No comments about In the Shadow of Papillon: Seven Years of Hell in Venezuela's Prison System.

5 comments about Little Man: Meyer Lansky and the Gangster Life.

1. The life of Meyer Lansky (little Man), who became a Big Man in developing the casinos and all the entertainment in Free Cuba. Buy it!



2. This is a very misleading book about a man who was so much more then what Lacey actually claims. His sources are very questionable, especially Lansky's crippled son Buddy. It was well known that Lansky's family had caused him much heartache and his son Buddy especially. He made some bad business decisions and his health kept declining each year. Lansky decided early to keep his family far away from the criminal world so if you wanna know about Lansky Mr. Lacey, investigate criminals, FBI bugs, trial transcripts etc. etc.
   
   All of Lansky's friends died wealthy and you know why? because that was Lansky's own damn money. Robert Lacey doesn't get it. Avoid this book.



3. Lacey's biography is an interesting, relatively faced-paced read; although the sub-title for this book is a bit misleading. Little Man provides an interesting perspective on Meyer Lansky as a man and as a "family man." However, the book is pretty thin on describing Lansky's exploits as a gangster and about the "gangster life." This perhaps isn't too surprising since a major source for the information Lacey provides was Lansky's family members, and particularly his son Buddy, who worshipped him. Overall, I found the family perspective on Meyer Lansky provided me with a lot of new insight into the character of the man. This book served to comlement what I learned from reading other bios on Lansky that delved much more deeply into Lansky, the gangster. One big point of difference between this book and others about Lansky pertains to the amount of money he was worth at the time of his death. While according to Lacey, Lansky had lost almost all of his money in his later years and had to live quite frugally, other books claim that Lansky left a fortune of about $300 million. Whatever he was worth really isn't important to me. What I hope will be important to you is that Little Man is a worthwhile book to read.



4. The book is well written and is full of interesting personal facts about Lansky, but comes up shorthanded in details about the man's enterprise.There is little mention of his role in the
   rampant bootlegging in the 1920's and the violence that went along with it.This is a good book if you are already familar with Lansky and want more information on his personal character.Much of the details are provided by his son Buddy and numerous others that were close to him, but not in a "business" sense.



5. I can only assume the applauding professional and amateur reviewers were swept away by Lacey's evocative descriptions of Lansky's surroundings and cultural background. Lacey's detailed study is, I will readily admit, finely wrought, but this book should have been sold as fiction. Besides totally whitewashing Lansky, "Little Man" is peppered with countless factual errors (e.g. Joe the Boss Masseria was not waiting for a late lunch when he got hit in 1931-- he'd already eaten a huge lunch), many of which bolster the author's fantastic characterization of his subject. Where is there any discussion of Lansky's operation in Covington, Kentucky? Why is Murder, Inc. mentioned only three times in this book when Lansky was crucial to Siegel and Lepke's killing-for-hire enterprise? I certainly understand a biographer's decision to lionize his/her subject, but this exoneration of a well-documented monster is criminal.

5 comments about Letters from Prison - Voices of Women Murderers.

1. I personally know Kristine Bunch and she should be out not in prison. Krissy is the most wonderful person I know. She has suffered a great deal because of the crime she was convicted of. She did not do it and she is paying an unfair price. People need to know that she has suffered and lost 6 years of her son's life. She needs to be home not in some prison.



2. I picked this up because I am studying forensic psychology and it looked good from the outside. I am disappointed however, in the lack of confirmation of the "facts" in the book. I can spot one bad mistake in the book- in the Hope Rippey/Toni Lawrence letters bio, she names Mary Tackett as the instigator, when the actual instigator was Melinda Loveless. There are numerous books on this murder case, and it is a well known fact Loveless was the instigator. With a grandiose mistake like this, it leaves one to wonder how many other mistakes Ms. Furio makes? Since she leaves her letters to the women out of the book (as she does in her other book about male serial killers) one has to wonder just what she says to the killers and in the case of the male book, whether or not she's leading them on. I wasn't satisfied after I finished reading it, but it was interesting to at least hear a different side and hear from the killers themselves. -J



3. I am up close and personal with the Yates case...I choose to remain anonymous. I was looking for sources that might explain why she did what she did; her husband seems to not understand, but want to and want to forgive. As a Christian, I get this, but my heart feels a grief and a loss which creates anger. I don't read "true crime." I had to find something about this subject. This IS THE BOOK. Jennifer has a conversation with a few other women who had done similar, familial killings, as she describes them in her book of letters. It is so weird, I've read books of letters, diaries, but never did I think I'd read one about killers, and more important, walk away with a sense I'd learned something about the women, and my own ability to hold compassion in this seemingly sinister world. I felt it was a God send: the stories, some weren't like the Yate's case, some were harder to understand, but I got the message: the point is, there exists something underlying that first was misunderstood or ignored, which is what really should be addressed. To a degree, the writer does this, but so do the criminals. Yet, these aren't like women who have no regrets. How is it that they committed such acts and than feel remorse, or a need to get in touch with their anger? It seems for many, it took isolation of prison to get to a place where their minds finally were still, a place where thier only responsibilities were to introspect...but now, where before I saw prison as a "last stop," I feel certain that execution can't be sure fire "solutiion" and nor can be endless, terminal lock up. These were very isolated, very sick women. Now I understand. I wish the best for these women, for the writer, and for the Yates family. I will make certain I yell it from the mountains. Anonymous



4. Having read the previous reviews, I decided I had to put in my opinions on the book. I have had significant contact with women in prison while doing prison reform work and I am also working with an inmate on her case. Therefore, I think I have a pretty good idea of what Ms. Furio went through to get the information for this book and how difficult it was for her to communicate with these women. Although female inmates are easier to get through to than men, they still are extremely cautious with writers and reporters, even with member of their legal team...and with good reason. It takes quite a bit of time to gain the trust needed, and then you only get the basics. Very few inmates of either sex are going to open up for ANY reason, as it might hurt appeals, etc. I think Ms. Furio did an admirable job of getting these women to allow us into their private forms of hell...their thoughts and feelings about the crimes of which they have been convicted. And, for many inmates, living with their thought is a private hell. The woman I am working with is profiled in the book, and I know how hard it was for her to decide to allow Ms. Furio to use her information and very private thoughts. She asked me for my opinion several times and I had to tell her it was her choice; no one could make it for her. The writing is somewhat simple, but this is not a PhD thesis and these women are, for the most part, not well educated, so you have to bring your writing down to their level. That said, I think the book is very worthwhile as it allows us a view of women prisoners rarely seen or heard, and removes the sensationalism from the crimes. Maybe that is why some of the other reviewers are so down on the book...they wanted the "gory details" and were denied them. Finally, I think the book allows a rare glimpse of the strange and bizarre rules and regulations of prison life. (As an aside, 1,000 copies of the book were printed by mistake before the proof reading was completed...the reason for the typos. It has since been corrected)



5. How ironic; we had to read the book for extra credit in my sociology class (Chico State). I guess because I'm a "sophomoric thinker," I had to respond to the last review. Too bad this can't be a chat line. First, I'm glad to know there's another book out there by Furio. I thought her perceptions of the entire issue of women in prison, prison, the judicial process regarding women...it had to be stated. The women's voices are certainly allowed, and we learn alot, but it helped to be...guided. I doubt without her references and slight bio's leading to the letters, I'd of gained the same type of window into their personalities. I hope to become a criminologist. I sometimes think such poor reviews come from frustrated people who could never have the courage for such endeavors -- think about it, which I did, as I turned EVERY page: she actually got close to these women, found some common ground where trust developed and stories could be told. Isn't that what this should be about, if we're to learn anything? If we just listen to a professors' perspective on issues he or she has never been anything but figuratively close to, we gain far less. So too bad it felt choppy -- I didn't know inmates were to be educated, PhD's...and what was Furio to do? Respond as if she were their superior? Oh that would've really ignited a desire to bond...S. Morgan, Chico, Ca

No comments about Thirty Years A Detective.

5 comments about The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde.

1. Marie Barrow the youngest of the Barrow children decided to tell her story regarding Bonnie And Clyde and brother Buck Barrow but unfortunately she died within 60 days of meeting her co-writer at the age of 81. The result was mainly rehashed stories that I had read in other publications. Not enough of her personal story was included which I attribute to her untimely death. To bad the book did not go real deep into Marie and her families personal perspective. I feel the co-writer felt he had to complete the book with recycled stories



2. I wanted to like this book. It was written by family of Clyde, so I thought that it might have some interesting insight into the minds of the two notorious criminals. But the book skipped from event to event without going deeper into the whys AT ALL. I did not enjoy this book one tiny little bit. I thought the writing was stilted. I thought the story lacked emotion and didn't get us involved with the characters at all. There are MUCH better books on the subject out there!



3. If you've seen the movie and liked it, but wanted a little more detail and background info then you should really check out The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Phillip Steele and none other than Clyde's own sister Marie Barrow Scoma. This book really takes full advantage of Marie's first hand knowledge about her brother and runs with it. Although, if you have a problem with violence or gruesome details i would probably avoid this one. Clyde Barrow's life begins near Teleco, Texas where he spent his early years often left to the care of his older sister Nell. He and his 6 other brothers and sisters were often unintentionally neglected by their parents. Even as a young child, Clyde loved movies with outlaws like Jesse James and would imagine himself to be these outlaws for weeks after seeing the movies. His family never stayed any one place very long, and, as a result, the kids didn't attend much school. The family soon moved to West Dallas, a homeless and vagrant area. Clyde left school at age 17, and, being handy with cars and machines, he easily found work. His first crime was merely taking a few turkeys from a neighbor's yard, but not long after that he pulled his first armed robbery. Then, teaming up with his brother, Buck, and a few other friends, he robbed the Buell Lumber Company. Soon after this is when the Outlaw Gang was formed and they robbed a few more shops before getting caught. When this happened, Clyde decided to clean up his act and he opened a family gas station with his dad. Clyde met Bonnie in January of 1930. Bonnie Parker, who had just suffered a divorce, was helping a friend who had broken her arm when Clyde stopped by to visit the girl he also new. "It was apparently love at first sight for both of them." Clyde spent the night at the Parkers and must have been pretty embarrassed when police showed up with warrants for his arrest. Bonnie wrote Clyde in jail and pleaded him never to do anything like this again, but she later aided in his escape by slipping him a gun that he and an inmate used on the guard. This marks the beginning of the infamous duo known as Bonnie and Clyde. Over the next few years, the 2 partners in crime, along with various other gang members, successfully rob over 100 businesses. You probably already know or at least have heard about the dramatic finale, but just in case, I'll leave it to you to read the book. I will tell you, however, that the tragic ending involves over 200 bullet holes. This book altogether gives an in depth background to each member and has incredible action along with humor and drama. I enjoyed The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde tremendously. Even if you haven't heard, read, or seen anything about Bonnie and Clyde, this book covers everthing from A to Z( even whether or not Clyde was homosexual)in a way that is fairly easy to follow. I would recomend this book to anyone who enjoys action and a gripping tale of love, hate, betrayal, comedy, and two wild outlaws.



4. It was a pleasure to learn more factual details about Bonnie and Clyde. What a fascinating account of the lives and deeds of this notorious pair. I certainly recommend this book.



5. As a newspaper editor and historian in north Texas, "The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde" by Phillip W. Steele was extremely helpful in my research. This book provides a wealth of important details that, taken with other records, helps provide a deeper understanding of these two outlaw icons. I look forward to seeing Mr. Steele's next release on Bonnie and Clyde. Tony Swindell, Sherman (TX) Herald-Democrat

5 comments about Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty.

1. I read this book right after the one written by Laci's mother Sharon Rocha. This one was particularly good because Anne gave a great account of how her brother behaved before and after Laci's murder.



2. If you find yourself still interested in the case of Laci Peterson, then this book is for you. It takes you on a journey through the life and death of Laci Peterson through the overlooked point of view of Laci's sister-in-law, Anne Bird. It is a fascinating and thought-provoking book, but no matter how many books are written on this subject nothing will ever change the disheartening ending that Laci Peterson will not get to have the child she had so joyfully looked forward to raising.



3. Jackie & Scott are evil, lying narcissists. Thank God Anne, was adopted to a wonderful family. Jackie should be questioned for her role in Laci's disappearance because I believe Jackie hindered the investigation with information she may know about the murder; all in an effort to protect Scott.
   I hope that Anne is able to focus on her adopted parents, her children & her husband & move forward with her life. Great book!



4. Book came fairly quickly, it's in excellent shape and I am looking forward to reading it.



5. Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty
   After reading this book I think she hit the nail on the head saying Scott like his mother Jackie thought of children as disposable. Scott stayed with Ann off and on and she observed first hand his behavior.This was a man glad to be rid of the responsibilities of husbandhood and fatherhood.

5 comments about Johnny's Girl: A Daughter's Memoir of Growing Up I.

1. I grew up in Anchorage during the same time that Kim Rich did so I bought this book for my sister for her birthday. It got passed from family member to family member until it made it back to me in Texas. My mother doesn't usually read books and even she couldn't put it down. I found it to be very interesting although it may not be as good to those without ties to Alaska. I knew that Anchorage has its sleazy side but I had no idea about the activities described in this book although I do remember some of the characters and murders. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it.



2. Although biographies are not my favorite reading, I was drawn to this when it first came out. I still remember the feelings evoked by how she was able to deal with her parents and her life -- her strength and resilience as she was growing up. Her strength in her later search for answers, her maturity and understanding, and her forgiveness and love for her mother and father, although both parents were flawed and could not give her the kind of love and life so needed by a child, is a powerful statement.



3. I am a person who finishes a book of this length in a day. But this book I held onto for weeks. Such extraordinary courage and objectivity it must have taken to write this book. One should be proud. My Holiday Greetings to Kim Rich and her family.



4. Kim Rich, who grew up in Anchorage during the 60s and 70s, had the parents from hell: Mom was a prostitute who ended her years in a mental hospital, and dad was an operator of illegal gambling joints who was eventually murdered due to a dispute over ownership of a massage parlor. Her parents tried to create the facade of a respectable middle-class family when Kim was a child, but all for naught; Kim imparts such experiences as being mistaken by the police for a prostitute, at age 13, when they raided her house.

   I sense writing the book was an act of therapy for the author, who was trying to reconcile the fact that although her parents loved her, they were, at the core, bad people. It is deeply moving to see how the author struggled to have a normal childhood and normal teenage years despite the underworld characters who surrounded her and the emotional baggage her parents saddled her with. This well-written, articulate book is also a portrayal of what Anchorage, Alaska, was like during the 60s and 70s.




5. I read this book after seeing the movie 'Johnny's Girl' which is based on Kim Rich's life story. As I suspected, the book offered a fuller portrait of the struggles Rich endured and the sense of survial she must have felt. Her writing style is fluid and funny and moving and I recommend this book to readers who value excellent literarily nonfiction. I look forward to her next book!

5 comments about Son of Hope.

1. This is the news story that the public needs to hear about the Son of Hope(no longer Son of Sam) . It is clear to see that he is the "real deal." Having repented of his sins and experienced forgiveness in Christ 20 years ago, he is now the prison pastor of the Christian Church in his prison. His writing of his prison experiences and life in general, is vibrant and articulate. I would highly recommend this journal.
   DAN



2. David's writing is a ray of sunshine emanating from a place where very little gets in or out. David's love for his prison brothers and their families is shown throughout. Son of Hope will make you cry and fill you with sadness for lives which have been so damaged by sin! But, as David's life has been turned around by his acceptance of Jesus, he shows that the Love of Lord is there for everyone (Isaiah 1:18--"Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow"). David is a humble man who is living an extraordinary life (James 4:10--"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up"). Thank you David for a work so filled with the Love of the Lord.



3. If you want to know what prison life is like, here is the book. But it's more than that; it is hope within the darkness behind the concrete walls and razor wire of prison--that it is possible to live a productive life, pleasing to God, while incarcerated. You may cry while reading this book, over the wasted lives of men who chose crime, but you may smile at the evidence of God's grace in the lives of other prisoners who have chosen the joy of following Jesus.



4. I have just finished reading David Berkowitz's book "Son of Hope". I remember the man he was when he was arrested, his face and piercing eyes. And I recently viewed on line the interviews with David aired on CBS in New York City. On May 10th, I saw the segment entitled "bonus footage behind the scenes look at the "Son of Sam" Interviews, which I don't believe was aired on TV. They showed the man who they arrested as Son of Sam and the face of the man who has been transformed, saved and set free in Christ Jesus; now the Son of Hope and they don't even look like the same man.
   
   David's journal on December 21, 2004 said it all. He doesn't even feel as though he is in prison except for the place that it is. He is a minister, a witness, of how a loving Christ can reach a man lost in sin, with no hope and change him into a helper, a servant reaching out to fellow prisoners, giving him a ministry within the prison walls. I am so impressed upon reading that David receives no profit from the sale of his book, that anything received goes to the parents/victims of his past crimes. Thank you David for writing the book. I certainly plan to share mine with others. See you in Heaven.



5. David is like the "man out of the tombs" in Mark chapter 4, that only the Saviour could make him, "clothed and in his right mind."

5 comments about John Wesley Hardin: Dark Angel of Texas.

1. The most detailed account of Hardin I ever read. A real page turner filled with excellent photos. I have no respect or admiration for Hardin but I like to read about the "bad" guys. Metz is an excellent writer and I highly recomend his other books.



2. What I like most about the writtings of Mr. Leon Metz is how he tells of what is said to have happened, what may possibly have happened and what probably did happen. As any old west buff knows, truth was not always a top priority and many stories were blown so out of proportion that the truth may never be known. Mr. Metz uses research along with common sense and comes up with truely believable aspects of this notorious outlaw who was clearly the greatest gunfighter of his time. This is an excellent book by an excellent author about the old west's most dangerous man.



3. Leon Metz is a meticulous researcher who adds human interest information to his biography of John Wesley Hardin. He writes well and his narrative flows.
   
   I learned much from Mr. Metz's novel and thoroughly enjoyed his writing style. I highly recommed this book.



4. Leon C. Metz has written a wonderful account of the life and crimes of John Wesley Hardin. It is filled with many photo's, maps and illustrations. Metz has recorded all his documentation and resources for writing this book. I would highly recommend reading; "John Wesley Hardin: Dark Angel of Texas." Hardin was the worst killer of the "American West" by far. I have this one in my collection and you should too!
   
   Mike Koch, Author of "The Kimes Gang."



5. Dark Angel Of Texas is a decent book, very middle-of-the-road, pretty short. The writing is servicable, flows easily, but certainly won't get the adrenaline pumping like Shelby Foote or Robert A. Caro can, following the same pattern as most histories of this nature: early life, romance, the first taste of outlawism, and then death. It's been done before, many times before, and Metz seems content with doing the bare minimum, not putting any flourish or signature to it, making this something you'll bang out in a day or two and never pick up again.

5 comments about Crossed Over: A Murder, A Memoir.

1. All I read is true crime. This book is one of the best I have ever read. I will never forget this book. If you are a true crime fan you have got to read this book!!!



2. Unfortunately, the direction of this book was, in my opinion, completely and improperly focused. I am so extremely grateful that I read a much more meaningful and inspiring book by Linda Strom titled "Set Free" first! I highly recommend "Set Free" to everyone with any kind of even just plain ol' common sense. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that in this world, there will always be tragedy, and that there is a God who forgives, heals, and does in fact Set Free. He can and will continue to set free those who committ the crimes(regardless of how hideous), as well as those in their own prison of the unforgiveness of being a victims spouse, family member, or friend. I do understand the dreadful sting and what seems to be never-ending pain of death, having a brother who was murdered the day after his 21st birthday. The final(and only) true judge awaits us all once we pass through those doors and, in my opinion, Karla was more free "in there" than most "out here" will ever be.



3. The author seemed all too willing to forget what Ms. Tucker did. No matter how "rehabilitated" a murderer claims to be or how much they claim to to have "changed", that does not bring back their victim(s).

   (I feel sorry for Richard Thornton's loss, but what was his wife Deborah doing in another man's apartment in the middle of the night. I don't think I would mourn the loss of a spouse who cheated on me. I also cannot believe how the victims' siblings could buy her act and forgive her.)

   Question: would Pat Robertson have plead for the life of a murderer who'd "converted" to Judaism or Islam?




4. "Compassion" seems to be in short supply when it comes to Karla Faye Tucker --- starting with then-Gov. Bush's smirk on the occasion of her execution and continuing in these reader comments. This she-got-what-she-deserved feeling stems, I think, from the view that People Don't Change. What grim philosophy! Change --- the hope of it, the longing for it --- is, in fact, what drives most evangelical religions. Given that, you'd think Karla Faye Tucker would be the Poster Child for Christian conversion. She never denied the terrible crimes she committed, she prostrated herself before her Lord, and, if you believe her, Jesus bathed herin His love. That is the subject of the book Beverly Lowry has written --- a book powered by a head-splitting irony: The murderesss gives comfort to the professional writer (a mother whose son was killed in an unsolved highway accident). My advice: Just read the book. Decide for yourself.



5. I am shaking as I write this. I have never read something so biased and so upsetting in my life. I am more convinced than ever after reading this book that Karla Faye Tucker got exactly what she deserved. This book portrays her as some sort of wonderful, mislead, genuine person who made a mistake. I am stunned beyond belief at this portrayal of a murderer. It sounds to me after reading this book, that Karla Faye did not make any genuine changes, she just simply learned how to play the game, and in this case ultimately and fortunatley did not win.