Murder in the Detroit Suburbs - A Long, Frustrating, True-Crime Story
585601
On one level, Internal Combustion is a standard, true-crime book. Bob and Nancy Seaman were a married couple who appeared to have it all: good jobs, successful kids, and a large house outside of Detroit. But things were not what they seemed. Bob and Nancy's marriage was acrimonious, Bob lost his job as an engineer, and the couple's two sons "took sides" in their parents' arguments.

Shortly after asking Nancy for a divorce, Bob was stabbed to death. Subsequently, police charged Nancy with first-degree murder. However, Nancy claimed that Bob was abusive and that she acted in self-defense. Predictably, Nancy's trial received intense media coverage. In Internal Combustion author Joyce Maynard casts a skeptical eye on Nancy's claims.

There are many strong aspects of the book. Maynard has a talent for making her characters come alive, particularly the Seamans. Also, she does a great job of summarizing the legal proceedings; many true crime books bore the reader during descriptions of trials, but Maynard gives the reader just enough detail. Finally, car fans will enjoy Internal Combustion's descriptions of the role that vintage cars played in the lives of Bob Seaman and his two sons.

On a second level, Internal Combustion differs from most true-crime books. Maynard uses the "new journalism" technique of making herself a major character in the story. She spends dozens of pages discussing her ambivalence about writing the book and she also focuses on her own divorce and how it influenced her perceptions of the Seaman case. A reader's reaction to Internal Combustion will depend, in large part, on how he or she likes "new journalism" approach.

(In my opinion, Maynard's writing is strong in these sections, but she includes too many details. At almost 500 pages, the book is overly long. Less navel gazing would have made the book more satisfying).

There are also several other issues with the book. Maynard had (sporadic) access to only one of the three surviving Maynards, son Jeff. As a result, many details are missing. She unconvincingly claims that she doesn't care that Nancy and Greg Seaman chose not to speak with her. Finally, Maynard irritates the reader by repeating the same descriptions of many of the characters each time she discusses them. (Bob Seaman is short; Nancy Seaman wears nice clothes; one of the prosecutors is beautiful, etc).

I do think that Internal Combustion is worth reading, providing potential readers realize that - at about 500 pages - it involves a large investment of time. (A final note - readers will want to search the web for updates on Nancy - a lot has happened since the book appeared in 2006).
2755198
Enjoyed the story but couldn't get past why they never mentioned cameras. This is midtown Manhattan, upper East Side, East Village! There are hundreds of cameras, some of which would have recorded the body drops and the perp walking on 13th street. There are references to ISIS and 2015 model year cars so this is obviously in today's NYC. Also there are no safeties on Glocks. And why must you "fire up" your cell phone instead of just turning it on? These things distracted me from the story line especially when they had no clue as to o who the suspect was. Look at the recorded DVD! These two detectives have a high body count just trying to interview witnesses. If they stay on the police force for twenty years there won't be any bad guys left!
3589052
I had never heard before of the terrible murder spree committed by Carmina Salcido's father, in which he killed 7 people, including 4 children, and tried to kill Carmina.  She survived, and this book tells of her life before and after the crimes occurred.  The first half or so of the book follows a true crime kind of pattern---profiling the people involved, telling of the crimes and following the capture of the criminal and his trial.  It was hard to read about the awful details of what Ramon Salcido did, especially what the 2 year old Carmina could remember.  When she was found alive against all odds, the Sonoma Valley community did all they could for her, donating much money to a trust fund, giving her presents and toys and a huge outpouring of love.  All was done hoping she could have the happy ever after life she deserved, but that was not to be.  Her grandfather was overwhelmed by the task of caring for her, and gave her up to adoption to a family that belonged, as he did, to a fringe cult connected with the Catholic church.  There she was isolated, not educated (her home-schooling never really occured much), told she was a bad person and generally lived an unhappy childhood.  The trust fund money was all used by her adoptive parents.  As a way to escape, Carmina joined a convent, but her demons haunted her there, and she left, and went to a "ranch" program for troubled kids, although she had not done anything that would cause her to have to be there.  The life on that ranch is one of the most upsetting parts of the book, and I certainly hope it's changed since then.  At last, she returns to her childhood home and confronts her father, and realizes he is not capable of true remorse and in fact is still cruel to her (he is on death row in prison).  All around, not a lot of happy endings here.  This book could be in a way a cautionary tale of how society sends outpourings of love and money after a tragedy, but has a short attention span---it's so sad to think that Carmina was denied at least a happy childhood.  I am not sure what a take-home message from this book should be, and perhaps that makes it more truthful than many books of this type, which try to draw a close to their story at the end, complete with uplifting sentiment.  It was a tough read due to this, but a worthy one.
1875137
Author Michele R. McPhee was in a rush to write the story of Neil Entwistle, the now infamous Englishman who murdered his wife, Rachel, and their nine-month daughter, Lillian Rose, in the Massachusetts home. As a result of the author's hurriedness,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Heartless-The-True-Story-of-Neil-Entwistle-and-the-Cold-Blooded-Murder-of-his-Wife-and-Child-St-Martin-s-True-Crime-Library/dp/0312947763/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Heartless: The True Story of Neil Entwistle and the Cold Blooded Murder of his Wife and Child (St. Martin's True Crime Library)</a>, is lacking in much detail and, being that at the time publication the case had not yet went to trial, incomplete.

The deaths of Rachel and Lillian Rose Entwistle were horrendous and absolutely devestating. However, McPhee's telling of this awful event is almost mundane. If there is one area that emotion is truly relayed to the reader is in the suffering of Rachel's mother and stepfather, Priscilla and Joe Matterazzo.

Lastly, the author apparently knew that she didn't have enough to make a decent book as she resorts to providing details of cases that are in some way (no matter how distance) similar or related to the case of State of Massachusetts versus Neil Entwistle.

Thinking back, it was probably those filler tales that were the most interesting aspect of this book.

 This true crime story is one that should be told, however it is going to need another author to do it and serve it justice. I strongly recommend waiting for a completed version by a different author.
2963810
An engrossing and complex murder investigation that is unfortunately overshadowed by perhaps the most unsatisfying ending I've ever read.  The two protagonists, Psychologist Alex Delaware and Police Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, are forced to sift through a mountain of clues, false leads, long-buried secrets, sordid witnesses and potential suspects to solve the murder of Rand Duchay - a disturbed and impaired young man recently released from a juvenile detention center after having served 8 years for his involvement in the murder of a young child.  After several false leads and dead ends, Delaware and Sturgis ultimately manage to hone in on a suspect and build a rather convincing, if entirely circumstantial and largely speculative, case against the individual.  It's unfortunately difficult to explain my frustration with the (non) ending of the tale without spoiling things for future readers.  Suffice to say that all the careful, exacting and methodical detective work of Delaware and Sturgis ultimately comes to naught when the prime suspect is suddenly and unexpectedly removed from the story, thereby bringing the book to a very abrupt and jarring end which provides little, if any, closure.
3478455
"The I-5 Killer" is the story of Randall Woodfield, a multi-sport high school star who was drafted into the NFL after a successful college football  career as a Wide Receiver.

He had the same problem as Lance Rentzel of the Dallas Cowboys, a severe problem with exposing himself to young women. Unlike Rentzel, Randall Woodfield's behavior escalated to more serious activities like armed robbery and sexual assault. It's difficult to understand how that led ultimately to murder. The final number of murder victims may never be known.
Woodfield has suggested that steroid use was a factor in his becoming aggressive.

Ann Rule details the jurisdictional battles of law enforcement entities that were involved in the investigation. That battle may have been responsible for Woodfield's destruction of incriminating evidence in the interim.
She also explains the evidence that originally tied him to the multiple crimes around the I-5 freeway in multiple states.

The thinking behind California deciding not to prosecute the double-murder charges was explained.

Randall Woodfield is a narcissist, totally wrapped up in himself and his "image". What's so puzzling is how someone with a popular social life and apparently normal family background could become a serial killer.
Ann Rule tells the story of the I-5 killer in gripping style!
3821766
Murder & Madness

David Abrahamsen, MD, FACPn, is a forensic psychiatrist who served as an expert witness in the investigation of Lee Harvey Oswald and others. He wrote fifteen books and lives in New York City. [Oswald didn't shoot a rifle from the sixth floor so anyone who says differently doesnt know the facts of the case.] Abrahamsen examined the evidence from Scotland Yard to arrive at his conclusion. This 1992 book of 219 pages has an Introduction, eight chapters, a Bibliography, and Index. The Acknowledgments thanks those who helped him. The Introduction explains how his interest in the Son of Sam led to this investigation of Jack the Ripper. He retrieved files from Scotland Yard and received permission to publish this material. A psychoanalyst attempts to uncover hidden motivations and interpret emotional linkages (p.xiii). Does that guarantee accuracy? Years later Patricia Cornwell picked a different suspect.

Part One provides a background to the five murders. The author claims forgetting dates and names, our misplacing objects all show how the unconscious interferes with our conscious emotions (p. 45). [Really?] Is the unconscious the force behind all human behavior (p. 46)? That sounds like some sort of cult that is true only if you believe it to be true, like an opinion. Part Two tells what the Inquests revealed. Various reports are quoted. There are descriptions of the men seen with the victims. Nothing outstanding, about average height. The killer had knowledge of the positions of the organs, or he didn't (p. 93).

Part Three says murderers have intense personal torment. The author claims inner conflicts in adults are due to serious traumatic experiences in early childhood (p. 102). [What proof does he have?] The author explains why he thinks two men were involved in these murders. Chapter 6 is a history of J. K. Stephen. Chapter 7 has the life of Prince Albert Victor Edward, who was a slow learner. J. K. Stephen was selected as a tutor for the Prince. The five Ripper murders occurred during holidays at Cambridge (p. 159). [Did others also have a holiday?] Chapter 8 has the authors recreation of the murders and the future lives of the Prince and J. K. Stephens; both died young.

The author has an explanation for actions that fit his solution. The seemingly innocuous story of Sleeping Beauty is an example of necrophiliac fantasy (p. 199)! Could this expert witness psychiatrist be wrong? Expert witnesses testify for the side that pays them. The murders stopped after the death of Montague John Druitt, found drowned (pp. 104-106). I think this is the better solution, but I haven't read that book.
1546202
I felt the overall book was great. It outlined so many things that went wrong with this case and how one detective caused a case to be closed incorrectly and caused insurmountable frustration and heartache for the author who was one of the witnesses.

The entire investigation went wrong from day one and now so many seem to just want a wrong closing to remain as is.

In 1981 detectives ignored tips and failed to conduct proper investigating or document information.

In 2008 a detective had the case closed by using a Sears security guard as a scapegoat and not calling witnesses that saw a confused and protesting Adam being abducted and tossed into a BLUE VAN with Jeffrey Dahmer. This case could have and should have been solved and closed correctly. Instead it would take thirty-four years for the truth to be told by the witnesses themselves. If anyone cares to hear what they have to say and what they witnessed this is the book to read.
2214069
The initial chapters of "Murder in Italy" made me think, "ooohh, this is going to be a really GOOD true crime", that being one that gets into the life stories of all the students and suspects involved, and really gives you a sense of the people behind the sensationally reported crime.  Unfortunately, after we learn a little bit about why Amanda Knox wanted to go to Italy and what sort of a person she was (a bit immature and typically West Coast looney, it seems) and even a littler bit about what kind of a person the victim, Meredith, was (prim and proper British, a bit hung up on cleanliness, didn't seem to like Americans much, etc. - none of which is particularly insightful) the book devolves into a long recitation of all the mistakes the Italian justice system made in prosecuting this case.  The author clearly has the opinion that Amanda Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, are innocent and were railroaded by the system.  I would have rather the author just presented all the details, including MUCH more about the personalities of the people involved, and left me to be the judge of whether the Italian court got it right.

As it is, I didn't get much of a sense of Amanda's motive for carrying out such a crime, but the book is so biased and reveals so little about the people involved that I didn't know if a motive was truly lacking or if the author just conveniently left a few things out.  I didn't even get a sense of the relations between Amanda and Meredith other than the fact that Meredith didn't like that Amanda forgot to flush the toilet, a fact that's brought up ad nauseam.  Having roomed with other girls in college, I know there is always one who's a little more messy and one who is really hung up on bathroom tidiness and not eating other people's food out of the fridge and other anal things, but usually there's a bit more to it than just a difference in personalities.  The author either didn't dig far enough to find out information like that, or she chose not to present it.  The result is a book that is B-grade at best.
3186395
The author begins the story of the abduction and murder of Amy Mihaljevic by telling us that as a child he had hoped to be the one who brought Amy back home to her family.  When Amy is found murdered an adult James Renner embarks on what he hopes is the road to finding her killer.  The problem is, there are alot of suspects and many twists and turns along the way.  There is no easy answer at the end, just the good effort of a man who still hopes he can help Amy.  Easy read and if you like true crime, you will enjoy this book.
1722244
This is the true story of a suburban endocrinologist who was the only survivor when two men broke in to his Connecticut home leaving his wife and two daughters dead.  The doctor was beaten with a baseball bat  during the attacks and restrained but managed to escape.  Despite the sensationalism of such a horrible crime the book THE RISING always remains quite distant and not very compelling.  A lot of facts are recited and the Petit murder victims are duly praised but the book remains oddly dull and I think that is probably because author Ryan D'Agostino is not that  empathetic or skillful of a writer.  There is a hopeful ending as Dr. Petit remarries a woman twenty years his junior and has a son.
4752606
I was glad these criminals were brought to justice.....and it was interesting how the detectives worked to solve the case....but it was a true story and it was a horrible one!!!
764422
THE BAYOU STRANGLER:  LOUISIANAS MOST GRUESOME SERIAL KILLER is a somewhat disappointing true crime offering.  It catalogs the rape-followed-by-strangling murders committed by Ronald J. Dominique, giving special attention to dates, victim identities, and body-dump sites.  However, it offers little insight into Dominiques sociopathic personality, or into his motivation for killing the gay and straight men that he picked up so casually.

Also, the hunt for this serial killer isn't particularly interesting, because law enforcement officers had no evidence to work with. Ultimately it was an almost-victim who narrowly escaped from Dominique who enabled the hunters to identify Dominique.  The police work mostly involved linking the murders that had occurred in many different Louisiana parishes--through the repeated, more or less identical M.O.s--so that Louisiana finally recognized the need for a serial killer task force.  Once Dominique was arrested, skillful interrogation obtained an immediate confession to most of the 23 murders, though Dominique apparently wasn't a hard nut to crack.

No one should be turned off by the book's subtitle, as the Dominique murders weren't bloody murders.  It's the sheer number of Dominiques murders that earns him the most gruesome appellation.
742514
I always begin a book that I am reviewing with a five-star rating in mind. I leave it to the author to reduce the rating as the story progresses. In this case, the rating dropped very quickly. The book is rife with grammar errors, comma issues, strangely worded sentences, head-hopping, and bad similes.

The book didn't follow the structure usually associated with true crime books. The author admits in the preface that most of facts are based on her perception of how the events lead up to the crime. Did she not interview the survivor? Did she interview the murderer in prison, or the murder's significant other? It appears as though she based her story on the remaining audio files from the trial and the killer's first "confession." Therefore, it is hard to tell what is real and what came from the author's imagination since there is nothing stating that in the text. Based on the preface, it appears as though everything other than the recorded confession and the trials tapes are all speculation.

Although I did finish the book, it was a difficult read. I expect a few problems with the writing in self-published books, but with sentences such as:

'She pushed his hand away. He pushed her hand pushing him away, away and continued petting her - a little more roughly this time.'

It became a chore, sometimes, to continue. There were a few good sections, mostly during the trial scenes, but that was a verbatim copy of the trial tapes according to the author.

There are times when an author has to speculate when writing events during a true crime story, but it is clearly stated when this writing occurs. This book implies that the crime happened exactly as written. To me, this is what took down the rating.
I would urge the author to get a professional edit on her next book.

That being said, not all is lost. The story line, although muddy in parts, appeared complete. I would have preferred to get more into the survivor's story, especially the aftermath. She was terminated from various jobs over the years, yet it seemed as though her employers overreacted, dismissing her with no explanation.

Before I reached the end, my rating had dropped to one star, but I bumped it up to two just for the effort. Writing a good true crime book is no easy task. As long as the story outcome remains factual, and the author states that parts are speculative, the story can be told.

I just wish the writing were better.
67749
I bought this book for my Kindle about five days ago, and  although I am in the process of moving from one house to our new house, and I found myself wanting to sit down and read more of this book!
The book starts out with the killer's childhood, and it's a brief but incredibly informative look at what the killer did as a teen. Chilling insight.
Roger Kibbe is one of the most disgusting people I have read about, and I have read about other serial killers. His crimes were so awful, and he was so evil and patient and cruel; I just could not imagine what went through this monster's mind. To top it off, the murderer's BROTHER was a Homicide Detective! I disliked the brother as well; he HAD to know. He was giving his brother advice as to how to deal with the police, so the killer had an edge!
The tenacity of all the detectives and crime scene analysts, trace evidence experts, etc,, well, I cannot say enough good things about them. Without these caring people, the crimes would never have been solved.
It is disturbing to know how political it is with law enforcement, and don't even get me STARTED with the FBI. They were worse than useless in this case, as they have been known to be in many cases. Example: the FBI KNEW who the Unibomber was. Had the Unibomber not sent his "manifesto" for his BROTHER to read, who knows how long he would have gone on?
Back to the murders in the Sacramento area, the killer did his henious deeds in one county, dumped the body in an other county, sometimes driving 100 miles to dump the bodies. He knew that the police departments can get "territorial" and not share information. I am a Homicide Detective's daughter, and when I think what my Dad saw and had to deal with, and then, have someone tell him it was "not his case anymore"; it's infuriating. It would have helped so much if all the departments had worked together and created a TRUE task force, instead of the one the Detective's had to try and work with. "Jane Does" were lying in places, even buried, when the person had been reported missing ages ago! Who knows how many people Roger Kibbe murdered? Many more than he was charged with, that is a fact. The killer was married, to an annoying and bossy, yet pathetic woman. Her self esteem had to be so low, or she is such a delusional person, that she did not see the thing she had married.  Harriet (his wife) is NOT a sympathetic person. I believe SHE should have been arrested as an accessory to murder after what she did. (I'd write what she did, but I don't want to spoil the book for you). Kibbe was a quiet, non confrontational man, who stuttered when he lied. He looked like ANYBODY, and he was very intelligent. One of his victims got away, and she described what he was STARTING to do; her story sent chills down my spine. His voice "switched" so quickly she wondered if she was with the same person! My God, she was lucky.
Although  I am happy that this monster is never going to see the light of day outside of prison, and that he is in Level 4, and "misses his arts and crafts" (oh boo hoo), the last sentence of the book was...............well, it was one of those "oh my God" moments.
Wonderfully researched and written, (I plan to read more books by this author), I could not recommend this book more highly.
1421576
Twenty-six year old Ruth Malone is a striking strawberry blonde. She married her high-school sweetheart, Frank, and they have two children, five-year-old Frank Jr. and four-year-old Cindy. The couple has been separated for more than a year, and Ruth is engaged in a balancing act--working as a cocktail waitress, maintaining an active social life, and fulfilling her maternal responsibilities. One day the unthinkable happens--Frank and Cindy disappear. Some of Ruth's neighbors ache for her loss, but others depict her as devious, selfish, and unfeeling.

"Little Deaths," by Emma Flint, is set in Queens during the mid-sixties. When catastrophic events turn her life into a nightmare, Ruth becomes the focus of media attention. Pete Wonicke, a rookie journalist, loses all perspective when he develops a crush on Ruth. He takes on the role of amateur sleuth in an attempt to help her. Unfortunately, this book doesnt satisfy for a variety of reasons: First, Flints characters are almost uniformly unlikeable. Ruth is immature, narcissistic, and self-destructive. Pete is nave, obnoxious, and obsessive. Sergeant Devlin, the detective in charge of Ruth's case, does not even pretend to be objective; he despises Ruth and assumes that she is lying to protect herself. Flint's prose style and descriptive writing are as subtle as a sledgehammer. In addition, the out-of-sequence narration is irritating, partly because Flint gives away too much too soon.

The story holds our interest to the extent that we want to know who did what to whom and why, but the solution brings no gratification. To her credit, the author captures the mood of an era when society overlooked men's peccadilloes but condemned "wanton" females; tabloids ran sensational stories that slanted the truth in order to boost circulation; and unethical law enforcement officials bent the rules to suit their purposes. Although "Little Deaths" is intense and atmospheric, it is also a dismal and dispiriting novel that leaves behind a bitter aftertaste.
3854534
This book is partly true. It does cover David Biro's 1990 murder of Nancy and Richard Langert and their unborn child in a Chicago suburb. It does reveal that the 357 Magnum murder weapon belonged to FBI agent Lewis, but doesn't say why Lewis was never arrested. It does mention that FBI agent "Ed" Buckley took over the investigation and directed local law enforcement away from their sole suspect, the murderer, and onto "the IRA" and me. (I'm "Haggerty" in this book.) It covers up the murder investigation report in the files of the Winnetka police department that framed me for those murders. The report, signed by Police Officer John Fay under Buckley's direction, used "my" words that constituted information that, of the Earth's entire population, could have been known only by the murderer or first investigators on the crime scene. I never could have prevailed against "my own" words; but murderer Biro saved my life. He, a 16-year-old, blabbed through his FBI cover to Life Without Parole. I, being much older, would have gotten lethal injection but for him. I had never in my life even heard of anybody involved in these murders. It is with good reason that the author credits the FBI for helping her write this book.
The real story, of FBI crime, is not in this book.