imyourmausoleum's reviews
1740 reviews

Her Deadly Web: The True Story of a Former Nurse and the Strange and Suspicious Deaths of Her Two Husbands by Diane Fanning

informative medium-paced

3.0

Raynella Bernardene Large was born in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 1948. Her father was a nuclear scientist, so the family moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where Raynella was raised. She attended school in Oak Ridge, and graduated college with her RN in Nursing. She married the Knox County District Attorney, Ed Dossett, in 1970. Dossett was found dead inside a corral at their home in 1992, and his death was ruled an agricultural accident despite his terminal cancer diagnosis and suspicions of Raynella and his insurance clause. Raynella remarried six months later. Her second husband was a retired barber, David Leath. Leath was discovered dead in the bedroom by Raynella in 2003. Suicide was suspected, but foul play on the part of Raynella was also suspected. This book goes into the investigations into the deaths of both of Raynella's husbands.

This book was particularly interesting to me, because this is the area I am from. I am in Chattanooga, which is about an hour and a half from Knoxville. I have visited Oak Ridge several times, and if you have the change to visit the nuclear history museums there, I suggest you do so. I have been to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg many times and am going up for the day this weekend to see the new Bodies Museum. I am always interested in court cases from places that are known to me. This book was sufficiently detailed and informative about the case. I did look up to see if there had been any new developments since this book was published and there have been. If you plan to read this book, definitely do some post reading research about Raynella.

Forgive Me, Father: A True Story of a Priest, a Nun, and Brutal Murder by John Glatt

informative medium-paced

3.0

 Sister Margaret Ann Pahl was a nun that belonged to the Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic religious order for women. Pahl was found murdered in the sacristy of the chapel in the hospital where she worked. She had been stabbed 31 times, nine of those times created the shape of an inverted cross. She was also believed to have been sexually assaulted. At the time of her death, she was 71 years old. The priest in charge of the chapel and ministry to those in the hospital said her funeral mass. He was questioned in the murder, and later arrested for the murder. This book details the murder of Pahl and the investigation of Father Gerald Robinson.

Overall, this was a really interesting book. It was well written, and the research was on par. I am a pretty good fan of John Glatt books, so I expected to like this one. I was not disappointed in it. I am disappointed in religious people. Organized religion is not my thing by any stretch of the imagination, and it's always people like this that you are supposed to respect and listen to. No, thank you. They get up to too much nonsense and then try to defend the people who are out here abusing children and killing nuns. Hard pass for me. 

Exploration Fawcett: Journey to the Lost City of Z by Percy Fawcett

reflective medium-paced

3.0

 Percy Harrison Fawcett was a British explorer who attempted to find The Lost City of Z, as he called it. This location was supposedly a complex society of indigenous peoples that built a massive city, complete with homes, shops, and religious buildings. He was certain this place was located in the Amazon in Brazil. This book detailed his explorations, including some hardships that would have sent me packing back to my house. He was supported by the British government until the outbreak of World War I, when they pulled funding to support the war effort. After that, he raised his own money and privately funded his exploits. While he never found what he was looking for, modern day archaeology suggests that he was correct in his assumption that complex societies existed in the Amazon.

Interestingly, this expedition is the motivation for the Indiana Jones book about the Seven Veils. I would like to read a biography about Fawcett, but it was interesting to read his own thoughts and words in this book.

Koresh: The True Story of David Koresh and the Tragedy at Waco by Stephan Talty

informative medium-paced

3.0

 David Koresh was born Vernon Wayne Howell in 1959. He became the cult leader of the Branch Davidians. This cult was an apocalyptic cult, teaching about Revelations and end times. He and his followers obtained property in Mount Caramel, just outside of Waco, Texas. He had multiple children with his followers and engaged in inappropriate conduct with females of various ages. He faced multiple allegations of abuse. This book went into a deep dive about the upbringing of Koresh and how he became involved with this cult before assuming the leadership role. It provided a lot of details about his time leading this cult and about the events surrounding the siege and assault by federal forces. Overall, this was a good book and very detailed. 

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

medium-paced

3.0

This book discusses the 1854 Broad Street Cholera Outbreak that occurred in Soho, London, England. This particular area was not known for sanitation and cleanliness, with slaughterhouses, meat shops, animals, and human waste being tossed into gutters. Cellars often had open cesspools under their floorboards, adding to the risk of contamination and stench. Sewage and other waste was dumped into the Thames River, further contaminating the water supply. Several similar outbreaks had occurred before this, killing almost 15,000 people. This particular outbreak killed over 600. John Snow, an English doctor and proponent of germ theory and medical hygiene was able to trace the outbreak and prove what was causing it. This was a huge scientific breakthrough at the time.

This book was required reading for my Physical Science class. I had read most of the book, but just got around to finishing it up. It was really interesting to see how they were able to figure out where the outbreak originated and what caused it. Knowing this changed the way people disposed of things and their cleanliness in general. There is a pub named after John Snow close to where the outbreak originated. They also installed a commemorative brick and replica water pump near the site of the original outbreak well. If you happen to be in the area, that would be a neat thing to check out.

Deadly Angel: The Bizarre True Story of Alaska's Killer Stripper by Fred Rosen

informative medium-paced

3.0

 

On May 2, 1996, the body of Kent Leppink washed ashore in Alaska. The investigation led back to a romantic interest of his, a stripper at an establishment he frequented, named Mechele Linehan. Leppink had proposed to Linehan at one point, along with another man. Police were suspicious of the other man and Linehan, based on interviews and witness statements. This book covers the investigation and trial of Linehan, but I won't give too much away if you are unfamiliar with this case. This case was featured on both Dateline and 48 Hours.

I thought the book offered plenty of details about the investigation and trial, as well as information about the victim. I have a stack of Fred Rosen books to get through, and am decently pleased with how this one was written and researched.

 

Justice Under the Rubble: The Salvation Army Building Collapse by Andrew Stern, George Anastasia

informative fast-paced

3.0

 

The Pennsylvania Salvation Army building was located on Market Street. This building housed a thrift store on the ground floors that was frequented by many people each day. On June 5, 2013, the building was full of shoppers when the adjacent building under demolition collapsed onto the Salvation Army building. Seven people died and fourteen more were injured in the collapse. As one can imagine, shock and outrage poured in for the handling of the demolition that caused this disaster. The suicide of the building inspector, who publicly felt tremendous guilt over his failures, and the subsequent legal proceedings are outlined in this book. I was twenty something years old when this happened and never heard of it. If you are interested in disasters, especially those that happened in the last 20 years, you may think about checking this book out.

 

Confidential Confidential: The Inside Story of Hollywood's Notorious Scandal Magazine by Samantha Barbas

informative medium-paced

3.0

 

Confidential magazine was founded in the 1950s by Robert Harrison. This magazine is often considered the blueprint for celebrity gossip. People, In Touch, National Enquirer, and TMZ are some of the more modern versions of this magazine. I have to admit that I was taken in with these types of magazines in the grocery store checkout when I was a teenager. Now, I think they are trash magazines that intrude into people's lives. I never really considered the history of magazines like this before, but the book seemed interesting and was available to listen to for free on Audible Plus. Worth checking out if you are into this type of thing.

 

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang

informative slow-paced

3.0

Fair warning to anyone who plans to read this book: it ends in 2001. There has been a loooootttt of goings on in the hip-hop world since 2001. I wish I had an updated book, or a part two. I learned a lot about hip-hop and some key people throughout the history of it. This is not my type of music or my subculture, but it was neat to learn about, especially during Black History Month.

Cornwallis: Soldier and Statesman in a Revolutionary World by C. Richard Middleton

informative slow-paced

3.0

Charles Edward Cornwallis V was born in England in 1738. He was the eldest son of Charles Cornwallis, 5th Baron Cornwallis. His mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, and niece of Sir Robert Walpole. His uncle, Frederick, was Archbishop of Canterbury. His brother was the founder of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cornwallis attended both Eton and Clare Colleges before entering the military. He also became involved in politics, serving as a Member of Parliament and in the House of Lords. Cornwallis would go on to become a prominent figure in the American War of Independence. He got information from Benedict Arnold, ultimately surrendering to George Washington. After the war, he became Governor General of India, where he wound up dying.

This book was expansive on the life and career of Cornwallis. I have had this book on my Audible wish list for some time. I am glad I was finally able to get it and listen to it. I learned a lot about Cornwallis as a person and the thought behind his decisions and tactics. If you are interested in the Revolutionary War, I think this is a great book to add to your collection.