imyourmausoleum's reviews
1732 reviews

The Deadly Don: Vito Genovese, Mafia Boss by Anthony M. DeStefano

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Vito Genovese was born in Italy in 1897. He immigrated to the United States in 1913, at the age of fifteen. Genovese got involved in street crime in Little Italy pretty much immediately. He would go on to work for Guiseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria, the leader of the crime family he would one day lead. He was cohorts with Lucky Luciano and several other well-known names in organized crime. This book outlined his life and criminal career. The book was really well done, properly researched, and written by an investigative journalist who can keep a reader's attention. 

A Deadly Secret: The Strange Disappearance Of Kathie Durst by Matt Birkbeck

informative medium-paced

3.0

Robert Durst was born in New York in 1943. His father was Seymour Durst, a real estate mogul. His mother died by suicide when he was seven. Robert was passed over for inheritance of the family business in favor of his younger brother, which upset him greatly. His wife, Kathleen McCormack went missing and there was much speculation and investigation into her disappearance. Prior to her disappearance, she had been seen by a doctor for facial injuries. She told a friend that she was being beaten by Durst, though she declined to involve police. Not long after she went missing, Durst disposed of her possessions in the trash compactor of their building. He divorced her eight years after she went missing, citing spousal abandonment, but was later charged with her murder. His friend, Susan Berman, publicly defended him amidst speculation about Kathleen, and later found herself murdered as well. A neighbor, Morris Black, also went missing and was found dismembered and Durst in possession of some items belonging to Black.

This book covers the police investigations into Kathleen McCormack, Susan Berman, and Morris Black. The trials of Robert Durst were pretty high profile, so many people are probably familiar with them. I will refrain from commenting on them in case there is someone unfamiliar who is really interested in reading this book to learn about them. I vaguely recall the case being in the news when it originally happened, but I mostly remember Robert Durst from when he was in court trying to get out of trouble because he had contracted Covid. At any rate, this book was pretty good and offered some really interesting information that I was previously unaware of.

Dancing with Death: The True Story of a Glamorous Showgirl, her Wealthy Husband, and a Horrifying Murder by Shanna Hogan

informative medium-paced

3.0

 

Marjorie Orbin was born in Nevada in 1969. Orbin was a Las Vegas Showgirl that had married Jay Orbin, a jeweler. Orbin had been having affairs with several men prior to murdering her husband on or about his 45th birthday. Orbin disposed of the body in a pretty gruesome way, in an effort to hide evidence and inherit his money.

This book outlined the investigation and trial. This case was featured on the show Betrayed on the ID Channel, so if you are a fan of that, you would probably like this book. I had not heard of the case prior to reading this book, but it was interesting.

 

On the Farm by Stevie Cameron

informative slow-paced

3.0

 Robert William Pickton was born in British Columbia, Canada in 1949. He dropped out of school and began working at his family's pig farm. After his parents died, he inherited the farm and continued working it with his siblings. They sold off substantial portions of the farm, and then began running bizarre raves out there, attracting the attention of police. Police would eventually raid the farm looking for illegal weapons and drugs, and would eventually uncover the murders of several women. Pickton eventually confessed to 49 murders, though he was not convicted with that many. It is believed that there were probably more than 49 murdered women, mostly sex workers and Indigenous women.

This book was extremely detailed about Pickton and his life and case. This book is also part of the reading list for The Last Podcast on the Left, for any of you who still listen to that. The book was something like 700 pages, so buckle up if you plan to read it. Sex workers are extremely likely to meet a violent end, and this is a good example of what can happen when you are having to work on the street to survive. This also brings attention to the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous woman. Indigenous women, especially those in sex work, are often overlooked despite going missing at an alarming rate. I strongly suggest looking into MMIW and seeing how you can help support the cause. 

The Corpse Garden: The Crimes of Fred and Rose West by Colin Wilson

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Fred West was born in England in 1941. He grew up poor and not well educated. He claimed that he was sexually abused by his mother, that his father sexually abused his sisters, and that he engaged in bestiality. His brother has strongly denied the truth in those claims. He did suffer from head trauma from a motorcycle accident that left him with odd behavior and prone to fits of rage. He was eventually disowned by his family for raping and impregnating his sister. Fred married Catherine Costello in 1962, though that marriage did not work out. He married his second wife, Rosemary, in 1972. Together, they would engage in the rape, bondage, torture, and mutilation of at least 12 young women.

If you are a fan of The Last Podcast on the Left, this book is on the suggested reading list. The book was sufficiently detailed about the couple and their crimes. I looked to see if Rose had died yet, and she is still alive and imprisoned in the UK. This book had plenty of details, so if crimes involving the aforementioned topics bother you, you may want to steer clear of this book. Otherwise, it was decent. 

Dear Dawn: Aileen Wuornos in Her Own Words, 1991-2002 by Aileen Wuornos

reflective slow-paced

3.0

Aileen Carol Pittman was born in Michigan in 1956. Her father was 18 and her mother was 14 when they married, with Aileen being born when her mother was 16. Aileen never met her father, who was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and raping a 7-year-old girl. During his time in prison, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and died by suicide. Aileen began engaging in sexual activity when she was 11 years old, blaming that on sexual abuse by her grandfather that she lived with. She gave birth in a home for unwed mothers at age 14. She was thrown out of her grandparents' house at age 15, where she began supporting herself through sex work. Eventually, she moved on to petty crimes and other troubles. She graduated to murder, killing 7 men in a year.

This book is compiled of letters written to Aileen's friend, Dawn. Aileen approved of everything submitted to this book. It is interested to read the thoughts of someone who committed some pretty heinous acts. This book is probably a dream for criminologists and others. If you are still a fan of The Last Podcast on the Left, this book is on the reading list. If you want to read this, please understand that Aileen was not extremely well educated, thus there are A LOT of spelling and grammar issues. She also spends a lot of time obsessing over nonsense and real (or imagined) injustices done to her by anyone who she came into contact with. I think the book is valuable for several reasons: inside look at a convicted killer's train of thought and feelings, a reminder that sex work is something that many people resort to and it is often dangerous, a reminder that women are often abused and mistreated, a reminder that children are often abused and mistreated, and support for environmental factors contributing to a person's distress and actions.

The Little Old Lady Killer: The Sensationalized Crimes of Mexico's First Female Serial Killer by Susana Vargas Cervantes

informative medium-paced

3.0

Juana Dayanara Barraza Samperio was born in Mexico in 1957. Samperio is reported to have had a very traumatic childhood, with an alcoholic mother who sold her to a rapist for beer. While that does not excuse her actions, it certainly cannot have helped her criminal disposition. Samperio was a professional wrestler, wrestling with a mask and under the name La Dama del Silencio. (The Lady of Silence). Samperio targeted elderly women, typically around age sixty, often those who lived alone. She beat them to death and robbed them. The investigation is outlined in this book, and was pretty complicated.

If you are a fan of The Last Podcast On The Left, this book is on the reading list for that podcast. Her case was also "ripped from the headlines" and used in an episode of Criminal Minds. Her case was also featured on Deadly Women. The book was decent and informative about the case.

Ma Barker: America's Most Wanted Mother by Chris Enss, Howard Kazanjian

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Arizona Donnie Clark was born in Missouri in 1873. Arizona went by a host of alias during her life of crime and is now most famously known as Ma Barker. Barker married George Barker in 1892. The couple had four sons: Herman, Lloyd, Arthur, and Fred. The family were considerably poor, with basically no education. They resorted to odd jobs and a life of crime to make ends meet. Barker would become known as the ruthless matriarch of the family, becoming involved in the Barker-Karpis Gang. This book outlines Barker's criminal activities, which were pretty wild for the 1920s and 1930s. I learned a great deal from this book.

I have the Audible version, but if you are interested in a physical copy, it is just under 300 pages. I thought the book was tremendously well researched and informative. If you are interested in the Public Enemies era of gangs, this book would be one that you would likely be interested in. 

The Lost Girls: The True Story of the Cleveland Abductions and the Incredible Rescue of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus by John Glatt

informative medium-paced

3.0

 This book discusses the abduction and captivity of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus by the abhorrent person known as Ariel Castro. These crimes occurred in Cleveland, Ohio. I have read books by the surviving women, and thus did not learn many more details I had not heard. The book, however, was well done. I bought several books by this author, and this was one of them. If you are interested in this case, it is comprehensive enough while retaining the interest of the reader. 

The Soong Sisters by Emily Hahn

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Soong Ai-ling, Soong Ching-ling, and Soong Mei-ling were the daughters of Charlie Soong, a converted Christian missionary. He gave up missionary work due to lack of support and financing and became a successful businessman who printed Bibles. He enrolled his daughters in Methodist schools, providing them with both education and religious indoctrination. Ching-ling and Mei-ling was among the first government-funded female Chinese students to study in the United States. All three sisters married successful men and became very influential in politics and the community. This book was really interesting and detailed many facts about their lives and interests. I had never heard of these women before but found this book on sale and gave it a shot.