Murder Books

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Duffy writes a fascinating account of the Irish potato famine during 1846-49 by examining a local community in Ireland that during the famine, now defined as genocide, suffers severely, as all of Ireland does. The severity of the famine is made even worse by actions of large land owners and the English government to remove small plot farmers, to reduce dependence on potatoes and increase alternative agricultural production, that rent by eviction and mass forced immigration during the heights of the potato famine that resulted in over a million deaths and 1.5 million forced or coerced immigrations, many of whom died in transit on over populated ships. Massive relief efforts are slow and not efficient as England initiates limited relief requiring landlords to fulfill part of the financial obligations but what is fascinating was that the famine was widely known in the western world about the level of death as many countries (including the U.S.) offer private or governmental assistance although limited. Soup dispensaries are set up effectively in many cases but are under funded and struggle to stay open and poor houses virtually act like a prison system and are severe on the populace. In Stokestown, Major Mahon, a sometimes absent landlord carries out evictions with less severity than many landlords, pays some subsidies and limited fees for immigration, but still turns many poor out leaving them little in shelter but the ability to remove their thatched roofs to set up as temporary cover. A conflict over relief funding with the local parish priest allegedly fuels the priest to target open criticism on Major Mahan resulting in the priest being accused of inflaming the suffering to commit a severe act of violence. Duffy tells the history virtually before Cromwell to the mass deaths of the Irish famine leading up Mahan's killing and the aftermath. Duffy expertly tells the story of the killing of Major Mahon that shocked England all the way to Parliament, along with the slow revelation of controversial witnesses, resulting in conviction by circumstantial evidence. The strength of this unique telling is the concentration on this local community that reflects what as happening in all of Ireland with the exception of the notable killing of a local elite well connected to England. Duffy covers the trials extraordinary well and this is a great telling of a horrific time in our world history told on virtually a local level of the Irish community.

This book paints an extraordinary portrait of a time and place in history that can arguably be called one of the greatest human tragedies in modern history. Duffy sheds light on not only the grim physical facts of the Famine, as expected, but plumbs the depths of the social structures that amplified it's effects. It is refreshing to read, in today's media culture of quick conclusions and black/white reasoning, a book which acknowledges the complexity of the interplay of forces that create history, and assumes the reader is intelligent enough to draw conclusions for themselves.

After finishing the first chapter of Jerome Richard's Kiss of the Prison Dancer, I was convinced that the protagonist, Max Friedman, was real and that I HAD TO speak to him before it was too late. This reaction was doubly remarkable because, first of all, I am not the kind of reader who loses herself in a fictional universe. Secondly, Max, a loner who dwells almost entirely in the world of his thoughts and memories, is unlike anyone I have ever met. Fortunately for other readers, characters in books do not hear the shouted urgings of their readers and the novel continues to end as Richard intended it to conclude.
Kiss of the Prison Dancer is about a murder, a man, Max, who witnesses the murderer runing from the crime scene and what Max does next. I won't spoil the rest by telling you what Max does, but rest assured that it's not what you might think. When I emerged from this gripping novel, I needed to discuss it with another reader. Fortunately, other readers are more responsive than fictional characters. I think everyone who reads it will want to talk about this well-written, memorable novel that pulls you in and leaves you changed. A must read!

Set in San Francisco in 1977, it is the story of Max Friedman. I won't recap the plot as the Publisher's Weekly review (above) does that, although I disagree with that reviewer's take. Richard's handling of the complex moral issues is far from heavy-handed. It is at once intricate and straight-forward. In fact, I cannot recall a truly literary psycological novel with prose more open, accessible and free of pomposity or affectations of style. Like AS I LAY DYING (but free of Faulkner's dense-as-concrete prose) it is a short novel about a small life that ends up a deep and gigantic story; like the best of Hemmingway (but with more intelligence and self-awareness) it is a dramatically human story told in simple words and phrases. But Richard's opening opus is in a class by itself in terms of literary comparisons except in the catagory of excellence. Tone, mood, characterization, description, setting and all the other writerly tasks are wonderfully handled. Richard is a master of the telling detail and the right word, exemplifying Mark Twain's comment that the right word is to another word as the lightning is to the lightning bug. It is a joy to read well-written serious prose handled with such expert delicacy. The ending is an eye-opening surprise, but given the characterization, it is the only one that is possible or believable. I agree with another reviewer that it would be an excellent book club choice (Oprah, are you listening?). Although it reads as a page-turner, this is one for the ages and will keep you thinking and talking about it long after you've turned its last amazing page.

Jerome Richards has created a nuanced, thought-provoking and well-crafted novel in his debut, "The Kiss of the Prison Dancer." Set in San Francisco in the 1970s, it is a gripping meditation on responsibility, guilt and ethics. The protagonist, Max Friedman, is a solitary Holocaust survivor who is confronted with a haunting moral dilemma.
"Kiss of the Prison Dancer" would make a perfect book club discussion choice: it is relatively short, but packed full of interesting ideas and situations to discuss.

David Carnoy's "Knife Music" skillfully cuts open the life of a privileged surgeon and lays bare an intriguing mystery of deceit, anxiety, and betrayal. Dr. Ted Cogan's efforts to clear his name and come to terms with his darker nature, intercut with Detective Hank Madden's obsessive efforts to nail Cogan at any cost, reminded me of a great Hitchcockian thriller, on par with "Strangers on a Train" or "Rope."

Even though the novel is very well-paced, Carnoy doesn't skimp on character. Cogan, Madden, and Kristen (who comes to life through her chilling diary entries) all feel real. We care about their story because we see ourselves in them. Like Harlan Coben, who writes similar domestic thrillers, Carnoy is very adept at servicing character while not short-changing storytelling.

I highly recommend "Knife Music" for anyone who likes a great thriller that is also well-written. Carnoy's sharp prose and taut structure create a fast, compelling read that keeps you turning pages until the shocking ending. And the final twist packs a wallop that will remind readers of "Presumed Innocent,"except "Knife Music" may even cut deeper than that Scott Turow classic.

Scalpel-sharp suspense, a page-turner of a crime novel with characters you care about: a doctor, Ted Cogan, framed for a murder he didn't commit, desperately tries to save his reputation and his life; and a detective, Hank Madden, with a serious personal prejudice, who goes over the line in his obsessive pursuit of Ted and everything he stands for. Carnoy's dramatic writing takes you behind the scenes of a great hospital's do-or-die power struggles. You won't be able to stop reading until the surprise ending that will hit you like an electric shock. KNIFE MUSIC may keep you up all night but you won't mind--it's that great a read!

What a title! The story is riveting and I was so surprised by its ending. I stayed up 'til 2 a.m. to finish the book and I haven't done that in a long time! Knife Music reminded me of an edgier version of Michael Crichton's Disclosure. Dr. Ted Cogan really got to me and I felt his pain until the end. I'm from Palo Alto, California and I could really relate to all of the places that the author mentioned. Do read the book. You won't be disappointed.

The closing book of T. R. Pearson's Neely trilogy, "The Last of How It Was" seems to ramble, but is tight as a drum. Does murder run in the family? Young Louis Benfied, Jr., listens raptly as Daddy and Momma and Aunt Sister explain.

The closing book of T. R. Pearson's Neely trilogy, The Last of How It Was seems to ramble, but is tight as a drum. Does murder run in the family? Louis Benfied, Jr., listens raptly as Daddy and Momma and Aunt Sister explain.

The town of Neely, North Carolina is just as Gothic as anything Faulkner ever wrote, with murders, adultery, accidentally slaughtered mules, Stonewall Jackson, escaped convicts, dropped coffins, and Injun fights, but T. R. Pearson makes Neely one hell of a lot funnier than Yoknapatawpha County. In the final volume of the trilogy that also includes _A Short History of a Small Place_ and _Off for the Sweet Hereafter_, narrator Louis Benfield relates stories of his family as told by Louis's daddy Louis, with interruptions, corrections, and emendations from Aunt Sister, Louis's maternal great-aunt, and from Louis's mother. The story rambles like a footpath through the North Carolina hills, with sentences that continue for whole paragraphs and paragraphs that continue for pages, creating a style that seems incomprehensible on the page but which reveals its meaning when read aloud, in all its Southern baroque glory.

_The Last of How It Was_ has the flavor and feel of a long Sunday afternoon visit, sitting on the front porch, listening to family tales that don't go anyplace much or have any enormous meaning, but which, for that very reason, are nonetheless a delight.

Being a native of Johnson City, a graduate of Science Hill High School and East Tennessee State University and knowing the city well, this account of the book brought back many memories to me. Age-wise I was between Ms. Fulton and her brother, Charles, whom I knew as a passing acquaintance during high school. Although I didn't know the main characters, I certainly knew of them and was still living in the Johnson City area at the time of this tragedy. Ms. Fulton adheres to the subject in a manner seldom seen in todays literature. I heard of the book through the grapevine and was certainly not disappointed. I commend her for her writing ability. I followed her as an English Major graduate of ETSU and know that I could not approach her ability to put such an account on paper.
I want to express my congratulations to her and add my recommendation. I consider this account a must-read for anyone with roots in the Johnson City area during that tragic time.

I just got finished reading the book. When I purchased the book, it was suggested that I not start it late at night, because I'd want to finish it... Truer words never spoken.

Though these people were strangers to me, I found myself really getting into the details of the family. Patty's writing is so personable and easy to read... I was quickly transported to how life was in the early years of our American cities.

What an incredible life Mr. Smithdeal had ~ his entrepreneurial vision, the courage he exhibited in such varied adventures, from Yellow Cabs, political interests, dog breeder, Utopia Farms owner... What vision, what determination and belief in himself! The details are many and the pictures are a wonderful addition to the story. (When I saw the photo of the bearskins hanging up, I was reminded of the great bear stew recipe in ...and garnish with Memories, another excellent Fulton book.) I empathized with his sorrow in the wake of a horribly disturbed man who was bent on destroying him and then the way that this whole tragic event affected him.

The end of this story is so appropriate ~ stand straight and speak proudly of the man who brought so much to so many. I know that this will be a treasured book for the whole family through the coming generations. As your mom said, we all have skeletons... the only difference is in how we handle them. Patty has chosen well.

"Let the Record Show" is the quintessential southern gothic story, with the added benefit of being completely true. Patty Fulton has captured the tenor of a time and place that no longer exists. I know, because I grew up in that place and I knew, and know, many of the people mentioned.

To say that Ms. Fulton demonstrated an uncommon bravery by recounting this story that so touched her own life would be true, but incomplete. In a small southern town the issues touched upon in "Let the Record Show" are those that are most keenly felt. By scratching the scab off, and exposing for us the full panoply of this tragedy, Ms. Fulton has given us a unique insight into the internal workings of a community in extremis.

For those who have become jaded by recent exhibitions in the American Judicial System, "Let the Record Show" is a refreshing reminder that occasionally innocent people are indicted and tried, and it is up to the citizens of a community to see that justice is done.

From a purely personal perspective, I am indebted to Ms. Fulton for helping me to understand an important part of the history of my community that was previously shrouded in mystery.

Karl Curtis is a Wisconsin native (one of our own) who hails from Beloit College and presently lives in Verona, Wisconsin, just outside of Madison. He has degrees in English and Government, and while he was at B.C. he was among the original editors of the Beloit Fiction Journal, now a national forum for short stories. He presently edits a community newspaper in Verona.

In his first mystery, Karl writes about fictional Kesey College, where a co-ed has apparently committed suicide. Mark Magnuson, is the editor of the campus newspaper, and when the higher-ups call him in and order him to censor any stories in the paper about the incident, Mark becomes suspicious. A call from the deceased girl's father and an offer of $10,000 gives Mark the incentive to look into the case, and his considerable knowledge of mysteries acts as a guide. But he must get around the campus cop, Harney, who has orders to keep the suicide story alive:

"'You might as well tell me right out,' Harney said as we were walking from one building to the next. 'You're still not snooping around about this Darcy Redwine suicide thing, are you?' 'I told you! I lost my textbook this afternoon. I went to Fairchild's office to see if I could find it. The door was open. I took a quick look inside, and that's when you showed up. If you don't believe me, call Avis Myerson. I was at her office about fifteen minutes ago looking for the same thing.'"

Curtis infuses this tale with all the swagger of a college student's fresh perspective into a tainted environment of institutional public relations. Mark Magnuson is the perfect "everyman" college student, although he does have unusual access for the benefit of the story. Still, Curtis leads the reader through a tangled maze which ends in a neat little package. Magnuson's saucy relationship with fiance Rachel spices up the story, as does his scuffles with the powers that be.

All in all, THE LIBERAL ART OF MURDER is an entertaining little ditty that will play well to Midwestern audiences, who are all too familiar with the culture of undergraduates who are struggling against the odds to make it through school. A big thumbs up!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

The Liberal art of Murder was to me a very good book to read sitting in an easy chair and a cup of tea at my side. I was surprised at how well it was written considering this is a first book for the Author. Mark Magnuson shows his stuff when he comes across a murder that the college is trying to hide. He couldn't stomach the thought of letting a murderer get away scot free. Through trial and error he picks his way tO the murderer. Many parts of the book gave me a good chuckle. Looking forward to hopefully another book by the Author Karl Curtis.

I picked up The Liberal Art of Murder on a Friday afternoon, planning to read it over the weekend. The single, vast mistake I made was opening the book to take a look at the first few pages on the walk home; I spent the next so-many hours with my nose in the novel like a regular bookworm.

Meet Mark Magnuson, a typical college fraternity student, with desperate hopes of passing tomorrow's Shakespeare exam. He is the editor of his school's newspaper who - when a girl in his class is found dead at the base of the science building - receives a phone call from the deceased's father. He asks Mark to put an advertisement in the school newspaper, offering a reward of $10,000 to anyone who can prove his daughter's death was not her own doing. Despite the fact that the college administration has given Mark strict orders to keep the girl's death out of the paper, he doesn't have the heart to turn down the advertisement, leaving Mark to figure the death out himself or explain to a heartbroken man that he has no authority to run the ad.

Mark, along with his fiancé Rachel, carry the novel at a quick pace. The dialog is entertaining and clever, and clues lead to one another in a quick-witted, domino-like plot. As a narrator, Mark keeps nothing from the reader, which allows amateur sleuths to follow along and attempt to beat him tot he murderer. By the end of this novel, he has teachers filing harassment complaints against him, classmates picking fights with him in between classes, and the college administration threatening to pull his academic loan.

The Liberal Art of Murder is a charming, fast-paced mystery novel that will keep any reader awake until the very last page.

Even better than I'd hoped for . . . this book is a fast paced thriller that was impossible for me to put down. The author does an excellent job developing the characters and paints vivid imagery for the reader. The book evokes a wide range of emotions from delight to horror, joy to sorrow, hope to despair. Looking forward to reading more novels from this author.

This is a spellbinding mystery drama whose characters, including a serial killer, could be your neighbors. The story includes abuse, addiction, and murder -- a didactic, psychological thriller that is both horrifying and poignant as the characters develop. The reader will feel shock, revulsion, and horror as a pretty and precocious girl with three-dimensional, perhaps psychic, abilities has strange dreams that intensify as she develops into adulthood. The sub-plots alternate and leave the reader spellbound at the end of each chapter, with difficulty stopping as the stories unfold.

A fast fun thriller. The author does a wonderful job of character development. Recommended.

Shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma, shaken impact syndrome, however it is described, this book was an excellent account of what may have been going on in the minds of not just the perpetrator but the parents as well. It is a fantastic read. I recommend it to anyone who wants some insight into the physical abuse of children but especially for medical trainees. The language was straightforward, powerful and suspenseful as well. A very interesting read!
Leena S. Dev, MD
Child Protection Team

A great read! I very much enjoyed this book. My son was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome and I've often wished that there was a book to further educate the public on the harm shaking a baby causes. Despite all my research on the matter, I was unaware of the history behind how SBS was discovered and this novel brings that to light. Every high schooler should be required to read this so they would know to never shake a baby!

One of the most professionally challenging problems facing those of us who seek to protect children from abuse and neglect is abusive traumatic head injury, otherwise known as Shaken Infant Syndrome, Shaken Baby Syndrome or Shaken Impact Syndrome. Regardless of what one chooses to call it, the reality is that frustrated or angry people who unleash these emotions on infants will, as part of this, shake them. Theyt may slam them or otherwise impact their heads, but they do, indeed, shake them. Prior to John Caffey's descriptions of the Whiplash Shaken Infant Syndrome in 1972, this was not widely known. It was well understood that by impacting the infants head with an object or impacting the head onto an object, you could cause serious head trauma. John Caffey "put it all together" and a major part of how he did this was the confessions of Virginia Jaspers.

"Lilacs In the Rain" is the riveting story of Ms. Jaspers and the infants that she abused. It describes how she became a notorious child abuser, and how the system at that time was blind to the abuse. Most of all, it describes how individuals, sometimes working against the system, can make a real difference in the welfare of Children. It puts into perspective the period of time when the protection of children was dawning on the medical profession.

James Peinkofer, who is a recognized expert in the field of Shaken Baby Syndrome, has done an excellent job in piecing together the puzzle of Virginia Jaspers. All protection professionals, as well as concerned parents, would enjoy reading about his important piece of our history.

Stephen Lazoritz, MD
Co-editor, "The Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Multidisciplanary Response"
Co-author, "Out of the Darkness: the Story of Mary Ellen Wilson"
Co-authot, "The Mary Ellen Wilson Child Abuse Case and the Beginning of Children's Rights in Ninteenth Century America"

Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (8/08)

There is one thing that sets "Lion's Pride" apart from other books of its like and that is the fact that although it is set nearly 100 years ago, it could happen today. The recent Texas polygamy case notwithstanding, the themes of love, marriages to the wrong person, devotion and yes, polygamy, are all topics that weave in and out of our lives daily.

Paco Alaniz is the Sheriff of Moon Valley. He is a good man down to the core. He is dedicated to his family and his job, in that order. His wife, Connie, supports him and helps him without being interfering. They live with the knowledge of a renegade polygamist sect just outside of town and this sect has an impact on their lives in many ways.

Don Santiago Castillo de Leon is referred to as "patron" publicly, but as "el Diablo" privately. A rich and powerful man, he is evil to the core. He wields his power as a weapon and brutalizes woman nearly as a hobby. His young wife does her best to hide the abuse but her priest knows otherwise.

When Don Santiago is murdered while on a hunting trip, it is Paco's job to investigate the murder of a man nobody is truly mourning. He questions the true nature of the relationship between priest and widow, finds himself involved with the sect more than he wants to be and has trouble walk into his town in the form of Jacob Strong, a man who left the sect and is back to help his sister and the woman he loves escape.

Throughout this book, every aspect of the story rings true and authentic. There were times when the descriptions made it so possible to picture the past it was as though I lived a century ago. By the same token, there were plenty of times that I had to remind myself this did not take place in the present. The author did a sound job of writing historical fiction that is still relatable to the reader. "Lion's Pride" by Debbie Jordan was a wonderful read and I thank the author of bringing me into the world of Moon Valley and its inhabitants.

Considering this book is placed in Arizona at completely different time, it holds much relevance of what is going on today. I can honestly say ther it only took me 2 days to read this book. It was written so well, using imagery that allowed me to see exactly what was going on. I will mosst likely read it again.

T. Robinson

I began reading this book about 3 days after the polygamists in Texas became the newest headline. And despite the fact this book is set in Arizona before it even became a state it seemed like it was hitting squarely on current issues.

Debbie Jordan has peopled this novel with the endearing, the power grabbing, and the passionate. While we seek to help the sheriff solve the novels' many mysteries we become fast friends with his wife and their engaging community where several cultures are represented and several languages used. A gifted storyteller, Jordan keeps us enthralled to the point that stepping onto the main street of Moon Valley or making a visit to the Swift River settlement seems entirely possible.


Will there be resolutions? Some. Will we learn to read between the lines? Hopefully. Jordan has created a novel that allows the reader to learn about an earlier time in our country's history and how it has shaped where we are today. If we can use this reading experience to rethink how we react to situations in our own communities I think this novel can go far beyond being just an interesting and exciting story of the old west.

One morning Annie is pulled from class to learn now both her parents are dead and she and her brother are to live with grandparents they never really knew. How can anything be normal again, now that everything she's known has vanished? And, death means forever; nothing will ever be the same. A poignant story of vast changes and new beginnings.

One morning Annie is pulled from class to learn now both her parents are dead and she and her brother are to live with grandparents they never really knew. How can anything be normal again, now that everything she's known has vanished? And, death means forever; nothing will ever be the same. A poignant story of vast changes and new beginnings.

One morning Annie is pulled from class to learn now both her parents are dead and she and her brother are to live with grandparents they never really knew. How can anything be normal again, now that everything she's known has vanished? And, death means forever; nothing will ever be the same. A poignant story of vast changes and new beginnings.