Murder Books

I love a good SciFi mystery and wish there were more of them around. This pleasing dark noir SciFi is an engaging and complicated hard-boiled page-turner with nice twists and turns. It's a ruggedly built noir, with a light SciFi frosting that has me looking forward to the sequel, Ex-KOP. A very successful first novel.

What an adventure! An entire Sunday flew by because I did not want to come out from between the covers of this book!

I do not read for pleasure much anymore. I read to do research, to get directions, for political insight, or to keep up with my profession. I tend to read in short, intense bursts for a purpose. I only bought this book because Warren is my neighbor.

I was excited to hear that he wrote and published a book. The least I could do was buy it and read it.

I was blown away before the end of the first chapter!

This nice neighbor, who helped me shovel snow from around my car several times last winter, and who puts up with my cats hanging out in his yard year after year, wrote this astonishing book.

I have not been so wonderfully transported into another time and place by any book in many, many years. I enjoyed every page. I could not put it down. Once I started it, I could not stop reading. I didn't want it to end.

I had no clue. I was hoping I would like his book, but I had no idea it would be this kind of a fantastic read!

This book is a pleasure, with textures that are complicated, and not pretty. It's rich and gritty. The words I would use for this book are not the first words that I would think of to describe Warren. I love that. He is the real deal, an amazing writer. This book knocked my socks off!

Yes, I think I might be biased because I live next door to Warren and his wife, and I really like them as people. But, I know that is not what glued me to each page until I finished the book!

Buy this book! Make him famous. I want to see the movie!

Once I started reading KOP, I was unable to put this page-turner down. It's exciting, it's interesting, and it has great characters. This book reads like a cross between L.A. Confidential and Bangkok 8. It's way cool! I can't wait to read the sequel.

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend. I am now about 100 pages into it and can honestly say it started off good and gets better each page. It is about a corrupt police force on another planet several hundred years in the future. The main character is a kop who formally was an "enforcer" (he beat people up) whose conscience (and live in girlfriend) finally got to him. He is still with the force but only does collections now. His friend and former partner who is the Chief of Police asks him as a favor to get involved in a homicide case. He reluctantly does, and finds himself investigating a very interesting case with his new inexperienced partner. I won't go any further as I don't want to ruin anything for the reader, but I highly recommend buying this book!

Comparisons to authors like Dashiell Hammett and a fantastic cover by artist Chris McGrath were the initial things that made Warren Hammond's debut novel, KOP, catch my attention. It seemed to be just the kind of novel that I wanted to lose myself in, something with action and intrigue. Buying this book was money well spent.

Warren Hammond has entered the fiction scene with a stunning debut novel. Juno Mozambe, a dirty street cop who is getting too old to be the successful enforcer that he used to be, reluctantly takes on a murder investigation, and a new partner, at the request of former partner, now head of KOP, Paul Chang. The setting for this novel is the year 2787 on a colonial planet named Lagarto. Lagarto was a once rich planet attracting colonists from earth willing to make the 16 year journey for the promise of guaranteed wealth. Unfortunately the smuggling off-world of Lagarto's chief export crashed the economy and for decades the planet has decayed into a world populated by a few rich and many poor. Into this world crime and corruption flourished.

Despite those minor science fiction elements, KOP is gritty, hard-boiled crime noir at its best. Juno is your true anti-hero. He is a character that reminded me of Andy Sipowicz on NYPD Blue. Credit Hammond for being able to write a character who is likeable despite his surplus of flaws. As Juno gets sucked in to the evergrowing complexities of the murder case, the reader is treated to flashbacks to a time when Juno and his partner Paul Chang were mere beat cops and allows us to see their rise to power to the point of taking over KOP and making it the corrupt police institution that it currently is. These flashbacks serve to create some interesting background history but are done in such a way that they also tie into what is currently going on in the book and in no way detract from the story. In fact, the flashback scenes are some of the most interesting and intense in the novel.

KOP is a tale filled with mystery, suspense, and a fair share of brutality. The world in which Juno Mozambe circulates is not a safe one, not a happy one. Bad things happen and because of his enforcer history the bad things sometimes happen because of Juno. Despite this, KOP is also a story about redemption, or possible redemption, and the struggle for individuals to attempt to make a difference in a world of deceit and corruption.

I found Warren Hammond's writing to be fast-paced and his characters strongly written. The story flows very well and has just the right tenor of suspense that you want to keep turning the pages. Hammond has a sequel, Ex-KOP, that has already been written and is set for release in February 2008. Having enjoyed the dichotomy of Juno Mozabme and his new partner, Maggie Orzo, I am really looking forward to the continuation of their story and of the events that began in this first tale. If you like crime tales of any kind, KOP is well worth the time.

So often today we find the victim and family of an horrific crime victimized the second time. When I read an excerpt of "Dead Man Walking" and then saw who was directing and starring in the movie version I realized that this cruelty was being visited upon the family of Faith Hathaway. I have always had my doubt about the death penalty however the writers have a very valid point about the alternative punishment: life without parole. As long as the murderer is alive there is a chance of commutation of sentence (the removal of a mandatory sentence makes an inmate eligible to be considered for parole) or an outright pardon. After researching the number of commutations allowed in the past I now realize that, with great deliberation, there still is a place for the death penalty.

This book is valuable for anyone interested in the debates about justice, but particularly for readers of Helen Prejean's Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty In The United States. I also advise reading Debbie Morris' Forgiving the Dead Man Walking: Only One Woman Can Tell the Entire Story, and the Bourgue family's Dead Family Walking: The Bourque Family Story of Dead Man Walking, both written by victims of the murderers for whom Helen Prejean was such an eloquent advocate. This is not as appealing as Dead Man Walking, not as warm and fuzzy, but it is an unflinching, indeed horrific, look at the reality of murder and vicious cruelty.

I believe that if we, as a society, release someone whom we have good reason to believe is dangerous, we are responsible for future acts of violence. Not as a responsible as we are for executing an innocent person, but still bearing a burden of guilt. What I like best about the book is that he talks about the reasons that keep me from accepting the abolition of the death penalty. Varnado points out that the arguments that are advanced against the death penalty could, with slight editing, be advanced against any punishment; at 53, I can remember when they were. Executing the murderer doesn't bring back the victim, but neither does anything else. Many of the leaders of the abolition movement, currently begging us to be content with life-without-parole (LWoP), are the same people who have been opponents of any long-term imprisonment. I don't think that we would have LWoP if we didn't have a death penalty. Given the arguments against three-time loser laws, will people who don't accept LWoP for three felonies, even if they are all violent, continue to support LWoP for a murder, however heinous? I think they'd revert to their earlier and more sincere opinions.

It's not an easy question. The legal system is simultaneously too harsh and too soft. Innocent people have been convicted. Chills go down my spine when mayors, governors, etc., announce that heads will roll if someone isn't accused within 48 hours. "Testilying", i.e., false information by the police, is apparently all too common, but the defense is no better. Obviously our legal system is not too concerned about public safety: convicts are given probation, violate it, and are simply given probation again. I hear horrifying tales of the carelessness of parole boards.

I have also come to think less of Helen Prejean, the more I know about her. I finished Dead Man Walking not convinced, but with great respect for her. As she has become more famous, and more information is available, it has become clear that she feels her cause justified lying and general carelessness with the truth. As Varnado and Debbie Morris point out, she simply accepted what Willie told her without any investigation. It was fine as his spiritual advisor to deal with the world as he saw it, but when she crossed the line into legal advocate and author, such sloppiness became irresponsible. Further, she apparently was knowingly telling a lie when she claimed Willie was remorseful. Not only did he contradict her in his own interview, but Debbie Morris told us that she admitted that she didn't think he was capable of remorse. She has now written a book about people who were supposedly innocent of the crimes for which they were executed; I suppose that I will read it, but at this point, I wouldn't take her word for it. She has co-founded a program for victims, but as Varnado points out, she remains extremely insensitive to them as individuals. Her prayer condemning the participants in an execution, including the victim's parents, is a case in point. She topped this off by not considering how they would feel about appearing in her book, let alone the movie! She's great at touching apologies, but they only mean something if one tries to do better.

Readers concerned about valuing the murderer over the victims may also be interested in reading The Victim's Song by Alice Kaminsky; Yale Murder by Peter Meyer; and The Killing of Bonnie Garland: A Question of Justice by Willard Gaylin.

Victims of Dead Man Walking has been the most difficult, tear-jerking, enraging, must read I have come across. Ever. This brutal rape and murder happened not far from my home, and Faith's memory is still well within the minds and hearts of people all over our area. She was a beautiful, smart, 18 year old young lady who had the world within her reach on graduation day. But a cruel, unrelenting Robert Willie and Joseph Vaccaro, both of them boasting about a life of crime without remorse, stole Faith Hathaway away from this earth. They raped her repeatedly, stabbed her until the gaping wounds nearly severed her head, and left her to die alone in Fricke's Cave, only to be discovered 8 days later by a then 25 year old whip detective Mike Varnado. Hollywood doesn't want you to know these things. They would rather you believe that a then 24 year old "Matthew Poncelet" (a dead ringer for Robert Willie if there ever was one), who received the death penalty by electric chair, became a remorseful repentant man when he met his fate. Nothing of the sort ever occured. His partner in crime, Joseph Vaccaro, sits this day in a federal penitentiary still serving out his sentence for yet another crime, the rape and kidnapping of a "16 year old from Madisonville".

This book is so very well written it feels as though Detective Mike is speaking to you personally. He makes it easy, while terrifying, to put yourself in his shoes, countless sleepless nights after discovering Faiths swollen, nude, decomposing body in the once family oriented Fricke's Cave. You can feel the anger rise up from the pages from a very cruel young man who boasted of his murders, who never showed remorse, but loved the attention he gained from the spectacle of a nun and the television news. After the book DMW and movie of the same name, the real story of Faith Hathaway was nearly forgotten until Detective Mike brought forth the true details of the crime. One need not be pro nor con death penalty to learn valuable lessons and true facts of Faith Hathaway. After speaking with Faith's mother personally, I learned that Mrs. Harvey (Faith's mother) asked Tim Robbins (DMW director) to at least visit the area of Fricke's Cave where her daughter was left to die. Mr. Robbins response was "I don't have the time". Please - make the time for this book, the REAL story of the Victims of Dead Man Walking. These words by Detective Mike will make you a litttle wiser to the facts of this young girl, the trial that followed, and could very well give you the knowledge to save your own life one day.

I lived in the area when this tragic, senseless, and incredibly brutal rape & murder took place near my hometown. Friends and relatives worked the case, and the entire area mourned the loss of Faith Hathaway as the peaceful innocence and sense of safety in our rural area was forever shattered.
The wounds were re-opened when Dead Man Walking came out. It was a slap in the face of everything good and true. It was an incredibly cruel blow to Faith's family, who deserved so much better after the tragic loss of their daughter.
Thank you Mike for setting the record straight, for honoring Faith's memory.

I read the book "Forgiving The Dead Man Walking" by Debbie Morris, who was also kidnapped and raped by Robert Lee Willie and Joe Vaccaro. Debbie lived to tell the story in her own words... I highly recommend it for those of you who care about this topic.

This second-hand copy of "The Madness of a Seduced Woman" sat on my book shelf for a number of years before I finally pulled it out. After looking at the cover I thought to myself that it really didn't appear to be the style of book I usually enjoy and considered tossing it or trading it back in for something else. However, hating to give up on any book, I decided to read a few pages and give it a chance. What a great decision that was! I was drawn into the story of Agnes Dempster, her unusual family, and her tragic love story, from the first beautifully written page to the very last. From her unhappy childhood, her turbulent and violent youth, her sad journey through depression and mental illness, to her somewhat calmer and more stable maturity, you will travel with Agnes from birth to the grave and she is someone you will not soon forget.

This is a book to be treasured and will remain in my personal library along with other all-time favorites such as "Gone With the Wind" and "How Green was My Valley." I'm now planning on reading "Anya" by the same author with the hope that it will come somewhere close to the perfection of this one.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If ten stars were available in the rating system it would certainly deserve every one of them.

"The Madness of a Seduced Woman" is the story of Agnes Dempster, who enters life with a strong legacy from either side of her family. From her father's side she has inherited wealth and from her mother's, beauty, yet people in each of her parents' families have exhibited mental instability in recent generations. As with her mother and grandmother before her, Agnes' dissatisfaction with life leads her to believe that there must be something more for her if she can leave her home town and escape the influence of her family. After the death of her grandmother, Agnes leaves her family's farm at the young age of 16 to live and work in a nearby city.

Agnes meets Frank Holt, a young stonecutter who lives in the same boarding house as her, and they begin a relationship. In her naiveté and immaturity, Agnes believes Frank to be all that she has been looking for in her search for a meaningful life. Their romance begins normally, but over the course of time is tested by a series of difficulties and Agnes' increasing dependence on and obsession with Frank. When Frank realizes that he cannot love Agnes in the same, all-encompassing way in which she loves him, he begins to cool off the relationship. This leads Agnes to a decision that will affect her and those around her for the rest of their lives.

This is one of my favorite S.F. Schaeffer books, even though it is a very dark one. This is definitely not a light read for the beach, and the description of a home abortion is not for you if you are at all squeamish. What the book does is capture what I like about Susan Fromberg Schaeffer's writing - her ability to transport the reader into the times and places of her stories. I am also impressed by the timelessness of the subject - obsessive desire is something very common to hear and read about, but the twist to "The Madness... " is the period in which it takes place (the 1890's). This book is a study on all that can go wrong with life if one is dependent on others and their happiness in order to feel fulfillment themselves.

This book is my absolute favorite and I've read it several times. It is the story of how an extremely beautiful woman's obsession takes hold, grows, and eventually takes over her life.
The story follows Agnes Dempster through her late teens, early twenties as she discovers men and relationships. Her first relationship is with the perfect "nice" man who completely falls for her. She had to work so hard for her father's love that she feels any love easily given isn't worth it,s o she quickly becomes tired of his doting. Suddenly the untouchable man, the one our mother's warned us about, seems to reach out to her and she completely falls for him and, it would seem, vice versa.
This dark, heartbreaking story is so intense, so real, so incredibly moving that at one point I had to put the book aside to wipe my tears. At another point I found myself holding my breath. I could feel her obsession growing while knowing that he was using her and leading her on, and yet, Agnes is still drawn to him. He repeatedly gave her just enough attention to draw her in and give her reason to believe; and then he was gone again.
This protrayal of obsession was so intricate and detailed that the web was spun around me as I read what seemed to be a love story. The abortion is so real that I felt her pain and shame, yet understood her sense of duty. The field scene at the end is so well described that I feel like I was there. The court scene is so well written that I found myself gripping the book tightly.
This book is for every woman who has ever loved and lost or loved and obsessed or loved and borderline obsessed, and I think that covers every woman alive. We've all been there.

This author does a fabulous job of conveying the main character's madness in a way that comes across as a dream sequence. One seldom finds an author who can write a well-rounded story that truly involves the reader. By the end of the book, Agnes comes shining through -- with all her shortcomings. Read this book! "...a woman scorned..."

This is a novel that springs from an amazing imagination. It is as if the author tapped into a dream vision of Agnes to creat a haunting and memorable charcter in an ethralling narrative. The story is gothic in its imagry, and brings the reader deep into the spooky farm country of New England, and enchants us with a kind of psychological mystery. There are some flaws, though- because this book obviously stems from the author's fantasy, rather than real life experience, there are obvious inconsitencies. For instance,the novel purports to describe a rich farming family, but at one point the narrative asserts that girls in the family were out working in the field as soon as they were old enough. I don't think the daughters of the area's most wealthy family would be "working in the fields." Also, there are weird little problems like descriptions of apple blossoms... in the wrong season. If you can swallow the little editing problems,this is a wonerful and entertaining read.

I could not put this book down! This is her first suspense book and it is a winner.

It's all Laura Griffin's fault. I lost precious hours of sleep devouring her debut novel, One Last Breath. While spying on her ex-husband, reporter Feenie Malone realizes there's more to Josh than just being a lousy ex. Hoping to kill two birds with one stone, Feenie decides to investigate Josh's connection to a well-known criminal and use the story to advance her career. PI Marco Suarez is convinced Feenie's ex had something to do with his sister's disappearance. Suarez has spent the last two years "unofficially" working his sister's case. When he meets Feenie, he's determined to find out if she's just the innocent bystander she claims to be or if she's Josh's accomplice in Paloma's disappearance. As Feenie and Suarez work together uncovering Josh's seedier side, sparks fly and their relationship grows. Feenie begins to wonder if they could have a future together, but Suarez's quest for revenge seems to keep getting in the way.
One Last Breath is an engaging story from start to finish, one that suspense fans will not want to miss. The explosive prologue hooked me right from the start. I connected with Feenie quickly and as Suarez grew on her, he also grew on me. In short, I wanted to work out in Chico's Gym, be a best friend to Feenie and I just plain wanted Suarez. With a tight plot and an endearing cast of secondary characters, One Last Breath is a great read from an author who is sure to entertain us for years to come!

Feenie Malone is a cub reporter hoping to make a name (and full time job) for herself at a local paper. When she stumbles across the story of a lifetime - the possibility that her cheating ex-husband Josh might be involved with a notorious drug dealer, she soon becomes a target. Enter sexy PI Marco Juarez, who caught Feenie at her worst when he was a beat cop. Trumped up drug charges led to his dismissal and distrust of the corrupt police force. Marco enlists Feenie's aid in investigating Josh and his cohorts, who he believes are involved in the disappearance of his sister Paloma, a narcotics officer who disappeared without a trace two years earlier.

Griffin's debut romantic suspense is laced with some pretty comical moments. The pairing of Marco and Feenie is at times hilarious; the two work together making Nick and Nora look like professionals. I would have liked for the character of Josh to be a little more developed, he is pretty one-dimensional in the story. But overall, it was a well written, funny and engaging romantic suspense.

A great novel that draws you in and doesn't let go. Incredibly sexy and believable characters. Can't wait for the sequel!

One Last Breath, a debut novel from Laura Griffin is an exciting romantic suspense novel with plenty of mystery, romance, and comedy mixed in.

Feenie Malone is a struggling journalist who is trying to make it on her own after a nasty divorce from her rich cheating husband, Josh. He got everything except the house that she adored. The initial introduction of Feenie is comedic in that she just found out her husband was cheating on her and she is shooting up all his trophies. A cop named Marco Juarez responds to the incident. Fast forward two years, these two meet up again in an investigation involving her ex husband, Josh. Josh is rich and well connected but he is up to something dangerous involving drug lords, child trafficking, money laundering,etc. Marco is now an ex cop/PI who believes that Josh is connected to the disappearance of his sister, Paloma, who was a police officer, and disappeared two years earlier along with her partner. Feenie is a struggling journalist looking for her big break and a full time position at the Gazette as well as trying to get revenge of her ex. Marco uses her connection to Josh to get answers and insight into the man that she had been married to for 5 years.

Feenie is no shrinking violet and knows how to take care of herself except when somebody is trying to scare her off or kill her before she finds out the truth. Marco Juarez is watching her back and trying to keep her out of trouble and from being killed. Too bad she is too curious for her own good. Sometimes Marco wonders why he even cares what happens to her. He takes her to the gym and the firing range so she can protect herself. She already knows her way around a gun thanks to her father who is a card carrying a member of the NRA.

Marco is your typical alpha male who is dead set on revenge for his family especially the daughter his sister left behind. During the investigation, he finds another cause to get involved in: falling in love with Feenie and keeping her safe.

Will Marco find the answers he is looking and get the revenge he seeks? Will Feenie find out the truth and get the story that could make her career? Will Feenie and Marco survive to have a future together? You will have to read this exciting debut novel to find the answers. Can't wait for her follow up novel involving Feenie's best friend Cecelia.

I just finished reading Postal Blues. Vincent Alexandria did it again. His descriptive phrases are exceptional and his surprise ending was a surprise! I am anxious to read the third book of the trilogy.

The second time around was just as good as the first!
Vincent Alexandria has done it again! His style is so visual
and emotional. Haven't read anyone similar except Eric Jerome Dickey.
The characters could be someone you know. He makes you feel just that close to them. He draws you into the story and makes it hard to put down.
The storyline keeps you guessing, with twists, turns and surprises.
Be prepared for an exhilirating ride!

This follow-up mystery to If Walls Could Talk deserves no less than five and a half stars in my opinion. As with the first book, these characters are so real. The situations are so not what I would experience on day to day settings, but I feel I'm right there in the mix. Vincent puts us in the character's heads, and I like that! I can't wait for the next book, and I would really like to see these series turned into movies... soon!

Mr. Alexandria does it again... taking us back to Kansas City... this time he welcomes us to his beautiful city with his creative description, comparing it to Paris, New York, and a country town. Detectives Johnson and Brown return to the scene with more love for family and friends, more laughs, and more respect and admiration for one another. Johnson and Brown have been promoted to Sergeant and assigned to assist the FBI. These men became my heroes!

There is nothing blue about Postal Blues. The author begins distracting us with scenes of a disgruntled postal employee within the walls of the post office. Meanwhile, a serial killer is loose just outside. As each character is introduced, you will begin to feel compassion for the innocent victims, admiration for the strong men, and anger for the criminals.

The author graphically details the crimes commited against 'ladies of the evening'. As the mystery unravels, you are sure to scream with horror and even ecstasy as the author adds his sensual flavor to soften the blows (and they are vicious). There are also amusing blows thrown into the mix that will surely entertain you. Mr. Alexandria makes mystery so suspenseful, romantic, and hilarious!

As you read this sequel, you will experience a myriad of emotions as the author takes you on a wild rollercoaster ride - making you afraid to continue, yet afraid to stop. When you decide to read on (because you can't turn back now:-), you will be glad that you boldly went... into the dark... into the river... into the pain.. and into the light as the mystery is solved and the perpetrators are found.

I highly recommend this romantic mystery!

A very enjoyable read. I can't wait for Detectives Johnson and Brown next case.

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.

The first thing readers should realize is that even though this book is second in the Bullet Catcher series, it is also a stand alone novel. Well written romantic suspense. The only reason it didn't get five stars from me was that there were not enough red herrings in the plot, making the reveal predictable in my opinion. Romance was plentiful though for readers looking for a little more sex in their novels than the typical Romantic suspense.

Max Roper is given a difficult assignment; be the bodyguard for his ex-fiance. He hasn't seen her since she ran away claiming he killed her father and she would never forgive him. Yet, she wasted no time in finding herself a new extemely wealthy husband, who just happened to have died three months earlier leaving her a sizeable fortune and a great deal of power. It's Max's job not only to protect her from whomever is trying to threaten her, but to find out if she killed her husband. The only problem is that he isn't sure if he can get her to confide in him without getting too close in the process and opening up a world of emotions locked to the past. Someone wants her out of the way. Will Max be able to protect her, or will she suffer the same fate as her father?

Is it worth buying?

Yes. Either as part of the series or just for someone wanting to read a good contemporary romance novel. Suspense is carefully strung out to pull the reader along. Just don't expect a surprise ending. Hope that helps a little with the decision.

I loved it. Ms. St. Claire promises to Thrill You to Death and delivers. Max is a hero to die for. He could watch my back anytime.

When her father is killed in a DEA bust gone bad, a guilt ridden Cori blames her lover, DEA agent Max Roper and dumps him. Several years later, the two are reunited when Cori hires an elite bodyguard group to provide protection while she investigates the possible murder of her much older wealthy husband. No one is more surprised than Cori when she discovers that Max is the man who is sworn to protect her. But who will protect Cori's heart from the only man she's ever really loved, who's assigned to both protect her and determine if she had a role in her husband's murder?

Full of sizzling love scenes and great bantering between the two protagonists, St. Claire's second entry in the Bullet Catcher series has equal parts romance, intrigue, and sensuality to sustain the reader's attention and waiting impatiently for the next intallment in the series. But I could have done without the epilogue, which added nothing at all to the story (in fact, I found it detracted). Too many authors are using them to do nothing but plug their next book.

The Bullet Catcher Series:

Kill Me Twice

Thrill Me To Death

Take Me Tonight


Roxanne St. Claire has me hooked. Her hero characters, known as The Bullet Catchers, are incredible. Each has a unique personality, an interesting past, and a noble heart. None would hesitate to sacrifice himself for his client. These men are intelligent and powerful, yet still ordinary guys who make each other laugh with good- natured taunting.

St. Claire really hit a home run with "Thrill Me To Death". Her Bullet Catcher, Max Roper, has everything that makes a woman melt. Not only is he towering in size, he has a big heart as well. His friends and clients don't see it, because he hides behind a "tough guy" facade. His one true love left him 5 years ago, taking the laughter from his soul and the smile from his face.

Now Max has been assigned the job of protecting the very woman who turned his heart upside- down. His hardest task is keeping his feelings out of the picture. However when the two see each other, 5 years melt away as if they had never parted. Both are wary of rekindling their relationship, but their need for one another is undeniable. Max, known as "Mad Max" to his fellow Bullet Catchers, is brought to knees. He finds himself throwing caution to the wind, confessing to Cori that he accepted the assignment of protecting her because he never stopped loving her. Although Cori had pushed herself to move on by marrying a different man after their break- up, she admits to Max that she thought of him every single day.

Cori is caught in a web of lies. All of the people who matter in her life eventually become suspects in the murder of her late husband. That same murderer is now targeting Cori. After losing both her father and Max 5 years ago, Cori clings to every friend she has. She can't believe that any of them could be a killer. Max must keep her close to guard her life as he works to solve the mystery. The thought of losing her again is unbearable.


I never wanted to put this book down. Not only were the characters and the love story great, but the mystery was excellent as well. St. Claire kept me guessing. It has been a very long time since I read a crime story that was not predictable. Every time I thought I had figured out who the murderer was, she threw in twists that changed my mind. I was enthralled with this tale. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

Want to read the whole Bullet Catchers series? Here are the links:
First book in the series:
Kill Me Twice (The Bullet Catchers, Book 1)
Third in the series (following "Thrill Me To Death"):
Take Me Tonight (The Bullet Catchers, Book 3)

More Roxanne St. Claire favorites:
Killer Curves
French Twist

If you enjoy romantic tales between protective men and modern women, try these:
Hard Evidence
Extreme Exposure

I'm not typically a romantic suspense fan, but this book wowed me! The characters are so easy to fall in love with, and the writing makes each scene easy to picture.

I look forward to the next installment of the Bullet Catchers series!

I adore this series by Mindy Starns Clark. I read this whole book in one sitting because I absolutely HAD to see how it ended! Jo and Danny are such lovable characters. Read it!!

Mindy Starns Clark's Blind Dates Can Be Murder was a fun read. Mindy has a way of putting the reader into the characters' minds--disconcerting when the character is a sociopath.

Also disconcerting is the way she ends this page-turner. Who in their right mind wants a cliff hanger ending to a suspense novel? Sure, a sequel is in the works, but do I have to wait and see where it's going? 'Tain't fair!

This book was so good. I can't wait until the next one comes out. I'll have to buy the other series of Clark's. She has me hooked on her books now.

Blind Dates Can be Murder. Just from the title alone you can tell you're in for a good read. I found the second installment in the Smart Chick Mystery series to be better than the first. Though, the story still drags a bit in the beginning, the pace quickens earlier. Plus Danny is planning on telling Jo that he loves her!! Danny is such a sweet and endearing character; my favorite parts in the story are when he's together with Jo. Even though you're just reading the words- the extent of his love is very obvious, it brings out the sappy smiles. Awww...

The mystery is also a little more developed here than in Trouble with Tulip. Jo has her own household tips website and is answering questions and chronicling her days in her blog. Her agent has decided that it would be good publicity for her to try a dating service and relate her experience to her readers. Her first (and only) blind date turns into a big disaster and a possible murder. Jo, of course, becomes Nancy Drew/Martha Stewart again, using household clues to try and solve the mystery.

Overall a good read; it's hard to put down once you're at the halfway mark. You want to make sure everything works out in the case and if Jo loves Danny too. It ends on a cliffhanger, so make sure to have the final installment, Elementary, Dear Watkins ready and waiting!

After finally getting over being left at the alter Jo has decided to move on by joining a blind dating service. Her first date isn't at all what she expected him to be and then even worse: he dies during their date! Suddenly Jo finds that she's the target of kidnapping, stalking, and death threats. She has no idea why but clues seem to lead back to her deceased date. Along with best friend Danny (who is now hopelessly in love with Jo) the two set out to find out why Jo is being victimized.

Once again Mindy Starns Clark has written a winner. I absolutely adore Jo, she is one of the best recent female characters I have read. Just like in Trouble With Tulip, you can find household hints sprinkled throughout the book (now in email format!) and which also help to solve the mystery. I'm really glad that Danny was able to talk to Jo, now the ball's in her court. It'll be interesting to see how all that happens. I found the blind dating service to be very interesting since I have never used one before. I was really chilled and frightened while reading this book. Especially near the end, I couldn't put the book down because I feared so much for Jo. It was totally like watching a movie: mystery, action, romance, suspense, drama, characters you hate- such a well developed story line. Actually I really think they should make this series into a TV show, you could learn household tips and be entertained at the same time. Sort of Heloise meets Alias type of deal. This was such an excellent book, I thought it was even better than the first one in the series. And with the cliffhanger at the end of this book, I can't wait to get started on the third which is in my TBR pile. VERY highly recommended.

I picked up the book a little skeptically, even though I admire the author, because I was afraid it might glorify a murderer. Richard Jacoby has a simpler goal. He humanizes the Capeman and makes him understandable.

The Capeman was a 16 year old involved in a gangfight in which he stabbed two other teenagers and they died. Sentenced to death, Governor Rockerfeller commuted the sentence under heavy pressure.

Meantime, Richard Jacoby was doing a thesis about whether people on death row had life changing experiences. He got in touch with the Capeman, letters were exchanged, then they met in person and a deep friendship started. The author also got to know the Capeman's family very well. The original goal was for the Capeman to write his life story, but as it becomes clear, after he's paroled that he won't really do it, Jaocby uses all of his notes to put the story together.

Meantime, Paul Simon wrote a musical based on parts of the Capeman's life. It's a story of redemption, but to Richard, that's only part of the story. He uses this book to tell the whole story, not just about the Capeman's life, but about our prison system and about our insane asylums. He's very careful to let the fact's speak for themselves.

The biggest surprise is how hard the book is to put down. You get inside the head of the Capeman and his relatives and his story becomes an American story and yet, still a very individualized story. The book can perhaps best be summed up by Jacoby's encounter with a racist cop, where, referring to the Capeman, he tells the cop "Yeah, but he's still a human being" At it's most basic, that's what the book is about. Without glossing over his crimes, Jacoby shows us the Capeman as a human being. It's a moving, well balanced portrait that is completely compelling reading. Highly Recommended.

Conversations with the Capeman is an absolutely stunning, beautifully written book about the life of convicted murderer Salvador Agron. Richard Jacoby weaves a brilliant and sensitive memoir of his real-life interviews and relationship with Agron. Jacoby paints a compelling, unbiased portrait of a tragic life; from Agron's youth as a member of a violent New York street gang to his conviction for a murder that he may not have committed, to life beyond prison. This impossible to put down book reads as if one is watching a motion picture. It involves all the elements of a modern-day epic; heartbreak, mystery, deception, love, friendship, redemption, and ultimate tragedy. This novel, of all the books I have read, has had the biggest impact on me...Simply amazing.

Each page of this beautifully written book brings raw emotion to the surface. Richard Jacoby paints a vivid picture of the poverty stricken, abusive childhood that surer than any court sentenced Salvador Agron to a life of alienation and despair. Yet despite being the youngest person ever sent to New York State's electric chair, Agron possessed a spark of human spirit that would not die. It is Jacoby's great accomplishment that he lets Agron's story speak for itself as he takes us through the dark alleys of Puerto Rico, the doo-wop drenched streets of New York and the cold corridors of state prisons where despair is plentiful, yet hope lives. If you want to know why we should treat our kids better and why giving people in trouble a second chance is NOT some mushy-headed idea, read this extremely engaging book.

This insightful, sensitively written book which brings to light Salvador Agron's life that was imprinted by race, sexual abuse and the condemnation of society gave me not only a new awareness of the criminal justice system, but of human redemption as well. Reading Conversations with the Capeman was a powerful eye-opening experience.

Conversations with the Capeman, the story on which the musical Westside Story is loosely based, blew me away. I literally read this 500+ page book in two days. I almost could not sleep for want of finishing it on the first day.

The life of Salvador Agron provides a window into humanity that society tends to overlook when confronted with a crime in light of the death penalty. Mr. Agron's life can be viewed as social commentary that makes this a very important look at our penal system but more importantly it renders him human.....not an evil animal. The loyalty that Salvador garnered from people he didn't even know was overwelming. This is the first book that ever brought me to tears to the point that I could barely see the words on the page while reading the last two chapters.

I subsequently bought Paul Simon's Songs from the Capeman and was pretty impressed by the way that he captures Salvadors life in music.

A great 1st book by the author filled with suspense & humor. The story keeps you glued to the pages wanting to know what happens next. Can't wait for the next book from Kiki Curry!

There is never a dull moment in this fast-paced thriller. Mysteries are
my favorite genre, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Curry kept my
attention with several humorous subplots going on, woven into the death
of a girl in Marble Falls, Texas.
I don't believe in coincidences, like the story suggests and to follow
your intuition. Today, after reading Crows Calling, I found and bought
a piece of art named, "Yellow Bird Ascending." It has the Kachina gods
representing the animal totems. The bird representing the soul.
In this book, the story told of the Indian lore of the crow medicine
being the avenger of truth. It was interesting how the plot captured
the Native American ways of seeing nature as a way Spirit speaks to us
if we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear in a very believable
way.
Crows Calling would make an excellent movie because of the nonstop
action, and humor. I loved the characters and would like to see them
continued in her Curry's future books. By the way, if it is ever made
into a movie, I see David Leach as a character, or maybe Billy Bob
Thornton as one of the thugs.
I can't wait for her next novel to come out. I read her bio on her
website and noticed she was a standup comic. This really was apparent
reading this entertaining book!

As a screenwriter living in Texas, I found this book to be very interesting. Set in the Texas hill country, it is rich with local color. Kiki Curry gives us a new age spiritual woman's point of view of events concerning the death of a young woman in Marble Falls, Texas. The book contains lots of humor and suspense. Curry's narration is very visual and filled with Texan idioms and cultural references. In addition to a fun supspense story, it is an interesting cultural study.

Fun story that as a new Texan, I was able to recognize many landmarks! (Like Stephen King always made me feel about New England). The characters in the story were memorable and endearing. Quite a few sounded like people that would be fun to meet (if they exsisted of course!)
I would recommend this as a entertaining, easy read and I hope to see more from Kiki in the future!

I could not put this book down once I started to read it. Not only does Kiki keep you guessing she keep you thinking. The book was original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive; my only problem with the book was that it ended way too soon. To the Author - Please write a follow-up book very soon.