A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them

Today's nonfiction post is on A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan. It is 432 pages long and is published by Viking. The cover is a picture of downtown Irving, Indiana, c. 1909. The intended reader is someone who likes history, true crime, and where the two meet. There is foul language, sexuality and rape, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of the Klan's rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them.
The Roaring Twenties--the Jazz Age--has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson.
Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, he’d become the Grand Dragon of the state and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows – their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman – Madge Oberholtzer – who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees.
A FEVER IN THE HEARTLAND marries a propulsive drama to a powerful and page-turning reckoning with one of the darkest threads in American history.

Review- A fascinating read about a crime and history that I knew nothing about. This is really about the spread of the KKK in Indiana and the conman who spearheaded it. Stephenson, not his real name, came into Indiana in the 1920's and found himself a new grift, selling the ideas of the Klan to the Hoosier state. Business, sadly, was good. So Stephenson got a lot of power in the highest of places, the local and state government. So much so that he said, he was the law in Indiana. So when he kidnapped, assaults', then leads to the death of a local young woman, he believes that he can get away with it. I really enjoyed this book, the writing is excellent, the story is riveting, and intense. Egan does done great research into this story and all the people who were involved in it and has great notes in the back of the book. If you are a true crime reader or someone who likes historical books, then you should this book. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence, and a Search for Justice

Today's nonfiction post is on Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence, and a Search for Justice by Christine Kenneally. It is was 384 pages long and published by Public Affairs. The cover is a black and white picture with a stairway in the back. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of twentieth-century orphanages and the children who survived them. There is foul language, discussion of sexual violence, and violence in the form of child abuse in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The shocking secret history of twentieth-century orphanages—which for decades hid violence, abuse, and deaths within their walls For much of the twentieth century, a series of terrible events—abuse, both physical and psychological, and even deaths—took places inside orphanages. The survivors have been trying to tell their astonishing stories for a long time, but disbelief, secrecy, and trauma have kept them from breaking through. For ten years, Christine Kenneally has been on a quest to uncover the harrowing truth.   Centering her story on St. Joseph’s, a Catholic orphanage in Vermont, Kenneally has written a stunning account of a series of crimes and abuses. But her work is not confined to one place. Following clues that take her into the darkened corners of several institutions across the globe, she finds a trail of terrifying stories and a courageous group of survivors who are seeking justice. Ghosts of the Orphanage is an incredible true crime story and a reckoning with a past that has stayed buried for too long, with tragic consequences.  

Review- This is a tough read but also very worth it to give the survivors their voices. Kenneally started researching the topic of child abuse in Catholic orphanages around 2016. At first she was just looking in her native Australia but she dug deeper into the story she realized that this was more than just the odd priest or nun, it was systemic. The stories the survivors told were stomach turning and gave the survivors life long PTSD. Keanneally investigates the stories and gives the survivors room to tell the stories themselves. This book is a testament, like the Spotlight stories that broke open the sexual abuse of priests, to the will of the survivors . I would recommend this book out of respect to them.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy

Today's nonfiction post is on Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy by Alex Mar. It is 384 pages long and is published by Penguin Press. The cover is blue with title and author in bold black print and pictures of both the murderer and the victim. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime and what justice really is. There is mild foul language, no sex, and descriptions of violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the dust jacket- A masterful, revelatory work of literary non-fiction about a teenage girl's shocking crime--and its extraordinary aftermath
On a spring afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, a fifteen-year-old girl kills an elderly woman in a violent home invasion. In a city with a history of racial tensions and white flight, the girl, Paula Cooper, is Black, and her victim, Ruth Pelke, is white and a beloved Bible teacher.
When Paula is sentenced to death, no one decries the impending execution of a tenth grader. But the tide begins to shift when the victim's grandson Bill forgives the girl, against the wishes of his family, and campaigns to spare her life. This tragedy in a midwestern steel town soon reverberates across the United States and around the world--reaching as far away as the Vatican--as newspapers cover the story on their front pages and millions sign petitions in support of Paula.
As Paula waits on death row, her fate sparks a debate that not only animates legal circles but raises vital questions about the value of human life: What are we demanding when we call for justice? Is forgiveness an act of desperation or of profound bravery? As Bill and Paula's friendship deepens, and as Bill discovers others who have chosen to forgive after terrible violence, their story asks us to consider what radical acts of empathy we might be capable of.
In Seventy Times Seven, Alex Mar weaves an unforgettable narrative of an act of violence and its aftermath. This is a story about the will to live--to survive, to grow, to change--and about what we are willing to accept as justice. Tirelessly researched and told with intimacy and precision, this book brings a haunting chapter in the history of our criminal justice system to astonishing life.

Review- A very moving true crime book that examines the crime, the criminal, and what is real justice. The murder of Ruth Pelke by the hands of a group of teenage girls was very shocking to the community and her family. Her grandson started as angry as the rest of the his family but hearing Paula's grandfather cry out for her, something changed in him. He began to question what his grandmother would have wanted and what was justice when someone is 15. This book is very well written and the questions about justice, faith, and personal choice it raises are engaging. I was deeply moved by Bill, the grandson, and Paula, the murderer, as they tried to find peace and friendship with each other. I would recommend this book. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

All That Is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind

Today's nonfiction post is All That Is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind by Kate Winkler Dawson. It is 320 pages long and is published by G.P. Putman's Sons. The cover is blue with a red skull in the center. The intended reader is someone who likes historical true crime. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead

From the dust jacket- Edward Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer--some have called him a "Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter"--whose crimes spanned decades and whose victims were chosen out of revenge, out of envy, and sometimes out of necessity. From his humble beginnings in upstate New York to the dazzling salons and social life he established in New York City, at every turn Rulloff used his intelligence and regal bearing to evade detection and avoid punishment. He could talk his way out of any crime...until one day, Rulloff's luck ran out.
By 1871 Rulloff sat chained in his cell--a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century mind hunters tried to understand what made him tick. From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyze the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analyzed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made? Eventually, Rulloff's brain would be placed in a jar at Cornell University as the prize specimen of their anatomy collection...where it still sits today, slowly moldering in a dusty jar. But his story--and its implications for the emerging field of criminal psychology--were just beginning.

Review- A very interesting historical true crime story that helped both undermine phrenology and credit to psychiatry. Rulloff was considered as brilliant by some but a cold blooded killer by all. He defied the logic of the day as he was not deformed or handicapped in anyway. So in the logic of the time, he should not be a killer. But he did kill his wife and baby daughter. So Rulloff was the debate of the century. The writing is not bad but it does drag at times. I would recommend this book if you are a historical true crime fan. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties

Today's nonfiction post is on Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties by David de Jong. It is 400 pages long and is published by Marine Books. The cover is grey with tall buildings and a swastika in the center. The intended reader is someone who is interested in World War II history and how it intersects with modern culture. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A groundbreaking investigation of how the Nazis helped German tycoons make billions off the horrors of the Third Reich and World War II—and how America allowed them to get away with it. In 1946, Günther Quandt—patriarch of Germany’s most iconic industrial empire, a dynasty that today controls BMW—was arrested for suspected Nazi collaboration. Quandt claimed that he had been forced to join the party by his archrival, propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, and the courts acquitted him. But Quandt lied. And his heirs, and those of other Nazi billionaires, have only grown wealthier in the generations since, while their reckoning with this dark past remains incomplete at best. Many of them continue to control swaths of the world economy, owning iconic brands whose products blanket the globe. The brutal legacy of the dynasties that dominated Daimler-Benz, cofounded Allianz, and still control Porsche, Volkswagen, and BMW has remained hidden in plain sight—until now. In this landmark work of investigative journalism, David de Jong reveals the true story of how Germany’s wealthiest business dynasties amassed untold money and power by abetting the atrocities of the Third Reich. Using a wealth of previously untapped sources, de Jong shows how these tycoons seized Jewish businesses, procured slave laborers, and ramped up weapons production to equip Hitler’s army as Europe burned around them. Most shocking of all, de Jong exposes how America’s political expediency enabled these billionaires to get away with their crimes, covering up a bloodstain that defiles the German and global economy to this day.

Review- An interesting and eye-opening account about Nazi history and those who are still in power. The book starts in the present day with an interview of a CEO of a big German company and their history with the Nazi party. Then we move back to the 1930's and all the power players in German's economy during the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism. De Jong does a wonderful job of telling this story and of giving the information in clear language. He wants everyone to know and understand this story and the impact that it still has on modern German society. I would recommend this book and I would like to read more by De Jong. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas

Today's nonfiction post is on Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas by Harley Rustad. It is 304 pages long and is published by Harper. The cover is a picture of Parvati Valley. The intended reader is someone who likes true crime stories. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- For centuries, India has enthralled westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker.
In his early thirties Justin Alexander Shetler, quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey: across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal, in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters, while also documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever restless explorer was driven to pursue ever greater challenges, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest--his own hero's journey.
In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition yet shrouded in darkness and danger. There, he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a "spiritual journey" to a holy lake--a journey from which he would never return.
Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man's search to find himself, in a country where for many westerners the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life.

Review- An interesting but underwhelming book about one man's disappearance in the Parvati Valley in India. Justin Alexander Shetler was an outdoor enthusiast, he was trained in wilderness survival from a very young age and was a world traveler to boot. Then he misses a check in with friends and family. No one in India has him for weeks. The police will not do anything without someone there to represent the family and the Parvati Valley is known for tourist disappearing. Rustad is a fine writer but his prose does not stand out in this book. The story is only mildly interesting but I cannot point my finger on why this book did not really pull me in. If you are interested in disappearances or the Parvati Valley, you may enjoy this book. But you are looking for a riveting true crime book, then give this one a pass. 

I give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and the Movies

Today's nonfiction post is on The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and the Movies by Paul Fischer. It is 416 pages long and is published by Simon Schuster. The cover is a black and white picture of Louis Le Prince. The intended reader is someone who likes historical true crime. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The year is 1888, and Louis Le Prince is finally testing his “taker” or “receiver” device for his family on the front lawn. The device is meant to capture ten to twelve images per second on film, creating a reproduction of reality that can be replayed as many times as desired. In an otherwise separate and detached world, occurrences from one end of the globe could now be viewable with only a few days delay on the other side of the world. No human experience—from the most mundane to the most momentous—would need to be lost to history.
In 1890, Le Prince was granted patents in four countries ahead of other inventors who were rushing to accomplish the same task. But just weeks before unveiling his invention to the world, he mysteriously disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Three and half years later, Thomas Edison, Le Prince’s rival, made the device public, claiming to have invented it himself. And the man who had dedicated his life to preserving memories was himself lost to history—until now.
The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures pulls back the curtain and presents a “passionate, detailed defense of Louis Le Prince…unfurled with all the cliffhangers and red herrings of a scripted melodrama” (The New York Times Book Review). This “fascinating, informative, skillfully articulated narrative” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) presents the never-before-told history of the motion picture and sheds light on the unsolved mystery of Le Prince’s disappearance.

Review- An interesting and well written book about the making of motion pictures and the disappearance of the man who did it first. Fischer takes the reader from the beginning of Le Prince's life all the to the last time he was seen alive. The reader gets to the know his family, friends, and his creative genius. We are also shown the other people who worked on creating the moving pictures and who might have cheated Le Prince's family out of their rights to the money from the invention. But the final theory about Le Prince's death is one all too real and easy to believe. The writing is good, the notes at the back provide excellent insight into the people and their time. Fischer does good research, so the reader wants to learn more about the other people involved in the creation of motion pictures, the notes are a good places to start. I would recommend this book for people who like true crime. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries

Today's post is on Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson. It is 349 pages long and is published by BenBella books. The cover is white with a photo on the top left ripped in half. The intended reader is someone who is interested in modern history, frauds, and true crime. There is some foul language, discussion of sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Two teens. Two diaries. Two social panics. One incredible fraud.
In 1971, Go Ask Alice reinvented the young adult genre with a blistering portrayal of sex, psychosis, and teenage self-destruction. The supposed diary of a middle-class addict, Go Ask Alice terrified adults and cemented LSD's fearsome reputation, fueling support for the War on Drugs. Five million copies later, Go Ask Alice remains a divisive bestseller, outraging censors and earning new fans, all of them drawn by the book's mythic premise: A Real Diary, by Anonymous.
But Alice was only the beginning.
In 1979, another diary rattled the culture, setting the stage for a national meltdown. The posthumous memoir of an alleged teenage Satanist, Jay's Journal merged with a frightening new crisis—adolescent suicide—to create a literal witch hunt, shattering countless lives and poisoning whole communities.
In reality, Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal came from the same dark place: Beatrice Sparks, a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family, stole a dead boy's memory, and lied her way to the National Book Awards.
Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries is a true story of contagious deception. It stretches from Hollywood to Quantico, and passes through a tiny patch of Utah nicknamed "the fraud capital of America." It's the story of a doomed romance and a vengeful celebrity. Of a lazy press and a public mob. Of two suicidal teenagers, and their exploitation by a literary vampire.
Unmask Alice . . . where truth is stranger than nonfiction.

Review- This book is about the truth behind the most famous dairies in current print. Emerson starts at the very beginning of Beatrice Sparks life and why she would want to be famous. Then he jumps to the original people that Sparks based her work on and the lives that were lost. Using first hand resources, interviews, newspaper, and other documents, Emerson takes the reader through a very twisted story. Sparks took real diaries from trouble teens and she made her stories and money. Sparks did not care about the real teens, their families, or what would happen to them after she wrote her books. Emerson does not hold back his personal dislike of Sparks but it is easy to understand why he feels that way. A very interesting and quick if you have read the book Go Ask Alice. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Deer Creek Drive: A Reckoning of Memory and Murder in the Mississippi Delta

Today's nonfiction post is on Deer Creek Drive: A Reckoning of Memory and Murder in the Mississippi Delta by Beverly Lowry. It is 354 pages long and is published by Alfred A. Knopf. The is a street with a map of Mississippi and garden shears. The intended reader is someone who is interested in historical murders and southern history. There is some foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The stunning true story of a murder that rocked the Mississippi Delta and forever shaped one author's life and perception of home.
In 1948, in the most stubbornly Dixiefied corner of the Jim Crow south, society matron Idella Thompson was viciously murdered in her own home: stabbed at least 150 times and left facedown in one of the bathrooms. Her daughter, Ruth Dickins, was the only other person in the house. She told authorities a Black man she didn't recognize had fled the scene, but no evidence of the man's presence was uncovered. When Dickins herself was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, the community exploded. Petitions pleading for her release were drafted, signed, and circulated, and after only six years, the governor of Mississippi granted Ruth Dickins an indefinite suspension of her sentence and she was set free.
In Deer Creek Drive, Beverly Lowry--who was ten at the time of the murder and lived mere miles from the Thompsons' home--tells a story of white privilege that still has ramifications today, and reflects on the brutal crime, its aftermath, and the ways it clarified her own upbringing in Mississippi.

Review- This is an interesting historical true crime and memoir of the author. She lived in the area when the murder happened and she remembers reading about it as a young teenager. The book starts after the murder then backs up to give content. The content is not just about the murder, the victim, or her family, but about the world of Delta Mississippi and how it worked. Lowry follows the case from beginning to end and adds in what was going on in her world as the same time. She discusses how being a white woman affected the case, from how long it took for her to be arrested, and how she was treated after. The writing was good, the research was good, and the examination of the southern Delta Mississippi at that particular time was very fascinating. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Good Assassin: How a Mossad Agent and a Band of Survivors Hunted Down the Butcher of Latvia

Today's nonfiction post is on The Good Assassin: How a Mossad Agent and a Band of Survivors Hunted Down the Butcher of Latvia by Stephan Talty. It is 304 pages long and is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The cover is red on top with the title and on the bottom half a ripped photo of Herbert Cukurs. There is foul language, sex, rape, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The untold story of an Israeli spy’s epic journey to bring the notorious Butcher of Latvia to justice—a case that altered the fates of all ex-Nazis.
Before World War II, Herbert Cukurs was a famous figure in his small Latvian city, the “Charles Lindbergh of his country.” But by 1945, he was the Butcher of Latvia, a man who murdered some thirty thousand Latvian Jews. Somehow, he dodged the Nuremberg trials, fleeing to South America after war’s end.
By 1965, as a statute of limitations on all Nazi war crimes threatened to expire, Germany sought to welcome previous concentration camp commanders, pogrom leaders, and executioners, as citizens. The global pursuit of Nazi criminals escalated to beat the looming deadline, and Mossad, the Israeli national intelligence agency, joined the cause. Yaakov Meidad, the brilliant Mossad agent who had kidnapped Adolf Eichmann three years earlier, led the mission to assassinate Cukurs in a desperate bid to block the amnesty. In a thrilling undercover operation unrivaled by even the most ambitious spy novels, Meidad traveled to Brazil in an elaborate disguise, befriended Cukurs and earned his trust, while negotiations over the Nazi pardon neared a boiling point.
The Good Assassin uncovers this little-known chapter of Holocaust history and the pulse-pounding undercover operation that brought Cukurs to justice.

Review- This is a very interesting book about a small part of the greater story of World War II. This book is divided in two parts; the first part is during the war and what happened in Latvia, and the second part is about finding Cukurs and assassinating him. Both parts are interesting and both are necessary to understand the drives of the men involved with Mossad. The story is very intense with the hunt for Cukurs, the spy craft, and the fight to the death. There is also politics in the background that made this mission all the more important for the families of the Jews that Cukurs murdered. Talty handles this story with care and respect but he spares no details, so if you are more sensitive to war crimes, then have caution with this book. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

The Vanished Collection Pauline Baer de Perignon

Today's nonfiction post is on The Vanished Collection by Pauline Baer de Perignon and Natasha Lehrer  (Translator). The audiobook is 5 hours and 41 minutes long and it is published by Dreamscape Media. The cover is an illustration of a Paris apartment with an empty picture frame. The intended reader is someone who is interested in looted art, World War 2 history, and family memoirs.  There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back- It all started with a list of paintings. There, scribbled by a cousin she hadn't seen for years, were the names of the masters whose works once belonged to her great-grandfather, Jules Strauss: Renoir, Monet, Degas, Tiepolo and more. Pauline Baer de Perignon knew little to nothing about Strauss, or about his vanished, precious art collection. But the list drove her on a frenzied trail of research in the archives of the Louvre and the Dresden museums, through Gestapo records, and to consult with Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano. What happened in 1942? And what became of the collection after Nazis seized her great-grandparents’ elegant Parisian apartment? The quest takes Pauline Baer de Perignon from the Occupation of France to the present day as she breaks the silence around the wrenching experiences her family never fully transmitted, and asks what art itself is capable of conveying over time.

Review- An interesting memoir about family and discovering history. De Perignon learned that before the second world war, her family owned some very precious art and after the war, everything was gone. Then she starts to research what her family had owed and where it could have gone. This became more than just an interest in family history but a search for justice. De Perignon takes the reader from the beginning of her search all the way to a happy ending but this story is more than just about stolen art. It is about De Perignon learning about her family and herself. She had never thought about many things around her family or herself, like did she identify as Jewish or not. The translation is good, the narrator is good, and this is a very nice book to listen to. I would recommend this book both in audiobook and print version. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this audiobook from my local library.

All the President's Men

Today's nonfiction post is on All the President's Men Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. 349 pages long and is published by Simon and Schuster.. The cover is a picture of Richard Nixon and his closet aids. The intended reader is someone who is interested in one of the biggest scandals in American history. There is some foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The full account of the Watergate scandal from the two Washington Post reporters who broke the story. This is “the work that brought down a presidency— perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history” (Time, All-Time 100 Best Nonfiction Books).
This is the book that changed America. Published just two months before President Nixon’s resignation, All the President’s Men revealed the full scope of the Watergate scandal and introduced for the first time the mysterious “Deep Throat.” Beginning with the story of a simple burglary at Democratic headquarters and then continuing through headline after headline, Bernstein and Woodward deliver the stunning revelations and pieces in the Watergate puzzle that brought about Nixon’s shocking downfall. Their explosive reports won a Pulitzer Prize for The Washington Post, toppled the president, and have since inspired generations of reporters.
All the President’s Men is a riveting detective story, capturing the exhilarating rush of the biggest presidential scandal in U.S. history as it unfolded in real time. It is, as former New York Times managing editor Gene Roberts has called it, “maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time.”

Review- An interesting and through account from the two reporters who covered the Watergate scandal from the beginning. Bernstein and Woodward were two reporters that worked fort he Washington Post when they both noticed something odd about a break-in at the Democratic headquarters. Woodward was sent to cover the court proceedings and he noticed that someone from the White House was there on the defendants side of the court. From there he and Bernstein became invested in discovering what was really going on. This is the personal written account of what happened as Bernstein and Woodward investigated and what they discovered. The writing is good, the story, which I knew only a little of, was fascinating, and details are not overwhelming. If you are interesting in what Bernstein and Woodward were really trying to do and the story from their experiences, then you need to read this book.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times

Today's nonfiction post is on When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times by Leah Sottile. It is 320 pages long and is published by Twelve. The cover is the mug shots of Vallow and Daybell. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime and religious extremist. There is some mild foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the audiobook- When police in Rexburg, Idaho perform a wellness check on seven J.J. Vallow and his sister, sixteen-year-old Tylee Ryan both children are nowhere to be found. Their mother, Lori, gives a phony explanation, and when officers return the following day with a search warrant, she, too, is gone. As the police begin to close in, Vallow and Daybell's larger web begins to unravel. 

Review- Sottile give the reader not only an examination of the crime but also what drove the killers to murder their children and others around them. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were raised in the Mormon faith and their faith fed into their mental illnesses that had tragic consequences. This book is about more than just end times fears and mental illness, it is also about a religious communities failure to understand what was happening in front of them. Vallow was known to be on the edge, to lie to make things work her way. Daybell said he heard from god directly and was given prophesy about the end of the world and the people who would survive it. Their believes led to the isolation and the murder of two children. The audiobook is read by the author and she does a good job. In her performance, you can hear her passion for this story and the murders. I would recommend this book, if you enjoy true crime. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this audiobook from my local library. 

Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls

Today's post is on Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Hale. It is 348 pages long and is published by Grove Press. The cover is a picture of a suburban neighborhood. The intended reader is someone who is interested in modern true crime and mental health. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- On May 31, 2014, in the Milwaukee suburb  of Waukesha, Wisconsin, two twelve-year-old girls attempted to stab their classmate to death. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier's violence was extreme, but what seems even more frightening was that they committed their crime under the influence of a figure born by the internet" the so-called "Slenderman". Yet the even more urgent aspect of the story, that the children involved suffered from undiagnosed mental illnesses, often went overlooked in coverage of the case.
Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls tells that full story for the first time in deeply researched detail, using court transcripts, police reports, individual reporting, and exclusive interviews. Morgan and Anissa were bound together by their shared loved of geeky television shows and animals, and their discovery of the user-uploaded scary stories on the Creepypasta website could have been nothing more than a brief phase. But Morgan was suffering from early-onset childhood schizophrenia. She believed that she had seen Slenderman long before discovering him online, and the way to stop home from killing her family was to bring him a sacrifice: Morgan's best friend, Payton "Bella" Leutner, whom she and Anissa planned to stab to death on the night of Morgan's twelfth birthday party. Bella survived the attack, but was deeply traumatized, while Morgan  and Anissa were immediately sent to jail, and the severity of their crime meant that they would be prosecuted as adults. There, as Morgan continued to suffer from worsening mental illness after being denied antipsychotics, her life became more and more surreal. 

Review- This is a very sad story for all the parties involved. Hale starts with the girls parents, their home lives, their friends, and everything else to try and get the best look at the crime from all sides. Hale is interested the most in Morgan and her inner life. When with the focus on Morgan, the horror of what happens to Payton is not lessened. But Hale wants the reader to think about the state of mental illness and how it is treated or untreated in America. Morgan was not seen as sick until too late, the lust for revenge was stronger than the search for truth or justice, and there are no winners in this story. Everyone loses in this story but maybe with greater knowledge about laws, mental illness, and where they collide more can be done to help more children like Morgan and protect more children like Payton. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Scorpions' Dance: The President, the Spymaster, and Watergate

 

Today's nonfiction post is on Scorpions' Dance: The President, the Spymaster, and Watergate by Jefferson Morley. It is 326 pages long and published by St. Martin's Press. The cover is a picture of the White House with the presidential car in front of it. The intended reader is someone who is interesting in the history of the Central Intelligence Agency, Nixon's White House, and Watergate. There is some foul language, no sex, and some violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Fifty years after the Watergate break-in, the untold story behind the scandal that ended a presidency.
With fresh reporting by intelligence historian Jefferson Morley, Scorpions' Dance reveals the Watergate scandal in a striking new light: as the culmination of a concealed, volatile power struggle between President Richard Nixon and CIA director Richard Helms.
Nixon and Helms went back decades; both were 1950's Cold Warriors, and both knew secrets about the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, the Kennedy administration's dangerous liaisons with organized crime, as well as off-the-books White House and CIA plots to remove Fidel Castro and other Latin-American leaders from power. Both had enough information on each other to ruin their careers.
After the Watergate burglary on June 17, 1972, Nixon was desperate to shut down the FBI's investigation. He sought Helm's support and asked that the CIA intervene- knowing that most of the Water burglars were, after all, retired CIA agents, contractors, or long-term assets with deep knowledge of the Agency's most sensitive secrets. Nixon and Helms then circled each other like scorpions, defending themselves with the threat of lethal attack. The loser would resign his office in disgrace; the winner, however would face consequences of his for the secrets he kept.

Review- An interesting take on the Watergate scandal, not from the White House, but from the CIA, it's director, and agents. The book follows Richard Helms from the beginning of his career all the way to the end. Helms was America's best spymaster and he had his hands in everything but he was local to the office of the President, even if he disagreed with the man himself. The whole Watergate scandal is covered but from the CIA and Helms perspective not the White House. That gives an interesting and unique look into the scandal, as Helms was not as involved as the White House. He had distance from it and gave him power over the White House and the other people more involved, and Helms used that power. He used it to protect himself, his agents, and the CIA itself. If you want to know more about Watergate but not the White House angle, then you should give this book a try. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly

Today's nonfiction post is on Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly by Jim DeRogatis. It is 330 pages long and is published by Abrams Press. The book is black with the title in white. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime and survivor stories. There is some very foul language, discussion of sex, rape, and sexuality, and some violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The Definitive Account of R. Kelly's Action and Their Consequences.
In 2000, Chicago journalist and music critic Jim DeRogatis received an anonymous fax that alleged that R&B superstar and local hero R. Kelly had a problem with 'young girls.' Weeks later, DeRogatis broke the shocking allegations in print- Kelly had groomed, sexually abused, and paid off young girls. Still, Kelly's career flourished, especially after his first trail and acquittal. No one seemed to care: neither the music industry nor the culture at large. But for more than twenty years, DeRogatis stayed on the story. Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly is a work of tenacious journalism and cultural criticism. It tells the story of Kelly's career, the author's conversations with victims, expects, and those in the musician's orbit and, at last, a sweeping conviction for Kelly's crimes in federal court. 

Review- This is a well written account of one journalist's search for the truth and his hope for justice for the victims. It all starts for Jim DeRogatis when he receives an anonymous fax telling DeRogatis that Kelly had a problem with young girls. Of course DeRogatis had heard the rumors about Kelly and his misbehavior with young girls and women. The fax just sits on his desk before DeRogatis starts investigating the rumors and what he finds will haunt him for the rest of his life. DeRogatis and other reporters will spend the next twenty odd years researching and interviewing the girls, the women, and their families about their relationships with Kelly and what happened to them. This book is a tough read at times because DeRogatis does not hold back with the victims and their stories and the video tapes of the acts, as Kelly liked to tapes himself with women and girls. If you are looking for a information about the case against R. Kelly, then you should read this book, DeRogatis does a great job with this very tough material.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Hell's Half-Acre : The Untold Story of the Benders, America's First Serial Killer Family

Today's nonfiction post is on Hell's Half-Acre : The Untold Story of the Benders, America's First Serial Killer Family by Susan Jonusas. It is 345 pages long and is published by Viking. The cover is a picture of lone house on the open prairie and black smoke coming from the chimney. The intended reader is someone who likes historical true crime. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and some violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In 1873, the people of Labette County, Kansas, made a grisly discovery.
Buried by the trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property, were nowhere to be found. The discovery of their horrifying crimes sparked an epic manhunt across Kansas, Indian Territory, and beyond, and send the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy of speculation that continued for decades afterward.
The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders- one among the thousands relocating farther west in search og land and opportunity after the Civil War- were capable of operating 'a human slaughter pen' appalled and fascinated the nation. The cabin on the prairie, traditionally a place for weary travelers to seek shelter and company, suddenly became something frightening and unknowable. In this suspense filled tale of murder on the American frontier, Susan Jonusas examines who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree, and whether justice ever caught up to them- a mystery that remains unsolved to this day. Drawing on extensive original archival material, Jonusas introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, many of whom have been previously missing from the story. Among them are the families of the victims, the hapless detectives who lost the trail, and the fugitives who helped the murderer escape.

Review- An interesting and mostly forgotten piece of American western history. Out in the plains of Kansas and the Midwest in general, people go missing. Tragic but nothing unusual. But then travelers who had family waiting for them and friends looking for them, starting going missing. But only after they stopped at a lonely cabin between Independence and Ladore, KS. The family that lived in that cabin, the Benders, said that the travelers had been there but they had moved on per their plans. Then one day, the Benders who gone too. When investigating their cabin, the searchers discovered a grim place that smelled of blood. Jonusas does a great job in re-creating the world that the Benders lived and killed in. From primary resources like court documents and dairy entries. The writing is excellent, with not too much detail for the faint of heart but Jonusas does not disguise how horrid the murders were. In the end she gives her person thoughts on what happened to the Benders but that is also part of the mystery. I would recommend this book for old west and historical true crime fans

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life

 

Today's nonfiction post is on The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield. It is 328 pages long and is published by Random House. The cover is a picture of Friedman. The intended reader is someone who is interested in women's history, code breaking, and World War II history. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In the summer of 1916, a young woman from Indiana set out to solve a mystery. It involved an oddball millionaire, a volume of Shakespeare's plays, and the secret world of codes and ciphers. Within a year, she had transformed herself into one of America's top code breakers.
During World War I, Elizebeth Smith Friedman cracked thousands of messages, but that was only the beginning of her brilliant career. In the 1920s and 1930s, she pitted her wits against the mob. When World War II broke out, she hunted Nazi spies.
Despite her fame, she was a woman of many secrets, and later she was pushed into the shadows. To get the true measure of her hidden life, you must delve deep, the way a code breaker would, searching for the truth that lies just out of sight.

Review- An interesting and well researched biography of a hidden woman and what she gave her country. Elizebeth Smith Friedman was a woman who refused to hide her gifts and in fact, she insisted on using them for her country. She learned how to break codes with her future husband and together, they they broke codes for the Army in WWI. Then she continued to work to stop mobsters and then Nazis. Her life was full of challenges, not just from the codes but from the men around her, the men on both sides of the law and the wars. They underestimated her and the mob/Nazis paid the price for doing so. This is a biography written for young adults but the writing is excellent and an adult who wants to learn about Friedman will not be bored with this book. It is very well researched from primary resources from letters and other first hand documents. I would recommend this book. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood

 

Today's nonfiction post is on Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood by Stephen Mills. It is 318 pages long and is published by Henry Holt and Company. The cover is a picture of a lake with the woods behind it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in survival memoirs. There is some foul language, discussion of sexual abuse, and mild violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- At thirteen years old, Stephen Mills is chosen for special attention by the director of the Jewish summer camp, a charismatic social worker intent on becoming his friend. Stephen, whose father had died when he was four, places his trust in this authority figure, who first grooms and then molests him for two years.
Stephen tells no one, but the aftershocks rip through his adult life, as intense as his denial: self-loathing, drug abuse, petty crime, and horrific nightmares, all made made worse by the discovery that his abuser is moving from cap to camp, state to state, molesting other boys. Only physical and mental collapse brings Stephen to confront the truth of his boyhood and begin the painful process of recovery- as well as a decades-long crusade to stop a serial predator, find justice, and hold to account those who failed the children in their care. 
The trauma of sexual abuse is shared by one out of every six men, yet few have broken their silence. Un flinching and compulsively readable, Chosen eloquently speaks for those countless others and their families. It is a rare act of consummate courage and generosity- the indelible story of a man who faces his torment and his tormentor and, in the process, is made whole. 

Review- This is a moving memoir of survival and healing from great trauma. Mills was already traumatized before he met his abuser, as his mother refused to speak of his biological father at all, in fact she tried to erase him from their lives. So Mills felt cut off from a father figure, then his abuser comes into his life. After follows a tragically standard abuse script and Mills does not hold back on details but he does describe the events from his child's perspective. The reader travels with Mills on his long journey towards the truth and honesty about what happened to him. At times it is very hard to read this book because Mills does not hold back but I was so invested in Mills and his journey, that I could not leave him half-way. I needed to see him deal with his trauma and find life and hope on the other side. I would recommend this book but with a warning about the sexual abuse that Mills survived. 

I give this memoir a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this my local library.

Shadowman: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling

 

Today's post is on Shadowman: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling by Ron Franscell. It is 292 pages long and is published by Berkley. The cover is black with a picture of man and a map underneath him. The intended reader is someone who is interested in historical true crime and the creation of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. There is some foul language, discussion of sexual violence, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- On June 25, 1973, a seven-old-year girl went missing from the Montana campground where her family was vacationing. Somebody had slit open the back of her tent and snatched her from under their noses. None of the family members had seen or heard anything. Susie Jaeger had vanished into thin air, plucked by a shadow. 
The largest manhunt in the state's history ensued. As days stretched into weeks, and weeks into months, Special Agent Pete Dunbar sough help from FBI Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, where two agents had hatched a radical new idea: What if criminals left a psychological trail that would lead us to them? Patrick Mullany and Howard Tenten had created the Behavioral Analysis Unit to explore this new "voodoo" they called "criminal profiling."
They built the FBI's first profile of an unknown subject; The UnSub who snatched Susie Jaeger and another victim. Their deductions led to the capture of a cunning and savage serial killer. he victims' parents had closure. And police work would never be the same. 

Review- An interesting case and interesting to read about the beginning of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The story starts with two other deaths, both ruled as accidental but of course the reader knows that someone odd is going on. Then we get into the kidnapping of Susie Jaeger. Her sister wakes up and discovers that their tent has been cut open and her younger sister, Susie is gone. Within hours the whole park and county is looking for her but there is a lot of uninhabited land in Montana. Because it is a kidnapping the local FBI agent takes the case. The case itself is very interesting, with lots of questions about how and why, the FBI agent Pete Dunbar is an interesting man who is willing to take risks to get justice. The risk is inviting the infant Behavioral Analysis Unit into the case. At the time, the BAU was not seen as very trustworthy, just some headshrinkers who wanted to play cops. But with this case BAU and profiling started to the respect and understand that it has today. The writing is good, the mystery does keep you guessing but not for long, and the ending is as happy as it can be considering this is true crime. I would recommend this book for true crime fans. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.