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4/5 🌟

This is one of those books that feels like it should be fiction—but it‘s not. It tells the shocking true story about Jean-Claude Romand, a man whose lies caught up with him, leading to the horrific murder of his family. Gripping and heartbreaking, it‘s a disturbing look at selfishness and deceit.

Devastating. 😢 A reminder there is serious work for the Americas to do with respect to racism against Indigenous peoples and the consequences stemming from colonialism. Heavy prices continue to be paid, even by the most vulnerable.

Amazing. I highly recommend for fans of true crime & mental health. Dr Adshead is a forensic psychiatrist &works w/criminals. She introduces the idea of compassion & humanity, delving into the psychology & humanizing these patients that we often label as unredeemable.

It‘s a difficult read at times. I can‘t say I felt empathy or even sympathy for all of them; however, I learned a lot & gained a better understanding of those who commit crimes.

I‘m a big fan of the OG Forensic Files & the case of the Rogers women, who were murdered in Tampa Bay by Oba Chandler, has always haunted me. Thomas French wrote a 50,000+ word article for the Tampa Bay Times in 1997 about the case & won a Pulitzer. It‘s grim reading but very well done & I will post a link in the comments. Recommended to anyone interested in this case. 4⭐️ 30 points for impulse read.

#WinterGames2024
#HolidayBookDragons

an unusual and very bleak book to read during #wintergames but it was leant to me by someone at work after a really interesting conversation about true crime. This is the graphic novel memoir of a woman living in Yorkshire during the time of the Yorkshire ripper murders and reflecting on her own experiences with sexual violence. An interesting and horrid look at what authority figures notice and don‘t notice, it reminded me of My Friend Dahmer

Definitely a page turner. Lack of resolution at the end was frustrating but she gives enough info that you can make up your own mind about what happened to each hiker. Not exactly a work of literary genius but sometimes you need a plane read that will keep you interested.

#2024Book38

Seriously?

One of the more famous works of true-crime, abetted by the author‘s added advantage of being a friend and confidante to almost all the absurdly rich, decadent and oh-so-genteel actors involved in this eerie Savannah murder case. Also part travelogue, this book makes you want to wander the historic town, spared by the destruction of the Civil War, and visit the lush garden squares and hauntingly beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery.

This book is really two separate novels about the same time period in the same city. This is the only connection between the architects of The 1893 World‘s Fair and the serial killer H.H. Holmes. The book is well researched. The chapters on Holmes were intriguing. The chapters on The World‘s Fair were tedious but informative. I started out reading linearly, but eventually read it as two books. Anyone interested in Chicago history will love it.