True Crime Books

This is Dillinger, from early childhood through his notorious days. The book captures everything you'd expect from a biography and gives the gangster enthusiasts enough mouth-watering drama. I love the timelines! Being from the midwest, I recognized many of the towns he targeted so this is a must read for fellow midwesterners and highly recommended for everyone else!

The authors seem to have forgotten the basics behind Dillinger, the guy was a cold blooded killer and thief...okay granted, a colorful and charming killer and thief, but a lowlife just the same. Instead, what we seem to get a glowing reivew of Dillingers life in crime, killing innocent cops who were doing their jobs and taking hard earned cash away from people who worked long and hard to make it and save it....in the depression.

My 1st "Dillinger" book and boy...it was a good one. I enjoyed the book and especially all the little extra facts etc. located in in the back.
I highly recommend!

In my opinion, one of the best and most underrated books written to date about John Dillinger. I picked up a copy by chance several years ago, not expecting much, and was soon totally engrossed. I feel that most of the contents are accurate (and certainly never before revealed in any published accounts I ever read) and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Dillinger saga.

I agree with the reviewer who recommends the Nash book.

As shocking as it may seem...
that book convinced me that the Feds killed a Dillinger imposter.

The death photos clearly show a 'Dandy'... and not Dillinger.
Lawrence liked to claim he was Dillinger...
and the woman in red used that fact to get herself.. and Dillinger, off the hook.

The thing that convinced me the most...
was not anything that was pointed out in the book...
but my own observation.
Look at the photo of the old man who claims to be Dillinger.
Yes, he looks quite different...
but look at the ears.
They are uniquely shaped... and they are identical to Dillinger's.

This wasn't even pointed out in the book.
Faces age... but ears retain their shape.

I understood the basic styles of belgian beer before, but not the specific details of the styles, particularly the wild fermented beers.My one and only lambic was brewed in 2000.I drank the last bottle in 2007. A great beer with 7 years maturation.This book has spurred me on to brew more wild brews with greater control of targeted styles.Many thanks for a great book. Still have brew like a monk, farmhouse ales and extreme brewing to read. Just started Brew like a monk.Most informative and well written. Thanks,
Andy in Western Australia

This book was loaded with good historical pieces that I doubt could be found elsewhere. It is not a casual book however, only for those with a deep interest in Belgian brewing. The text tends to wind around a bit, but is well worth following.

As the title suggests, this book deals with the history and manufacturing techniques related to sponteneously fermented beers (lambic, gueze). It shows a very different perspective on what is "beer" from that of modern America where Budweiser dominates. Similar to "Farmhouse Ales", this book explores how culture and geography combined in the creation of these beers. It also deals with how modern attitudes are challenging the continuation of some of the methods. It seems odd that after 500 years someone would decide that a production method is "unsanitary".

This raises a great point. If the reader is like me, much of the methodology described in this book will seem like an unclean heresy compared to the dogma that new homebrewers are indoctrinated with. Which, to me, makes it fascinating. For the majority of American homebrewers this book will open a whole new world.

The book does a good job of describing the history, culture, biology, and methods that create "wild brews". Equipment and techniques are thoroughly described. In fact, this book inspired me to give barrel aging a try. It worked! At times the text does seem to wander and bog down (the reason for four stars instead of five). The author also falls into the "malt-extract beers are not as good as all grain" mantra. I see this a an annoying elitist attitude with little basis in fact. As Tess and Mark Szamatulski point out: "Award winning beers have been, and continue to be brewed with malt extract." Let each brewer choose the method that best suits them.

To sum up: The good points of this book far out weigh its negatives. This book provides a fascinating and inspiring look into a world of beer that barely exists for most North Americans. If you are a homebrewer who enjoys experimenting it will provide you with many avenues of exploration and hours of enjoyment.

Wild Brews covers those beer styles of Belgium that depend upon fermentation by wild yeast and bacteria, specifically East Flanders brown, West Flanders red and lambic. Although you may be under the impression, as I was, that a lambic brew could occur only in the Brussels and Payottenland areas and inside cobweb infested barns with leaky roofs, Sparrow contends that wild yeast can occur anywhere. It is the cultivation and control of the right microorganisms that create a quality brew.

The book looks at the history, brewers and brews of the area and includes many photographs, but of particular interest to advanced brewers are the sections on the nature of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Saccharomyces and other microorganisms that ferment and acidify wild beers. Temperatures and other environmental factors can enhance or inhibit their activity.

An infusion mash is commonly used for Flanders red and Flanders brown and a turbid mash for lambic. The methods are detailed in the book, plus specifics on how to control the fermentation process to balance the yeasts and bacteria by allowing dominant stages and adjusting temperatures. The addition of fruit would amplify the complication. This is not a book for a beginning home brewer.

Brewers will find it nearly impossible to copy a style because of the unpredictability of wild yeasts and bacteria. Two brewers using the same recipe are likely to come up with brews quite different. Wild brews are often blended to change the character of a beer or achieve consistency. Blending is an art that requires trial and error to learn.

Sparrow provides ten recipes, including options to experiment with the brews at different stages. The recipes and information in this book provide a wonderful challenge to create a unique brew while aspiring to the standards set by the Belgium brewers.

I've never been in a Belbium brewery, but from what I hear, the health department in any city/state in the US would immediately shut them down. The very title of this book 'WildBrews' explains why. The traditional lambic beers of Belgium are produced using wild yeast. While you can find wild yeast everywhere, the ones you get here in the US produce truly bad beers. Each batch you produce will be different, sometimes totally different, but in my experience always bad.

The yeast that seem to abound in Belgium produce beers with a consistency that has lasted for generations. I don't know if it is true, but I have always suspected that clumps of yeast would gather together rather like cob webs or dust balls around the brewery and fall or be blown into the mix. I was rather surprised at the appearance of the breweries in this book as they seemed clean and sanitary.

Lambics have not been among the most popular beers made in this country. Only a few micro breweries produce lambics, the most popular around here is New Belgium from Ft. Collins, CO.

You can, of course make your own Lambics, the recipies start on page 255 of this book. But you don't do it with the natural yeast floating around the air in your garden. You buy Lambic yeast from a couple of companies.

One scary thought. Beer was invented some 5,000 years ago. Probably some grain got wet, sprouted, dried out, got wet again and some yeast got into the mix. Boy that must have been bad stuff. At that time it was all wild yeast. Personally I'm glad that we've had 5,000 years of yeast development.

This is an enjoyable book, almost a travelogue through Belgium beers.

There are few funky part even I could tell it's typo. Someone properly edited this book, right?
It is confusing because I can't tell when the interview with Hogue in the dorm at Princeton took place. I mean, how could they even let him back in there?
He is arrested 2006 then sentenced 2007 refused to see the author in his jail in first half of the book.
Suppose the author is obsessed and following Hogue for ten years, there is not much have done since their first meeting in Princeton ( it is the first and only, right? I don't know for sure) to write the book about it now.
I wish the author left out his own agenda out of the way so we could concentrate on Hogue character, not the author who identify with the subject and want to tell about why.
I can't care less he went to Harvard because of fluke or couldn't drink milk with meat.
Oh, I love the cover design if anything, he made concept so it says, he shoulda be book designer instead of writer.

Was not an overwhelming book, to say the least. But then again, it is supposed to chronicle the true tales of Hogue. THe author has a bit of a disjointed writing style; there are a few times where you question the relevance of a passage. So sad that Hogue apparently does have the brains, the drive, and the talent to have a great life; too bad he didn't capitalize on his potential in an honest way.

Samuels has taken an admirable stab at dissecting this enigmatic Gatsbyesque con man's psyche for motive, astutely tabulating the paltry gain from the years of petty crime. In a funny aside that Samuels to his credit puts in the book, Hogue responds to one of Samuels's elaborate and quirky questionnaires by closing with this jibe: "What's with the janitor garb? Are you trying to show your solidarity with the lumpen?"

The book is an elaboration of a New Yorker article and probably should have stayed as such (much like Barry Werth's Scarlet Professor), as it feels stretched and padded. Although not a great writer, Samuels rightly senses that he holds compelling subject matter. One fault is that the chronology would have been much better as a simple linear progression; it confusingly yoyos between past and future. Also, instead of just letting the story tell itself, Samuels often intrudes with exaggerated veneration of the privilege of a Princeton (or his own Harvard) education, with admissions committees' self deluding liberal smugness, and with largely irrelevant autobiographical items.

Hogue ultimately proves uncooperative and Samuels is left to speculate on his quarry, but perhaps there is no very profound mechanism at work here. Although I have to admit I'm looking forward to seeing the documentary Con Man. One wonders what a Truman Capote or a Norman Mailer might have done with this material.

Some writers can craft a sentence and story; some reporters unearth great detail. David Samuels is that rare talent who can do both, and the result is The Runner, a terrific literary page turner.

Just finished reading Samuels The Runner, and literally could not put it down. Wow! What a crazy fascinating story. It's amazing that people like Hogue exist and that people like Samuels can tell their tale so well. I really felt like I was there, meeting Hogue in person. Not sure what the other reviewers problems are... I thought it was great, and so did every other members of my book group (expect Andy, but he hates everything!) Really, this is a five star winner!

Forensic anthropolgy is fascinating, and there are a number of excellent books about both the practice of the discipline and stories about it. Sadly, _Bones_ is not among the better of the lot. In a word, I found the book tedious.

As the title states, it is a casebook - a memoir, actually - of several cases on which Ubelaker has worked on as a forensic anthropologist. The cases are interesting, to be sure: fragments of bone or an entire section of a murder site delivered to his laboratory for examination. It is the way in which these otherwise interesting cases are presented that I had diffuculty with. The percentage of probablity of determining time since death, gender and age of victim are focused on in a montonous fashion that really was detrimental to both the author and the subject. This is regretable, as things could have been written and disucssed in a much more lively (no pun intended) manner.

_Death's Acre_ by Bill Bass is a much better book on the same topic, and is the measure by which I compare similar books on this subject. (Bass is considered the preeminent authority of forensic anthropology, and in fact taught Ubelaker years ago.) _No Bone Unturned_ is also good, although it is less concerned with the law enforcement aspects of the discipline. For those interested in the practice of forensic anthropology I recommned Bill Bass' _Human Osteology_ and Byers' _Introduction to Forensic Anthropology_. (Both are more "textbooks" than narratives, but they are interesting nonetheless.)

Loved it a must read.

I have worked in the 'Osteoarchaeology' field for nearly 10 years and I when I bought this book I did not expect to be reading a novel type book. Books like this are dramatised on frequently watched cable/network tv - I live in Ireland! I have used other books by the author and found them invaluable, but not this.....an ok read but dreadful reference material.

Although the authors are clearly very well versed in forensic anthropology, I was disappointed in the way they presented their material. The chapters weren't difficult to follow, but they read like memoirs of the authors' cases and I got the sense the authors were more interested in showing off than sharing knowledge with nonscientists. That made it tricky to isolate details, and frankly I've learned more from general crime scene books that devoted just one chapter to forensic anthropology. Bottom line: If you're looking for a solid reference book that you can turn to again and again, you'll probably find satisfaction only in the glossary at the end.

This entertaining and educational book is about a Smithsonian curator who helps to solve crimes as an FBI consultant, and uses this same science to uncover ancient secrets. A forensic expert's testimony can mean the difference between a conviction and a miscarriage of justice. Hunters and gatherers of crops have long been important for discovering lost bodies. Connecting found bones to a missing person does not always lead to a suspect. The rules of evidence in court require a witness to speak from his observations, not from other's reports. Archeology is closely related to forensic anthropology. Human skeletal identification was used during the Korean hostilities. Forensic anthropology can enable the bones to speak in police investigations! The analysis of modern violence can explain what happened centuries ago. Large samples of skeletons can be used to determine the frequencies of various diseases. The 33,000 skeletons in the National Museum of Natural History provide a standard of comparison. Statistics promote objectivity.

As a young student Ubelaker wrote a term paper on the femur. You could determine that it was human, the height, estimate the sex, age at death, ethnic origin, body weight, patterns of locomotion, clues to certain diseases, indications of occupation, and sometimes how he died (p.45).

About 10% of those executed for murder were subsequently proven innocent (p.63)! The low number of reported poisonings suggest that medical examiners should be more vigilant in identifying murder victims (p.62). An "accidental overdose" could be murder. Far more crimes are committed with paper and a pen (p.74). Chapter 6 tells about distinguishing human from animal bones. Chapter 7 tells of determining sex, size, race, and age at death. Chapter 8 tells that much may be learned from the environment where a body was found. Time since death can be estimated from the type of insects feeding on the corpse (p.108).

Tooth marks on bones can hide or destroy evidence, or create false clues. Insects, larvae, and mollusks can create signs of pathology. Issuing more hunting licenses can result in more found remains (p.120). Chapter 10 explains how "dreams" can help solve crimes. Chapter 11 says attempts to hide a murder by burning attracts attention to the crime, even if they destroy some evidence. Chapter 13 tells what can be learned from larvae in a body. Chapter 14 says sketches based on skulls are not too accurate, but work because they are close enough to get a response from someone 9p.169). The interpretation of evidence can be highly subjective, as when expert witnesses disagree 9p.195). Do professional witnesses shape their testimony to please their clients (p.196)?

Chapter 16 shows Ubelaker misquoting that Borden jingle (p.208). Does the "alleged murder weapon" have a chain of custody? Page 221 tells of a skull drilled by a .25 caliber Black & Decker! "Children who are loved grow faster than those who are not" (p.228). The big challenge is to distinguish between evidence of foul play from other environmental changes (p.298). If other people know of a murder, eventually they will tell (p.258). Chapter 21 explains why there are so few serial killers around. A lot of murders go unrecognized (p.263). Chapter 22 tells of murderers that almost got away with it. The murderer of a Swansea Mass girl was named as a suspect, confessed to at least six of his friends, but wasn't prosecuted until five years later. Chapter 24 tells of the need to keep a certain distance from cases to preserve objectivity, and any emotional drain.

This book is what our current life is really about in the Post 911 era. We visit two soldiers who live life together in Africa and then in Vietnam. It (at the end of the book) debunks our police frame work and the cover-ups of the Bush and Clinton Administrations. These two soldiers warn us of the impending Air Strikes against the Twin Towers years in advance. There can be no second guessing the correct warning they gave the NYPD,The FBI, and others. This book should be made into a film. Give this book a buy and pass it around to all you know and care for. And yes I was there on top of the towers in 1989 and felt the tremor of impending doom awaiting us in the future. Every American should be proud of these soldiers and applaud them.

this book chronicle's one man journey through the 20th century. His journey spans two devastating periods in America's history and is narrated through the eyes of the everyday man.

I had finished We Were Soldiers Once...and Young, and I was very interested in knowing more about Cyril 'Rick' Rescorla, one of the soldiers who had been in the Ia Drang valley. I googled his name and was thrilled that this book had been written about him. After everything he survived in Vietnam to die while making sure others got to safety on 9/11, I was stunned. I have read many books about Vietnam and this is by far the best. Wow what a story. I will keep this book forever, and when I need a refresher on humanity, I will reread this magnificent story. The book is a very riveting war story, so well written I couldn't put it down. Even my friends who aren't interested in wars of the past are reading it.

I just finished this book a few days ago and cannot believe he was a real person-he truly was a Kipling or Hemingway type of character. To be brave so many times in your life, and just trying to do the right thing is refresing to see, and we need to see more of it. His friendship with Dan is very close, and not always seen among men due to homophobia. What was most uncanny was how they knew 9/11 was coming and tried their best to prevent it. Unfortunatly it ends badly when Rick does one more heroic act, but he was a good example how to be a good, if somewhat flawed person. Needs to be made into a movie.

From childhood in the 1940s to 2001 two men's military experiences in colonial battles in Africa, Vietnam, and events leading to 9/11 provide a chronical of military temperment and commitment. This chronology includes their training, fears, heroics, loves , and being drawn into the mechanisms of terrorism before a terroristic event sets the stage for a final act of heroism demonstrated by one of these men.

this a terrific book telling why these sick individuals did their horrific crimes etc, worth the money.

This book was an unexpected surprise...I thought it would be another compilation of headlining true crime cases from a Court TV reporter's perspective, and instead it was a psychological journey into the background of the cases and participants. Some reviewers opined that Velez-Mitchell blames the victims/victims' families (as in the case of the Laci Peterson case and exploring the triangulation of Laci, her mother Sharon, and Scott), but I disagree. Ms. Mitchell takes pains to explain that she is not blaming the victims or families for the violence perpetrated against them, rather she is is searching for an explanation for the crimes, what may have led up to the crimes from a family systems and relational perspective. Instead simply claiming that a crime occurred because of an evil or insane perpetrator, she actually delves into the family secrets behind well-publicized cases and provides insight into how intergenerational family secrets can create havoc generations later~hence the title.

Ms. Mitchell examines well-known cases, (such as the aforementioned Laci Peterson murder)Phil Spector, as well as some of the highly publicized teacher-student rape cases. I highly recommend to true crime fans and people interested in exploring crime from a family systems perspective.

This book and some details are just too much for me to absorb like "modern day movies" with too much gruesome detail but Jane Velez-Mitchell is just reporting the truth rather than providing mega-bucks hollywood slock aka "entertainment". This book is crucial to be read and for our law makers to make changes nationwide to better protect women from abuse and murder. What is clear are these murderers where giving off plenty of signals or even had criminal records that were neon signs. I hope her book brings change to people's awareness, safety and the "the system" which does not protect the victims. Velez-Mitchell points out that "economic abuse" plays a role in the abuse of women and it can be found at all socio-economic levels. Her point about the how women can be the harshest judges of fellow women blaming them for their own rapes and murders is right on. "Why was she out so late?" "What was she wearing?". I hope this book raises awareness and brings national changes in our legal system, in protecting women and children and state of the art technological warning systems to alert communities of the movements of repeat offenders that our on the outside and we need to ask ourselves how and why the legal system continues to set free people that are so violent. Why is so much hostility and rage towards women accepted in this culture. Read this book and find out Velez-Mithcell's answers and the sad truths about why so many women stay home in what I call "good girl prison" but as she points out men do not stay home because they are not afraid of being harmed. Read this book and I hope Jane Velez-Mitchell "Secrets can be Murder" helps to bring change and prevent unacceptable hostility and rage towards women that is very much accepted in America to successful reforms to protect the innocent and successfully prosecute the guilty. Jane Velez-Mitchell ends on a spiritual uplifting note and she has a list of important resources and she urges readers to get involved! Read this book!

This is not the kind of book I usually like, but I couldn't put this one down. I don't like those CSI-type dramas, or the forensic crime shows, but this book was truly interesting. If you like CSI and crime dramas, then you must read this book. If you're interested in high profile crime, but don't generally like the "blood and guts" part of it (sort of how I feel--I don't like blood and gore) than you may really still enjoy this book. I'm not saying it doesn't describe the violence. The author tells the background stories, the psychological aspects and the secrets that were kept between the killers and the victims leading up to the crimes.

I am a true crime story/psychology enthusiast and I have seen the author Jane Velez-Mitchell on t.v. many times.(Nancy Grace, Larry King, etc.) As an author, she really has the talent to keep the reader captivated in every detail of each crime and the possible psychological explanations for them. She did an outstanding job on this truly "can't put it down" type book. Bravo!

I have read the other book about this case but I have forgotten most of it. In my opinion, this book is the better of the two regarding the Peterson Case in North Carolina about a successful novelist who kills his adored, loved, wife, Kathleen Hunt Peterson, after so many years of marriage right before Christmas. I have read some of Fanning's other books but this book is by far her best because it's so detailed with information. Since I usually just read true crime stories, I was hesitant to read about the Peterson case since I already Jones' book entitled "The Perfect Husband." I was shocked by the detailed information of the blood evidence all over the house at first. As Fanning writes, this book unravels some disturbing behaviors by the widow, Michael Peterson. Of course, it turns out there was another similar death of Elizabeth Ratcliff in Germany years ago. As the investigation unfolds in the Peterson case, Michael's secret life emerges from the shadows and it's a shock to those who knew him as the perfect husband and family man who had two sons, two adopted daughters, and a stepdaughter. He had a wonderful wife who deserved more than to die an ugly tragic death. When I read that she had lived 2-4 hours after she was struck before her husband sought out help, it made me cringe for her. He waited for her to die. The author details Peterson's military background and his experiences his Vietnam as well as his divorces and relationships with women.

This book about the Michael Peterson murder case(es)was chilling! This guy got away with murder once and figured why not give it another try with predictable results. Lightning does not strike twice! It is the most even-handed chronicle of events published. All true true-crime fans should read this book!

Not once, during either of two frantic calls to Durham 9-11 did Michael Peterson mention the blood...and there was a lot of blood. During the early morning hours of December 9th, as Kathleen lay dying on the stairs, police and rescue personnel rush to the home on Cedar Street.

Connecting the complex sequence of dots that convinced a jury of his peers that Michael Peterson was indeed guilty of murder would have been the easy part, because the evidence had been painstakingly detailed during the five month trial. But, Diane Fanning takes the reader behind the carefully orchestrated performance in the court room and delivers the journey through the raw, unfiltered eyes of those who lived it. Detailing the crime scene, police procedure, the autopsy and the trial I fully expected, however, this book is chock-full of extras. Intimate conversations between Kathleen and her beloved sister, details concerning the exhumation and autopsy of Elizabeth Ratliff, the suspicious death of George Ratliff and much more. There's also eight pages of photographs that give the reader a glimpse of the Peterson's before, during and the aftermath is punctuated with a single photo of Kathleen's headstone.

During the trial, the defense displayed an air of arrogance both in and outside the courtroom. And much to the chagrin of Peterson's few remaining supporters, the author pulls no punches describing the showboating behavior of David Rudolf and Thomas Maher, the mysterious discovery of the missing blow-poke and the effect these antics had on the grieving families.

Superb, unflinching, emotionally gritty at times, Written in Blood is a stinging, in your face novel that paints a haunting picture of the madness that often lurks behind the gates of the nicest communities or in the home right next door. And reminds us all that the monster hiding in the shadows is easily recognized in hindsight...but, that's too late!

Although the last chapter of this story will be written by the North Carolina Supreme Court, Written In Blood is as complete a history of the Peterson saga as could possibly be written. If you enjoy reading a true crime novel that goes behind the scenes and beyond the glare of the cameras, Written In Blood does not disappoint!

Happy Reading!

Diane Fanning is to be congratulated on the superb job of reporting and writing in this outstanding example of the true crime genre. Michael Peterson is interesting for some of us because of the sheer tension surrounding the case. Did he really do it? Was a man like this really capable of such a crime?

Ms. Fanning doesn't flinch, nor does she muddy the waters by giving too much play to the outlandish nonsense the defense team tried to use at trial. The crime scene photos, the amount of blood, the setting, and Peterson's own strange double life, all begin to tighten the knot of very solid circumstantial evidence. (In other words, one could also write a book about the OJ case without trying to pursue the "mysterious" drug dealers the defense hinted at but never identified. There was simply no evidence which pointed toward these chimera. Defense lawyers scare up images of "some other person did it" in nearly every high profile murder...they just never name the other party.)

Far and away the best book on the case...and something you must read if you're also going to see either the TV film or the long European documentary. Good job. Great read!

I had seen on Court TV about this murder and was looking forward to the book. It is far too vague. I wanted to know more of Kathleen as a person, not just offhand remarks by her stepson alluding to her drinking making it sound like that was a big part of her life and yet I knew it was not. However I wanted that explained more fully in the book. It was interesting to read about an obviously brilliant woman who despite her brilliance made a very bad choice in marrying this man and finding out more and more about him, not getting out before she literally could not.
It happens to so many, many women but I felt so very sad for Kathleen and for the lovely daughter she has left. The book left out so many things
that would have helped us understand Kathleen better.

I was sorely disappointed in this book. I didn't even want to finish it but did so because I felt obligated to finish what I started. I enjoy true crime books, especially ones dealing with the forensics of crime and death. I wrongly assumed Aftermath, Inc. would provide another vantage point of crime scenes and provide an informative and even educational insight into a world most would never see. Instead, the author, Gil Reavill, provided little detail of the scenes he worked and spent more time on personal stories and off on tangents that had nothing to do with cleaning death scenes, but more about him. While he portrays the company of Aftermath as professional, sensitive, and honest, I felt he did them a disservice because he spent half of the book on topics not related to the company or the services they provide. Out of 282 pages, little is spent on detailing scenes he worked. It would have been a more interesting read had he stuck to his original goal of the book - detailing the work done once the police leave.

It's an entertaining read for the most part, and probably unveils some of the meaning behind "cleaning" the remains of homicides, suicides, and unattended deaths when the coroner's technicians leave a death scene.

Aftermath Inc.'s business structure is interesting to read about since it is fairly unique. Where others go it alone, hire wage earners, or franchise, these guys opened up a top-down hierarchy which branches out through the US. I suppose that their "crews" might be considered franchise owners if they are not wage earners.

The writing is clear enough and could be emulated by others in this field and others.
I recommend this book to those interested in learning about death scene cleaning and to those with experience in this field. One never knows what can be learned or critiqued from a rival's operations.

The one critic claiming special knowledge about the beginning of this "industry" would do well to remember that morticians and others have moonlighted for generations providing this type of service. I recall the domain name "[...]" did not exist until 2003. So who claims to have started what, how, when, where? If it's a big deal, document the origins of crime scene cleaning or crime scene cleanup as something different than what morticians and others have always done. It's not really important, is it?

Last, Aftermath Inc. probably generates hostile competitors because it pays higher referral fees than that standard "industry" 10 percent, in many cases.

If you read popular literature for entertainment, you might enjoy this book. If you are not into popular literature, you probably would do well to glance through a bookstore's copy before buying.

Ed Evans
[...]

It's seems obvious that the author didn't have much interest in the subject matter. The author doesn't seem to be really exploring the crime scene cleaners and he doesn't seem to be truly trying to understand their work. This is an author writing purely for money. He writes like a student who is compelled by a teacher to come up with 200 pages. It could include much more information about the business instead of just the everday dialogue of the workers. The author lacks the personality to tell a good story. Much of the material is interesting but the interesting material is only in certain spots. After the first 100 pages I just started skimming through the rest of the book because it was so much rambling. The book just isn't written very well.

What you do expect it will be like to clean up after a crime scene where there's been a horrible amount of death, gunfire, and tear gas used? You'll see some pretty ghastly remnants, right? You'll be nauseated, right? You'll need to protect yourself from harm, right? You'll have to throw most everything away in some appropriate way, right? You'll think a lot more about mortality, right? Okay, you already know most of what you'll learn by reading this book. But if you want more details, the book will provide them for many kill sites.

If you are also fascinated by what it's like if someone dies and isn't discovered for months, you'll add new knowledge of what will happen to the surroundings and how hard it will be to remove the leftovers.

Why do people do this kind of work? The owners make a lot of money. The work pays well for the independent contractors they hire, when they can get work. Some people enjoy helping grieving families during such difficult times. Are some of them ghouls? Probably, but the book doesn't address that point. What did you expect to find out?

What the industry like? The book doesn't really look into that except to point out that some insurance companies will insist that ordinary cleaners be used who may not get out all of the remains.

Mr. Reavill seems to have been overwhelmed by his experience and bonded with those who took him into the horror scenes. Neither reaction is surprising, but it doesn't make for such a great book.

I hope someone will write a better book on the subject. I'm sure there will be a lot of interest.

I first heard about this book on NBC's "The Today Show." It piqued my interest, as I had seen a documentary about this type of business a while ago. I have a morbid interest in this kind of thing and thought it would be an interesting read. I wasn't disappointed.

The book is written in an entertaining and even humorous manner, which is appreciated given its "grave" subject matter. The book provides graphic details about cases that the Aftermath techs have had to clean up, everything from shotgun suicides, to bleed-outs from diseases, to a guy who was chopped up in a jet engine. It is surprising to read in just how many weird and gruesome ways human beings can depart this Earth.

The Aftermath guys rarely see the bodies, but clean up what's left of them. If reading about body fluids, maggots, the process of decomposition, and the stench of decay is interesting to you, then this book provides details galore. It also gives a kind of sad commentary on the savage nature of humanity as it details grisly murders perpetrated by relatives against each other - son against parents and siblings, mother against children - and of course stranger upon stranger as well. Not only murders but unfortunate accidents and plain old deaths from natural causes are covered in the book.

Death is "the last taboo" and this book covers the topic unabashedly. It is really a fascinating read, written in a conversational style that is easy to read. It is a book for those who are interested in the physical process of death. There is nothing spiritual about it, though the cases are handled with the utmost respect in a dignified and business-like manner.

This ranks among Professor Schechter's best books. Though less gory than his books on Fish and Gein, it is just as terrifying. He brings his sterling insight to bear on the psychological workings of the mind of a female serial killer, and shatters the myth that such creatures are less depraved and evil than their male counterparts. As is often the case, he is willing to feel a certain degree of sympathy for the killer in relation to the environmental and/or congenital forces that contributed to her psychopathy, while remaining careful to never exculpate the killer of her crimes (he remains neutral as to whether insanity is an exculpating factor) or mitigate the degree of evil and pain caused to the victims. Schechtermakes it clear he views Jane Toppan as a monster driven by depraved urges and longings.

His usual approach towards describing his subject via historical and cultural context as well as a meticulously researched recreation of the killer's career is adhered to fully. You will learn about the appallingly meagre salaries available to most women in the 19th century; the brutally draining workload experienced by most nurses, within both institutions and private homes; the terrible state of medical care available to the public; and the shocking fact that substances such as arsenic were not only sold over-the-counter in huge amounts for household purposes (killing rats, etc.), but appeared as well within patent compounds that claimed to have salubrious cosmetic benefits (young women ingested a beauty compound made with arsenic that promised to remove blackheads, pimples, and all other such facial blemishes).

Everyone has their favorite Schechter books. I cannot guarantee that this will rank with your own personal favorites, but I think I can assume with a fair degree of confidence that, if you have enjoyed other books by the author, you will enjoy this one. The intelligent formula for success you associate with Deranged and Deviant and Bestial, et. al., can be found intact in Fatal.

Harold Schechter brings to our attention the fact that there are more female serial killers in history than we actually suspect. In this case, Jane Toppan is revealed to the world in what would otherwise have been nothing more than a footnote in New England history. Schechter presents the history of this murderous poisoner who used morphine and atropine to extinguish upwards of three dozen people, many of the latter were 'dear friends' of hers. She is finally caught and avoids prison on an insanity charge where she spends the next 30+ years of her life. After reading this morbid story, I'm not so sure she was insane by our terms today as much as just off-kilter. I think she truly went insane once her freedom was taken away and her paranoia at being poisoned herself by the asylum staff drove her to quit eating. Schechter shows us the transgressions of Nurse Toppan and how she got away with it for so long. It's truly an interesting story but there were two or three parts where Schechter goes off on a sidenote (history of the asylum for one) where I lost some focus. Otherwise, it's another true crime story that we never would have known about and Schechter does another great job of weaving the events into something nearly unbelievable.

I'm a psychologist by training. Schechter is the first person I know of to explain a female serial killer's experience during the act of murder. I wanted to gag! Then I spoke to a few female associates, who confirmed what Schechter revealed. OMG! I had no idea women have the capacity to be so....reptilian. 'Reptilian' may be flattering, now that I think about it.

The book features other female serial killers besides Jane Toppan. Theyre bad enough, but Jane is the arch-snake.

The subject is fascinating, the writing is excellent, and it's a wake-up call about the fair sex. Be afraid. be very afraid!

"Fatal" tells the story of Jane Toppan, a psychopathic nurse living in the 1890's. Her childhood was a difficult one, and though little is really known about it, what the author tells is points to one filled with abuse and turmoil. At a young age, she was put in an orphange and "adopted" by the Toppan family. Her part in the family was that of a servant, though it seems that the Toppans treated her well.

After she became a nurse, she began poisoning some of her patients as they lay in their hospital beds, with a mixture of morphine and atropine. She did this for pleasure, because she enjoyed it. She murdered her family members and friends, preferring people she knew over strangers. This went on for decades before the police finally caught on. Some estimate the number of people she killed being close to 100.

The author does a good job telling the story. It's amazing that more people haven't heard of her - this was the first time for me. There were some parts that were a little too gory for my taste, and I feel that the author occasionally pontificates. Of course, it's not enough to stop me from reading another one of his books. Those who enjoy true crime and history should enjoy this.

After an informative introduction, Schechter sets the mood for Jane Toppan by briefly covering serial murderesses Lydia Sherman and Sarah Jane Robinson, two predecessors to Toppan with affiliations for arsenic. Then along came Jane Toppan with her morphia and atropia cocktails.

Born into the world as Honora Kelley, Jane was indentured to, and adopted by, Mrs. Ann C. Toppan and thus became Jane Toppan. Jane resented growing up as a servant to her family, and especially resented her sister Elizabeth, who would later fall victim to Jane's careful ministrations.

Jane took nursing school, a rigorous training in its day, but never graduated with a certificate before taking herself out of hospital care and into family home care, where her poisonous ways became more noticeable. Still, it was years before Jane was ever suspected and brought to trial, leaving a wake of corpses behind her.

'Fatal' is very well written, although drawn out at times. The prose enchants you back to the era of the murders, specifically pointing out many differences in both medical and courtroom procedures between 1901 and our modern day world. Schechter rounds out the case with Jane's life as a child and the unsavory circumstances of her childhood, to her early years, on through her active killing spree and ending with court proceedings and what happened to Jane afterward. There's a lot of detail on Jane's life, and while there is no bibliography there's an Acknowledgements section that lists Schechter's resources. If you like true crime, you'll like this unique account of one of the first female serial killers ever documented. Enjoy!

*** & 1/2*
While this book does a fine job of chronicling the many horrors this little boy endured, it could have been a bit more `in depth' where his (so-called) parents were concerned. Particularly Jessica Schwarz, whose background is hardly mentioned, not that it would have incited any sympathy in me toward her.

Another thing I found disappointing (apart from the cruelty and indifference A. J. suffered in and of itself) is prosecutor Scott H. Cupp's self-satisfied smugness that seems to suggest he should've won a medal or something because of Jessica's 30-plus years sentence. He would have deserved one (and I might've handcrafted the damn thing myself) had he not let Jessica's
co-conspirator-by-dereliction-of-duty, David Schwarz, escape justice. He witnessed Jessica's violent behavior and did nothing to stop it.

I was also amazed at how so many people knew that this child was in a dire situation and no one took any significant action to save his life. I guess they all feel they've made up for being so useless to A. J. in his life by testifying at his murder trial.

R.I.P A. J. S.

This is a very emotional book as the reality of A.J's short life is revealed. There were so many witnesses to A.J's abuse, and the step mother barly took means to hide her hatred towards A.J. And this happened in 1993....shocking. All I can say is that I wish A.J was my beautiful son.

I don't understand why he had to die? Why couldn't someone get involved. The step mother was a monster and the boys biological father wasn't any better. He let his son die over a woman who only cared about herself. What a b@tch

read this book and it is so sad and I hope this little boy can rest in peace

People need to read this book. It raises awareness about things that should be looked out for when a child is being abused. Too many people are afraid to report or, according to their traditional views, think that it is taboo to remove a child from his family and that the family has the right to "discipline".

What is amazing about this situation is that it was obvious that A.J.'s stepmother had long crossed the line of discipline, yet nobody intervened. His biological parents turned a blind eye, followed by neighbors and those at his school. Perhaps they would have thought differently had they known that their ignorance would result in his death.