Marvin J. Wolf

This was a lightning fast and interesting read about a family torn apart by money, greed, corruption, lies, jealousy, and unbridled anger. I thought it was a well-researched and well-written (save for some noticeable typos in the Kindle edition) true-crime book that did not get bogged down in irrelevant details. The author paints the main characters (including one of the murder victims) in a largely unflattering light and does an excellent job explaining the on-again, off-again relationship show more between a scumbag father and the sons he molded into equally disgusting scumbags. One of the murder victims, Vera Woodman, was a mostly sympathetic character, and I found myself alternating between thinking she should have left her husband and feeling sorry for the predicament she was in. If nothing else, this book is a lesson on how to NOT conduct family affairs and a reminder that with wealth comes a responsibility to use it wisely and not as a tool for lording power over other people. This is a solid book for readers of true crime, and it is somewhat unique among true-crime books in that you will find yourself absolutely loathing one of the victims. (This has not been my experience with other true crime books.) show less

This was a lightning fast and interesting read about a family torn apart by money, greed, corruption, lies, jealousy, and unbridled anger. I thought it was a well-researched and well-written (save for some noticeable typos in the Kindle edition) true-crime book that did not get bogged down in irrelevant details. The author paints the main characters (including one of the murder victims) in a largely unflattering light and does an excellent job explaining the on-again, off-again relationship show more between a scumbag father and the sons he molded into equally disgusting scumbags. One of the murder victims, Vera Woodman, was a mostly sympathetic character, and I found myself alternating between thinking she should have left her husband and feeling sorry for the predicament she was in. If nothing else, this book is a lesson on how to NOT conduct family affairs and a reminder that with wealth comes a responsibility to use it wisely and not as a tool for lording power over other people. This is a solid book for readers of true crime, and it is somewhat unique among true-crime books in that you will find yourself absolutely loathing one of the victims. (This has not been my experience with other true crime books.) show less

Although Wolf does not write with the polish or immediacy of Ann Rule (and he could have used a more assured editor), the story here is interesting. This family embodies the term "dysfunctional" in a hundred ways. I feel sorry for the succeeding generations if they don't get a handle on the myriad problems their family psyche contains.

A nice true crime compendium. Each short telling concludes with one or more map locations in case you want to make a grisly road trip.

The tales are chronological from a failed burglary caper that was the State of California's first crime in 1847 to the 1983 murder of Vicki Morgan; prostitute and dominatrix to business and political elite circling around the Ronald Reagan "kitchen cabinet".

Other high points include Walburga Oesterreich's bizarre 10-year affair with attic-dwelling Otto show more Sanhuber in her own homes plural. Then there is the downfall and Detroit suicide of boxed Kid McCoy who these authors are convinced gave birth to the phrase "The Real McCoy". In researching the murder of Marion Parker, the authors uncover a ghost story, so that is cool. Women are perpetrators here, too, like "Tiger Woman" Clara Phillips. Also standing out is the sad and pointless death of Carl Switzer, known for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as Alfalfa. show less