Dave

Ryan Green Has Spoiled Me, But Never Let Me Down

Revisado: 02-06-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I listen to every Ryan Green True Crime audio book as soon as I hear about its release, sometimes using my audible credits and sometimes -- as was the case with The Curse -- being offered a copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. He is my favorite True Crime writer, and his writing style, scarily in-depth research and choice of narrators is always exceptional. He always finds lesser-known but deeply fascinating and horrific subjects to write about, and he writes about them using a killer's-eye-view perspective that nobody does better. The Curse hits all of those benchmarks, but unlike almost all of his other books it didn't seem at first to scream out of the gate at his usual breakneck speed. In telling the strange and brutal story of Leonarda Cianciulla's quite literally cursed life, the author may have had to set the stage in a bit more detail than some other stories he's told. I feel like he justifiably had to show the more prosaic, happy parts of Leonarda's life so that the many startling and mystifying ways that she reacted to having that life crash down around her would have the appropriate impact. I never felt a desire to put the book down --- that has never happened to me once with any of his books, and his way of involving and propelling the reader is one of Green's strongest attributes --- but I did start wondering at one point if maybe he had finally run out of deeply fascinating and horrific subjects,

Man was I ever wrong. The Curse starts with an abusive mother cursing Leonarda's marriage, which was the only way the poor girl could see to escape from the torture and cruelty. She gets away and almost has a happy life, Then, in distressingly certain succession, Leonarda literally loses 13 children (3 miscarriages and 10 living children who died at an early age), her house to an earthquake, and her freedom after a conviction for fraud. Inevitably, convinced that all of these dreadful things were happening to her because of her mother's curse, Leonarda loses her mind. And that's when the story takes off like a shot, and the irresistible subtitle of this book comes into play. Move over Stephen King.

Steve White's narration is impeccable, as it is in every one of Ryan Green's books that he narrates. Listening to Green's many other True Crime books has probably spoiled me, preparing me from the opening paragraph for a fast-paced, shocking and entertaining audio ride, When all was said and done, he delivers all that and more in The Curse.

.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

A Loving Wander Thru Louisiana

Revisado: 01-18-20

This was a delightfully warm, homey travelogue through Southern Louisiana by an endlessly curious author who clearly loves the land and people he describes. New Orleans and the bayou country of Southern Louisiana is one of the truly unique corners of the world, peopled by interesting, often quirky locals and fascinating rituals and conventions that have stood the test of time. McNulty writes with a comfortable, amiable simplicity, letting the reader discover the many different aspects of bayou life and landscape as he discovered it. Born in the East and self-transplanted by choice to NOLA later in life, the author’s curiosity and love of new people and experiences is evident on every page. As a recent transplant to the New Orleans area in later life myself, I sought out books like this on my own, but was fortunate to have been provided a copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, if you are even a little interested in travel writing, New Orleans, the Louisiana bayou life, or discovering new and interesting people and places without leaving your home, you should find “Louisiana Rambles” to be an affable and satisfying guide.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Deconstructing the Monster Richard Speck

Revisado: 01-07-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I have always been fascinated by Richard Speck and the gruesome murder of 8 nursing students in one drunken, debased night in the 60's. I first heard the story when I was a very young boy, too young to understand any aspect of the events. My parents were watching the news while I played on the floor, and the Speck murders had just occurred. I can actually recall watching the story wide-eyed for a few horrified moments until my Dad jumped up and switched the channel. The part of the news story I heard involved one of the young nursing students hiding under a bed, listening and watching the carnage this monster inflicted on her friends and roommates, and that image was burned into my brain and amplified a hundred-fold in my imagination. Richard Speck became my childhood boogeyman at that moment, and I spent many hours lying in bed in the semi-dark of a night-lighted bedroom worrying that Speck -- or, rather, the insanely murderous monster my imagination conjured him up to be -- would be coming for me and my family. The fact that he was eventually caught an jailed apparently didn't enter into my imaginings.

I mention all this because it obviously had a significant impact on my interest in --- and reaction to --- Ryan Green's detailed telling of the Speck story. Because of Speck's out-sized role in my childhood imaginings, I was looking forward to this book more than any new True Crime book in a long time, and my expectations were greater still because one of my favorite True Crime authors was researching and writing the story. Simply put, Green is the perfect writer to handle this kind of subject, and Speck is the perfect subject for his brand of investigative, psychologically-motivated storytelling. So my expectations were ratcheted as high as they could possibly get.

The author, as he often does, exceeded those inordinately high expectations. It's another fascinating deep-dive into the mind and soul of a despicable human being and the people whose lives he destroyed. I really enjoyed listening to the book, but I was actually a little disappointed in Richard Speck the Evil Murdering Monster. He is not Hannibal Lecter. He is in fact a very small, intellectually-stunted failure of a man, suffering from a head trauma inflicted by a despicable step-dad, pathetically self-medicating all his physical and mental pain with a deluge of alcohol and drugs. He is the most mundane kind of evil, tortured by demons he mostly birthed and fed himself. In other words, this turned out to be a very different kind of story than I expected. But by the end of the book, that initial disappointment turned out to be the most interesting aspect of the story, replacing the imaginary monster with a very real, deeply flawed human being. To an adult, that very real descent into mindless, murderous rage is more frightening than any childhood boogeyman. I was provided a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, but I would have bought this one the day it came out, both because I enjoy the author's work and because Speck loomed so large in my childhood. Whether you have a preconceived notion of Speck going in or not, "The Townhouse Murders" is a fascinating account of the making of a mass murderer that is well worth listening to.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Fascinating, Stomach-Turning Evil

Revisado: 12-04-19

This is not the blood-and-gore type of True Crime story that’s full of murders and mayhem, although the 3 murders it details hit me even harder, like a punch in the gut. Instead, it is an amazingly detailed, almost high-definition account of the famous case of Susan Powell’s disappearance and the subsequent murder of her two young boys by their father, who intentionally torched himself, his sons and the family home 3 years later. Just writing those words is heart-wrenching. To its credit, Olsen’s thoughtfully-rendered account of these crimes and the families involved is even more so. It’s impossible not to get caught up in the people and their story as it unfolds, and even though I knew from national news reports at the time how the horrific drama ended, I was totally hooked by the author’s detailed unveiling of the events that led to that unthinkable ending. It’s hard for anyone, let alone a father of two boys like myself, to comprehend the things that Josh Powell did to his family. Olsen never fully explains the “why’s” of it all, although there are plenty of clues in the killer’s past and his family’s history. But by the end of his account I was glad he didn’t try to fit it into a pat, easily digested explanation. It was just the inexplicably evil acts of a shockingly banal, selfish little man. It defies easy explanation.

The narration by Kevin Pierce was excellent, and perfectly suited to the story. It’s a documentarian’s voice — no nonsense, no extraneous emotionality, but with an undertone that conveys the genuinely heartbreaking emotion behind the facts of the case. I requested a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, but I happily would have paid full price for this one. It’s a great True Crime book, meticulously detailed, thoughtfully written and professionally narrated. And I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 10 personas

Evil is the Gift That Keeps On Giving

Revisado: 10-12-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

First, this is a Ryan Green book, so I came into it expecting a fast-paced, psychologically insightful True Crime thriller about a horrifically compelling monster. "Kill 'Em All" proved to be all of that and more. It's the story of brutal serial murderer and rapist, Carl Panzram. What was most interesting to me was the detail and insight Green includes about the constant, indescribable abuse Panzram suffered at a young age, which was almost a primer on "How To Build a Psychopathic Serial Killer from Scratch." It doesn't in any way lessen the horror and senseless brutality of what Panzram did through his entire life, but it put it into a psychological context that is rare in True Crime books about serial killers. The narration, voiced by one of the two regular narrators Green has used in the past, was excellent as usual.

The only criticism I could honestly make about "Kill 'Em All" would also be a sort of backhanded compliment: the 4-hour run time didn't quite feel like enough, given the depth and scope of Panzram's incredible story. I didn't necessarily get the sense that the author left anything out, but by the time I was reading the last few pages I was definitely not ready to leave the story for another book

I was given this book by the author at no charge for an honest review, Over the past few years I've listened to every one of Green's books, and I genuinely loved them all. But this one is way up near the top of the list for me. If you enjoy fast-paced True Crime books, I would bet on "Kill 'Em All" being up near the top of your list as well. Highly recommended.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

A Fascinating Story, Well Told

Revisado: 06-29-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I love True Crime, and have become a big fan of Ryan Green after reading or listening to almost all of his books, Some, like this one, I got in exchange for an honest review, and many others I bought on Audible. Reading the description of this book, I really didn't think Granny Nanny was going to be as interesting as many of his other subjects. But after listening to it in one long session I have to say this book is one of my absolute favorites of his, and Nannie one of his most compelling subjects. Even though she brutally murdered a whole lot of people in cold blood, Nanny Doss doesn't quite fit the literal definition of ether a serial killer or a mass murderer. But she is even more interesting because she doesn't murder strangers or go on wild killing sprees; she murders her own family members, one after the other throughout her entire adult life. Somehow she never seems to run out of husbands, children and other family members to kill, all while managing to make the people around her believe she is a caring, delightful woman who just had bad things happen around her. It would be very hard story to believe in the hands of a less skilled storyteller, but the author rolls out the events in a way that pulls the reader right along with him.

I particularly love the way Green writes from the perspective of the murderer, psychopath or damaged soul that is the subject of any given book --- it is a fairly unique way to approach a true crime story, and it not only keeps the narrative interesting but it gives a rare insight into what makes these damaged, destructive people do what they do. As a result, it tells Nanny Doss' story rather than being a clinical documentary of the events she was involved in, and the casual, easy tone of the narrator heightens that feeling.

All in all it's a fascinating story, well told, in a style that Ryan Green is quickly becoming the master of.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Killers-Eye-View Times Two

Revisado: 05-18-19 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This is yet another fast-paced story about truly awful, deeply fascinating serial killers by Ryan Green, expertly narrated by Steve White. Like most of his other books, "Trust Me" doesn't linger too long on the actual violence and gore that people like this inevitably produce, but finds a way to make the story even more horrifying by delving into the killer's psyche and thought processes. I love True Crime books, and in my experience that "killer's-eye-view" perspective is rare in the genre. Green does it masterfully, and it makes his accounts more personal, visceral and insightful than a lot of True Crime writing. And when the story is about TWO murderers who somehow manage to join forces -- making both each other and their crimes much more horrific in the process --- that internal perspective helps the reader understand the truly unimaginable a little better. After reading scores of stories about heinous human beings and the death and carnage they cause, I am less interested in breathless details of the external, physical carnage they create than I am the carnage inside the killer's mind. Ryan Green does that better than anyone, and "Trust Me" is another fascinating example of it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Enjoyable WWII Crime & Spy Story

Revisado: 04-21-19

This is a briskly-paced, engaging story about Eddie Chapman, a British petty criminal-turned-German spy-turned-double-agent during WWII. I appreciated that the author wasted no time with long passages about Chapman's childhood before pulling us right into the action. Instead; he gives us just enough early detail to understand how and why Chapman got started down the strange, treacherous path that led him to become one of the greatest unheralded legends of WWII. The man's story really is remarkable, and Iron Spy gives you just enough of it to make you want to watch a 3-part BBC mini-series about it. I don't know if they ever made one, but I suddenly very much want to watch it. The writing is precise and workmanlike without flowery descriptions or unnecessary, peripheral details, and the narration was perfectly suited to the material. It left me satisfied but wanting more, and I always appreciate that after reading too many bios that tend to leave you unsatisfied and wanting them to be over. If you're at all interested in true crime or WWI spy stories (and this story ends up being both), Iron Spy is a good bet.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

What a life!!

Revisado: 02-01-19

I don't say "wow" often, but . . . wow. If Fritz Duquesne and his life story were fiction, it might be criticized for being too wildly implausible. If the events in this 3 1/2 hour audio book were made into a movie, it would need to be a trilogy. This very interesting account of one man's incredible lives --- you can't call it "a life," because the next 20 men couldn't live in 20 lifetimes the events this one guy fit into one --- grabbed me from the opening pages, and I swallowed the whole book in one large, satisfied gulp. It is not one of those boat anchor bios that wander across 500 pages and tell you every detail about the subject and everyone they ever met. This is more of a terse docu-thriller, a chronology of a remarkable, complicated and conflicted man told in a journalistic voice, without filler. I found it intriguing that the real-life historical characters you might have previously regarded as "good guys" are often the bad guys in Fritz Duquesne's life, and the titular hero of the story is practically the textbook definition of an anti-hero. In other words, despite the outrageous, impossible things that Duquesne did and had done to him, the story rings true throughout. Because real good guys and bad guys are never all one thing or the other. They're . . . complicated.

If I had one minor complaint, it was that the book was a bit short, and I wanted more detail (although I accept that there may not be much more detail available on a man who spent much of his life in the shadows). But that is also a compliment to the author and the story he told --- I appreciate a writer who can tell a complicated story quickly and leave the reader wishing the story wasn't over. I was a bit put-off by the narration at first, feeling it was perhaps a bit melodramatic and intentionally mellifluous. But I quickly came to appreciate, then genuinely enjoy the narrator's deep, silky voice and intonations. By the end of the book I was a fan of both the author and narrator, in addition to wanting to know everything I could about the man they introduced us to. These are the things that make a book worth 5-stars to me, whether I bought it, received it as a gift, or requested and received a review copy in exchange for an honest review, which is how I came to listen to Anti-Hero. So if the title and description of this book sound as interesting to you as it did to me, give it a try. I believe that initial interest will be richly rewarded.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Interesting Approach to a True Serial Killer Story

Revisado: 06-05-18

I've read (and listened to) a lot of true crime, including many of Ryan Green's other books. But I've never come across a true crime story told in quite the same way Green tells this one, and I found it fascinating. Green not only investigates and reports on the acts of this truly horrific serial killer and seriously bad dude, but he actually INHABITS the killer, telling the story from that unique, disturbing and very interesting perspective. Viewing these events through the killer's eyes also allows the author to fill in a lot of the informational and motivational gaps that -- by its very nature -- limit 3rd person reporting. And that subjective detail added a lot to the narrative. Lots of fiction writers use this kind of 1st person perspective in their storytelling, in part because it deepens and personalizes the narrative. I felt it had the same effect on this true story about a series of terrible rapes and murders in England in the late 70's.

How could the author possibly know what the killer might have been thinking? I don't know. Frankly, while I was listening to this story I really didn't care. Because it is a compelling narrative, horrifying in the most interesting, compulsively readable way, and the 1st person style was a big part of that. I hope more true crime writers use this narrative technique in the future, but only if they can pull it off as seamlessly as this author did in "Sinclair." This audio book was given to me for free at my request, and I provided this voluntary review.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas