WHAT GRABS YOU THE MOST ABOUT TRUE CRIME BOOKS? - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T11:43:48Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/what-grabs-you-the-most-about?feed=yes&xn_auth=noI just thought about another…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-15:537324:Comment:2717362011-02-15T17:12:31.802ZMorgan St. Jameshttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/MorganStJames119
I just thought about another one that I couldn't put down. It is a different type of true story, told from the perspective of a child as he grows up on the run with his father, one of America's Most Wanted. I highly recommend this book and reviewed it on my website, <a href="http://www.morganstjames-author.com" target="_blank">www.morganstjames-author.com</a>. The name is "The Butterfly Garden--On the run with one of America's Most Wanted" by Chip St. Clair. Mr. St. Clair takes a horrible…
I just thought about another one that I couldn't put down. It is a different type of true story, told from the perspective of a child as he grows up on the run with his father, one of America's Most Wanted. I highly recommend this book and reviewed it on my website, <a href="http://www.morganstjames-author.com" target="_blank">www.morganstjames-author.com</a>. The name is "The Butterfly Garden--On the run with one of America's Most Wanted" by Chip St. Clair. Mr. St. Clair takes a horrible experience and presents it with such eloquence you simply don't want to put the book down! I've read far more fictional…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-14:537324:Comment:2712852011-02-14T14:06:44.294ZCaroline Trippehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/CarolineTrippe
I've read far more fictional crime stories than I have true ones, but the true stories always grip me because I want to know the WHY of it. Often the killers ARE "charming" people---seemingly, anyway. (One of the characteristics of sociopaths, apparently---their ability to charm AND maniupulate others). Ann Rule's book , "Stranger Beside Me," about Ted Bundy, is an unforgettable portrait of a serial killer by a policewoman who knew him, for a time, as a friend. "Deadly Dose," the story…
I've read far more fictional crime stories than I have true ones, but the true stories always grip me because I want to know the WHY of it. Often the killers ARE "charming" people---seemingly, anyway. (One of the characteristics of sociopaths, apparently---their ability to charm AND maniupulate others). Ann Rule's book , "Stranger Beside Me," about Ted Bundy, is an unforgettable portrait of a serial killer by a policewoman who knew him, for a time, as a friend. "Deadly Dose," the story of Anne Miller Kuntz, is also intense---WHY does this pretty, seemingly sweet and ordinary wife and mother and aids researched decide to poison her young husband, also a promising aids researcher? What are these people hiding from the rest of the world? I want to know about the "side" of serial killers that they can successfully conceal from so many---and why/how they came to be that way. Often a question that in the end, is not really answerable. I can only imagine how chilli…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-13:537324:Comment:2706982011-02-13T04:13:28.680ZJaden Terrellhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BethTerrell
<p>I can only imagine how chilling that must have been, Morgan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As far as True Crime goes, two of the best I've read are written more like novels: IN COLD BLOOD and THE ONION FIELD. Both have beautiful writing and depth of emotion. I just finished LEOPOLD & LOEB: THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY. It was interesting, but it was more a recitation of facts than an indepth study. I was left feeling like the killers had been glorified and the victim given short shrift. I guess that's…</p>
<p>I can only imagine how chilling that must have been, Morgan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As far as True Crime goes, two of the best I've read are written more like novels: IN COLD BLOOD and THE ONION FIELD. Both have beautiful writing and depth of emotion. I just finished LEOPOLD & LOEB: THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY. It was interesting, but it was more a recitation of facts than an indepth study. I was left feeling like the killers had been glorified and the victim given short shrift. I guess that's what happened in the actual case as well. I found the historical background interesting, including the fact that Clarence Darrow was the defense attorney. Robin, I'd be interested in reading THE SUSPICIONS OF MISTER WHICHER. I'll have to look it up.</p> I've just read The Suspicions…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-11:537324:Comment:2703072011-02-11T23:05:07.749ZRobin Jarossihttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/RobinJarossi
<p>I've just read The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale (it's just been filmed for UK television).</p>
<p>It's an absolutely amazing true story of a crime committed in a country house in Wiltshire in 1860. It was the first locked-house mystery and it gripped Victorian England for five years. It featured one of the first London detectives, Jack Whicher, who was called in to try to solve the murder of a young boy. The case also inspired one of the first detective novels,…</p>
<p>I've just read The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale (it's just been filmed for UK television).</p>
<p>It's an absolutely amazing true story of a crime committed in a country house in Wiltshire in 1860. It was the first locked-house mystery and it gripped Victorian England for five years. It featured one of the first London detectives, Jack Whicher, who was called in to try to solve the murder of a young boy. The case also inspired one of the first detective novels, Moonstone.</p>
<p>A truly extraordinary case.</p>
<p>Best, Robin</p>
<p><a href="http://www.crimetimepreview.com/" target="_blank">CrimeTimePreview</a></p> Mark, I can certainly appreci…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-09:537324:Comment:2693872011-02-09T20:57:33.174ZMorgan St. Jameshttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/MorganStJames119
<p>Mark, I can certainly appreciate your comments. The same thing happened to me when I was an interior designer. I read so many similar articles, I finally stopped reading most.</p>
<p>That said, if you haven't read "Till Death Us Do Part" aside from the fact that it totally freaked me out when I realied the murderer had been my boyfriend, Vincent Bugliosi does exactly what you are looking for. He also tells the story from his perspective as the prosecutor preparing for the trial and the…</p>
<p>Mark, I can certainly appreciate your comments. The same thing happened to me when I was an interior designer. I read so many similar articles, I finally stopped reading most.</p>
<p>That said, if you haven't read "Till Death Us Do Part" aside from the fact that it totally freaked me out when I realied the murderer had been my boyfriend, Vincent Bugliosi does exactly what you are looking for. He also tells the story from his perspective as the prosecutor preparing for the trial and the challenges he faced. I found that part fascinating.</p>
<p> </p> I used to read a lot of true…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-09:537324:Comment:2693282011-02-09T19:19:43.173ZMark Pryorhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/MarkPryor
<p>I used to read a lot of true crime, but haven't for ages. Partly because, as a prosecutor, I get my fix every day. But also because I feel like a lot have a fairly standard format: set the scene, describe poor innocent victim, grisly murder, trial, conviction. A lot of the time, I guess I feel like the stories are relatively interchangeable. I'd like to see a crime unfold from a different perspective, maybe that of a defense lawyer, a prosecutor, or a detective. </p>
<p>Maybe my take is…</p>
<p>I used to read a lot of true crime, but haven't for ages. Partly because, as a prosecutor, I get my fix every day. But also because I feel like a lot have a fairly standard format: set the scene, describe poor innocent victim, grisly murder, trial, conviction. A lot of the time, I guess I feel like the stories are relatively interchangeable. I'd like to see a crime unfold from a different perspective, maybe that of a defense lawyer, a prosecutor, or a detective. </p>
<p>Maybe my take is all wrong and I need to get back to reading them. I'll be interested to see what others say.</p>