True Crime Books

I don't usually read books about prison or crime. I bought this book because the sub-title said "from prison to Proust". I happened to be reading some Proust at the time and became intrigued at the thought of a convict reading the same. So, after reading the book description, I decided to take a chance on it.

Worth every cent. If the "f" word terrorizes you, you'll be a basket case by story's end. Yet this isn't gratuitous cursing like in the movies. It's part and parcel of Ferrante's world, which would sound completely ridiculous if you tried substituting "freakin" like they do when certain movies make it to the television wasteland.

I won't go through the events Ferrante records. This is a very honest book told in a straightforward manner. It is NOT politically correct in any sense of the word, and I found that alone quite refreshing. All the blemishes of Ferrante's pre,ongoing and post-prison life are presented without any cosmetics, racial slurs and all. If you're one of those types who takes obligatory offense at everything not sanitized for your perusal, spare your phony sensibilities the counterfeit shock and stick to books already pre-chewed for your intellectual malnutrition.

When this book arrived in the mail I didn't intend to read it right off because I had two other books I needed to finish. But when I started skimming the book I read the first chapter. After that I was hooked and put my other reading aside. Just finished it today. Ferrante tells his story very well, makes no excuses and embellishes nothing. Much of it is sad to contemplate. But his own tenacious overcoming of a bad life strictly by awakened sincerity of desire through the vehicle of literature in the most hostile of environments is storytelling in the grand tradition.

I've read a lot of books and not all of them made me feel like I got a good return on my money or time. When I closed the book I felt like I'd been touched in the place where a good book is supposed to touch you. It made me think and feel differently from when I did before I read it. And, in my view, that's what a good book is supposed to do.

I Ordered 2 Of The Same Books They Were In Very Good Condition I Will Be Re Buying Books From The Persons I Got Them From ,Got Them In No Time At All Thank You Again Darla Arreola Sacramento ,Calif

It wasn't until I had purchased both Ferrante books that I realized they were one and the same. Its entitled,"Unlocked",in the USA and, "Tough Guy", in the UK. While they're both well worth the read I really wasn't planning on spending for it twice. I'll probably give one of them as a gift rather than go to the trouble of returning it. You,of course,can buy as many as you please!

An incredible journey written in a hand steadied by humility and courage.

The story is common, the telling fairly standard, but the heart of the writer is what sets this one apart. No need to rehash the particulars of his guilt. Literature saved him and Ferrante tells us how. It is to his credit that he honored his past, a credit to the power of family to direct one's life. In order to gather and maintain the strength to survive incarceration, Mr. Ferrante called on the most honored of family values -- respect, loyalty and humility. Beneath all the bravado of the first chapters lurks the soul of an honest thief, a "family" man who embraced all the power and responsibilities of his code.

We experience Ferrante's incarceration and evolution; he is a caged raptor. In the chaos of migratory predators, he remains a humble solider, unknowingly paving his own way to redemption. After his conversion, he says "... whichever religion you follow, or none at all, the bottom line is to behave kindly toward others - especially those who aren't so nice to you." This from a remorseless thief, destroyer of lives, a man who never found that "one big score" until he looked beyond himself and away from the small, insular world of his families. The raptor's vision sharpened and from his cage, he saw his small life against the hugeness of the world and its history. The raptor viewed his past and his potential and made his choice.

The soul-crunching horrors lurk in the details of daily life in confinement. Part "Goodfellas", part "Shawshank Redemption," this modern-day Dickens will provoke social change in all things institutional. Some men (the prisoners and their guards) adapt to survive; others descend to their lowest existence. Ferrante woke up, took what the system offered (long periods of reflection) and restored himself to life. Like the brutality of his life (before and during prison) his journey once begun is startling by its urgency, its peace and its beauty. When for the hundredth time he suffers the unfairness and humiliation of being stripped and robbed of his meager prison possessions, he realizes the effects of his actions as a thief. When he abandons his connection (thus his outrage) to his lost belongings, he gains connection to his soul and the soul of humanity. The Golden Rule always applies.

Conditioned by knowledge, observation and reflection Ferrante's flight back to freedom is a lesson in what some call "laws of attraction." As his mind and heart flexed and grew, so did his opportunities for release. This book is not a sermon; it is not an indictment or a "payback" to anything or anyone. It is simply and powerfully the testament of a journey back. Animals in captivity have been known to sever a limb to escape their chains. Ferrante severed nothing; he incorporated his whole life into his future and soared.

After reading this book I realize without a doubt, what a harsh punishment prison is. We have a tendency to think people who have committed vile crimes and are sent to prison are getting off "easy." After reading Louis' book, I see just what a misconception this is. He wrote with a raw, brutal honesty that held my interest from start to finish. He is to be commended for turning his life around and honoring his dear mother's memory.

The family of Ann Branson, a wealthy widow and businesswoman, is shocked when she is brutally murdered in January, 2003. They can't imagine how anyone could do this (she was stabbed over 90 times) to an elderly woman. When it begins to look like the murderer may be a family member the family is torn even further apart. Some members want justice, other members don't believe the police have the right killer and help the accused hide. Justice in this case will have a high price.

"Murder in Mayberry" is a fascinating true crime book. It is written by Marie Kinney Branson and Jack Branson, which is a unique viewpoint. Jack Branson was not only Ann Branson's nephew, but also a (now retired) U.S. Treasury Agent, who was able to look into the case differently than most people. In fact, the investigative parts of the book are the strongest and most fascinating elements. All of it is interesting reading - from the way the local police bungled the initial investigation to the hiring of private investigators to the efforts to get the case featured on "America's Most Wanted" to tracking the suspect who had fled to Costa Rica. At times the case was handled so badly it's a miracle the murder was ever solved.

Another strong part of the book is the family dynamics. Money was very important to the Branson family. Ann made her money through Dairy Queen franchises and was quite wealthy. She would lend money to family members, but being a shrewd businesswoman, she kept track of all the money she lent, a fact that led to her untimely death. Money lingers in the background throughout the book. The authors claim not to be rich but things like fast cars and frequent vacations are a regular part of their lives. This isn't a criticism - it helps describe the family dynamics even more. And, of course, the book is a story of how murder can tear a family apart, especially when the killer is a member of the family. Reading about the different reactions of family members when they realize who the killer is (or in some cases falling into denial) is heartbreaking, as is the motive for the murder. Since the authors are related to the killer, they give a rare insight into a killer's life not always found in true crime books.

"Murder in Mayberry" is a fascinating look at murder in a small town.

Murder in Mayberry is the newest title from New Horizion Press's Real People / Incredible Stories series. Concerned family discovered the body of Ann Branson on January 12, 2003. The wealthy widow had last been seen at church the night before. The crime scene was surprisingly clean, despite the extreme violence evidenced on the corpse. Nothing seemed to be missing from the house, despite jewelry, furs and rumors of hidden money. There had not been a homicide in a decade in the small town of Madisonville, Ky and family members had doubts about the small town's police department's ability to process and solve the crime. Ann's nephew Jack Branson was especially troubled. His background as a federal agent gave him knowledge of what should be happening to the investigation...and also made him more concerned that Madisonville police might not be preserving evidence or following leads. No one in the small town was prepared for what the evidence revealed. Ann's killer was a family member. Police methodically compiled evidence, Jack hired a private investigator, and the killer manipulates family and friends to stay free. In the four years it took to bring this person to trial, Jack and his wife Mary, struggle with family suspicion, betrayal by family aiding the killer, the emotional and financial strain of the investigation and the loss of a beloved woman. Before the killer finally faces justice they have fled the country, been profiled several times on America's Most wanted and been added to the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted list.

What makes Murder in Mayberry especially compelling is Jack and Mary tell the story. Ann never had children of her own and had treated Jack as if he was her own son. After her murder, he felt an obligation to use his skills and connections as an agent to help bring her killer to justice. The story is a testament to the doggedness of a small town police force, the determination of family and exposes the cost to the forgotten victims of a violent crime, the family left behind.

Jack and Mary Branson have done a masterful job. They wrote about a crime that was shaking them and their family to the core without sacrificing the edge of objectivity. I was impressed with their ability to maintain a caring attitude toward Earl, despite his part in jeopardizing justice for so long.

If a murder occurs in New York, Detroit, or Baltimore...it's a sad but true fact that most of the citizens are not going to be affected. But when Murder occurs in a small town...it is another story entirely. "Murder in Mayberry: Greed, Death, and Mayhem in a Small Town" is the tale of Madisonville, Kentucky and the brutal slaying of Ann Branson - and how the murderer was a quiet townie just like the rest of them - church going, helpful, just like them. The FBI has to dig through these charades and go through the deep, dark secrets of a small town to find who was responsible for Mrs. Branson's death. "Murder in Mayberry: Greed, Death, and Mayhem in a Small Town" sounds like fiction, but is in fact a true story, and is highly recommended for community library collections with a nod to True Crime.

This book is a strong argument for the premise that relatives of murder victims are too involved to write effective descriptions of the crime and the actions against the perpetrator. Ann Branson is a wealthy widow in the small town of Madisonville, Kentucky, a generally peaceful town and most of her relatives live nearby. Murders are a rare occasion in that area and the police are inexperienced in investigating them.
When Ann is brutally murdered by having her head caved in and then being repeatedly stabbed after her death, it shakes up the town. The authors are two of her relatives and they describe the crime, the aftermath, their feelings, and their desire to find and apprehend the culprit and how her violent death altered their lives.
The situation is further complicated when it becomes clear that the murderer is one of the family, a man with enormous charm and a serious gambling addiction. Once it becomes clear that he is probably guilty, it creates problems because the man's father still defends his son, even after the murderer flees the country.
While it was no doubt cathartic for the authors to write the book, their intimate involvement leads to the inclusion of detail that makes the book dull and boring. This can be summed up in the description of the testimony of the murderer's father. "The defense attorneys scurried to get Earl a bottle of water, and I saw him take only one tiny sip." A large number of pages of minute detail like this could have been removed without any alteration of the story. In my opinion, it would have improved it dramatically as I struggled at the end to maintain my interest.

Nate Blakeslee's "Tulia" tells the story of dozens of people, mostly black, who were arrested in 1999 for selling cocaine in Tulia, Texas. There was insufficient evidence that the defendants were guilty, and the undercover narcotics investigator who brought the charges had a checkered background, but the defendants were wrongfully convicted and given sentences that were grossly draconian. Fortunately, a few years later, the convictions were overturned.

The book also discusses more than just the legal case--it takes an in-depth look at Tulia, presenting a brief history of the town, and showing how rural America has suffered economically in recent decades as jobs and opportunity have fled.

I don't usually read this kind of stuff but picked this up after talking with one of the characters in this book. Very readable and balanced. I'd never have intentionally read a book where lawyers and the ACLU were the good guys ...... but this was an excellent read.

I am still reading this book, which requires the reader to really digest what is being said. Take about a miscarriage of justice, and the time it took to get it right. Every chapter I have read, I have said to myself "unbelievable." I suggest that everyone that wants to see a twentieth century miscarriage of justice in Texas needs to read this book. My cousin turned me on to this book, and now I wish the readers of this review take time to read this book. It is definitely a MUST READ!!!

Coming from a small South Arkansas town, I had mixed emotions reading this book. As a licensed attorney, the obvious abuses of criminal and constitutional law are indeed disturbing. I am not without empathy however for the jury members and town folks of Tulia, whose town and way of life have been irrevocably damaged by the drug trade and the small town hoodlums who participate in it.

Despite the authors best efforts, the vast majority (if not all) of the defendants in the Tulia sting are certainly not "innocent". They may have been "not guilty" of the particular charges concocted by the crooked narc, but when your defense is "I sold him crack, not powdered cocaine", it's a little hard to gin up sympathy. When the author tries to paint one of the defendants as a sympathetic character, he does so by noting that "they only found a single rock of crack in their search."

Bottom line, however, is that regardless of the guilt or innocence of the defendants, frontier justice and judicial abuse can never be countenanced. Drugs have destroyed many small towns across the South and especially those communities harboring large, destitute minority populations. Hopelessness coupled with lack of opportunity and topped off with low moral character is a witches brew for just the sort of thing evidenced by Tulia and all the characters in this real life drama.

Finally, it should be kept in mind that the author telling this story is an admitted member of the "left leaning media" (his own words). While many of the facts contained in the book are not in dispute, I have no doubt that they are presented in a biased fashion. Just as hearing one side of the story rarely gives a true picture, I imagine the same story told by members of law enforcement might sound somewhat different. The defendants might not be viewed quite so sympathetically. The residents of Tulia might not be painted to be the drooling, racist morons that the author many times paints them to be. The ravages of the drug culture might paint efforts of the local legal authorities in a better light.

This is an excellent book. As the definitive treatment of the notorious cocaine stings in Tulia, Texas, it shocks our conscience by revealing how racism still plagues our society and how the unequal application of justice made famous in such books as To Kill a Mockingbird is still with us so many decades later. Add to that that it is superbly written and flows almost like a thriller, and you have an almost perfect book.

The immediate subject of Tulia is the arrest of over 40 residents of that small Texas town, almost all of them black, in a 1999 drug sting, and their subsequent treatment by the west Texas judicial system. After the arrests, the book follows two main paths. One covers the trials and convictions--despite many obvious and glaring flaws in the state's cases-- most notably, all of the arrests are made on the word of a single manifestly unreliable undercover cop with a deeply checkered past-- the defendants are railroaded into staggeringly long prison terms, often many decades for one or two alleged sales of small amounts of cocaine. The trials are at best perfunctory-- the local judge and prosecutor both lean hard to obtain convictions, and most of the state-appointed defense lawyers are incompetent or indifferent. Harper Lee never wrote anything as outrageous.

The second storyline is that of the people who take it upon themselves to free the defendants. Starting with a few brave local individuals, the effort eventually involves a determined young lawyer from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund as well as pro bono lawyers from some of the nation's top law firms. The resulting court maneuvers make for riveting and almost inspiring reading.

All of this is deftly woven together by author Nate Blakeslee, who modestly downplays his own involvement in the case--as a writer for the Texas Observer, he writes an investigative story about the Tulia cases that is later used to attract national attention. Beyond simply describing the arrests and the court cases, Blakeslee takes us into the history and culture of rural west Texas and gives us a more complicated view of the people than the basic story would suggest.

This book is highly recommended particularly for those who are interested in race relations in American history, or those who enjoy books on legal cases (such as A Civil Action), or indeed everyone who likes to read, and probably most people who don't.

Product was used but in good condition. Description was helpful and accuraate. Mailed at a reasonable timeframe and rate.

I'll keep this short - READ this book. Well written, scarey as heck and true ! A must-read for true crime buffs.

Stephanie Stanley was a reporter for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans in 2002. She proves to be a talented true crime author with this book.

There is a common theme with some serial killers-an abusive petty criminal breaks the law with impunity and recieves little or no punishment. As a child nothing is his fault. Derrick Todd Lee shares that theme with Kenneth McDuff.

The investigations into the multiple murders that Lee committed were hampered by two factors. First,the usual routine of looking at those closest to the victims as suspects. Husbands and boyfriends. Next was the F.B.I.'s profile that suggested a white male was the serial killer. The author spotlights the pain and disappointment of victims' families as well as some members in law enforcement that believe Lee could have been investigated 5 years earlier, sparing lives of latter victims.

Another problem in the investigations was the fact that he killed in multiple jurisdictions, crossed racial lines in selecting victims,and used different means of killing. A versatile murderer. It took time for authorities to link up the crimes.

As with many cases, DNA evidence was crucial in eventually connecting Derrick Lee to 6 victims. The author explains some of the process without getting too technical.

"An Invisible Man.." is one of the better,recent true crime books that I have read. I recommend it.

This is a must read if you like to be scared and love true crime. I read a lot of true crime but must say this book really got me scared. Reading it late at night, I double, triple checked all the locks before I went to bed! This story of a serial murderer who gets into women's houses in nice neighborhoods to brutally murder them, is frightening and terrifying.

I read loads of true crime, and this one is very well written and is a good story. I wasn't familiar with this case and I like to learn the details of a case as I go along, and that is the way this is written. Some true crimes give the ending away in a preface, or a first chapter which I do not like. This is very a very intersting case of a serial killer, and I can only imagine the horror this man inflicted, seemingly for his own satisfaction. Well, I guess that is the definition of a serial killer/psychopath/sociopath. Call him what you will, he is an awful man and belongs where he is! Held my interest from first page to last page. Hopefully Stephanie A. Stanley has written other books ..... I keep up-to-date on new true crime books through the search button at Amazon, and always read the reader reviews, if there are any. This book had good reviews, and they were right on. Thanks to all the readers who review at Amazon!

Very well written. Contained material I did not know prior to reading the book.

W. Craig Reed needs to be veted out. I question many of the "facts" he speaks of. A submarine SCUBA diver getting closed circuit training, going along on a gas dive, riding in an SDV...come on! No Master Diver on his worst day would allow any of that to happen. His submarine details are marginal at best...it's STS! And, it's periscope photography school!

The book's a fair read as a fictional adventure, but ask any real Navy diver and he or she will say BS!

STS1 (SS/DV) 1982-95

I just finished reading Crazy Ivan and found I couldn't put it down. Having put the USS Greenling in commission and being around during some of the earlier submarine 'adventures' I found very little that I could fault in your writing. Some of the nuke technical facts weren't quit right, but coming from a 'forward puck' it was close enough. I enjoyed your style and the stories more than I could ever say. Thanks for taking me back aboard.

Very disappointed. I'm ex-Royal Australian Navy and have a big interest in all things "Cold War". I thought that this book would add to the detail in "Blind Man's Bluff". Not so. The first half is a rambling diary of a sailor's life (including sexual references -who needs it?). The second half "alludes" to three major projects of the Cold War - Holy Stone, Ivy Bells and Boresight. I found more information on the web than was revealed in the book. I paid $15 to get the book from the US to Aust. as it's unavailable here - not happy Jan! (that's an Australian saying).
Don't bother.
John Bolton

I know other reviewers have stated that the book was "Hard to swallow" and "Exasperating" but I really liked it. The book was fast paced and reads easily. Mr. Reed has crafted an outstanding account of experiences that non-veterans (non-submariners) could only speculate about. While reading the book, one feels as if they are headed out on a WesPac. The story about the rat was great, and the sea snakes also added to the account. All in all, this was a great sea story and a credible account of service on cold war submarines.

This book is an excellent tool, especially for LEOs with initiative, to help stay mentally prepared and to realize the importance of training and proficiency. It is an easy read, with situations that readers can imagine themselves in, with each included incident.

Not a big fan of cops, but this was a very interesting read (except for the first 2 chapters.. I liked it from "holding fire" on...). It's full of anecdotes so it reads fast and you get involved in each one.

It will give you a new perspective of when a cop draws his/her weapon and if you run into a cop after reading this book, trust me - you won't move and you'll do everything they ask!

This book is easy reading and worth every minute spent doing so. It is steeped in the experiences of others and hence a valuable resource.

Klinger does an excellent job of showing what officers go through before during and after a shooting. Nobody should be so pretentious as to criticize an officer unless they have at least read this book.

Dr. Klinger is one of those rare people who has spent a substantial amount of time on the street as a cop and then gone on to earn a reputation as a serious scientist. He uses this unique combination of skills and insight to shed light on one of the most talked about and least well understood events in contemporary American life -- police shootings.

If you want the true story about what it's like to be in the kill zone where cops make life or death decisions, then live or die by them, this is the book for you. Klinger's interviews with 80 police officers who recounted incidents in which they used deadly force, were shot themselves, or exercised restraint even when they would have been justified to shoot are mesmerizing. They also have every bit of drama you would expect in a movie or TV, but with none of the b.s.

This is the truth, recounted by people who were there and recorded by a thoughtful scholar who's been there too. As another ex-cop who also is a scholar, I recommend this book most highly.

Who you lookin' at? That's as Italian De Niro can get. Expect the same kind of flavour when reading this book and then add some extra hot sauce.

You have to be aware this book was written by a mobster who considered himself a man of honor. What you think of the world is the way you are raised and how you live your life.

This book shows a great deal of information about the way of Sicilian life in the early 1900's and the booze-jammed 20's and 30's in the U.S. To read about that is fun alone, but reading about mobsters and their organization is even more exciting. This is a personal story, told by the man who reigned over Italian America for a great deal of time.

Ofcourse, Bonanno has nothing to do with leading all organized crime he tells us. But you know how Italians like food, so add a pinch of salt to this book.

This title was fun to read. Mr. Bonanno was definitely an interesting individual. Really! But, there is something missing. Though I doubt that the government's prosecutorial attempts were all clean, I do think Mr. Bonanno sugarcoated his autobiography and left out his true criminal side. I know I couldn't write a biography about being a man of honor and Mr. Bonanno's attempt to convince Americans that he's an ordinary man just interested in doing business is full of holes. No one wants to read about an ordinary man doing business legally....generally.

This was a very good read as I enjoyed the information that this book made available.

Sincerely,
Kathy Klein

The book was a decent read but I found Bonanno to be quit repeatative at times. He goes on and on about the Sicilian way of life, and how American's more or less don't understand it. Furthermore he tiptoes around all violence that comes with being in the "Family" as he so eloquently puts it. I found it to be a little dry, not so "tell all", and in the end I find Mr. Bonanno using his Sicilian background and way of life as justification for being in organized crime. Although he himself would never admit that the "Family" he was apart of was organized crime, the crux of the book. He calls himself a "Man of Honor" yet he admitly cheats on his wife and lived a life ingrossed in organized crime, hypocritical to say the least.

Great historical piece although quite biased. Gives the reader good insight into the Sicilian philosophy of life and business. Excellent read if you have an historical interest in the mafia and organized crime.

As an Ellroy fan, I, too, was annoyed at his not telling us the full story of how he "turned his life around" -- but then I recalled his mentions of 12-Step groups. In NA, AA, CA and all the rest, "A" stands for "anonymous." Mr. Ellroy might choose to disclose how 12-Step recovery groups helped him (members can compromise their own anonymity), but a careful reader will notice he doesn't do much beyond making mention of his involvement in such groups, tells a couple of anecdotes and that's it. He's honor-bound not to provide any details that might compromise the anonymity of another member (e.g, his sponsor, those other group members who helped him through the inevitable crises). Bill Wilson (whose last name we NOW know), one of the founders of AA, always emphasized that the welfare of the group was more important than the self-interest of any of its members. Fortunately, Ellroy was doing pretty well by the time he wrote This memoir, so (I'm surmising) he didn't have to fight with his conscience over including more specific information to boost sales. Consequently, we really can't expect a clear picture of recovery aided by 12-Step groups. I definitely picked up that Ellroy is very much aware that his involvement in such groups saved his life. I don't know the man personally, but by the time he wrote this, we had become a facile enough writer to "dance around" the subject of those lost years. Unwilling to fictionalize a memoir -- and he does strike me an a honorable man -- he did the best he could. The result? A somewhat choppy book that looks as if it could use surgical editing (to "track" the story properly). This book clearly comes from deep within Ellroy -- and it's a book he HAD to write. Try to temper your judgment of its style and structure with that knowledge and, I hope, compassionate understanding of the author.

My Dark Places stands alone among the most naked, poignant, exquisite writing I have ever encountered. Anyone unmoved by either its subject matter or the sheer beauty of Ellroy's prose must be clinically dead.

I've been a fan of James Ellroy since reading "The Black Dahlia" years ago. He blended violent death and raw eroticism, threw in a few dashes of creative nonfiction, and came up with a fast-paced noir tale about a detective who becomes obsessed with the murdered Elizabeth Short, aka The Black Dahlia. The protagonist doesn't content himself with merely trying to unmask her killer- he pursues Short as if she were yet attainable, loving her more in death than he ever could have in life.

"My Dark Places" evolved from an article Ellroy wrote for GQ Magazine after viewing the homicide file of his mother, Geneva 'Jean' Ellroy, whose strangled remains were dumped in a seedy L.A. suburb in 1958. The killer was never found and the case was closed, but the ten year old Ellroy was left with a lifelong fascination with the beautiful and the slaughtered. After battling through a personal hell of drug and alcohol addiction, he made unconscious attempts to reconnect with his mother by writing provocative and darkly loving crime fiction whose primary love interests were dead women.

Ellroy teamed up with veteran homicide detective Bill Stoner and re-opened the thirty year old case case. They pored over yellowing files and battered evidence boxes, and interviewed some of the last people to see Geneva Ellroy alive. Ellroy recounts their efforts in a suspenseful manner that would do justice to a good piece of detective fiction. While their investigation does not result in the finding of her killer, Ellroy clearly experiences a psychic catharsis in the process, and the reader witnesses a documented softening of a child's hostility into an adult son's love for a mother he never truly knew.

James Ellroy is undeniably a great writer, and the story he tells here --the unsolved murder of his mother when he was ten years old, and how the fact marked (and almost ruined) his life-- is an amazing one. But the book suffers, in my opinion, from a lack of editing. You can't blame Ellroy for believing that every single detail about the case, and his struggle to solve it, is fascinating, but the truth is, the writing suffers from too many details--some of them, irrelevant and even boring. A good editor could have transformed great but raw material into what it should have been: a masterpiece.

To better understand (if not enjoy) My Dark Places, I would suggest that you need to have read at least one Ellroy novel. It will help to put this semi-autobiography into perspective, and if you're already an Ellroy fan it will make a great deal more sense. It's an extraordinary piece of work, so ruthlessly exhaustive in its detail that I for one felt almost physically tired by the time I had finished. Not tired of reading the book itself, but tired just to think of the incredible lengths Ellroy went to in order to track down his mother's killer some 37/38 years after her death in 1958. Although the book is dedicated to Ellroy's wife Helen, it could just as well have been dedicated to Bill Stoner, the retired ex-detective who committed himself absolutely to the cause of helping Ellroy in his unusual quest - but this might be an opportunity to mention two of Ellroy's greatest works American Tabloid and The Cold Six Thousand, one a sequel to the other; the latter was in fact dedicated to Stoner and deservedly so.

In one sense I feel that this book was written almost exclusively for Ellroy himself to read, I'm sure that he had little commercial incentive or reasoning to do it. Yet the raw, body-pummelling honesty of the book from start to finish makes for fascinating reading for those who, like myself, have ever wondered what made Ellroy write in the way he does in such classics as The Black Dahlia or The Big Nowhere. I have to admit that the short sentence style adopted in My Dark Places does irritate at times, in spite of the fact that the writer explains this after the end of the story. It gave me the impression that what we are reading, much of the time, are either his own or Stoner's investigatory notes and copied to the page verbatim.

The lasting impression though is the tireless and absolutely relentless commitment to the cause of a murder investigation. Although there are only a handful of characters who appear in the book throughout, there are nevertheless several hundred others who are mentioned during its course, the majority of whom are either related to the victim or are suspected of being so - and ALL of these suspects, no matter how faint their association to the crime might seem, have to be contacted and interviewed. I guess that this gives us an insight into the mechanics of any murder investigation, and how different it is to the relative glamourisation we see on the TV. This book covers, in finite detail, the day-to-day work of a real-life murder investigation, one which was spread well over a year and one which covered every single day of that period. The huge difference of course is that the victim is the investigator's mother, and the death took place most of his life ago.

After closing the last page, I felt that while I didn't exactly understand Ellroy as a personality that much better, I certainly knew him and his motives as a writer more than I had. My Dark Places strips away much of the mystery surrounding him and helps to explain what made him a self-styled specialist of 1950's LA crime fiction; he was a victim of the real thing.

Superb in all ways, writing, research, readability, construction, cohesiveness. Superb. What more is there to say?

it was a good read but it wasn't as disturbing or as interesting as deranged. i would still read it though , it's really well written

I too bought this book after having found out about H.H. Holmes from reading Erik Larson's The Devil In the White City. I read a lot of true crime books and had never heard of him before, so I had to find out more and I think this book did a really great job in describing his crimes without glorifying them.

Harold Schrecter had a way of keeping me interested even during some parts that could have been very tedious with all of the details, but then I think details are important in cases where you are trying to understand how someone could commit such terrible crimes especially over 120 years ago.

A must read for anyone into true crime and anyone who is a fan of Edgar Allen Poe, since the types of crimes this man actually committed belong in one of his tales of fiction.

I read this book a couple years ago, so I can't remember enough about the writing style to comment on it, but as far as I recall it was well written and certainly informative.

What makes me compelled to write a review, is due to the subject matter. Not to downplay such infamous murderers as Ted Bundy or Ed Gein, but Holmes is in a league all his own. This guy had the most elaborate schemes to kill people that I've ever heard of, and he did it in high volume. We're talking potentially (unverified) in the range of 240, or so, people!! He was a true psychopath in every sense of the word, and you really need to read this book, or the other one mentioned, about H.H.Holmes. What you THOUGHT was the worst and most unbelievable horror story you've ever heard, will seem tame in comparison.

Like most people, I had just finished reading "Devil in the White City" and was interested in learning more about the infamous H.H.Holmes. "Depraved" was a good supplement and follow-up to "Devil", and comparing the coverage of the common material was interesting. "Depraved" very often went into more detail, particularly of the post-World'sFair period and Holmes' trial, but I somehow came away feeling like I got a more personal insight into Holmes' personality from "Devil" rather than "Depraved"; I'm not particularly sure why.

"Depraved" is certainly a worthwhile and easy read (if just a tad on the long side), particularly if you're interested in the fascinating H.H.Holmes or crime histories.

If you go into your local bookstore to track this book down you will find it, as I did, in the Crime section-or it's equivalent. It was in the same section as Sue Grafton's M is for Murder. There might as well have been some Goosebump books next to it as well. The book is the size of a sandwich yet contains little or no nutritional value. I was seeking truth and facts that have been hidden or concealed by the powers that be in my home state of Utah. Instead I found a Nancy Drew beach read. It begins by mentioning all the people the authors interviewed saying that any quotations in book are from one of many said interviews. So it's a "he said she said" collage dimestore novel. It is being marketed as this expose into the inter workings of the church heirarchy, the murder OF mormons by a notorious mormon forgerer & con man, cover ups, scandals, etc. Instead it's a Scooby Doo whodunit. This book would make a really great movie though. It is entertaining, suspenseful, & intriguing. It's just not the book I was expecting based in part by the colorful reviews, jacket cover hype piece, author's bios (Harvard graduates), and critical acclaim. Someone give me the facts please!

It's clear that the two writers of this book are very biased towards the Mormon church. It's also clear that they don't give the the reader a single endnote to check where they got their information. Why did the writers not give the reader the real names for John Steiner and Eric Palmer? If these two workers for CFS really were commiting a felony, why protect them? It doesn't make sense unless they don't want to be sued for slander.

Is it too much to ask that the writers actually know the Mormon culture? A Mormon bishop cannot be asked to resign. He is released by the stake President. That's how the authority chain is based in the Mormon church.

Also, why did the writers leave out the Mormon version of what happened between Professor Anthon and Martin Harris? They put in a very different version (that has no endnote reference) and the average joe reader never can make up their own mind about what they think actually happened. The two writers are guilty of the very same deception they accuse the Mormon leader of.

I don't question that some of the negative things said about the Mormons in the book are true, but the credibility of these two writers is completely shot when they write with extreme biasness.

These two writers could have written this book more objectively, but they choose not to. Too bad. They could have written one heck of a book.

In the "Mormon Murders" we enter the seamy side of propheteering in forged 'ancient' documents. In Mark Hofman, we see a classic con man with a technical bent. As a child, he starts small, forging stamp marks on small denomination coins, and then works his way up. Just as with most forgers, Hofman gets more of a thrill by cheating and misleading people than he does by earning money. Nevertheless, he is desperate for money and his desperation and fear of discovery finally lead him to sensational bombings and murder.

Skillful authors can take an ordinary tale and make it fascinating. Not that this is an 'ordinary' tale. Any story involving bombs, high-stakes murders and the perversion of a major religion, make this an interesting thing, indeed. On the other hand, Hofman is essentially a stupid, small time crook. If it weren't for the fact that he deceived the most powerful men in the Mormon church, he would have remained as such.

The most interesting thing, to my way of thinking, is the fact that prominent Mormon 'authorities' were prepared to regard scurrilous documents--documents that would have undermined the precepts of Mormonism--as real. They wanted to cover these supposedly ancient documents up so that they would never see the light of day and, more importantly, never be revealed to the Mormon True Believers.

This can only mean that these same Mormon authorities, including Hinckley himself, have problems with the ultimate veracity of Mormonism.

Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of America

This is an excellent book which exposes the complete abuse of power that was demonstrated by the Mormon Church in this tale of forgery, murder and obstruction of justice.

I relied heavily on this book when I used this event in history as an application chapter in my own book "When Salt Lake City Calls." Steven and Gregory did their work well and pull together a huge amount of information into a very readable account of this ugly event of American history. This book is must read for those who wish to know about the Corporation called the Mormon Church.

While I'm already familiar with the story of Mark Hofmann and his horrific acts of coldblooded violence, I was quite surprised at how fascinating this book is in retelling the story of his forgeries and murders, along with the gripping tales of the people (good and evil) who were involved. I originally picked up this book because I have some extremely close relatives who are related to Hofmann (thank God, I'm not) - through a polygamous marriage, no less. Furthermore, I have first-hand experience with the deceit and outright evils of the mormonism: in fact, one of the shysters (the direct descendant of Joseph Smith) mentioned in this book is now a divorce attorney who specializes in ripping families apart (although he doesn't resort to bombings, like Hofmann) - so much for mormon propaganda about the "importance" of families.

Interestingly, the evil propagated by some of the very highest monsters of mormondom, especially that of their current false prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, who were intentionally trying to cover up their role in purchasing so many of Hofmann's forged documents, is very clearly highlighted by the "Mormon Murders." This book provides a riveting look at the extraordinary efforts the cult of mormonism will go to in order to hide reality and reveals that they literally attempted to minimize murder in order to prevent Hinckley from testifying before a court of law (which would have, again, revealed what an evil liar he is), as well as to prevent damage control to their false religion. "The Mormon Murders" very lucidly paints a ghastly picture regarding the fact that the cult would rather hide behind their false tenets than to care about innocent people who are blown to bits by a crazed individual.

As with all good books on the cult, The Mormon Murders reveals a large number of questions which any sane person should be able to answer; these include:

If mormonism isn't based upon occult practices and magic, why were they so eager to acquire Hofmann's forged documents?

Like Joseph Smith and the parade of false prophets after him, why didn't god (who is not the God of real Christians) reveal to "prophet" Gordon B. Hinckley, that Hofmann's documents were fakes?

Why did the cult strenuously act to acquire and then hide these false documents in their secret vault?

Fortunately, Hofmann, Hinckley, and so many others will be in for a big surprise when they finally get to meet another evil charlatan, Joseph Smith. Instead of becoming gods of their own planet, they'll certainly enjoy the very warm place set aside just for them.