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xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
This book is about a deacon from Florida, who liked killing prostitutes in his spare time. People from church are supposed to be the ones living the sin free life and setting a welcoming example for everyone around them...unfortunately, there are some who really make a bad name for themselves and their religious organizations. This book was a pretty decent read, and I appreciated the presentation of facts.
corncobwebs's review against another edition
I'm fascinated by the idea of people who are virtuous on the outside but evil on the inside. That's why I love this music video. This book follows a man who was a devout church-goer, yet often employed prostitutes (unbeknownst to his wife of 20+ years). His apparent sex addiction and sociopathic nature eventually led him to brutally murder 3 women. The murders were unspeakably cruel, but the part that bothered me the most was how Smithers was incredulous that his wife filed for divorce after his imprisonment. He acted hurt that she would "do this to us," yet he was one who slept with other women and then murdered them! That he would blame his wife in this scenario is infuriating beyond belief.
The writing is never great in Fred Rosen's books, but I will say that he does a good job of making legal proceedings understandable to the lay person. I feel like I have a better grasp on how our justice system works from reading his books. It was also interesting reading this book after [b:Lobster Boy: The Bizarre Life and Brutal Death of Grady Stiles Jr.|424029|Lobster Boy The Bizarre Life and Brutal Death of Grady Stiles Jr.|Fred Rosen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1174617586s/424029.jpg|2982624], since both crimes took place in Florida and therefore involved some of the same attorneys and detectives.
This book also made me think about where I stand on the death penalty. Just thinking about it as a concept, I don't agree with it. "An eye for an eye" seems like a vindictive, unenlightened way to live. But then when you look at a specific case where the crimes are heinous and cruel, it's hard not to want the guilty party to suffer the ultimate consequence. Especially in this case, where Smithers apparently had no grasp on the gravity of his crimes or a sense of responsibility or remorse for what he'd done. As of this writing, I believe he's still on death row (16 years after his sentencing), and I can't say I'll be sad when he finally gets the chop, so to speak.
The writing is never great in Fred Rosen's books, but I will say that he does a good job of making legal proceedings understandable to the lay person. I feel like I have a better grasp on how our justice system works from reading his books. It was also interesting reading this book after [b:Lobster Boy: The Bizarre Life and Brutal Death of Grady Stiles Jr.|424029|Lobster Boy The Bizarre Life and Brutal Death of Grady Stiles Jr.|Fred Rosen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1174617586s/424029.jpg|2982624], since both crimes took place in Florida and therefore involved some of the same attorneys and detectives.
This book also made me think about where I stand on the death penalty. Just thinking about it as a concept, I don't agree with it. "An eye for an eye" seems like a vindictive, unenlightened way to live. But then when you look at a specific case where the crimes are heinous and cruel, it's hard not to want the guilty party to suffer the ultimate consequence. Especially in this case, where Smithers apparently had no grasp on the gravity of his crimes or a sense of responsibility or remorse for what he'd done. As of this writing, I believe he's still on death row (16 years after his sentencing), and I can't say I'll be sad when he finally gets the chop, so to speak.
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