisher: SPHERE
ISBN: 9780751510706
Publication date: July 1995
Pages: 528
Illustrations: portraits

A Fever In The Heart and Other True Cases by Ann Rule

A FEVER IN THE HEART dissects an explosive triangle that led to obsession and murder in a small town in the north-west of America. Ann Rule reveals the story of an alluring wife and the two men desperate for her love; a story with a bizarre and deadly twist that no one could have suspected. In this and several other riveting true-crime cases from her personal files, Ann Rule masterfully probes the delusions of the criminal mind, the fateful circumstances and the unrelenting investigative forces at work in the aftermath of murder.

This is one of the books that Ann Rule publishes as crime files which has multiple true crime stories,one longer than the others.The title of the book is usually the title of the main,long story.This one is Volume 3 of Ann Rule's crime files.

This is how the book begins
"The day after a holiday is always something of a letdown-even if the celebrations were successful and families and friends have managed to get together without allowing half-forgotten slights and old wounds to bubble to the surface.In New York City and in Yakima,Washington,and in every city and hamlet in between,families who co exist all year tend to become dysfunctional with the pressure of holiday emotions.Perhaps humans expect more out of life during the festive season.Those over the age of ten are usually disappointed"

Here is a brief breakdown of each story included in this book of crime files Volume 3

A Fever In The Heart
A love triangle where a wife,Jerilee,had left her current husband(Gabby Moore) to return to her ex husband(Morris Blankenbaker),the father of her two children.The two husbands had been best friends.The victim,Morris,had remained good friends with Gabby Moore even after he had stolen his wife,Jerilee,but somehow things didn't work the same way for Moore when this same wife realised he was a manipulator and decided that she truly did love Morris Blankenbaker.There are infinite twists and turns in this story and hardly as simplistic as I have described above.(284 pages)

The Highway Accident
An intricate story conjured up by a husband who had killed his wife.What this story highlights is how alert neighbors who care can help a lot in police investigations combined with the excellent skills of that same police force.This story although short was really an eye opener (20 pages)

Murder Without A Body
The nature of this story is that many murderers get away with murder because so few prosecutors are willing to indict a case with no body.This is more so because of the "Double Jeopardy" rule which states that one person cannot be tried more than once for the same murder.Because of that prosecutors are relucant to take a murder case to court in case the suspect is acquitted from lack of proof and later on,if more valid proof is brought to light,will never be accountable for this murder.This story is about a prosecutor who was brave enough to take his chances on trying a case where the body of the victim was still missing.(25 pages)

I'll Love You Forever
A widowed wife who then goes on to meet the perfect man who turn out to be the perfect psychopath.Ann Rule actually changed her name when she initially wrote about this story for fear that this psycho(Anthony Fernandez) would find her and possibly do her harm.(23 pages)

Black Leather
How one sexual psychopath got caught because of one victim who got away and what unravels as this brave man took the authorities back to the scene of the crime(23 pages)

Mirror Images
This story truly highlights the never ending sage of some states to have a death penalty,then no penalty and then to further down the line re instate that same penalty.What happens is that when a crime is committed,even if the perpetrator is caught in the era which now has a death penalty,the date of the crime is taken into account and this murderer is then not sentenced to death.What happened here is a murderer who had not received the death sentence,who upon being paroled,returned to do harm to witnesses in a prior case against him.This story highlights two such psychopaths hence the title "Mirror Images".Again a simplistic version of a great short story with multiple twists and turns.(25 pages)

I do not have to tell you again how much I love Ann Rule so of course,if you haven't read this book I suggest you do as soon as you can.



Here are some more book details:
A Fever in the Heart (True Crime Files)
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Softcover
Publisher: TIME WARNER PAPERBACKS
ISBN: 9780751515732
Publication date: December 1996
Pages: 444
Illustrations: 16pp b&w photographs

This is a book which was published many years ago but I guarantee that all the scenarios are still bery much applicable today and therefore not dated at all.This is one of my old true crime books which I have now posted my thoughts in a bid to catch up with my old true crime books and have them all featured on this blog one day....finally....

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

Bitter Harvest by Ann Rule

A small-town girl with a genius IQ, she achieved an enviable life: her own medical practice, a handsome physician husband, three perfect children, and an opulent home in an exclusive Kansas City suburb. But when a raging fire destroyed that home and took two lives, the trail of clues led investigators to a stunning conclusion. Piece by piece, Ann Rule digs beneath this placid Midwestern facade to unveil a disturbing portrait of strangely troubled marriages, infidelity, desperation, suicide, and escalating acts of revenge that forever changed dozens of lives.This book journeys inside the twisted mind of a killer, Dr. Debora Green, after the cancer specialist was arrested for the arson murders of two of her three children and the attempted poisoning of her estranged husband.

This is definitely one of Ann Rule's better books.Deciding on Ann Rule's best books is very hard to do as all of her books are really good.In fact I think I might have read all her books and to date found one only which I would say I didn't enjoy so much.This was more based on the actual story itself which was of a young man who robbed banks.

True to form,Ann Rule delves very deeply into the background of the main characters in the book.I love that as it helps me come to my own conclusions and raises a lot of questions which I try to solve as I read through the book.This one got me a bit worried as the murderer Debora Green loved reading and reading true crime books,no less.In fact the one copy of a true crime book on her nightstand raised a few questions for the investigators.I found myself thinking about a lot of what ifs? What if I was ever unwittingly involved in a crime,would the investigators suspect me immediately because I read true crime books??Luckily those were just thoughts while I was reading.When I was done reading,and realising the massive amount of proof they had before they even arrested her,my worried thoughts were put to rest.

I read somewhere that highly intelligent people are inclined to be a bit mad,hence the saying "nutty professor".Couple that with the fact that there is a very thin line between sanity and insanity (or is that love and hate?).Never mind,I think it applies to both examples.Try and think back to the really intelligent kids in school who,for me, all seemed very strange and anti social.Then as I grew older and started learning stuff from reading I also found out that you can only get along well with people who are 10 IQ points below or above your own IQ.I can now understand why they would not have so many friends.I think the list of possible friends gets very thin there in the top IQ range.

BUT this Debora Green with her high IQ also had a very intelligent husband who did not murder his children.This woman was pure evil and I don't think evil is allocated according to any IQ.After trying for so long to poison her husband,she then set the house on fire.Here is the true tragedy.Her son who could have easily jumped from his bedroom window into the pool chose to listen to his mother who told him to stay in his room until help got there.He subsequently died of smoke inhalation.Lissa,the one daughter,managed to climb out onto the roof and called out many times to her mother who eventually decided she better walk closer to the house(Debora Green was outside the burning house and safe the whole time)where she then told Lissa to jump.Lissa jumped and her mother let her fall at her feet,probably hoping the fall would hurt her.Luckily she survived.Little Kelly,the other daughter also perished in the house.I want to see what type of mother,whose house is burning,gets out the house and leaves her children inside,and then calmly waits outside for help.Not in my world do I know any mother who would react like that.

This book was brilliantly written as all Ann Rule books are.I would definitely recommend this book to any true crime reader.

Here are some more book details:
Bitter Harvest
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9780671868697
Publication date: February 1999
Pages: 496
Illustrations: Illustrated

Perfect Victim by Christine McGuire and Carla Norton

Called the "sex slave",and "the girl in the box" case,this is the story behind Colleen Stan's terrifying, seven-year-long imprisonment by Cameron Hooker as told by the district attorney who tried the case. Too bizarre to be anything but true,it is a tale of riveting intensity and gripping courtroom drama.

This book was one of four which I ordered from Amazon when the true crime bug bit me back in 2007.And true to form,it was a true crime book of note.This book really captured the essence of Colleen Stan no doubt because the district attorney who wrote this book developed a very close relationship with her.Colleen Stan is a true survivor and endured so much and yet to look at her from the photos you would be more likely to name the DA as the person who endured this trauma before you would even think of pointing out Colleen Stan.I sometimes wonder about the saying that God only gives you the burden you can carry.Needless the title of this true crime book A Perfect Victim is very appropriate in this case but you would have to read this book to find out why.From my side I have always said thank goodness I am weak and have never had such burdens to carry.And I just touched wood.

How does a person endure being locked up for so long and yet by the time the court case rolls around that you can even smile for the camera.I would be in a mental institution.

This book also includes very detailed court room scenes from a first hand point of view.While a true crime writer never knows what is discussed in chambers as it is not included in the court transcripts,in this case we get all the details because the writer was the district attorney who tried the case.

This case includes everything from the actual crime committed,the psychological effects of keeping someone prisoner,the monster behind this crime and best of all an absolutely intriguing and well written court case.

The book is old but the main themes remain the same.A bit of a warning though is that it does contain quite a few explicit scenes which might be disturbing.If you are interested in finding out more check out the links below



Here are some more book details:
Perfect Victim: The True Story of "The Girl in the Box" by the D.A. That Prosecuted Her Captor
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780440204428
Publication date: July 1989
Pages: 370
Illustrations: Illustrated

Butcher by Gary C. King

They called him Uncle Willie. At night, Robert 'Willie' Pickton visited the streets of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The women he picked up never came back... His Methods were rape and torture.For years, police built a long list of missing prostitutes, women at the edge of society. Some people claimed there was a serial killer. One detective lost his job for saying so. But investigators didn't have a single body.On land that had made his family millions, on a squalid pig farm near a school, a condo development and a Starbucks, Robert Pickton ran a house of horrors for decades. Friends, neighbours and community leaders came and went, while Pickton committed debauchery, torture, and bloodletting rivalling the worst on record. What he did to his victims was unspeakable. What he did to the bodies was unimaginable. How he got away with it is the most shocking crime of all...

I read this book at the best time for me.After reading the book on Andrea Yates and the drowning of her 5 children my nerves were done and I decided to take a hiatus from true crime books for a while.The reason this book Butcher was the best book to read after my hiatus is because it included no childhood details which would have induced another emotional reaction from me.This serial killer tortured and murdered 49 women so needless to say background details on the victims would have resulted in an extremely large book and an emotionally wrecked reader.

I enjoyed this book which contained the results of a massive and endless amount of research.I enjoyed the way this information rolled and was easy to keep track of.This is the perfect true crime book for the reader who is not interested in the emotional element of true crime stories but is instead concerned with real research,the evolvement of a crime case from the realisation that a crime is being committed,in this case that there was indeed a serial killer on the loose,the investigation,how the case broke open,the court case.It contains a lot of very interesting and pertinent information.In fact if you enjoyed the way Helter Skelter is written then you will enjoy this book.The style of writing is very similar and the story evolves in much the same way.

I loved this piece "Despite all of the fear and paranoia generated and fueled mostly through conspiracy theorists,Y2K passed with nary a significant event anywhere in the world.Many people stocked up on supplies and rations for what they believed was going to be an "end of the times" event, only to find out later that they should have saved their money for the hard times that would hit much later in the first decade of the new century" Boy,don't we know it now...

This serial killer case turned out to be the largest,most expensive serial murder investigation in Canadian history and by 2004,costs were estimated to exceed $70 million.Willie Pickton had indicated to an undercover cop in his cell that he was disappointed that he had not made his target of 50 kills by one short.That might lead anyone to conclude that by catching this man only then and spending so much money to investigate this case and convict him that they had actually saved one life only.For the reader who might have missed the next part in the conversation he does include that maybe after his initial goal of 50 he might have started another killing spree with a goal of 25 kills.This man is a monster.

I was flabbergasted by his sentence of second degree murder.The authorities must really start to look into the way they choose juries.A second degree murder charge indicates no premeditation.How do you by mistake kill 49 people?The sheer number of victims indicates premeditation surely.I must add though that he was only charged with much less murders than the 49 (there was a lack of evidence as many of his victims had been fed to the pigs on the farm he lived on)he did kill but still how do you even murder 2 people on different occasions with no premeditation,never mind 6??

Another mind boggling fact is that this Willie Pickton at the time of his arrest had personal assets to the value of $10 million.He was unkempt,dirty and disgusting.No one in their right mind could ever have guessed this man to be worth anything,never mind actually be quite wealthy.

I could not find this book on Amazon so I cannot provide the link but here are some more book details to help in your search of this book if you are interested in reading it.
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
ISBN: 9780786019342
Publication date: April 2009
Length: 174mm
Width: 106mm
Thickness: 25mm
Weight: 168g
Edition: illustrated edition
Pages: 320

The book is fortunately available on Kalahari so in this case South Africans can still order it.See link below

The Unbreakable Child by Kim Michele Richardson

Grim yet ultimately inspiring, this harrowing biography catalogues years of institutional abuse that took place in the Saint Thomas-Saint Vincent Orphan Asylum, a Catholic orphanage in Anchorage, Kentucky. After many years of neglect by their drug-addicted mother, Kim and her three older sisters were abandoned to the uncharitable care of the Sisters of Charity. Detailing daily regimens of physical and mental abuse at the hands of the nuns, this chilling memoir explains how the Roman Catholic Church kept the orphanage hidden from prying eyes, miles from any main thoroughfare, allowing mistreatment to continue for decades. Describing her life through adulthood and the decision to finally expose the injustices after more than 30 years, this courageous tale chronicles the lawsuit initiated by 45 survivors, the two years of litigation, and the first successful prosecution of a lawsuit against Roman Catholic nuns in the US for decades of abuse in an orphanage.

How do I begin to tell how this book took me right back to my childhood.I was raised Roman Catholic.I attended The Regina Mundi Convent(run by Irish nuns) from my first year of school and remained there for 5 years until the new government (who had overthrown the previous president) decided that everyone was equal and there would be no more private schools so the convent had to close down as only the rich kids went there.How to explain a convent for only the rich?My mother had attended this convent as a young girl on a bursary(one spot allocated per year to a very poor,very clever child.)There she made friends with the rich kids and met my dad which then meant I got to go as a paying student.

Before you all start thinking I was abused by these nuns,I was not at all abused.I just want to highlight some minor events as a way to impress on you how a young child's mind can be affected by small little things, never mind the absolutely horrific experiences that Kim Michele Richardson went through as a child.

The whole school stood every Monday morning for assembly outside on the school field.It was against school rules to chew gum.One bright morning as Sister Scholastika started with morning prayers she stood on a piece of gum.Out of the entire school I was the only one to go "yeeew".I was ordered to clean and scrape this piece of gum from her shoes and the floor.To this day I will not chew gum.My children are not allowed to chew gum.I hate watching people chew gum.I will not sit in a restaurant without checking under the table to see if anyone has stuck their piece of gum there.I hate,hate,hate chewing gum and luckily,my teeth are still in perfect condition, thank you.

That is just about the only bad experience I had with my nuns.I was lucky.The class distinctions between the rich,very rich and obscenely rich can be found at any private school so that would just be a life experience.

Going over to the Roman Catholic Church is a whole other story.While being a Roman Catholic to me is something that I am more than something that I do,even as a young child I thought a few things a bit strange.Like the one time,this statue of the Virgin Mary came to the island(only 1 of 3 in the world apparently) and was transported at the back of a truck from village to village.The locals would stand on the side of the road and throw flowers and cry and then visit the church every day for the week that it would remain in that specific village church.The very holy followed the statue from village to village and attended every church service on the entire island of which there were about 30 parishes.When it passed by our village my grandfather instructed me to go throw flowers.At the age of 9 I thought this very strange and dawdled and managed to avoid throwing any flowers much to my grandfather's chagin.My point is my mother as a young child would not have hesitated to throw flowers,I pretended to want to and avoided doing so,my daughter would have laughed in my face if I asked her to go do that.I think people are far more inclined now to think for themselves than follow the masses.For all our issues and complaints about the world being a worse place than in the old days,people are now less worried to think out of the box,to judge what is best for us as individuals,to accept differences in each other,while still remaining focused on being good people with basic values.I might read a lot of true crime books but I firmly believe that people are more good than bad.We are all trying to do the best job we can and trying to instill values in our children which will help them be productive members of society.

I am not a regular church goer and while I acknowledge that I always have such a nice feeling when I attend a church service I am still so reluctant to go because my memories of church were that I was absolutely bored and the services were so long,and in latin and not much interaction for me as a child and being forced to go didn't help matters much.Because of this I haven't really gond to church a lot with my children and this point hit home for me about a month back when I said to my daughter that "maybe we should go to church this sunday" and she replied "can we just go?don't we need a subscription?".That made me sad as I need to get over my own negative feelings and help my daughter form her own opinion by at least exposing her to the positives of having a balance in life,as in going to church occasionally as she is actually a very moral child with a good head on her shoulders.

I could go on and on but I will say this.The book was excellent.Again I picked up that the writer,although being of such strong character,tended to downplay her strengths,more telling her story as if every person would have dealt with the trauma the way she did.Well,Kim Michele Richardson,even if you won't acknowledge this fact (probably from the lesson of "be humble")you are a very strong lady and you have inspired me to be grateful for all that I have,for the amazing childhood that I did have,for reminding me that I was one of the lucky ones,that while I was having the carefree childhood that all children should have,there were others like you suffering and yet you not only survived but rose above it and stood up for yourself.Thank you for sharing your story!

I would recommend reading this book.It made me realise how lucky I was and still am.My heart breaks for the lost childhoods which some children will never know,never mind get back.A beautifully told inspirational story of a life lived,a lesson that it is never too late to begin having a good life,that while you are a child and adults can decide your fate,biding your time until you make your own decisions and keeping your wits about you so that those eventual adult decisions are good ones.It is never too late to salvage the pieces of a broken life and start living well as every single human being on this earth is entitled to.



For More Book Details:
The Unbreakable Child
Country: United States of America
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Kunati Inc.
ISBN: 9781601641632
Publication date: April 2009
Pages: 235
Illustrations: Illustrated

A Slaying In The Suburbs by Steve Miller; Andrea Billups

The true story of the Tara Grant murder. To their suburban Detroit neighbors, Stephen and Tara Grant were happy as could be. But their marriage, plagued by resentment and extramarital affairs, was held together only by their children. Until the night Stephen snapped, strangled and dismembered his wife, then disposed of her body piece by piece in the very park his children played in.

While I do not regret reading this book,I am starting to get a little irritated with the misleading blurbs of some books I have read recently.The term "plagued by resentment and extramarital affairs" would imply that the book would offer "real" proof of these facts.Not one bit of proof is given of an extramarital affair by the wife,Tara Grant and apart from some suggestive e mails the husband and murderer,Stephen Grant had one shortlived affair with the au pair which must have lasted 7 days in its entirety.On my own personal level,I can imagine that an overworked wife and an unemployed husband would fester a resentful environment,this book does not really offer any witness accounts or otherwise of the marriage being plagued by resentment.

I should possibly stop with the "murder by spouse" books for a while as all the information is starting to blur into one big "I marry You,I kill You".

What was good about the book was the absolute unbiased relating of the facts that were indeed available.While unbiased writing is put forward as the better way to write a true crime book,I have noticed that a little bit of bias does seem to inspire more emotions in the reader as the writer expresses their views with more passion.I have now even turned what was good about this book into a not so good thing.

This book was an easy book to read probably due to the fact that I was able to read it without any emotion.I never felt connected to the wife,Tara Grant.I never got to bond with the children as they played extremely minor roles and the husband struck me as a mass of nerves and ineptitude,someone who should have perhaps gotten a spot in the book "America's Dumbest Criminals" instead of an entire book devoted to his crime.

So much for not posting negative reviews but really,this isn't a negative review but more of a personalized one.I did read this book and read it really quickly so it wasn't the writing at all.I just didn't feel the emotions that I usually do.Also bear in mind that I have been reading a LOT of "murder by spouse" books lately so that is definitely affecting my judgement???



Here are some more book details:
A Slaying in the Suburbs: The Tara Grant Murder (Berkley True Crime)
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Berkley Trade Pub
ISBN: 9780425225486
Publication date: January 2009
Pages: 294
Illustrations: Illustrated