True Crime Books

This book was absolutely fascinating. The book was a page turner - sex, violence, and the drug world from the inside / out. I couldn't put it down, and I can't wait for part #2.

Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, Wayne "Silk" Perry, Anthony Jones, Aaron Jones, Peter "Pistol Pete" Rollack, and George "Boy George" Rivera all have one thing in common in Seth Ferranti's Street Legends; honor thy code of the streets.

From the hoods of New York to Southeast Asia, and places in between, the six men noted above were gangsters in every sense of the word. Each was able to build an empire that was comprised of racketeering, murder, fear, and love. Yes, these men were loved. Loved by the legions of men that followed them, by drug addicts whom they supplied with their fix, loved by the community they gave back to, revered in rap songs, and in some instances, loved by law enforcement officials. Ironically, it was these same group of individuals who feared them, breathing life into Niccolo Machiavelli's question; is it better to be loved or feared? But the legend's stories exemplified how it was possible to be both, simultaneously. The volume also allowed for the examination of crime life and asked one basic question of all involved; was it worth it? With varying degrees of responses to this question, Street Legends provided an opportunity for readers to determine their own perspective by providing first-hand testimony from all of the crowned legends, friends, acquaintances, snitches, and legal documents. Understand that these legends were not given that title because of the plethora of drugs, murders, and money they obtained. Something much deeper, morally as a matter of fact, was the determining factor.

I applaud Seth Ferranti for his dedication to putting together a well-rounded view of the men he is paying homage to. The depths of the testimonies are what pulled me in and kept me reading. The lack of proper editing made it a slow read though. Street Legends would be a good guide for individuals who want to know the real meaning of `keepin' it gangsta.' Urban fiction fans and people who indulge in crime reads will also enjoy it.

Reviewed by Darnetta Frazier
APOOO BookClub

Even if that dude on the corner won't admit it, he wants to be known. Wants people in the hood to uphold him, feel him and carry his legacy on when his time has come to either serve time, or lay down, `cause the next up and coming hood star has taken his place. But before the baby hoodlums were even conceived, homage has to be paid to those who've not only paved the way, but left their unique marks not only on Queens, Baltimore, D.C. Philly and the Bronx, but the headlines, nightly news and gave voice to many rap artists and pages in books.

I could make it simple and say something like Seth "Soul Man" Ferranti raised the bar, or throw a classic spin and say that `Street Legends' is pure genius. Yet, that still doesn't feel like those words do it justice! `Soul Man' utilizes testimonials, interviews, and court transcripts to lay out precisely how each and every STREET LEGEND, the most feared and ruthless gangsters of our time, came into culmination, their reigns in the streets and subsequently their life sentences. Kenneth `Supreme' McGriff, Wayne `Silk' Perry, Anthony Jones, Aaron Jones, Peter `Pistol Pete' Rollack, and George `Boy George' Rivera understood that in order to be bold enough to play in the game, then they also had to be bold enough to carry the weight that comes with it.

While I've never read a book written by Seth "Soul Man" Ferranti, I've read a few articles published by him at The Urban Book Source and Don Diva, and had no doubt that Seth would provide readers with a perceptive yet discerning voyages into the lives of `Street Legends!'

I definitely recommend `Street Legends' to all, I'm going to also stress nothing in life is guaranteed. Regardless of why they went to the streets, how much money they made, people they bed or love they receive, in this game you'll either succumb to death or prison. So choose wisely!

Reviewed by: Crystal

Seth "Soul Man" Ferranti goes in depth of the rise and fall of six gangsters, Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, Wayne "Silk" Perry, Anthony Jones, Aaron Jones, Peter "Pistol Pete" Rollack, George "Boy George" Rivera. Getting the almighty dollar by any means necessary was there way of life. Nothing is guaranteed in this game but death or prison. Was it worth it? If they could have a chance to do it all over again, would they?

Take a ride with Soul Man as he gathers knowledge from interviews, testimonials of how and why did these young men became the epitome of their city. This book profiles each legend during the crack epidemic and how each one is on one accord with the "no snitching" movement during there reign in the streets.

This is my first novel by Mr. Ferranti, and I commend him for doing such a wonderful job with book. He uses accurate points of view on each street legend. This is a must read, especially for our young generation out there in the streets. Simply thought provoking.

Tangerine
Reader's Paradise Book Club

I read Street Legends and was impressed with the amount of information Ferranti was able to put together about these street legends. I've spent the last 15 years of my life in prison around many of these street legends and I must say that his book comes as close to the real thing as it gets. All those who are interested in urban legend stories will enjoy Street Legends.

Criminal psychology and profiling are my areas of biggest interest in the realm of true crime. As I have a library of over 50 books on this and related topics I certainly feel qualified to write reviews on these books.
This book is devided into two parts. The first is a collection eleven odd articles from various bulletins and law enforcement magazines. Put simply, as the book tiltles them, this is a collection of the well known Original Behavioural Science Articles on Criminal Profiling. They are written by the 'who's who' from the era often referred to as 'The Golden Age of Profilers'. For this reason alone the book is well worth 'the price of admission.'
Part two covers comtemporary articles on Criminal Profiling. The topices are wide and varied covering such topics as Forensic Linguistics, Geographic Profiling to Assaultive Eye Injury and Enucleation.
I wondered how interested I would be in Forensic Linguistics but found the chapter facinating.
I feel most readers with an interest in the topic will find part one just great. In part two, since it covers such a wide range of areas I guess it's possible the odd chapter may not appearl to all.
The other plus here is the fact the book is broken into distinct articles by the editors so you can 'peice read' or do a 'cover to cover'.
I see the book as appealing to law inforcemnet personel, people like myself who don't work in law inforcement but have to deal with perpitrators and their victims and finally all those who enjoy the topic.
If I were forced to give up my entire library and keep just one book this would nearly have to be the one.
A great book, well done to Campbell and DeNevi, the editors.

I was so enthralled in this book I could not stop reading it. There is so much information on so many different cases and scenarios. I am working toward being a forensic psychologist this book was FANTASTICK

If you're writing about murder, serial murder, spree murder, profiling, profiling from the crime scene, or the uses of forensic linguistics, you must read this book. There are a hundred novels that can be written about the "phases of the crime" alone.

The concept of criminal profiling, once alien to the ordinary American, is today a part of our daily lives thanks to television shows and news programs, and Profilers: Leading Investigators Take You Inside The Criminal Mind compiles articles from fifteen internationally recognized homicide investigators, many of whom have contributed some of the basics to the art of profiling criminals. From dealing with hostage situations and murder to creating psychological profiles and geographic profiles, Profilers provides plenty of inside detail and will appeal not only to fans of true crime and murder mysteries, but those involved in law enforcement at many levels.

This book was great. It went through the whole story and didn't leave anything out. The ending was great although I got really mad at the girl for staying with him. I don't want to give too much away about the ending. It's amazing that this could happen in such a small town as Napa but it did! I live close by but at the time this occured I was living in Florida and didn't hear anything about it. It was recommended by a co-worker and I have passed this one on for many friends to read. If you like true crime then this is a great book!

I had serious problems with this book as I read it. In the big picture, I found it poorly written and exploitive in nature. The story of Colleen Stan is interesting, however author/prosecutor Christine McGuire's decision to center the book with her personal life and largely overlook the criminal seems ego-centric and opportunistic.

The earlier pages of the book describe the ordeal and torture of Colleen Stan. The descriptions are ragged and hard to follow. Most people do not know what the described torture devices look like, because the do not use them. In this circumstance, pictures certainly would have been helpful. Even when pictures such as the "head box" are given, it only gives a rough idea of how the contraption is used.

I have a serious problem with authors who interject themselves into somebody else's tragedy. In this case, McGuire and her marital problems become a major subplot in somebody else's story. Rest assured, few people buy a true crime book to read about the author's marital problems. Eliminating these passages would have certainly made the story flow more naturally.

Lastly, the review is titled based on a phrase on page 181. Make no mistake about it, the story of Colleen Stan is a tragedy. Yet by the author's own admission, the victim was naive and the story becomes hard to believe. At some point, most readers must ask why she did not try to leave or escape. An adult with average intelligence should not fall for the hijinx that Colleen Stan did. This wears on the sympathy the reader can give to her. But if this makes the reader feel jaded, it pales in comparison to forgetting the victim in a true crime book.

This book gave me a glimpse into a hell that i cannot fathom.

This was an amazing book not just from the criminal aspect of it, but from a psychological aspect as well. The story of this tortured women is unlike anything i have ever heard, but it is told in a factual way, without sensationalism, like some true crime books. THe bare facts are the most horrifying things i have ever read, i cannot imagine this being done to someone, and more importantly, i was amazed at how the victim went through it without losing her faith in humanity or going insane. i think i would have.

I wouldn't look at this as just another "true crime" book. It is also an amazing treatise on psychology and stockholm syndrome. I understand now how much some minds can take and the reasons behind it's bizarre sounding (but really ingenious) coping mechanisms. Reading this will teach you much about the human mind, some that will scare the crap out of you. It also has well researched footnotes about other similar cases and gives a glimpse into the legal system.

Most importantly, this book shows how resilient and amazing the victim is. After knowing what the victim endured, i was amazed by her strength and by the fact that she did not seem as psychologically and physically damaged as i know i would be. Although this is probably the most horrific thing i have heard of happening to a person, she remains human (by that i mean kind and loving and dignified) and gentle in every sense. Truly an must read

off topic a bit, but my only concern was if the victim got any of the money made from the book (it was written by the D.A. who was her attorney). She seemed to not want the case well known (from what i read, she may have changed her mind) and it would be upsetting if she didn't want the book written, or didn't get her share share of payment. I hope she was not exploited YET AGAIN.

The story is an exceptionally powerful story. Colleen Stan gets five stars for that. However--most people may not know that this is not only an unauthorized story, Prosecuting Attorney Christine McGuire did not share ANY of the profits from this book with the victim, Colleen Stan. "Don't talk to the media; don't make any book deals," McGuire warned Stan prior to and during the trial. Why? Of course McGuire told Stan it was so the Defense couldn't say that's why they wanted a "win." The real reason was that McGuire had already made a deal; her college friend and the co-author attended court daily, took notes. When the verdict came in, the ending was written. Is it even legal for a government employee to make money like this--using information gained while doing her job for private profit? Colleen Stan was victimized by Hooker--but she was also victimized by the person that was supposed to protect her--the prosecuting attorney. When Stan sought relief against McGuire, the State Bar Association said that only one person had complained. (A person held hostage for that many years isn't likely to have a huge group of friends. It takes time to get back into life.) When Stan went to an LA law firm, they wanted $250,000 to represent Stan. She didn't have that kind of money after seven years locked in a box! Publishers have an army of attorneys waiting to defend against cases like this. McGuire--do the right thing. You own Stan an apology and fifty percent of the profits. What the Prosecuting Attorney McGuire did is as outrageous as what Cameron Hooker and his wife did. They were sick and criminals. McGuire is supposed to be a good guy. That year, she forgot to wear her white hat.

When I was browsing through the True Crime section at my local bookstore, I asked my sister to help me narrow down my choices: a Jeffrey Dahmer piece, the BTK Killer book, or one about a girl kept in a coffin beneath a couple's bed for over 7 years. She immediately recommended the latter.

And she was right--to a point. The subject is disturbingly fascinating for a True Crime novel about a victim who isn't murdered. How could they keep this young woman so carefully hidden away for so long? It seems outlandish, but the more you uncover, the more you realize that it IS feasible, and it's absolutely horrifying to imagine what Colleen Stan went through.

But the book is written by the DA who prosecuted her captor, and it shows.

We learned virtually nothing about what makes Cameron Hooker tick. Almost nothing is revealed about Colleen's past. And Janice Hooker, the most in-depth study, is more an accomplice/side victim than anything else.

But we learned all about the DA's marital problems, the vacation to reconcile her marriage, the eventual divorce, how cute her daughter is, how much she loves children, and virtually her every reaction to minute things--when all those small details should have been put into Colleen's story.

I could have enjoyed this so much more, but honestly--why should I care about the DA's personal problems? I read this book to learn about the crime, the victim, the captor, the associates. I didn't read it to hear about the author's personal issues throughout the trial.

Snip out those details, and this book would have gotten 1.5 stars more, if I could.

This book is a real eye opener as to the legal system and human rights abuse in Mexico.

Anyone who doesn't know about the awful murders of women in Juarez and the disgraceful inability of agencies to locate and convict the murderer(s) must read this book. The events are shocking and even more shocking is the ineptness of those charged with investigating or perhaps even their collusion in the crimes. Given that this story so needs to be told, it is unfortunate that it is not more compellingly told in this book. The book would have benefited from reader aids like a timeline and cast of characters or perhaps some diagram of how the justice system works. I really wanted to know more about the young women as individuals and about the heroic people who were/are committed to obtaining justice for them. The emotional hook was lacking from this book. Probably only a determined reader would keep going through the confusing and rather pedestrian narrative--which is a shame. I expected more vivid and engaging writing from an award-winning journalist and a true crime writer.

This book both startled and disturbed me to know what is happening in a city just across the Texas border because of the way women are treated. he machilladoras are not helping by hiring young girls to work long evening hours with little way for these girls to be safe. The Mexican govenment is not protecting them either. The drug lords and pedifiles have a field day. The abuse of women has created a "killing field." It is trully sad and pathetic that human being particularly young women are not treated with respect and humanity. When the U.S. diplomats are in Mexico to deal with making momey by way of importing goods, they must have some regulation as to what American companies demand as to the practices of their companies in Mexico. All people should read this book to see what is happening when the poor are desparate for work and will sacrifice their lives to take care of their families.

Daughters of Juarez is a disturbing story, but it is a true account of the unsolved mysteries of these young women's lost lives. It is an insight into the poverty and injustice that occurs daily in this border town and surrounding areas.

Daughters of Juarez takes you through the journey of this sad, despoiled human landscape. Women by the hundreds have disappeared, been taken away. Rather than offer a single neat solution, the book goes through the hope and agony of the search for answers. Mysterious and shadowing figures flit away, then are confronted, only to slip away again. Government officials are hopelessly corrupt if not actively blocking any real investigation. Investigators themselves have turned up dead. Right along our border.

This book is not a tome or a treatise...it simply tells the story with raw and soul-felt power. It came out several years ago, but I think it is still the best book covering this horrific type of femicide.

This book has some great lines about prison. One has stayed in my mind ever since I read the book 25 years ago. Jimmy Smith: "Powell was a punk in the gym in Vacaville. They bent him over a workout bar and browned em."

I read this book many years ago. Last week, while I was browsing through used books in a Goodwill Store, I came across a hardbound copy in pristine condition. It was selling for $2.00. Needless to say, without hesitation, I bought it. I found myself an absolute treasure. Without a doubt in my mind, this is easily the finest non-fiction story of crime and retribution I have ever read, gripping and haunting thoughout. Only one other non-fiction crime story comes close to it, and that is SWORDFISH by David McClintick. If this book can be purchased, do so without hesitation. Jay Wickramasinghe, Citrus Heights, California

This gripping narrative describes the 1963 kidnapping and murder of Los Angeles police officer Ian Campbell (1931-1963) and the crime's lengthy aftermath. Campbell and his partner Karl Hettinger were kidnapped at gunpoint one night by two hoods during a routine traffic stop, and then driven into the country where Campbell was shot dead in an Onion field. Hettinger managed to flee to safety, but was left with psychological trauma and a crushing sense of guilt over his partner's death. The author details the lives of the two killers, their lengthy trials and appeals, and the aftermath for the traumatized Hettinger, who was blamed by many for allowing the tragedy to occur. Readers learn not only about the crime and its lengthy aftermath, but also about the victimization of survivors, and about our imperfect system of justice.

Author Joseph Wambaugh modeled this book after IN COLD BLOOD, Truman Capote's superb look at the 1959 murder of a Kansas farm family. Wambaugh didn't quite match Capote, but THE ONION FIELD makes excellent reading (it also became a pretty good movie). Readers might also like Wambaugh's THE BLOODING (about the first use of DNA testing) and ECHOES IN THE DARKNESS.

It has been some years since this one hit the shelves, but it is non the worse for wear. Actually, I have to agree with another reviewer in that I too, feel this is one of Wambaugh's best. A true sory, brought to light in a very readable story like format. It is rather unforgetable. The author does a very good job of not only telling us a story (Wambaugh is, after all, first and formost a great story teller), but gives us great insight into the thoughts and motivations of the killers. He gives us a wonderful profile of the oung officer who survived this horrible crime. I cannot in all truth say it is as good as "In Cold Blood," but it comes pretty close to the mark. Recommend this one highly.

The two cops didn't expect anything life-altering when they pulled over the car with the busted taillight in Hollywood that Saturday night in 1963. But that was what they got. Before the night was over, one officer was dead and the other would never be the same.

Joseph Wambaugh's 1973 true-crime account of the killing is perhaps his best-known and most celebrated work, made into a memorable movie and a kind of calling card for Wambaugh's critical yet sensitive way of writing about crime and police work. "The Onion Field" may be based on a true story, but it reads like a novel, much like Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" would have had Capote been as interested in the crime itself as in the problem of capital punishment.

Like "In Cold Blood," you have one killer who is gay and unreasonably violent, another who is a hardened tag-along. Unlike "In Cold Blood," Wambaugh wastes little sympathy for either, especially as they and their attorneys work the system to preserve their lives while the surviving cop is left roasting on a spit, forced to relive the experience that night in the lonely onion field where his partner was killed as the rest of his life spirals out of control.

There are sections where "The Onion Field" is hard to put down and others where it lulls you to sleep. Wambaugh finds everything in this case too fascinating to keep to himself, whether it's a juror with a persecution complex or a defense attorney who objects to everything in hope of getting a mistrial. The first 50 pages may be the dullest in the book, as the "before" lives of several key participants are examined to great mundane length.

But once the two felons, Jimmy Lee Smith and Gregory Powell, find each other, Wambaugh is at his best tracing their brief partnership of crime. Powell styles himself a trenchcoat-wearing mastermind, but his idea of strategy is a getaway car with a burnt clutch so there is no chance of pulling away from a job too quickly. As the pair drive around aimlessly, Powell waving his gun around, Smith wondering when he might ditch his pal and steal the loot for himself, "The Onion Field" is on a par with Wambaugh's best comedy. Then they meet their destiny and the two lawmen, and the bad guys' stupidity is no longer funny.

The other element this book really nails is the story of the surviving detective. Already wrestling with huge survivor's guilt, he is forced to endure much departmental second-guessing about how he allowed the crooks to take him alive. In time, he becomes such a mess he starts to steal, as if willing his own disgrace. Naturally, this gets brought up in court by an opportunistic defense attorney, who labels him a sociopath.

"He doesn't know the meaning of guilt," the lawyer says, ironically enough given by this point of the story guilt's all the guy does know.

I've found other Wambaugh books more compelling, especially "The Blooding," which has many of the same themes (pathology, the strain of police work) but also a better story and sharper focus. "Onion Field" is a memorable book, though, something to shake the most jaded reader into thinking about how many different ways we can find ourselves on the wrong side of the law.

Beth Holloway is a "Fearless Faith" Fighter and protector of her child. She is an example to all parents. She may not know where Natalee's body is but she knows in her hearts she's with God. I was so truly touched by this woman's determination and drive she has motivated me to reach out and help others. I am the mother of a rape victim and believe helping others after suffering is what heals your soul. Thank you Beth. God has great plans for you ad Natalee!!
A fellow "Fearless Faith" Fighter and protector of her child

This is a true story of a young girl written by her mother. The book was sad, but I could have waited and gotten it at the library. Not the type of must have book.

Loving Natalee was a true testament of what any parent would never want. The book makes me wonder what i would do in the situation natalee was in. Her mom tells the story from begining to end and tells everyone the details about natalee and her life. she really shows how she is a normal person and it could happen to anyone.

My heart broke as I read this book. The horror that Beth Holloway must have felt at the news of her daughter's disappearance is overwhelming. While I'd like to stick my head in the sand and believe that this could never happen to my family, this book made me realize that it could happen to anyone.

However, instead of letting her brokenness over her daughter destroy her life, Holloway used her tragedy as a call for action has been spearheading a campaign to strengthen travel safety.
This book is a tribute to mother's love and the faith that helped her through her pain.

I was glad I read it. If you've followed the story of of the Holloways at all, you will be glad to read it too.

Who doesn't remember the mysterious disappearance of the Alabama HS senior while on vacation with her high school friends in Aruba, now almost 3 years to the date. When I saw this book, I simply had to pick it up and read it for myself. One may think that you know the whole story, but until you read this book, you really don't.

In "Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Hope and Faith" (255 pages), Beth Holloway, the mother of Natalee, brings us in brutal details what she experienced as a mother when her daughter went missing (and is now presumed dead). Holloway kicks off the Preface of the book with "I am the parent who got the dreaded call. The parent no one wants to be." Right then and there, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach, and indeed this is no easy book to read, as Holloway describes the nightmare she and her family and loved ones went through upon arriving on Aruba, and try and find Natalee. The utter incompetence, if not outright unwillingness to assist and underlying corruptness, of the Aruba police authorities is beyond comprehension, even as it is clear that 3 young men are directly involved in Natalee's disappearance. Just sickening.

What keeps Beth Holloway going is her strong faith. I am deeply saddened by what she has had to go through, and (being a parent of a HS senior myself) can only hope and pray that I will never have to go through this. As to the culprits who did this to Natalee, they will receive their due, be in in this life, or in the next when they sit in judgment of our Lord. My prayers are with Beth Holloway and her family.

This book's strength in my opinion is that the author has an original idea (giving a name to a particular type of crime) and that it is well researched. The weakness is the somewhat choppy writing style. It follows the Laci Peterson story and weaves in other cases. I would have liked a little less weaving and more of a chronological approach.

Strong believes she has found a new category of killers. That is not to suggest that eraser killers, like serial killers, another category lately described, didn't exist previously. Just that she can now find a pattern and has labeled it.

Eraser killers are men who want women gone from their lives. Erased, vanished, no longer a bother. Frequently, these wives or girlfriends are pregnant. "Recent studies from several states...have found homicide to be the number one cause of death among pregnant women and that women continue to be at increased risk for being murdered for usp to a year after giving birth...A 2005 study...found homicide to be the second leading cause of ...dead...behind in pregnant and postpartum women, being motor vehicle accidents" (p 28).

Essentially, as in the famous case of Scott Peterson, these men created forced abortions.

The cases are fascinating. And certainly the utter callousness of the men astonishes. Edward Kakas was "obsessed over his appearance, waring $1,000 suits" (p 154) and pleased with his pretty wife until she insisted, without his agreement, on getting pregnant and having the baby. He started to refer to her as "'the fat wop'". (p 155). He could have divorced her. But that would have meant money for her and the child. So, instead, he killed her.

Interesting but scary.

This book really hit home for me and I stayed awake all night to the point of exhaustion to finish it. I came very close, twice, to being a missing or murdered wife. My ex-husband finally served some jail time after kidnapping and attempting to murder me but when we were married the police acted as though my being beaten by him was a "domestic disturbance" and they refused to file a report.

I finally understand why my ex-husband acted the way he did and how he was able to screw everyone who ever cared for him without remorse.

This book should be required reading for every cop around the world and for every prosecuter who wants a better understanding of the "charming sociopath".

I am really surprised by the review below that criticizes the prose in this book. I thought it of high quality and unobtrusive. Adjectives have not been eliminated from the language, and they were not inappropriately overused in this book. Curious.

Does the true crime genre really need a fifteenth book about the Scott and Laci Peterson case? One could reasonably conclude that the question answers itself. Then I read Erased.

Unlike the fourteen titles that preceded it -- including books by the jurors, the journalists, Laci's mother, Scott's sister and lover -- the latest title to delve into the most widely publicized U.S. case since OJ's acquittal stands alone. Erased: Missing Women, Murdered Wives [Amazon; B&N] by Marilee Strong (with Mark Powelson) is very well informed by history and psychology. The lead author has delved to the nth degree into the criminal history of the United States, and the result is a unique study of a certain type of uxorcide. I couldn't skim or skip a page of this book, which marries, if you will, two of my favorite subgenres: spousal murder stories and criminal psychology.

In developing a profile of what she terms "eraser" killers, the author recounts many cases that have remarkable parallels to the Peterson case, highlighting dozens already familiar to some of us: Chester Gillette, Carlyle Harris, Reverend Richeson, Robert Blake, Mark Hacking, Bartin Corbin, Michael Peterson, Father Hans Schmidt, and numerous other more obscure murders. In developing her profile, she comes to some strong conclusions while offering a depth of research to support them. For example, she points to the fact that Scott Peterson reported his wife missing on Christmas Eve. I had assumed that he was a psychopath who gave himself a Christmas present. Author Strong points out a more mundane possibility: that a disappearance on a holiday would not result in a vigorous investigation by experienced detectives. Just as Theodore Dreiser "profiled" Chester Gillette and his brothers in crime in fictional terms, this author does so in the language of clinical psychology.

I approached this book skeptically, frowning at the flap copy, groaning at the press release ("missing women cases ... have come to dominate the national print and broadcast media since the highly publicized disappearance of Laci Peterson," it says, when it should say such cases have always dominated the media). I've also grown more skeptical of the work of profilers and agree with the general prohibition against admitting their testimony in court, while at the same time I think they are useful to the general public. And crime encyclopedias usually disappoint this reader with numerous errors. Not this time. Erased is cogent and compelling.

Erased is an intense and insightful book that explores the disturbing trend of men who decide to "erase" the women in their lives whom they consider no longer of any use.

Marilee Strong is an excellent writer, who dissects historical and current cases involving men who decided that disappearing inconvenient wives or girlfriends is an easier decision than divorce or separation. Most notably these women are eliminated due to an unwelcome pregancy that the man believes will negatively disrupt his life (lifestyle).

Ms. Strong uses Scott Peterson as a template of an eraser killer~and also discusses the Mark Hacking case in detail. She enables the reader to understand the motivations behind these killings and the mindset of the killer. Most of these men are narcissitic sociopaths, therefore it is easy for them to kill without guilt, because they don't know the true concept of love, compassion, or empathy. The reason they don't just split or get a divorce, is that they don't want to look bad (the narcissistic part of their personality cannot bear to have others look down upon them, and since it would look bad to leave a pregant wife, it is easier to "erase" the wife, and maybe in the process gain attention and sympathy from family/friends/community). In the killer's mind, once the wife is erased, he can move on and do what HE wants to do, not be saddled with a wife and kid.

I recommend this book, as it delves much deeper into the psyche of the "eraser" killer than any of the true crime books I have read. Again, Ms. Strong is an eloquent writer who presents many facsinating cases, some I have never heard about~and the mind and motive of these horrendous husbands.

NEVER LEAVE ME did, in fact, make a boring airplane trip pass more quickly but that is ALL the praise I can give. The writing is about the worst I have ever read. Clearly the writer has a poor editor, is his own editor (and doesn't have a command of English grammar) or does not even have an editor. The text is replete with glaring errors, lame descriptions, boring repetition and confused storytelling. I could go on and on. As for the story, it was mostly forgettable for me because the writing was so weak and awkward. As a genre, true crime books are not usually penned by great writers, in my opinion. But this book was just so bad.

Good read. Moved along well. Most times you felt like you either knew them or you were there to see what was going on. You felt Michelle's pain for not having her husband home and needing to find male compainionship elsewhere. There was never any doubt who had done this crime of passion. John Glatt really makes True Crime interesting with the way he is indept and presis down to the bare bones of it. Definately a book to read.

I was very disappointed in the writing style I was not able to finish the book got stuck all the time with author talking about what the company was achieving he gave very little time about the wife. In one part of the book it states she is 22 having her first child and in the photos she is getting married and 23 and had not had children before the wedding.Conflicting!!

The book did not flow I felt if he spoke one more time about the company the Dr created I was going to scream.

I won't be buying John Glatts books again I want to be entertained not bored with details that is not necessary.

Once again John Glatt does a great job if you like true crime make sure you read all of John Glatt's book he is a great writer.

This is a tragic story. When it becomes to an affair of the heart one never knows what another will do.

I read all other reviews of this book before I ordered it, but the story (which I was not familiar with) sounded interesting and I am a true crime reader, so I ordered it. I do wonder how well these St. Martin's True Crime Library books are edited. There are typos and some inconsistencies in the details presented by the author, but these are probably "picky" criticisms on my part. I had not read John Glatt prior to this book, but I don't think I'll be seeking out other books of his. I just did not subjectively enjoy his writing style.