True Crime Books

Well, I guess I join the ever growing list of readers completely disappointed in Cornwell's recent work. Is this the same author who wrote compelling mysteries with equally compelling characters? Absolutely terrible writing, unsympathetic characters and just so bad. So glad it was from the library. After this attempt, I may just give up on any future attempts at Cornwell's novels.

For a Scarpetta (Cornwall) fan since the beginning, this was a grand disappointment. I felt that she just churned this out on the way to the bank. The series should die with Rose. Cornwall should spend all her time on her new position in the forensic field.

I have read as far as page 48 and then looked at these reviews to see if I was missing something and I see I'm not. 99% of the books I read are from the library so only time invested.

I think I've read every other Scarpetta book(I keep a list of books read and see I only read part of Predator-guess I didn't like it either)

It's time for Marino to ride off into the sunset, Lucy to get a life of her own - cut those apron strings, and Kay to get off the fence with her relationship with Benton, it's time for her to quietly retire, Ms Cornwell.

Again and again I find myself trying to read and enjoy Ms Cornwell's books. Again and again it seems that I'm unable to finish the work she's been doing since The Last Precinct. Others have commented on the change of style, so I won't go into that. What I find unpalatable is the utter joylessness of her writing. I treasure her early books but I can't understand why Ms Cornwell seems to think she has to keep on writing this series. She should go on and do something fresh and new instead of slowly suffocating Scarpetta and her 'family'. I'm sad to say that I have done with her.

I JUST FINISHED "BOOK OF THE DEAD" AND WAS SADLY DISAPPOINTED. I ALMOST FEEL LIKE I NEED TO RE-READ IT TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE TWISTS AND TURNS AND CHARACTERS IN THIS MIS-ADVENTURE. I AM FAIRLY NEW TO READING PATRICIA CORNWELL BOOKS AND HAVE NOT READ ALL OF THEM BUT I AM GOING TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND READ THE ONES I MISSED. WHEN I GET TO THIS ONE AGAIN I WLL STOP. I READ ALL THE OTHER REVIEWS AND KNOW I AM NOT ALONE AND I FEEL THE BOOKS CORNWELL WROTE EARLIER ARE THE "GOOD" ONES THAT ARE WORTH READING.

This book is not for everyone. It is extremely scary and disturbing. At the same time, it is a fascinating look at the police work and prosecution that brought the murderous Manson Family to justice. The book is hard to put down; the in depth discussion on presenting a criminal case in court and developing evidence to support the case is outstanding. The main complaint is that the book is a few hundred pages too long. The author seems a little too self-promoting, but then again he did get a prosecution on one of the biggest murders in history.

Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry paint a riveting portrait of the Manson murders and the Manson "family". Being the lead and, later, sole prosecutor
of the Manson gang for those vicious murders puts Bugliosi in the ideal position to tell the real story in all its gory detail, and he does it in such a spellbinding fashion. I could hardly put it down. If you truly want to know this horrible and tragic story inside out, this is the ONLY book to read.

I bet Vincent never thought people would one day have home computers and be able to read the police reports and see the blood evidence because once you do that, you quickly find the book is complete B.S. The crimes could have never taken place as described by Vince. Manson was railroaded and believe me when I tell you I'm no fan of Charlie's but it is true, he was railroaded. Manson is doing life in prison from a story that is a complete lie. Man, what a country we live in when a person can become a millionaire by using the vicious murders of 7 people and no one challenges him. You should be ashamed of yourself Bugliosi. Only in America.

Well written, great TRUE story, fascinatingly frightening. This book will chill you to the bone. It scared me worse than any other book I've ever read. It makes Blatty's "The Exorcist" seem like a Disney Book. Trust me, I do not mean to discredit Blatty because I loved his book, but "Helter Skelter" scared me to the very core.

I initially read this book as a 14 year old and due to the recent publicity regarding Susan Atkins, decided to read it again.

The book chronicles the true story of the murders of the LaBianca's as well as the murders commonly referred to the "Tate" murders. It also touches on the murders of Gary Hinman and Shorty Shea, who are often forgotten victims of the Manson Family.

Essentially, the murders begin with Charles Manson, a career criminal with a poor childhood who was practically raised in youth homes and detention facilities, etc. Despite his poor upbringing and limited education, Charlie was a bright man who had the ability to spot and exploit weaknesses in other people.

Upon his latest release from prison, Manson begins to attract a group of followers, mainly comprised of young girls, and a few young men, whom all seem to have dropped out of society and are experimenting heavily and frequently with drugs. Manson sees their dissatisfaction with society and using that, as well as sex and drugs further breaks down their morals and values until ultimately they look at him as Jesus Christ and look to him to make their every decision for them.

Manson, disillusioned with his failure as a musician, begins to envision a new future for himself and his Family, in part guided by the Beatles musics, which he believes is full of secret messages. Manson believes that there will ultimately be a race war with the black man being victorious. In the meantime Manson and his family will retreat to the desert where they will find a hole leading to the bottomless pit where they will live until the black man realizes that he is incapable of ruling/running society as a whole. At that time, Manson will emerge and become leader of the country, if the world. Charlie calls this chain of events "Helter Skelter".

When Helter Skelter fails to come to fruition in a timely manner, he decides to incite it himself, by murdering rich or upper class white people. His theory is that white society will believe the murders were committed by the black man, and will turn on the black man, thereby getting the race war rolling.

The book further goes on the describe the investigation (or lack thereof on the part of some officers) and ultimate arrest and conviction, as well as an epilogue and afterward in the book with updates.

I have read some of the reviews, and have to agree that in some instances, Vincent Bugliosi was perhaps too wordy and a lot of stuff could have been cut out.

I also noticed that many of the reviews accuse Bugliosi of manufacturing the Helter Skelter motive for his own purposes. While I have not read the other Manson books, I am not inclined to believe this. First of all, he got the idea from many of the family members, many of whom got on the witness stand and testified to Manson's belief system as well as his many statements that "the time for Helter Skelter is now", etc. I also noted that many of those reviewers expressed support for Manson with the oft repeated phrase "he wasn't there", "he didn't kill them", blah blah blah. For the record, he was an active participant in the Hinman murders, slicing his ear off. He was present and aware of what was occurring and ultimately was the one who ordered the kill. He was also present at the Shorty Shea murder, for at least a portion of it. Again, it was at his behest that Shorty was murdered. Further, he is the one who sent the murderers to the Tate residence that night, he is the one who told them to get their knives, he is the one who told Tex to murder everyone and make it gruesome. As if that weren't enough, the next evening, it was he who entered the LaBianca home first and tied them up and left them there with full knowledge of what would happen to them. For anyone who is aware of the law, if someone is killed at your request, if you participate in a felony (i.e., cutting someone's ear off, or say breaking into their home and tying them up), and ultimately those people die in conjunction with those some events in which you particiated, you are responsible as if you killed them yourself.

If anyone is in doubt as to Manson's control over the female defendant's in this case, one only need to read the vast material available regarding the trial and how he conrolled them in court, and how he attempted to control the trial. If they were unable, while their freedom and very lives were on the line, to exercise their own free will and make their own decisions, it's not a stretch to imagine that he was able to control their day to day actions, as well as order them to kill with the expectation that it be carried out.

Additionally, the former Manson Family members who were involved, many of whom are still incarcerated, to this day state that was the motive/theory behind the killings. If it was not Manson's true motive, then he failed to share that with other family members.

Further, in an interview with Charles "Tex" Watson, a reporter asked him if he had read Helter Skelter, to which Watson replied that he had and it was pretty accurate.

Either way, it is a very informative book, and while on the wordy side, provides a detailed and inside look at the trial and what was going on behind the scenes. Whether the reader chooses to believe in the Helter Skelter theory or not is up to them.

Its like a documentary in a book! It was the best trip around the world that I didn't need a passport or a bullet proof vest for. This book was so good I bought one to send to my best friend so we could talk about it.

For innocent people, like me, this is a rude awakening of the magnitude of crime there is. As the economies globalize, so is organized crime. What fascinated me about this book is why and how the criminal activities flourish. In business, when a market gap is discovered (need or demand) enterprises fulfill the gap with a product or service. There is no different for the criminals. In short the entrepreneurs play by the legal rules, where the criminal-entrepreneurs (and they are entrepreneurs) play by any rule or no rules at all. Prostitution or drugs, to name a few, are in demand so a criminal organization will fill that need.
What is tragic is that the market gaps are created by us. Yes, you and me. Either through our governments' actions and laws, such as taxing excessively a product or prohibiting it. Or, by some of us that demand illegal products. The even darker side of all this, is that the criminals acquire such vast amounts of money, that buying entire governments, or branches of governments is a piece of cake. So, with globalization, how long will it be before most governments are run by the criminal element? A new world order? A la Columbia, and soon to be a Mexico? Scary and real.
This book is worth reading.

This is a fairly breezy romp through the world of organized crime, from Russia to Brazil, and from Japan to Canada.
The author looks at mafias and the conditions that allow for their rise: in Russia, for instance, it was the withering of the state; in Yugoslavia, the war and the embargo; in Brazil the weakness of the state and the corruption; in Columbia the civil war and demand from the United States. The book is easy to read and abounds in anecdotes and thumbnail descriptions. If you think of this book as offering a comprehensive description of the mafia, you will be disappointed: for that you will need many volumes, and a more in-depth (and probably more wearying) approach. As a quickie guide, however, it is perfect. He even gives a few explanations for why organized crime seems to thrive; there isn't one cause, but a variety: when the state is too weak (too little regulation, incapable of protecting ordinary folk) or too intrusive (trying to regulate the substances people put in their bodies, or the kinds of pleasures they want). In a nutshell, organized crime thrives when there is sudden demand, but no legitimate way to satisfy it.
Read and enjoy.

In his account of globalized crime, the author forgot to give a fair description of the european mafias.
Where are the British, French, Spanish, German mafias ?
The sample selected by the author is incomplete and biased.

You sponsor organized crime. There isn't a thing you can do to stop. These are among the dismaying messages of _McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld_ (Knopf) by Misha Glenny. A big book with an extremely broad, world-wide vision of the latest in global criminality, it presents a daunting picture of lucrative and lethal crime in China, Serbia, Chechnya, Columbia, Israel, Russia, and all over the place. The U.S., the land where Don Corleone and his family prospered, gets surprisingly little coverage as a scene of crimes, but that does not keep it from playing a role all over the globe. Let's say (for the sake of argument) that you are an American who doesn't hire illegal foreign workers and never does illegal drugs and never launders money, so you think that gets you off the hook. Not quite. Do you use a cell phone? If so, most likely it contains coltan, a mined compound that efficiently conducts electricity at very high temperatures, and which comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, so you are tapped into mine pillaging and organized crime there. There are countless other examples given here, but most important is what the American government and other governments are doing. They are interested in prohibition, criminalization, and interdiction, but with the lifting of restrictions on free movement of capital (Glenny blames Reagan and Thatcher for allowing what the corporations wanted), criminals "... became inextricably bound up with globalization - it was here in the huge reservoirs of the international banking system that the liquid assets of the corporate and criminal worlds mixed and mingled." Glenny's book details his travels to crime scenes of different countries, and he is guided by criminals themselves, smugglers, and a few police officers. It is an eye-opening and disheartening view of the world.

_McMafia_ hops around the world, Glenny gives pictures of a huge, more-or-less well organized crime network routinely allied with governments (efficient and inefficient governments, not just governments that are our friends or our enemies), police, and corporations. The book is often uncomfortable reading, as in the tale of a woman from Moldavia who was sent against her will to be on call at an Israeli brothel, manhandled by Moldavians, Ukrainians, Russians, Egyptians, and Bedouins before the Israelis could get their hands on her. The mafia in Chechnya was so ruthless and feared that it made money allowing criminal rackets in other towns to call themselves "Chechen". If those licensees did not themselves ferociously prosecute local violations of protection, the Chechen mafia would come after the racketeers themselves, so that the brand name did not get devalued. Oligarchs and mobsters from Russia united to make worldwide launderettes for cleaning cash from growing and exporting drugs. Glenny shows how to buy contraband gasoline in Serbia, counterfeit DVDs in China, or illegal caviar in Kazakhstan. He rides with marijuana smugglers from British Columbia, describes being propositioned in sex clubs in Dubai, or tells how pachinko fiends in Tokyo feed their habit. Glenny interviews a member of the famous _yakuza_, Japan's traditional mafia, who says, "Like all organizations we are facing problems encouraging young people to join." Well, it's just a management problem: the _yakuza_ subcontract their mob hits to Chinese gangs.

Sometimes _McMafia_ is scattershot in its jumps all over the globe, but the big picture is perhaps just too complicated for anyone to understand fully. Glenny knows he is writing about scary and dark subjects, but there are a few points of light. There are academics who have done sociological studies on gangs and gang members, some even joining to get data. One of them says, however, "Scholars do not like to waste time with uncooperative sources who refuse to talk, and, alternatively, they do not like to be shot." There is a small organization called Global Witness, which had documented the human suffering in the African diamond trade and has arranged a protocol to assure buyers that diamonds come from sources that meet humane standards. David Soares is the District Attorney in Albany, New York, who has realized that his state is wasting millions to arrest and keep in prison drug offenders from a futile war on drugs, and was elected with a view of changing drug laws. According to Glenny, this sort of change is going to be essential if the disheartening global picture he presents is ever to change. The United Nations reports that 70% of the financing of organized crime comes from the sorts of international drug sales described here. Forced eradication is not going to work, despite the billions that is spent on it; a more prudent and less costly policy would be some legalization of the drug trade and provision of treatment for drug abuse. There are few other recommendations in Glenny's book, other than a sensible call for stricter international regulation of current financial markets to end the untraceable flow of criminal funds. It might be that the world is realizing that the unregulated trade and finance that was supposed to bring us all prosperity is more contributing to the world's misery instead. The reforms can happen, or it can all be left to the gangsters.

This is a great true crime book. It is the first book I've ever read where Im on the edge of my seat reading. Look out Ann Rule here is an author who is going to give you some competition!!!
This is a must read,even if you don't usually read this type of book you will really enjoy it.
True crime at its very best. If I could give it more stars I would give it 10 plus.

Kathryn Casey has earned 15 perfect scores and I don't want to mess that up. I didn't care for this book as much as the other but I did walk away with a strong impression about the case itself. Casey does an excellent job. She manages to maintain a good pace of covering the story as it unfolds. She doesn't repeat information which can be infuriating in this true crime genre. Jennifer Cave's body was discovered and the author has maintained some suspense to that discovery by her own family when the police didn't or couldn't unlock the apartment door of Colton Potyniak. Obviously, Casey portrays Jennifer Cave as a complex young woman who has overcome so much especially the dark side of drugs and the wrong crowd of people. Casey's description of Jennifer helps us understand her need to help everybody and see the good in them. Unfortunately, Colton was trouble from the very moment. He was obviously obsessed with Jennifer and couldn't let her go. He had already a lovick equally obsessed girl, Laura Ashley Hall who is troubled herself. Both are now in prison. Colton destroyed Laura's dream of being a lawyer but she is sick herself at least mentally and still professing her love and devotion to such a cold-blooded sociopath without any remorse towards Jennifer. I wished Laura that she would realize how close that she came herself to having the same fate as Jennifer someday. Regardless, the Cave family have suffered enough after Jennifer's senseless murder. I won't spoil the crime here for readers. You'll just have to read it yourself.

I couldn't put this down. A very tragic, but compelling story. It will make you want to go hug your daughters.

This is such a sad, horrific story. Kathryn Casey gives a well researched timeline of the crime and it's aftermath. Casey draws you into the suffering of the victem's family and friends hitting home just how much damage a murder can do. An excellent read for all, especially true crime fans.

Kathryn Casey tells a tragic story of drugs, obsession, murder, and dismemberment. As are all of Casey's books, DESCENT is impeccably researched and no stone is left unturned with regard to the individual histories of the offender and the victim. On the surface, the murder appears senseless... until you enter the dark world of Colton Pitonyak. A brilliant student turned drunken punk, turned drug dealing thug, Pitoniak not only sold drugs, he used street drugs daily and popped prescription pills like candy.

Jennifer Cave was a bright, caring young woman but she too destroyed a promising future with drugs. Addicted and unable to right the course of her future, Jennifer paid for her mistakes with her life. Sadly, if not for her use of meth, Jennifer never would never have met Pitonyak.

Some argue that Jennifer and Pitoniyk were good friends. Perhaps. But Jennifer also admitted, "The relationship was all about drugs." In addition, Jennifer recognized that Pitonyak was a dangerous individual whom she could not and should not trust. After being threatened with a knife, Jennifer told many that she would never spend time with Pitonyak alone again. However, her resolve was short lived. (As the time of Jennifer's death grows near, Casey employs a masterful use of suspense and with a sense of growing dread, I felt compelled to continue reading toward the tragic conclusion of this story.)

In a impusive drug fueled rage, Pitonyak killed Jennifer. However, it is the rest of the story that is truly compelling. Enter Laura Hall. Hall was obsessed with Pitonyak and admired his bravado, his criminal history, and his carefully constructed drug dealer image. Hall loaned Pitonyak money throughtout the course of the relationship and did him favors. In return, Pitonyak used Hall. Often derisive toward Hall, Pitonyak borrowed money, sent Hall on personal errands for him, and banged her when he felt like it. He also requested her help following Jennifer's murder.

Forensic evidence would suggest Hall assisted Pitonyak in attempting to dismember Jennifer's body. Given the post-murder bragging Hall did, one could reasonably assume the plan to dismember the body was hers. At a minimum, she participated. There is less historical information about the person Hall was before this horrific crime, but the existing information suggests she was quite mentally and emotionally unstable if not obsessive, somewhat delusional, and tending toward the antisocial.

On a particularly painful note, Jennifer's mother, Sharon Cave, lamented frequently that Jennifer was murdered just as she was "...beginning to turn her life around." Maybe. But Jennifer's history was unstable and she eventually found herself a college dropout, unemployed, and homeless if not for the generosity of friends. Similarly, while Jennifer had spoken of recovery from her addiction, autopsy analysis revealed drugs in her system. She may have lessened her use of drugs, she may have wanted to stop, but she had not stopped. Haunted by a poor self-image and living with the consequences of drug abuse and addiction, every decision Jennifer made led her one step closer to death. This is not to say she is responsible for her own death. Only Pitoniak is to blame. But it was horrifying to read about a bright, attractive young woman who spiraled into the black hole of addiction.

My only complaint about the book is the subtitle. Sure, Pitnonyak was an altar boy... FOUR YEARS prior to the murder. And Jennifer had not worn a cheerleading uniform in at least that long. The subtitle suggests the roles of altar boy and cheerleader are current ones. Hardly. This is the very kind of trashy hype that detracts from the True Crime genre as a whole. At best, it is unnecessary. At worst, it is misleading. For True Crime fans everywhere, ignore the subtitle and enjoy the read... and the ride. Kathryn Casey is one of the very best.

I really loved this book. I love Christy's story telling style and desire to tell the story from both sides - from the viewpoint of the agent and the smuggler. His ingeniously creative way of analyzing wildlife trade laws through the perspective of the 'bad guys' was really eye-opening and perfectly illustrated the shortcomings of well intentioned laws. Anyone who ever considers buying a reptile - or any animal for that matter - should read this.

Whether you are into reptiles or not, this is a great book! Written in the style of a novel, it is part crime drama, part expose and part documentary.

This is a book that pulls the reader in quickly: the characters have colorful histories and unique personas. Their ambitions and frailties keep things interesting all the way through.

The exotic reptile business provides a vivid backdrop for the characters and story line. No doubt the hobbyist (the herps) will find it a well researched account of the origin of the animals that are bought, sold and traded. Lots of detail on their sourcing, selective breeding and the passions of collectors. I am not a "herp" but I learned a lot from the book.

Great reading for anyone who likes drama and adventure!

What a well written book. One of those books i just could not put down. One of the best book that i have read in a LONG time.

The "Lizard King" is awesome. After each chapter, you look forward to the next.

It's a real life thriller which takes you into a world of reptile smuggling from all angles: the business, people, law enforcement, custom officials, legal and the criminal element. This world is revealed in masterfully told story which brings to life the people, their motives and passions, and a great conflict of personalities, their egos and gamesmanship. Further, it draws you into the fight between "good and evil" within this world and among themselves.

If you liked "Into the Wild", you'll love the "The Lizard King". It's better.

The author did his homework on this one! As someone who's been around the business and many of its key players from the 1970s through the present, I marveled at the accuracy of most statements in this account. The numbers regarding quantities of animals and amounts of money seemed well-researched, realistic and largely believable, unlike the trumped-up crap that groups like the HSUS and PETA push to increase sympathy donations. The author's whole approach seemed out to record the real personalities, not mass media baloney exaggerated to make news and sell books. I particularly liked his 'as it was' style and non-demonization of the principles.

This book will be enjoyed by those involved in the herp trade in any way. Devout conservationists will probably applaud it as an exposé, but its strength lies in its honesty and facts. I hope everyone notes the sentence credited to U.S. Fish & Wildlife agent Chip Bepler on page 79:

"He (Bepler) could not do much against habitat destruction, pollution, or any of the other amorphous problems facing wildlife, but he could do something about commercial profiteers." ----- That statement summarizes the major mentality in the U.S. on dealing with the issue of helping / protecting wildlife. The prevailing attitude is to do what makes headlines, ensures budgets and justifies your job, even if it's a drop in the bucket toward solving the real problem. With government money wasted by the millions on such a sham, it's no wonder that a few people will be disgusted and continue smuggling while feeling that they too deserve to profit from wildlife.

The funny thing is, most of the species discussed in this book were smuggled in low numbers -- sometimes just a few pairs -- that did nothing to hurt wild populations. In fact, those `losses' may have actually helped those species in the long run. Some of those same originally smuggled animals became founder breeding stock in zoos and private breeders' hands. That led to those types' wider availability today via captive bred offspring, resulting in them becoming relatively safe from smugglers' future predations (but NOT the perils of habitat destruction, pollution, etc.).

The market in most captive-bred herps (that have been around in herpetoculture long enough to be bred in numbers) has dropped the price below what's worth the smuggling risk. I'd like to think that a few higher-ups in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service -- who truly want to save wildlife and aren't just in it for the paycheck -- secretly smile when they realize that the pressure has been taken off many species. In the meantime, they still get to chase the 'bad guys' and pay their mortgages, just like the wildlife smugglers they battle.

I had seen the the Homicide: Life on the Streets TV series before. Also was a big fan of David Simon's "The Wire".

This is an excellent book and I am looking forward to reading his other book, The Corner.

Homicide is one of the better of the crime reporting novels I have read. Simon was definitely at the top of his game.

He manages to write the book with more of a novel feel then a biography of the people involved. Other similar books, such as 'Homicide Special' try for the same thing, but you still feel the writer in their presence. Simon makes the reader feel as if they are there without feeling that the writer is intruding on anything.

The cases the officers work on are all interesting, and not all are slam dunks or even solvable. Many authors would feel a need to make their book have cases with endings. I applaud Simon for not giving in to that temptation.

Baltimore definitely plays a role in this book, and you get a real feeling for the city. You can see in this book the seed that would eventually sprout the series 'Homicide'.

If you are interested in detective work this is an excellent read. I highly recommend this book.

great book - heard David Simon on NPR and he knows the streets of BMore

Journalist David Simon's homicidic tome, published in 1991, follows a group of detectives from the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit for an entire year, beginning in January 1988. It is a gritty, great read about the matter-of-factness of murder in a city with one of the highest rates in the nation. An article in a recent (April 19, 2008) issue of New Economist highlights a recent drop in that rate (from 282 homicides in 2007). During the year of Simon's internship, there were 234 murders, followed by (p 618) 262 in 1989 and 302 in 1990. Based on those four years, that's an average of one violent death every 18 hours.

What Simon was able to put together from his year's worth of journalistic scribblings on life with the good guys and the bad guys is a fantastic fly on the wall's eye view: the graphic violence of crime scenes, the raunchy humor of and banter between the detectives, the despair of the victims' family members, and the utter stupidity of many of the criminals: (p 16) "the investigator's saving grace is the killer's overwhelming disposition toward incompetence or, at the very least, gross error." His Guidebook of Death Investigation Rules are remarkable: (p 34) "Rule Number One...the page 1 entry in a detective's lexicon: Everyone lies." Rule Five is equally profound (p 237), "It's good to be good: it's better to be lucky." Best of the book: Simon's ability to capture the events in a comprehensive and cohesive manner, even with several welcome change ups to the overall chronological format. Covering every aspect of "life on the killer streets" Homicide is a perfect read for tome-loving crime buffs, neither category of which I belong. Also good, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer, and Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule.

I read this book after watching - several times over - David Simon's most recent work, The Wire. I have always been interested in detectives and was drawn by this book because it is non-fiction. As well as being a highly enjoyable read, I would say there were three main takeaways. First, the detailed first-hand account of actual cases and methods of investigation (including related disciplines such as interrogation, medical examination, ballistics, trace evidence, etc. as well as the legal processes and challenges that lead to conviction) have made me much more familiar with the actual process of solving murders. Second, a basic understanding of the structure and organization of a homicide unit within the police department and how the system is incentivized to solve crimes. Third, an appreciation of how these detectives - through late-night drinking sessions and office humor - manage to make their lives livable when they are not dealing with the darker side of their profession. Simon's first book is really special, I look forward to reading it again someday.

Eric Larson has an almost lyrical voice for historical non-fiction storytelling presenting historical fact in a style generally associated with works of fiction. After reading Larson's Devil In The White City, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America I was excited to get my hands on Thunderstruck. It was a disappointment. Larson chose Edwardian England and the dawning of the 20th century as the backdrop for his tale The period was ripe with growth and discovery. There was an innocence lost as, still reeling from the White Chapel murders, Londoners feared Jack the Ripper around every corner.

From this period of the dawning of the technical age, Eric Larson plucks two intriguing tales, each an enthralling bit of history in its own right. The first of these is Marconi's development of wireless communication. Larson skillfully lays out Marconi's life from childhood in Italy, his lack of formal education, his Irish mother's insistance that young Guglielmo learn English even at the expense of his native Italian, his eventual migration to England, his obsession with wireless communication, his lack of social savvy and the resultant failure of his romantic relationships.

And, while Larson unravels a tale of Marconi bouncing back and forth across the Atlantic in multiple failed attempts to transmit and receive timely wireless messages between Europe and North America he introduces a little known, but pivotal character in history ... Hawley Harvey Crippen.

Crippen, a mousey, bespectacled, little American, had the misfortune of marrying a young woman with loose social graces and high hopes. Their story follows the couple's circuitous and often tumultuous journey from America to England Where Mrs. Crippen, a failed actress in America believes she can find a better audience for her mediocre talents. She changes her name to Belle and, for a short time, becomes the belle of third class salons (theatres) about London. Although a failure as and actress, her exuberant personality makes her a darling among the theatre set nonetheless. But Belle's charm does not extend to her husband. She attempts to remake Hawley into her concept of what he should be, buying all of his clothes, orchestrating his life, and even renaming him Peter. Her own personal insecurities require him to be at her beckon call accounting for every moment he is not with her.

But, in the office of his patent medicine business, Hawley hires a secretary, Ethel La Neve, with whom he develops a romantic relationship. Bolstered by his romance with Ethel, Hawley stops worrying over Belle's threats to leave him. And, when one day she turns up missing, he explains her absence with a story of flight to America. But, before long he offers reports of Belle falling ill and, later, succumbing to her illness, and her friends start to question his story. When the theatre guild ladies go to the police, Hawley's cover begins to disintegrate and a global manhunt begins. Hawley and Ethel take flight, eventually boarding a ship in the Nederlands headed for America.

By this time, Marconi's wireless has found technical if not financial success as Marconi continues struggling to prove its worth and overcome competition from others working on similar radio wave advancements as well as the established cablegram. And the Marconigram proves to be the undoing of Hawley and Ethel when reports explode in the air with every snap of the telegrapher's signal on land and aboard ships crossing the Atlantic. When the lovers arrive in America, Assistant Commissioner McNaughton of Scotland Yard is there ahead of them.

Larson takes these two individually fascinating tales and, based on the one slender common link, attempts to intertwine them into one story. It seems almost as though he randomly interspersed chapters of two different short stories to make it big enough to call it a book. The result is a mish-mash of confusing chapters that flip-flop from one story to the other with no apparent connection, leaving the reader in a state of confusion with each new chapter.

I found myself being thrust out of the stories with every chapter, my mind doing a double-take at each new beginning, having to stop and review what I just read and trying to acclimate myself to the next chapter and the next. The ultimate effect is a sense of disequilibrium leading to a wholly unsatisfying reading experience and the most disconcerting fact is that Larson is far too forgiving of his own shortcomings in this book.

Despite the technical failure of Thunderstruck, however, I am sufficiently impressed with Larson's writing skills to want to read more of his non-fiction novels: Isaac's StormIsaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History; An Act of VengeanceAn Act of Vengeance; and even Lethal Passage Lethal Passage: The Story of a Gun which is more a cry for social awareness than a simple historical tale.

Thunderstruck is well worth the read if only for the historical information it imparts. But, if you've not read any of Larson's work, Thunderstruck is not the place to begin. I would recommend,instead, Devil in the White City. And, when you do read Thunderstruck, be aware of its shortcomings.

This is not a quick, easy read. This one takes a lot of concentration, yet it was very interesting. History buffs will love it.

Larson seems to have devised a genre or writing style of his own making with this book and his earlier bestseller "Devil in the White City." The two works are similar in that they both tell the intersecting stories of a creator and a destroyer. In "White City," it was the architect Daniel Burnham and the serial killer H.H. Holmes whose stories were told in alternating chapters; in "Thunderstruck," it's the stories of Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of wireless telegraphy, and suspected killer H.H. Crippen which are alternated until they intersect. The similarity of style between the two books is so uncanny that it could not be chance; Larson has intentionally created a "genre" of sorts for himself.

This one is perhaps even better than "White City." Marconi is infinitely more interesting than Burnham, and his creation is more interesting than the latter's architecture. Crippen is more of a sympathetic character than H.H. Holmes, although the latter is perhaps more fascinating because of his much higher body count. It's almost a wash between the two books, and I daresay fans of the earlier book will be pleased with this one, too. Personally, I've really been enjoying these "turn-of-the-century true crime books" (as I classify them), whether by Larson or others.

One more thing: persevere. The first 100 expository pages may drag, but soon you learn to care for the principals and the book then begins to really move. Stick with it.

If you are interested in the history of radio, or British/Italian/American history circa 1900, this is really worth your perusal. The main characters, Marconi and Crippen, have absolutely nothing in common but fate. Follow their seemingly unconnected lives to the climax of this book and you will be privy to an intriguing example of how odd twists and turns can affect all of us. Nice piece of writing!

Not quite as good as Devil in the White City, but a satisfying read anyway. Learned more than I ever thought I would about Marconi and the wireless--fascinating period in history. The book includes excellent notes, ideas for further reading.

What a mess to read. Desperately in need of an editor and/or proofreader. Maybe 'true-crime' has lower standards for writing ability, but this book was a real chore. Extremely repetitive, excessively flowery and descriptive. Minimal suspense or insight. Why is this a story we need to read? Smacks of exploitation. According to the other reviewers not one of her best, but I will not give her a second chance.

I've read a lot of true crime novels and this one just seemed flat. It seemed more like a report than a story. And I was looking more for a story

I stayed up way past my bedtime for three nights because I couldn't put this book down. The fact that Bart Corbin could murder Dolly Hearn in 1990, nonchalantly go on with his life and then murder his wife Jennifer 14 years later is absolutely chilling. Ann Rule portrays the very human side of both victims: despite Bart's scary behavior, Dolly tried to ease away from him gently, and Jenn was so unhappy in her marriage that she turned to an Internet relationship for solace which proved to be devastating. You feel a keen sense of loss even if you didn't know either of these vibrant, warm-hearted women. Bart Corbin is evil personified and is right where he belongs, even if it came 16 years too late.

This tale of two murders is truly amazing. I didn't know anything about this case before I picked this book up, and there were a couple of plot developments that almost took my breath away. But while the saga is spellbinding, the storytelling is just so-so. Every aspect of the lives of those involved are explained in great detail. Much of the investigative process is examined closely, too. Then, it seems, once Dr. Bart is put in jail, boom-boom-boom, time is telescoped, everything happens in a matter of pages, and The End. As workmanlike as Ann Rule's work is here, she deserves applause for the careful way she depicts Dolly and Jenn. It would have been easy to sensationalize certain aspects of both women's lives, but Ms. Rule instead chooses respect and compassion.

In this true crime story of murder and betrayal, the author takes the reader into an exploration of two murders, seamlessly and empathically weaving the stories of the tragic deaths of two young women. Though the deaths were fourteen years apart and in different jurisdictions, the two victims would have one thing in common. They had each fallen in love with the same man, Bart Corbin.

The first woman to die was Dolly Hearn, a beautiful, vivacious, dental student, who met Bart Corbin in dental school, where he, too, was a student. They eventually became a couple but the relationship was quite rocky. Then Dolly met an untimely death by virtue of a gunshot wound to the head, which the police classified as a suicide, despite her parents' belief that she had been murdered.

The second woman to die was Jennifer Corbin, Bart's wife. Bart Corbin, now a dentist, though not particularly successful in his practice of dentistry, was still able to live the American dream. He had a lovely wife, two wonderful children, and a nice home in a great neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. There were cracks in that facade, however, and his wife finally decided that she was going to leave Bart, as he was not the man that she had thought he was. Then she, too, met her maker through a gunshot wound to the head. This time, however, the police did not rush to judgment to classify this death as a suicide.

A careful and thorough investigation, fueled by an unexpected lead, led to the police to connect the dots between the deaths of these two young women, resulting in the re-opening of the investigation into Dolly Hearn's death. What the police were to discover and what lead to the arrest of Bart Corbin in connection with these two tragic deaths makes for riveting true crime drama.

I read this book in two days. I hadn't even heard of this crime until I bought this book. The author explains why it was reprinted in the preface. It was well written and well structured. Great read. I'd highly recommend it to all you true crime readers. It's one of those crimes that will haunt you for a long time.

I read this in 1967 and I wanted to read again. I give 5 star rating

I didn't have the channel in viewing "American Crime" starring Catherine Keener as Gertrude, the divorced mother of seven, in Indianapolis who earned extra income by allowing crippled Jenny and her sister Sylvia Liken live with them in their home. Unfortunately, Sylvia died only months after her arrival. This book is in tradition of true crime books in recent years. While John Deans covered the story, he does not leave out any of the horrendous details regarding Sylvia's murder or the abuse at the hands of Gertrude and her children who she encouraged and egged on to destroy Sylvia. They treated Sylvia with no mercy and brutalized her in ways that I can't describe here. The book is a page turner but I felt that we could have known more about Gertrude's psychology as the other children who were involved in tormenting, denigrating, abusing this poor girl for no other reason than their own sadistic pleasures. You wonder why Jenny was so traumatized and horrified to speak up as were the other children in the house. Sylvia was whipped, beaten, burned, and treated like garbage than a human being. She was also starved of food and water in the end. The case reminds me of a recent murder case regarding a young girl who was believed to be the root of all evil and succumbed to the same fate as Sylvia Likens. The book was an easy read and a page turner while at the same time that we could have had more in-depth coverage regarding Gertrude's background.

I once owned the reprint of this book, but was so disturbed by what I read that I very scarcely read it and eventually gave it to someone who needed it for research this past spring. Last month I decided to give it another chance and bought this new paperback version. For those who have not heard this story, let me tell you something: This tale of the sadistic side of human nature is just as horrific the second or third or tenth time around as it is the first. To this day, my head spins and my stomach churns as I think of the unspeakable horror that sixteen-year-old Sylvia Likens endured at the hands of her monsterous caretaker, her equally heartless children, and their demented friends. This is a story that in four years time has NEVER left my memory and probably never will. If you do decide to read about this, prepare to be shocked as this story is told with a terrifying realism that should only exist in our nightmares.

As for the differences between this publication and the original, this book is in fact the same book, except that: 1. This book is a traditional paperback book as opposed to the copy with the original red vellum cover (hence, the steep price tag for the latter); 2. There is an added foreword as well as an updated afterword; and 3. The photos have been moved to the very middle of the book as opposed to the random placement in the original, including two or three never-before-seen pictures. There are also some very minor amendments such as the name of the song that Sylvia sang at night and the change in spelling of her older sister's name ('Dianna' as opposed to 'Diana'). Since this is more or less the same publication, and neither better nor worse than the first copy, I'll give it the same rating as I did originally: 4 stars.

in response to the above query, this book is indeed a reissue of the original book. While it is not bad, there is a rather serious defect- any lack of serious psychological anyalsis. To be fair to the author criminal psychology was not far advanced in the 1960's, so there were not criminal profiling studies the author could have relied upon. what this volume essentally presents is a bare bones account of the trial and coviction of the defendents. Those who seek to understand the whys and werefores of how such a terrible crime could have been commited will have to look elsewhere.

i'm disaapointed by this book, I got half way reading it but got bored. Nothing I have not read already in the papers. I give it 1/2 star.

Man, I sure hated all those mafia books on the shelves taking up space in my bookstores! I thought, who cares about these cretins? Not me!! Even though I have a couple thousand true crime books, none deal with Cosa Nostra, I've never seen The Sopranos, and have only seen Godfather I. The topic was of zero interest to me.

However, having loved Mr. Carlo's '96 Night Stalker, I admired his writing stle enough to pick up Ice Man.That book just blew me away because of the way Mr. Carlo was able to actually humanize a monster like Richard Kuklinski (not glamorize!). There were no holds barred when it came to his reporting of the atrocities committed, but Mr. Carlo's use of backstory and tell-it-like-it-is views from Kuklinski's family had me hooked from the beginning to end. And for the first time, I bought several copies and mailed to friends in Texas that couldn't care less about such things. Now THEY are buying Mr. Carlo's books, too.

This leads me to his book Gaspipe. I didn't even hesitate to buy it because it was written by Philip Carlo; that's good enough for me! It's extremely rare to find a book where the author and family live next door to the book's subject, grew up in Bensonhurst where so many made guys lived, and understands "the life". If Mr. Carlo can turn my taste in non-fiction around with just two books, then I consider that a writer with a truly great gift.

While he never sugar-coated the horrific crimes Anthony Gaspipe Casso did, just as in Ice Man, Mr. Carlo makes you see the whole man, especially his deep love for his parents, wife and kids. (Yes, I know Hitler adored his mother!) And NO WAY would I ever have had sympathy for a mudering goon like Casso, but it really hacked me off about the FBI's actions in picking and choosing the evidence to come out in court. It's also an OUTRAGE that the government didn't honor their commitment to Casso's 6-1/2 years sentence like they did for other informants.

I am a huge fan of Mr. Carlo, and have ordered his other books. i wish him many happy years of writing and continuing his meticulous research.

With the skill of a linguistic sculptor, Philip Carlo reveals a microscopic characterization of all his protagonists in true crime and in fiction. In Gaspipe, Mr. Carlo is chiseling to the core of the professional criminal only as an artist with a deep familiarity and innate understanding of his subject and his material can do. Carlo holds us spellbound and turning the pages of Anthony Casso's life because Carlo has been there-physically, emotionally, and pyschologically- in the place where Anthony Casso has spent his life of crime. Carlo knows the neighborhood, the culture and its people. and he knows how to take us to that place where he and Casso learned their life lessons. Carlo gets Anthony Casso, and he shows us who the Mafia underboss is inside and out. This is one of those marathon reading experiences---you cannot put Gaspipe down until the very last of Philip Carlo's words on him have been read. Anthony Casso is real. Philip Carlo is a master of true crime.

Great Novel-like read...Altho author biases towards Casso, he truly makes a hero out of him in reader's eyes. Paints vivid pictures of every crime and non-crime-related tale and leaves reader waning more and more after each chapter, not only about Casso but every Made Man mentioned.

Both my husband and me thoroughly enjoyed Gaspipe. Both of us come from Dyker Heights and thought Carlo's portrayal of the Mafia culture was eerie and uncanny. We note with dismay the posting here of R.J. Rios. I can only say that this fellow's sources of information are the three hundred books he says he read. That's woefully inadequate. The Mafia is all about secrecy. The Mafia is clandestine by its very nature. Having said that, it seems ludicrous that any one person, based on the reading of books, would set himself up as an authority. I am sure there are people in law enforcement who knew nothing about what Carlo wrote so insightfully and simply in Gaspipe. We note, too, that Carlo has publicly said -- we recently heard him on a radio show -- that Richard Kuklinski, aka the Iceman, did lie about certain crimes. When most of the participants in any given crime, murder, are dead, it's very hard for an author to verify one way or another what exactly happened. No author in any one book could tell all the tales, trials and tribulations of a character like Anthony Casso. To do such a thing, the book would have to be thousands of pages. A compelling book has to be a condensed version of all that happened. The days of Tolstoy and Joyce are long gone and forgotten. We think Carlo wrote the most insightful, in-depth tale of a Mafia boss ever put on paper. It's a first class job from a first class writer. Highly, highly recommended.