Bone Deep by Charles Bosworth and Joel Schwartz

Monday, 14 February 2022

Bone Deep

by Charles Bosworth; Joel Schwartz

Narrated by Gary Bennett

Publisher Tantor Audio

Publication Date: 22 February 2022

Unabridged Audiobook

Audiobook kindly provided by Tantor Audio via NetGalley

Publisher's Summary
Two days after Christmas, 2011, Russel Faria returned to his Troy, Missouri, home to find his wife, Betsy, dead, a knife still lodged in her neck. She had been stabbed 55 times in a brutal murder that would set off a chain of events leading to one man's wrongful conviction and imprisonment, another man's death, the revelation of a diabolical scheme, and an astounding miscarriage of justice left unresolved for another 10 years.
First responders concluded that Betsy was dead for hours when Russ discovered her. No blood was found implicating Russ, and surveillance video, receipts, and friends' testimony all supported his alibi. Yet incredibly, police and the prosecuting attorney ignored the evidence. In their minds, Russ was guilty. But prominent defence attorney Joel J. Schwartz quickly recognised the real killer.
The motive was clear. Days before her murder, the terminally ill Betsy replaced her husband with her friend, Pamela Hupp, as her life insurance beneficiary. Still, despite the prosecution's flimsy case and Hupp's transparent lies, Russ was convicted - leaving Hupp free to kill again. Bone Deep takes listeners through the perfect storm of miscalculations and missteps that led to an innocent man's conviction-and recounts Schwartz's successful battle to have that conviction overturned.
©2022 Charles Bosworth Jr. (P)2022 Tantor

What to say? If, like me, you listen to this never having heard of Betsy and Russel Faria, you certainly won't want too many spoilers. However, if you have read the summary you will at least be aware that Russ is innocent of this awful crime.

The whole thing reads like an outlandish fictional detective story, one in which the reader would likely find the plot to be quite unbelievable, one has to keep in mind that yes, this really did happen! Betsy was brutally murdered and Russ was convicted of this dreadful crime

How this all came to be, how it all turned so bad for Russ makes for a compelling read, but, what is more unbelievable is the prosecutions train of thought.

Just to make the situation even stranger than fiction is how events unfolded to prove Russ Faria to be innocent.

If you love True Crime then this is for you!

Narrated by Gary Bennett, the only part of the narration I found a bit tedious was the first part, the initial interview of Russ, however, not the fault of the narrator, just the way the story was written

Charles Bosworth is a True Crime author and Joel Schwartz the criminal defence attorney

True Crime: The Wicked West of Cromwell Street

Thursday, 11 February 2016

Written by: Jack Smith

Narrated by: John N Gully

Length: 1 hr and 47 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:12-28-15

Publisher: Kemah Bay Marketing LLC

Genre: True Crime,

Audible

5 STARS

Publishers Summary

What Fred and Rose West did for decades before getting caught in their house on 25 Cromwell Street, nicknamed the "House of Horrors", goes beyond anything anyone could ever imagine....

As a society we are fascinated by murder. It is a constant theme throughout much of our media, and many news outlets will prioritize a murderous story, knowing that it will enthrall audiences. There is something about those who decide to take a life that makes them so incredibly interesting to the rest of us.

While many of the most famous murderers are known across the world, there are those whose crimes are relatively less known. One of the strangest stories involves the married couple Fred and Rose West. Together they killed. Up until the time they were caught, they engaged in a string of murders, each motivated by hate, jealousy, passion, and a fundamental lack of morals.

In this audiobook, we will go in depth and learn about the history of the murderers. We will examine Fred and Rose's early lives, their relationship, and their personalities and will ultimately try to discover what it was that drove them to become two of the most notorious killers in the history of the British Isles. Though their crimes made front-page news at the time, few people outside of the country know the extent of their criminality. In this book we will learn exactly what made their killings so infamous.

For those who are in any way interested in the depths of human morality, the Wests represent some of the most depraved and sadistic murderers ever to have lived. Not only did they prey on unsuspecting young girls, but their attentions were even turned toward their own daughters. In a case involving kidnap, rape, and murder, Fred and Rose went beyond the realms of what many of us consider possible as people. Listen to learn exactly what drove Fred and Rose West to become two of history's greatest monsters.

©2015 Jack Smith (P)2015 Jack Smith and Maplewood Publishing

My Review

This is True Crime and as such, is a very difficult listen. That two people could inflict such unutterable pain, terror and degradation upon their victims before eventually murdering them is just beyond comprehension.

I well remember the impact this had on people when every day yet another body would be found, every day a new atrocity exposed, it seemed endless.

This is a short account, but I thought the book to be well written, it's a comprehensive review of all the components of the case, the life stories of those two flawed characters, how they met and how their deviant lives developed. Of course, there's nothing new, but how can there be? It's history now, and for those interested, here are all the facts brought together. I appreciate how the author sticks to what has been reported, no amateur psychological profiling, and no embellishments. I'm more accustomed to reading and reviewing fiction, but in my opinion, within its genre, this deserves 5 stars, but be warned, it's not for the faint hearted.

Narrator

John N. Gully narrated this awful story in the only acceptable way, and that is by using a reporter style, It would not be possible to listen to the evil activities and the suffering of real victims if the narration were infused with emotion. Excellent job.

Audiobook provided by narrator in exchange for an honest review

The Casanova Killer

Thursday, 31 December 2015

Written by Jack Smith

Narrated by John N. Gully

Length: 1 hour 29 minutes

Unabridged Audiobook

Released 2/11/15

Published by Kemah Bay Marketing LLC

Available from Audible

Publishers Summary

"Paul John Knowles, nicknamed the Casanova Killer, went on a four-month killing spree in 1974. He still remains one of the lesser known serial killers of his generation. Learn all about this psychopath who wanted fame before his life ended.

November 7, 1974

As she entered her home in Milledgeville, Georgia, all Ellen Carr probably had on her mind was going to bed. She was a registered nurse who worked a night shift, and although her small family welcomed the money, the job was a demanding one.

Inside, the house was unnaturally quiet. She found that odd. Her husband, 45-year-old businessman Carswell Carr, and 15-year-old daughter, Amanda, usually greeted her when she came home from the hospital.

That wasn't the only sign that something was seriously amiss. As an investigator later put it, "The [place] looked as if it had been attacked by an animal." Mirrors were smashed. Slashed furniture lay everywhere, some of it in pieces. Books from the bookshelves littered the floor.

Had they been robbed? Where were Carswell and Mandy? Heart pounding, Mrs. Carr ran from room to room, calling out. Minutes later, she was back outside, screaming hysterically. Neighbors called the police to what was obviously the scene of gruesome double ........

My Review

At around 1/12 hours in length this is obviously not an in-depth study of these horrendous murders, nor does it delve deeply into the possible causes of psychopathy. What is though is an almost detached rendering of the basic facts. Facts which are quite shocking to read or to listen to. I'm surprised that I had no prior knowledge of this killer who, despite his terrible acts of violence, somehow escaped the notoriety of other serial killers.

I mostly read crime fiction and, whilst listening to this I realised I had to change my listening mode, I had to stop allowing this information to merely flow through my head, bypassing the deeper thought processes, it dawned on me: this stuff is real! A human being actually did this to another human being! Once this thought sinks in, well, that's when it becomes a little harrowing, especially so when this man, this fellow member of the human race, committed these crimes for his own pleasure. Best not to attempt to understand why.

I like the way this book is written, it gives us the bare facts, dig deeper if you will.

Narrator

Narrated by John N. Gully, and what a darned good job he made of it too. He has a pleasant, easy to listen to and clear voice and related this account of the crimes of Paul John Knowles in exactly the right manner.

It would have been easy to spoil the narration by using a news reporter or advertising voiceover style, I'm so pleased he avoided this through his use of a professional and dignified approach