Dead Connection

Book Description

Murray, a loner who communes with the dead in the town cemetery, hears the voice of a murdered cheerleader and tries to convince the adults that he knows what happened to her. But who believes him? He's a loser. Can he even believe in himself? Also comes Pearl, the daughter of the cemetery caretaker, who befriends Murray and tries to enter his world. Together they may prove the astonishing possibility that Nikki is closer than anyone thinks.

"Dead Connection is a smart, funny, very clever page turner; unique and fun to read. As much as I wanted the mystery solved, I didn't want it to end. You're going to like this book." --Chris Crutcher

Customer Reviews:

Oh Come On!!!.......2007-08-31

This book was a waste of money. I know that he's a new author, but come on. He could've done SOOO much more with this great storyline. There was no real conclusion and it was a difficult book to get through for me, somebody who reads nonstop. I expected so much more from this. Don't buy this. If you really want to read it, get it at the library or convince somebody else to get it and borrow it from them. Just don't waste your money on this. Instead, buy "What Happened to Cass McBride". It's better.

Cool To Live Here.......2007-07-22

I love my "connection" to this inugural book. Maybe it's because I live in "Riverton," or that my father is actually buried in the cemetary used for the book's backdrop. I don't know.

Anyway, I just finished this book this morning. I hopped on my bike and rode the four blocks to the cemetary (as I do from time to time, anyways). I walked through the place, taking a different impression of it than I have before. I felt fortunate that I was able to picture much of what was described in actual, tangible ways.

I left the cemetary, and rode the two blocks up to Winchell's Donuts, bought a coffee, and ate a chocloate round in commemoration of this great read . . .

Mr. Ghost Whisperer.......2007-07-11

Is Murray psychic? He talks to the dead and comforts them in their lonely graves. When he hears a new voice in the cemetery, he's sure it's Nikki, the cheerleader who has been missing for months. But who will believe him? He's a loser.

Then along comes Pearl, daughter of the cemetery caretaker, who befriends Murray and tries to enter his world.

I really loved the whole premise of a teen Mr. Ghost Whisperer, someone who communicates with the dead in cemeteries. Murray is a believable character, one I wanted to follow throughout the book.

This is a fast read with twists among the way. I especially liked how the author wove in the mystery of who killed Nikki.

What I felt took away from the story was the shift in different character's POV. I got confused and had to stop and go back a number of times.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-02-14

Murray is an outcast, who talks to the dead. He visits the cemetery every day to talk to his friends. He stays away from most living people until he meets Pearl, the graveyard caretaker's daughter. She finds him strange, but is also drawn to him.

One afternoon, Murray hears a new voice. While he can hear her and sense her presence, he can't see her or talk to her. Meanwhile, the town scrambles to find out what happened to Nikki, a missing cheerleader. Murray and Pearl come to the conclusion that the new girl in the cemetery could be Nikki.

Is it possible that they've uncovered the biggest mystery in town? And if so, how can they tell someone who will listen to them and not think they're crazy?

Broken up into short chapters, DEAD CONNECTION takes several character perspectives, letting the reader unravel the mystery. I recommend this one to reluctant readers and mystery fans.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

An incredible debut.......2006-09-05

Rereading was just as engaging and captivating as my first experience with Dead Connection. The characters are diverse, authentic and endearing. The seamless weaving of different demographics, points of view and voice would keep anyone reading through to the final conclusion of the climactic plot. It was a delight to spend my time with this book. Pass it along!

Average customer rating:

Wonderful writing, but not as much suspense as previous books
Fantastic Historical details
An enjoyable, lightweight historical mystery!
Elegant writing, wonderful history
So So

The Price of Murder
Bruce Alexander
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425198073
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Book Description

Sir John Fielding sends Jeremy into the notorious Seven Dials section of London to look into a woman's disappearance--when a friend of Jeremy's also mysteriously vanishes...

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful writing, but not as much suspense as previous books.......2007-09-05

I am a huge fan of Bruce Alexander's Sir John Fielding series. I have enjoyed watching young Jeremy grow up, and also watching the sharp mind of Sir John himself. The writing in this book is elegant as always, and the characters that I love are still there, but there isn't much suspense. Having said that, I think Alexander is trying to point out a sickness that has been in society for at least as long as this (the late 18th century to now). Child abandonment and child endangerement are age-old problems, and it was interesting to see how Alexander handles this from the vantage point of his era. We also get an insider's look at the world of horse racing from this era as well. As always Alexander stays true to the era he writes of. This is a very worthy series.

Fantastic Historical details.......2006-10-17

I've read the entire Sir John series and am a strong admirer. I think Alexander is highly talented in his abilities to bring to life the gritty, dirty,and often violent streets of old London. I find Sir John to be a terrific character - with the gift of "seeing" into the hearts of men better than most blessed with perfect vision.

An enjoyable, lightweight historical mystery!.......2005-06-25

The novel opens on a shocking, dark and deeply tragic note with a waterman's unsettling discovery of five year old Maggie Plummer's naked body floating in the Thames. That she has been brutally sexually molested outrages and appals the brilliant, blind magistrate, Sir John Fielding, who institutes an immediate, urgent investigation with the assistance of his protégé, Jeremy Proctor, and Jeremy's fiancée, Clarissa Roundtree. Jeremy and Clarissa, the intrepid and stalwart Constable Patley and Maggie's uncle, the celebrated jockey Deuteronomy Plummer (who is heart-broken at his niece's death), determine that Maggie's mother, a gin-soaked doxy from Seven Dials, sold her daughter and promptly disappeared to parts unknown. Subsequent investigation reveals that Maggie's mother, thinking she was giving up her daughter to a better life through adoption to a wealthy family, had been tricked into selling her into prostitution and slavery. The plot thickens as key witnesses are murdered and the evidence begins to point to London's upper class.

The Price of Murder is a delicious, eminently readable potpourri of styles - first person narration of the tale by Jeremy Proctor in the style of Conan Doyle's Watson; a finely crafted,immensely satisfying mystery plot reminiscent of Agatha Christie's efforts; and a darker, earthier, much more candid representation of Georgian England's working and criminal class that might have been penned by the likes of Anne Perry. I personally would have preferred a deeper exploration into the criminal class and a story that probed prostitution, slavery and trafficking in children as opposed to the less controversial exploration of the horse-racing class in England which the reader was given. That particular disappointment was perhaps a little more profound than it otherwise might have been had Alexander not whetted my appetite so strongly with such a cruel, hard opening to his story!

The sub-plot of the disappearance of Clarissa's erstwhile friend, Elizabeth Hooker, effectively wove in and out of the main narrative and was used to provide a very cute, clever ending which it would be quite unfair to disclose. You'll have to read the story yourself for that! The atmosphere and ambience that many other writers of historical fiction would have chosen to provide through the use of extensive descriptive passages or exposition of surrounding historical facts and details was, in a word, absent! Nevertheless, the reader is granted a pleasing feel for the period by Proctor's first person narrative that provided period appropriate conversations, motives, characteristics and actions, for example, appropriate to the stimuli that would have driven a resident of 18th century Georgian England.

Equal parts historical fiction, police procedural and mystery with just the tiniest dash of "Upstairs, Downstairs" tossed in for good measure, The Price of Murder is a thoroughly enjoyable, light, fast-paced read. You won't regret taking a copy to the cottage or the beach!

Elegant writing, wonderful history.......2005-04-09

Sadly, Bruce Alexander passed on shortly after the release of this book, but has left us one more book after this. What this book may have lacked in suspense and plot twists, it more than made up for interesting, fully-developed characters and providing a picture of the period and, being a huge fan of Dick Francis, the racing world turning that time. I've always thought of his books as somewhat elegant reads. I do highly recommend this series for those who love elegant writing and period history.

So So.......2004-12-29

This is my first Sir John Fielding book. Perhaps if I had developed a relationship with Sir John and the other characters I would have found more in this book.

The plot, as a mystery, is only fair. The resolution of the plot is slghtly less than fair. The historical setting is good, but the reader does learn enough new things about the period to make it exceptional. London in the 18th century certainly has a lot to offer. The most unique part of this book is its descriptions of the nascent racing industry in England which was interesting.

The narrator character is somewhere between a budding genius and a naive waif. Maybe that is an honest interpretation of one's self when one is younger. I found his tone/manner annoying - it sounded as if he was narrating a PBS special. What surprised me (not for good or for bad) was that Sir John Fielding - the lead of the series - was a secondary figure.

The book did move well, however, and the characters were likeable. The dialogue was good and often had a trace of humor.

Based upon some of the reviews that said this is the worst of the series, I may pick up another. Without that peroration, however, I doubt I would. This was not a bad book, just mediocre. I wanted to like it more due to the setting and the early likeability of the characters.

Murder Unpunished: How The Aryan Brotherhood Murdered Waymond Small And Got Away With It

Average customer rating:

code of silence
Does justice occur after incarceration?
Arizona or Universal Justice? What a great read!!!
Chaos in Arizona State Prison

Murder Unpunished: How The Aryan Brotherhood Murdered Waymond Small And Got Away With It
Thornton W., III Price
Manufacturer: University of Arizona Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0816524637

Book Description

In November of 1977, Terry Lee Farmer, a white inmate at Arizona State Prison in Florence, walked up to black prisoner Waymond Small in front of sixty witnesses and stabbed him in the heart with a shank. Small had agreed to testify before the state legislature about gang violence inside Arizona State Prison and was murdered the day before his scheduled appearance. This murder proved the catalyst for an all-out war between the State of Arizona and the Aryan Brotherhood. Through five trials, Farmer claimed self-defense and the jurors acquitted all ten of his co-conspirators.

Thornton Price, one of the defense attorneys, now tells how Farmer and Small became cannon fodder in this war to reclaim ArizonaÂ's prisons from rival gangs. These gangsÂ—the Aryan Brotherhood, the Mau Maus, and the Mexican MafiaÂ—were suspected of committing more than a dozen murders over the previous two years, motivating politicians to crack down after the violence could no longer be ignored or contained. To reconstruct the case, Price reviewed 16,000 pages of court records and conducted interviews with key participants to piece together an insiderÂ's account of the crime and the politics behind its investigation. Prison murders should be easy to solve, but investigators quickly learned that the convictsÂ' code of silence makes these cases often impossible to win in court.

Price focuses on the special problems posed by prison crime by getting inside the skins of men like murderer Terry

Customer Reviews:

code of silence.......2006-07-24

This book was very informitive about the code that convicts live under. Its a testament to learning to keeping your mouth shut when you do some dirt. Prison gangs are hardcore and the Aryan Brotherhood was formed in california with blood and sacrafice to protect white inmates, anybody who joins knows the commitment they are making as a soildier ( blood in blood out )

Does justice occur after incarceration?.......2006-03-19

Murder Unpunished: How the Aryan Brotherhood Murdered Waymond Small and Got Away With It is a telling example of the truth that entering prison is like entering another culture or country. The rules, customs, and behaviors are foreign to those in the free world. People outside of the walls will never be able to appreciate or accept. The problem, however, is that the prisons are within our country and need to abide by the laws of the United States of America. This book did an excellent job of asking the question, "does justice occur after incarceration?" The short answer is, no. The bigger question to ask is, "when will this country enact laws that can adequately deal with prison gangs and the control that they have in our criminal justice system?" This book is a telling example of all the state and federal correctional facilities will experience with any prison gangs that occupy them. It is a must read for all correctional employees and lawmakers.

Arizona or Universal Justice? What a great read!!!.......2005-10-03

`Murder Unpunished: How the Aryan Brotherhood Murdered Waymond Small and Got Away with It' by Thornton W. Price III, has brought to life the events that I only remembered through newscast snippets and the occasional news paper editorial.

`Murder Unpunished' allows the reader to contemplate the concepts of the law being rational, yet the interpretation of the law may seem irrational. The reader can also reflect on why a person can act despicable yet still receive grace. Mr. Price presents the reader with an opportunity to question the concepts of revenge and universal justice. These themes of duality, like old friends, are revisited here in the pages penned by Mr. Price from his autobiographical and historic perspectives that have matured over time. He is unapologetic.

I for one wish to apologize for the state of Arizona's justice.

Chaos in Arizona State Prison.......2005-07-12

Inmates bent on running the asylum in an out-of-control prison dominated by homicidal gangs. Official corruption. Fraudulent land scales. A car bombing. Jurisdictional struggles. Hypnosis. A hung-over judge. Prosecutorial misconduct. A senile attorney.
What might sound like the ingredients of an over-wrought novel are the facts of Durango author Thornton W. Price III's nonfiction true crime book, "Murder Unpunished," published by The University of Arizona Press on July 1.
The cast of characters includes a future U.S. Supreme Court justice (Sandra Day O'Connor), a future Democratic presidential candidate (Bruce Babbitt) and the man who pioneered the psychological autopsy (Dr. Otto Bendheim).
But most of the players in this extraordinary peek at Arizona State Prison run amok came straight from Satan's casting call, even down to the unfortunate Waymond Small, possibly one of the nation's least likable murder victims.
The time is the late 1970s. In less than two years, there have been 14 murders and dozens of assaults at Arizona State Prison. The Arizona Republic has cast a relentless eye on the mayhem. The political pressure to do something ratchets up. And finally the Aryan Brotherhood takes a bridge too far with the murder of Small on the eve of his testimony to the state legislature.
Price, the author, was a young attorney. One of the inmates charged in connection with Small's death-a group collectively known as the Florence Eleven-ends up being Price's first murder case.
Tempting though it must have been, Price wisely avoids much use of the first-person in this economically written account of five murder trials. When he does resort to it, it's justified by the insight it offers.
My own first nonfiction true crime book, "Someone Has to Die Tonight," is scheduled to be published as a Pinnacle mass market paperback in March. I know the challenge Price took on in combing through 16,000 pages of court records and conducting interviews with key players for his narrative.
I also know how his involvement in the case probably made the task harder. I became a confidential informant in the case of a self-styled teen militia that I was documenting. Separating oneself from the story and keeping the narrative focused becomes more difficult when there's a personal connection.
The Florence Eleven was the case for Price: The case that every cop, attorney or crime reporter knows about-the one you never forget. In spite of this, Price showed remarkable discipline in his writing, and it serves his readers well.
My literary attorney, Bob Pimm, counseled me to make my book a train ride that readers wouldn't want to get off. The train needs to take off in the first chapter, he said, and the reader needs to want to say on all the way to the end.
Price kept me on the train.
"Murder Unpunished" has moments of writing that jumps out for its eloquence or economy. He describes one murder in two pithy sentences: "Even with a loaded gun to his head, the idiot wouldn't shut up. He'd dared him to shoot, so he did."
And here's how one of the large cast is introduced: "With a thin, six-foot-seven-inch frame, Jerry Joe `Stretch' Hillyer looked like he'd survived the rack."
And here, another: "Born in Scottsdale one week before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tidwell's life began in as much ruin as the Pacific Fleet."
Price knows we need humor in a dark tale ridden with murder, rape and drug abuse, and he finds it (somehow it always seems to be there, even in the darkest crime, often because of the extraordinary stupidity of some criminals, whose choices in life seem determined to provide job security for police and prosecutors).
"Did you see anything?" a tired investigator asks in one of 650 inmate interviews after Small's murder.
"No."
"Would you tell us if you had seen anything?"
And then there's Price's account of the state's attempts to hypnotize a witness, a chapter that may alone justify the book's $17.95 cover price.
True crime is a tempting genre for the very reason that makes readers sometimes skeptical the writer could really know all he portrays. How could we know people's thoughts? How could we recapture dialog years after the fact?
It's possible because of the uniquely thorough nature of investigative and court records, around which entire books can be built. It's not an easy task sifting thousands of pages for the specks of gold that add up to a compelling narrative. There are a lot of mediocre true crime books out there. Price's is not one of them.
Here we find a writer unafraid to show a criminal's sheer enjoyment of violence. A writer who's resisted the temptation to include every fact or exchange he personally finds compelling, restraint that must sometimes have been painful.
He knows court procedure and introduces us to terms such as the "slow-form guilty plea"-the trial of someone obviously guilty from the get-go.
He shows us the Mau Maus, the Mexican Mafia, the Native Brotherhood and the Aryan Brotherhood out of control in Arizona's penal system and what was done to fix it. He gets the prison language of kites, fish and punks exactly right in a sometimes profane book that avoids overdosing on cussing and violence.
He explains very well why prison crimes are so singularly hard to investigate.
Down among the human dross, Price somehow emerges with none of the nastiness sticking to him or the reader. Better, he somehow makes us care.
He gives fascinating insight into how the Aryan Brotherhood worked, like a business. And he offers some motivation without making excuses for his unattractive cast.
The case comes as close to Durango as Chimney Rock, just off Highway 160.
Despite a misprint in the spelling of Price's name on the cover (one of those palm to the forehead blunders that has probably cost some hapless copyeditor restful sleep) "Murder Unpunished" is otherwise flawlessly edited.
This is entertaining, educational and compelling. I hope Price will find another case somewhere in his career worth writing about.

Murder at the Kennedy Center (Price-Less Audio Series)

Average customer rating:

It's fun to compare with current politicians as well!
I actually kinda liked this one.
Combines murder and political intrique
Thoroughly enjoyable
This was another of Truman's great books!!

Murder at the Kennedy Center (Price-Less Audio Series)
Margaret Truman
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0679434100
Release Date: 1994-06-28

Book Description

"An exciting romp."
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
During a gala benefit for a Democratic Party hopeful, a young woman dies, the victim of quick and brutal violence. The murder weapon belongs to the candidate, Kenneth Ewald, and his son is the chief suspect. Out of the classroom comes professor Mac Smith to tackle a case that is bad for the senator, but may prove disastrous for the nation....

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

It's fun to compare with current politicians as well!.......2002-08-10

...

Margaret Truman has woven together her knowledge of Washington
politics and a great mystery in "Murder at the Kennedy Center."
And she sure knows how to interweave a complicated plot. As soon
as Mac agrees to take a ace, he runs into countless problems:
Senator Ewald, it seems, has not be as...
his political supporters might believe; ...Soon a South American dictator and a
conservative evangelist muddy the waters even more.

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery, he learns more about his
friend than perhaps he had wanted to know. In a short period of
time, he has a long list of suspects!

Truman has done an excellent job of creating vivid characters and
developing a plot that will keep you alert. She has also managed
to mirror a number of contemporary politicians and headlines in
this novel; I think you'll have fun deciding who is being
modeled.

I actually kinda liked this one........2000-08-26

Yeah, I still have the same old gripes about Truman's overall writing style (or lack thereof), but they've lessened in intensity now that she's found in Mac Smith a decent sleuth. Too bad I know it won't last. (See my review for Murder in the Pentagon.)

Combines murder and political intrique.......2000-07-16

The description of a Democratic party gala is described with the intimacy of one who has actually attended such an affair. It is for this reason that the reader trusts the author in the other relevant portions of the plotting and structure of this well-told tale of mayhem in our nation's capital. This is a fine addition to the author's stunning series of mystery novels using the backdrop of the great institutions of Washington, D. C.

Thoroughly enjoyable.......1999-09-27

I've just discovered Margaret Truman and am enjoying every minute of her writing. Not only does she write a good mystery but she entices me with her detailed descriptions of life in Washington D.C. Mac and Annabelle are becoming "good friends". I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.

This was another of Truman's great books!!.......1999-06-22

This was another of Truman's great books!! The action of was continues though out the whole book and it was a wonderful book!

Average customer rating:

Last Meals Re-Hash
Something to think about

Meals to Die for
Brian D. Price
Manufacturer: Dyna-Paige Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0974916595

Book Description

Texas death row chef shares last meals of condemned prisoners and dramatic insider details about Death Row. The author, a former inmate assigned to the infamous Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas, prepared almost 200 last meals for the condemned. During his 10-year tenure as death row chef, he observed and discusses the shadowy details of these dramatic events, as well as the crimes that set these executions into motion: includes * the infamous case of Karla Faye Tucker, denied a stay by then-Governor George W. Bush * 44 darkly-titled recipes: Body Bag Baked Beans, Rice Rigormortis, etc. * Copies of hand written last meal requests * A detailed look at 1997, the record-breaking year of executions in Texas This fascinating factual record is also a timely, urgent look at the hidden details of capital punishment.

Customer Reviews:

Last Meals Re-Hash.......2007-01-04

Almost everything in the book is already available on the internet. In fact, by googling "last meal" I found what appeared to be identical material at one site. When I ordered the book, I thought this might have some input into how last meals are provided, or the efforts made to give inmates their last requests. However, all we have here is a brief reprint of the crime leading up to execution and the final meal menu. Most of the condemned ask for a hamburger (or "hamburger all the way. Eggs over easy, tacos and T-bone steaks are the other popular choices, although the requested T-bone steak is invariably substituted with a hamburger steak! "Meals to Die For" is repetitive and sordid after the first few pages. The recipes in the back are basic staples with silly "jailhouse" names. After a while, the author even grows bored with the concept and gives all the recipes the same nickname. There's certainly a ghoulish fascination with "last meals," but one "hamburger all the way" menu reads a lot like the next. A little more meat would have made this book a lot more interesting.

Something to think about.......2005-01-06

The basic format is to list what the person was convicted of, the last meal request, what was actually served (not always the same thing), and finally the inmate's last words.

The first part of this book contains some commentary by the author on the more interesting or at least higher profile cases. He then sticks to the basic format, although that by itself it is very interesting.

I did not see this book as exploitive or demeaning to victims in any way. It is written from the perspective of someone who has the unique first-hand experience. The author didn't just research this book, he lived it.

A Call for Justice: A New England Town's Fight To Keep A Stone Cold Killer In Jail

Average customer rating:

The Power Of The Public
Interesting true crime, but misses its mark...

A Call for Justice: A New England Town's Fight To Keep A Stone Cold Killer In Jail
Denise Lang
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380780771

Book Description

When the law won't work, you have to work the law...

The murderer stalking the quiet town of Warwick, Rhode Island in the late summer of 1989 was an unrepentant psychopath--"a living, breathing killing machine," in the words of a Boston Globe columnist. He butchered a family in their home--not far from the site where he had killed another woman two years earlier--just for the thrill, it seemed, of watching them die. When Craig Price was apprehended by police two weeks later, he grinned cheerfully and confessed to the crimes. He was tried and convicted, but sentenced to a mere five years imprisonment--the maximum penalty allowed by law. At the age of twenty-one he would be sent back to the streets and no one doubted he would kill again...unless drastic measures were taken.

A Call for Justice is the gripping true story of how a cop willing to put his career on the line, members of the victims' families, and other enraged citizens banded together and dedicated years of their lives to keeping a remorseless young killer behind bars. They would gain national media attention, enlist the aid of Rhode Island's attorney general, and even capture the ear of the President of the United States. Theirs is a cautionary tale of a flawed legal system ill-equipped to dispense true justice--and of a community's determination to see justice done, even if it meant twisting the law until it worked.When the law won't work, you have to work the law...

The murderer stalking the quiet town of Warwick, Rhode Island in the late summer of 1989 was an unrepentant psychopath---"a living, breathing killing machine," in the words of a Boston Globe columnist. He butchered a family in their home---not far from the site where he had killed another woman two years earlier---just for the thrill, it seemed, of watching them die. When Craig Price was apprehended by police two weeks later, he grinned cheerfully and confessed to the crimes. He was tried and convicted, but sentenced to a mere five years imprisonment---the maximum penalty allowed by law. At the age of twenty-one he would be sent back to the streets and no one doubted he would kill again...unless drastic measures were taken.

Customer Reviews:

The Power Of The Public.......2001-08-15

As a fairly avid reader of true crime, I am used to the formula of "crime discovered - background of players - investigation/confession - court case - aftermath" so this was a different formula. The horrific, senseless slaughter of two women and a family by a kid barely in his teens is just the beginning as cop Ken Collins and his community mount a campaign to change the circumstances of how juvenile offenders are treated in Rhode Island. Released at age eighteen! Interesting is the side story of Collins' deterioration in his private life as he becomes consumed by his obsession to try and make it right for the memories of the victims. I also would have liked to have had a better sense of the victims themselves instead of the extensive description of the slayer and his life. The book is methodical and factual, not a "keep you up biting your nails and checking the locks" kind of read and occasionally becomes rather plodding at times. yet the story deserves to be told and I did finish it. I gave the book three stars, yet I give the town and the participants who worked toward keeping a killer behind bars a solid five.

Interesting true crime, but misses its mark..........2001-01-20

I was very surprised to see this book in a local book store. To my knowledge it is the first, and only, book written about the tragic murders committed by Craig Price in Warwick, RI when he was in his early teens. Mr. Price brutally murdered two young women and two young girls for no apparent reason(s). This book describes the brutality or "overkill" inflicted by Mr. Price, but focuses primarily on the efforts of the Rhode Island legal system to keep him in prison past his 18th birthday, as he was a juvenile when he perpetrated these totally hideous murders. I found the book a bit slow moving even though I am very familiar with the Price case. It is not the type of book that grabs one and keeps one reading into the wee hours. At times it tends to drag, in fact. Was the system manipulated in order to keep Mr. Price imprisoned? Without question, in my mind. Was this justified? Again, without any doubts. Mr. Price is a textbook anti-social personality disorder. To my knowledge as a mental health professional with 20+ years experience in the field, there is no treatment or "rehabilitation" for people like Mr. Price. At least no empirical evidence to support such a claim. Mr. Price could be the "poster child" for supporting the death penalty -- certainly he should never, ever be paroled as it is a given that he will once again engage in violent behavior. He deserves life without any possibility whatsoever of parole. Ms. Lang does an admiral job of outlining the positions of both sides, but her writing style can become "boring". Nevertheless she is to be commended for writing about this serial murder case and how it has influenced other states to enact legislation regarding juveniles who committ such horrific crimes. Mr. Price is scheduled to come up for parole in 2005, I believe, although his sentence, based on subsequent convictions for other offenses "should" keep him behind bars until 2018, when he will be approximately 44 years old. A frightening and sobering thought, one that all Rhode Islanders must never, ever forget about.

Murder in Mississippi: United States v. Price and the Struggle for

Average customer rating:

A Quick Read, But Worth Your Time

Murder in Mississippi: United States v. Price and the Struggle for
Howard Ball
Manufacturer: University Press of Kansas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0700613161

Book Description

Few episodes in the modern civil rights movement were more galvanizing or more memorialized than the brutal murders of Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney--idealists eager to protect and promote the rights of black Americans, even in the deep and very dangerous South. In films like Mississippi Burning and popular folk songs, these young men have been venerated as martyrs. Even so, the landmark legal dimensions of their murder case have until now remained largely lost.

Howard Ball reminds us just how problematic the prosecution of the murderers--all members of the KKK--actually was. When the State of Mississippi failed to indict them, the U.S. tried to prosecute the case in federal district court. The judge there, however, ruled that the federal government had no jurisdiction and so dismissed the case. When the U.S. appealed, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the lower court decision, claiming that federal authorities did indeed have the power to police civil rights violations in any state. United States v. Price (1967) thus produced a landmark decision that signaled a seismic shift in American legal history and race relations, for it meant that local authorities could no longer shield racist lawbreakers.

Ball weaves the tales of victims and perpetrators into a single compelling story in which the legal process becomes as much personal as political. Readers will learn how deputy sheriff Cecil Price and his accomplices planned the execution of the young freedom riders and how prosecutors and judges brought them to justice under conspiracy charges. Along the way, Ball introduces readers to a host of characters from the heyday of the civil rights era--with the NAACP, CORE, and SNCC on one side, and the KKK and its fellow travelers on the other, and politicians sitting squarely on the fence.

Although to this day the murderers have never faced murder charges, United States v. Price emphatically declared that the federal government would no longer tolerate the complicity of local and state authorities in the suppression of the constitutional rights of southern blacks. As we approach the fortieth anniversary of the murders in June 2004, Murder in Mississippi provides a timely and telling reminder of the vigilance democracy requires if its ideals are to be fully realized.

This book is part of the Landmark Law Cases and American Society series.

Customer Reviews:

A Quick Read, But Worth Your Time.......2007-02-04

Author Howard Ball provides us with a detailed analysis of the June 1964 murders of three civil rights workers (James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner) in Philadelphia, Mississippi. The author effectively sets the scene for what the volunteer workers can expect as they prepare to travel to Mississippi to register blacks to vote. Most Mississippians view them as interlopers who have no business upsetting their way of life. Michael Schwerner was the one the KKK targeted for elimination. The other two individuals just happened to be with him when the crime was committed. The racist judge meted out only perfunctory penalities considering the seriousness of the crime. The story is left undone because a mistrial was declared for the one who planned the crime, Edgar Ray "Preacher" Killen, because the one lone holdout was a woman who declared she "could never convict a preacher." In that case she should never have been on the jury in the first place. She has since said she "was sorry to let him go." This is a first rate book, and the author's follow up entitled "Justice in Mississippi" is about the June of 2005 murder conviction of Edgar Ray Killen.

Average customer rating:

Mediocre read
Better than Ludlum, but Truman is no LeCarre...
the queen stays unbeaten when it comes to murder.
The queen of mystery in DC is back
Couldn't Put it Down!

Murder in the CIA (Price-Less Audio)
Margaret Truman
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0679455973
Release Date: 1996-08-13

Book Description

arrie Mayer and Collette Cahill are fast friends who move in fast circles. When Barrie turns up dead in London, Collette has reason to suspect murder. Chasing down Barrie's killers in a hunt that twists and turns around the globe, Collette uncovers a plot that may well lead to her own death. 2 cassettes.

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre read.......2002-08-09

This is the first book I've read by Margaret Truman and I had high hopes. The book did not live up to those hopes. I found the book easy to put down and forget, the plot and characters didn't hold my interest and....kiss of death....the ending didn't make my heart race or send even a single chill down my spine. When I read a good book, I tend to get lost in that book - I forget that I'm READING a book. I never got that feeling with this book. I was always just reading.

Maybe I've come to expect too much since devouring Michael Connelly, Nelson DeMille and David Baldacci.

The best I can say is that it wasn't a totally boring read, just mediocre.

Better than Ludlum, but Truman is no LeCarre..........2001-12-27

This book is just the thing for a long plane flight, or a series of quiet evenings at home. Its strongest point is excellent plotting. The character development and scene-setting seemed a bit thin to me. Unlike the Smiley series by LeCarre, the writing seems much more commercial -- and it is hard to really feel (and intensely care about) the characters. (There are the usual romantic/sexual/love interests stirred in, but they seem superficial, reflecting Collette Cahill's shallow personality.) On the other hand, Truman's characters outshine Ludlum's stickmen; hers seem like real people (though just acquaintances, not friends). On excellent attribute of 'Murder in the CIA' is that one doesn't know who the 'bad guys' and the 'goods guys' are until just before the end of the tale. I would strongly suggest that readers who don't want to lose track of everyone really should keep a pad to jot down the names of each of the characters. This 303-page potboiler brings in quite a large cast, and many of them are important to the plot. This book was written during the Cold War, and younger readers may have some trouble connecting with the anti-Communist motivations behind a lot of the action. Also some of the devices (post-hypnotic recollections, for example) seem both contrived and dated. Things have changed a lot since 1987. --- In short, 'Murder in the CIA' is not great literature, but it is a fun read.

the queen stays unbeaten when it comes to murder........2001-11-20

Who did it? ask the president's daughter. She can simply say who is the murder. Great suspense. Wonderful characters to get along with. You will not want to stop reading any of her books. I wanna read 2 more of her books. The queen stays unbeaten.

The queen of mystery in DC is back.......2001-06-06

She did a great job in this book I simply could not put it down! Great suspense and a dry sense of humor go a long way in these great mysreries. who did assk the President's Daughtewr she knows. Great all the way!

Couldn't Put it Down!.......2000-08-13

This was my first read in the Capitol Crimes Series, and it won't be my last. While being an easy read, it wasn't too easy that I became bored and lost interest. The main character was someone I could relate to, and have sympathy for . It was very surprising who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. This is a good escape book, better than TV in my opinion.

Average customer rating:

The Price of Murder
John D. MacDonald
Manufacturer: Fawcett Gold Medal
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000O3OZDG

The Price of Experience: Power, Money, Image, and Murder in Los Angeles

Average customer rating:

Complete Story Of An Exciting & Disturbing True Crime Event
An Astounding Accomplishment
Simply put, the best work of non-ficition I have EVER read!!
A Classic
An absolutely fascinating account

The Price of Experience: Power, Money, Image, and Murder in Los Angeles
Randall Sullivan
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0871135124

Customer Reviews:

Complete Story Of An Exciting & Disturbing True Crime Event.......2003-04-26

Before reading The Price of Experience, I had seen television documentaries/docu-dramas and read a primer on the topic. But if you don't know anything at all about the BBC and Joe Hunt, or you want to know a lot more, this book is all you'll ever need to read...ever!!! Sullivan goes into such great detail on every individual involved, including murdered scammers Ron Levin and Headiah Eslamenia, that the reader feels like he now knows each of them personally and could talk about them at great length with anyone. Buy this book because if you don't, you'll merely waste gas driving to the library to borrow it again and again. A modern true crime masterpiece! Both an engrossing narritive and an exhaustive reference book on the Billionaire Boys Club case all at the same time. An off the charts winner. You won't be sorry.

An Astounding Accomplishment.......2002-05-29

How this book has failed to be recognized as a masterpiece is beyond me. The Price of Experience is an astounding accomplishment. The only other true crime books that can even bear comparison to it are In Cold Blood and the first half of The Executioner's Song. In fact, it denigrates The Price of Experience to classify it as simply a true crime book. Sullivan's rendition of Los Angeles in the 1980s provides the most vivid and memorable images of both the time and the place that I have ever found on the printed page. And his portrait of Joe Hunt is the the most compelling and insightful depiction of evil as a series of decisions--a process--that I can recall in contemporary literature. The characters ALL are exquisitely drawn and Ron Levin ranks among the most amusing miscreants ever captured in print. The Price of Experience deserves to remain in print for years to come and to appear on college syllabuses across the country.

Simply put, the best work of non-ficition I have EVER read!!.......2001-09-16

An absolute masterpiece. Unbelievably researched and beautifully written. It's a shame this book never caught the public eye, obviously because the BBC was such a dated subject at the time of publication. There is not a single tome in my entire collection that has brought me as much pleasure and insight. Far more than a mere true crime book, this epic is a stunning cultural history of Los Angeles. In fact, stating that "The Price of Experience" is merely a true crime book is like saying THE GODFATHER is merely a gangster film. Almost everyone I know that has read it agrees it is the finest non-fiction book ever written.

A Classic.......2000-07-13

This is one of the great overlooked books of the 90's. It was overlooked, I believe, because of its length and the timing of its release: over a decade after its subjects, Joe Hunt and the Billionaire Boys Club, were in the media spotlight. What a shame because it a flat out masterpiece. As far as true crime books go this is a landmark and the top of the heap. Not only is it incredibly researched and hard to put down, but it is an amazing cultural history of Los Angeles and its reflection of America during the Reagan era. Out of the hundreds of books I have read concerning Los Angeles and American society and culture in general, none depicts so well out obsession with power, money, and image as Sullivan's book does. A hundred years from now I hope it will be read in American Studies, History, and English classes in universities along with such thematically similar books as The Great Gatsby, Sister Carrie, Davis' City of Quartz, Ellroy's LA Quartet and such films as The Godfather, Goodfellas, Chinatown, Mean Streets, LA Confidential, and American Beauty. Let's hope it stays in print. Read this classic.

An absolutely fascinating account.......2000-05-05

This was one of the most engrossing books I've ever read. The story of a brilliant, highly principalled, amoral, ambitous, and effective person.

The story of how he acted as his own lawyer and got himself off of murder was utterly fascinating.

The story of someone who you could imagine could do anything he set his mind to. Absolutely anything.

He is really a fascinating character, and if you think about success or ambition, I am sure you will find this a facinating tale.

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