Murder Books

Kate Kennedy fills this whodounit with enough steam to heat a Russian bath house in January. Best of all, try to guess the surprise ending. I didn't. Maybe you will. But I wouldn't bet on it.

This girl can write! A must read on the beach this summer.

Just don't let your young children near it. Parental guidance advised. Hot!

Even though this book start's with a girl's disappearance and ends with a murder trial, it's not really a mystery. Instead, it's a peek into the lives and thoughts of dozens of characters in one small town. Each character is treated with respect, even when they don't respect themselves. With many short chapters, End Over End is a quick read, but it will resonate with you long afterward.

There are some books that tap into an under used vein of human compassion. Such a book is Kate Kennedy's "End Over End". Set in rural New England, the book traces the multi-layered, intersecting lives of a community caught in the net of a small town tragedy. Ivory Towle, a fourteen year old girl is murdered, her body found months later by town boys walking their dog behind a neighbor's farm. In this carefully woven story, Kate Kennedy realizes the lives of people often overlooked, threading the needle and drawing each image perfectly through the eye. You see Ivory, rebellious, dreamy caught in a growing-up-too-fast world yearning for Blake, the boy she's forbidden to see. Here are the teenagers gathering at the gravel pit lit with car headlights, listening to heavy metal or country, radios blasting, stoned and plenty more where that came from. You meet the parents as driven and lost in their way as their kids, trying to keep it together in tiny ranch homes or trailers, doing shift work, their dreams cinched by the mill or the factory. You meet everyone in town who has been touched by this event in staccato chapters that pile up images, dialogue, detective detail all toward the final resolution refusing to leave any stone unturned as the crime is sifted through the eyes of everyone it touches, victims and slayers alike. Though this book is set in rural New England, it is any small town where the roads peter out to mailboxes, where the kids have a gravel pit or Spangler's Store to hang out in and grab a bus to school and think maybe a high school diploma will be their ticket out and, if not, marriage and babies and now the boys don't even have the draft anymore to make men of them. In "End Over End" Kate Kennedy has revealed an Our Town every bit as dense and accurate as Wilder's. Here are the mothers, fathers and children as well as the teachers, the lawyers, the police, the undertaker, the newspaper man. Each has a voice and a claim on the world before us and each is given time center stage. If you need good guys and bad guys with the case neatly packaged and solved, this is probably not the book for you. But, if you want to finish a final page and have the very last scene, indeed, the very last word swim before your eyes like the after image of a compelling dream, then, by all means, this is the book for you.

This book, which is built around the murder of a 14-yr. old girl, is remarkable. The short chapter approach, which navigates unpredictably among numerous points of view, kept me interested and tense and expectantly galloping forward. The effect of the many points of view was prismatic, and allowed me to experience the story in its many facets. The characters are portrayed with compassion, the imagined details of their lives making them seem familiar: like family, like neighbors, like ourselves. The way the author weaves the characters together through and around the death of this young woman reminded me of the interconnectedness of all lives. The fact that we are left to decide for ourselves "whodunit" brings us face-to-face with the elusiveness of truth--a humbling, even painful, experience. Also challenging is having to decide what and who is truly evil, since the writer delivers the characters to us in true-to-life complexity. Readers of this book who hear news stories or read newspaper accounts of tragedies similar to the one protrayed in this book will find it more difficult to jump to conclusions about "whodunit," or make assumptions about the people involved. For making us more compassionate, challenging us to think for ourselves, and all the while entertaining us with a well-paced and well-written book, Kennedy deserves our gratitude, and our congratulations for a first-rate accomplishment.

This is one of the best books about organized crime/mafia l have ever read; it is concise, factual and full of much detail and well reasoned explanations, it was great to read a book by a journalist who has done his research well and is also a very good writer. This book brilliantly captures the rise of Johnny Pops and the Mafia in Canada, especially Hamilton, Ontario in the 20th century.

All the rackets of gambling, stand over, [...], labor and drugs are well covered and explained as the author links various criminals together and how they interacted, co-operated and fought each other. The book details the violent, and uncertain world of Johnny Pops and other criminals and Pops comes across as a man who was scared of nothing except the tax man and later in life going back to jail where he spent a quarter of his life. This book is great read for true crime buffs.

I read this book 3 times and every time I learned something new. I can honestly say that I already knew all this. I am Frankie's adopted son. I didn't know much about this buisness and when I asked he himself told me to read this book. After never understanding I understand. And I garentee you that this book is a real life and indepth look at life in the real Canadian Mob. It will tell you about the family's buisness and personal affairs. If you have ever wondered about the inner workings of a true Mafia family, this book will tell you. Nothing sugarcoated just the truth.

Probably the best Canadian organized crime history yet! And I have read several.With Pops killed and the Musitanos getting 10 years (Feb 5/00),the Papalia story continues. What's next for Organized crime in Canada?

The Enforcer is a wonderful book for anyone who has a feeling for the life of the mafia. Johnny Papalia was a one of a kind who beat all the odds in life and the mafia. This book is highly recomended. 5 Stars

What a great story... it's the type of book that you can't put down for long! I am eagerly awaiting the next book. Thanks April!

Love April's books! Her writing makes you feel part of the story and her talent goes well beyond writing! I love her painting also! She is my favorite author and Painter!!!

I loved this story and I hope there is a sequel. I loved the ending of this book. Great writing style.

I loved this book! I loved her first one too, but this one was even better. I loved the ending and want more! I love how April O'Brien can make me feel as if I am a part of the story, and how her characters seem like real people. Waiting for the next one.

A note to anyone that is a fan of Fletcher's books. This text is the same as another book: (published the same year in paperback version) "Crime Scene: Inside The World of the Real CSIs."

If you want to know what REAL criminalists do and how they behave at a crime scene then this is the book for you. To hear what actual forensic technicians have to say about their craft in their own voices is Connie Fletcher's strength.

What makes this book so valuable is the number of experts she interviewed and the range of skills represented. Real criminalistics ain't like CSI and several of the professionals in this book want you to know it!

This was an interesting book. It was a fascinating look into a world most of us never see. Should be required reading for criminals so they realize that the police will not give up and every crime has evidence left behind.

This is a collection of excerpts from interviews with more than 80 police officers, homicide investigators, prosecutors, defense attorneys and, most importantly, criminal forensics technicians and scientists.

There is no "story" here, no unifying theme or grand scheme. It's just bits and pieces about the underlying premise that every contact at a crime scene leaves a trace of itself. Broken into nine chapters, the book covers crime scene processing, crime scene interpretation, trace evidence, evidence from bodies, DNA, what goes on in the crime lab, the reality of cold cases and the rigors of tesifying at trials.

In a way, the treatment is almost too light, not really providing detailed information about the various forensic disciplines examined. However, that may be a blessing since many of the disciplines are very, very complex.

Instead, Fletcher allows the real-life players to talk about their work, how it fits into the criminal justice process and their own feelings about being confronted with death and mayhem. Some of the interviewees were apparently not very articulate and the excerpts could have benefited from some editing.

On the whole, Fletcher provides a solid overview of forensics in the real world and demolishes without trying the myths perpetuated by CSI and other television concoctions.

Jerry

This was a great mystery -- kept me entertained all the way through. But I have one question for the author. She referred to the different colors of Monopoly playing pieces: "He sat in the chair that was usually his and placed two pieces on Go. Purple was his father's favorite. He took it for himself and gave his father the yellow." Isn't Monopoly played with the well-known "tokens" -- hat, dog, race car, etc.?

This is a good mystery which is very easy to read. My one dissapointment was Jesse Drake. I'm tired of reading about gorgeous women cops that all the fellow officers harass in some way. I still have to find one book about women on the force which weren't harassed in some ways by the male species. Very tiresome. Still, this book is worth a read.

A friend lent me this book, and thought I would enjoy the plot. I am, I admit, a lover of thrillers and read this in one day.

A strange killer is on the moves (pun intended), and a woman detective (Jessie Drake) must identify him before it is too late. Will Jessie save her sister's marriage, and will she find the Curare Killer before he strikes again... Romance can not be avoided, as in most thrillers, but it at least is plausible and believable. Of course, the inevitable happens, the plot does get a little predictable, nevertheless the suspense is there all the way. Definitely deserves five stars.

I ran across this book and decided to give it a shot even though I wasn't familiar with the author. I was not disappointed. The characters are wonderful and by the end of the book, you feel like you know them all as friends. There are nice twists throughout the book and it never bogs down. It's a great read. I highly recommend it.

I graduated from Northeastern University with James Blaikie, Jr., the subject of this true-crime narrative. I am amazed at the story - who knew that I was sharing classrooms with a psychopath? I am so glad to have found Mr. Sonzski's book - it is a fact-filled, very readable account of the career of this baby-faced monster. I recommend the book to any true-crime addict (count me in that circle), or to anyone who enjoys a well-constructed and suspenseful read.

I read this book a couple of times as I knew Jim Blaikie very well. Mr. Sonszki captures Blaikie's personality amazingly. Blaikie's cocky demeanor that Sonszki portrays in the book is dead on. Jim once told me, "I have no conscience. I could paint a barn with your blood." You get that feeling as you read this book. I would recommend it to everyone who likes true crime stories.

I was interested in reading Fatal Ambition as I knew the Author when we were in high school. When I started the book, I felt like I knew who the murderer was. So why continue? I could not put it down. It was an intriguing novel of greed and desperation. The Author, William Sonzski was a brilliant and gifted student in high school. I'm pleased that he is sharing his natural ability as a writer with avid readers. I'm anxiously awaiting his first book, Punch Goes the Judy.

When I first began the book, I felt that James Blaikie was certainly guilty. So why continue as I assumed the outcome?
I could not put the book down. I startd to read the book only because a high school friend was the Author. He was gifted and brilliant in high school and after reading this book I was so pleased that he continued on with his natural ability to write. Truly a great read. I am anxiously awaiting his first book, Punch Goes The Judy.

I am 17 years old and almost every page of that book brought me to tears. How anyone even a child could commit such a murder is beyond me. In the beginning of the book the Author recounts all the killings throughout Europes history that were committed by Children and I never thought such things were possible. That book made me want to become a Lawyer so that I could put people like that away. When you are 10 years old you know what your doing you just act innocent and pretend you dont-believe me I know. The last thing I could find on the killers was an article in 1999 about how they had an "unfair" trial because it was public and if they are released they will be given new names,new identities,new social security numbers, and so on, in my opinion that is WRONG. It's wrong to the family of James Bulgar and it's wrong to the people of Europe...

Excellent and thorough book about the terrible tragedy in England. Not to be missed for the true crime buff. The boys who killed were children and the story is basically unbelieveable, but it DID happen and will probably happen again given the same circumstances of the parents lifestyles and "two of a kind" together at the right (wrong) time and the right (wrong) place.

In Australia, this book was tiled "The Sleep Of Reason," and yes, that is what reason did on the fateful afternoon of 12 February 1993 - it slept, and it slept very soundly indeed, leaving us profoundly disturbed and scratching our heads and asking the perennial "Why? questions that can never be answered. Are, or were these boys evil? Nobody can answer that for sure. Surely a child of 10 knows that when you throw a brick at someone and it hits them, it will hurt. Surely they knew that when you beat someone, blood will be shed. And surely they must realise that when you attack someone and cause them to sustain the grievous injuries sustained by little James Bulger, a likely outcome is death? So, my personal analysis leads me to the conclusion of evil, but that fact is really only for the sociologists and Sigmund Freuds among us to debate.

Totally unbiased, this is reporting at its highest level. Smith describes the atmosphere in which the offenders were bred, their lives before they committed the crime, and the fatal cynergism between them which resulted in a brutal death for a 3 year old boy and a lifetime of grief for his anguished parents.

This is one of the saddest books I have ever read.I don't know of anyone who could read it and not cry for poor little Jamie and his family.I hope the murderers themselves get all the help they need,they are after all only children.A very graphic account of a very sad event.Keep your tissues handy.

I am a long-time true crime reader and this book was one I didn't want to put down. The characters really come to life, it makes you want to find out more.... I even looked at some newspaper archives to see what happened AFTER the book came out... And something did. It's not graphically violent, yet deals with certain types of individuals who are not your normal everyday next door neighbor. The author seems to really have an inside track on the main characters. Reads more like a novel than true crime. I recommend it.

Rena Vicini is a great writer. She made a story that seemed on the outside very simple extremely complex and compelling. I wish this book was still available to buy through Amazon.com for 4.99. You will not regret buying this book, it is fantastic! Finding a copy is going to be difficult however.

You will be thinking about the events described in this book long after you are finished. I lived in Lexington for many years and graduated from UK, which really brought the book to life. I highly recommend this book if you like true crime or if you live in the Lexington area.

I have never read a book quite like "Fatal Seduction" before. From an objective point of view, it is intense, fast paced, and reminds you of a movie or fictional novel rather than non-fiction. However, I am anything but objective.

I not only knew the story, but I lived it. I went to high school with Mike, and was in the UK Band with him, as well as a charter member of Kappa Kappa Psi fraternity. During high school in Lexington, I lived about 200 yards away from his house. I was at his wedding, danced with Beth (a.k.a. "Liz"), and went to the funeral. Even then, I had absolutely NO idea of the horror that was soon to be uncovered.

Rena's book stirred up a lot of old memories--both pleasant and horrifying. Even if you don't know the story, it is a fascinating book that is as well written as any fiction you will find. If you do know the story, then you owe it to yourself--and to Mike--to read it and pray that something like this doesn't happen again to someone else.

Lots of action that makes you read this book more than once! I hope they make a movie out of this!

This book is great. It has a lot of twists and turns. It keeps you reading right to the end. There was a couple of times where I felt bad for bad guy and thought that he was going to prove victorious over the good guy. It really is suspense filled. Read it.

John Lutz and David August did an unbelievable job at writing Final Seconds. I was blown away by the suspense and mystery of this novel. They should make more books together. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read. (Final Seconds would make a great movie!)

If you want a good, entertaining book, you could not choose a better one than this

I recently discovered this author and read all four of the books. Faye Longchamp is a relentless sleuth and I like that! The story was well written and held my interest until the very last page. Can't wait to see where Joe and Faye go from here!

Reviewed by Lynn O¡¯Connell for Reader Views (4/08)

Heroine archaeologist Faye Longchamp begins the novel by discovering an emerald on her property ¨C Joyeuse Island, which Faye had inherited from Cally, her great-great-grandmother and a former slave. Immediately, in the first chapter, Douglass Everett, founder of the Museum of American Slavery, is murdered while holding that same emerald. Where did it come from? Who would have buried it on Joyeuse Island ¨C and why? And, who would even know the emerald existed? Faye and her friend, Joe Wolf Mantooth, spend the rest of the 232 pages of this short mystery trying to answer these questions. Much of their work is tedious, as the duo spends hours in the library sifting through the many letters that emerald-owner and Confederate official Jedediah Bachelder wrote to his wife Viola during the Civil War years. Other times, their work is dangerous as Faye and Joe get attacked by pothunters and encounter other unsavory characters.

¡°Findings¡± is the fourth installment in the Faye Longchamp mystery series. As was the case in the previous three books, author Mary Anna Evans does a wonderful job of including archaeological information, art history and ethnic issues along with the core of the tale ¨C the mystery which Faye will solve. One interesting twist to this particular book is the fact that it is as much a story about love, perhaps, as it is a murder mystery. There is the strong and beautiful love expressed between Jedediah and Viola in their letters¡­there is the love between the murdered Douglass Everett and his wife¡­and, then Faye has her own budding romances.

Faye¡¯s ancestral home ©¤ Joyeuse Island off the coast of the Florida Panhandle ©¤ is the setting for this book. I commend Evans; this setting transforms the tale into something other-worldly and sets a tone which works well for this archaeological mystery.

I enjoyed the fast action in ¡°Findings¡± as well as the accurate historical information that Faye included throughout the book¡¯s 28 chapters. Adding in the well-known mystery surrounding what happened to the Confederacy gold was a nice way to give the plot further relevancy. Evans also covered some of the social issues surrounding individuals who are of mixed race, discussing Faye¡¯s biracial heritage and Joe¡¯s Native American descent. Faye Longchamp mysteries bring a nice addition to the mystery genre of a female sleuth who is both intellectual and charming.

Findings is Ms. Evans fourth book in her series about Faye Longcham an archeologist and Joe Wolf Mantooth her friend side kick and sometimes assistant. In this episode we go back to Faye's ancestral home off the coast of Florida to her Island Joyeuse where she uncovers an artifact from the Civil War era which of course leads to death and destruction and the ever present question 'who done it'. Well the journey to that outcome will leave you on the edge of your seat for the whole trip, and the outcome, well you'll have to read it yourself but you won't be disappointed.

Archaeologist Faye Longchamp and her housemate Joe Wolf Mantooth are restoring a plantation house while excavating a site to include the Turkey Foot Hotel on Joyeuse Island, Florida, where her family once lived.. Faye uses the basement laboratory of Douglass Everett to catalogue and store her findings. So far the top item is a stunning emerald.

However, Douglass's wife finds her spouse dying as Faye's FINDINGS lie nearby shattered and her notes gone. Faye is stunned to hear this but not as much as the shocker that her beloved mentor died. Grieving, but a professional just like Douglass would expected of her, Faye investigates the history of the emerald and more important to her who murdered Douglass. When a second murder occurs and an attempt on Faye's life fails, Joe Wolf vows to keep her safe while her Atlanta based legal friend Ross Donnelly asks her to relocate as his wife.

Faye Longchamp's fourth (see RELICS, EFFIGIES, and ARTIFACTS.) archaeological mystery is a terrific combining of Florida history with a whodunit and a bit of romance. The story line is fast-paced from the onset as Faye begins the arduous digging that she relishes. As always she makes the tale; in this case she must put aside her grief to honor her mentor as he would expect her to finish the excavation. Readers will appreciate her efforts as an amateur sleuth, a potential victim, and a professional archaeologist who relishes the past but mourns her loss while taking care of business.

Harriet Klausner