Murder Books

I found this book very powerful and very moving! It is unbelievable that anyone could live through such an experience and come out a loving person!! I can't imagine how difficult it must be to forgive for such atrocities!! Loved loved loved the book - it's a must read

This book taught me more about the Spirit within all humans and how we can stay in one place and allow that spirit to be mamed or how we hold fast to the Higer Spirit and trust our future to that Spirit and triump over the evils and atrosicities in this world.

Fantastic book. Talk about forgiveness!! We can all learn from this remarkable woman.

This is a must read for everyone who has suffered pain and loss. Imaculata is amazing!

Immaculee is an inspiration! Her amazing courage and faith in the face of such unbelievable evil is awesome. This is a book that you will read more than once, high-liting much for future reference.

I purchased this book for my daughter. She read and finished the book and told me that it was well written and that it was very interesting reading. I didn't read it so I would be hesitant to recommend.

I loved this book! My heart goes out to Sharon Rocha and the rest of Laci's family.

I was pregnant with my 3rd son when Laci went missing and was so devastated to hear how she went missing. As time went on, and I looked at Scott on TV, I could tell he was guilty. He was blank, cold, and detached looking. I felt so sad for Laci and her son. She was so beautiful and looked to be like such a sweet loving woman. I was drawn to the story, and waited for her mother to write a book about her. I realized it might not happen, but was happy when she finally wrote this book. I read the book by Scott's half sister, and really enjoyed that book. I also read this book and cried like a baby at certain parts. I was confused how Laci could have been so trusting of Scott, as most women (or at least I thought) have women's intuition that would tell them something was wrong. I am happy that her mother wrote this book. I always wondered what went on with Laci's side of the family during this whole tragedy. Even though I cried many tears while reading this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When the story of Laci broke news, I thought it wouldn't be as sensational as it turned out to be, I mean how many people go missing, or are murdered;my husband thought the same way. I began reading the books about Laci and the investigation, which covered forensic, and mental health issues, but no emotional feelings until I read Sharon's book. It's powerful in its own right. A must read!

This is a compelling book which reads very quickly, as it is hard to put down. Sharon Rocha paints a lovely portrait of her daughter Laci. You can't help be empathetic as evil moves in around her. I have an incredible amount of respect for her and the search-and-rescue fund/foundation she created. This tugs at heartstrings and elicits tears. I can't help but cry.

I've read The Brothers Karamazov in an least four translations now, and this is an absolutely delicious translation, the very best. Pevear and Volokhonsky bring great, suggestive depth, and great subtlety to the English text of this very great Russian novel.

I found this the most thought provoking novel I have ever read, Dostoevsky writes on so many levels.

First off The Brothers Karamazov is wildly entertaining and engaging, the characters jump off the page at you then lure you in. It can be laugh out loud funny at times and quite moving at others.

Secondly and maybe more importantly I found it to be a very spiritual book. Elder Zosima is one of the greatest characters I have ever had the pleasure to read, so enlightening. But there is much to be taken from all the characters, their strengths and weaknesses and how these characteristics intertwine with one another.

A must read, I cannot wait to read it again, I know there is so much I missed on the first time through. Though maybe I will try a different translation I read the Andrew MacAndrew translation but was reserching the book and found a site witch took a paragraph out of the book and compared three of the different translations, I was amazed how different each was. I must say from that comparison MacAndrews seemed to be the most straight forward, the most 'modern english' of them all, but maybe lacking in the poetic sense (which was probably good for a first read, at least in my case).

So I would ask you fellow reviewers to note the translation that was read, it does seem quite important.

I am among the reviewers who has only read this translation and is not familiar with the Russian language, or much Russian history for that matter. Even with my limited perspective I found this translation both engaging and thought-provoking.

Dostoevsky's detailed style is arguably drawn-out, but reveals itself to be worthwhile and even necessary as the story unfolds into a rich exploration of human nature. I found myself relating to the characters with such depth as to have feelings indistinguishable from those for real people. The journey became cumbersome through the first half of the book and then accelerated with new vigor as the second half burst forth into the story for which the character development and setting had been so painstakingly laid out. The religious and moral questions offered are what I consider to be the most fulfilling narrative, exploring ideas that transcend time and culture and speak to all who look deep into the heart of their existence. Read this book- it has all the components of great literature. This truly is a great literary achievement.

This is Dostoevsky's greatest work, and one of the greatest novels ever written. I would rate it superior to his Crime and Punishment which is also considered a masterpiece of psychological fiction. It is quite long, but once you get involved it grabs you by the heart and mind, and won't let you go. I am not one to read various translations of a single novel, but I can't imagine a better translation than the Pevear/Volokhonsky one.

The Brothers Karamazov is at times humorous and ironic, but it is mostly a wrenching exploration of the human psyche, as symbolically portrayed by 3 siblings, each personifying unique qualities of that psyche. There are many elements to this story..a family saga, a love triangle, a whodunit murder mystery, a courtroom drama..all peopled by unforgettable characters. It says profound things about pure faith and organized religion, selfishness and generosity, love and hate, loyalty and morality, jealousy and forgiveness, justice and compassion. It will make you laugh and cry, and best of all, ponder the important questions that life poses. If read carefully, The Brothers Karamazov will alter your thought processes, and you will be a more enlightened individual for having read it. I can go on and on extolling this book, but mere words cannot do it justice. It should be required reading.

Some literary works are so sweeping in their vision, so penetrating in their understanding of the human condition and its psychology, so inexhaustible with respect to their spiritual insight that a reviewer feels quite small as he turns the last page and turns to comment.

Such is Dostoevsky's THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. The three siblings, products of the unrestrained loins of the hapless Fyodor Karamazov spend most of the pages alloted to them walking their ever diverging paths and become more and more unlike each other. Then, in a hundred or so pages, Dostoevsky all but forces us to see how alike they are. How alike we are, whether under the Russian sun or some other.

Just under a thousand pages prove incapable of wearying the discerning reader of this Russian masterpiece. Each chapter brings a new twist or at least a new glimpse into how passionate and calculating we are capable of becoming, all at the same time.

Along the way, one discovers the author's uncanny predictive ability to glimpse the direction in which his Russia would go when it had loosed itself of the spiritual conviction that for centuries had held the vastness of it intact.

Dostoevsky deserves the over-used adjective 'incomparable'. This work alone achieves that.

its 5 star reviews, except to say this author must have a lot of friends.

I can only say I was able to read up to page 24 (and since it began on page 7) that's not saying much. Before writing this review, I went online with the publishing company of the above title and discovered it's one of those companies that individuals pay to publish their so-called books. So that explained to me the total lack of editing and this is one author who really needed a great editor....one who can correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure etc etc etc....

Maybe I'm too fussy, but I love the English language and it doesn't always need to be correct, but it should be readable. When I got to the word "cry's", I nearly lost it.

So perhaps this is a 5 star book somewhere along the way and I will [happily] say I couldn't get into it....maybe there was a great plot hidden somewhere between the covers, but honestly, who cares? I will, however, tell this author that I think if she's brave enough to attempt another book, to take some courses in writing and English Lit.

On the back cover, it states that Nadine has been an avid reader since childhood....I'm frightened to think of the books she's read and can only
advise that she find herself an editor who can help her.

Got this from my hairdresser ( Carol) the mystery was so intense. Kept me interested till the last page. Read it you'll love it!

Must say Nadine you are the best! I await your next release.
I must say this work puts you on top in your field.

A great mystery. Author sure knows the twists and turns to produce a marvelous read.

Quiet, He Might Hear has a can't miss formula for a first class mystery. The story begins in a sleepy little town located in Ohio. Rick Young has committed an unspeakable crime. During a heated argument with his wife he has killed her. He is now on the run from the law, but appears to know exactly where he is headed. That brings us to Laura Hampton, she is the beautiful wife of the wealthy Dr. Johathan Hampton. Laura hears about the manhunt for her ex-boyfriend Rick and fears he may come after her. Laura has kept a bundle of secrets about her past from her husband. Then the murders begin happening to those close around her. Laura fears Rick is back in town and destroying everything around her. This mystery is superb. A must read. It's like a movie in a paperback!

Jeanne Boylan could be a movie star or model. She is tall, slim, and blonde. She began her artistic career by doodling in notebooks as a child. Her art career is really based on getting serial killers, mass murderers, and criminals brought to justice. Her relationship to Marc Klaas, the father of murdered victim Polly Klaas who became an activist seeking justice for the victims. The book's narrative is taken by the author's perception and experiences. The Smith case rendered the same feeling that the mother was involved in her sons's abductions and murders. Reading about how Jeanne and Marc learned about their fates were both horrifying. They still had hope that a mother would not have gone so far or over the edge of the unthinkable. We all think that the criminals can be monsters but Susan Smith was also the mother to two innocent young boys, Michael and Alexander. Nobody believed her story of an abduction in a rural road in the middle of the night. Most motives behind carjacking is the car itself. Carjackers don't want two babies in the backseat. Sadly, a carjacker would have probably returned Michael and Alexander safely somewhere but Susan's story never washed out. Her sons' bodies were in the bottom on John D. Long Lake. Of course, Boylan writes about her failed marriage, her background in Montrose, Colorado, and how she became known as the woman behind criminal portraits which led to the captures of the Unabomber or Ted Kaczynski and others.

I became interested in this author after seeing her speak about eyewitness memory on the Oprah Winfrey Show. I found the book, read it and then noticed a composite drawing in the Elizabeth Smart case that seemed to bear no likeness to the man arrested for the kidnapping. Jeanne Boylan's name was periodically associated with the case and I felt let down that she'd so badly erred in doing the less than stellar drawing. (Though now we know that the man was caught because the Smart family realized his religious name, announced it to the public and then were given real photos by the man's own family that were aired on TV which then resulted in his subsequent identification and quick arrest.)

Now, in more recent news reports, I found out that Jeanne Boylan actually interviewed the younger sister of Elizabeth about her memory of the abduction night and that the poor suspect drawing the media was showing was not from her interviews, but was from a local portrait person and was not taken from the little sister's sighting the night of the abduction but rather was taken from the family who knew the man and had spent many hours with him. Now I understood why the descrepancy.

I felt relief. I momentarily thought Jeanne Boylan had lost her skills. Now I understand the difference between her interview and the drawing that is now linked to the case but does not look like the kidnapper.

I look forward to the sequel of 'Portraits of Guilt' and to reading more about what happens to eyewitness's memories when the sightings are endured during moments of fright and fear and how that forces their vision very deep into the recesses of their mind as it did for Elizabeth's little sister.

Praise the Lord that with help and encouragement, Elizabeth's little sister finally remembered the religious name with the help of the loving Smart family, the apparently astute police and Jeanne Boylan who all had fiercely guarded the young child's evolving memory while it was gradually surfacing so that the kidnapper was finally caught. Good things come to those who wait!

I found this book on Oprah's website under "Oprah's Books" and think highly of her choices so ordered it. I'm happy I did. It was a fast moving, compelling read and gave me a view into a world I knew nothing about. I feel entertained, educated and wiser from reading it. What more could you ask... I endorse the book, author and Oprah's good taste.

I've read a lot of good books about healing from trauma and the effects trauma has upon memory. I've also read a lot of books about the fallibility of memory that do not correctly take into account the actual experience of the trauma. Jeanne Boylan has succeeded in writing the first book that accurately addresses both sides of the understanding of memory. She clearly illustrates the way that traumatic memory can be malleable in the presence of suggestion. It is through the insight of Jeanne Boylan's work that we can keep the innocent people out of jail and the guilty people can be handled accordingly.

She succeeds at what she does because she has both a natural ability and a deep understanding of trauma and memory. She also succeeds because she knows how to reach the heart. She works from her intuition as well as her logical understanding. Her kind and gentle nature is a true asset in the work that she does, and she could not achieve what she has achieved without it. In addition to all of this she has the added gift of being an incredible artist. Jeanne Boylan was born to do the work that she does; it is an inborn gift, which was further honed by her own personal experience of trauma and surviving a crime.

Jeanne Boylan describes traumatic memory as being like a fifty-cent piece that has been tossed below eight feet of water. The memory gets buried by the intense emotional trauma, but at the same time is locked into memory. As the emotions arise our minds protect us by blurring the image, like the movement of water. We can still see it, but it is distorted. With the right approach the memory of the trauma can be brought back to the eyewitness's conscious memory in it's original condition, just as the fifty-cent piece can be retrieved from the water fully intact.

Jeanne Boylan works with survivors to draw near perfect portraits of the criminals. Her technique is the art form. She says, "The answers to uncovering memory reside in understanding the powerful inner workings of the human mind-- and more importantly, in the power of the human heart. (p. 11)" She says "The higher the degree of personal trauma, the harder the mind works to discard or bury the image, but, also, the more likely it will have been encoded into memory in the first place, even if it is housed at a much deeper level of recall... Sometimes if we can coach the conscious mind to move aside we can still access the original untainted image--if there is reason enough for it to have been retained in memory. (p.13)" It is the release of emotions, no matter what form, that helps reach the image. She uses an interview technique, which brings the person into a safe space in order to access the memory without the emotions blocking it, and she uses carefully worded questions to prevent suggestions from distorting the original memory.

During her chapters about the devastating kidnap and murder of twelve year old Polly Klass, she provides new insight into how to recognize the veracity of an eyewitness account. She explains that when witnesses remember the trauma or the attacker differently that this is actually a sign that they are telling the truth because no two people remember an experience identically. The discrepancies help to validate and preserve the images and details of the memory for later needs (as long as suggestion has not been introduced). There is usually one stronger witness, however that witness will often have a degree of self-doubt that can be increased when she/he encounters discrepancies among the other witnesses. Jeanne Boylan was the first person on the case of Polly Klass to treat the witnesses (also twelve years old) with the validation and support that they needed.

The chapter about the abduction and torture of Sister Dianna Ortiz was the most powerful aspect of the book, for me. Anyone who has experienced a similar trauma will find a lot of healing and peace in reading this chapter. We watch Sister Dianna Ortiz work through the intense PTSD, become empowered, speak out and overcome the accusations that her experiences were a figment of her imagination. Sister Dianna Ortiz speaks of her healing, "Healing comes in many forms. I know I will always carry the memory of what happened to me on November second, 1989. For more than six and one-half years I have allowed my Guatemalan torturers and Alejandro to haunt me. Many times, I've felt like they danced within me. Many times I've felt that if I got close to anyone, I was going to contaminate them with the evilness that they left inside me. But today, I can sit here and say that that evil does not exist inside me anymore, and that is because of the work that I was able to accomplish with Jeanne Boylan. (p.282)... The images of my torturers and Alejandro have always stayed within me, and I have held myself responsible for the horrible things that happened on that November day, but today, because I was able, with the help of Jeanne Boylan, to put a face to these monsters, I can put them away from me. They no longer live in my soul. Until I faced them, I could never be free. (p283)"

In the next chapter called Awakenings Jeanne Boylan says, "Though I knew instinctively the importance of freeing a victim of the evil left from an attack, never before had I realized so clearly the emotional power that floods the soul when the residual grip of an assailant is finally loosened, and gently removed from the heart. (p. 286)"

Jeannie Boylan ends the book with the conclusion she left us wanting to hear since the Prologue. She weaves in her own experience, and powerfully does for herself what she has already done for so many others.

I am a reseacher in the area of human memory. My university studies and thesis are in the area of crime victim recall and memory malleability. I was given Miss Boylan's book by a fellow doctoral student who said simply, "Read this. This woman gets it."

To my astonishment, this was true and to know that there is a woman struggling essentially all alone to enlighten police about the seriousness of memory malleability made me want to jump into the pages of this book and yell to the police she works with that there is scientific data backing up every word she says about this topic.

Miss Boylan unfortunately writes in too kind a fashion, seemingly concerned about offending the masses, but sometimes creating change requires the proverbial 2 X 4 to create the desired impact. Although I appreciate Miss Boylan's subtle and polite manner, my only complaint about this book and her story is that she should and could have been much more hard hitting in her critique of what has historically gone wrong in criminal investigations. With what she's experienced, she is entitled to be direct.

With the knowledge we in the academic world have now of how memory works, there is no excuse for the mistakes made in past cases to continue to take place. Jeanne Boylan should scream her message and take her lumps. I'd rather see her save lives than to worry about winning a popularity contest. She can speak from inside the world of police, whereas "us" in our ivory towers, don't have access to the real world as she does.

Boylan relied on us to give her the foundation for her work and my predecessor's findings of three decades now, but those of us doing the empirical research have to rely on people like her to deliver our findings to the point of practical application in the police world. She can be the go-between from our world to inside real life criminal investigations.

Overall, Portraits of Guilt is a great book, great 'on the mark' insights into crime victim memory and some lessons in Boylan's stories that had better be paid attention to before we lose more lives such as Polly Klaas. (Her book is dedicated to the Klaas girl's memory.)

I give this book a five star rating for it's general level of readibility and for her stunning insights into trauma victim memory malleability, but Miss Boylan, if you write a second book, and I hope you do, next time, take the gloves off and try to come out swinging.

I've never read a book so gripping or heart wrenching. My condolences to you and your family Mr. Walsh; my heart breaks for you.

John Walsh has decided he is the voice for victims everywhere. The problem is, fewer and fewer people want him to be. Why? Because of things like this book.

He seems to ignore reality in favor of what he wants us to think.

I agree that this book is very sad and heart breaking. I can only begin to feel the sadness and heart break that this man and his wife went through. This book reveal that. I could only somewhat feel his pain because I have never been through it. This book proves that something good can come out of tragic happenings.

This book is more political then I thought. This man has accomplished a lot Worth the buy.

AS A MAN YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO CRY, BUT I DID, READING WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS SON AND THINKING OF MY OWN SON I JUST COULDNT HELP IT! ITS A GREAT BOOK AND MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF IT HAPPENED TO YOU!

Tears of Rage is such a brilliant book. It is very touching, tragic, and even insightful. Not only did I truly enjoy it, but also I found it hard to put down. Such hard times for this fellow after the sadistic murder of his lovely child Adam. Yet he does not give up and he battles and battles for justice for Adam. It was not easy and the police unit were not very helpful and competent with handling his son's case. And it broke John's heart. But he never ran out of fuel to find justice for his beloved son. I admire that. I fully admire his heroic deeds in becoming the host of AMW and has been contributing immensely to snatching sick predators that cannot linger around in the world any longer and especially caring about missing children. If John Walsh have not audaciously fought for our safety, how much worser will the country be in right now? Thank you John Walsh. And I am glad that Adam Walsh bill was successful and was made into law recently.

Joanne T. Lewis continues to keep the reader "hooked" with this smoothly written story of intrigue.

This excerpt left me wanting more - can't wait to read the rest of the story!

"It Whispers" is a page-turner from the first line to the last. Of course, I can only speak to the excerpt we have at the moment but I can't wait for the rest! Starting from childhood, I have been an avid reader but lately, I have been very disappointed with the quality of the books on the market. I'm happy to report that reading "It Whispers" has made the wait worthwhile. Ms. Lewis's character development is deft and,not unlike Remy, she is able to paint a picture with one broad stroke and provide a full-fleshed character. Remy's flamboyant father and her menacing sleazy uncle are big as life, as is Remy herself, who is a complex and sympathetic character.

The story's many conflicts and unanswered questions leave the reader hungry to know more. Where is Remy's brother? Is he safe? Will Remy break away from her father's hold on her? Will she represent the girl accused of patricide? I'm eager to find out! Please may I have some more?

Joanne T. Lewis spins memorable characters in her Amazon Short, IT WHISPERS from the first page when we are introduced to Remy and her showboat of a father, Clarence. The conflict between Remy and Clarence provides a strong, believable psychological story foundation that drives the main character's action.

The interweaving of several story lines from Remy's act of defiance in even suggesting to her wealth-mongering father that they take on a pro bono case for the young Bonita accused of murdering her father to Remy's suspicion of her Uncle Todd to the longing of a daughter abandoned by her mother through death to the promise of more colorful characters lumbering through the courthouse doors all guarantee IT WHISPERS will keep the reader intrigued and turning page after page.

Ms. Lewis has a knack for penning descriptions that are expansive, while succinct and often bordering on pure poetry. IT WHISPERS delivers a glimpse into the underbelly of the legal profession. I want to order this book from Amazon and hold it in my hands today! Joanne T. Lewis deserves to be named the breakthrough author in the Mystery, Thriller & Suspense category.

Having read a significant number of the ABNA entries, enough to sample the generally high quality of writing from young authors brave enough to place an excerpt before the reading public for comment, this reader is more than a little impressed with Joanne T. Lewis' IT WHISPERS. She has a mature writing style (surely she has some experience in the field before this excerpt!), the ability capture the reader's attention with the first sentence, and the concomitant assurance that every character introduced will be developed securely and with a great deal of originality.

Remy Woods is an artist and an attorney in her father's law firm, a Firm that caters to the wealthy and influential of the South Florida region, defending clients who probably should be convicted of a fairly wide spreadsheet of crimes. Remy would far prefer pursuing her painting career, but she is a gifted lawyer and her father's recognition of her talent and resultant demands on her time force her to practice law. She has a brother named Carlos who is barely introduced in this short section, but promises to be a fascinating kink in the lives of his family members. And towards the end of this fast-moving and far too short excerpt Remy uncaps the fizzing case that seems as though it will prove both her mettle as a lawyer and as a humanist.

Lewis is able to establish the tense atmosphere of a courtroom as well as she is defines sharply defines the peculiar characteristics of her characters not only by physical description and conversational manner but also by odors of body and clothing. There is little doubt of her physical setting in the dank and humid Broward County, a descriptive technique she extends to the behavior patterns of the characters that populate this engrossing story. She leaves the reader hungry for more and doubtless she will find a solid career in the art of literature. Grady Harp, February 08

Like many others, I have been interested in the story of Jack the Ripper. When I finally decided to read about the crimes, I wanted to read only the best, most definitive account. I believe that Sugden's book fits the bill. He sticks only to the facts; when he theorizes, he presents an opposing view as well. He does not claim to know who Jack the Ripper was, but he does put forth a theory. After having finished this book, I cannot imagine that there is much of anything else to know about the case. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading an emotionless, fact-filled book about Jack the Ripper to pick this one up.

I found this book to be a bit boring and quite wordy for my personal taste. There were alot of facts that seemed to lead nowhere. I wasn't impressed!

Unlike most "Ripperologists," Philip Sugden does not have any pet theories to prove. Therefore, like a good historian, Sugden concentrates only on all the facts of the case as they can be cooberated by the primary sources. Very well written and thoroughly researched, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper not only covers each of the known murders in detail, the book also looks at several other unsolved murders that may have been part of the series of "Jack's" crimes. Furthermore, Sugden follows the police investigation and examines the suspects developed by the police at the time. While Sugden does evaluate the likelihood of these suspects' guilt, he makes no attempt to positively identify the killer. If you read only one book on the 1888 murders in Whitechaple, read this one.

Jack the Ripper is perhaps the best-known figure in history whose real identity is obscured. He killed (as far as we know) something between 4 and 9 women in London between 1887 and 1891. He was never caught, and there's no convincing proof anyone ever saw him clearly, let alone came upon him in the act of killing and tried to stop him. He became the subject of rumor and speculation while the killings were going on, and has since been a subject of much speculation and theorizing. "Solutions" to the crimes he committed range from various suspects to a conspiracy of the British Royal Family in some fashion all the way around to anti-Semitic conspiracies.

Author Philip Sugden decided to write this book, and work from as many original sources as he could, recounting only that information he was able to confirm from contemporary records. He generally dismisses newspapers of the era, and tries to rely on police files as much as possible. What emerges is a different picture of the killer and the murders than has been presented in the past, because many previous books have repeated the errors of others while recounting what they believe happened. Sugden does his best to avoid this.

The result is a well-written, detailed, exhaustive study of the killings themselves. Sugden recounts each of the killings in detail, and then spends considerable time telling of the police response to the crimes, their attempts to counter the killings, and especially their interrogations of witnesses. One point he makes clear is how primitive their forensic thinking was at the time: fingerprints were about a decade off yet, and it wasn't even possible to analyze bloodstains to tell if they were human or animal in origin. The police, as a result, depended to a great deal on witnesses and confessions. In crimes of passion or crimes of greed, those things worked reasonably well, but with a "stranger crime" where the killer and the witnesses probably didn't know the criminal, and he probably also didn't associate with other criminals, the chances of catching him were frankly minimal. That's what happened...they didn't catch him.

I really enjoyed Sugden's book. It contains a great deal of information. The author, in the latter part of the book, leans towards one of the suspects (George Chapman) but doesn't insist that he must have done it. He does think it unlikely that Druitt, Kosminski, or Ostrog were the killer, but in each case his evidence is, like everything else at this remove, pretty much speculation. At least his speculation makes sense, however. Regardless, anyone who's interested in Jack the Ripper needs this book, definitely.

Beginning and Elite Ripperologists alike MUST read this book. A best way to explain the quality of this book is to explain Sugden's handling of the facts. Unlike the mast majority of Ripperologists, Sugden's goal is not to create theories to fill in the gaps, nor to hold onto common myths of the Ripper. Any ideas he does suggest in the book are only those most "probable" and based on the facts that are available. Like any good researched book dealing with a topic with various controversies, Sugden is quick to point out flaws in common misconceptions and how their origins were spawned from incorrect historical data.

He does a fantastic job on truly capturing the "complete history" of the Ripper case while maintaining an enjoyable read for the elite and curious passerby alike. After reading the book I finally realized why this is declared THE book to have on the Ripper case. I strongly suggest this to be the starting point and foundation for all newly interested and all who have long loved the infamous murderer of almost mythical standing.

Journalist David Simon's homicidic tome, published in 1991, follows a group of detectives from the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit for an entire year, beginning in January 1988. It is a gritty, great read about the matter-of-factness of murder in a city with one of the highest rates in the nation. An article in a recent (April 19, 2008) issue of New Economist highlights a recent drop in that rate (from 282 homicides in 2007). During the year of Simon's internship, there were 234 murders, followed by (p 618) 262 in 1989 and 302 in 1990. Based on those four years, that's an average of one violent death every 18 hours.

What Simon was able to put together from his year's worth of journalistic scribblings on life with the good guys and the bad guys is a fantastic fly on the wall's eye view: the graphic violence of crime scenes, the raunchy humor of and banter between the detectives, the despair of the victims' family members, and the utter stupidity of many of the criminals: (p 16) "the investigator's saving grace is the killer's overwhelming disposition toward incompetence or, at the very least, gross error." His Guidebook of Death Investigation Rules are remarkable: (p 34) "Rule Number One...the page 1 entry in a detective's lexicon: Everyone lies." Rule Five is equally profound (p 237), "It's good to be good: it's better to be lucky." Best of the book: Simon's ability to capture the events in a comprehensive and cohesive manner, even with several welcome change ups to the overall chronological format. Covering every aspect of "life on the killer streets" Homicide is a perfect read for tome-loving crime buffs, neither category of which I belong. Also good, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer, and Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love Mr. Simon's writing style, which is both intresting and easy to follow. The only negative about this book is the language, which may offend some people.

I really have to be neutral about this product. I sent it back-I never ordered it, it got to me by mistake.

What an amazing story! David Simon does a fantastic job of taking an actual year with the Baltimore Police homicide division and making it read like fiction. Simon doesn't report this story he tells this story. The quarks and skills that make up all good detectives is captured in detail. The fact that an award winning TV series was spurned from the pages in this book shows that life can be stranger than fiction.

James a. Forrest - Eye of the Storm

In 1998, David Simon got unprecedented access to the Baltimore's homicide unit, and shadowed its detectives during the entire year. It was a tough year in a tough city, with a total of 234 murders. It would be easy to describe Simon's approach as "a fly on the wall," but that would be to belittle the extraordinary work he did.

Simon manages to give us both the large picture (how the homicide unit works, the flaws and strengths of the judicial system in Baltimore, the meaning behind the crime statistics) and the small picture (the greatness and pettiness of this group of detectives, the emotional detachment they need to have in order to face homicide after homicide, the heartbreaking effects that the murder of one little girl has on a veteran detective). During his year of reporting, and the two years he spent writing the book, he was able to see the cases from a distance, and also from inside the skin of the detectives trying to solve them.

"Homicide" is a tremendous achievement and, in my opinion, a true-crime classic. Anybody interested in learning more about crime or police work--or simply interested in an excellent work of non-fiction--should read Simon's book.

This is an extraordinary book. Gives tremendous insite in to why some crimals lead the path they do. Phenominal read.

Shot in the Heart is a harrowing tale of growing up in the dysfunctional family that produced the infamous killer Gary Gilmore. It's a riveting tale that will remain with the reader long after he or she has finished the book.

There is, however, a strange discrepancy in this work. The author, who wrote for Rolling Stone magazine, touches on the tragic death of John Lennon and how this senseless killing affected him. He then says that his mother, knowing that the author greatly admired Lennon, telephoned him the day after Lennon's death to offer some words of comfort. A few pages later, however, the author mentioned that his mother died in June 1980-almost six months before Lennon was killed.

Is this a mere typographical error, or is something weirder going on? Much earlier in the book, the author relates how his mother told him that she was traumatized as a young girl because her father once forced her to view a public hanging in Utah-in fact, his mother told her sons many stories about executions. The author goes on to say, however, that his mother could not have witnessed this hanging because "(t)here were no semi-public executions in Utah after about 1919, when (his) mother would have been six years old." And it should also be noted that nightmares, ghosts, and a Ouija board make appearances in Shot in the Heart.

Is the past being repeated here? Does Mikal Gilmore believe he spoke to his mother six months after her death-or are we just dealing with a careless editor?

Editing notwithstanding, Shot in the Heart is a compelling memoir. It could be read as a companion piece to Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven-also an outstanding read.

Unbelievably well written. This is the best book I have ever read. The story is gripping Mikal Gilmore seems to capture the reader from the first sentence and never lets go. I found myself trying to read less pages as I finished the book in fear of ACTUALLY finishing the book:) Immediately after I read the last page, I went back to the first page and started reading it again. I would suggest reading it twice, it is better the second time around.

This book stays with you. In telling the story of his own troubled family Mikal Gilmore manages to tell a story about families themselves- all the love, guilt, loyalty and anger that define them. This is a book about searching for meaning, about the toll poverty takes on the human spirit, about broken dreams, the violence of faith, and our terrible hunger for something to believe in. It's uniquely American in the same way books like Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" or Jean Stein's "Edie: an American Biography"
are- as much about the society around its subjects as the subjects themselves. I wholeheartedly consider this book a masterpiece.

I first heard about Shot in the heart several years ago, on a tv show. The last thing I wanted to read was an apologist for Gary Gilmore making excuses. That's about the last thing Shot in the Heart is. Instead, Mikal Gilmore explores how family myths and mysteries shape our sense of self and of our family, and how this affects our vision of our place in this world. He also explores how you can love someone, even if they are incredibly dysfunctional. Gilmore writes with tenderness and courage about his family, the kind of family that made mine seem relatively normal. They were wretched, miserable people, in many ways, but they were his family.
I have always been puzzled by the editing problems I noticed in the book, however. It's not just the mixup on when Bessie Gilmore died. There are two other date discrepancies, one of which has to do with Gary's execution. I'm from Utah, and I picked up on that error right away.
My sister lives in Portland, and Mikal Gilmore's description of a Northwest Portland neighborhood is dead on. Gilmore knows what he's talking about-- he just needed a better editor, I think