Crime Books

You are alone in the middle of the ocean, at the mercy of the wind and the sea. How scary is that? What if strangers are trying to get you too? Or ARE they? Read this book and find out! Soooooo scary! Five stars!

You are alone in the middle of the ocean, at the mercy of the wind and the sea. How scary is that? What if strangers are trying to get you too? Or ARE they? Read this book and find out! Soooooo scary! Five stars!

This is a damn good book. As retirees, my wife and I read alot of books. This is a very good book. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. We expect this book to be passed along to all our friends.

This is a damn good book. As retirees, my wife and I read alot of books. This is a very good book. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. We expect this book to be passed along to all our friends.

'The Devil To Pay' truly is a sailing mystery adventure, in which a beautiful boat (yacht) takes the lead role for a good portion of the story. I found the characters appealing because they rose to an enormous challenge with courage and intelligence. Leda, the heroine, particularly impressed me. The plot is tight, with a fitting surprise ending. Boat lovers will especially appreciate the detailed descriptions of everything pertaining to the boat and sailing, but even I, a total ignoramus of sea-faring matters, appreciated the deft way in which the author made use of his extensive knowledge of boating to develop and further the plot.

Well done, Mr. Parola!

Some of my favorite authors are Canadian. Cheryl Tardif is a new addition to the ranks of Margaret Atwood, Tanya Huff, and a host of others.

Arson is probably the deadliest five letter word and definitely a curse to any firefighter or criminalist. Solving arson cases and especially preventing recidivism in an arsonist takes special training. A future Canadian FBI has developed a crack team of investigators to help solve these types of crimes. The three are led by Matthew Divine, hence the name of the book. Divine makes no appearances and seems more like the mysterious "Charlie" of the Angels' boss.

Jasi (Jasmine) McLellan, is a Pyro psychic who can breathe smoke from either the conflagration or cremains of a crime and join minds with the arsonist. Natassia, a recent Russian emigre, is a Victim Empath, who literally talks to dead people and 'empties' their psychic aura when she reads them. Ben rounds out the team (and provides a love interest for Natassia) as a profiler and empath. For this book, they are joined by arson investigator, Brandon Walsh, who initially doesn't believe in any of their gifts and serves as an interesting antagonist.

The team's facing a serial arsonist. The crime that comes to their attention is the incineration of Dr. Norman Washburn at his lakeside cabin. The physician is trussed up in IV tubing, soaked with gasoline, and set ablaze. What gets them called in is that the physician is the 'illegitimate father' of a notable politician from that area.

"He needed killin'" is a common phrase in the South and unfortunately, there's not much sympathy for the victim in this case. Nor for one of the prior victims, foster mother Charlotte Foreman, who died in a similar manner, unfortunately, Samantha, one of Charlotte's foster kids, was witness and the arsonist killed her as well.

It's clear that the arsonist is working from a 'dead list' and will strike again so it's imperative the team tracks him down quickly. The issue is--can Jasi work with Brandon when the sparks literally are flying between them? And can they untangle the Gordian knot of clues in before perhaps another innocent victim goes out in a blaze?

It's difficult to write a credible multiple point of view novel, because each character has to have his or her own 'voice'. Ms. Tardif manages to do that with the four primary characters. In addition, Jasi slips into the arsonist's mind and Natassia gives voice to the victims.

The alternate world Ms. Tardif has created is also interesting combined with a very Canadian feel. It still blows my mind that a criminal investigator would be taking a taxi anywhere, I'm so used to the US agents with their G-rides.

My only gripes are more than average copy-editing problems and Jasi missing some critical questions on one cab driver interrogation. I realize she did it to keep the suspense going, but that was at the cost of the character and unworthy of her talents. A veteran agent, like Jasi, would have asked more questions and eliminated the subject right there.

My next stop is to purchase Ms. Tardif's second book, "Divine Justice". Merry Christmas to me!

Things get really hot in this paranormal thriller when a serial arsonist murders three people, one of whom is the father of a politician on the rise. Set in British Columbia at a time in the near future, the case is assigned to a very special team of investigators with psychic abilities.

Leading the team is agent Jasmine McLellan, a Pyro-Psychic who can visit the remains of an arsonist's target and reconstruct the crime through the mind of the perpetrator. The other two members are Ben, a Psychometric Empath who can check you out by just touching your bare skin, and Natassia, a Victim Empath, who can reverse the saying that dead men tell no tales. The three form a very closely knit group, so that when they are ordered to temporarily expand the group by one, things get really tense, especially when the newest member is tall, rugged and handsome, but most of all, a skeptic.

The trail blows hot and cold as it leads them across British Columbia, as do the emotions, but the thing is, how many more people does the arsonist intend to kill, and how are the victims connected to each other?

The author combines murder, arson, adultery, blackmail, abuse and much more in this fast-paced book that you'll just have to read in one sitting. The only problem with it is that there is a book two mentioned, and I don't yet have a copy in my hands.


Amanda Richards, August 28, 2007

Jasmine McLellan and her team of psychically-gifted CFBI agents race against the clock to discover the identity of a serial arsonist/murderer. The reader is swept along through plot twists, profiling, even politics as 'Jasi', herself, enters the mind of the killer.
Highly emotional, yet intriguing, "Divine Intervention" is the first of the 'Divine Series' by Ms Tardif, who has already made a name for herself with "Whale Song" and "The River".
"Divine Intervention" is set in southern British Columbia, Canada in the not-too-distant future, and is as well-written and moving as her previous novels. And for excitement and thrills, it surely doesn't disappoint! Divine Intervention

A serial arsonist is on the loose, and they may strike again. Jasi's team of psychically gifted individuals is set on the case. Another member, albeit sceptical, is later added to the case, even though this adds unwanted friction within the group dynamics. The team uses their gifts to gain valuable clues, leading them down a twisty path across British Columbia to the most likely suspect; but the clues do not always point in the right direction. The arsonist will strike again. Will Jasi and her team discover who the culprit is in time? Or will they be too late?

Tardif writes a unique crime thriller set in British Columbia. Her use of psychically gifted characters adds to the uniqueness of the story, as well as adding extra layers. Through the use of the characters' gift, the reader can see the twisted minds of the criminal as well as the victims, who are just as twisted, if not more so, than the criminal. Jasi's team is a very tight-knit group, who have worked on several cases together. The new member to the team adds some tension and conflict between the members. This added friction contributes another dimension to the story. Tardif leads the readers on an exciting adventure as the characters gain clues, struggling against time to solve the case before the arsonist strikes again.

Cheryl Tardif was born in Vancouver, B.C., and has lived at different locations across Canada and Bermuda. She has also published the novels Whale Song and The River. There are more books in the works and waiting to be published, including the much anticipate second book in the Divine series, Divine Justice.

A crime novel at its best, with a Canadian twist, this book is a really thrilling page-turner, and is highly recommended by: Margaret Orford, Allbooks Reviews.

If you are a mystery fan then Divine Intervention will definately appeal to you. But this story is more than your average murder mystery. It is a futuristic mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the very end wondering just who did it.

Like a fly getting trapped in a spiders web this story will keep you entangled right until the very end.

Whale song was great, but Cheryl Tardifs stories just keep on getting better. I cannot wait until her next one.

Ian Lyon Poet, Artist and soon to be Author.

Strong believes she has found a new category of killers. That is not to suggest that eraser killers, like serial killers, another category lately described, didn't exist previously. Just that she can now find a pattern and has labeled it.

Eraser killers are men who want women gone from their lives. Erased, vanished, no longer a bother. Frequently, these wives or girlfriends are pregnant. "Recent studies from several states...have found homicide to be the number one cause of death among pregnant women and that women continue to be at increased risk for being murdered for usp to a year after giving birth...A 2005 study...found homicide to be the second leading cause of ...dead...behind in pregnant and postpartum women, being motor vehicle accidents" (p 28).

Essentially, as in the famous case of Scott Peterson, these men created forced abortions.

The cases are fascinating. And certainly the utter callousness of the men astonishes. Edward Kakas was "obsessed over his appearance, waring $1,000 suits" (p 154) and pleased with his pretty wife until she insisted, without his agreement, on getting pregnant and having the baby. He started to refer to her as "'the fat wop'". (p 155). He could have divorced her. But that would have meant money for her and the child. So, instead, he killed her.

Interesting but scary.

This book really hit home for me and I stayed awake all night to the point of exhaustion to finish it. I came very close, twice, to being a missing or murdered wife. My ex-husband finally served some jail time after kidnapping and attempting to murder me but when we were married the police acted as though my being beaten by him was a "domestic disturbance" and they refused to file a report.

I finally understand why my ex-husband acted the way he did and how he was able to screw everyone who ever cared for him without remorse.

This book should be required reading for every cop around the world and for every prosecuter who wants a better understanding of the "charming sociopath".

I am really surprised by the review below that criticizes the prose in this book. I thought it of high quality and unobtrusive. Adjectives have not been eliminated from the language, and they were not inappropriately overused in this book. Curious.

Does the true crime genre really need a fifteenth book about the Scott and Laci Peterson case? One could reasonably conclude that the question answers itself. Then I read Erased.

Unlike the fourteen titles that preceded it -- including books by the jurors, the journalists, Laci's mother, Scott's sister and lover -- the latest title to delve into the most widely publicized U.S. case since OJ's acquittal stands alone. Erased: Missing Women, Murdered Wives [Amazon; B&N] by Marilee Strong (with Mark Powelson) is very well informed by history and psychology. The lead author has delved to the nth degree into the criminal history of the United States, and the result is a unique study of a certain type of uxorcide. I couldn't skim or skip a page of this book, which marries, if you will, two of my favorite subgenres: spousal murder stories and criminal psychology.

In developing a profile of what she terms "eraser" killers, the author recounts many cases that have remarkable parallels to the Peterson case, highlighting dozens already familiar to some of us: Chester Gillette, Carlyle Harris, Reverend Richeson, Robert Blake, Mark Hacking, Bartin Corbin, Michael Peterson, Father Hans Schmidt, and numerous other more obscure murders. In developing her profile, she comes to some strong conclusions while offering a depth of research to support them. For example, she points to the fact that Scott Peterson reported his wife missing on Christmas Eve. I had assumed that he was a psychopath who gave himself a Christmas present. Author Strong points out a more mundane possibility: that a disappearance on a holiday would not result in a vigorous investigation by experienced detectives. Just as Theodore Dreiser "profiled" Chester Gillette and his brothers in crime in fictional terms, this author does so in the language of clinical psychology.

I approached this book skeptically, frowning at the flap copy, groaning at the press release ("missing women cases ... have come to dominate the national print and broadcast media since the highly publicized disappearance of Laci Peterson," it says, when it should say such cases have always dominated the media). I've also grown more skeptical of the work of profilers and agree with the general prohibition against admitting their testimony in court, while at the same time I think they are useful to the general public. And crime encyclopedias usually disappoint this reader with numerous errors. Not this time. Erased is cogent and compelling.

Erased is an intense and insightful book that explores the disturbing trend of men who decide to "erase" the women in their lives whom they consider no longer of any use.

Marilee Strong is an excellent writer, who dissects historical and current cases involving men who decided that disappearing inconvenient wives or girlfriends is an easier decision than divorce or separation. Most notably these women are eliminated due to an unwelcome pregancy that the man believes will negatively disrupt his life (lifestyle).

Ms. Strong uses Scott Peterson as a template of an eraser killer~and also discusses the Mark Hacking case in detail. She enables the reader to understand the motivations behind these killings and the mindset of the killer. Most of these men are narcissitic sociopaths, therefore it is easy for them to kill without guilt, because they don't know the true concept of love, compassion, or empathy. The reason they don't just split or get a divorce, is that they don't want to look bad (the narcissistic part of their personality cannot bear to have others look down upon them, and since it would look bad to leave a pregant wife, it is easier to "erase" the wife, and maybe in the process gain attention and sympathy from family/friends/community). In the killer's mind, once the wife is erased, he can move on and do what HE wants to do, not be saddled with a wife and kid.

I recommend this book, as it delves much deeper into the psyche of the "eraser" killer than any of the true crime books I have read. Again, Ms. Strong is an eloquent writer who presents many facsinating cases, some I have never heard about~and the mind and motive of these horrendous husbands.

"Erased combines the scholarly wisdom of The Mask of Sanity and the true-life horror of In Cold Blood. Marilee Strong has discovered--and understands--the most insidious and perhaps most evil form of spousal killing" is the judgment of the high profile forensic psychologist J. Reid Meloy from UC San Diego. That's part of what gives this book its power--combining both powerful case stories worthy of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, with insights and observations that put the vivid stories of homicide and deviousness in perspective. (The Mask of Sanity is a classic in the field, but out of print. The modern version is Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us.

Instead of just news stories which never seem to stop about missing women, murdered women, and the men who are "persons of interest" if not actually charged--Hans Reiser, Drew Peterson, Scott Peterson, Michael White, Rae Carruth, Robert Durst and dozens more--Marilee Strong gives us the hope that something can be known about men who murder their wives and do it with planning and utter coldness. Finally, the crime has been given a name, "eraser killing."

But it is really the author's compassion for the victims of these crimes that makes this book a landmark. Erased is not a book that pretends to be "objective" about the crime of killing women and Strong's passion and concern is what makes it a wonderful read for some (and, sadly, makes it a little uncomfortable for those few who are uneasy about extending compassion.)

There are many, many more victims of these killings than any statistic or long list of dead and missing women might indicate, as bad as that is. What Strong understands is that families, friends, whole communities are frozen and unable to experience grieving as a process because they are blocked from having the simple, terrible facts: Is my daughter/friend/relative/mom dead, or alive? Where is she? What exactly happened to her? Why did you do this?

Grieving and healing cannot happen, cannot begin when so many people are so cruelly tortured by being kept endlessly on edge, endlessly in "search" mode, jumping at every phone call, hoping against hope that the woman who is "missing" will finally move out of that purgatory.

This book itself provides hope, through the author's own compassion and understanding, and through a public statement that, yes, there is a problem, a dilemma that has an impact on us as a community. We have a responsibility especially when there are children involved--whether they are little children to whom the missing woman was a teacher (Laci Peterson), or to whom she was mother (many, many, many).

As someone who once stood in the quiet yard of the Peterson house in Modesto when Laci Rocha Peterson was "only" a missing, pregnant woman, I saw, and shed tears with the hundreds of people who came on their own, quietly, solemnly placing flowers, cards drawn by little children, crosses, candles, and poems. People had driven in old cars and farm trucks and they represented every corner of that diverse farming community. If we do care as a community, then there is hope in confronting a crime so dark that it has escaped being identified.

Marilee Strong has put a name on crime that has caused so many to shed tears, and feel the pain and loss of others. Now we know, at least, that the destructive, self-absorbed personalities who perpetrate these crimes can be understood and so can their astonishingly audacious methods.

If we understand that much, we can not only share compassion as a community, we can begin to figure out how best to counter and block these eraser killers.

I have enjoyed ALL of Rhys Bowen's murder mysteries. I write this review of the Constable Evans book because Rhys will no longer be writing this series. This is a big disappointment as I enjoyed the innate goodness of Constable Evans and his struggles with humanity in a small slice of earth that struggles with it's own history and growth. I have collected all the paperbacks of this series and I guess I'll just have to keep reading them over and over.

After finishing this thoroughly satisfying cozy, you'll feel as if you had an insider's visit to a charming little village of Llanfair in Wales. The characters actually breathe, the language is just plain FUN, these are people you've sure you have truly met. The writing is clever and inspired and the scenes are wonderfully painted. Constable Evan Evans is the policeman with both a heart and a brain, as well as a coodling landlady and enough love interest to keep tongues wagging. Dueling church billboards are a witty and delightful touch.

This reader is delighted that there is more of Evans and Llanfair waiting. If you have made it through the series and wonder what's next - then M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series of cozies might should be added to your reading list.

That's surprising given I've been to Wales and it was very foggy and damp -- but the Wales described in this book is a wonderful place indeed -- beautiful and filled with kind, caring people (who unfortunately for any outsider speak Welsh!)

This is the second book in the series -- I'm reading them in order -- and I think I liked it better than the first. I thought at first I had everything all figured out, and was disappointed, but as it turned out, I wasn't even close. That's a great mystery. Add to that a wonderful world you enter when you read this book...

The plot involves a summer resident (a retired Colonel living on a pension who comes to this tiny village in Wales every year for a holiday) who is found dead right after he's discovered some ruins. The local constable, Evan Evans, immediately believes he was murdered, but the police higher up the chain of command try to insist it's an accident. Then there is another death -- made to look like a suicide. Is there one killer or two? Evans gets involved in trying to find the connection between these two deaths as the key to discovering what happened.

All in all, a great book to curl up with when you have the time to read uninterrupted -- it creates a wonderful mood.

This series is set in the peaceful Welsh village of Llanfair and features Evan Evans, the local constable. When two recently arrived Londoners are murdered, Evans must sift through the rivalries that the victims were involved in. This is a well-crafted series with likable characters and well-written plots. Each entry in the series is better than the one before. If you like British procedurals, add this to your to-buy list.

Life in Llanfair is about to get another jolt. Colonel Arbuthnot is hit over the head and killed right after discovering an ancient ruin on the nearby mountains. Meanwhile, tensions build in the town when Evans-the-Meat announces a plan to put the village on the map and returning resident Ted Morgan announces plans to turn the old slate mine into an amusement park. Then a second body turns up. Constable Evan Evans finds himself overwhelmed with events and trying to find the pieces to make sense of it all. But if that's not complication enough, there's a new female resident in town, and she also has her eye on the eligible lawman.

I just discovered this series last month, and I've already read two of them. The characters and setting are charming. The author's obvious love of them comes through on every page. The plot is great as well. While I had some things figured out, there were still enough twists to keep me surprised until the end.

Anyone looking for a relaxing cozy mystery would do well to book some time in Llanfair. I'm hooked and look forward to many happy visits with Evan and his neighbors.

Evil Angel is a story of a domestic set up. A simple enough scene until something goes wrong with a vengeance. Enter the Evil Angel out to manipulate and justify what is in her head.
Already drawn in and made part of the cast, the reader is taken along on a journey which is fast and furious.
Forget about taking breaks, pausing for breath, the Evil Angel is on your shoulders watching,waiting, and that is exactly how it is through the book leading up to a climax where characters line up, as in a stage play, to certainly interact with evident mayhem and violence.
In the middle of the story,no right through it from start to finish, the reader has an affinity for a poor young baby. Something good will happen to the baby? Perhaps. But the only way to discover is to read the book and then you'll wonder, when you next go to church, if a certain Evil Angel is rubbing shoulders with you.
The Evil Angel looks so ordinary and beautiful,I've heard.
I'm a thriller writer and have a gut feeling that something lurks below the surface of this pond of life. Now I've thought some more I'm keen to tackle RD to find out if what I suspect might become a sequel to Evil Angel. But will RD spill the beans. Well, the baby grows up to be beautiful. And we all know what strange things happen to beautiful women...

Having previously read the wonderfully tender "Mama Stories," RD surprised me with "Evil Angel," a gripping and suspenseful piece that displays her wide-ranging writing skill. Read them both. You won't be disappointed. Her vivid portrayals and characters go well beyond simply putting words to a concept or capturing scenes from a dream--she must have actually been there! How else could she give such clarity? Her abilities scare me!

These two books are hallmarks of her endless imagination, endless talent.

Lad Moore
Story Editor, WebSeen

GREAT AUTHOR! Can't put the book down. I have waited a long time for RD to get her work into print and now she has. I am half way through it and love it. I recommend buying it before Amazon.com sells out!

Keep up the great writing RD.

Love you!

This romantic, mystery thriller kept me glued. The story picks you up and the momentum carries you right through to the last page.

RD Larson's pen is quick and to the point. Not a moment, not a word wasted in "Evil Angel". In twenty-four fast moving chapters, Larson weaves a web of mystery, horror, love, and passion not to be easily forgotten.

Hillary goes to Aspen in search of healing. Jack seeks respite from a violent relationship. The mighty hand of fate throws them together in an unforgettable journey that covers the full emotional spectrum. The author writes with conviction, and authority, as her pen dashes from one end of that gamut to the other. And the ski slopes of Aspen will never be the same, as they become the playground for a game of horror when the Evil Angel comes out to play.

With stark, graphic honesty, RD Larson, gives life to characters whose malevolence seem so real, as to raise absolutely no doubt in the reader's mind. Each explicit moment described is vital to their subsequent actions, and we come to know them as they really are.

Larson shows endless versatility and deep knowledge of her subject. She gets the reader right into the psychology of her characters. Right into their deepest and darkest feelings. Her range will take us from the purely naïve to horrifying slaughter. At the end, her writing genius will not leave us thinking this is a simple question of `good guys', vs `bad guys'. Rather, Larson guides us to raise our own questions about the reality of evil minds, misguided souls, and dysfunctional lives.

The shear pace of "Evil Angel" is breathtaking. From the dark moments conjured by the mind of a tortured soul, to the lightness of love, from cruel revenge, to the touch of passion, from mystery to discovery, this book does not stop. Not even at the end, when Larson's magic pen leaves us wanting more.

RD Larson is one of my favorite writers. I literally couldn't put this book down. I highly recommed it.

This book is a must read for parents and for anyone working in local, state or federal law enforcement. It offers a clear understanding of how many sick people are out there and how our children are so vulnerable and easily exposed to these internet predators. The work of Good together with the FBI is extraordinary. Their efforts will not take all predators off the street, but with each one they send to jail, several of our children are saved from their lives and innocense being destroyed.

Hey Folks,
Mrs.Good takes you through her experiences with the sexual predators that she enounters in her great work as a civilian UC helping the FBI put these folks where they belong...in a cage away from our kids! This book discusses the many facets of this section of law enforcement and even brings you into a trial and shows you the sleazy attempt by a defense lawyer to get the predator from having to do the time for his, or her, crime. This is a great book to companinion "To catch a Predator" by Chris Hasen. These two books are must reads for anyone interested in this subject. God Bless you all, Doneaux.

This book was very informative and eye opening. I recommend it for anyone with a teenager that wants to know what to look for on the internet.

I have read this book, and found it very interesting! Repetitive it was NOT. There are ALOT of sick pediphiles out there, and this lets them know we have their number! This woman works at getting them off the internet, and it doesn't take over night, it's alot of making sure she has who she thinks she has. I think R. Stephanie Good is a "PLUS" to life, if only more people were more like her this world would be a better place.

The book exposes the real world we live in and the dangers it poses. The author does an excellent job of telling the stories and not getting into too much detail. We need more people willing to risk their own personal life to help others.

Anything where Mr. Collins is involved it number one with me. End of discussion.

When attaching ones self to a celebrities persona, (i.e. actor) one tends to critique only the physical contributions. Stephen Collins is not just an actor. He is an intellectual literary artist capturing your interest from beginning to end in this book. The character, "Nicolette Stallings" embraces your fantasies and simultaneously engages you in a plethera of empathy. Her erotic behavior is stimulating, believable, and before long, desirable to any red blooded American woman. Stephen Collins? A Minister?
(Eric Camden) not in this book.............he's too delicious for words.

I actually read `Eye Contact' a few years ago. It was the first erotic thriller that I'd ever read and it still stands out in my mind as on of the best.

This is the story of actress Nicolette Stallings who only feels powerful when seducing someone of the opposite sex. However, her sexual game of cat and mouse soon turns deadly when she propositions a man she meets in a restaurant who she playfully dubs as "Wally Wall Street". After their one night encounter at a high class hotel Nick finds it hard to get rid of "Wally" who now blames her for the break up of his marriage. After an unsuccessful attempt on his own life "Wally" otherwise known as Jeffery White, finally does succeed in killing himself but not before he manages to frame Nick for his murder! As Nick becomes the center of the medias attention and hunted by the police she tries to find a way to prove her innocence not without having a few sexual encounters along the way.

`Eye Contact" is an excellent erotic thriller not for the timid and will keep you at the edge of your seat trying to figure out how everything will play out in the end. Who would have though that the minister for 7th Heaven could write like this?

This novel really does stand the test of time. I read this book many years ago and it still sets well in my memory to this day. It has just about everything in it that one can imagine. Reading this novel is quick and doesn't drag on and on like some novels that I've completed. The long of the short of it, "If this book stands out in my mind today, even though it has been many years since I've read it, then it has to be good reading."

If you don't believe me - buy it and read it yourself.

I actually read 'Eye Contact' a few years ago. It was the first erotic thriller that I'd ever read and it still stands out in my mind as one of the best.

This is the story of actress Nicolette Stallings who only feels powerful when seducing someone of the opposite sex. The sexual game of cat and mouse soon turns deadly when she propositions a man she meets in a restaurant who she playfully dubs as "Wally Wall Street". After their one night encounter at a high class hotel Nick finds it hard to get rid of "Wally" who now blames her for the break up of his marriage. After an unsuccessful attempt on his own life "Wally" otherwise known as Jeffery White, finally does succeed in killing himself but not before he manages to frame Nick for his murder! As Nick becomes the center of the medias attention and hunted by the police she tries to find a way to prove her innocence not without having a few sexual encounters along the way.

'Eye Contact" is an excellent erotic thriller not for the timid and will keep you at the edge of your seat trying to figure out how everything will play out in the end. Who would have though that the minister from 7th Heaven could write like this?

I read this book in a weekend! I could not put it down. It had humor, suspense, twists and turns - all the makings of a great book. I can't wait to see where this author takes us next!

Enjoyed the story immensely..wonderful character analysis of man & animal..Is a sequel in the offering? Terrific new author.

I really enjoyed the comparisons of the animal world with the human world. The writing style of this book truly kept me constantly wanting to read on. There is crime, love, travel and plot twists in this book that add to all the excitement! I'm looking forward to reading any other works this author will produce!

This is a completely different view of love, death and intrigue. The most amazing thing to me is how the animal characters jump out of the book and become so real. Each animal character having it's own unique personality.

A truly different type of fantasy book. The author conveys the innocence of the animal kingdom and the cruelty of the human race.

Hope this author continues with this type of storyline, would like to read more.

Started reading and got into the story and was loving it and didn't want to stop

Wife with too much money kills husbund. Brother who wants more money is killed. Was it worth it? She now sits in a jail in China.No money,kids,or boyfriend.

Kevin F. McMurray missed his calling. This investigative reporter should have been a detective. With him it just the facts. His research is SUPERB! Not a rehash. He doesn't embellish the case with his own speculation. He leaves that up to you. McMurray lifts the dark veil of the Kissel Dynasty, and what he reveals is the dark side of their high society, Wall Street, power, fame, wealth, fraud, sex and murders. McMurray extensive interviews paint a portrait of the Jekyll and Hyde within each personality. His work is thorough and yet he treats each suspect and victim with respect. This style makes his books page turners. It would make one hell of a movie. A real life who-dun-it?

I also read his fascinating book, "Deep Decent" about his dives on the infamous Andrea Doria sunk in 1955. His hair raising adventures of deaths and near death experiences makes great reading. This guy seems like the real deal.

I have been reading Kevin's works as they come out and this is his best effort to date. A must read !! Kevin puts you right into the lives of this family and shows all the scars.

The poor Kissell family who had it all but was cursed by it's own success. The poor brothers, Robert and Andrew Kissell, were murdered. Robert was murdered by his wife, Nancy, in Hong Kong. She was sentenced to life in prison there. Their three children would face a custody battle among in-laws. Andrew had lots of legal problems because he acted illegally and immorally in most business and finance transactions not like his brother Robert who graduated college, married, and rose up the financial ladder as being one of the hardest working financiers even in Hong Kong. Regardless, Robert and Andrew did not deserve their fate. Robert's wife, Nancy, was lonely and was having an affair with a blue collar television repairman in Vermont where they had a second winter home. Sadly, Robert and Andrew were laid beside their mother Elaine Kissell at Riverside Cemetery in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Robert's children are being raised by the only surviving Kissell child, Jane Kissell Clayton, in Seattle, Washington with her two children. The Kissell patriarch is still alive and living in Florida. It's still a sad story but I think the writer's inexperience at writing true crime stories surfaces here and will get better in the future.

A Family Cursed: The Kissell Dynasty, a Gilded Fortune, and Two Brutal Murders (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

Kevin McMurry strikes again! This story of real life power, wealth, greed, desperation and yes murder, will captivate you. You do not need to be a lover of true crime stories to get hooked on this compelling story by Kevin. The author's vivid descriptions of desperate people doing the unthinkable in order to retain & gain wealth will capture your imagination. Two perfect American Families that any of us would love to be a part of or maybe not. Kevin's investigative reporting & analysis mixed with a true Irishman's uncanny ability to tell a story makes this read a real winner!

This was a great true crime book, these books usually are. Mark Putnam was an upper crust athelete from New England, Susan Smith was a poor Appalacian girl. Through twists of fate, their paths crossed, and Susan's dead body was thrown off the side of a road up in the mountains.

Mark Putnam graduated from the FBI academy and was stationed in the West Virginia/ Kentucky region for his first assignment. He met and used Susan Smith as an informant to nab a serial bank robber known as 'Cat Eyes'. They had an affair behind their spouse's backs. Everything went well until Susan got pregnant and Mark got reassigned to Miami.

Well poor Susan was a loose end that demanded child support, so Mark came back from Miami to 'take care of things'. For killing his lover and his unborn child he got 16 years. In Kentucky, it is not murder to kill an unborn child. Nonetheless, Mark got off easy and the 'system' protected him.

Aphrodite Jones was a very fluid writing style and made this book and enjoyable 2 day read.

I have never read this book yet but I do intend on doing so. I went to school with Susans boy who just recently passed away at age 19 last month. Also I read where someone was asking about the killer and yes hes now out of jail he has been for a few years. Why in the heck hes out I dont have a clue a killer doesnt deserve a second chance. It just broke Bradys heart whenever he got released from prision. Justice wasnt served thats for sure.

I loved the book but i want to know what is going on now. Is Mark Putnam out of jail at this time. I got done and closed the book and wanted to keep reading and finding out more about it and can't seem to find anything on the internet about it.

AJ gives us a really good insight into what happened to Susan Smith. And good thing because I'm pretty sure Putnam's confession consisted of 95% lies and only about 5% truth. What I find reprehensible is the FBI's role in the whole crime. They not only chose to ignore it in the beginning but then when they were forced to deal with the issue they basically did everything they could--even after Putnam confessed--to make it easier for the murderer, to cover up important details and, from my understanding, to dispose of some of the remains that would have told a more incriminating story than the one Putnam told, if they'd been examined. And Ron Poole--what was his deal? He acted inappropriately from the get go. I can just see all these professional federal agents sitting around the Pikeville FBI office drinking their coffee and eating their donuts and laughing like a bunch of bozos about Putnam getting a little from the cute little informant. Made my stomach turn. Makes you wonder what kind of people we have looking after us. Mark Putnam, like the book said, is a much darker figure underneath the surface. When I first began reading the book I thought Susan probably fabricated most of their time together. But by the end, I was sure there was more to it and while his version was mostly fiction, hers was not.

Often in true crime, we find that the victim (and even sometimes the suspect) is made out to a sympathetic soul who others are shocked wound up in a homicide situation. Not in the case in this extremely well written book by Aphrodite Jones about FBI Agent Mark Putnam who killed his pregnant mistress, Susan Smith, when she began pressuring him to support his child that she was carrying either by support payments are divorcing his wife, Kathy, and marrying her.

Putnam eventually confessed to the crime after failing a polygraph administered by the FBI. However, he told a 'sweet and endearing' version of how his 'accidentally' killed his mistress. Unfortunately, Pike County officials let him enter his plea and confession before forensics were completed and Putnam was sentenced to sixteen years; not even in a state penitentary but in a Federal medical center.

Jones provides a clear, concise, yet unopinionated, account of the politics played in closing the books on Susan Smith's case; just a poor girl from the hills of Kentucky, who was well known to use and sell drugs and defraud the welfare system. Kentucky and FBI officials make it clear that Smith just wasn't worth Putnam serving a life sentence. Quite frankly, I had the feeling that, given the opportunity, Putnam would have walked away a free man if not for his confession.

This is truly one of the best true crime books I have read. Everyone in this book is portrayed just as they are; readers are not given the 'airbrushed' version created by many authors, especially of law enforcement officials.

If you enjoy reading the truth, irregardless of it's ugliness, check out The FBI Killer. You will not be disappointed.