Serial Murder Books

Keppel is obviously a very intelligent man with vast experience in serial murder investigation, and at the forefront of his field. The book explores some very interesting concepts through the use of many famous investigations. However, Keppel seems to write with a real lack of emotion, which I guess is necessary in his job. Which is why he should stick with that job instead of trying to be a writer. The lack of emotion made it feel like I was reading a calculus textbook. Keppel also seems to repeat himself over and over throughout the different chapters. This only adds to the boredom.

Bob Keppel cut his teeth working the Ted Bundy murders in Washington State in the mid-1970s. He later went on to work the infamous "Green River" investigation, as well as consulting on other high-profile serial murder cases like the Atlanta child murders in 1979-1981. He has worked with leading law enforcement professionals on the state and federal levels. As such, Keppel is well-positioned to discuss serial murder.

Signature Killers focuses on sexual offenders who leave "signatures" at their crime scenes. These individuals are compulsively forced to commit certain acts that will not vary from crime to crime. So while a murderer may change his modus operandi -- climbing in a window one time, picking a lock the next -- his signature will not change. Perhaps even more interesting is Keppel's theory on the "arc" of violence that murderers move through. Included are discussions on sadism, picquerism, and even cannibalism.

Many reviewers have complained that Keppel's writing style leaves something to be desired. While this is probably true, I think it should be pointed out that this book almost certainly derives from Keppel's dissertation in pursuit of his Ph.D. Keppel appears to have taken sections from his thesis and added commentary to form a book. The discerning reader can see where the structured style of the dissertation leaves off and the conversational, casual style begins. I don't consider this a fault; I'm glad to have this accessible book to read instead of a dry, stuffy doctoral dissertation. Keppel should be commended for making this material available to a wider audience.

Anyone interested in the motives of serial offenders can hardly do better than to turn to Dr. Bob Keppel. Others have said, and I agree, that Keppel's last chapter -- regarding the cause(s) of increasing violence in our society -- leaves a bit to be desired. But Keppel is entitled to his opinion (which, in this case, cannot be proved or disproved with ease) and it certainly doesn't diminish the comprehensive knowledge on serial sexual offenders that Keppel makes available to readers in Signature Killers.

As a lover of true-crime books, I appreciated Keppel's detailed explanation of how a signature differs from an MO. Keppel does a wonderful job of explaining the process of determining a serial killer's signature, and exactly what these signatures tell the investigator about the killer. He also uses real cases and the details of the crimes to walk the lay-person through the actual apprehension.

As previous reviewers have already stated, and I would agree, Keppel isn't truly a "great" writer. His style does tend to be very factual and rather dry. This probably stems from having to give just hard facts when writing reports but translates to often dry data for an average reader. Moreover, Keppel has an annoying habit of repeating the same thing over and over and over and over... well, you get the idea. Sometimes, it actually felt insulting, as though he thought the reader wasn't smart enough to remember what he had explained a few paragraphs before.

Finally, as another reader already stated, the final chapter was truly annoying. Instead of using the opportunity to summarize on the info gained from the book, or to bring out final thoughts for the reader; instead Keppel used this to soapbox his views of the American Family Structure. While much of this may or may not be right on target, I was not interested in Mr. Keppel's opinion on the state of Family Values. I would and have read sociology books to garter that type of information.

Overall, however, I would recommend this book. It is a quick and easy read and a wealth of good information for true-crime readers. Just bare in mind that you may find yourself reading the same information over and over at parts. Just bare in mind that you may find yourself reading the same information over and over in parts. LOL. ---Kathryn White-Fidram

I am the Director of Justice Studies at dodge city community college in dodge city, kansas. I teach a class on serial killers. Keppels book is excellent! He does an excellent job of explaining the difference between an MO and a signature. I encourage my students to read Keppels books and John Douglas's.

I found this book to be one of the best on the market on behavioral science with respect to serial killers. Unfortunately, many other readers are determined to point out Keppel's faults as a writer. I believe this text is meant to be more informative than entertaining. Perhaps if they are seeking entertainment, they should look for Crime Novels rather than True Crime selections.

On the other hand, I agree with the other readers in regards to the author's annoying habit of repetition. However, I won't let that stop me from reading his other book, The Riverman.

I have to agree with the reviewers above me - not only is the book tedious, reading it actually gave me a headache from concentrating so much on what was going on. I admit the story itself was riveting, especially for me as I live near to where both of these crimes took place and even know where the murderer and his family lived. But just because the story itself grabs you doesn't mean the book will. I personally don't think anyone can compare to Ann Rule, but Henderson truly needed a helping hand here. The story jumps around soooooo much that I spent half of my reading time flipping back through the pages to reread things to keep track of what was going on. There were so so many people described in this book that I finally lost interest in who all these law enforcement people were and what they did just so I could keep track of the story itself. Henderson details this book to death and includes many many things that truly aren't needed to tell the story well. Great story that's poorly written - too much jumping around from one murder to the next, from one cop to the next, and doing this over a period of sixteen years made it a very difficult book to enjoy.

Fast delivery by Amazon. This book covered all the details of the murder case that I wanted to find out. Good style of writing by author. I would recommend.

I bought this book based on all the reviews I had read. It was a good storyline but with all due respect to Tom Henderson the book had so many punctuation mistakes (more than 3/4 of the pages) it was very hard to concentrate on reading it. I don't know how it ever got published! The writer also did so much skipping around and around, back and forth that I found it so tedious. I had to force myself to get thru it only because I wanted to find out how the murderer was sentenced. I usually read a book in 3-4 days. This took me 2 weeks. I have read hundreds and hundreds of books - true crime and fiction, I must say I would not recommend this book.

I read this book in 2006 and have since seen a Cold Case Files episode detailing these crimes. It is very rare that I continue to think about how scary a murderer is once I have finished reading about the crimes, but I was plagued by fears for months after reading this book. Jeffrey Gorton is truly a very scary man.

Based upon testimony from relatives and other business contacts, Gorton spent an inordinate amount of time "prowling" for women he found attractive, often following them in their cars while driving his business van to and from appointments. In fact, he was often late because he went out of his way to follow women he found attractive. It is also frightening that the nature of Gorton's work gave him access to the inside of every home he serviced. Judging from the astounding number of panties and other undergarments hidden throughout his home - many of them labeled with names and addresses - Gorton used his time inside the homes he was servicing to rifle through panty drawers and steal whatever he found stimulating. He even stole panties from his own niece and other female relatives. It was as if no one was off limits.

During the jury trial, one observer commented that each time an attractive brunette was in the courtroom to testify or simply to watch the proceedings, Gorton's eyes followed her freely and his mouth would begin to curl into a sick smile. His very nature was so PREDATORY that he could not even control his fantasies within the court environment.

The author comments, and I concur, that it is highly unlikely that Jeffrey Gorton only murdered two women... waiting 14 years in between the two crimes. Both murders were well planned and there is evidence Gorton took the time to shower following the butchery. There was also testimony from several women whom he attacked in parking lots for the purpose of forcibly stealing their pantyhose. This man was on the hunt every waking minute of his life and I find it very difficult to believe that he "lost control" on only two occasions 14 years apart.

I suppose it is the predatory nature of these crimes that so unnerved me and caused me to consider my own safety as a female. I have been this unsettled on only one other occasion... that being when I finished reading "A Stranger Beside Me" by Ann Rule. Like the infamous Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Gorton was and is a PREDATOR by nature. It is a basic part of who he is and every women was a potential victim because of it. Truly, truly frightening. If you are a woman, I would suggest not reading this book at home, alone, at night.

My only complaint about this book is that some sections are rather tedious. While I appreciate a history and information about the victims, the information included about Margarette Eby, Victim #1, was extended and unnecessary. In contrast, there was much less information and NO PHOTOS of the second victim, Nancy Ludwig. I only know what Ludwig looked like because of the Cold Case Files episode I saw shortly after finishing this book. If you can plow through some of the tedious information, however, the history of the offender is riveting.

I love true crime and have never missed a book by Ann Rule (she's #1),but this book comes Veeery close to being one of the best I've ever read. Believe all the other reviews (hard to put down, keeps you reading most of the night, empathy for the families he ruined, etc.). The author has done such a terrific job: clear, precise, and an absorbing story.

I have tried to read it twice, the first time I got maybe fifty pages in because I had no clue what was going; the only thing I got out of it was that it was a very dark and depressing novel of a serial killer who is taking children and giving them back to the parents of the children he murdered originally. okay. The second time I read it I got about 150 pages in, I had an idea of what was going on now but I still couldn'd get passed the depression and dark atmosphere that Picccirilli created. Im giving this book 4 stars because I think thats exactly what Piccirilli was intending. A very dark, atmospheric and depressing read. It had the same feel as "The Straw Men" by Michael Marshall but that wasn't as nearly dpressing as this. I definitley will read the rest of the book one day but at this point and time im just not ready.

its by far not what the cover texts and customer reviews said. a rather volatile and boring thing. i m sorry i bought this book. its a pity.

What, are you people crazy? This had to have been the dullest, most unenjoyable book I have read all year!

If you gave it more than 2 starts, it must have been the first horror/suspense book you've ever read. I have to agree with the other couple of people who gave this book 1-2 stars. I just could NOT get into it!

For the first quarter of the book, the story line was hard to follow and b/c you aren't really told what is going on. By the time you piece together exactly what the plot is, you realize that you really don't, and never did, care. This is because the characters are undeveloped and emotionlessly unnatural. I had no opinions or feel anything for any of the characters (I was even unsure of how the author wanted us to feel about the characters.)

4 AND 1/2 STARS

Tom Piccirilli has been on quite a role over the last few years and he deserves all the accolades he's been getting. The quality of his writing is stellar - both original and deeply moving. I had some minor problems with a drawn-out fight sequence towards the end, but other than that, I very much enjoyed this thriller/mystery.

Although this is still in the genre family of horror, I would love to see him delve into straight horror one of these days. While he doesn't write with a typical, conventional style, this is where he separates himself from the average published novelist. His words have deeper meanings than what is just on the surface, and it's always a pleasure to begin to figure them out. This book is a dark, rich, and disturbingly psychological ride - one you won't forget for a long time.

The Dead Letters is a deliciously dark style of suspense with the right element to create a masterpiece that only Bram Stoker award-winner, Tom Piccirilli could.
There'll be jolts and thrills and shrills. This is a story you want to read from deep within the covers of your bed.

--Joseph McGee, author of In the Wake of the Night, Phil's Place and Darkness Won't Rest: Phils Place II

Driven, a simply written novel is an easy read that grips you into the storyline so much that you don't want to put it down. Granted yes, it is very basically written, but the fact that the action kept coming and coming meant I didn't want to put it down.

Driven is the story of a homicide detective who loses his grandpa to a serial killer who uses other people's cars as weapons and somehow always manages to not only survive each substantial crash, but escape as well. Gavin, the detective is obsessed with catching up with the killer, he has no intention of asking him twice to freeze when he has him at gunpoint. Krogan, the killer is not going to stop and will punish anyone trying to make him look bad or who gets in the way of his fun.

Got a little concerned when the biblical elements of the storyline started to appear, was very worried I was about to be preached to like when you unknowingly stumble across a tunnel vision Christian writer when you thought you were picking up a normal thriller or supernatural/horror novel. Authors such as Terri Blackstock and Robert Whitlow have certainly disgraced themselves by doing this and ripping off the unsuspecting public in the process of hard earned money. To my pleasant surprise Griffiths never started trying to convert me to his beliefs.

Driven is no masterpiece, but it is a pleasant enough way to pass the time.

For those of you that didn't get it, the Shadad that Krogan keeps yelling is the Hebrew word meaning "to devestate or to destroy". So, how come a Christian minister can expell the devil? I think that parts of the story actually show that a Christian minister and the devil are on the same side. Just my considered opinion, if Amazon.com still allows me to have one!

A book such as this one touches on a realm that Christian fiction often doesn't address. Could it be called "Christian horror"?

I picked up this book at the local library after reading Malchus, another Griffiths book, and I was very impressed.

Mr. Griffiths style of writing is flexible and polished. Any of his works would definitely be worth reading.

This novel has delved into the super natural realm .It is done in a very believable way. The characters are strong and believable, there is a lot of depths to there personality.This novel along with "Takedown"(by the same author)are the best books in the Christian Fiction field that I have read.Other Christian authors could learn from Mr.Griffiths.

Moderately compelling plot line drowned in boring characters weakly drawn and juvenile writing. Actually, for young teens it's probably a moderately satisfying read. Only managed to finish it for lack of something else handy to read. The second book (takedown) is surprisingly even more shallow and comes off as nothing more than a harlequin romance with a slightly better plot line. So bad I just couldn't finish it, which is a rare thing for me. Got both books because they sounded interesting and had strong reviews. Simply shocked by the celebrity reviews; what, did these people even read this book or were they just bought off? If you are interested in supernatural detective cross-over novels, give F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack series a try, they won't insult your intelligence and are a heck of a lot more fun to read.

This was one quick read for me, simply because I could not put it down. I had previously read Heartbreaker by Ferrigno & thought it was great, so I picked this up only to find it even better! Ferrigno is definitely going on my FAVORITES list & I plan to read all of his that I can get my hands on. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you love a stunning & clever thriller that does not let up until the final page!

"Flinch" is a fast-paced mystery detailing a cat and mouse game between a low-rent journalist and his brother, a high priced plastic surgeon who the journalist suspects of being a serial killer. The title refers to the relatively innocent sado-masochistic games of their adolescence, magnified in the present to deadly proportions.

Ferrigno writes in an updated noir style, using crisp dialogue, oversized villains, and the sleazy/glitzy settings in Orange County, California. Although writer Jimmy Gage has the requisite cynicism and a balance of fair play and tough defiance, he's not strictly out of the Sam Spade mode either: His sense of moral outrage is a bit askew, and he doesn't always use the best of judgment. Additionally, the novel contains some very graphic violence, more gruesome than the traditional style.

The novel moves briskly, unimpeded by the several minor characters and related subplots. Other than a romance with Detective Jane Holt that develops a little too quickly, the plot twists are both plausible and genuinely surprising. Ferrigno captures the outrages and pretenses of Southern California without stereotyping. Much better than his more famous "The Horse Latitudes," Ferrigno has written a brisk and believable story that grabs your attention from the first page.

"Flinch" is a fast-paced mystery detailing a cat and mouse game between a low-rent journalist and his brother, a high priced plastic surgeon who the journalist suspects of being a serial killer. The title refers to the relatively innocent sado-masochistic games of their adolescence, magnified in the present to deadly proportions.

Ferrigno writes in an updated noir style, using crisp dialogue, oversized villains, and the sleazy/glitzy settings in Orange County, California. Although writer Jimmy Gage has the requisite cynicism and a balance of fair play and tough defiance, he's not strictly out of the Sam Spade mode either: His sense of moral outrage is a bit askew, and he doesn't always use the best of judgment. Additionally, the novel contains some very graphic violence, more gruesome than the traditional style.

The novel moves briskly, unimpeded by the several minor characters and related subplots. Other than a romance with Detective Jane Holt that develops a little too quickly, the plot twists are both plausible and genuinely surprising. Ferrigno captures the outrages and pretenses of Southern California without stereotyping. Much better than his more famous "The Horse Latitudes," Ferrigno has written a brisk and believable story that grabs your attention from the first page.

This book beats the hell out of Heartbreaker. I was so unimpressed with Heartbreaker that it took me several months to go around to Flinch. I'm not sure what happened to Ferrigno, but this book was so much better. Our hero, JImmy Gage, is great. Tough, tender hearted, and has great friends (who make great characters). Was a perfect story? No. The ending was a bit too neat, but I laughed, I cared and I look forward to the next one.

There are hundreds if not thousand of thrillers out there about serial killers. Anyone familiar with the genre has probably seen it all, which makes the challenge greater for the really good authors. Fortunately, Robert Ferrigno lives up to the challenge with Flinch.

Jimmy Gage is a top-notch tabloid reporter back in town after a year abroad. Before he left, he received a letter from the Eggman, who purported to be a serial killer. After investigation, it appears the Eggman is only a hoax, and by the time of Jimmy's return, the crimes remain unsolved. By accident, however, Jimmy stumbles upon evidence that the Eggman might be his brother, a sibling he has had a rather strained relationship over the years (not made any better since the brother married Jimmy's ex-girlfriend).

This might make for a rather routine novel, but at times, the Eggman story is merely incidental as Jimmy copes with the other characters in his life including a loan shark, her dim-witted bodyguard, a crippled but still deadly fence/drug-dealer and his lethal assistant. Like an Elmore Leonard novel, the characters and how they interact is as important as the plot. And also like Leonard, there is a dark humor that amuses but does not diminish the suspense.

If Ferrigno has a fault as a writer, it is only that he sometimes takes a while to produce a new novel. Other than that, Ferrigno is consistenly great, and this book continues his string of quality work.

This book presents a different chapter on a different suspect and each argument is very compelling.

This variety means that the reader is always entertained.

Thoroughly enjoyed it and would definately recommend it.

Half of "The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper" is a reference book about the Whitechapel murders. It contains witness statements, victim biographies, autopsy reports, police opinions, weather at the time of the crime, and much more. I was really glad to read through this material because the facts are so often distorted or ignored in documentaries about Jack the Ripper. This part of the book is a very important read for anyone interested in the Whitechapel/Jack the Ripper murders.

The reason that I gave "The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper" four stars instead of five was because of the other half of the book, entitled "Current Views." This part of the book is made up of modern essays speculating the identity of Jack the Ripper. Most of these essays are (to put it euphemistically) strange and implausible. This is roughly 300 pages in the middle of the book. Martin Fido's essay (David Cohen and the Polish Jew Theory) stood out from the other essays. It was fascinating, well researched, and believable.

This was a breath of fresh air in the overwhelmingly polluted atmosphere of stale Ripper-media. Though it is a thick book, it is a very well written easy read in chronological order. Maxim Jakubowski and Nathan Braund do an exquisit job of presenting the facts and documentation of JtR. In order, each victim's case is presented along with transcripts of their respective documents where available, including autopsy reports & police memoranda. There is little to nill of the authors opinions or "out there" hypothesis and theories of "whodunit" that is so cliche in many of the books as of late. Just the facts!

This book features about 16(if I remember correctly)different essays on the identity of JTR. Most are well-written;and while some of the suspects are either ridiculous or proven to be innocent, it is a good starting point for amateur ripperologists. This book shows that there's many different opinions and varied viewpoints on the identity of JTR. We'll probably never know who he was, so I guess this is as good a place to start as any.

Because the perpetrator of the 1888 London slayings known as the Whitechapel Murders was never convicted as such the case has become the most popular whodunit in history. Every armchair detective in the world has his pet theory as to who the killer was and why he was compelled to slash to death women in the dead of night. Fortunately "The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper", published in 1999, is both informative and fun to read. I say fortunately, because it presents a kaleidoscope of conjectures and contradictions from Ripperologists who here present the theories they have published in different books. (Colin Wilson, whose own essay is the last of 16, takes credit for the term "Ripperologist".) This brotherhood is evidently a very chancy clique, characterized by tense camaraderie and frequent animosity. Shirley Harrison, in discussing an alleged Ripper diary (she's supported by Colin Wilson), says an informed debate sank to "a low level of vitriolic abuse". No wonder, with all these different ideas: Paul Harrison and Bruce Paley agree on their working-class suspect, while Martin Fido concentrates on the Jewish aspect, and Sue and Andy Parlour favor the Freemason angle. (Philip Sugden was either not invited to this party or declined the invitation.) M.J.Trow plays a little prank on the reader to indicate how easy it is to categorize anyone -- you, me, Lewis Carroll -- as a serial killer. Then there is the legend of the Duke of Clarence, who married a "model" of the Catholic faith, siring her child. The potential scandal so spooked the Court it sanctioned a series of homicides. All this has been fodder for some extravagant fiction, but as Simon Whitechapel observes: "If the murders were carried out to silence blackmailers, why were they so brutal? Why, in other words, were they so public?" (His own arcane conspiracy theory combines Roman Empire decadence with Victorian kitsch.) A more stable, if less romantic, explanation is the connection between the Irish Nationalist cause and the Conservative government's awareness of similarities in the Whitechapel murders and Fenian terrorist tactics. "The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper", well-edited by Maxim Jakubowski and Nathan Braund, offers many bonuses, including a chronology and autopsy reports. At the end is a bibliography, listing dozens of Ripper-related books, about 40 since 1988 alone. There is also a filmography, beginning with something called "Farmer Spudd and his Missus Take a Trip to Town" (1915) and including 1953's "Here Come the Girls", in which Bob Hope is threatened by a character named Jack the Slasher. So who was Saucy Jacky? An insane surgeon? An over-zealous reformer? An angry boyfriend? Peter Turnbull states bluntly: "Jack the Ripper was not a man: he was a myth." On the other hand, A.P Wolf has an article titled "Jack the Myth" in which a favorite candidate is promoted. It is A.P. Wolf who invites us to the party: "Go on, check it out," this Ripperologist writes. "The 'Final Solution' could be yours."

I will be the first to admit that I am very finicky about the types of books I like. This is one of those books that has made me as finicky as I am.

The author has an unremarkable writing style and overuses annoying little gimmicks, like repetition, for no other reason, it seems, than to fill pages. There are also, so many he said, she said, they said, she said passages that a person could learn to hate the word.

Most annoying is the withholding of information. She writes from an omnipresent perspective, letting us know what each character thinks, feels, sees, does, but then conveniently sheds that perspective when it comes to a major interaction between two of the main characters. I sure she wanted to use this deception to "titilate" the reader, but you can't have it both ways...either write in the omnipresent or don't.

To make this a wee bit more balanced, I will say that the author does a pretty good job of character development. I've kept with the book solely to see the characters through to resolution.

That being said, this book reads more like juvenile literature than adult fiction and it bothers me that I had to endure these gimmicks in order to find closure to these unanswered questions. I resent that fact and I hope that, in time, I can heal and find the courage to try other novelists before I go to straight non-fiction for good.

The novel is the third in a series, and you need to read the previous two novels in order to understand the relationships between the characters. Like other novels by this author, it has a strange title. It is set in Alaska at the end of the 20th century. A bad slump in the fishing industry aggravates conditions caused by harsh weather, dark winters, and isolation. There is alcoholism and related domestic violence. Men beat their wives and parents abuse their children. A large number of people sleep around. The Alaska Bush has also become home to a variety of people ranging from eccentrics to a dangerous psycho.

It is September and Wy is flying mail to isolated settlements and preparing to bring out summer people before bad weather. She dicovers a rural postmistress shot to death behind her counter. Events are compounded by the discovery of a murdered miner, his wife missing, and later a murdered recluse. Trooper Liam Campbell is a bit too quick to throw people into jail on flimsy evidence, and does not seem overly concerned about their rights (there is no such thing as ballistics for a shotgun - thousands of guns will produce the same shot pattern).

References are made to other women missing in the past, and the case gradually winds forward to a conclusion. As in the previous novel, there is collateral damage. It does not pay to be on the premises when Liam is working on a case. The plot becomes fairly transparent, and the guilty party is known to the readers long before he is known to Liam. At times the story drags a bit when it goes off into side issues.

The novel has sexual content, language, and some violence. Parental guidance is suggested for younger readers.

The reader for this book is impossible for me to listen to without gritting my teeth. Maybe this series is better in written form.

Would be hard to ever give Dana Stabenow's books anything less. She is one of the most consistent authors around and every book of hers I've read has ended up on my keeper shelf. Can't recommend a book more highly than that!

This is the third story in the Liam Campbell series by Stabenow.

If you like the Kate Shugak stories you will also like this series. I admit that I jumped in at the third story here but I am now going back to get the rest.

Liam is forced to solve a serial murder case though at first no one is sure that it is a serial case. It seems with different weapons and the distances apart that they are not connected. But, as the story progresses you see how they are connected and how eventually things come together. As usual Stabenow also makes the characters very real as well as the difference in the remote parts of Alaska and family values. She describes the setting as well as the lifestyles fantastically.

Another winner by Stabenow.

This trilogy is my first time reading Allison Brennan, and so far I've been less than impressed.

While not as graphic or violent as the first one, this one seemed a bit too heavy on hardcore romance for a suspense novel. It also seems in both books that the culprit ended up being someone who really wasn't part of the story, and was just kind of tossed in right before being revealed. I also thought the female part of this crime group was way too easy to figure out and identify.

I'll read the last one, but not sure if I'll purchase any others.

I liked it. The story was different enough and kept me interested. It wasn't as gory as her last one, but still good. The one thing I'm not into was the love making parts....it's a suspense thriller not a romance novel. Leave that stuff out and put in more killings and it'll get a much high rating. Overall, I would buy the book again and I'm going to read here third book in this series.

The book'll keep you interested just enough to keep reading. The story goes back so many times to what happened 5 years before that you'll bore just reading it too many times. The love story is kind of unreal and pathetic. The end has overly flaws just to end it like a fairy tale. So if you don't have anything else, read this one but don't expect much of it.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very well thought out and planned. I liked that she put in numerous twists and turns. It was a new concept of murder that I hadn't read before. It kept me interested in what was going on and thinking about who was really behind it all. I enjoyed the Kincaid family and Julia's interactions. I loved how it showed them working through things and what they were thinking. It was interesting to see how they handled the police with Emily and her mental state. I wasn't sure I would like this trilogy after the first book since it wasn't as strong as this one. However this book more than made up for it. I can't wait to read the final book in the Evil trilogy. I would highly recommend this book.

Having read several of her books, I like Allison Brennan's style and the way she builds the stories. This book was no different. Mystery, suspense, with a little romance thrown in makes for an entertaining read. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery and who doesn't mind the romance aspect added to it. I will continue to read her books if that helps you decide.

I just received this book in the mail and have not been able to put it down since. I was hesitant to order it because some of the crime books I've read are a bit choppy and hard to read. Paul does an excellent job of getting you as close to the scene as you can get and gives you each side of everyone involved.
I didn't get to see the special on TV but am hoping to soon. I am not yet sure if they got the right guy, but hopefully in the end justice will prevail. The press can be quite pathetic how they turn around a story to fit their needs and trash someone's lives. I am glad Paul took the truth and made a novel for everyone to see what a tragedy this really was.
Catherine was a bright, amazing young girl just doing what many others before her have done.
If you want an amazing book, one you can't put down, then get this book!

This book is really good. If you are a true crime fan you have to read this book.
I have read all of the 48 hour mystery books and this is very well written.
I still can not believe the outconme, but will not say anymore as not to give it away.
Buy this book!!!

Catherine Woods arrived in New York in 2002 with the same hope of many young dancers to make it big in the "Big Apple". Even though she met with obstacles along the way she was determined and never gave up hope she'd make it. When Catherine was savagely murdered on November 27, 2005 one boyfriend was suspected and another ultimately arrested. The news broke tabloid style and seized the stripper, love triangle theory and wouldn't let go.

This book does Catherine and her family justice by taking us past the gossip. It was even handed and told in a way you can look at the facts and see for yourself where the "Death of a Dream" ended. If you enjoy true crime reading this is the kind of unexaggerated book you'll want to pick up.

Catherine Woods had a dream to become a dancer on Broadway but sadly three years after arriving in New York City, she was found murdered to death. She did dance but only at the clubs performing as a dancer to men. It wasn't the ending of a girl who came from Columbus, Ohio. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, she was preparing to go to work and her male room mate and former boyfriend, David, went to walk the dogs and stop by the building where he worked as a doorman. Catherine had two boyfriends. Her live-in boyfriend, David, also came to New York City but they were no longer in a romantic relationship but they did live together. He loved her more than anybody in the world. Her other boyfriend, Paul Cortez, also aspired to be an actor and he came from a good family. This book has a lot of photos which is a plus. When David discovers Catherine's lifeless body, he is immediately questioned as a suspect. Despite his own innocence, he freely went to the police and was willing to speak without a lawyer present. To David, his whole life was Catherine. Even though she didn't want him as a lover, they were still platonic friends who lived together and split the bills. Catherine knew that David couldn't live on his own in New York City which is very expensive that they agreed to this living arrangement. He never questioned Catherine about the men that she was with or seeing. David's alibi would be verified and supported which ruled him out. He even allowed the police to take pictures of him without clothing to show that he had no scratch marks. It didn't matter because his beloved Catherine died. Her boyfriend Paul Cortez soon became the prime suspect and convicted murderer when the police learned that his cell phone was in the vicinity of Catherine's upper East Side apartment. Through it all, Paul's poor mother, Ivette Cortez, stood beside her son which she described as her baby boy who she loves very much and refuses to believe his guilt. The case was shown on 48 Hours and I remember watching it. I got the book last night and it is a quick read as well. Catherine was finally trying to be independent of Paul when he couldn't take it anymore. Unlike David, Paul was obsessed and possessive about Catherine which may have driven him to murder. It's still a tragic story.

There are two kinds of true-crime books: the literary ones, usually written by journalists who work on all kinds of topics (Truman Capote, of course, is the best example), and the, for lack of a better word, unliterary ones, written by people who do true crime only, and which often skip the hardcover and paperback formats, and go straight to mass market.

Death of a Dream is a particularly poor example of the latter category, and it follows the formula: beautiful girl (from what I've seen, the authors of these books don't seem to care when homely women are murdered) meets handsome guy who seems great at first but he has a dark side, and ends up killing her. If you like that kind of thing, I guess Death of a Dream is not terrible, but it is paint-by-the-numbers writing.

Christina Hardy is moving back into her grandma's old house--one that holds many memories, good and bad. Unfortunately, the return of a serial killer who is targeting beautiful red-heads (such as Christina), Christina's hidden-until-now predilection to see ghosts and some messing with a Ouija board at her housewarming party opens the door for Christina to become haunted by the cop who was originally accused of the killings and who wants Christina to clear his name.

Jed Braden, former cop turned novel-writer and private investigator, is a distant relation of Christina's. He's looking into the murders, concerned because one of his books was a fictionalized account that went along with everyone's belief that the cop did it--only the cop was killed and now the murders have started again. If it's not a copy-cat, Jed wants to help clear the dead cop and his own conscience for adding to the family's pain. And he's romantically interested in Christina--who with her red hair, is in danger until the killer is caught.

The tale is quite readable and suspenseful. Graham is an old and sure hand at these things. I'm not sure this is one of her best, though, since there was sparks but not much of a relationship, otherwise, between Jed and Christina. But if mystery is what you care about, this one was pretty good. I did figure it out before the end, which is rare for me, but it was still unusual enough to be interesting.

This book was quick to read and would make an appropriate beach bag book. The paranormal aspect was intereting but the murder mystery was actually not well thought out or explained. It was easy to figure out who the murderer was but it never explained why he became a murderer, I would have rated the book higher if the author had spent a little time explaining that aspect.

Redheads are being murdered one by one in this haunting chiller by popular author Heather Graham. Christina Hardy meets the accused killer, but there's only one problem: Beau Kidd is dead. The ghost professes his innocence and pleads with her to find the real culprit. Skeptic cop turned PI Jed Braden doesn't want to believe her, not even when Beau's sister hires him for the same purpose. Can he learn the truth before Christina becomes the next victim? Besides the romance between the main characters, this mystery kept me guessing whodunit until the end.

This was the first novel I have read in years, and I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was constructed very well, and the characters are life-like. I read the book in about 8 hours, and I highly recommend it!

I have read almost of all Heather Grahams books as well as the her "Shannon Drake" novels...this one wasn't as good though. It was laborious and I figured out who the killer was...but there was no basis as to why. If you're a fan then you must read it. Otherwise don't expect much. My favorite character is "killer" Christine's dog.