True Crime Books

I thought this would be a fascinating read. Not so. It is simply one statement after another by different people regarding the Baekland family. These statements do not tie together smoothly, nothing to keep a good rhythm or flow. Turns a fascinating subject into a boring read. The book is as interesting as a police report.

This excellent oral history Natalie Robins and Steven M. Aronson of the doomed Bake-lite plastic heir Tony Baekeland (and of his beautiful mother Barbara, whom he slept with and later stabbed to death) has been enjoying renewed interest since the release of Tom Kalin's beautiful but somewhat limp film adaptation of it starring Julianne Moore. I came to the book through the movie, but the book is so much more interesting than the film version that in many ways it puts it to shame. Robins and Aronson wrest a compelling and very trickily wrought narrative arc out of their archive of letters, hospital reports, police accounts, and interviews: we start with Barbara Baekeland's stabbing in 1972, and the narrative follows both Tony's progress through the courts, the Broadmoor mental hospital in England, and then through his almost inexplicable release from incarceration back to the United States where tragedy inevitably strikes a second time and then a third; all the while, the authors follow a wider narrative path by describing how the great chemist Leo Baekeland invented Bake-lite, the first practical plastic, decades earlier, and how his own problems with his socialite wife repeated with his son George and then with his grandson Brooks, who married the beautiful Bostonian model Barbara Daly. As Brooks and Barbara race from Cadaques to Mallorca to London to Paris, hanging out with the moneyed European expatriate crowd (they numbered among their friends the writers James Jones and William Styron, the heiress Ethel Woodward de Croisset, and all kinds of minor princelings and society doyennes), their marriage begins to crumble... with their only child Tony being alternately smothered with attention and then neglected.

The suspense about what's going to happen as Tony's schizophrenic behavior keeps exploding rachets this oral biography even above more famous works such as Jean Stein and George Plimpton's EDIE and Plimpton's TRUMAN CAPOTE. Moreover, the kind of demimonde the Baekelands move through is absolutely fascinating, although the constant snobbishness, pretentiousness, and absolute refusal to take responsibility for anything among their circle begins to drive you to distraction after a good while. Most maddening of all is Brooks Baekeland himself, whose voice dominates more than any other this oral history (since of course of all the surviving characters he was closest to the epicenter), constantly excoriating his son for all the traits he himself exemplified: arrogance, dilettantism, and concupiscence. This book brings you into a heightened and fragile jetsetters' world you may have longed to see, but in then quickly makes you glad you were never a part of it.

A biography is written by an author, a biographer. This is a compilation of transcribed interviews and letters. This book was not written, it was compiled. An amazing family tragedy, however the format of the book made it confusing, boring and frustrating to read. Oh if only Dominick Dunne had chosen to write about this family, a page turner it would have been. Don't waste your money.

I bought this book for beach reading, and was buried in it until the last page. I could not put it down. Contrary to what some have said, I found the format very easy to follow, and in fact very creatively composed. Just when you're scratching your head about something, it's answered in the next entry. Coincidentally, after reading through the first few pages, I came to find out that one of the main contributors used to be my landlady- not long after the book was originally published. I thought she was wacky back then, and now I realize that she was from a world far weirder than I could have ever imagined! This book is definitely a testament to the saying, truth is stranger than fiction.... MUCH stranger!

An appropriate title for this book. Very interesting indeed--made even more so by the fact that this is true. This is a nightmarish tale of a "Mama's Boy". This story has everything. Insanity, murder, obscession, betrayal, jealousy, wealth, homosexuality, even incest. With parents like these, no wonder Antony Baekeland snapped. I enjoyed it thoroughly, even though it is not written in a traditional way. Taken from slices of interviews, journals, and documents, this book is a great read. Very interesting, however it is not for everyone. If strange family relations are not for you, stay away. If you are of the stereotype that incest only happens in the south (which is untrue anyway), and not to wealthy, "normal" jet-setting families, this is not to you.

We shouldn't like murder mysteries, but we usually do.

While there's a real tragedy going on -- someone killed, families in disarray, a killer on trial -- we hang on for the gory details.

Folks were no different in New York City in 1836, which is the setting for the real life, true story of the murder of Helen Jewett, a lady of negotiable virtue, who plied her trade at an upscale brothel. It's the story of Jewett's life, and how she came to be who she was, and how she came to do what she did for a living.

And about Richard Robinson, her accused killer, and how a mild-mannered store clerk from rural New England came to New York, and was arrested for Jewett's murder.

And about the trial, and about the crowds there (mostly young -- the defendant was 18 -- clerks like the accused), and about how long the trial lasted, and about the speculation that the judge might have been bribed.

But this is more than a murder mystery. Because the author tells us vivid details about life in New York City during that time, and how prostitutes lived in that era (I didn't know that prostitution was legal in New York at that time), and how young Americans grew up during that time, and what was expected of them as far as behavior and decorum.

This is a scholarly book. It's labeled "history/women's studies," and I wouldn't take that away Patricia Cline Cohen, the historian who wrote the book. But if you just want a better-than-average read that will entertain you as well as teach you, you can do no better than this. I might even suggest -- since I'm writing this review on May 8 -- it wouldn't be a bad beach book. The cover and title are just trashy enough that the people on the next towel won't think you're a nerd on the beach. It'll have to be a secret between you and me and the author that while you're busy turning pages, you're also having your mind expanded.

The Murder of Helen Jewett by Patricia Cline Cohen. was recommended by an academic friend as a true crime effort with historical weight. She couldn't have been more correct about the weight business. The story of the murder of a New York City prostitute in 1836 generally interested me.

I spent hours with Cline's work and, at the outset, felt well rewarded for the time spent. If detail and context were enough to make a great book, this would qualify. Few books that I have read contain as much detail as carefully analyzed as this one. Much of it illustrates the business of newspapers directed at the common person during the 1830s, something that I have a passing interest in, but it was all too much. By the time I had reached Chapter 4 on "The New York Sex Trade," I knew the basic story and most of the key characters in some detail, and I knew Cline's approach would be to analyze, reanalyze and again reanalyze each aspect of the murder so thoroughly that I couldn't stay with the repetition. I skipped to the end, found out what happened with the likely murderer and moved on to another book.

Personally, I'd have liked it more if she had found an editor determined to serve the reader. Close, research-based document analysis makes good academic work, but it loses a reader looking for the true-crime counterpart of P.D. James.

This book is 409 pages. It should be at least 259 pages shorter.

The author fills the pages with irrelevancies, speculation and thesis-like sociological postulations.

This book is ostensibly about the murder of a prostitute in the 1830's and the trial of the man accused. Why then must we be subjected to several pages on the following topic: the family history of the man who hired Helen Jewitt to work as a servant before she moved to Portland then to Boston then to NYC? If that were not enough in the irrelevant department, we also got some information on this man's grandfather's competitor in the general store business nearly a century before the events in the book. These irrelevant facts added nothing to the book.

Added to this frustration were page upon page of the auhor's speculation about events unknown and motives of people long gone. She gets more out of an undated letter than anyone I ever knew.

Lastly, are the author's often redundant postulations and theorizing about the socialogy of the age. Some would have been helpful, but by the fourth or fifth time the same theory was repeated it was decidedly tiresome.

It is a shame this book was not cut and cut again. The story is a good one and the points the author made were good. It was the presentation and the stretching as if she felt compelled to write 400 page book rather than a short concise one that ruined the experience. You could read the first chapter, then skip @150 pages to the account of the trial and hardly miss a beat.

On one level, Professor Cohen's thorough investigation into one of 19th Century New York's most shocking murder cases doesn't tell us much that we don't already know: the society was sexist, accommodating toward the privileged, and hypocritical in its attitude toward sexual behavior (...and nothing has changed much since then). Whenever Ms. Cohen hammers these points home, and she does pretty often, the effect isn't very... well... effective. And the flow of the book suffers a little from this. Two other things hurt the story: one is the long, distracting section on the histories of the Weston and Jewett/Dorcas families in Maine; and the other is the constant need on Ms. Cohen's part to track the lineage of each and every participant in the case. But for the most part, Professor Cohen's telling of the event is engaging, chilling, and compelling. The participants are brought back to life in a way that most historical writers should envy. To me, the most rewarding part of the book was realizing how much the Jacksonian era in New York and America represented a turning point from the colonial to the modern era. This was the dawn of modern journalism and mass media--the pivotal point where newspaper publishers realized that the public wanted more than just shipping and business reports: where publishers realized there was a public at all. And the media circus--a national media circus--which surrounded this case was the first in a long line that goes on to this day. It was also the first time in western history when people no longer lived in the same place they worked, and when the entire apprenticeship culture was being replaced by the more indifferent employer/employee system. All these important factors do figure into the crime. But the most admirable aspect of the book, for me, was that while all this socio/political analysis went on (sometimes at the expense of the pacing) Ms. Cohen never leaves sight of the young girl at the center of it all. Jewett/Dorcas was by no means a pathetic babe-in-the-woods, and the author is very careful to avoid this perception. But Ms. Cohen makes clear that Jewett, like any crime victim, didn't deserve the end she met. And like any other human being, Jewett was worthy of justice.

On one level, Professor Cohen's thorough investigation into one of 19th Century New York's most shocking murder cases doesn't tell us much that we don't already know: the society was sexist, accommodating toward the privileged, and hypocritical in its attitude toward sexual behavior (...and nothing has changed much since then). Whenever Ms. Cohen hammers these points home, and she does pretty often, the effect isn't very... well... effective. And the flow of the book suffers a little from this. Two other things hurt the story: one is the long, distracting section on the histories of the Weston and Jewett/Dorcas families in Maine; and the other is the constant need on Ms. Cohen's part to track the lineage of each and every participant in the case. But for the most part, Professor Cohen's telling of the event is engaging, chilling, and compelling. The participants are brought back to life in a way that most historical writers should envy. To me, the most rewarding part of the book was realizing how much the Jacksonian era in New York and America represented a turning point from the colonial to the modern era. This was the dawn of modern journalism and mass media--the pivotal point where newspaper publishers realized that the public wanted more than just shipping and business reports: where publishers realized there was a public at all. And the media circus--a national media circus--which surrounded this case was the first in a long line that goes on to this day. It was also the first time in western history when people no longer lived in the same place they worked, and when the entire apprenticeship culture was being replaced by the more indifferent employer/employee system. All these important factors do figure into the crime. But the most admirable aspect of the book, for me, was that while all this socio/political analysis went on (sometimes at the expense of the pacing) Ms. Cohen never leaves sight of the young girl at the center of it all. Jewett/Dorcas was by no means a pathetic babe-in-the-woods, and the author is very careful to avoid this perception. But Ms. Cohen makes clear that Jewett, like any crime victim, didn't deserve the end she met. And like any other human being, Jewett was worthy of justice.

I just received this book in the mail and have not been able to put it down since. I was hesitant to order it because some of the crime books I've read are a bit choppy and hard to read. Paul does an excellent job of getting you as close to the scene as you can get and gives you each side of everyone involved.
I didn't get to see the special on TV but am hoping to soon. I am not yet sure if they got the right guy, but hopefully in the end justice will prevail. The press can be quite pathetic how they turn around a story to fit their needs and trash someone's lives. I am glad Paul took the truth and made a novel for everyone to see what a tragedy this really was.
Catherine was a bright, amazing young girl just doing what many others before her have done.
If you want an amazing book, one you can't put down, then get this book!

This book is really good. If you are a true crime fan you have to read this book.
I have read all of the 48 hour mystery books and this is very well written.
I still can not believe the outconme, but will not say anymore as not to give it away.
Buy this book!!!

Catherine Woods arrived in New York in 2002 with the same hope of many young dancers to make it big in the "Big Apple". Even though she met with obstacles along the way she was determined and never gave up hope she'd make it. When Catherine was savagely murdered on November 27, 2005 one boyfriend was suspected and another ultimately arrested. The news broke tabloid style and seized the stripper, love triangle theory and wouldn't let go.

This book does Catherine and her family justice by taking us past the gossip. It was even handed and told in a way you can look at the facts and see for yourself where the "Death of a Dream" ended. If you enjoy true crime reading this is the kind of unexaggerated book you'll want to pick up.

Catherine Woods had a dream to become a dancer on Broadway but sadly three years after arriving in New York City, she was found murdered to death. She did dance but only at the clubs performing as a dancer to men. It wasn't the ending of a girl who came from Columbus, Ohio. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, she was preparing to go to work and her male room mate and former boyfriend, David, went to walk the dogs and stop by the building where he worked as a doorman. Catherine had two boyfriends. Her live-in boyfriend, David, also came to New York City but they were no longer in a romantic relationship but they did live together. He loved her more than anybody in the world. Her other boyfriend, Paul Cortez, also aspired to be an actor and he came from a good family. This book has a lot of photos which is a plus. When David discovers Catherine's lifeless body, he is immediately questioned as a suspect. Despite his own innocence, he freely went to the police and was willing to speak without a lawyer present. To David, his whole life was Catherine. Even though she didn't want him as a lover, they were still platonic friends who lived together and split the bills. Catherine knew that David couldn't live on his own in New York City which is very expensive that they agreed to this living arrangement. He never questioned Catherine about the men that she was with or seeing. David's alibi would be verified and supported which ruled him out. He even allowed the police to take pictures of him without clothing to show that he had no scratch marks. It didn't matter because his beloved Catherine died. Her boyfriend Paul Cortez soon became the prime suspect and convicted murderer when the police learned that his cell phone was in the vicinity of Catherine's upper East Side apartment. Through it all, Paul's poor mother, Ivette Cortez, stood beside her son which she described as her baby boy who she loves very much and refuses to believe his guilt. The case was shown on 48 Hours and I remember watching it. I got the book last night and it is a quick read as well. Catherine was finally trying to be independent of Paul when he couldn't take it anymore. Unlike David, Paul was obsessed and possessive about Catherine which may have driven him to murder. It's still a tragic story.

There are two kinds of true-crime books: the literary ones, usually written by journalists who work on all kinds of topics (Truman Capote, of course, is the best example), and the, for lack of a better word, unliterary ones, written by people who do true crime only, and which often skip the hardcover and paperback formats, and go straight to mass market.

Death of a Dream is a particularly poor example of the latter category, and it follows the formula: beautiful girl (from what I've seen, the authors of these books don't seem to care when homely women are murdered) meets handsome guy who seems great at first but he has a dark side, and ends up killing her. If you like that kind of thing, I guess Death of a Dream is not terrible, but it is paint-by-the-numbers writing.

I am a young woman in my early 20's and probably have not read a book since high school, but this book certainly caught my eye. I have always been attracted to bad boys throughout my life and reading this book surely got me the hots for the characters in this book. The pictures of Craig Glazer with his shirt off in the prison yard, with his muscles showing and sweat dripping off his body was tempting and I had to read more. Don the other main character was a descent guy, but could not compare to Craig in appearance.

I am a young college student and have always wanted to be an undercover cop in highschool catching people selling drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol to minors. I believe there is good in everyone, in every aspect. Craig went on through his life after the aftermath to succeed in a Comedy Club that I have personally attended. He is still not only successful in what he does, but has not changed in his appearance either. Like I always say, "Once a bad boy, always a bad boy."

Sal Manna, you are wonderful, thank you for making my first week in August memorable. That is assuming Mister Glazer told you the story and it was your writting of his story that has had me re read this fantastic tale. The King of Sting is now my favorite true story. I am in my early 50's and boy could I relate to these two modern day pirates/Glazer and Woodbeck. Man just reading this book gave me a rush....you guys got me high on your high. Stinging or rather robbing drug dealers posing as cops, cool, but then becoming a real undercover agent...at twenty...bet you pulled over a few hot chicks Glazer....The Hollywood part was second only to the final sting, ripping off hoods that turned out to be feds...priceless.....I was sad when Don died and I really liked Grandpa Benny...in an odd way I was entertained by Glazer's father, Stan...not a total villian...did I like the King of Sting...NO, I LOVED THE KING OF STING, please, please don't leave me hanging and write what happened these last fifteen or so years Mister Glazer and Mister Manna....You boys have a big fan in Dave....thank you for reminding me of why we read books, to learn, to enjoy and to dream...thank you both

I'm not much of a reader. I heard the interview with Glazer(who's from my area of the country) on a local radio station. He told such a colorful story about his adventures/misadventures that struck a cord. I bought the book that night and read 80 page the first night. The interview did not do Glazer's book justice. Phenomenal! I can't believe his story hasn't been made in to a movie yet. It's a must read for anyone who likes true story/action tales.

Just finished reading this book and liked it considerably. Enjoyed all the photos and details that were given throughout the book. This was an exciting story!!! A+!!

A friend told me about this book. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop! Read it in 2 days!! Definately a great summer read!! Highly recommended!

Its a pretty in depth look at the biker gang and clubs.I am a motorcycle rider and I ride a chopper and it still shocks me that the mass people think that we are a bunch of drug addicts or drunks well its not true so read and LEARN.............

A superb and tantalising book that looks at the life of what one reviewer has described as "the last free people in society". Art Veno's collection of first hand accounts of motorcycle gangs both reinforces some myths about them but, at the same time, explodes others. It is not all sex, drugs and rock and roll in bikie land, though, thankfully, there is plenty here about the sexual mores and rather exotic sexual practices of those who defy the conventions of "normal" society. But the book is much more than just a snapshot into the private lifes of the bikie sub-culture. it is also a rivetting account of the politics and social structure of motorcycle gangs. At the same time it shines a torch on our own society and the hypocrisy and cant that we sometimes preach. A rivetting read.

In this impressive tome, Arthur Veno collects 40 first-hand accounts from various biker insiders and observers. In addition to classic reports penned by Daniel Wolf and Sonny Barger, Veno digs deep into biker history and lore, uncovering many gems along the way.

Consider this, an excerpt from a 1947 San Francisco Chronicle article detailing efforts by Hollister police to force a "lull in the terrorism" at the town. "Armed with tear gas guns," it reads, "the officers herded the cyclists into a block on San Benito Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, parked a dance band on a truck and ordered the musicians to play. Hundreds of individuals who invaded the town yesterday for the motorcycle show, about 10 percent of them women, halted their riotous 'play' to dance."

In The Mammoth Book Of Bikers, this antagonistic--often-comical-- relationship between bikers and the police is laid bare. Veno deftly shows that this relationship-- fueled by a sensational press-- is symbiotic at its core. As one Hell's Angel put it bluntly to Hunter S. Thompson: "Of course I don't like to read all this... because it brings the heat down on us, but since we got famous we've had more... women come looking for us than we ever had before. Hell, these days we have more action than we can handle." Veno's book goes a long way at deconstructing myths about bikers-- while at the same time adding to the allure of the One Percenter lifestyle.

This book is really just a combination of stories from several other books. I have read many other books on this topic so I found the book to be old news, but still worthy of a read. If your only going to read one book on bikers this would be a good choice.

Disturbing history of Jack the Ripper and disclosure of Cornwell's claimed resolution: The Ripper was Walter Sickert, an English artist who, claims Cornwell, painted some of the murder scenes in his art and wrote the Ripper letters to the police and newspapers.

The argument appears convincing, although Cornwell, a famous fiction murder mystery writer, uses too much speculation and circumstantial evidence.

Ultimately, if Sickert was the Ripper, as painted by Cornwell, the whole thing was very creepy. Don't read this book alone after dark.

Why on earth did Cornwell spend a fantastically huge amount of money in order to produce this? Maybe I should get her to adopt me; I'd make better use of her funds.

Other reviewers have already mentioned her lack of sources, her erroneous DNA conclusions, and the like. One of the things that really caught me was her assumption that a dark lantern provided hardly any light at all, simply because she experimented with one. On her patio. Not in the East End of London. She claims that a dark lantern was NOT the brilliant, illuminating tool shown in contemporary illustrations, but a weak and hotly burning liability.

If that were the case, why would dark lanterns be issued to London's police force? Why would a lantern that, as Cornwell claims, can't illuminate an object only six inches away, be thought of as a helpful instrument? It wouldn't. Clearly, Cornwell's "test" was just as useful as the money she spent in "research". The $6 million dollar book. She'd have done better to try to create a bionic man.

this books is well constructed,and is very entertaining. i enjoyed it very much.i would recommend it to any one who is a real jack the ripper fan.most other books are poorly written and hard to follow,even for the most avid readers.

There is not a shred of evidence linking Sickert to these killings. All Cornwell does is try to prove it's "not impossible" that he did it. Totally unconvincing. Cornwell should stick to fiction, where this book belongs.

Cornwell has some serious hubris to come to, and stick to, this conclusion. Let us hope that she is never run up on charges backed by as little evidence as she presents in this wild goose chase. I understand the case is about as cold as they get a hundred years after the fact but the very circumstantial leaps of faith she builds her case with is very laughable and not even the basis of an indictment let alone a conviction. Now Walter Sickert [yeah, a name made to order] may have been a tyrant and misogynist but these are not crimes. In fact a lot of artists are these things, fueled by their own self import and ego but that doesn't make them murders.

The most likely explanation tends to be the correct one, which is that Jack was a nobody [not a nationally known artist with several biographies to his name]. And it is most likely that he died in 1888, was committed, or imprisoned for other crimes. Sickert was none of those things, if he was even in London at all during the canonical five murders. Cornwell goes on the assumption that since she finds no evidence that he was out of London, therefore he must have been there [though he was a frequent traveler]. It would be a stronger case if she could get strong traction in handwriting expertise in the Ripper letters and Sickert's. She says that some experts conclude them identical but is awfully skimpy on the experts' names. She should mention the evidence against her own case. Take it head on.

The situation kinda reminds me of people that deal in reincarnation. They always claim they were someone famous in another life and never the common nobody. It's selling sensationalism, and that's this book. The two selling points about this book are the presented facts of the Ripper murders and letters [and not the baseless conjecture of Sickert's involvement]. The second selling point are that the chapters seem to end precisely when you have had enough of them. That kind of pace is refreshing actually. My advice, get it from the library [as I did], and skip the biographical chapters about Walter and his wife and family.

Having read Patricia Cornwell's and then all the Jefferson Bass (Jon Jefferson and Bill Bass) novels, it was a foregone conclusion that I would have to read Death's Acre and I'm glad I did. Bass and Jefferson are excellent a writers as well as researchers and this book kept me page-turning far into the night (and yes I slept well afterword). It reads just like a novel and keeps you interested with facsinating information but never grossed out. I'm now over halfway through their next one printed in 2007 "Beyond the Body Farm". What's next?

I do not question this Author's intelligence or scientific knowledge. I do however, find this author's racial biases at times to be a little more than I can handle. Had he just stayed with pure scientific explanations regarding skeletal differences among the three main classifications: caucasiod, negroid and mongloid this book would have been rated by me as 6******'s However, when one is subjected to hear that the reason there are no black olympic swimmers is because their skulls are a tad thicker than a white person's I get more than annoyed and irritated.
I would think the Editor should have been a little more diligent and deleted the more obvious comments.

Death's Acre
Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson

I am fascinated by forensics and the details that can be discovered through forensic work. So, when I got a chance to interview Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson on a book panel, I was thrilled. I have to admit that neither of the men were what I expected, but that's all right. But, I was very impressed with both of them and I've enjoyed the books they have written together.

For people who aren't familiar with Dr Bill Bass, he is a world renowned forensic anthropologist and he has worked on a huge number of cases. At one point in those cases, he realized that it would be beneficial if there was a scientific way to determine how long a body had been dead. This would make it much easier for police, attorneys etc to make a case against a suspect. If the time of death is narrowed down to several days - it can be hard to debate an alibi, but if the time of death can be narrowed down to a more limited time frame, that makes an alibi more necessary and more useful.

This is one of the things that prompted the development of the "Body Farm" at the University of Tennessee. The Body Farm was started by Dr Bass and it was originally an acre - therefore "Death's Acre". Dr Bass and the UT students study the various stages of death and decomposition in a wide variety of conditions. It is fantastic research which is very helpful in crime solving.

I could rattle off all kinds of great stories and examples that were in the book, but that would take the fun out of it for you. I will tell you that there is death, gore and sorted details. It could be more gory, but there is plenty of detail. I think it was handled very well and should appeal to many people who are interested in forensics and forensic anthropology. I highly recommend the book and it gives you an interesting overview of many aspects for Dr Bass' life.

I admit that I had a tough time getting into the beginning, but give it a chance. The case studies are great. When I talked with Dr Bass, he looked at my copy of the book and noticed all the paper clips on the pages (there are a lot). He asked me what they meant. When I told him those were all the examples that I want to include in my future mysteries. He gave me a huge smile and said he was very glad he could get me thinking. Its a fantastic resource for mystery writers and entertaining for people who are interested in forensics.

Nikki Leigh

This book keeps your interest the entire way. The information was fascinating, informative from a science perspective, and gross all at the same time. Definitely a great book! I also enjoy reading about Dr. Bass' career.

If you are interested in forensics, this is the book for you! It tells how the study of forensics developed and how Dr. Bill Bass was involved in devoloping and establishing it as an instrument to solve crimes and identify bodies. It is very readable and easy to understand without a medical or legal background. The book however is not for the squemish or faint of heart. It gives extremely detailed descriptions of bodily decay and crimes in the recent past. I found the book to be very interesting and informative. Well worth my time and money!

This was one of the most heart-breaking true crime books I have ever read. My heart goes out to the Levines in the loss of their daughter and to Janet March's children. There is no punishment I can think of that is bad enough for Perry March.

However, one major frustration for me was that this book was written in the present tense. I found it extremely confusing and had to keep going back to previous passages in order to clearly understand the sequence of events.

"An Unfinished Canvas" is about the murder of Janet March by her husband and the long trail to justice.
There are several colorful characters involved in the book including the killer's father, Arthur March and Perry March himself.

The highlights in this case were the victim's parents and their will to fight against their daughter's killer. The cold case detectives Pridemore and Postigliano also stand out for their intelligence and unwavering dedication as evidenced by their high rate of cold cases they solved.

The resolution of this murder was hampered by two primary factors: the victim wasn't reported missing for two weeks and for some unexplained reason the original lead detective tipped off March's attorney that the home was going to be searched.

Where the book disappointed me was the repetition of the same information, like the conversation on the plane ride back from California during March's extradition. The history of Nashville in chapter 1 was dry. The book really ground to a halt with the trial sections at the back of the book.

An interesting cold case but the book was not the smoothest or most riveting true crime book that I have read.

I took my title from a quotation by Det. Pat Postiglione, one of the true heroes of this fascinating story. I found this account of Nashville's most anticiapted (10 years) trial (actually 3 trials) and perhaps "crime of the century" to be thoroughly readable. Although I paid as much attention to the case as anyone in the Nashville area, this fine work put all the pieces together. For that reason alone, I recommend this.

This book includes: custody battles, jurisdictional fights, alleged hit-men, jailhouse snitches, abuse of a corpse, and above all- supreme arrogance on the part of the book's principal subject, Perry March. It also includes midnight bicycle rides, not really a crime but I'll leave that for you to discover. Anyone interested in unsolved/ cold case murders will love this book. I couldn't put it down.

THIS BOOK WAS A PAGE-TURNER IF THERE EVER WAS ONE. THANKS TO THE 2 DETECTIVES JUSTICE WAS SERVED.

I caught part of a show on Court-TV about this case and the little I saw was intriguing, so I got this book--and was not disappointed. The author has done a fine job of documenting the devious machinations of a man who seemed to have had it all, but followed his own selfish desires and left human wreckage in his wake. This is one of the most well-written true crime books I've read in a long time (and I read a LOT of them). Looking forward to more from this author.