True Crime Books

This is the first book in this popular series. It had mystery, action and was well written. Perfect book for a trip, beach or poolside.

If you are going to get into William Bernhardt don't start here. You will read this and never want to continue. This is his first novel and the plotting is terrible. The mystery is set up well enough but the unravelling makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. You get about 80% into the novel and then the unlikely protagonist makes his appearance for no clear reason. No explanation given for his crime. Nothing. Terribly, terribly disappointing. Particularly as I have read the other Justice's in the series + Murder One, and I know what William Bernhardt is capable of. Stay away from this book if you like a good mystery. If you like science fiction you might enjoy this absurd rubbish.

I wanted to go back after reading one and start with his first book. I found it OK but not what I would have expected. It had the young lawyer and interestng characters but it seemed to lack something. Even with the surprise ending well done it still left me with a little wonder. He certainly has written many more so I will continue to proceed.

As someone else said in a review, you can tell this is Bernhardt's first book. I agree it was good enough to try another one but not great. Cannot believe Ben was so bad in court. After all he had been in DA's office, what did he do there. Sounds like he can solve a mystery better than try one. Hope his character and that of Christina McCall get better as time goes on. Glad he left the big deal law firm. Reminds me of a lot of Attorneys and business people in general----the dollar is the only thing that matters. A fair mystery, a fair attorney. Glad I started with this one.

You won't be dissapointed with this series which has it all: humor, suspense and great characters. These books are very easy to read and you will find yourself finished with them sooner than you expected.

I hope you give this series a try!

Judge Pollak vacated and superseded the January 2002 opinion cited by another reviewer. Two U.S. Courts of Appeals have since held fingerprint evidence admissible. U. S. v. Mitchell, 365 F.3d 215 (3d Cir. 3004) and U.S. v. Crisp, 324 F.3d 261 (4th Cir. 2003). The Mitchell court rejected Cole's view that fingerprint evidence is not admissible under U.S. Supreme Court criteria for the admission of scientific opinion evidence.

This well written journey around the globe and into history helps us to grasp criminal identification as the complex result of social and technical evolutions. As increasing geographical and social mobility reduces personalized social control, technical means of identification develop and contribute to more and more institutionalized social control. Besides the initial anthropometric and nowadays' DNA identification, Cole mainly studies fingerprinting. It is here that my attention was most captured by some astounding flaws: Even though strong evidence shows that no two single human fingerprints are identical, this has never been scientifically proven. There is not even a consensus on the minimum requirements for attributing two fingerprints to the same individual. As a varying but often substantial proportion of fingerprint examiners have been found to be either incompetent or corrupt, the reliability of fingerprint identification seems to be much more relative than one may have thought. If Cole (Ph. D. in Science and Technology Studies from Cornell University) thus shakes established beliefs, he often stays somewhat descriptive, more conveying than argueing a critical stance. This is reflected in the bibliography (which is not separated from the references): truely large, mainly English and French, its many historical and technical titles leave limited room for more theoretical studies.

The book gives a historical overview of fingerprinting and why anthropometry was more inefficient for the police in the beginning of the 20th century. It furthermore is somewhat critical on the conclusions that are drawn in this field, and the limitations that exist. Also it discusses possibilities that suspects are not found in the database of fingerprints whereas the fingerprints are actually in it.

We see that more discussion on the use of fingerprints as evidence is available on the Internet, in literature and in court. It is always good to remain critical and in this way the book helps in the discussion. In my opinion more scientific research is needed in this field, which can help to have a good overview of limitations and acceptable use. The large finger print databases that exist certainly help to do more research

I looked forward to this book with much anticipation...perhaps too much, as I ended up being almost thoroughly disappointed.

First, let me say that Cole's research is by no means on the "cutting edge." Anyone who has done an extensive amount of reading or thinking on the subject of fingerprints should come to the simple conclusion that we do not currently have any way to back up the claim that no two prints are alike. Sure, in the off chance that we find two matching prints one day, the theory will be laid to rest - but without physical proof, theoretical proof cannot be created (in other words, there is no true mathematical or theoretical way to prove or disprove the theory of fingerprints). Some would say that the basis of a scientific theory is that it can be theoretically proven or disproven - hence, fingerprinting is not scientific. All I have to say to that is .... Duh. People have debated that point for dozens of years now.

One could give Cole a little credit for bringing up some lesser known but interesting points - eg, the origin of fingerprinting in Western society as a method to further segregate and identify social undesirables (an offshoot of methods based on race, class, mental health, etc.) But, still, this is not really anything new to those that have read the literature.

Additionally, he tends to make broad claims about what certain evidence means without bothering to back up his statements. More than any other of the techniques employed in the book, I found this the most frustrating of all...especially when he had just made a rather interesting and provocative statement, but which I was then unable to follow up on (either through a reference or a thorough logical argument on his part).

A friend of mine suggested that perhaps my criticism is too harsh, considering that this book is most likely his dissertation and thus not as polished as a 2nd or 3rd book. I don't feel like this is an excuse for lazy or sloppy work, however, and so I can only give this book a mediocre rating at best.

Simon Cole makes good points, BUT it is important to note that he is a polemicist and not a fingerprint expert.

Cole was to give evidence in the People v. James Hyatt (Oct 2001), before Honorable Michael J. Brennan, Supreme Court of the State of New York. The judge conducted a pre trial Frye hearing on the issue and concluded that Dr. Cole's evidence would not be permitted since it constitutes "junk science."

"Upon cross examination Dr. Cole conceded he is not a scientist in the traditional sense of the word but a historian and a social scientist. He also indicated he had not examined the actual fingerprints in this case and was aware a latent print examiner hired by the defense had examined such prints and found a match. Dr. Cole testified that he is not qualified to give an opinion on a fingerprint comparison and that his knowledge as to how latent fingerprints are examined and compared is minimal and obtained from professional literature. Dr. Cole conceded that his theories haven't been sufficiently tested to know whether they could be considered science but rather his opinion is based on scholarly research. Finally Dr. Cole admitted he has never been accepted as an expert in this area in either the State or Federal Courts and that his views were not generally accepted in the mainstream scientific community."

"After Dr. Cole's testimony the Court took judicial notice that fingerprint identification has long been recognized and accepted by all courts in the United States and that expert testimony concerning its use is always admissible provided the proffered witness is indeed qualified as an expert in the field."

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.

This word search is simple enough yet challenging for my twin boys. The letters are good size and it is not overwhelming for them to complete one puzzle.

A fan of P.D. James' mysteries, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this true crime book she had written with the historian T.A. Critchley. "The Maul and the Pear Tree" tells the tale of some sinister and disturbing murders that horrified and shocked the London docks in 1811. Through recreating the time period, studying testimony and accounts of the day, both author and historian have crafted an interesting read about not only murder but also about the restrictions of a rudimentary police system in trying to apprehend an otherwise unheard of serial killer.

In December of 1811, seven people were brutally slain. The first victims were the Marr family; a husband, wife, their infant son, and the boy who worked in their shop. All were found beaten to death with their throats cut to the neckbone, including the newborn son. The second victims were the Williamsons, the proprietors of a pub, who were slain in almost exactly the same manner as the Marrs.

The search that had begun with the Marr's murders, continued when the killer struck a second time. The clues were few, but included the murder weapon alluded to in the book's title. The testimony (both real and speculative) was plentiful, and the community was filled with terror and suspicion. The magistrates had an incredible task before them - to capture a killer before he, or they, since the evidence surely represented more than one killer, could strike again.

In 1811, the different policing agencies did not work together, and very rarely shared the information they received with another branch. This combined with sketchy details, suspicious neighbors, and the number of superfluous informants who came forward with information made a virtual circus of the trial process. Arrested and jailed on circumstantial evidence, a man by the name of John Williams was assumed to be the ghastly murderer that everyone had been searching for. Yet before he could be convicted of any crime, he was found hanged in his jail cell, apparently a self-murder. Yet the evidence shows that more than one person was involved in the murders of these two families. James and Critchley lay the groundwork for who the accomplices, or even who the mastermind behind these murders, might be. The author and historian even call into question whether or not Williams was set up and murdered by the real killer in order to guarantee his own escape. The truth shall never be known about the killer's identity, but "The Maul and the Pear Tree" is a highly informative, entertaining speculation about the Radcliffe Highway Murders.

Absolutely brilliant! At first, I wouldn't have believed so. I love true crime stories, but I thought it was a little bit presumptuous to try to solve a series of crime committed in the 1810's. But I read anyway, and it was a wonderful surprise.

First, the local color. The authors portray beautifully (and gloomily...) the city of London and the life of its inhabitants. It's also very informative - one comes to know how the English police force was first arranged, and what existed prior to that.

The characters, as we well know, are long dead, but through a series of educated guesses, psychological insight and factual information, the authors convey what was going through their minds.

P. D. James doesn't give us a final answer to the question of whom killed all those people, but she points a suspect, and by detailing her suspicions the reader is able to form his idea. Her theory is very plausible, to say the least.

In short, it's a book filled with suspense and humorous insights on the ideas and beliefs of the victorians. If you're interested in English history, famous true crime stories and whodunnits, do not miss this one.

The Ratcliffe Highway murders of 1811 were an incredible sensation in their time. The authors do a very good job of portraying a realistic look at life at the time of the killings. Whether or not the person who actually had the murders pinned on him was guilty is a question that can lead to long discussions with friends of like reading tastes. One thing I found surprising was how late people stayed up on the street in this era when street lighting was in its infancy.

I read a first edition of this book so I don't know if it has been updated to reflect some of the newer information that law enforcement has about home invasion murders as well as sadistic killers. That is the only thing I would possibly add to this very interesting history.

Of the many, many books I have read on this topic (which is one of my areas of interests) this is book is by far the best one I have read. This would be, in my opinion the most complete, informative and unbiased work on the subject.
The book covers just about everything most readers would like covered on Serial Murder. It covers fact, fiction, history, definitions, in fact everything you could imagine. I could not believe just how much is packed into the 380 odd pages.
Not only is the book a wealth of knowledge on the subject (and many related areas eg Stalking, Insanity Defences) but is also loaded with 'Profiles' of many individuals (and teams) to illustrate the area under discussion. Many tables also provide interesting reading.
The book also looks at the phenomina of Serial Murder in countries other than the USA.
Another thing I really like is the way Hickey presents various aspects and theories. Hickey discusses all the theories, views etc along with their apparent strenghts and weaknesses. For example, other authors I have read flatly dump the FBI Psychological Profiling Model. Hickly presents all the pros and cons on the topic in a very unbiased manner.
This book is not just a good book, it is a great book. It is a 'must have' in your collection, if this is your area of interest or you really want to learn about it. If someone asked me for just one book to read on Serial Murder, this would be the one. It covers so many topics within a topic, yet it is concise and very readable. The average person with no knowledge on this topic would walk away with a good 'working knowledge'.
I have read the book twice and have now been drawn back to a third read.
I will now be searching for other works by this author and congratulate him on a 'classic'.

This is an excellent reference book, but what really makes it stand out is the "Mind of a Killer" CD-ROM included with it.

The videos and searchable information on the CD-ROM really bring the subject vividly to life. There documentaries on about a dozen famous cases with footage I'd never seen before including confessions made to police, interviews and courtroom scenes.

I was also impressed with the mapping system that plots the locations of different cases or types of cases with all kinds of search options.

After reviewing and studying the material within this cover, you will see life in a different way. We all want to see the good in people; As any physical realm, there is the duality from good to evil. What exactly happens when what we see the destructive nature of man? What makes the destructive destructive? Who are they? What do they think? Where do they come from? and What will they do next?
This book helped me to breeze through my serial and mass murder class ... AND actually lock onto possible perpetrators in real world scenarios.
After reading this book and studying the nature of homocide, you'll be analyzing everything through rational choice. When you walk down the street, youll look at everyone as you notice their demeanor and watch their subtle actions. You'll look at the small and obscure nuacnes in nature as you enhance your deductive reasoning. Most of all, you will build a base in whch to combat becoming a victim.
I highly recommend the first piece you read in this book to be (pg 278) "An Interview with a Male Serial Murderer". This passage will restrain you to read and study this work to its end if not for learning, but to possibly stop a tragedy such as this from happening to someone you love.
You should supplement this book with TV: A&E, Biography, and History Channels will suffice.

Being one of the lucky people in this world to study from Dr. Hickey at Fresno State, I consider this book and the Dr. to be two of the most amaizing sources of knowledge in this dark field. If you begin reading this book knowing nothing about the topic, you walk away being a sudo-expert in the field and study of Serial Killers

I am a graduate student of Dr. Hickey's at California State University, Fresno. I came to this institution specifically as a matter of curricula, and I must say that after a review of the literature both broad and exhaustive Dr. Hickey's book is the closest thing we have to the reality of our special killers' doctrine. What is most compelling about this piece of literature is the open mentality that is greatly lacking in nearly every other book out there. We have relied to a great extent on the works of the FBI and, in a much more aniquated way, the works of Freud and the general positivists.

This text is certainly a sociological treatise, but even more so it underlines the issues inherent in both criminology and a general study of human nature. What should be garnered from this read is what we DON'T know as compared to what we do. One must applaud Dr. Hickey for his ability to admit that the evaporative quality of this field of study is prevalent and must be dealt with.

Of particular interest is the discussion of the mythology surrounding "serial killers" and the true affect with which they operate. Take these things for what they are worth and you are left with many questions. I have no doubt in my mind that this was the objective of Dr. Hickey, and is ideally the objective of any social scientist. Those who wish to comprehend the nature of serial killers will not find all their answers here, but they may find some questions that our humanity dearly needs to be addressed; the most important part.

Mickey Cohen certainly was a product of his time. Edward G. Robinson only played LITTLE CAESAR on screen, Cohen was the real thing. He was made to measure for dominating the crime in and around Hollywood. From fixing prize fights and horse races to shaking down movie stars and politicians.
Then there are the six murders that he freely admits to, not counting all those he doesn't own up to. Still, ask any waiter, car hop or bell boy and they're all tell you what a great guy he was -or rather a great tipper.

Mickey Cohen fitted right in with LA. His exploits commanded the front pages and gossip columns of the day. Brad Lewis' book is well researched, but for me not all the loose ends were tied together. Cohen's relationships with his bosses -the mob, are detailed better in Gus Russo's book SUPERMOB.

When most people hear the word "gangster", Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel or Meyer Lansky spring to mind. These were brilliant, charismatic, ruthless men who built financial empires on the backs of illegal activities, and often, other peoples misery.

I had never thought of Mickey Cohen as a first rate gangster of the magnitude of the aforementioned, but in reading this book, it is clear that he cut a wide swath through twentieth century American history.

The book is well written, although details of Cohen's life remain surprisingly sketchy. The author never does get a handle on where Cohen's opulent wealth comes from, although he does hint that prostitution and gambling are it's main source.

Cohen and Benny Siegel moved from East Coast to West to capture the vice at the request of Meyer Lansky, and each had a storied career. Siegel's has been told many times. Cohen's, normally as an adjunct to Siegel's.

This book makes clear that Cohen's life and influence far surpassed "Bugsy's". Cohen not only controlled much of the traditional vice along the West Coast, he had in's with Senators, Presidents, Hollywood icons, and even The Reverend Billy Graham.

Through it all he comes off as an upstanding, decent, and charismatic person.

He survived up to twelve attempted "hits", two extended prison stays, and not least, two marriages.

He is a piece of American folklore I would like to know more about, and for anyone who feels the same, this book is an excellent chronicle of a twentieth century enigma.

I liked this fascinating story of a criminal who didn't believe he was one. Before this very little was known about Mickey Cohen. I found the design descriptions of the night clubs and Cohen's houses and apartments very interesting. This underwold figure was made real, human, and surprisingly likeable. Each chapter revealed another intriguing facet of his life. Highly recommended. It is unusual for a history/biography to be such a fun read.

This is a firts bio of Mickey Cohen but it's much more and in fact covers a whole period in Mafia history centered on the West Coast. Made lively by hundreds of anecdotes, this book is very satisfying and fills a huge gap in the known history of the Jewish Mob, its political and business ramifications and the incredible reach of some of its memebers. From Bugsy Siegel to the rat Pack: all the Hollywood "gangs" are shown here and Mickey was almost like a puppet master pulling strings! A must read.

A comprehensive, thorough expose of the early Mafia days of New York, Hollywood, and Las Vegas. A fascinating read!

I'll Do My Own Damn Killin'GREAT BOOK! MOST FUN I HAVE EVER HAD READING A BOOK.

THIS STORY IS SO WELL WRITTEN AND SO INTERESTING THAT NICK CASSAVETES, MOVIE PRODUCER AND POKER PLAYER, HAS PURCHASED THE RIGHTS TO MAKE IT INTO A MOVIE. WHILE KICKING THIS AROUND A POKER GAME THE OTHER DAY THE PLAYERS AND I AGREED JOSH BROLIN SHOULD PLAY THE YOUNG BENNY BINION.

I expected to be somewhat entertained and learn a small bit about the history of Dallas gambling. I didn't expect to be so thoroughly consumed with the stories, the history and the characters. Excellent!

This is a great book. I knew Benny Binion. My new novel, Texas Poker Wisdom, has several stories about Benny, including the day I met him in 1960. When Binion moved to Vegas, he took a giant step down being a casino owner considering the many things he controlled in Dallas and Ft. Worth and elsewhere. The gambling wars in Dallas and Ft. Worth are hard to believe. Mr. Sleeper has written a book any Texan, gambler, or curious reader will love. I loved this book.
Johnny HughesTexas Poker Wisdom

If you have found yourself in Soprano-withdrawal, this book is for you. "I'll Do My Own Damn Killin'" is a raucous gangland tale of a long and bitter feud between two former partners for control of the Dallas gambling scene of the 1930s and 40s.

Most people know Lester Ben Binion as the Las Vegas icon who
owned some of the early casinos there, with the downtown Horseshoe Club being the most famous and longest-lived. But before his Las Vegas days he was known as the Dallas "boss gambler." He had most of Dallas law enforcement "fixed" so he could run his numbers, his policy wheels, and his poker games at the Southland Hotel without fear of arrest. He was temperamental, braggadocios, but also jovial in a sinister sort of way. The title of the book comes from a reply he gave when asked if he had ever hired a hit man.

Herbert Noble ran crap games in downtown Dallas and soon came to resent the 25-percent protection money he had to pay to Binion. He had dreams of being the Dallas gambling kingpin himself, and formed a partnership with a like-minded underworld financier. Soon the gambling wars had begun, with one Noble partner after another turning up dead, and back and forth contracts put out on various hardcases from both sides. Noble himself had no less than thirteen assassination attempts made on him. As the author says, "By the early Fall of 1950, planning to kill Herbert Noble had practically become a cottage industry in Dallas and Fort Worth."

Tragedy finally struck when Noble's 36-year-old wife made the fatal mistake of borrowing her husband's booby-trapped car. The explosion was heard eight miles away and the blast shattered windows for blocks. Her mangled body was laid to rest in a solid copper casket said to be the most expensive one ever sold in Dallas.

After this incident, the hatred that consumed Noble escalated the war and led to a hellish confusion of such grisly murders and maiming that it's hard to believe that this actually happened in Texas and not in some 12-hour Francis Ford Coppola trilogy. Notorious people move in and out of the pages, people like Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, Bugsy Siegal, Meyer Lansky, Estes Kefauver, and even one Jacob Rubenstein, aka Jack Ruby.

Finally by the end of the book, the good guys have arrived on the scene, the Texas Rangers, who put a stop to the violence. Thus ended the bloodiest two decades in Dallas history. The appendix contains testimonies, transcripts of recorded conversations, and progress reports on some of the still-unsolved murders from this shocking, full-scale gangland war that happened in Texas.

The law enforcement community should not let politics block a new invetigation of the case.The evidence is there and the families of the victims should have some closure.More importantly, the other killers involved must be brought to justice!

This book was so compelling I have thought about it for many years. I read it when it first came out in first printing. Have been looking for it for years,and have been unsuccessful. Now I will order it and read it again. This is the ultimate truth is stranger than fiction read. The powerful distracting the populace with horror we can not escape for the purpose of leading astray from a the truth send shivers down your spine.

Having lived in California during the decade of the sixties I recall that the Haight Ashbury scene turned very vicious around 1969. Where people would share their homes, beds, food, wine (and dope if you were so inclined) freely in '67 and '68; by '69 a real evil, rip off, vicious, criminal type element drove people away from that scene, or into isolated seclusion, in droves. It culminated graphically in the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont in 1969. The street thieves, cults, criminals basically took over as if the flower people were lambs for the slaughter. This book, while often having a "nailing jelly to a wall" feeling, puts the whole change into perspective with the elements of Manson, the entertainment industry, mafia, cults, devil worshippers, pedophiles and upper class perverts as a driving force. The author mentions the London scene, Marianne Faithful, Kenneth Anger and the Stones in passing. For many years I've wondered about the reports that Brian Jones had been intentionally drowned in his pool by a rough element in July of 1969. (The kind of rough element the author cites as surrounding Mama Cass.) Marianne Faithful attempted suicide soon after Brian's death. Anita, (Brian's lover and later Keith's wife) was involved with the occult and some years later a teenage lover killed himself in her bed. Many music celebrities were into the occult (from Satanic to S&M to Nazi symbols and themes) from the late 60's through the 70's. It reminded me that Brian Jones was invited to the Monterey festival in '67 by John Phillips and may have known or met many of the same people in California and London that were into the occult fringe the author describes. It also occurred to me that the perfect theme song for this book and the scenes it describes is "Sympathy for the Devil" written by the Rolling Stones in 1968 (".... Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste....") In addition to all of the intermeshed tentacles of this Godless underground of killers and perverts, it is really scary that the author's words and photos reminds us that Berkowitz and alot of the other criminals involved looked like regular people, had 9 to 5 day jobs as trades people, doctors, lawyers, policemen, etc. I guess you never know who is sitting next to you on the subway or who is knocking at your door. If Maury Terry writes another one, I'll buy it. I hope he puts an index on the next one.

I read this book several years ago and it chilled me to the bone, I can remember the things taking place in my hometown of Minot ND. Reading this book was frightening to me as I read and knew many of the people involved in this case. Maury Terry is right -- Berkowitz did not act alone. A must read for anyone interested in FACT not fiction.

Everybody knows that David Berkowitz is the Son of Sam and he is held responsible for the senseless murders and shootings in the summer of 1977. The author does an excellent job in bringing about the era as well as explaining the circumstances regarding all the victims. Apart from this book, I barely read the Son of Sam case since it didn't interest me as much as others. The author also tries to tie Son of Sam murders with a bizarre murder case at Stanford chapel in Palo Alto, California in 1974 involving a young wife from North Dakota whose husband was a student at the famed university. The book is a heavy read and there is a lot of information to sort out but the author does write clearly and well regarding the possible connections between satanic cults and the murders and deaths of so many others as well. I am one for conspiracies anyway so I am beginning to believe Maury Terry's argument that there is more than meets the eye.