Reviews (10)

...And justice for all
What an amazing read; I had this book saved on my wish list entirely TOO LONG.I was intrigued when I first heard of the case on ABC's 20/20 program and Nate's book was a sparkling expose.
A good book
Nate Blakeslee's "Tulia" tells the story of the small town of Tulia, Texas, where one white man was able to arrest over forty black men (and women) with almost no evidence and no documentation of their alleged crimes.
Tulia
I found this to be riviting reading. The writer gives us a glimpse into the lives of many people in Tulia.After reading the book, we feel that we know these people.A good job of covering the whole story.
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Subjects:  1. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Criminology    4. Discrimination & Racism    5. Drug Crimes    6. General    7. Government - State & Provincial    8. Other Miscellaneous Crimes    9. Police Administration    10. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Social Science    13. Sociology    14. True Crime / Espionage    15. Racism & racial discrimination    16. Texas   

Editorial Review

It's been 30 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death in Memphis, an event that reverberated throughout a startled country still coming to terms with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Like Kennedy's, King's assassination sparked conspiracy theories about who or what faction was ultimately responsible for his death. Did James Earl Ray act alone? Or was he a patsy? Read more

Reviews (42)

An Excellent Read, But No "Case Closed"
Posner's book is an exhaustive and compelling study of the assassination of MLK, focussing almost entirely on James Earl Ray, the barely-bright loser who decided to kill him.The level of detail is really staggering-- Posner deserves praise for following up every smidgen of info about this cretinous character.The book is worth reading-- but I would recommend reading Posner's supremely accomplished "Case Closed" first, if you haven't.The JFK murder offers thousands of fascinating sideroads to explore, and Posner digs into each."Case Closed" is a masterstroke, so this book, covering a crime with a less compelling mystery, pales next to it.

James Earl Ray's Story
This book outlines the events leading up to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., together with the subsequent investigations and controversies.Posner, trained in law, has hunted down the details of the case used as evidence in the various legal hearings over the years.He explains why King happened to be in Memphis that fateful day, and describes who King had been with and what they had been discussing in the minutes before the assassination.He also provides an extensive profile of James Earl Ray, from his parents' stormy marriage, to Ray's first arrests and incarcerations, to his jail break and attempts to flee the country prior to murdering King.Posner traces Ray's movements, both those substantiated through independent records and witnesses, as well as Ray's own accounts, written to fulfill media contracts to pay for his legal defense.Posner goes on to describe the various legal proceedings concerning Ray and the King case, and the development of conspiracy theories regarding the King assassination. He makes it clear, however, that any reasonable examination of the evidence points to Ray as the sole assassin.
More Political Propaganda
This book, like Posner's book on The Kennedy Assassination, is one that claims (but fails to) solve the case. Posner's ego aside, this book also mimics the book He did on the Kennedy Assassination becausethis book, like the Kennedy one, is a book that is long on speculation, long on twisting things to suit his own opinion, but short on facts and short on truths.
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Subjects:  1. 1928-    2. 1929-1968    3. African American Studies - History    4. Assassination    5. Blacks In The U.S.    6. Criminology    7. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    8. General    9. History - General History    10. Jr.,    11. King, Martin Luther    12. King, Martin Luther,    13. Ray, James Earl,    14. Social Science    15. True Crime    16. United States - 20th Century/60s    17. History / United States / 20th Century    18. Ray, James Earl   

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. General    3. Personal Memoirs    4. True Crime   

Reviews (33)

Colorful Portrayal of the Angel Melendez Murder
I was absolutely stunned by the movie, then the book brought thoughts into my mind that I couldn't possibly put into words.The plot was thick, the characters were a trip, and to think - in the end, it all really happened.These people were real.James St. James had to put up with Michael Alig and the only way he felt he could get through it was to dig deeper K-Holes every day until he was out of his mind, and after all that managed to clean up.I have deep respect for James St. James' talent as a writer, and strength as a person.

Clubland worthy only
If you like stories about completely narcissistic drag queens that prostitute themselves for drugs and seem to have no other purpose than to bad-mouth everyone and everything in the world, this is your book. If you like a cohesive, well-written story that gives us some reason sympathize with the characters, forget it. I imagine this book will appeal to anyone who has been involved in the club scene as most of the other reviews have shown, but for someone who has no idea about club life going in, the characters ALL seem like selfish, lazy, obnoxious dregs. The writing itself suffers from stereotypically gay overly-flamboyancy. I understand the need to express yourself creatively, but if you aren't versed in the culture, a lot of it just gets in the way of actually telling a good story. There were a few good stories in the book, but no real focus to the main point of the book. I didn't get that James and Alig were friends all that often, rather it feels like he wrote this just to capitalize on the murder. Overall the read is not really worth it if you are not familiar with the club scene.
A Super Fun Trip
Party Monster, by James St. James
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Case studies    3. Drug abuse and crime    4. General    5. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    6. Murder    7. Murder - General    8. Narcotic addicts    9. New York    10. New York (State)    11. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    12. True Crime    13. True Crime / Espionage    14. True Crime / General   

Reviews (35)

Too well written to put down
This book is well researched and so well written I had a hard time putting it down!Although I wanted it to end differently that is not the fault of the author since this is true crime.This book surprised me and that is so hard to do, I have lived among the Mennonites and expected a touristy approach to the lives of the Amish but Gregg did an excellent job of describing where the perp grew up and how he decieved so many.Good job Gregg.

Compelling story but a bit too graphic
I do gobble up true crime books like crazy and this was no different.It was a very quick read.Two problems stopped me from giving it 5 stars.
Abandoned Prayers
Being an avid reader, I have read many, many books, both fiction and non-fiction. This is by far one of the most interesting stories I have ever read. I believe someone creative would be hard pressed to make up a story that could even come close to this one. To say Eli Stutzmanwas an enigma is almost an understatement. I hope to read more books by Gregg Olsen in the future, he weaves an excellent story. Thanks.
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Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Homicide    3. Murder    4. Murder - General    5. Stutzman, Eli    6. True Crime    7. True Crime / Espionage    8. United States   

Editorial Review

In 2000, novelist and poet James McManus was sent to Las Vegas, innocently enough, by Read more

Reviews (113)

Great gift for Texas Hold 'Em fans
This book was written before no limit Texas Hold 'Em became the rage everywhere.The author does a good job of explaining the game and following Binion's World Series of Poker while covering a sensational murder trial.Some readers will enjoy as well digressions on the history of card playing and so forth.My only wish is that his prose was more vivid and exciting--it's a great topic but a little more of a Hunter S. Thompson fear and loathing bite would make it a superb book.

A reporter's memoir of covering a lurid poker murder
Poker is pure Americana, as is Las Vegas, the setting of James McManus's non fiction memoir of murder and gambling.
Where's the poker?
If you are looking for a book to read about poker, pass on this one unless you are desperate for any poker read.Do so for a very simple reason:there is surprisingly little about poker in this 'poker book'.
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Subjects:  1. Card Games - Poker    2. Competitions    3. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    4. General    5. Murder - General    6. Poker    7. Poker (Game)    8. Popular Culture - General    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. United States    12. World Series of Poker   

Reviews (74)

Shrink Wrapping Scott Petersen
I believe many people watching the Scott Petersen case in the media (Court TV, etc.) felt that there was something "weird" about the guy. He surely didn't ACT like a husband whose wife and unborn son was missing. The biggest clue to his guilt was that smirk/smile leading up to the discovery of Laci/Connor, and repeated again in his trial. His famous defense attorney was as bad as him with his own arrogant smile and jokes during the DEAD serious testimony in court. A competent defense attorney would have told Scott too dump that SMILE in court, not mimicked it!
Mask of Sanity?
"Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson" is an interesting, if possibly flawed, look at the psychological makeup of Scott Peterson.Dr. Keith Ablow, while never having interviewed or worked with Peterson himself, does make some fascinating points and conclusions.Background on the Peterson family, which I previously did not know, sheds some light on the dynamics of this dyfunctional family.Could the murder of Peterson's grandfather have led to Peterson himself becoming a murderer?There are some similarities and parallels but truth is, we will never know.
Inside the mind of scott peterson
This book not only showed me what maybe Scott Peterson was thinking at different times of his life, but how things can affect the way some people deal with events in their life.It was very interesting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. California    3. Modesto    4. Murder    5. Murder - General    6. Murderers    7. Psychological aspects    8. Psychology    9. True Crime    10. True Crime / Espionage    11. Peterson, Laci    12. Peterson, Scott,    13. Criminal psychology    14. Case studies   

Reviews (7)

I Was a Killer for the Hells Angles: The Story of Serger Quesnal
Not such a hot book. I would read other books on the subject.

sing loud and cash the check
A rat is a rat......is a rat. I guess this guy and others like him (see Henry Hill and Sammy the Bull) feel if they can make some money getting average citizens to read about their exploits maybe they can justify (to themselves) their betrayal of their friends and brothers. You'd be wise to save your money and not make these kinds any richer...especially one like this who is short on details when it comes to his association with the Angels. In my opinion he only used their name to help sell the book. Don't bother. Read Sonny's instead.

Money making scheme for author
Very poor insight into the Red and White which is why I bought the book.Comes across as a wannabe who could'nt cut it when the going got tough. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Criminals    3. General    4. Hell's Angels    5. History    6. Informers    7. Motorcycle gangs    8. Murder - General    9. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    10. Quebec (Province)    11. Quesnel, Serge    12. True Crime    13. True Crime / Espionage    14. True Crime / General   

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Reviews (1)

More Remarkable Than James Bond
Real-life British agent Sidney Reilly (he took an Irish professional name for the irony of the act) began life in nineteenth-century Russia, raised in a wealthy Christian household, but secretly the illegitimate son of his neurotic mother's Jewish doctor. Born Sigmund Gregorivich Rosenblum, "Reilly" traveled the world from the oil fields of Baku to the boiling kettle of Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese War, representing British interests and creating his own enduring legend. A risk-taker, a daredevil, a master of disguise and first-rate actor, the ruthlessly amoral Reilly, who spoke seven languages and appears to have had a photographic mind, faced death many times over and seemed utterly devoid of fear as he enjoyed success after success in his life of peril. Among the first secret agents of the modern stripe, Reilly routinely disobeyed orders from his superiors in London, men of the old school whose creed regarding espionage was that "gentleman do not open each other's mail."Reilly's career reads like fiction but is cold hard reality. He went undercover in Germany, just before the First World War, to secure German military plans vital to British security. He infiltrated ex-pat European society in the Far East to provide much-needed information to England's Japanese allies. But it was Reilly's forays into Russia itself at the time of the Bolshevik Revolution that stand above all else. Virulently anti-Communist, Reilly's plot to topple Lenin very nearly succeeded and his missions did in fact contribute greatly toward the destabilization of the nascent Soviet state. Lured back into the USSR the proverbial once too often, however, Reilly disappeared in 1924 after undertaking a mission to rescue friends held in Moscow prisons. For many years his exact fate was unknown, but this book reveals the end of this greatest of all spies, and shows that Reilly's final act was a tragedy befitting his reputation and legacy. Truly an amazing man whose life makes for an incredible biography. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Espionage    5. General    6. Historical - British    7. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    8. Biography: general    9. ESPIONAGE, BRITISH    10. Espionage & secret services    11. History    12. SPIES    13. True Crime / Espionage   

Reviews (2)

A Horror Story
I sat in stunned silence as I turned the final page of "Cry Rape," Bill Lueders' heart-rending story of a rape victim doubted, and ultimately tormented, by police. My 10-year-old son asked about what I had been reading, saying, "Is it a mystery?"
The Madison Idea
Cry Rape is the story of a rape victim's victimization by the criminal justice system. It is a story about a cop who seems predisposed to "prove" rape victims liars, about a police department that protects bad cops, about a district attorney's office willing to further victimize the victim to protect bad cops, about judges willing to interpret the law in ways that protect bad cops and bad policies, about elected and appointed officials who stand behind the victimization, and (though only peripherally) newspaper editors who don't seem to care.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Criminal Law - General    4. General    5. Madison    6. Media & the Law    7. Other Miscellaneous Crimes    8. Rape investigation    9. Trials (Rape)    10. True Crime / Espionage    11. Wisconsin    12. Women    13. Women's Studies - General    14. Crime & criminology    15. International Law    16. True Crime / General    17. USA    18. Women's studies   

Subjects:  1. 1895-1944    2. Espionage    3. Espionage, Soviet    4. History - Military / War    5. History: American    6. Intelligence Operations    7. Japan    8. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    9. Ozaki, Hotsumi    10. Sorge, Richard,    11. Soviet Union    12. Trials (Espionage)    13. Sorge, Richard   

Reviews (31)

In His Own Words.
Many books have been written about Ted Bundy and none are better known that Ann Rule's "Stranger Beside Me".While the author of this book refuses to mention Rule by name, the story in this book is much the same.Michaud's book does however go a step further than Rule in "The Only Living Witness."
Where has this book been?
"The Only Living Witness" has been around for awhile.How could I not know?Yeah, I loved Ann Rule's "The Stranger Beside Me," and this is even more interesting!It is amazing to hear Bundy's own words - to get an insight into his mania - and to watch as he denies denies denies only to ultimately try to come clean in hopes of living a few more months.The Stephen G. Michaud writes wonderfully - a high priority for me.As a writer, he obviously isn't "talking down" to his reader.This is definitaly worth buying...going to check out his other books now!

The Only book...
This is the ONLY book about Ted Bundy to read. Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth are the only two that ever ACTUALLY interviewed Ted and spoke to him. His story was told by him only to these two men. Excellent read and the only accurate portrayal of Bundy. If you wanna know the truth - read this book. And if you think Bundy was crazy - pick up Lethal Shadow by Stephen Michaud. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Murder - General    3. True Crime    4. True Crime / Espionage   

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Reviews (7)

Brave but arrogant agent with a skewed sense of the world and his place in it
There is no doubt Richard Holm is a brave guy.But his book has to set the record for the use of the personal pronouns "I," "my," and "me."This narcissistic tome of self-promotion made my stomach curdle shortly after i reached page 200.
Uneven, But In The End, a Worthwhile Read
A good book, but terribly uneven, due probably to the fact that a lot of it was vetted in advance by the CIA.But what was left was, for the most part, interesting, if not fascinating.Some parts are compelling -- especially the detailing of his near-fatal air accident in the Congo. On the other hand, Holm tends to ramble -- some of the pages seem like those Christmas letters you get from friends, detailing the activities of each and every family member.Other parts -- especially those that hint of James Bond activities (which, let's admit it, are the main reasons we read books about the CIA)are often so short on detail or drama that they leave the reader puzzled.But on the whole, it's a very interesting look inside the walls and culture of the CIA, or, at least, the CIA of a recent past.

Close but no cigar
Interesting reading to a point. Evidently his first work as it lacks detail in many of the episodes and experiences. In some places it is very rambling and wordy. His early training skips detail that is important. He moves from early boot camp as a private to his first command and then suddenly he is an "agent" in the military intel group and refers from that point on as "ther officers" etc. What happened to OCS? Take a test and skip to officer country in counterintel?
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Espionage    5. Historical - General    6. Political    7. Biography & Autobiography / General    8. Biography: general    9. Espionage & secret services    10. UNITED STATES_BIOGRAPHY    11. UNITED STATES_CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. Art thefts    2. Art thieves    3. Fine Arts (Specific Aspects)    4. General    5. History - General    6. Other Miscellaneous Crimes    7. Theft from museums    8. True Crime    9. True Crime / Espionage    10. ART - ART GENERAL TRD HC   

Subjects:  1. Crime And Criminals    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Emigration And Immigration    4. General    5. History - U.S.    6. Mexico    7. Social Science    8. Social aspects    9. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    10. Texas    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. True Crime / General   

Subjects:  1. Criminology    2. Gangs    3. General    4. Juvenile Delinquency    5. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Social Science    8. Sociology - Urban    9. United States    10. Law / Criminal Procedure    11. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (2)

An engaging story of the life of Gerry Bull
This is a great read, even for those who know nothing about the exploits of Dr Gerry Bull. Dr Bull was a flawed genius - a passionate and driven ballistics visionary responsible for the design of many of the worlds deadliest artillery cannons, and yet he was politically naive, inspirational to his colleagues, and a practical joker. He provoked both deep loyalty in his friends and deep hatred in his enemies. The latter would lead to his assassination. He died during his work on Project Babylon - a cannon several hundred metres long!
An excellent book!
This is a fascinating look at the life of a true genius whose path took him, inevitably, to Saddam's door. His dream of producing a gun capable of putting a satellite into orbit was twisted into a weapon for the Iraqiregime. Reads like an espionage novel, although it slows down a bit whentalking about the businesses and fronts used to get the weapon's parts intoIraq. Otherwise, a really good read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    3. Politics/International Relations    4. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

Harold Schechter is a historian: he takes old files and yellowed newspaper clippings, and brings their stories to life. Read more

Reviews (39)

The real PSYCHO
The movie, Psycho, did not really convey the true story about the original madman.This true crime book makes me very glad that they did not turn those real events into a realistic movie.This book really grabs you by the throat and makes it all real.

The original psycho!
I have to say that this book shows a very interesting side of human life. Even though his crimes were far more gruesome than imagined at first, people paid to see his car as a sideshow. They made jokes at the expense of Ed Gein the ghoul and the people of Plainfield, Wisconsin. Of course, he was insane and sent to a mental hospital for the rest of his life. Surprisingly, he was happier there than anywhere else. The insight by Harold Schechter who is one of favorite crime writers up there on par with Ann Rule of course. He shows great respect for everybody involved including Ed Gein. He was the weird little guy that nobody really knew who was motivated by loneliness and the devastated loss of his mother. He said that if people in Plainfield were a little nicer to him maybe he wouldn't have committed such horrible crimes.

DEFINITELY WORTH THE TIME
I read this book immediately after crawling through "Deranged," a story about Albert Fish, by the same author as "Deviant." I must admit that, after my great deal of disappointment with the last book, I was skeptical of this one. BUT I was pleasantly surprised.
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Subjects:  1. Gein, Edward    2. General    3. Homicide    4. Murder    5. Murder - General    6. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    7. True Crime    8. True Crime / Espionage    9. Wautoma    10. Wisconsin    11. Fiction / General    12. USA   

Reviews (5)

One of his better books
because it DOESN'T read like fiction; it's a true story with Wambaugh applying his direct understanding of how cops behave & what happens when they act out because of stress that returns night after night & can't be eased.There's the usual Wambaugh mix of booze, women, blurs between right & law.As usual, there's no insight or development for female characters, who are cardboard cutouts.But this time, instead of playing with character & language, as in other books, he projects his insights into those he depicts, without modifying their character.It's docudrama, despite its gunslinger theme, like Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," a form Wambaugh is good at, maybe because it relieves him of tense necessity of creating a plot.Oddly, this book isn't cynical, even when describing disappointed moral objectives; but it does prove what Aristotle said, "We become what we do repeatingly."A police department that sends men to work in Hell shouldn't be surprised if they turn into devils.

Impressive But Curious
I'm both in awe and suspicious of this book. It purports to tell the true-life story of a group of undercover police officers, most of Mexican descent, who work steathily to entice robbers preying on the heavy illegal alien traffic flowing into San Diego County from Baja California into attacking them, then turning the tables on their would-be victimizers. An Absolutely Unnecessary Situation
The philosophical setting of this book is littered with "ifs."If the United States government would protect the US from invaders, as it is charged to do, this book never would have been written.If other nations were governed by constitutions conceptually similar to that of the United States, establishing freedom and individual rights everywhere -- such that people would not feel it necessary to flee their home governments, and seek freedom in the United States -- this book never would have come into being.If, if, if. Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. True Crime    3. True Crime / Espionage    4. True Crime / General   

Editorial Review

Some may find it unbelievable that a20-year-old Oregon woman could beenslaved by asexual sadist for seven years--that even after being ableto move freelyduring the day, she would allow him tolock her into a wooden box every night.Perhapsit's a minorfailing of this book that the authors do not elaborate onthe psychology thatmade her such a "perfect victim."Inother respects, though, the story is welltold, with an impressive accumulation of details: the woman's capture, the tortures sheendured, the brainwashing techniques, the fiendish contraptions her captor constructed,the slave contract he made her sign, and the increasingly strained relations within thepeculiar family that included master, slave, wife, and child, all inside a single-widetrailer.As well-known attorney and author Vincent Bugliosiwrites, "A gripping and disturbing story of the secret life of apparently normalpeople.At once, horrific and engrossing." ... Read more

Reviews (53)

Incredible
I read this book years ago and it is so powerful I have never forgotten it.I'll think of her now and again and remember what hell she was subjected to, wondering how she is doing and how she ever kept her mind.One to the most personally impactful books I have ever read.It reminds about books I have read about concentration camp surviors, they never leave me, nor do I think they should. When it is freezing outside and I run to the car through the cold hardly able to bear the few minutes to get the hearter cranked up and the memory of so many stories will pop into my mind.Trying to imagine how the survivors felt arriving in Auzchvitz(I know I butched the spelling), marching through the snow naked, no coat during the intake process and arriving at the administration building at 610PM. Since the building closed at 6PM they had to stand and wait outside in the cold, no protection for the office to open the following morning.
DON'T EXPECT TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!
I read it in 3