True crime content by its very nature addresses the pain and suffering of individuals. The best true crime, for me, is when the focus is on the psychoTrue crime content by its very nature addresses the pain and suffering of individuals. The best true crime, for me, is when the focus is on the psychology of the perp, and the investigation to get these monsters off the street, piecing together parts of the puzzle.
In this case, a victim escaped while the monster slept, police arrived and arrested him. Then details came out. The investigation was identifying the scope of his victims, identifying the women, and discovering just how depraved he was.
I read true crime, not as a voyeuristic endeavor, but as an effort to understand the psychology of why monsters do what they do, and to read about the intricacies of the investigation to bring them to justice.
The detective seems like a wonderful person and a highly competent investigator, and I greatly admire her expertise in bringing this serial murderer to justice for his atrocities. But I would have preferred less memoir/less of the author’s voice, which bogged the story down.
* I received a digital copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own...more
DNF....nothing here that couldn't be found in an article or podcast about the case. The rest is simply filler. I want facts in my non-fiction reading,DNF....nothing here that couldn't be found in an article or podcast about the case. The rest is simply filler. I want facts in my non-fiction reading, not conjecture....more
I love everything about how the mind works, so I find the subject of true crime/criminal profiling endlessly fascinating. What it is not, is a voyeuriI love everything about how the mind works, so I find the subject of true crime/criminal profiling endlessly fascinating. What it is not, is a voyeuristic pleasure in the suffering of others. Instead, I want to know what drives someone to perpetrate such evil against a fellow human being. I want to know the why. And I appreciate the puzzle of the investigation, and the satisfaction of catching the criminal and seeing justice is served.
In June of 1973, seven-year-old Susie was taken from the tent she shared with her older sister while on a family camping trip in Montana. No one heard or saw a thing. Susie seemingly vanishing into thin air, “plucked by a shadow”. A few months later, 19-year-old Sandy disappeared. Strange things were happening in the quiet town of Manhattan, Montana, and it soon became clear there was a serial killer on the loose (although this was long before that term was used).
What followed was the largest manhunt in Montana’s history, led by the FBI. As the months wore on, Agent Pete Dunbar attended a workshop at FBI Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, led by two agents who presented a radical new idea: what if criminals left behind signs of their psychological traits that would lead investigators to them?
What follows is a fascinating tale of the often-painstaking process of how investigators create a criminal profile. We meet little Susie’s parents and hear how they were taunted and cruelly manipulated by the perp. A profile is not enough; it must be combined with old-fashioned boots-on-the-ground detective work. After 15 long months, the perpetrator was caught, and he fit the profile to a T.
I’m being deliberately vague despite this case being an older one. I had not heard of it until I read this book and I appreciated following the case alongside the investigators, not knowing what had happened to Susie or Sandy until the case was solved. I recommend not looking up the case until you finish the book. But even if you are familiar with it, there’s still much to be learned.
I highly recommend this blend of history and true crime. It’s not always easy reading, but it lends insight into the criminal mind, and gave me a new appreciation for the history of profiling, and the detectives who make it their life’s work to catch these monsters....more
True crime is having a moment, but I’ve been a true crime fan since my teenage years. My interest is not in rubbernecking or a voyeuristic desire to pTrue crime is having a moment, but I’ve been a true crime fan since my teenage years. My interest is not in rubbernecking or a voyeuristic desire to peek into other people’s misery. I don’t think it is for anyone who works in the field, or for those who read about it. It’s driven by empathy for the victims, a desire for justice, and how that justice came about. It’s delving into the psychology of a person who is far removed from what we think of as being human, and the investigative techniques used in solving the mystery. This book delivers all that and more.
Many people live with the pain and horror of not only losing a loved one to murder, but of knowing the killer is still out there. Cases grow cold, and law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed. Luckily, there are people like Paul Holes who never give up.
Many of us know Paul Holes as the investigator who was instrumental in catching the elusive Golden State Killer (GSK), AKA ‘Night Stalker’ and ‘East Area Rapist (EAR)’, the monster who raped, terrorized, and murdered throughout the state of California between 1974 and 1986. Paul also worked with Michelle McNamara, who wrote the book, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (also excellent). It took more than 20 years, but just days from his retirement, the monster was caught using DNA technology. It was fascinating to read how it all came together. Despite having read McNamara's book and watching the documentary I learned new things.
Paul’s career and successes reach far beyond the most well-known cases, bringing some measure of peace and resolution to many families. He obtained a college degree in biochemistry and began his career in a crime lab, but ultimately his career path led him to work on the investigative side of things. He blew the dust off of old case files and worked to solve them, often in his free time. The EAR (GSK) in particular became an obsession. His talent, keen insight, and background in science was invaluable.
This well-written book is part true-crime, and part memoir. Paul details some of the cases he has worked on. No one LIKES to read grisly details of crimes, knowing they were real people who lived and whose lives were cut short, but I did like hearing how he and the other investigators work a case, the methods they use, as well as the science behind it, both behavioral and hard science. Paul details how DNA is a game changer and, from his explanations, it is clearly not as simple as it sounds, or as clear cut as it is depicted on TV. Paul makes a complicated subject easy to understand.
Paul doesn’t shy away from the toll his career has taken on his mental health and his relationships. To cope, he exercises, spends time outdoors, and enjoys an occasional bourbon. Still, he suffers from nightmares and the occasional panic attack. He lifts the veil and tells it like it is. The job is not as romanticized as we see on TV. It is not easy to immerse oneself daily into depravity, but we, as a society, owe him and others in the field a debt of gratitude for their dogged determination to let no case go unsolved, and no murderer go unpunished.
The most touching moment in the book was when a woman who was a victim of the GSK called Paul to ask if the news of his arrest was true. She cried tears of relief after spending 40 years living in terror that he would come back for her. It must be moments like these that make it all worthwhile.
Paul retired in 2018, but as he is still a relatively young man, he continues to use his investigative skills throughout the country, and he co-hosts the excellent podcast, The Murder Squad, with Billy Jensen, an investigative reporter. His goal continues to be solving cold cases, not exploiting victims. One of the things I admire the most about Paul Holes, is the utmost respect and empathy he has for victims and their loved ones.
* Published 4/26/2022 by Celedon books * this was buddy read with Marialyce and Dorie. Do check out their reviews! * I received a digital copy for review vis NetGalley. All opinions are my own....more
In 1985, 17-year-old Shari Smith was abducted in broad daylight at the end of her driveway while picking up the mail. The abductor made repea3.5 stars
In 1985, 17-year-old Shari Smith was abducted in broad daylight at the end of her driveway while picking up the mail. The abductor made repeated taunting phone calls to the family, and a day later they received a haunting letter in the mail that contained Shari’s “last will and testament”. Knowing she was going to be murdered, Shari affirmed her love for them and appealed to her family to bravely carry on. Her body was found a few days later.
A short time later, nine-year-old Debra Helmick was abducted and killed. The killer called the Smiths and told them where to find her body. That’s when authorities knew both of these deaths were at the hands of a serial murderer. The author, John Douglas, an FBI agent in the Behavioral Science Unit who pioneered criminal profiling techniques, and is most well-known to us as the author behind the book and TV show, Mindhunter, was called in to assist with the investigation.
My heart went out to the Smith family, who, after a devastating loss, showed incredible courage and bravery. They endured the taunting cruel phone calls, going above and beyond to assist the investigators, in an attempt to bait the killer into unwittingly revealing himself.
The first half of the book deals with the investigation and arrest of the perpetrator, and the second half detailed the trials for both his victims. His behavior in the courtroom was bizarre and he often blurted out inappropriate statements, refusing to answer questions, or offering rambling non-answers. His testimony lasted six hours due to his courtroom theatrics. Was he criminally insane or was this an attempt to be declared incompetent, thereby avoiding a sentence of death?
I’m purposefully being vague, as this case was unfamiliar to me and I appreciated seeing the case play out as I read. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in true crime and investigative work. This was a buddy read with Marialyce, one that left us both slightly disappointed. My interest lies mostly with the psychology behind criminals/murderers. I want to know the WHY. I do wish we had been given more information about the perpetrator and why he was the way he was, and a bit less mundane details about the author himself....more
There’s no question that Tommy Gilbert, Jr. pulled the trigger that ended his father’s life. What is less clear is if he was mentally competent to be There’s no question that Tommy Gilbert, Jr. pulled the trigger that ended his father’s life. What is less clear is if he was mentally competent to be held criminally responsible.
Tommy, with his movie-star good looks, lived a privileged life, a “Golden Boy” from a wealthy prominent family. He was afforded every possible opportunity for success, but, inside his head, something went terribly awry. Crippling anxiety and paranoia took hold, along with irrational fears of his father and some of his classmates. He suffered from social anxiety and "contamination" fears. He believed friends were trying to steal his soul, and developed a set of rituals to protect himself. He had increasing difficulty in maintaining relationships and was known to be irrational and emotionally volatile.
Mental illness ran in the family, and Tommy’s parents were very concerned about his mental deterioration. They scheduled evaluations and treatments by multiple psychiatrists, none of whom agreed on a firm diagnosis, yet prescribed a laundry list of medications. At one time or another he was diagnosed as having OCD, anxiety disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, and bipolar disease, among others. In response to abuses of the past, it is very difficult to commit an adult to a mental institution, even when the person clearly is very disturbed. As an adult, his parents had no legal sway over him.
“It’s bad enough having a mentally ill child on your hands,” explained Shelley. “It is worse to have an angry mentally ill child.”
The parents found themselves trying their best to support him in his endeavors, while attempting to keep his mental illness at bay. Was he a privileged, entitled spoiled ypung man? Or was he severely mentally ill? Sometimes I’m sure it was difficult for others to see the difference.
Despite multiple psychiatric evaluations and bizarre behavior in the courtroom, he was deemed fit for trial, and much of the latter part of the book covers the courtroom trial. His mother, Shelley, stood by his side, never wavering in her belief that Tommy was mentally ill and needed help.
“Had our family had access to the kind of care for Tommy that he needed, this horror story would never have happened. (Shelly Gilbert, Tommy’s mother).
As an aside, this story was personal for me, in that I have seen the horrors of a family destroyed by an adult child with mental illness who was failed by the system. I have enormous empathy for families who are suffering.
If a family such as the Gilbert’s, who had the money and access to the best medical care in the world, was unable to help their son, then what hope do any of us have? More than a simple true crime drama, this is an indictment on the current state of mental health care, as well as a thought-provoking story that highlights the cracks in our justice system.
The author writes compellingly and with clarity, never inserting himself or his opinion into the story. I closed the cover of the book with a feeling of sadness for all involved. There are no winners here.
It was so clear that he needed help and the system failed him. To me, it’s inhumane and unconscionable, and it led to a tragic result that didn’t help anybody. We never gave him a chance.”~ Alex Spiro, attorney for Tommy Gilbert, Jr
*I received a copy of the book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. *Publication date 7/20/21 by St. Martin's Press *This was an unintentional buddy read with my friend and reading buddy Marialyce. On her recommendation, I started it as she was finishing it, and we had many thought-provoking and fascinating discussions. This would make an excellent book club selection. For our duo reviews please visit: https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres......more
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