Serial Murder Books

I purchased this book after hearing the author on Fresh Air. It appealed to me because I used to live in Farmington, Michigan, which is next to the city where Nancy and Bob Seaman lived. I also wondered not only why Nancy Seaman murdered her husband but why she did it so violently.

The book is a page turner. I'm usually a slow reader but I finished it quickly. The short chapters help the maintain momentum. Maynard's style also keeps the tempo going. Some of her interviews and observations do give a flavor of the people and places of the story and the Detroit area.

However, the book has fatal flaws (pardon the pun). The worst of these is Maynard's decision to insinuate herself into the story. The book becomes almost as much of an exercise in therapeutic self-exploration as a true crime story.

Maynard clearly takes sides in this story. She writes of the people she likes, such as Lisa Ortleib (now Gorcyca) and Detective Al Patterson, with near reverence. Those she doesn't like seem like cartoon characters. The same facile approach that makes the book easy to read also gives it a television-like tendency to oversimplify.

Maynard also makes abundant mistakes of fact (saying that Telegraph Road runs through Grosse Pointe, calling Dodge Magnums Plymouths, misspelling Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell's name, etc.). This made me wonder whether her sloppiness extended to pertinent parts of the story, too.

In the end, I was disappointed. This was a story that deserved to be told in all its complexity. Maynard captured some of it. However, she could have told it better if she had kept herself off of the pages and abstained from quick and easy generalization.

First part of the book is interesting until the trial is over.
Then the after the trial the rest of the book is tedious and somewhat boring.

Author Joyce Maynard does a terrific job of recreating this fascinating true-crime story: of an award-winning school teacher, Nancy Seaman, who butchered her husband, tried to hide his body and then tried to use the battered wife syndrome as her defense. The killer comes across as arrogant, cold, manipulative and repulsive. Instead of her being the battered wife, it appears her husband was the actual battered victim. The way the killer tries to adopt the personae of a battered woman is repulsive and enrages the reader. One of her sons, Greg, appears pathologically incapable of seeing his mother as a vicious killer, while his brother, Jeff, sees her as a cold-blooded murderess whose attempts to persuade him and her friends at school that she was the victim of a heartless wife beater are hysterical. Whenever she bruised herself, she would go around touting the bruise as just one piece of evidence that she is being beaten. Where I had problems with the book is when the author heavily interweaves her own life of marital problems into the mix, as if trying to justify her fascination with this case. She spends much too much time describing her failure to attain interviews with Greg and his killer Mom and other friends and enemies of the Seaman family. Jeff comes across as a boor who continuously stands up the author for scheduled interviews. Sometimes an author can step into the story and enhance it, if it adds another dimension to it--much like what Jim Schutze did in his fascinating study of judicial lynching in BY TWO BY TWO. This is when twin sisters were accused of murdering the dentist husband of one and the charges of a psychopathic, alcoholic drug addict were used to railroad one sister into prison for life, while the other one was acquitted. But in INTERNAL COMBUSTION, the author's personal intrusion into a fascinating study of evil dampens the effect of the story. I'd like to see what Ann Rule or Jim Schutze would have done with this true life tragedy.

What do you do when you set out to write a true crime book, but the perp won't talk, even though you've invested a lot of time and money in the faith that she will? Well, this book shows how to get around that major problem. You pad it. Pad it with observations about everything you did while waiting around for the key interview that won't ever happen. You attend the funeral of a Four Tops singer. What's that got to do with Nancy Seaman? Nada. You hang out at the lake house of the local courthouse reporter and pad a few chapters about that. You decide you'll draw parallels with your own failed marriage and divorce. That's good for maybe 25 percent of the required pages to make your book contract. Hmm. Let's see, now? What else can you pad with? Oh, I know. Make some big socioeconomic generalizations about the haves and have nots who populate both sides of the tracks in your setting, in this case, Detroit's 8 Mile Road. Even so, this book is still pretty interesting and Maynard is a world-class writer. So you should read it, even though it's deeply flawed. The case in question is a real beaut.

Both as a "what-made-her-do-it?" investigation and as a searing cultural and family study of 3 generations of Detroit-area auto engineering people, Maynard relentlessly digs for truth and understanding of murderous rage that destroyed a prosperous family. I stayed up all night two nights in a row to finish it and was sad to see it end, but the book forced me to think hard about the catastrophic violence waiting to explode in so many feuding families -- and what causes the explosions to occur, as well as the consequences for the survivors. Regardless of how tranquil your world, you will be shaken by the story of what may have caused an award-winning 4th grade teacher to take a hatchet to her husband's head. The author's intermittent reflections on her own fascination with the story add extra poignancy and mirrored many of the questions I was asking myself about this fascinating case study of a seeming typical American upper middle class family. A real treasure.

Erica Spindler, Dead Run (Mira, 2002)

"I'd begun to believe that maybe...that life sometimes offered up second chances. But now I wonder, was I simply a pawn in your desperate game?"

Yes, a character in Erica Spindler's Dead Run actually says this. (The ellipsis is [sic].) That should tell you pretty much all you need to know about this novel. If you're fine with brutally cheesy dialogue, then by all means, dive right in.

Of course, where one finds such dialogue, one also finds other flaws. Characterization is a big one here. While Spindler's characters-- her main ones, anyway (the minor characters are cardboard, but that's to be expected from genre writing, and we don't take points off for it here at Goat Central)-- are generally well-drawn and three-dimensional-- if not terribly complex-- their motivations are often in question. Now, that's okay if you're wondering why a character is contemplating a bit of navel fuzz while the killer is pursuing her (something that's all too common in books these days; thankfully, it never happens here, I'm just using it as an example), but when you're talking about the romance between the two lead characters, it's just not good enough. You want motivation. You want motivation that's straightforward, but subtle. You want to avoid the idiotic pratfalls that occur in every formulaic genre romance, where everything could be resolved if the characters were actually willing to open their mouths. And guess what? Every time that particular chasm opens up in the road that is Dead Run, you can see it coming all too clearly, and you know Spindler is not going to swerve to avoid it. And you will never be wrong.

The one thing she does get right is the mystery angle. Who can resist Satanic cults who are going around killing teenagers? While the evil mastermind will be obvious to you well before the book ends, Spindler does still have a trick or two up her sleeve, and she unravels them at just the right speed, leaving you a trail of doggie biscuits to snarf up while you're turning the pages looking for the clues to that last plot twist. Using the main mystery as a way to cloak a sub-mystery is a devious trick, and I am suitably impressed; I just wish it had been couched in a better-written novel. ** ½

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Run. I thought the chemistry between the characters was great! Each character brought their own piece to solving the mystery, and I didn't solve it until about the last 5 chapters of the book, which only made the end more appealing, finding out the whodoneit! Spindler's novel keeps you guessing throughout and keeps you thoroughly entertained. She mixes the right amount of romance, the right amount of mystery, the right amount of suspense and even a dash of comedy to come up with a delightful dish in Dead Run. My opinion is if your a Spindler fan (like I am) READ THIS BOOK, you won't be dissatisfied.

I bought this hardcover at a bargain book sale - and WHAT A BARGAIN!! I love Nora Roberts, Iris Johansen, Kay Hooper and other mystery/romance writers and now I love Erica Spindler!!

The book begins with Pastor Rachel Howard peering out her window wondering if "they" are out there and rushing to her car, driving and crashing. We get the sense that she is very scared and very desperate. The next chapter introduces Liz Ames, her sister. Liz has a weird message on her answering machine from Rachel telling her that Rachel has found something going on and that someone is watching her. Liz believes her sister is in fear of her life. Liz bugs the police in Key West but no one is interested and the police believe Rachel left on her own.

Three months later Liz has made arrangements to bring her social worker practice to Key West and opens a small storefront on the "main" street in town. Except for the police, Liz does not intend to tell anyone she is Rachel's sister so that she can get some answers. Lt. Valentine Lopez tells Liz that even Liz's congregation at Paradise Christian Church said she had been acting strangely so he believes it is no wonder she ran away. Even after Liz tells him about the phone message from Rachel, Lt. Lopez is just not buying into any sinister happenings.

In the meantime, a vice president at a local bank jumps (falls?) to his death from his third story bedroom window and another bank employee is missing. The new pastor, Pastor Tim, of Rachel's congregation does not seem very cooperative to Liz and on top of that a young teenage girl that Rachel had counseled and Liz had begun to see is found murdered in a ritualistic style after the infamous "New Testament" killer currently incarcerated.

An ex-Miami cop who owns a bar, the young boyfriend of the murdered teen, and a shop owner enter the picture and provide support and clues as Liz struggles to find out what has happened to her sister and who is committing these murders and is SHE now in danger too??

Very exciting with lots of plot twists and turns and surprises and some fun romance as well. A great read!!

I was truly impressed with the character development. This was my first book by Erica (I just ordered my next one). You will have a hard time putting this book down.

This was the first Erica Spindler book that I read and it hooked me on this author! She writes a story that will keep the reader captivated from the beginning until she decides to let you go. Chores will wait, sleep will wait, everything will wait until you know the end of this story!

Liz Ames is a family counselor who moves to Key West to find her sister. Pastor Rachel Howard disappeared after leaving Liz a strange phone message - "I've uncovered something - they're watching..." Shortly after that message was left, Rachel disappeared without a trace. Liz riles the local authorities with her endless questions and investigations. Police Chief, Val Lopez does not think anything happened to her sister and has other more pressing matters on his hands. It seems as if a slew of mysterious deaths and questionable disappearances have plagued this enchanted area. These include a loan officer who falls to his death from a second story window, a missing bank employee who's body washes up on the beach, and a teenage girl being counseled by Liz murdered in what appears to be the work of a infamous "New Testament" serial killer currently residing in prison. Enter into the picture is Rick Wells, ex-Miami cop who now owns a local bar. Romantic sparks fly as Rick helps Liz try to figure out what happened to Rachel.

Strong character development is one of Spindler's trademarks. In DEAD RUN, we not only have Liz and Rick, we are also given a colorful support cast. Val Lopez is authoritative and demonstrative, not wanting to believe anything bad can happen on his watch. Pastor Tim, Rachel's successor is a bit of a bland character who has secrets of his own. Heather Ferguson, a drop dead gorgeous bikini store owner who is just mystifying enough to send up red flags as to her innocence.

The story line is the typical good versus evil, satanic verses holy. At times Spindler flips from mystery/thriller to such heavy romantic overtures, that the reader isn't sure which genre they picked up when they grabbed this book. The reader will go from intense suspense to hot and heavy sex in the matter of a few pages. Other than flip-flopping genres, this is an exciting story that will keep you interested throughout. There isn't a dull moment in the entire book!

I'm kind of stumped as to why so many people rated this book so highly. I found it repetetive and dull, especially toward the middle. There were several chapters that spoke of nothing but the debate about whether to give Pomeroy the death penalty or life in jail, with wordy letters written by various opponents and/or supporters. I thought it could have been wrapped up in a couple of chapters, maybe, but it went on and on and finally I skipped a few chapters to get to the end. Another thing I disagreed with was the description of Pomeroy as a serial killer. He only killed 2 people, I hardly call that serial killing. Not that he wasn't a deviant of the worst kind, I just think the description was meant more for sales of the book that an accurate analysis of what the little freak was.

Schechter does a great job of presenting the facts about the life and crimes of Jesse Pomeroy. He makes it clear that sociopathic adolescents aren't a modern phenomenon, however much we might want to blame violent movies and video games for producing them. His style is excellent for this sort of material, as he is neither sensationalistic nor shy about including some fairly graphic factual details. Occasionally he seems to wander into facts about contemporary events that bear little or no relation to the main story, but as they are interesting facts, this isn't a problem.

I've read all true crime books of Harold Schechter, so of course I had to read this one too. It was strong as a ever, still it was in my opinion not Schechter's best one. The prison part was rather short, the court case part was way too long. The book was worth every penny though.

Definitely a must have for fans of the writer and his works. This is an easy to pick up, easily read book that features one of the most shocking stories involving children that I have ever read. This book is a good one, and it truly is what it says, a shocking true story. Youth gone awry for sure.

In 1910 a kid like Jesse Pomeroy left New England and came to Florida, where he started the same level of violence. The kid had just been released from a reform school in New England, then brutally murdered a young girl here. Florida hanged him. The boy was 14 years old.

The newspapers in the North went nuts, of course. But the kid was history 3 months after he murdered the girl.

FIEND is a pretty good read. It's not as good as some of Schechter's other books, but it's still interesting and well-written.

This book shows its age in such things as its portrayals of psychiatry, the police, and the bad guys.

Still, I thought it was well written and enjoyable to read. Even the aspects that are dated are interesting in that they show how much things have changed, both in how the worlds of crime and its investigation operate, and in how things are understood. For example: psychiatry no longer understands homosexuality as a 'disease' that needs or desires a cure - individual psychiatrists undoubtedly do, but the professional diagnostic guide dropped this decades ago.

So if you are looking for sort of an interesting historical document that's also a fun crime novel, this might do the trick.

Unlike some other reviewers, I was totally off in my guess of the actual killer. Knowing this was Sheldon's first attempt at writing did not make the story any less interesting for me. Compared to his later works, it is not as multifaceted a mystery, but the plot will hold the reader until it unwinds at the conclusion. Judd Stevens is a top-notch psychoanalyst and out of nowhere, a patient and his trusted secretary are murdered. He becomes a target as well (without the slightest inkling as to why anyone would have a reason to kill him) and escapes only by default. Hiring a private investigator becomes a questionable issue as well as wondering if he can trust the lead detective on the case, McGreavy, who doubts Judd's every move. Fearing for the well being of his patients as well as himself and his sanity, he must get to the bottom of this mystery. I was completely taken back by the discovery of the murderer - would have never guessed. While "The Naked Face" does not have the intensity of Sheldon's later novels, it is still a very good read.

THE NAKED FACE is Sidney Sheldon's first novel, written in 1970. It wasn't much of a sales success for him, but I really enjoyed it.

This novel is a straightforward crime thriller -- someone is trying to kill the main character, a psychologist, and he's trying to figure out who the killer is before he becomes the victim. Is it one of his patients? Is it someone involved with the police? I was surprised by some of the twists in this book.

THE NAKED FACE isn't a masterpiece, but it's a fun cat and mouse story that you can read in a few hours. The pacing is pretty fast, and I found THE NAKED FACE more exciting overall than a lot of the contemporary thrillers I read these days.

This novel was written over 30 years ago and it admittedly has a dated feel. But overall it's worth your time, especially if you like Sheldon's work.

In THE NAKED FACE, Sheldon gave Stephen King a run for his money, competing with King's ability to unearth the gritty emotional core of homo sapiens. This was one of my favorite of Sheldon's mainstream novels; I've read most of those works, some more than once. The psychological depth of Sidney's characters, exposing inner visions of various disturbances, came out with amazing clarity and complexity in this novel. It appeared to me that Sidney understood the inside, underside, and upside of the human psyche, possibly in a more intuitive way than a practicing psychiatrist.

I read this novel in the late 80's, and I'm not good at recalling details, so I won't strain my brain to give a plot summary from a bad memory, which might mistakenly mix a few other novels into this one. What I do recall clearly, though, is that I was deeply impressed with this novel, so much so that I continued chewing on exactly what it was which awed me about this particular story. It had something to do with Sidney's grasp of psychosis and his ability to redeem it or to know when to render it to the fires of cremation. I knew I would come to a time to read the book again later, and come to a catharsis with that nagging feeling of more value to be had through a repeat read of THE NAKED FACE.

Maybe after that reread I could write a decent plot summary. In any case, I've rarely written any type of synopsis in my reviews, mostly because that's done perfectly by other reviewers. Instead, I do my thing, which is to try to help potential readers decide if a book is easy to get into, by detailing what captured and kept my interest, by determining what glued a book into my mind so I could live vicariously in it.

Some of the reviews mentioned this being Sheldon's first novel, and therefore less than his others. I can see how they came to that conclusion. I can also understand how others described it as better than, and noted psychological complexity. Most said it was engrossing.

I wonder...

If Sheldon had written THE NAKED FACE (or published it) at the end of his career as a novelist instead of at the beginning, might that work be seen in a different light? Might it be viewed as a crowning achievement, shedding light (yeah, I'm going overboard, or maybe I have my head in the clouds) on every angle of his long and varied, creative career?

By the way, Sidney's long and varied career, is highlighted beautifully in THE OTHER SIDE OF ME, Sidney's memoirs released November 8, 2005.

That's another must get; must read, for those of us who love to labyrinth into worlds of fiction. Yet, this isn't fiction; it's Sidney's life, which appears to read better than some of the best novels. In fact it appears to be better than even Sidney's novels. And, that's saying something.

I read the first few chapters of these memoirs while browsing in a couple bookstores in Grand Junction, CO, HASTINGS and BARNES & NOBLE, on 12/12/05. Feeling similarly to a reviewer of that book, after reading a few chapters of Sidney's memoirs, I was tempted to temporarily halt a book I had been enjoying immensely, to continue reading THE OTHER SIDE OF ME. It wasn't easy to temporarily put aside Sidney's memoirs, and decide to wait and order it from Amazon (which I did on 12/17/05).

THE OTHER SIDE OF ME, as noted above, appears to be more riveting than any of Sidney's novels; it exposes beautifully the richness of Sheldon's personal history, and how he became the phenomenon he is.

Having read only the first 4 chapters, I received an "ah ha!" for the source of his kaleidoscope writing style. I began to see why many of his novels have the first 5 chapters begin from different parts of the world or from different life pursuits, each chapter initiating sets of characters who seem to have nothing to do with those in the other opening chapters.

In understanding how his life set up his style as a novelist, I also understand how THE OTHER SIDE OF ME explained its first chapter's event to Otto, Sidney's father, who ingeniously convinced 18 year old Sidney not to add the sleeping pills to the whiskey he had consumed in preparation for them. I believe that Sidney will gently and subtly weave the answer to the first riveting chapter into the remainder of the book, tying the themes of his childhood into the directions of his ultimate success, and the devastations of riding the psyche designed from those early chaotic years, boomeranging repeatedly from poverty to riches and back.

A review noted that these memoirs delve more into Sidney's show biz career than into his life as a novelist. It was helpful to know that, even though I was also hoping to learn more about Sheldon's background around his novels. Even so, I'll read between the delicious lines if possible, seeking silver threads exposing his reasons for featuring the vignettes he did. Those features will likely answer the main questions I would have about how Sidney's life drove his multi-fronted successes.

I was invited into Sidney's world of the novel by my nephew, Lonnie Joe Hudnall, an ex marine who was based in Seoul Korea, as a military policeman, later adding translator to his list of duties performed to precision without pomp. When Lonnie lived somewhere he lived there, with those people, melding himself into their ways of doing, thinking, and speaking, as much as he could do that and honor his military commitments.

When he recommended WINDMILLS OF THE GODS to me, which was my first dip into Sidney's mainstream novels, I was indeed curious, and not disappointed. Read that book twice, and then progressed to read all the other early books, though I'm happy to say I still have a couple of his most recent novels on my To Read list. I knew that Sheldon was one of Lonnie's favorite authors, but I also knew that Lonnie's reasons for recommending Windmills to me went beyond sharing that appreciation. Of course, as I read, I was looking for why Lonnie felt I would enjoy this particular book. Did he see me as being similar to the woman who became an ambassador? If so, I was highly complimented.

The only compliment I've received from Lonnie which was higher, was his conclusion after reading several chapters of my nonfiction manuscript, MOLASSES MOON. "I was reading and reading and reading, and all of a sudden I realized it felt like I hadn't been reading, but that I had been thinking my own thoughts." If that isn't a compliment on syntax being smooth and natural, I don't know what is. Thanks, Lonnie, for many things, especially our fascinating discussions on, and mutual love of books and words.

Lonnie is also a writer, with at least one novel written into several chapters of a first draft, and a few tentative beginnings of a project of rewriting history in a uniquely intriguing slant and style. Maybe I'll be reviewing one of his books here one day. Maybe he'll be reviewing one of mine.

Writers. Gotta love em.

I wonder if Sidney's memoirs will go the way of his Midnight novels, and split into at least a duo if not a trilogy. I hate to be left in the position of, if I want more of a book I have to reread it. But, of course that's a better position than dropping a novel into the fire of the coal stove after having read it, to be sure no one else ever picks it up.

I did that once; I won't tell what book it was. It wasn't a novel I'll ever review here, since I've made a pact with myself to review only books good enough to rave with 5 stars, as I wish upon them for more. I feel somewhat guilty "coping out" like that, since that leaves the task to other reviewers to expose those books which might not be worth reading, or to expose the dull or drag parts in otherwise good reads. My problem isn't a matter only of being too sensitive to criticize publically; it's that every book has great value to certain readers at certain times. I don't feel qualified to know what's truly bad, or why. I'm still learning what's good and why.

Speaking of rereading to get more. A few years ago, my Mom and a friend and I were on the way to Santa Fe. I was driving my Mom's 67 Ford Galaxy; the friend was reading my sci fi ms, MORNING COMES. Reaching the -30- at the end of the last page, I believe it was page 400-something, the friend screeched, "Oh No!!" My stomach gathered into granite, "Did she just read something she hated? Did she hate the ending?"

I didn't have to ask.

"It CAN'T be over! I don't want this book to end!" She immediately flipped to the first page and began again, her scowl smoothing into a smile as she continued rereading and I continued driving southwest to visit Sunstone Press.

Returning to a True Master of That Game, I should note that I see differences between Sidney's early novels and his later ones, all great, just subtly different in feel. I won't get into detail on that; I merely wanted to state the opinion and run.

In closing, I'll mention that Sidney's Midnight novels stay in my mind as being the most engrossing and complexly satisfying reads in his collection.

Can't wait to get my hands on my personal copy of THE OTHER SIDE OF ME,

Linda Shelnutt

P.S. Also ordered the hardback of Nicholas Spark's TRUE BELIEVER. Looking forward to rereading in easy chair plush the installments I read riveted to the book shelves in my local Wal Mart during a series of grocery hops (see my review on TRUE BELIEVER and its companion review on Stephen King's MISERY).

This is one of Sidney Sheldon's early works. Written in the 80's, there is some language that is a bit dated. For example, the phrase "he was a big mother." Okay, haven't heard that phrase in a long while.

Judd Stevens is a psychoanalyst. The people he sees are very disturbed with the exception of one patient, Anne, who won't get to the bottom of her problems. In the opening of the book, one of his patients leaves his office wearing Judd's raincoat and gets stabbed in the back. Shortly after that, his secretary is murdered in his office after hours. The homicide detective assigned to the case believes that Judd is actually guilty of the murders and begins to try to slant the evidence against Judd.

Though this is dated and not one of Sheldon's best works, it is very suspenseful and held my attention to the bitter end. It was a satisfying read and, though not necessarily a keeper, it was worth the time. Sidney Sheldon's writing improved dramatically over the years after this book was first written - if you want to read one of his best, read Master of the Game.

The intrigue of what happened to "Crissy" is there but the back and forth of so many characters made it too confusing. Frustration made me drop the book.

This book is my 1st Marcia Muller - and last.

The plot is old '80's hippy drug CA north-coast retread stuff. The worst part is that the local law (sheriffs) are dumber than dirt and 8 people get killed (unsolved - no wonder) and 13 years later (to the exact date ... dum, dee, dum, dum - hard plot BS to swallow) - 4 more get killed - and leave hairs and tire tracks and Nike tracks all over and - our dumb lady Deputy is - you guessed it - DUMB.

Compared to a Robert B. Parker or an Elmore Leonard or a John D. MacDonald or a leCarre or even a Dick Francis or a Tony Hillerman, this author/book/plot/characters/dialog is zero.

Do yourself a favor - read them first - then read something else.

Point Deception causes me to forgive Muller her less-than-stellar McCone mysteries, published beginning in 2000. These mysteries were filled with setting and location descriptions, more as if she were the set designer for a documentary on San Francisco's history as a city. This would be okay if you lived in San Francisco or were a lover of San Francisco. For those of us where neither is the case, the books were just boring with no real character development. The books leave one feeling that Muller was just fulfilling contract requirements and had lost her muse.

In the book, Point Deception, all is forgiven. Here there is the Muller of earlier years, with a new female heroine and very little set design description. The interest here is a very complex set of murders, seemingly unrelated. The characters are very well developed and explanatory of all the events in the complex train of events leading to the resolution of all of the murders. Muller as well makes social commentary, which had been missing in her other novels written in the 21st century. Notable is the comment about the local people wanting to be paid in cash, due to the fact that governments were increasingly taking larger slices from lowering incomes with ever decreasing benefits in return. Writers who bravely make much-needed social and religious commentary in a knee-jerk society that swallows all the propaganda increasingly spewed out by all the bought medias are always a delight in a world where negative social commentary is just not "positive" enough to be mentioned. Hail to true social commentary where there is a negativity in the culture that is a fact.

This book is the type of excellent work you'd expect from Marcia Muller. I'm just disappointed she didn't seem to follow up and turn Rho Swift into her own series.

I've been reading Sharon McCone for years, but never tried this one out until I saw Rho mentioned as a minor character in "Cyanide Wells." If not for that, I never would've known about her, nor enjoyed such a great read.

Highly recommended.

I've read three Marcia Muller mysteries recently. The first two were from her Sharon McCone series, and I found a later McCone much better than an earlier book. Was I astounded to discover that Point Deception (not part of the McCone series) is an awesome story!

Point Deception is seen through the eyes of two scarred individuals. Guy Newberry is a writer whose specialty is finding the secrets of towns in trouble. But he's pretty much given up his lucrative career when his photographer-wife was killed on a joint story three years previous. Rhoda "Rho" Swift is a sheriff's deputy in fictional Soledad County, California. Rho is still haunted by demons from her first crime scene--the grisly murder of eight people living commune-style in Cascada Canyon. The 13 year old crime was never solved, and the county closed ranks to outsiders. The brother of one of the victims convinces Newberry to investigate this unsolved case, and Newberry is intrigued enough to travel from NYC to California.

Newberry faces many obstacles in his investigation. Many townspeople continue to be spooked by the murders. Some refuse to cooperate with him. The sheriff's department made multiple errors that hindered the investigation, which calls suspicion to them as well. But there are several residents who have secrets to share that may shed light on this case. When Newberry arrives, it looks like another killing spree may have started on the eve of the anniversary of the Cascada Canyon murders. This opens up the old wounds and brings the nightmares back. But it also unleashes a chain of events that will ultimately help Newberry and Swift to solve the mystery together.

It is hard for me to believe that Point Deception is written by Marcia Muller--the same author who writes the Sharon McCone series. The writing is hard and gritty and the characters are more deep and tortured. It's a book I'd expect from Michael Connelly. Muller's husband is writer Bill Pronzini, so it's possible that some of his influence has rubbed off. If I were Muller, I'd start a series with Rhoda Swift. I think she's a much more interesting character.

I have read all the series in order, this being number nine. I really liked the first ones much better. Silent Justice really has two stories at the same time. Ben has a class action suit against a big company for dumping chemicals into drinking water and therefore killing children. Meanwhile, his friend, Mike Morell is after a person who is killing people for no apparent reason. What is the killer looking for? What is the merchandise? I nearly went to sleep reading page after page of much to complicated words for my small brain understand during the trial. I really like Ben, Christina McCall, Jones, Loving and Mike. Maybe its time for me to change instead of thinking Bernhardt will go back to writing like he did earlier. It is sort of a surprise ending but I thought I would read forever to get to that part. Sorry, but the writer has done better.

Didn't keep my interest. Found it hard to finish. Maybe I was spoiled by recently reading some old Grisham books. This is no comparison.

A twelve year old child dies from acute lymphocytic leukemia and he's not the first in the small town of Blackwood, Oklahoma. Eleven other children between the ages of eight and fifteen have recently died of the disease. Blaylock Industrial Machinery has been doing a little toxic dumpin and Attorney Ben Kincaid, champion of the underdog, is seeking justice for the victims. This is almost a suicide case for Ben as he's a sole practioner up against a well heeled, powerful law firm.

Then there is the small matter of the serial killer who appears to be targeting Blaylock employees. So you can see there is room for plenty of suspense in this book and Mr. Bernhardt does not disappoint or shrirk his writer's duties. He delivers well rounded characters, a first-rate plot and plenty of action in this gem of a story that showcases Mr. Bernhardt's great trial writing.

A practicing attorney in Tulsa, Bernhardt has added Silent Justice to his well received series beginning with Primary Justice. To date, this series has won him a legion of fans and garnered the Oklahoma Book Award.

With Silent Justice Bernhardt continues the story of almost-too-honest-and-courageous-to-be-true lawyer Ben Kincaid. This time, although every nerve ending urges him to back off, Ben takes on a powerful manufacturing company that has contaminated the city's water supply by dumping toxic waste. Ben's stance puts him head to head with Tulsa's most powerful law firm and his former employer, Raven, Tucker & Tubb.

A hater of civil defense "because there's nothing civil about it" Ben prepares to take on the city's legal and financial structures as well as a judge who leans toward big business. He has been moved by the plight of the middle class families whose children died dreadful deaths due to the contaminated water. "I think we're doing the right thing here. Not the smart thing," Ben declares. "Certainly not the safe thing. But the right thing."

The riveting courtroom drama is set against a string of brutal murders perpetrated by a fiend gone amok.

Bernhardt takes no chances here as he injects suspenseful subplots, which serve to propel the non-stop action. There are plenty of thrills in Silent Justice for those who like their reading spattered with blood and smattered with legalese.

- Gail Cooke

Blaylock Industrial Machinery Corporation has to dispose of chemical waste, but they want to save money, so they bury some of their toxins in leaky drums that contaminate the groundwater. Children get leukemia, many die as did Cecily Elkins' son.

When she learns about Blaylock's illegal dumping, she contacts other parents who have lost children. They want to sue and hire Ben Kincaid to take their case even as a serial killer is torturing and killing Blaylock employees. Who is the killer? Why is killing?

This is a five star legal thriller that I couldn't put down.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene

Jan Burke tells a great story that's face paced, surprising, and gripping. You won't be able to put it down.

Don't let the beginning of this book throw you. For about 100 pages, this reader struggled through all of the seemingly disparate story lines to find a connection. Finally, they all start to slowly come together to form an action-packed thrilling conclusion. This is the kind of thriller that will make you stay up too late or make you late to work!

Whenever a writer veers off from a beloved series, I approach the book with an edge -- a mix of resentment and low expectations. My apologies to Jan Burke because this was a mystery masterpiece. It was one of those rare edge-of-your-seat books with continual curves that I did not see coming.
As you start into the book, don't be put off by the introduction to so many characters and her flipping between using last and first names...it will all come together. (Okay, yes, I'm at the age where I wrote a few names down so I could keep track when I started, but soon tossed my cheat sheet aside.) You get to know the characters and it all comes together brilliantly. Brava!

THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST THRILLER I HAVE EVER READ. I'M GOING TO WAIT A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN READ IT AGAIN.

THE CHARACTER'S ARE VERY INTERESTING, TO SAY THE LEAST, AND VERY WELL DEVELOPED.

THE PLOT TO KILL THE 10 MOST WANTED CRIMINALS ON THE FBI'S MOST WANTED LIST IS JUST GENIUS. AND THE WAYS IN WHICH THESE YOUNG MEN PULL IT OFF JUST MAKES ME GRIN. (I WON'T GIVE IT AWAY FOR YOU.)

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS WHERE I COULDN'T GUESS THE END, AND I USUALLY CAN. AND THE ENDING WAS FANTASTIC. IT ENDED EXACTLY HOW I WANTED IT TO. (WON'T GIVE THAT AWAY EITHER)

I NEVER WANTED TO PUT THIS DOWN; I NEVER GOT BORED; AND I COULD NEVER GUESS WHAT WAS COMING NEXT. NOW THAT'S A BOOK WORTH 10 STARS.

At times when a writer abandons -at least temporarily -a long standing series the result can be revitalising ,a kind of literary second wind can kick in and there is a discernable gain in quality and intensity with benefits all round , both for the reader and the author .This happened in a big way when Dennis Lehane turned away from the perfectly good series about blue collar Boston P I's Kenzie and Gennaro and wrote the magnificent Mystic River .Similar but less spectacular results were achieved with the creation of new characters and stand alone books by such authors as Harlen Cobden and Robert Crais .
Sadly there has been no such transformation with this novel which sees an end at least temporarily to the Irene Kelly series and Nine counts as a major disappointment from the usually solid and reliable Ms Burke ,It is over-plotted ,low on plausibility and betrays a lack of narrative control with several plot strands being welded together without any real coherernce .There seems a striving after "significance " and "weight " which makes it a deadening experience to read .
At its core is a plot by a group of disaffected wealthy men ,alumni of an up-market private reformatory to slaughter names on the FBI most wanted list .Initilly they favour exsanguination -draining blood from their bodies while suspended over a bathtub -but subsequent methods are more diverse .Their victims are killers ,child murderers ,fraudsters etc -and the public response is favourable to their endeavours .Their real target is a fellow former reformatory member who had challenged the ringleaders dominance and who is love with Meghan the sister of a man wrongly placved on the list
The cop on the case is Alex Brandon and in keeping with the tone of the book he has "issues "-a recently deceased partner ,an estarnged former wife ,a fractured relationship with his nephew and a female partner whose sister has been disabled following rape .
The action when it comes is swift and competently written but the book is simply too unwieldy and badly paced .Burke seems to be striving too hard to create rounded characters and she simply spends too much time on infill ,resulting in a book with the dread disease of literary elephanaises -its just way too long .

Back to the drawing bosrd please Ms Burke

Mark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001.
Though still occasionally working as a stand-up comic, Mark now concentrates on writing the series of crime novels featuring London-based detective Tom Thorne. Mark lives in North London with his wife and two children.

For any new readers who have not read any of Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne books, you are missing a real treat. Start reading them now, I am sure you will not be disappointed.

The storyline revolves around some vicious and calculated murders that are taking place. The murders are very similar and always seem to happen in pairs, each of the pair is killed in the same way. The police believe that they are dealing with a serial killer, that is until DI Thorne spots and link and comes to a horrifying conclusion. It is not a single serial killer that the police are pitting their wits against two separate murderers.

Finding a body used to mean that the police were starting a murder investigation, now DI Thorne knows that when a body is found, there is going to be another one out there waiting to be located . . .

My first Billingham thriller and I was impressed. It's fast paced and keeps you guessing right up until the last chapters.
A fascinating and creepy character study of childhood relationships and I found the childhood experiences described very believable as to how a killer can be created.

I'll definitely look out for more thrillers by this author.

Mark Billingham is a very good writer, of that there can be little doubt. I have to admit, however, that Scaredy Cat proved ultimately disappointing. The story line concerns a pair of serial killers whose links go back to their schooldays - but they are not an equal pair. One leads, the other follows. Meanwhile we have Billingham's erstwhile hero DI Tom Thorne, who often comes across as burned out and who occasionally questions his commitment to his career as a detective, such are the demands it brings. I read Lazy Bones some time ago, and found that to be a more 'scary' book than this, despite the references to what the badder of the two baddies plans to do in the slightly hyped-up finale in Scaredy Cat. This book is well written in its detail, and indeed is worth buying, but whereas I was expecting to give it 5 stars when I had finished 90% of the story, the slightly anti-climactic ending led me to trim that rating by one. I really was expecting a shocking ending, but it didn't happen for me. I did admire the better character development in this novel (compared to Lazy Bones) and ended up with a much better understanding of what's going on in Thorne's head - something that Billingham failed to do in the other story. In particular I felt I learned something about life as a detective, both the professional and private, and I reckon that the author has done very thorough research in this field in order to convey the stresses and emotions of his characters so well. As for what motivates his villains to do what they do, this was rather less well explained, even though he devoted considerable time in attempting to do so. I guess it's easier to typecast detectives as opposed to serial killers, but it's a shame because it would be a great read if Billingham had an equal knowledge of the mindsets of both the goodies AND the baddies.
(Submitted this review in Nov 2004)

Mark Billingham is a young writer on the way up. For someone who is used to the US writers and the way they write, I find that Billingham adds the psychological element to his books far more than most US writers.

This book features Tom Thorne (the regular lead character in Billingham's works) and as usual, Thorne is chasing a killer and battling his own personal demons.

The killers in this book are extra nasty and make sure to read the first chapter as the author is like Mo Hayder, has the ability to really grab you in the first few pages. No slow building of drama with this guy.

Mark Billingham is a former actor and stand-up comedian whose first crime novel - "Sleepyhead" - was published in 2001. "Scaredy Cat" is his second novel and, like his first, also features DI Tom Thorne as its central character. It won the 2003 Sherlock Award, and was also nominated for the CWA Golden Dagger Award. In 2005, he won the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award for "Lazy Bones".

(...)
Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit - it was very easily read and Thorne reminded me a little of Harry Bosch, Michael Connelly's LAPD investigator. However, the mood in "Scaredy Cat" seems a little lighter than in anything I've read by Connelly. I would possibly suggest reading Billingham's books in order - there were a few nods to the events of "Sleepyhead", the first book to feature Thorne. While I haven't read it just yet - though I do plan to - I have the impression that Billingham gave away a little more about that book than I would've liked. Recommended all the same.

Loved it!

Locked-In Syndrome...what a sinister and disabling thing to do to someone. Aren't we all slightly freaked by the idea of being so helpless we can only blink? The way Mark writes Alison's character conveys her frustration as well as the humour she manages to hang on to. I really liked his characters and having read Scaredy Cat (his second novel featuring Detective Thorne) before this one, I'm now looking forward to reading his others in the right order.

This was published in 2001 and in the intervening years Mark Billingham has written several other novels .most featuring the protagonist of this book ,London policeman Detective Inspector Tom Thorne .They have established him as a potent force on the British crime writing scene being for the most part in the noir tradition ,violent and morbid at times with no pat resolutions ,but shot through with a vein of humour ,atemming no doubt from the writer's years of experience on the stand-up comedy circuit .
When a number of young women turn up dead of strokes in London it is at first assumed to be a series of accidental deaths but astute pathological work reveals the strokes have been deliberately induced .A woman named Alison Willetts survives such an attack and it is believed to be the perpetrator's first mistake .Au contraire-the man leaves a taunting note on Thorne's car acknowledging that he was trying to induce a stroke related coma ,and not to kill .So Alllison is his first "success".As she lies in a coma we are given her thoughts in a series of italicised passages that pepper the narrative .While some reviews have expressed unhappiness at this device ,for me it works well giving us an glimpse of the crime from the angle of a victim who still has thoughts and feelings but whose physical state renders her unable to communicate with any erewal facility or ease .We are also given passages from the viewpoint of the killer


Thorne begins to fixate on a Doctor at the local hospital as the killer -one Jeremy Bishop .He has the requiste medical knowledge ,access to drugs and has also been a long time friend of thje Doctor in charge of Allison's case , Anne Coburn with whom Thorne begins a relationship ,thus giving a personal reason for Thorne's animosity .Thorne is attacked by the killer ,initially removed from the case and hounded by his colleagues who are peruaded he is barking up the wrong tree .He works the case unofficially with the aid of his keen and astute assistant Dave Holland
and before the case is wrapped there is another murder .

This is a political book too-Mr Billingham is clearly not greatly enamoured of UK health service policies and he inserts his views largely im Allison's monologues
Thorne is good central figure although it could be said I am prejudiced as I share his love for the darker side of country music -Hank ,Johnny Cash and Merle .He has managed to avoid becoming coarsened by the horrors of daily life as a homicide detective and has a mordaunt with that is bracing .While I am sure Mr Billingham would not appreciate the comparison I was reminded of the classic golden Age novel Trent's Last Case while reading the book -the detective assembles all the facts ,puts them together and get it wrong !
The ending is dark and bitter sweet but I liked it feeling that it did sum up the greyness and ambiguity that exist in our society.
Well paced ,plotted and written this is a substantial slice of modern British noir writing telling us as hank Williams once did "I'll never get out of this world alive"

Billingham has created some very interesting characters; Thorne, a relentless investigator who empathizes with the victims but is certainly not supercop; Dr. Anne Cobert, Alison's doctor who becomes Thorne's lover; and Alison herself. The dialogue is quite good as is the level of suspense-not over the top but done well in the right places. I already have Billingham's next two books and am looking forward to reading them.

An excellent thriller...dark, sinister and compelling.
The plot was gripping and written in a style that made it an easy read. Very impressive!

I did this kind of backwards. I read "Lazy Bones" first and so I knew who got spared and who didn't make it from the first to the third book in this series. It didn't hurt the suspense or the story, though. This one is good enough to stand on its own. And what a concept! We have here a criminal (lunatic?) who doesn't want to kill people. His or her idea is to deliberately induce a stroke to a victim so that they are still completely cognitive but unable to move more than an eyelash. Absolutely paralyzed and still fully intelligent with complete knowledge of the crime, but unable to communicate. And young girls are killed whilst this fiend practices the fine art of paralyzing without killing. It is a dreadful concept and gives me the absolute willies. We have the usual marginal Detective Inspector (Tom Thorne), his colleagues, and "incident room" badinage, but I do wish that we could sometimes have a detective who is actually functional in his or her personal life. Ian Rankin ruined things for us with Rebus and nobody will ever write the somewhat redeemable detective better so I wish everyone would quit trying. Having said that, this is a good and creepy read and the ending is a little weak, but also a bit of a relief. Or is it? Just the concept of an intentionally induced stroke will follow you around for a while afterward.

Nightmare in Napa was a big disappointment after reading another book in the 48 hours series. The book starts out well enough by describing the victims and their various friends and then the crime itself. However, there is very little mentioned about the investigation until over halfway through the book. There is so much time devoted to the victims that it almost reads like a biography. The problem is that these are not especially interesting people. Eventually, as I continued reading, I was let down by finding out the investigation was dull as well. This story contains about an hours worth of a compelling mystery, which is perfect for the TV show, but not so much for a book.

I just finished "Nightmare". I thought it was a well written book. It told the story of two young women, brutally murdered in their home. The killer, unknown at the time, turns out to be someone close to them. I didn't feel like the author portrayed Ms. Mazzara as a wild child. I had the impression she was a beautiful, spirited, kind, young woman. The author did a good job of conveying to the reader, that these women were an assest to our society and it's a tragedy, they are no longer here. The end, is sad and pathetic. Copple is a lowlife punk and he never gives a reason as to why he felt the need to kill two wonderful people.

I often have a tendency to agree with the reviewers submitted by regular members here who, as relates to NIGHTMARE IN NAPA, have declared it to be a disappointing piece of work. Particularly, I find their reviews this time to on the side of shallow.

Author Paul LaRosa provides a two piece account of true crime in this book. Readers are provided in depth details of the murders of Leslie Mazzara and Adriane Insogna; that is, as in depth as it can be. One must consider that, despite much investigating, even the police were short on leads EXCEPT for those that pertained to Leslie; thus, just as LaRosa provides a great deal about Leslie and her life, this is exactly what the homicide detectives were sorting through during the investigation.

Is it over kill on Leslie? Sure, even I tired of hearing about this "Southern beauty queen" who, truth be known, had won only one pageant. However, it was an accurate account of the workings of the homicide investigation. (I would have liked to see more social photos of Leslie; however, I'm going to assume they were unavailable as the author makes note that Cathy Harrington, Leslie's mother, was unnerved by the portrayal of daughter in the media and, as a result, was probably unwilling to provide such photos since such photos are, generally, provided by family members.)

As an avid reader of true crime, I actually enjoyed the more intense focus on the victims as the focus generally lies on the accused until the Victim Impact Statement made in the end. Readers of NIGHTMARE IN NAPA are given the opportunity to feel the pain and anguish of the survivors, especially Arlene Allen, Adriane Insogna's mother. Allen is an amazing woman, a strong-willed survivor.

I did not feel that this book lacked depth. It may not have provided answers to many of the questions readers would like answered, especially as to "Why?," but, one must bear in mind, those pieces of information are simply not available. Chances are no one will ever know why Eric Copple, the confessed killer, committed this horrendous crime; at least, the truthful version, anyway. Theories are the ONLY means of explaining motive.

If I had one major disappointment in finding something I was looking for with this book, it was that we didn't read more from the sole survivor, Lauren Meanza, and from Copple's wife, Lily, who was also best friends with victim Adriane Insogna. While I can understand Lauren's silence, I have to ponder why Lily, at the very least, didn't attempt to make readers understand why she would continue to remain married to and support a man who so viciously killed her best friend. However, the author cannot be held accountable for anyone's refusal to talk.

When one chooses to read NIGHTMARE IN NAPA, it can't be entered into with the intention of reading your typical true crime; specifically, an overused pattern of rehashing the crime followed by background on the accused then a Courtroom finale. Author Paul LaRosa peruses a different style of writing (see also Tacoma Confidential: A True Story of Murder, Suicide, and a Police Chief's Secret Life (48 Hours Mystery), that is unique and enjoyable to read.

I was hesitant at first whether to bother reading this book, since I had already seen the 48 Hours episode (twice in fact). I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. There was a lot more detail and behind-the-scenes information, the kind of stuff that I am interested in. I wish that they could have gotten Lily to talk more - I still find it hard to believe that she could be married to this guy for 9 months and not have had any indication of what he had done before his confession.

Anyways, I'll definitely read all the future 48 hours books. This one was great.

I live in Napa, and work in an agency directly involved with the investigation and prosecution of the case. This book's main focus is on the lives of the victims and very little on the actual investigation or trial. Mr. LeRosa seems content to sensationalize the victims, especially Leslie Mazzara, with an unfair portrayal of her as a bit of a wild child, who, before the actual killer was caught, might have been the target of the killer as a result of her flirty behavior with men. It is rubbish and cruelly unfair to the memory of Ms. Mazzara. Mr. LeRosa's portrayal of the investigation by Napa Police Department and the prosecution by the District Attorney's Office is both wrong and unfair. It is clear he didn't really research that aspect of the case, so busy was he digging into the pasts of the victims. I was insulted by this book. I'm sure readers not close to the case will find it fascinating, but are many of us locals who reject the book outright.