Murder Books

In San Francisco, theatre producer Charley Fairfax and her spouse private investigator Jack meet Morgan Stokes, CEO of Zadkan, for lunch. Before the meal Charley pleads with Jack not to take a case involving computer geeks like Stokes. Ignoring his beloved Jack agrees to investigate who murdered his fiancée Clara Chen the firm's brilliant Vice President of Client Knowledge (a more interactive technical support cell).

Charley persuades Jack to let her go undercover as an employee at Zadkan though his heiress wife cannot use a computer beyond turning on the CPU and monitor. However, even though she does speak the vernacular of the office, everyone assumes she is a genius though no one knows at what. When someone tries to kill her, Jack panics; when their families talk about infants Jack goes into cardiac arrest, but never loses sight of keeping Charley safe while uncovering a killer who has murdered again.

Mindful of a modern day Thin Man due to the interplay between high society Charley and cynical Jack, HOW TO SUCCEED IN MURDER is a fine investigative tale. The whodunit is cleverly devised as the audience will wonder who the culprit and why. However, this fun mystery belongs to the newlyweds and the eccentric theatrical cast who turns Jack upside down and flattens Nob Hill.

Harriet Klausner

I very much enjoyed this second outing by Margaret Dumas. All the gang is back and having even more fun than the last time.

I stayed up late reading this book--I really enjoyed reading this mystery set in San Francisco, the second in the series. It's funny, especially the Flank character, and makes you wish you had such a cool and close-knit group of friends as Charley does. While you're reading it, you feel part of that fun group.

Margaret Dumas has given us an unlikely sleuth in Charley, the ultra-rich, ultra-bright and ultra-funny repertory theater madam whose adventures and line-up of delectable characters start with her sexy, if mysterious, husband, Jack. When murder strikes, then again and yet again, among the characters who comprise ZAKDAN, a high-tech company, Jack and his "firm" are hired to investigate. Enter Charley and her unlikely cohorts who must join in; they go undercover, bluffing their way into the organization as "experts." After all, some of them are actors or wanna-be's. Romping over the San Francisco landscape, drinking lots and eating California-style as SF demands, our heroine and her trusty team eventually find enlightenment in the midst of car crashes, death in the steam room and consults in the empty-except-for-the-bed mansion that Charley and Jack have bought. Roller blading throughout is a techie wizard of a 10 year old who helps to tie it all up.
The second in what is to be a long series, HOW TO SUCCEED IN MURDER amounts to a fun read of the nicest order.

This book continues the adventures of Charley and her friends on a fun mission that is a great addition to "Speak Now." Readers new to Charley need not worry, you can jump right in with this one; but it will be more fun if you have read the first book. Guys, don't be afraid of the mention of "chick-lit" - this is just a great read! I hear there are plans for more books in this series - I can't wait!

Scott Kaufman writes with an exactness and an eloquence that only a background in legal training, coupled with astute observation of human nature, can produce. The characters draw us to them, or repulse us, in either case, they provoke a reaction. As exciting as a roller-coaster ride, this novel is of the highest order in legal suspense writing.

Highly recommended!

Scott Kauffman is a brillant writer, I couldn't put the book down! I will be first in line to buy his next book. Highly recommended.

I adored this book, insightful, brilliant a heart breaker. Cant wait for his next novel

If you like a deep thinking and deep feeling thriller, this is it. I was surprised at the quality of the writing and the imagery. Very insightful. Spins, relates, and teaches at the same time. No doubt this was taken from the author's real life background. The character development is gripping. The locations as if you were there. Stunned that this is his first novel. I am sure there will be more.

Attorney Calvin Samuels left the prosecutor's office to become a public defender in the hopes that he could make a difference in the lives of some of his clients. He takes a particular interest in John Rogers, who could have done hard times for theft as this was his second offense; Calvin cajoled a credible witness into testifying that Rogers was sincere in going straight, attending college classes while waiting for the judge's ruling.. He gets probation, but soon after Rogers is found with two bullets in his head and eyes burned out by a cigarette lighter.

Feeling he let down his friend John by not staying in touch, Calvin vows to provide the best defense possible for Mark Alexander, on trial for murder. He travels all over the state interviewing potential witnesses and family members of the people his client is accused of killing. The most damning evidence comes from Mark's ex-wife Allison Morris who will testify for the prosecution. After seeing her and others, Calvin begins to question whether his client committed murder including the killing of a mutual acquaintance, John Rogers.

Scott Kauffman has written an exciting legal thriller in which the public defender uses his own time and money to track down witnesses and learn the truth; Calvin goes the extra marathon for his clients. The two prime cases (that of Rogers and Alexander) that make up the story line are fast-paced and a thrill to follow as Calvin's idealism and work ethic pushes him to be all that he can be and more. Readers will appreciate this dedicated defense attorney and feel for him when he begins to have doubts about Alexander's innocence.

Harriet Klausner

Take this one to the beach but put on a lot of sun screen before you go. The plot will grab you and the afternoon and pages will fly by. Wall does a great job of keeping the narrative moving while evoking the beauty and unique culture of the coastal South Carolina lowcountry.

Arriving on the island (Hilton Head) for one of my quarterly visits, I stopped at the book store and was attracted to the "Local Authors" table. I picked up In for a Penny and took it to my villa.

I got so involved in the plot, and taken by recognizing the settings, that I read well into the night and straight through the next day. I enjoyed everything about this book, including the wonderful quotes from Bartlett's.

On day 3 I went back to the book store and bought the second in the series. I did force myself to do things in addition to reading for the remainder of my stay, but I am now hooked and will savor reading all of the Bay Tanner mysteries.

Excellent plot with interesting characters! This is a great mystery with lots of twists and turns - has excellent and accurate descriptions of the South Carolina coast and its people. A great "beach" read, perfect for anyone who loves a good mystery or wants to escape in an engrossing story...

The package had arrived by the time I got home from work on Friday. I tore into the package and then tore into the book. Didn't stop until I finished on Saturday! The book may be called "In for a penny", but you will be "In" for a great read!

In for a Penny was a good solid read with well-drawn characters that had believable relationships between them. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Mr. Arthur Miller is a personal friend of mine and for as long as I have known him he has been telling me this story of his connnection to Emmett Till and how it has affected his life. So to now see it in a book for public consumption is really a beautiful thing. His perspective is a very unique one but this book also shows the many other parts that contributed to the Civil Rights Movement that isn't being taught in school. This book should be required reading in every public high school in America. Our children need to know who came before them so they can appreciate what they have now. Thank you Arthur Miller.

This book included the ugliness and the beauty of growing up poor to middle class and black in America. It reminded me of the burden placed upon black people to carry your race.
Most black parents that I knew said the same thing to there children, Don't embrassed your people, meaning black people. Thanks Art Miller I truly enjoyed your Journey to Chatham.

This book puts a personal perspective on an event that touched many and helped spark a movement. Set in a time and place in which all the children in the neighborhood "belonged to" all the adults in the neighborhood, the story illustrates the way the sense of innocent safety Black children in Chicago enjoyed was robbed from them when Emmett "Bo" Till was murdered. Documenting a community founded on love and trust, the story indicts the community based on hatred and fear that allowed Emmett to be killed and his murderers to go free. Simple and beautiful in its language, the book speaks appropriately to children as clearly as to adults. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the way an individual, a family, a neighborhood, and a whole people were affected by that single, horrible event.

This writer, who evidently grew up at a very interesting time. Tells a story about America. An America that I was unfamiliar with. I forgot that the people, and the neighborhood were Black. This is an All-American story that all Americans should read. We can all be stronger and better if we heed the words of the author.

An important and insightful book, that take the reader to a new place of compassion and agony. It's more than a story of Emmett Till's death but a honest reflection of a part of our disonorable history. More than a good read it's a necessary read.

Since my son is taking a course at Cornell Summer College from Professor Brumberg, I thought I would read one of her books to get an idea of how she thinks and writes (a gross generalization that often works for me). I expected a scholarly but dry account of 15-year-old murderer, Charley Miller. I did not expect a dramatic and compelling historical novel that rivals today's best books. "Kansas Charlie," is extremely well researched and written in a simple, direct and contemporary style. Although she attempts to be fair and objective, it's obvious that Professor Brumberg wrote this novel to advance her own unarguably poignant point-of-view regarding juvenile justice and how little progress has been made since the Victorian Age. But, who can blame her when political maneuvering rather than an interest in solving an important social issue often blunts real progress? I'm certain my 16-year-old son is in extremely good hands.

Well Researched book for a murder case by a juvenile back in the 1890's that can be easilly related to cases that happen today. This story of Kansas Charley is well written and a sad situation where a child that could not find a place in society had slipped through the cracks of the government that should of protected him.

Kansas Charlie's life is a great reality check for someone who's read too many Horatio Alger books. I read this book very quickly. Dr. Brumberg tells the story well - the prose is lean and engaging, the historical details are perfect. (I can imagine a movie or documentary of this book). The book stayed with me long after I read it. What's remarkable is how little has changed in the last 110 years. Troubled, impulsive boys with access to guns still kill. Prosecutors' and politicians' desire for the death penalty for juvenile murderers is still politically motivated.

Kansas Charley is a fascinating book which ably combines American social and cultural history, developmental psychology, and legal studies. The book traces the story of an orphaned yboy who descends into impoverished and desperate circumstances. He ends up killing two other youths and is ultimately put to death. Kansas Charley recounts this history, but does more. The book paints a fascinating picture of 19th century social life and places Charley in context. It also does an excellent job of connecting modern day attitudes towards juvenile crime and punishment with their historical roots. This book is very timely given current debates over the fate of Lee Boyd Malvo and other children who kill. I'm a professor of U.S. cultural history and think this is a wonderful addition to the scholarship on the history of childhood and the history of American social life.

The simple title, "Kansas Charlie", belies what's between the cover of this scholarly, but extremely emotional saga. It is a sad tale that has vast implications for what we see a century later. Dr. Brumberg doggedly followed the trail of Charles Miller, accurately depicting the many stages of his personal tragedy. As a pediatrician and an advocate for children, there were times during my reading when I wanted to jump into the story and offer my help to this unfortunate youth. The author descriptively takes us back to a setting where the reader could easily say, "That was then...". Her arguement is persuasive enough where we could say, "Things haven't changed so much..."
The dockets in our juvenile courts are still full.
Despite this being a truly heinous crime, the conflict between political force and progressive social movements determined Charlie's fate. True to her profession as a historian, Dr. Brumberg succeeds very well in time transport for her readers, permitting them to gauge whether or not we've come very far in how we regard children. This is very readable history and very few readers will walk away from it without a strong opinion about juvenile justice.

The Kindaichi Case Files is one of my favorite manga series. I have tried to read other mystery mangas but none of them can stand up to the intrigue of Kindaichi's Case Files. Kindaichi is a really down to earth laid back guy who has a very high IQ and knack for noticing the small details nobody else sees. One of the greatest things about this manga is the fact that there are clues to solving the case in the drawings. So if you look carefully enough you maybe able to find the casebreaker before Kindaichi does. Compare that to other mystery mangas where you really have no idea what's going on until the main character reveals the solution. With every case, you will notice your ability to solve the cases begin to improve. This is one of the few mangas that will exercise your mind as well as entertain you.

Personally, I believe this is one of the best detectives book I've read. There are so many little details that the main character points out that it's amazing! If you're the type that loves both manga and mystery this is highly recommended

I am a long time fan of Kindaichi and I am thrilled to see that it is finally available in English from Tokyo Pop! The series was very popular in Japan spawning a 50+ episode anime series, 2 animated movies, 2 live action TV series, a live action movie, 2 series of manga, novels, bilingual comics, english novels(printed in Japan), as well as loads of special editions and merchandise!

*ahem*

Hajime Kindaichi is the grandson of the famous Japanese detective Kousuke Kindaichi, a popular fiction character(much like Sherlock Holmes) who was popular in 70's and 80's. Kindaichi is a genius, especially when it comes to solving difficult crimes. Miyuki Nanase is Hajime's oldest friend and she often accompanies him on his adventures.

Each Kindaichi story is a murder mystery(often serial murder) where the murders are carried out in a seemingly impossible way. Kindaichi puts the clues together and finds the link between the victims until he figures out who the murderer is. Then, usually, he tricks the murderer into giving himself(or herself!) away.

Volume 1 "The Opera House Murders" is the tale of Fudo High's drama club who take a trip to an island to prepare for the drama competition in the wake of the suicide of their best actress. One by one, members of the drama club are being murdered in ways that mimic the play they are rehearsing, The Phantom of the Opera. After the first murder all lines of communication with the outside world are cut by a vicious storm and the fact that someone has cut the line on the boat.
I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil the mystery......

As with all Tokyo Pop titles the print quality is lacking, but for the price there is no sense in complaining. The translation isn't as smooth as it could be. Some of the truly beautiful prose found in both the original Japanese and the bilingual editions are lost. Sometimes the dialogue is choppy and the jokes don't translate well, but overall it isn't a bad translation. One nice thing about the TP editions is the fact that each book is one self contained mystery. The mysteries in the original editions often spanned 2 or 3 smaller books.

Kindaichi is a wonderful read. I loaned my bilingual editions to all of my friends and everyone, male and female, anime fans and otherwise, enjoyed them.

I highly reccomend this to fans of manga and anime, as well as fans of mysteries. Even if you don't normally read mystery stories(like me) give Kindaichi a try. You'll probably enjoy it.

Another plus of these books is the fact that they have a great repeat factor - after the mystery is solved it's fun to read them again and look for the clues(which are there!) that point to the killer!

Just for fun: There is a sequel to this particular storyline. The first animated Kindaichi movie(not currently available R1) is "Return to Hotel Opera" and it draws heavily on the events of this storyline and further explores the past tragedy of the owner. The animated movie is based off a Japanese Kindaichi novel(which is quite a bit better than the animated film - they changed many things in the anime) which is avialable in both Japanese and English, though you may have a tough time finding the English edition outside of Japan.

I stumbled apon this accedentily, sorry for spelling, on the Tokyopop web site. I read the plot and fell in love. I am a HUGE fan of manga and murder mysteries so I got it and I LOVE it it's an amazing manga!!! You also get some major BANG for your BUCK, It's over two hundred paged and only [$$$] which is god for a manga. I can't wait for the rest to come out I promise you I'll buy them all. And if the anime series coems out I'll but that too :)!!

I love mystery, novel or manga. Kindaichi series is one of the greatest Mystery I have ever read along with Agatha's Ten Little Indian and Edogawa Rampo's Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination. The English version seems pretty accurated. The only question I have is How many cases TokyoPop planned to release? So far, it seems like they will release 12; however, I remember they are much more than that. I'm not remember exactly how many since it've been awhile since I read them, and the serie end couple years ago. I think the manga serie alone has at lease 19 full cases and some shorter cases.
After this manga serie end, the creator also created another manga serie I don't remember the name, I think it's Dun, Detective School or something along that line. The serie has the same theme and feeling as Kindaichi series, althought I don't like it as much. I hope TokyoPop will bring it here for manga fan in US to enjoy also.

The True Story of An FBI Agent's Dangerous Dance With Evil
Bob Hamer
ISBN: 9781599951010
Center Street, 2008
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 09/08
5 stars
Memoir...
Bob Hamer FBI Agent spent the majority of his 24 years with the Bureau undercover. His assignments ran the gauntlet of drug dealer, thief, weapons dealer ,and pedophile. His time undercover with NAMBLA was the most repulsive for him and yet the most satisfying.
Hamer allows readers a glimpse inside the life of an FBI Agent. Usually the public can only imagine the actual events that can take place during an investigation. I admire the courage of men like Bob Hamer. They struggle to keep people safe. Fans of true crime, police drama, and biographies will enjoy The Last Undercover .

Most FBI agents spend little if any time doing undercover work. Bob Hamer, the author of The Last Undercover, was an exception to the rule. He spent the bulk of his 24 years as an undercover FBI agent, participating in over 20 such operations during his career.

In the course of his work he acted the part of a drug dealer, contract killer, residential burglar, degenerate gambler, international weapons dealer, racehorse fixer, and white-collar criminal. But the vast majority of this book is given over to the telling of his six-year undercover operation as an aging pedophile.

The assignment that he took with great reluctance and personal repugnance was to infiltrate the North American Man/Boy Love Association commonly known as NAMBLA. This hideously distasteful organization purports to fight for the rights of men who believe that the love between a man and a boy is natural and should be legal. They protect themselves by publicly advocating that their members do not and should not participate in any illegal activity.

The FBI was quite certain however that the membership was rife with practicing pedophiles and attempted to lure, yet not entrap, members into participating in "interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct." The specific ploy that was developed by the FBI was to plan and commence a trip to Mexico where sexual activities with young boys was a guaranteed part of the program.

Hamer's focusing on this final and personally most satisfying undercover operation, gives an elaborately detailed history of this multi-year sting. For those who enjoy an immersion in particulars of criminal activities, this story will be quite satisfying. Unfortunately, many of the other undercover assignments are given rather short shrift. This may be due to the fact that the entire book had to be vetted by the FBI before being published.

However, if you are not put off by the topic in general, this book is an interesting and provocative look at a very small but repulsive subculture of our society.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

Bob Hamer was an FBI undercover agent for 26 years. During his time at the Bureau, he participated in investigations ranging from illegal drug trafficking to art theft. His most intense investigation, however, was his infiltration of the North American Man/Boy Love Association, better known as NAMBLA.

In "The Last Undercover," Hamer gives the reader a glimpse into the world of an undercover agent who battles the FBI's bureaucracy while balancing family life against a time-intensive and dangerous career. His belief in God and love of his country are evident throughout. Not only does he believe that God gave him the opportunity to serve in the FBI, he also believes that a small prayer he muttered while ill allowed him the opportunity to pull off one of the greatest investigations of his career. Do not be fooled - this is not a book sprinkled with Biblical quotes. Rather, he is a hard working man asking for the occasional bit of help.

The primary focus of the book is the NAMBLA investigation. Although he paints a sickening picture of what that organization stands for, he does not go into in-depth detail causing one to have nightmares. He does, however, through an easy writing style, give an adequate description of what these "boy lovers" want to do. A crescendo of suspense builds as he adds more nails to the pedophiles' coffins. This culminates in an ending that can't be missed. Throughout his NAMBLA investigation, Hamer reflects back on other cases he's handled throughout his career. Most are dangerous and gut wrenching; some are quite humorous. He makes it clear to the reader that criminals get caught eventually because they put "greed over caution."

I recently heard the author interviewed on "The Laura Ingraham Show." He seemed as down-to-earth live as he does in the pages of this book. It is a well-written, "fast read," that's sure to keep you riveted to your seat as you turn the pages to see what happens next. The reader will gain an insight into the criminal mind and will be shocked to see how pedophiles operate on a national level. At the very least, it is a book that all parents should read. I highly recommend it.

Most of our attention regarding national security is focused on foreign wars and protecting our homeland from terrorist attack, as well it should be. The Last Undercover draws our attention back to the ever present threat from within our society.

Criminals of all ilks and perversions stalk our streets seeking victims and sick personal satisfaction. Bob Hamer represents the very best of those who sacrifice easy, self-focused lives to catch these predators and put them where they can no longer visit their destruction on others.

This is the best book I've ever read in this genre. If you are inspired by well written books about good kicking evil's butt, get this book as soon as possible and set aside the time to read it straight through.

Bob Hamer takes us on a journey into the places that most of us like to pretend don't exist. With a blend of cynicism, humor and brutal honesty, Mr. Hamer details for the reader dangers that any of our families could experience on any given day. Whereas many would turn away from investigating individuals engaged in such repulsive activites, Mr. Hamer went above and beyond, gaining trust and acceptance, in order to get a tremendous series of Federal convictions. The topic is not pretty, but skillfully detailed. The reality of Mr. Hamer's career in the FBI is the stuff of movies. I highly recommend this book to any fan of true crime, police drama or American history. This work should be required reading for all criminal investigators.

What a wonderful book! In addition to being a terrifically exciting story, Jackson, the author, vividly creates a sense of time and place. One is transported to America at the turn of the century - a period of transition and change in which Frank Grigware, the protagonist, is innocently and irreparably caught. This book succeeds on every level. Outstanding!

I picked this book up on a whim and once started I couldn't put it down. It is a great true story of the real old west. Young men seeking adventure, train robbers, unjust imprisonmemnt, daring escapes and more. You should really give this one a try!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! I loved every single page, and I hated to see it end. (For me, that's rare.) Action, adventure, excitement, and suspense...all set in, to quote the book's subtitle, "the vanishing west."

Well worth the money and well worth reading. In fact, I think I'll read it a second time.

In 1906, the twenty year old Frank Grigware announced to his family that he was going to see the world. They had been living in eastern Washington for years, and he wanted to see more of the West than Spokane. His mother understood completely; it is not an uncommon occurrence for a young man to want to roam before settling down to respectable ways. He hooked up with his best friend Frank Golden, and they figured they would do some prospecting in northern Idaho. A tough life loomed, but Grigware had no idea that he would as a result be accused and convicted of a crime he did not commit, incarcerated in the toughest prison in existence, escape from the prison, and remain on the lam from his country for the rest of his life. The astonishing story of Grigware's life is told in _Leavenworth Train: A Fugitive's Search for Justice in the Vanishing West_ (Carroll & Graf) by Joe Jackson, who shows that Grigware was guilty of nothing but naïveté when he associated with train robbers. He was, however, found as guilty as the rest of them, and a quick decision gave all the defendants life imprisonment, at Leavenworth, the first US federal penitentiary.

It was only six months into his sentence that Grigware, who the prisoners could tell was not really one of them, was let in on an escape by four other prisoners. Using the classic ploy of threatening with guns skillfully crafted of wood from one of the shops and blackened with shoe polish, they hijacked a train that regularly supplied the prison. Grigware was the only one not captured quickly, and for the next 24 years was one of America's most wanted men. The trail was long cold, even after President Woodrow Wilson commuted the sentence of the other robbers because the evidence in the case was so lacking. The FBI refused to back down, and it spied on members of Grigware's family, which was sadly fractured by his escape. Grigware in sorrow knew he could communicate with none of them, but set up a respectable life in Canada, becoming a Canadian citizen and a well-liked member of the community of Jasper, Alberta. He was not found until 1934, and what happened afterwards is of great charm. There was a groundswell of Canadian public opinion against any sort of extradition; even the game warden circulated a petition. The mild Grigware had made many friends, and he was the sort of reliable citizen Canadians wanted. Grigware's wife (who had not known of his past), when the press reported her simple statement, "Nothing will ever break up our home," made up the minds of any Canadians that had doubts on the issue. It became an international incident, and a clash of redemptive versus retributive justice.

Grigware was reunited with his family, which had long thought him dead; the meeting with his aging mother could not have been sweeter. But he could not return with her to the US, nor return for her funeral. President Roosevelt waived extradition, but no pardon was ever issued, so if he ever came back to the US, he could land right in Leavenworth again. That result would seem preposterous as the decades went by, but in 1957, J. Edgar Hoover was still sending out directives that insisted that agents monitor Grigware's relatives in case he were to show up. Every FBI memo issued about him screamed that HE WOULD KILL OR BE KILLED RATHER THAN BE RECAPTURED, a rumor that had arisen in 1911 and which still headlined Hoover's directives about Grigware, who was then seventy-one years old. This exciting and frustrating story, crammed with period detail, reminds us that courts are not always right and that as much justice as was available in this case came from the hearts of ordinary women and men.

Veteran Virginia crime journalist Jackson strips bare a capricious justice system as "the servant of time and place and ambition." In that, this book is a philosophical sequel to his Pulitzer-nominated "Dead Run," a contemporary exploration of Death Row.

Jackson is an immensely appealing writer and a graceful reporter. "Leavenworth Train" is meticulously documented, but the engaging narrative flows seamlessly. Grigware was dead long before Jackson took up his story, but the haunted fugitive comes alive in these absorbing pages, a headlong flight into justice and mercy.

I thought that the book was very well written and engaging. Ms. Mints writes very well and draws you in from the beginning. It is one of the better books that I have read as it is real and powerful...showing the side of mental illness that so many of us fear and rarely talk about.

Legacy of Courage was a book that wrapped itself around my heart and made me feel the emotions of a family and their painful challenges of watching the woman in the center of it all struggle for survival. It gave me insight on the horrific bad luck of being genetically challenged w/schizophrenic genes. How a woman vacilated between living her life in a drug induced state that allowed her to function in society and just wanting to be. I can't imagine being controlled by voices that inhabit your every thought. This book allowed me to appreciate my own blessings and left me feeling empathetic to the author who no doubt painfully poured out her heart and soul so that other's could learn and understand through her mother's story, thereby allowing the legacy of her mother to live on, while putting to rest so many of her own struggles. A truly moving book, with inspiration for anyone dealing with a challenge in their life.

Paula's story is a must for anyone working in the mental health field. Reading about what it is like to have a mother who is schizophrenic is something one does not get in classroom texts. I was deeply moved by both the book as well as seeing her last night at a book reading in Campbell, California. Everyone will be affected by this cogent narrative.

Paula Mints's mother, Elaine Rothwell, suffered from schizophrenia. Legacy of Courage is the story of Elaine's life and her brutal death, as seen through Mints's eyes. It's also the story of how one daughter discovered her mother and the love they had for each other.

Mints's childhood was tumultuous and unhappy. She treasures a few early memories of her happpy and pretty mother teaching her to curl her hair, comforting her, or listening to her stories. But Mints also remembers seeing her mother hitting her head against the wall to quiet the voices tormenting her, and she remembers the subdued, but not healed, woman who returned from a series of electric shock treatments.

What Mints remembers most is the day her mother disappeared, and the phone call she got three years later asking her to come to the morgue and identify Elaine's body. She began a search then for the man who had raped and murdered a homeless insane woman. Working by herself, she found enough evidence for the police to make an arrest. She then endured an eight-year wait for that man to be brought to trial, "determined to prove that the murderer's victim was more than just another crazy homeless person, but someone once loved and treasured who deserves vindication."

One of the most moving and powerful books I've read in a long time, Legacy of Courage not only details a fight for justice and the effects of the fight on the victim's family, it's also "ultimately the chronicle of one woman's cathartic journey to the roots of forgiveness and the flowering of peace." Devoid of pretensions and permeated with truth, it's a book that can't be put down once started.

Legacy Of Courage is the true and riveting story of Paula Mints' search for her mother's killer and her own identity. Lucia Elaine Rothwell had been homeless, living in a cardboard box, and ended up savaged and brutally murdered. Paula, as a young girl, barely survived her childhood years when her mother's mental condition distorted reality. Paula describes the harrowing days of her mother's decent into schizophrenia and her father's ultimate abandonment, of trying to care for her mother whose condition was worsening. But when authorities failed to commit her mother to a psychiatric hospital, Lucia disappeared -- until the day the Coroner's office contacted Paula with the devastating news of her mothers homicide. Legacy Of Courage is the story of how Paula came to terms with the death of her mother, the pain of her own past, and the guilt she felt for losing touch. It's also the story of a justice system apathetic to the plight of the homeless and Paula's becoming adamant in proving that the murderer's victim was not some anonymous homeless person, but a human being once loved and part of a family. Paula sets out to bring her mother's murderer to justice. Legacy Of Courage is a true story that compels the reader with a real-life drama that exceeds anything thought up by some Hollywood scriptwriter.

Having grown up in this locale and having known the killer, though not well, the book was very chilling, indeed. However, any reader would find the account a detailed and rather insightful look at a subject which is horrifying. I recommend it to mature readers with a caveat that it is not a pretty story.

Denis Foley does a great job setting the scene and detailing the acts of Lemeul Smith. The book is a fast and exciting read. I think the time Denis spent interviewing Lemeul in prison really paid off.

Overall, well-written book with good insight into Smith's personality(ies), the people involved and the crimes themselves. Foley very clearly did a lot of homework and was even able to get in the good graces of Smith himself. Far better than your run-of-the-mill true crime book.

My biggest personal complaint is a lack of impartiality. Foley obviously believes that Smith had multiple personalities and, at one point, even writes as though Smith and his alter ego both got into either side of a car to attack a woman - borderline cheesy. The chronological flow of the book is poor at times and you get lost as to which event occurred first. Clinical details like exact dates are sometimes missing but I'll concede I may be too picky on that front... All of those complaints amount to one star so the book is definitely worth getting.

Lemuel Smith and the Compulsion to Kill is the true account of a serial killer who kept the cities of Albany, Schenectady, Colonie, Amsterdam, and Saratoga on high alert for almost two decades. Lemuel raped, stabbed, sodomized, strangled, bit,and
mangled most of his victims. One victim was particially decapitated. The book graphically details the murders committed by this one man who claimed to have more than one personality.
The author, Denis Foley, documents the crimes, with careful attention paid to all the details that encompass bringing a criminal to justice. Many police agencies, departments, and jurisdictions collaborated jointly to end the wrath of Lemuel Smith. As a result of total team work between the cities involved, Smith's arrest, trial, and conviction occurred, to the relief of thousands of people in the Capital District of New York State.
Foley makes certain the reader is aware of the leg work and incredible effort that was put forth to bring Smith to incarceration.

I have just finished reading the above book.All I can say is this.
It is one of the scariest and best books I have read in a long time.
I remember the Dorothy Waterstreet Murder. It has stuck with me for a very long time, as i was born and raised in Amsterdam.
I remember my parents telling me about this murder of Dorothy Waterstreet. I really enjoyed it, because of the area in which the murder happened,and the people involved.