True Crime Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This book is an absolutely indispensable introduction to all of the controversy, studies, and questions about the insanity defense. Edited by Ellsworth Fersch, who received from Harvard both his law degree and his Ph.D. in psychology, the book provides clear answers to just about every question the average person might have about the insanity defense.

For those whose knowledge might be a bit more advanced, the extensive collection of case studies provides an excellent and thorough comparison of the different ways the insanity defense has been employed, and how it has changed over time.

This topic is a very controversial one, but "Thinking About the Insanity Defense" takes an evenhanded approach. Fersch and the book's other contributors go to great lengths to provide arguments for and against each of the recent major developments in this facet of the law. The book exhaustively confronts both the scientific bases of mental illness and the philosophical underpinnings of this subject.

The bibliography is lengthy and useful, to boot.

If you're considering researching the insanity defense, or if you simply want to learn more about it, this work is worth every penny.

I have every book written by Ann but unfortunately she can write them faster than I can read. I work a lot and have to fit reading in 10 minutes here or a whole hour there, so it usually takes me a couple of months to get a book read. I took Bitter Harvest on a cruise and could not put it down! The story is so sad, to think that a Mother could kill her own children to hold on to their Father in a failing marriage. Honey, when he doesn't love you, he doesn't love you, you can't make him through the children. This woman had so much intelligence and yet no common sense. Like I said the whole time I was on the cruise I didn't want to do anything but read--how can that be?? I loved my cruise but the book was one of Ann's best. All the time and research that is put into each and every book is evident!!

I just finished re-reading this book, and went in search of additional info (my edition is several years old). It is a good book, in that it tells the basic tale. If Ann had been able to spend more time with Deborah Green, AND if she had been allowed to take notes or a recorder into her one interview, we perhaps would have a better picture of Deborah.
Incidently, some of the reviews talk about Ann being soft on Michael Faraar, Deb's now ex-husband. And several point out that her daughter still loves her. I didn't think that Mike got off soft--he committed adultery. But trying to portray one of the victims as a "bad guy" doesn't go oover well with the public/reader. And her daughter's love for her mother is normal. Ted Bundy's mother continued to love him even after he confessed. That is what family is supposed to do.

As for those who continue to believe Deborah is innocent, check out how many times she has changed her story. And if Prozac fogged her mind so she couldn't participate in her own defense, then all those people who take it and work for a living should be having problems too--and they don't. Of course, I suspect that Deborah's few "true believers" are mostly blood related, or deluded (keep in mind ted Bundy got love letters in prison). Read the book, check out her ever changing stories via newspaper articles.

An excellent book! Have never read an Ann Rule book I didn't like!

I have to say that I was more interested in this book than usual because it happened here where I live. So I was familiar with some of the details involved that lead up to the tragedy that builds throughout the book.

To be sure, there are multiple victims in the book. The first victim appears to be Deborah Greene's own husband, Dr. Mike Farrar who by all accounts had a glimpse of what hell must be like. Both he and his wife were doctor's in the Metropolitan Area of Kansas City and lived in Prairie Village, Kansas in an affluent neighborhood of mostly peaceful homes. They had moved there after a fire destroyed their previous home. The couple had separated but after the fire in their first home it appears he was motivated to move back to be with his wife and children once again, a grave mistake on his part, but also an indicator of the kind of man he was. He loved his children deeply and he apparently tried to love his wife as well.

At any rate, after moving back home again it did not take too long for their family life to deteriorate once again, propelled forward by Deborah's apparent insecurity, jealousy and delusions. If Mike Farrar had been able to see into the future and recognize the consequences of his well-meaning actions he surely would never have returned.

It seems that he became ill and that for quite some time the cause of his illness escaped the physicians who treated him. He wife Deborah witnessed his illness and one has to wonder if she felt pity for him or only vengeance. I think it must have been vengeance because he had come so close to death yet miraculously managed to pull through and had barely been returned to his home to continue his recovery when he again became ill even before he had a chance to appreciate and enjoy his return home. Unsure exactly what is going on that causes such illness it is shocking to discover that the reason for his illness (which included extreme bouts of dysentery and vomiting) is that he was being poisoned with Ricin, a substance that comes from the castor bean seeds his wife acquired at a garden center in a neighboring suburb. It is amazing where the final proof comes from as to her possession and acquisition of the toxic substance comes from.

I know from seeing interviews with Dr. Mike Greene that, at least according to him, he will have to live with the effects of his poisoning for the rest of his life and can never be sure that he will not be stricken again with its toxic side-effects. one cannot help but be sympathetic for him, and again wonder how anyone could watch him be so ill, someone who purportedly loved him, knowing all the while that it was she who caused him such devastation. He had to have several brain surgeries to try to alleviate some of the damage and he has no guarantees that he will not need it again in the future. If one wanted to torture their spouse then Deborah Greene did an excellent job.

The reader is left spell-bound, waiting for the time when his treating physicians will be able to connect the dots that point to his assailant. But it is in time to save all but one of his children from falling victim to the second part of his wife's madness.

One cannot help but feel sad for the victims. If I was supposed to feel sorry for Deborah Greene I failed miserably. I would have found at difficult at best to feel sympathy but when I heard on the local news that years after her conviction she is attempting to renege on her confession and save herself from a life behind bars forever.

It must have been hard for Dr. Farrar to explain to his remaining daughter the scope of the sad events. One's mind rails against believing that a mother could be responsible for so much sadness.

Through fortuitous events Deborah was discovered and an end put to her reign of terror but not before he a holocaust on a personal level envelopes her children and her husband.

The reader will be mesermerized by the complexity a of the evidence and thankful that it comes out but as always, sad that the victims won't be there to witness their tormentor losing all that she has had to become a nothing behind bars. Children have a remarkable ability to love and forgive, I wonder if they could have, the two who perished. And I wonder how the surviving daughter feels now but of course that is a private matter that perhaps will never be answered.

Anne Rule does an excelent job secribing the sometimes baffling and confusing tale and madness. She has no lost her touch on this book and her followers will not be disappointed. She did an excellent job getting "inside" the story and inside the head of a madwoman who her wealth and privilege and family for nothing.

I agree wholeheartedly, with reviewer Melissa Wilson. I am not convinced Dr. Green is guilty. I believe she may very well have been "gaslighted" by her husband and his mistress. Dr. Green and her husband have three children. Two of whom die in a arson fire. His mistress is also married. Her husband kills himself. All this happens within a 2 month period. Shortly before the fire that kills the children, Dr. Green's husband has her committed to a mental institution. Her husband is also a doctor--how convenient. Dr. Green and her husband had been married numerous years. At the time he had her institutionalized, she was in mid-forties. I have extensive firsthand knowledge of the mentally ill. It is rare that a person developes mental illness in their mid to late forties. Mental illness usually presents itself at a much earlier age, and by the time they reach middle age they have been institutionalized many times. The late forties and early fifties is when many people get a handle on their illness. They tend to have fewer episodes. I have many relatives afflicted with mental illness, and I cannot understand why, as soon as she's released from the mental institution, her husband leaves her, and the children. If he were really that concerned for her sanity, why would he leave her with their children. If you have a caring bone in your body, you would never leave your children with anyone you really thought was mentally ill. Mental illness is not cured in the hospital. The hospitalization only halts the acute mania or psychosis. You can liken it to a person that has severe inflamation. They are given a lot of medication to halt the inflamation, but the underlying problem is still there, waiting to flare up again. Real recovery in mental illness begins after hospitalization, with the "calmer" patient returning home and continuing with therapy, and medication. Why wouldn't he hang around and see how stable she was before leaving? My deceased sister was mentally ill, and abused alcohol. I was there for my beloved sister, and I knew right away when she was going off into the deep end. I would have never, in a millions years, left my son in her care. Celeste is his mistress. Her husband(who is well aware of their affair) kills himself. Celeste continues on with her affair like nothing happened. Any "normal" thinking human being would have to stop, and assess how their behavior contributed to the person they married, killing themselves. Even if she no longer loved her husband, he was still the father of her children, and a human being. I would think, any feeling person would have to recognise the devastation her children must feel at losing their father in such a manner. Instead, this woman didn't miss a beat. Only those involved know what really happened, but one thing is clear, at the time Dr. Green was married to an abusive, selfish, egotisical, lying and cheating husband and; he was conducting an affair with his feminine equal. Whether he lit the match or not, he certainly shares in the guilt of this crime. He is by no means one of the innocent victims. As far Celeste goes; after reading this book, I have doubts whether her husband's death was at his own hands. Most men who kill themselves, do it with a gun. Most often, people who feel led to do away with themselves in this type of situation, will definitely kill the other persons involved first, before killing themselves. In these type of situations sadness may be one emotion a person experiences, but anger and maybe rage is the driving force. Too much just does not add up. But again, no one really knows what happened, but Debora, her husband, his mistress; and her husband. I can say it's a sad story; God bless the soul's of the three people who perished, and I hope the surviving daughter is doing well. I have read other books by Ann Rule, although she writes well, I feel she has a tendency to portray the convicted person as the "evil villan" and the other people directly involved as poor "sainted victims". I am certainly no friend of Debora Green Farrar. I am a thinking individual that can read an author's novel without becoming manipulated by their point of view. I read the novel and formed my own opinions.

I am not much for history, but I really loved this book. It's a very interesting mystery, but it's also interesting to see how much the criminal justice process has evolved over the past 100 years. For example, in this case the closing arguments took longer than the presentation of all the evidence. The defendant held her granddaughter on her lap during the entire trial. The newspapers concluded she committed the murder because she didn't act "feminine". I love true crime books, and this was a really good one as well as a change of pace due to the historical nature of it. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I bought this book because of my love of true crime. What I came away with was much more than a story of an ax murder in 1900 Iowa. The author's paint a vivid picture of the dismal life and the hardships of the wive's of farmers during this era, and the farmer's themselves, as they weave their story with true accounts of the actual investigation and trial.

Midnight Assassin is an easy read and real page turner. What I wasn't expecting was the portrait of desperation, fear and isolation that made this book so much more than a true crime story. "Little House on the Praire" this was not and is a must read!

This book was of extreme interest from beginning to end. I love true crime stories, so the legal and moral aspects were the reason I purchased this book, but I found a secondary reason as soon as I started reading it. I am also interested in genealogy and my ancestors came to Iowa the same time as the Hossacks and they lived less than 45 miles apart. The authors' descriptions and stories of their lives and the everyday living of the farmers of the area were amazing. I felt like I was there, experiencing their lives, and their trials. Whenever a book can make me feel as if I am actually there, while it is happening, it is well worth the read.

Excellent story told here, with a mix of history of farming life in the midwest in early 1900s, law, civil rights and the mystery of the murder. It keeps your interest with the who-done-it story line and the tease of incomplete information coming from crime scene research and from the witnesses at the trial. I recommend it.

This is a well-written book that casts the reader back into the lives of prairie farmers at the beginning of the 20th century. It shows the dark side of Little House on the Prairie.

It is especially good at introducing the reader to the plight of many farm wives in that era. Through the trial of Margaret Hossack for the ax murder of her husband, we get a feel for the isolation and desperation of these women. The man a woman married was her whole lot in life. It was strictly the luck of the draw for her. If a husband turned out to be cold and abusive, as it seems Mr. Hossack was, his wife had little recourse but to suffer through it to the end. Although Margaret may not have suffered in complete silence, since there was ample evidence of how often she had rushed to her neighbors to complain of her husband's foul, dangerous moods - there was little anyone else could or would do to help. As this book keenly points out, the code of being a good housewife and a "lady" constrained women to their places and prevented others from interceding too effectively. The book poses the question - Did Mrs. Hossack ultimately engage in self help?

The book's other purpose is to juxtapose the lives of two women situated very differently in 1900. On the one hand, there is Mrs. Hossack, confined to her meager, loveless life on the prairie. On the other hand, there is Susan Glaspell, the liberated young reporter who covered Mrs. Hossack's first trial. I would have liked to have read more details about Glaspell's early career as a crime reporter in a man's world. But perhaps that would have been spreading the content of this book too thin. The author does circle back at the end of Midnight Assassin to provide a follow-up on Glaspell's writing career. Trifles, the play Glaspell eventually wrote, based loosely on the Hawkin's trial, has a heart-wrenching conclusion. It's worthwhile reading this book for that dramatic take on the caged lives of these farm women alone.

Nick Pron's Lethal Marriage easily qualifies as the most disturbing book I have ever read. It is about two of Canada's most demented serial rapists/killers: Paul Bernardo and his ex-wife Karla Homolka. Currently, Paul Bernardo is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole. His ex-wife, Karla Homolka has been released from prison in 2005 after serving a ridiculous twelve year sentence. That's twelve years for her involvement in the kidnapping, drugging, raping, torturing, and murder of several teenage girls, including her younger sister.

Now that this sadistic individual is enjoying her freedom once more, I sincerely hope that she moved into a better location; one that's right next door to one of her morally corrupt defense lawyers who co-acted the infamous "deal with the devil." Yes, the Canadian criminal justice system is very weak... pathetic would be the right word, as Pron - perhaps unintentionally - reveals in this book. Who knows, perhaps one day Bernardo too may be set free and look for a new neighborhood to move into.

However, this book is about the criminals themselves and not so much about Canada's criminal justice system. So the emphasis, of course, is on Bernardo and Homolka. Pron writes about their childhood years, their family background, their personalities, their ambitions, how the met, and how they committed unthinkable, utterly shocking crimes. Written more like a novel than a non-fiction, Pron produced a book I could praise as a page-turner. However, due to the ultra violent content, where the author censors absolutely nothing, some parts of this book are more like a page-skipper.

As hard as it is to believe, Bernardo and Homolka videotaped their crimes for their own enjoyment, and Pron provides us with the transcripts. The transcripts are extremely disturbing. They contain vexing foul language and the information Pron presents are too graphic for me to even mention. Pron provides play-by-play commentary - as he describes to the greatest possible degree - the utterly disgusting things the killers did to each other, but mostly to their helpless victims; everything entirely uncensored.

This includes the victims pleading for their lives, as well as the methods the two psychos used to administer the physical abuses and psychological torment. And the details are long and tiring; Pron keeps going on and on to the point where I started thinking to myself, when is this going to end? Eventually I began to skip a few of the repetitive paragraphs. Next thing I knew, I was skipping entire pages simply to avoid reading any more of the excruciating details, which quite frankly, angered me. I mean, how much is enough? Providing any further detail is completely unnecessary. It was too much to handle. Even if the author gave one-tenth of the details, that would be more than enough. I think that Pron should have shown a little restrain, for the sake of the victims and their families. I really don't see a point in going that far in giving every possible bit of shocking detail. But then again, when you're a crime reporter for nearly 30 years, such things are not as shocking or disturbing anymore.

But aside from my discontent over the graphic descriptions of violence, I thought the book was thoroughly researched and very well constructed. Pron conducted a great amount of research for this project and gives us a crystal clear picture of who Bernardo and Homolka are, what they did, how they did it, why they did it and so on. The author also tells us about the police investigations, the tactics they used in their attempt to find the killers (which all failed), the frustrations they experienced, and finally, how the child killers were caught. A few words here and there about the killers' families and their reactions to the killings are also written. Then Pron moves on to the trials, the legal system, the lawyers, the plea bargains, the courts, and in the end, the sentences.

It's an informative book, but I must warn that children or persons suffering from anxiety disorders or depression (or worse), or anyone who's sensitive to such subject matter, should not under any circumstances read this book. I'm not a psychotherapist, but common sense tells me that the consequences could be very negative.

A year ago, given Karla Homolka's pending release from prison, I was lent two books - this one, and Deadly Innocence, that both detailed the crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. I grindingly made it through Deadly Innocence - given that I didn't have TOO much information on the case before reading the book and found it too disturbing to read at times.

This summer I decided to give the barbie and ken serial killers saga another run, and finished the book in two short days despite its length of over 500 pages. Was this book particularly better than the other one? No. It was just a lot easier to get through the story once I had read it once already.

That being said, Pron's account of the couple is more disturbing than what was written in Deadly Innocence. His account is factual, detailed, and covers a lot of legal jargon that probably could have been glossed over for the reader. Unlike Deadly Innocence, Pron includes the full transcripts from the videos as part of the story - adding a decidedly numbing, stomach-churning realness to the rape and murder scenes.

Altogether, Pron does a good job of telling a good, fact-based version that covers every possible criminal angle of the story of Paul & Karla. However, his book lacks some of the emotion and character development found in Deadly Innocence, which gave you more insight into the motivations of the killers.

The two books, and the many others out there, are both well-written and tell the same story in different ways - Deadly Innocence is told mostly through accounts from friends, acquaintences, etc. while Pron's Lethal Marriage looks at every possible character that lead to the deaths of three young women (at least) and the criminal actions that went along with it. It has plenty of detail in the gruesome sections of the book, but leaves notable holes in others. All in all, a good read to familiarize yourself with the story - but for a more in-depth look I'd pick up another book or two.

Be warned of the extremely graphic nature of this book.

A wonderful book about the serial killer Bernado and his slave Homolka. Yes, I said slave. I believe so many have a difficult time understanding the psychological implications of Karla's relationship with Bernado. This was not a gf/bf relationship, it wasn't a king and queen relationship, it wasn't a husband and wife relationship, and it most definitely not a team relationship.

Bernado took BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Sadism, Mashchosim) to the most perverse and horrible level ever known. He got a woman, who was interested in being mind-controlled by a Domimant man, but as with any Dom/sub relationship, there are suppose to be rules which makes scenes safe, consensual, and sane. Bernado, changed those rules, putting Karla at risk not just mentally and emotionally, but physically as well. Yes Karla was a victim/slave trapped into these horrible acts. Even though many will have a hard time digesting what I have written. She was not a willing partner.

More than likely, she was doing what was told by her Master. She knew as long as she agreed she was safe from harm herself because she knew of his past- it frightened her to even think about questioning his agenda or motives. Because she was powerless in the relationship, her insane Master decided to give her power by making her participate in HIS criminal acts. In some ways it was a relief to not be a target of the very acts he placd upon her. Remember BDSM is consenual, I will bet she rarely consented to many of the things he did to her nor was given an opportunity to get out of his crazy scenes.

In the book, I was disgusted by the acts and felt very sorry for the woman who was made to participate. For those who said she was just as guilty, of course, a crime is a crime, and she needs to be punished. However, I believe she is serving the time she was given nothing more or less. This woman was brainwashed and then when she started to question her Master, she was physically abused.

When asked why she didn't help those women. Her answer was simply, "I don't know...I feel stupid." Of course she didn't know, because the mastermind of it all had her mind. Behind closed doors he told her what to eat, wear, sleep, and made her completely paralyzed with the unknown. Stolkholm Syndrome would be more appropriate here- she was a captive and he the Captor. What you see on the video is an act to survive.

The book is very good and very well written. But not for the squimish. Very graphic and detailed and may cause triggers. Read with care.

This book is my third favorite book on this case. Beware! Karla is FREE from prison in JULY 2005.

Make sure to read the others on this case.

"Invisible Darkness" by Stephen Williams
"Karla: A Pact With The Devil" by Stephen Williams
"Deadly Innocence" by Scott Burnside and Alan Cairns
"Karla's Web" by Frank Davey
"A Marriage Made For Murder" by Brian O'Neill, ISBN # 0969977913 (Impossible to find)

If interested, a must read is "A Venom In The Blood" by Eric Hoffman.

I title this review "unsure" for I am unsure that such a book should be on the market. I give it only one star for the same reason. Nick Pron is a wonderful writer, but should he have wrote this story.
I read the entire book, was sickened by it, and will now be a more protective mother. What worries me is the "sick minds" that are also reading this book or other books like it. Those that sickly "dream" of such porn may be inspired to act. My copy will not be recycled to the public, but rather burned.
My sympathy to the Mahaffy, French, and Homolka families.
Too bad Paul & Karla couldn"t receive the dealth penalty.
I would like Karla to know that no decent person allows such to happen. You should have contacted the police before Tammy was killed. You should have died trying to save her. You should never be allowed on the streets again.

The book was pretty good, had alot of background info which I find more interesting than the trial info.
It did seem to me though that the author sympathized more with Lana that Teena's mom, JoAnn. She commented on how "pretty" Lana looked on the Maury Povitch show, and that JoAnn didn't attend the show because she "felt like she had bigger fish to fry." And she also seemed to make a litttle dig about how neither JoAnn nor Tammy went to Falls City to get Teena when she was calling and telling them what happened.
HOWEVER...my main issue with this book, and maybe I am being a little petty here, is that in the back of the book where it shows the author's photo it looks as though she doesn't have a top on. I know it doesn't show much skin but come on was this really necessary? It made me wonder what was for sale, the book or the author herself?

after watching boys dont cry, i wanted to learn more about brandon teena; so i got this book and i got the movie "the brandon teena story". i found this book quite interesting and i like her other books as well. i admit it was confusing at times; but it gave a good idea of who he was and what he went through to be accepted. if you are reading this review for the same reasons that i got the book; then i say go ahead and buy it - worked for me

I purchased this book soon after its release, and I would suggest anyone with an interest in it to read it. Teena Brandon is described as a young, two-faced scammer who charms and lies her way into people's lives, hoping to find happiness. Although some consider her to be a lesbian, Teena identifies herself as a hetero male soul born into a female body. Her thievery, head-games and heart-games made her an easy target. The book does a wonderful job of offering some background on the two young men who savagely beat, raped and murdered Teena Brandon in cold blood. While Teena Brandon's own actions may have helped to prompt her troubles, she did not deserve rape or murder. Nor did she deserve to be ignored by the Sherriff. There's always a better way to handle being deceived, and there's too much ignorance in the world. I felt the film, Boys Don't Cry portrayed Brandon more like an innocent, confused kid who just wanted to live a gay life. I got a completely different impression from the book. But, as always, the book is more informative. Also, 'true crime' does not usually contain strictly facts. There are lots of opinions and fabrications about the feelings and relationships of those involved, and they often get passed as facts. Aphrodite Jones writes well and this chiller won't put you to sleep. I wish only the best to the Brandon family, including Teena herself and those trying to identify themselves in the world.

The title turned me off, since Brandon identified as male and "All She Wanted" is yet another slap in the face, turning the back. Not that Mr. Teena was an angel by any stretch but he preferred the male pronoun later in life.

As in Cruel Sacrifice, grammar and punctuation needed serious help. Does Ms Jones actually have an editor? Lana Tisdel is All S/he Wanted's Melinda Loveless-- way too much focus on Ms Tisdel in text and image as there was with Ms Loveless and her family in Cruel Sacrifice.

Many people are referring to Brandon Teena as 'her' as does the author throughout her book. It's clear by doing a little bit of reaseach Brandon preferred male pronouns. People are also to comparing this book to Boys Don't Cry. Boys Don't Cry is not a documentary, it's a work BASED on actual events. That means that it does not follow the actual events of Brandon's life in Falls City, the creators had the freedom to add and subtract details and facts. If you want a good documentary about the life and death of Brandon Teena try The Brandon Teena Story.

I couldn't put this book down. It is very well written and NOT one of those true crime books that you have to keep flipping backwards to clarify people and events. I have been going to Las Vegas since my grandparents moved there in the early 1980s and I am somewhat partial to non-fiction books set in familiar locations. The only thing that might be slightly negative about A Fire In the Desert is that the story is not yet over, so it left me feeling a little incomplete, but that is not Glenn Puit's fault (the book went to press before Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan pled guilty to various charges related to Melissa James' death).

Very simple read that i finished in 2 days. Basically gives an introduction to all the characters involved in this case and gives the actual details of the statements made by the accused and other persons of interest.

Mr. Puit is a very thorough journalist and a great writer, however many attorneys in Las Vegas felt that his book was premature because a jury had not yet decided the case.

However, the information provided in the book gives the reader the sense that a guilty verdict is inevitable. As in Mr. Puit's other book "Witch" he leaves some questions open for the reader to decide. In this book, we are left to ponder whether both the Husband and the Wife are responsible for the murder or whether the Husband is more culpable and the wife merely a pawn of her Husband's will.

Very, very well written book. My son grew up with and hung out with Craig. My kids claimed that Craig was cocky and arrogant but I never saw any of this. He was a good kid. However, after reading this book, I became firmly convinced that success brings out the worst in some people. His downfall can be roughly compared to the careers of Denny McLain and Mike Tyson. As a Born Again Christian, I pray for Craig and Kelly often. I feel like one of my own kids has, "bit the dust".

I'm sure there will be a final draft from this writer about the Titus-Ryan murder after the trial is over.

If you want to see a lot of raw data without much commentary or background, this book is definitely worth a look since it includes complete interviews and short summaries of official police reports. The manuscript is rife with weird indentations and sloppy typos, but you get the facts of this lurid and disturbing case.

I'd tell you to wait for the final draft but this book is definitely worth reading for a review of what's going to show up in the upcoming trial. Unless you live in Las Vegas and have access to regular reports, you'll at least this need this book to get an idea of the twists and turns going on right up to today!

I have seen Ms Renier on T.V., along with other psychic detectives and enjoy watching these kinds of shows. And I found her book to be spell binding. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I especially liked the chapter on the Lacy Peterson disappearance & murder since it all played out in my local area. If you are at the very least remotely interested in how using a psychic can help solve crimes, you will enjoy this book.

Noreen Renier's book was particularly helpful for me in that she outlined a structure that she uses with law enforcement. That structure helped to guide my own work in remote viewing in that it provides a structure that enables the remote viewer and the guide to get the most out of the session. I found her book, "Mind for Murder", to be professional, humorous, insightful and educational,especially if one is in this area of service.
I enjoyed her book immensely and recommend it to others.

As Renier's "principal nemesis and major skeptic critic" the book A Mind For Murder is one I would never stop anyone from buying! Buyers who purchase the book will be supporting book royalties which are paying off Noreen Renier's creditors, including her principal creditor owed approximately 56% of her bankruptcy debt --- myself!

Toss in unpaid debts of her previous attorney and these book royalties could pay off more than 94% of her debts as of mid 2008.

Indeed the more who buy the latest edition of A Mind For Murder, the more the creditors in her bankruptcy get paid! William S. Lyon's book review also shown here incorrectly states that I stopped the first edition of the book. In fact it was a decision of Renier's own initial publisher and no one else --- a fact their attorneys stated before a judge. Lyon also fails to mention that Renier breached a 1992 Florida legal settlement agreement and the 2005 cause of action was only about her own breach, not hindering public disclosure about a highly disputed libel case in a small county court more than two decades ago! Mr. Lyon has stated "shamans can easily locate lost bodies, lost items, etc., via their shamanic powers, and I have seen this myself many times during my fieldwork." So Mr. Lyon's review of A Mind For Murder doesn't appear to be neutral or open to critically examining the claims within this new edition. Indeed he should first be checking his own book review posted here and on Renier's web site for accuracy.

In reviewing the new 2008 edition of A Mind For Murder it fails to mention that after a two year legal battle beginning in 2005 a Washington federal court ordered judgments against Noreen Renier in 2006 and 2007. This was not a ruling or decision by any skeptic, but a federal judge. It's unfortunate that author Renier felt that kind of information wasn't something readers would find interesting as these multiple court failures are completely absent, and were failures she had predicted she would win.

While the new edition offers better cover art and an enlarged size, it remains disappointing in my opinion. Fantasized fluff is sometimes appealing, but many of the claims are beyond exaggeration.

Those who might believe that comments such as a "high performance tested psychic" and "scientifically proven psychic" and "FBI examined and proven psychic" had better think again. Exaggeration again comes to mind.

Indeed the new edition unfortunately repeats a variety of claims and visions that were disputed in 2006 and 2007 by eye witnesses. Multiple witnesses now in 2008 are very harsh in their criticisms of events portrayed inaccurately in A Mind For Murder. Nonetheless readers should consider purchasing A Mind For Murder and then comparing for themselves with web sites that examine the real facts and events as they happened. Actually it might be best to actually purchase both the first 2005 edition and the new 2008 edition of A Mind For Murder as various claims and events have even been changed throughout the books. Readers will likely find such flip flopping claims and changes of further interest.

And the claim that skeptics don't want you to read this book?! That's simply more hog wash! PLEASE buy these books! And buy lots of copies for friends! But for a comparison of the real facts and events please examine the commercial free web site which takes its name from same title as the book, but with no spaces between A Mind For Murder. Just add the dot com and you can compare psychic facts versus psychic fantasies. And it's a win-win scenario when the web site is free. Good book reading! -John Merrell

Calling all Hollywood producers, Noreen Renier's new
book, "A Mind for Murder," is a success as a
fascinating autobiography of her real-life psychic
detective case files and experiences. After reading
the cases ya gotta wonder why the police didn't add
her to the payroll of a big city like Los Angeles or
New York. For 20 plus years, Noreen has assisted the
police and individuals with cases related to
poltergeists, missing people and even murder. I was
surprised to read that her talents include levitation
and healing through her hands. The high integrity of
Noreen's character, her willingness to try new psychic
methods and her comedic and light-hearted personality
rings throughout each case. Her credibility record is
spotless as the FBI has verified her psychic
abilities, she's worked several times with the real
FBI agent that the movie,"Silence of the Lambs," and
the TV show "The X-Files," was based on. She even won
a legal case against a skeptic. I would recommend
this book to anyone that wants a fast ride in the
world of psychic detectives.

Dawn C. Meier, Sr. Air Quality Specialist,
Prescott Valley, AZ

You are in for a special treat. This book is full of great stories and lots of details of Noreen's psychic adventures. She is the real deal. How many psychics could pass a 43 page report by the FBI and be called credible? Noreen explains how she goes into a trance and then actually becomes the victims and the murderers to help get clues when she is solving a case. That's just plain scary. She deserves a metal of courage! But wait, just when you think you can't take the gory details of the case any more, she makes you laugh with her humor and wit. 2 thumbs WAY up! Her life and adventures would make a great movie. I predict a TV series!

Diana C. Meier, Teacher/Actor/Psychic

Interesting and easy read - Fox has done his research well. My late husband's parents were Kenya settlers and his father had NO respect for the Happy Valley crowd AT ALL. Fox has certainly filled in many of the gaps left in the story my husband, Len Gill told me and has introduced me to a new side of some of the characters Len knew. I only wish I had read this book before my husband died of cancer. So many questions - so little time for answers.

This is a simply fascinating book for anyone interested in colonial Africa, murder mysteries and just plain good writing. The author James Fox, an erudite Eton graduate, does much more than simply describe the wild African setting, the fascinating murder involved and the absurdly decadent lifestyle of the characters involved. He also tracks the process of his research and the input of the quirky British author, Cyril Connelly who simultaneously studied the events at hand.

Fox uses the murder of man-about-town Lord Erroll as a backdrop to chronicle the deterioration of a British subculture in the early 1900's. While war was being waged in Europe, this group of moneyed and titled hedonists (who left their kiddies back home) lived a surrealistic life of partying, drinking, drugging and partner swapping. Such a detached lifestyle virtually requires a murder or two as a logical conclusion.

Although the accused, Lord "Jock" Delves Broughton, is aquitted in an African trial (with lots of perjury involved) Fox makes no secret of his opinion that Boughton was the culprit. That does not dampen the book one bit because it is the cast of characters and how they talk about each other that is the best part of the book. The only problem I had with Fox's ultimate theory is that he bases it upon an interview with an eccentric, elderly woman who was only 15 years old at the time of the crime. Although she claims the suspect confessed the crime to her immediately after its commission, she did not reveal that alleged fact to anyone until Fox interviewed her in the 1980's. As a legal professional, I find that kind of evidence inherently not credible. This woman had plenty of opportunity to reveal the alleged confession on many prior occasions and Fox's reasons for her failure to do so are a bit far-fetched.This slight criticism does not in any way demean the entire book however as the rest of Fox's research and conclusions based thereupon seem sound.

All in all, this is a fascinating book that is hard to put down. The peripheral characters such as Alice de Janze and Lord Soames are equally as intriguing as the main characters.

This brilliant book examines the story of the British colony of Kenya in the 1940s, particularly the white upper class that immigrated their as settlers and enjoyed themselves immensely. This is a culture that is vanished completely, both in England, with the class distinctions and 'public school' and in Africa and elswhere, where colonial societies have vanished.

A brilliant study of a philandering wealthy society in the 'Happy Valley' settlement in Kenya, the 'White highlands' and the sort of folk who immigrated their. It examines the death of Lord Errol, a man of many disguises who loved not only women but also marriage to increase his wealth. This murder upset the small colony when it took place in 1941 and was a great scandal.

This picture painted by this book is brilliant and loving, touching, interesting, history and novel rolled into one.

Seth J. Frantzman

The 1941 murder of Lord Erroll in Kenya would seem an irresistible subject for a writer: Erroll, an extremely handsome cad given to all number of vices, was gunned down one night and left in the wild after publicly cuckolding a fellow hereditary peer. The atmopshere of colonialist decadence the story provides is incredibly heady, and the first part of Fox's work detailing the central cast of characters and the murder itself has a real lurid charm (and it also provided the focus of the 1987 film version of the book with Charles Dance and Greta Scacchi). But then the book gets immersed in the trial of the cuckolded husband, Sir Jock Delves Broughton, and begins to get mired down in all manner of details that become very dull. Then near the midway point, Fox then details how his mentor, Cyril Connolly, became obsessed with Lord Erroll's murder and decided to write a book about it. Connolly is himself almost as much of a snob as the decadent aristocrats of Kenya's happy Valley implicated in the crime, and Fox too seems addicted to dropping names right and left. You become so lost in the sea of titled names that you begin to lose all interest in what otherwise would seem to be a can't-fail topic.

If you ever had any royalist sentiment -- or harbored a feeling that British aristocrats are superior beings -- this book should cure you. The characters of "White Mischief" are about the most disgusting and useless bunch of parasites that can be imagined.

"White Mischief" is about a murder in colonial Kenya in 1941 and the people who were involved in the case. The murderee was Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Errol, and the accused murderer was Sir John Henry Delves Broughton. This book is an examination of the free and easy "Happy Valley" society that both belonged to, a recapitulation of the trial, and an examination of the evidence. The author's investigation, carried out over decades, includes interviews with people connected with the case, including the loathsome Diana, wife of the accused murderer and mistress of the murderee -- and a strong candidate among others to be the mastermind of the affair. (As this book, although non-fiction, is something of a murder mystery, I won't spoil it by revealing the author's conclusions as to who killed Lord Errol.)

It's a crackin' good story, set in the splendid "White Highlands" of Kenya. To me "White Mischief" is also a cautionary tale of what happens when a privileged minority is allowed to run wild.

Smallchief