I can't say that this book was anywhere near one of the best true crime books I have ever read, but it did make for some interesting reading. I put off purchasing this book many times because although I like true crime, I am really not enthusiastic about reading stories where innocent babies are murdered, by their own mother nonetheless. It was pitiful the way this woman snuffed out the lives of her innocent children, and for no obvious reason. Hard to believe that when her babies were dying one by one in the 1960's, no one thought it peculiar. If this were happening to someone I know now, I would certainly think something was up. This woman makes you very angry. Being in her seventies now, her age seems to have played a part in her punishment. I have no pity for her, 27 or 70, it makes no difference. She is a murderer, plain and simple.

Marie Noe, Marybeth Tinning and the late, unlamented Waneta Hoyt had two things in common: (1) they were sociopaths and murderers of their own children and (2) they were all married to gutless wimps, all of who had to know what was going on and did nothing to stop it....they kept supplying these fiends with more and more babies to murder. I cannot believe that the Noes' parish priest told her not to have a tubal ligation because it was a "mortal sin." I see: birth control is wrong, but infanticide is okay.

I don't care if Marie Noe is 20, 40 or 70. She belongs in prison. This woman doesn't deserve any pity. She never should have had any children!

Glatt excels at the true crime genre. This book is expertly researched and the author makes a valiant attempt to uncover the reasoning of Marie Noe in killing her children. The ending is not very exciting, but that is not the fault of the author. There was no great confrontation between the police and Noe, no exhumed bodies, no huge scene. The lack of drama in the final pages of the book just reflects the quality of the work and attests to its accuracy. It must have been tempting to "spice it up", but Glatt stuck to the truth.

Highly recommended!

The first of what will probably be several books and perhaps a t.v movie on the Robinson cybersex murders, I was impressed by the initial overview of the case. I worked with the two state probation and parole officers mentioned in the book many years ago, and knew them to be most dedicated officers. I take the Key West Citizen and the Florida Keys Keynoter newspapers, and found the author's report of the Robinson family in the Keys to be consistant with both newspapers. I attended the first international symposium on cybersex last May, 2001, in Las Vegas and found the book to be consistent with seminar information. This case will not be resolved for years, and the book gives a good foundation. A good read for true crime buffs. =30=

This story blew my mind. I had just finished the book when I stopped for fuel at the NM/AZ state line on I-40. There was a state police computer printout hanging on the door, warning women against chatting with men on the internet because of the "internet slavemaster." The state police (NM) were asking for any information in connection to this internet entity. I couldn't believe it.

Then, when I arrived in Holbrook, AZ, I ran into four highway patrolmen at a truckstop diner and asked them about the notice. We engaged in an hour-long conversation about how a predator like this can disguise himself as an upstanding member of the community and keep everybody fooled. We had the book out and several people seemed mesmerized by our discussion of this story. It has that effect! It is just so unbelievable that people are astounded.

If you have not read this book, get it! This man was the first to harness the internet for serial killing. Boy, it will drive home the fact that there is no safe ground anymore. If you have children, you will be concerned about what they are doing online. It will make you look at your computer in a whole new light. It will also make you start wondering about all those upstanding citizens that you know so well ... or do you really know them at all?

There is a flip side to this story - the world of S&M and the women that were surfing for a "master." This man could not have lured them if they had not been presenting themselves as victims. That is where the game is so dangerous - you just never know when it is going to get out of hand. I would think that it is not something you would readily trust to a stranger. I think that is the part of this story that astounds people the most. Why would a woman readily place herself into the role of slave to a complete stranger?

The author has done a fabulous job of presenting the facts in a flowing narrative that keeps you reading. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I can't imagine what he could have done to improve it. It was outstanding!

Living in the Kansas City area I was particularly interested in the John Robinson case and followed it avidly. Glattt has done an excellent job in recounting the case and his research is first class. He also goes further and breaks new facts on the case which have never come to light before. I was very impressed by his writing style and attanetion to detail. I would recommend this to all true crime fans and have done so. This one is way up there with In Cold Blood.

This was a really good book short and to the point... It was really sad what happened to Julie but at some point you would have to think that she had lost her mind doing what she did giving her life up in the states most of all leaving her child...I think Julie was living in a total fantasy world and when she realized the reality of what she did she wanted to go home and than This mental case lost his mind...George was definetly in it for the fantasy of love and most definetly for her money but I do believe that he did think that if he couldnt have her no one could syndrome...We shouldnt say he was a loser yet ( although he sure is now)because he was only 23 years old but i think he just got to accustomed to having julie take care of him and the thought of her leaving put him over the edge...Must read book, Very sad...

Blind Passion by John Glatt is fun to read. This book is about Julie, but it starts out with the life of Julia, her mother. By the time you get to Julie, you can see what makes her tick and why she would run off for a romantic adventure in a foreign country. She leaves behind a life with a husband who worked his way up, and a 3 year old daughter. I agree with the boyfriend's mother in Greece, who voices the traditional Greek idea that a mother who abandons her child to live with a man is beneath contempt. On the other hand, what happens to the victim here is even more beneath contempt! This is an interesting book about a crime committed in January of 1999.

If this book seems short, it is only because Glatt, unlike so many true crime authors, does not go into agonizing and repetitive detail about the trial. Instead, he guides the reader through the interesting parts of the story, i.e. the history that explains why glamour puss Julie Scully risked everything for the ugly little Greek sailor who killed her. The book does an excellent job of describing the dysfunctional family dynamics that helped form Julie's personality. I guess my only complaint is that I would have liked to have known a little more about her murderer.

The story of the Chieftains is fascinating, but unfortunately, I don't think the audio book version does it justice. I found Nanci Griffith's reading of the story to be very rushed and lacking in feeling and emotion. At various times, interviews with different band members are inserted. Many of the interviews are full of background noise, sounding like they were conducted at a party. I really don't know much about the editing process, but it seems that some of this superfluous noise could have been removed to make the speaker's voice more audible. I found it hard to believe that this recording was nominated for a Grammy. I was eager to listen to a great book, but was disappointed. I recommend sticking to the print version.

Nanci Griffith does a fabulous job narrating the audio version of the Chieftain's autobiography. Her voice is as sweet and flowing as the melodious tunes she sings.

Irish music is very hot. It is amazing how many successful Irish bands (of all types) have emerged from this tiny Island of 5 million. Yet in no small way can they all point to a single pioneering band that helped put Irish music on the map.

The Chieftains are more than simply a successful collection of great musicians who have toured the world for over 30 years. When they started, in the mid 1960's, there was little interest in traditional music in Ireland. In Ireland, Irish music wasn't considered to be "hip" and broadcasts were limited to relatively unimaginative ceili music. The most famous Irish musicians of time, the Clancy Brothers, were not even living in Ireland when they began.

The Chieftains took traditional Irish music and infused it with a new energy and style. They soon developed a cult following, but after doing the sound track for the movie Barry Lyndon (early 70's) their popularity exploded. Even after upwards of 30 albums, they and constant touring, their popularity never falters.

The Chieftains : The Authorized Biography by John Glatt tells the story of how it all happened. If it weren't all true, it would sound wildly improbable.

For anyone interested in Irish music, this book is a must.

At a time in history when we think we have heard the lowest of the low when it comes to our spiritual leaders, this book just fell into my lap. And what a book it is! Not all Catholic priests; but all spiritual leaders, it is tragic how human so many of them are -- and how easily we give them the power to judge our human frailties. How easily their victims trusted them! How tempting it is to take advantage of, and betray that trust.

Perhaps it is we who are to blame for giving any one human being the power of God in our lives. If anything will make you rethink that paradigm, this book will.

"For I have sinned - True storied of clergy who kills" contains eleven horrible stories of pastors, priest, ministers, and nuns who commit the ultimate sin : they kill! In each story Mr John Glatt explains the perpetrators and their victims backgrounds, the act of killing, and what happens afterwards - all in vivid detail.

The victims range from a 22-year-old woman to a couple in their 90s. In one story the murder weapon was found next to the Bible and in another the murderer later delivered the victims graveside eulogy.

Mr John Glatt has done an excellent job with "For I have sinned". He pays attention to many details and he writes in an easy-to-read manner. It is one of those books that is extremely hard to put down. If you think you know your priest, then read this book. The victims thought they knew their priests....

With 8 pages of photos.

I suppose when someone dies or is murdered, the number of books published immediately after their demise says something about the infamous nature of the case.

This book "Lost In Hollywood" is one such case. For those of you who are not River Phoenix nutjobs, take it from one. :) This book is filled with errors. Please keep that in mind in your quest for knowledge.

You're probably better off visiting "Rio's Attic" on the internet.

Let's talk about the good stuff first. The book is in depth about River's life. The author did alot of research and wrote a pretty good book. The titles of the chapters kept me going, eventhough I already knew most of the information. The pictures inside were rare and candid, sortta. I found out some new info about River that I didn't know before, but I still have to find out if the book has the facts correct. Now the bad parts. There were huge basic mistakes in the book. First they kept spelling Joaquin Phoenix's name wrong. In the beginning it was Yoaquin, then Toaquin. Second, they left out River's 2nd sister Liberty, she was born July 5, 1976. The do mention her later, but many times they leave her out. There are more mistakes throughout the book, but I'm not going to bother with them....Enjoy the reading P.S. Since this book is out of print, you might want to look for another edition titled: River Phoenix The Biography, it's the same book (by the same author), but with a different title.

Any River Phoenix fan would be amazed at the River you didnt see when reading this book. It tells all the "what the media didnt tell you". From before being born tohisdeath,learn about friends, family, and the unfortunate life of River that brought it to end. As a River Phoenix fan still, I enjoyed every word. I highly recommend reading it!

John Glatt pens a more truthful version of "The Royals," with less favoritism and more fact. Admittedly this isn't the British royal family (who have provided us with entertainment for many years) but a lesser-known (and no less juicy) dynasty, the Grimaldi's of Monaco.

Monaco first came to attention when Prince Rainier married the film star Grace Kelly, who brought glamor and modernity to the teeny little country. Grace's past -- involving multiple love affairs -- was swept out of sight as she ascended to the glamorous -- and severely stress-inducing -- position of princess, wife and mother. Rarely happy in her long and paparazzi-studded marriage, she nevertheless gave it her darndest and died tragically and suddenly when she was starting to find fulfillment again.

The book shifts focus after Grace's death in a car accident, to her three *ahem* spirited children: Caroline, who married one playboy after another, got pregnant out of wedlock, and once burst out of her top at a club, then had to shift into the social position that her mother left vacant. Albert, a playboy himself, who played around with one woman after another but wouldn't make even a vestige of commitment--even to one ex-girlfriend who had his baby, Tamara Rotolo. Stephanie, who shocked Monaco with her wild antics, drug use, explicit singing career and wild modelling career, bodyguard live-in boyfriend, and humiliating divorce after marrying said boyfriend.

Sound like a tabloid? Well, that's a royal family for you. Fortunately, Glatt doesn't speculate on the inner thoughts of the Grimaldi family (said to be under a curse from a witch raped by a Grimaldi) but allows their actions to speak alone. His writing style is pleasant to read, and gives us insights that other biographers apparently didn't get. I especially enjoyed the interviews with Cassini (Grace's ex-fiancee) Robyns who wrote a steamy biography but edited it at Grace's request, excerpts from members of the Grimaldi family, and from people who knew/know them.

This is hardly flawless. He describes Grace as a devout/militant Catholic, yet chronicles love affairs (with men married and single), an abortion, astrology beliefs, etc. Sorry, these are not the actions of a "militant" Catholic, though admittedly it is possible that she confessed these to a priest (something we will never know). He does occasionally linger on stuff that is more than we want to know, but it does give us a good look at the Grimaldis.

Stephanie, Caroline and Albert have already been in the spotlight, tabloidwise, so I suppose Glatt felt that there was no real reason to sugarcoat things. Rainier gets away the easiest, for though he was unfaithful to Grace during their marriage, very little space is given to it (as compared to Albert's girlfriends, Stephanie's partying days, etc).

In recent years the Grimaldis seem to have calmed down, but this book is nevertheless a heckuva read. If you liked the Royals but didn't like the made-up parts, try this book on for size.

For those who feel the Brits have the dysfunctional royal family from hell, this book about the Grimaldis of Monaco will be an eye-opener. It covers Grace's marriage to Rainier--an unhappy sham of a marriage contrived to boost Monaco's economy, ending with Grace's tragic death due to a stroke while driving. Roughly half of the book covers the three troubled children, Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie, who are, to put it politely, a handful. We follow the two daughters through their teenage rebellions, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, troubled marriages, and (in Stephanie's case) drug problem; one cannot help but sympathize with their troubled parents and the heartbreak they've experienced watching their daughters destroy their lives. The sole son, Albert, is the most responsible of the three siblings, but even he is still 'sowing wild oats' at an age when he should be thinking about creating an heir to the throne. It's a gossipy sort of book--not an academic tome--but readers with some familiarity with Princess Grace will be fascinated.

I've long been intrigued by the Grimaldis of Monaco and trying to seperate fact from fiction. Therefore I was delighted to read about a new book on the subject and expected the usual fluff and conjecture that passes for many biographies.After buying the Royal House of Monaco I sat down and found I could not put it down.Glatt's in-depth study of Monaco after the death of Princess Grace gives a new insight into the principality and made me see for the first time the immeasurable effect the American film star had.The book is written clearly and consisely and really gives the reader a picture of Rainier and his children that scrapes away the tabloid headlines. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in the real story of fairytale Monaco and Glatt must have hit a real nerve as I read that the Grimaldis unsuccessfully tried to stop its publication in the U.S.

Although the book is interesting, the editing in this book is horrid, which makes me wonder about the validity of this book. For example, in one story, there's a person named Shawn. However, possibly in the next sentence the author spelled the name Sean. Just little things like that. And he had quotes from people who were no longer living. If it's a book based on true crime, there shouldn't be any embellishments. It's was okay, but certainly not the best true crime book.

When I was pregnant, I often wished for twins - just get it out of the way at once. Give each child a sibling.....what was I thinking of? This creepy tour through twins true crime and the irrevocable bonds of dual psychosis was not the usual real life crime book. I became increasingly uncomfortable as I read first the deed and then the personal history of the twins which led up to it. It was interesting and yet garishly tabloid-like and left me feeling even more disturbed than usual. Not for the squeamish.

I read this book in one sitting. I was mesmerized by the content and the depth of the various stories. It was amazing to me how similar a lot of the twins were in regards to the behavoir pattern. I'll definitely be reading it again. The author has a real way of sucking you into the lives of the twins. I just wanted more information. It was a very good book. I could not put it down!!!!!!

This unauthorized biography has quotes and comments from a lot of people that Bill did not like or respect. It is somewhat one-sided in that respect. People either loved or hated him, but a remarkable number of people respected him and appreciated what he did. Having worked with him for 12 years, I am one who respected him greatly. This is just one of the two bios on him and I suggest readers look for the authorized one by Robert Greenfield called BILL GRAHAM PRESENTS.

John Glatt's story of Bill Graham's journey from a humble immigrant into a legendary promoter reads like a fiction novel. A well documented and enjoyable read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of rock.

Excellent book on the history of concert promotion and exquisitively researched .... John Glatt has a rare gift as a biographer

Knowing the history and facts behind this fictional story gives alot of perspective on this paticular review. For any individual that had or has access to any of the actual public and sealed documents concerning this case, it tends to leave a great deal of food for thought.When a mistake is made by any government agency, of course, it's an embarrassment, especially considering the last couple of decades for a reminder.Some folks in this great nation are finally realizing that our government and law enforcement agencies are not infallible and that when put in a compromising position will do just about anything to save face and funds.It's not a pleasent reality that this portrays, but unfortunately true.If given the oportunity to find fact from fiction, would you take it??

I really think this story about David Ray Parker could have made a much better book.
I always like it when a author has a lot of details about the person who committed the crime,why he/she did this + about the victims
On the end i still had no better picture of David ray parker or his daughter or his girldriend(s).
This book was more about (how can i explain) the facts. then everything around it.
Maybe some pl will say, wauw thats what i want, but i read a lot of true crime but this was was a bit dissapointing to me.
It keeps you still with a lot of questions and because of the stye..it was not very frighting, although it was ofcourse horrifying to hear of these facts.
Before i read this one i had never heard of David ray Parker or the crimes he committed.

There is another book on this crime. called Slow death by James Fielder.
The reviews of that one are better. nearly 5 stars

David Ray Parker along with his girlfriend Cindy Hendy get their "kicks" from abducting unwilling women and holding them captive for three days. During those days, the unimaginable happens. David Ray has a Toybox of Terror that is filled with sexual aids, a gynecology chair and a video camera. After he has had his way with them he drugs them and leaves them in the middle of nowhere. It is appalling to think of what these women went through. This guy is sick and demented, unfortunately he's smart too.