CLEWS The Historic True Crime Blog

CLEWS Interviews True Crime Author Caitlin Rother

Art and life blend in curious ways in the work of Patricia Cornwell, bestselling mystery fiction and historic true crime author. Whether she's boldly claiming to tear the veil from Jack the Ripper (stop it! I liked that book!) or penning another bestseller about a werewolf slash serial killer, she's managed to keep us mesmerized with her stories for the better part of two decades.

A new book by fellow mystery & true crime author Caitlin Rother about Patricia Cornwell now promises to reveal the non-fiction chapters from Cornwell's remarkably exciting real life. The book is Twisted Triangle: A Famous Crime Writer, a Lesbian Love Affair, and the FBI Husband's Violent Revenge, which just about says it all. Something tells me a lot of true crime and mystery fans will get around to reading this one, and they won't be disappointed; a sneak peek at the first chapter shows off terse, tense prose from an obviously experienced writer who knows a thing or two about how to induce readers to flip pages.

This is the third book by author Caitlin Rother, who has several years of journalism experience - and a Pulitzer nomination to go with it. Her first book was suspense fiction, Naked Addiction; her first true crime title was Poisoned Love, which chronicled the case of black widow Kristin Rossum. The author also shares a literary agent with me - Rick Broadhead, bless his heart.

With Twisted Triangle hitting the bookstores now, CLEWS had a chance to ask the author a few questions about her books and literary tastes. Here's our Q&A. 

Q. So you've read and enjoyed Patricia Cornwell's thrillers (so have I, despite an uneven quality - but when she's good, etc.). How did it inform your writing of this curious chapter of her life?

I read and enjoyed Cornwell's early books back in the 1990s. At the time, I was working my way up the ladder at a series of newspapers in Southern California and was also writing (and rewriting) my first novel, Naked Addiction. But I didn't know Cornwell was a lesbian until I read the Vanity Fair story in 1997, where she talked in some depth for the first time about her affair with Margo Bennett.

By then, I was in San Diego and was still working on the novel. I realized how much of themselves writers end up weaving into their characters and how much they need to know what they're writing about to create verisimilitude. Sometimes I would do things and tell myself, "If this goes sideways, I can always use it in my novel." I have to wonder if Cornwell did the same thing, given that there are parallels between her life and her characters' -- the most obvious being Dr. Kay Scarpetta's affair with a married FBI agent and Scarpetta's niece Lucy being a lesbian -- but there were others I didn't learn about until I started interviewing Margo in 2005. I learned more by interviewing Ed Sulzbach, a mutual friend of Cornwell's and Margo's, a former FBI profiler I quote in Twisted Triangle. Ed told me Cornwell drew from him to create two of her primary male characters, Benton Wesley and Pete Marino. It sent a chill up my spine to hear Marino in Ed's voice as he talked.

Q. Did Ms. Cornwell or anyone close to her have anything to say about your book? And how is it that you managed to convince Margo Bennett to share the story with the wider world?

We made a series of requests to interview Cornwell made through the office of Esther Newberg, Cornwell's agent in New York -- first by my collaborator, John Hess, then by Margo, and then by me -- but all were declined.

I just read an article in the London Times in which the writer paraphrased Cornwell's sentiment that my book was a "last ditch money-making venture," (these are the writer's words). I assume Cornwell was referring to a venture by Margo.

So, this is a good time to point out that Margo has never been the one pushing this project. It started with her good friend John Hess, and then I took over from there. Margo is not a party to the contract with Wiley, her name isn't on the cover of the book, and Wiley isn't paying her a dime. She simply agreed with John and me that this was a story that needed to be told.

Twisted Triangle is the story of a kidnapping, an attempted murder, and a lesbian love triangle involving Cornwell and two married FBI agents, Margo and her husband Gene. It is also a tale of Margo's struggle, survival and triumph over her husband's abuse and an inner battle over her own sexuality. As such, she is hoping that it will help inspire others who are in abusive relationships and are living in denial about their sexuality.

Her participation has nothing to do with her interactions with Cornwell and she's never said a bad word about her. John Hess is the one who persuaded Margo to tell her story, and after I got hooked up with the project, she and I developed a relationship of our own. As I earned more of her trust, she opened up and told me things she said she'd never even told members of her family or friends. I admire her and feel she was very brave in telling me all of this, especially now that it's in a book for anyone to read. But she thinks there is a greater good to be served and that's what gave her the strength to tell it. I feel honored that she has said I got to know her so well that I could anticipate what she was going to say and could articulate what her feelings were going to be in a given situation.

Q. After writing the Kristin Rossum - Gregory De Villers story (Poisoned Love), your well-reviewed fiction work Naked Addiction, and now Twisted Triangle, what will your next book be about?

I have just finished my next book, which is called BODY PARTS, and is set to be released by Kensington/Pinnacle in March 2009. It chronicles the story of serial killer Wayne Adam Ford, a long-haul trucker who killed four women and dismembered two of them. This is a much darker story than any of my previous books. I was able to get exclusive interviews with his brother and father, and access to all kinds of investigative documents and interview transcripts of Ford and witnesses that weren't available to the public until now. I chose this case because it fit my usual fare of psychologically-based stories and I saw Ford as a very complex character whose evolution into a serial killer would be fascinating to follow. I was intrigued by the fact that he turned himself in with a woman's breast in his pocket, cried throughout his interviews and said he was sorry. He confessed that he must have killed these women during sex and erotic asphyxia, but he claimed their deaths were accidental and he couldn't or wouldn't talk about the specific details, claiming amnesia. He is now on Death Row.

My next project will be the sequel to my first thriller, Naked Addiction. I need a little levity after spending a very dark year in the head of a serial killer. I've been following a number of other true crime cases, but I'll stay mum on that until I pick one.

Q. How old were you when you read your first true crime book, and what was it?

Strictly true crime, I'd say I was 30 when I read my first book: Murderer With A Badge by Edward Humes. But before that, I was more a fan of true crime stories in magazines like New York and Vanity Fair. And because I tend to choose to tell true crime stories with a strong psychological angle, I feel I should also mention Sybil, which I think it fits into this category because of the horrible things her mother did to her and how that trauma manifested itself. I read that in my late twenties, when I was just a young reporter.

I sort of backed into writing for this genre because my original goal was to write crime fiction, which I finally was able to publish last year -- my thriller Naked Addiction. So for years, I was reading forensic, medical and legal thrillers by Patricia Cornwell, Michael Palmer, Michael Crichton and John Grisham and detective novels by Michael Connelly, and I believe that helped me when I started write true crime later on. I believe the storytelling, suspense and character-building are just as important as the facts of the story, so in addition to thrillers, I have always read quite a bit of literary fiction. I don't have one favorite author of all time, but here are a few of my current favorites: Vladimir Nabokov, John Irving, Ann Patchett and Michael Connelly.

What is the most memorable true crime book you ever read?

Most memorable true crime books: And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce Henderson, Mind Hunter by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker and Always In Our Hearts by Doug Most.

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CLEWS Interviews True Crime Author Paula Uruburu

The deadly jealousy involving Stanford White, Evelyn Nesbit, and Harry Thaw has been immortalized in countless articles and books - and now there is another for the bookshelves that promises a new take on the famous scandal that climaxed in a rooftop garden.

The author is Paula Uruburu, who describes herself as "a devoted true crime fan." This time, the author promises to offer us a hard look, in words and photos, at the apex of the love triangle.

Other authors already sing the praises of this new book. Harold Schechter, one of my favorite living authors, calls it "a tour de force of historical crime writing." Karen Abbott, who wrote Sin in the Second City, calls the book a meticulously researched study of a case that had it all. Satan's Circus author Mike Dash calls it a "trumph."

CLEWS recently had a chance to put a few questions to the author, who was gracious enough to provide a piquant, meaty answer. Here is our Q&A about her book, American Eve [Amazon; B&N].

Q. Does your book offer anything genuinely new about the case?

Paula Uruburu: Evelyn and the murder of Stanford White resurface every decade or so, although most recent memories probably only go back as far as Joan Collins' movie from 1955 The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (visually impressive, quaint and utterly silly for the most part.)

The two most recent books that deal with the topic (but which are obviously focused on Stanford White) are Paul Baker's biography Stanny (a decade old) and Suzannah Lessard's personal memoir about how White's life and legacy affected her and her family, Architect of Desire. Neither book devotes much space to the murder and subsequent trial whereas my book devotes five chapters to the subject, which offers a more detailed and expanded cultural context with Evelyn Nesbit as the focus, as well as information and insights from never-before published personal letters, personal interviews with Evelyn's family, a decade of research into the trial using a wealth of material from newspapers of the time and the original trial transcript.

I also include 50 photos, a number of which are trial-related. E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime, published in 1975, is a brilliant book but of course fictional and the Thaw murder case is one part of its much larger tapestry depicting the era.

There was a book written in the early 70's by Michael MacDonald Mooney that was absolutely awful in my opinion, making outrageous claims and reducing Evelyn to a she-wolf. I also have and used Harry Thaw's original manuscript for his self-published book from 1925, The Traitor.

My perspective, as a student of literature and devoted true crime fan, is to separate the fact from the fiction regarding Evelyn's place as the girl in the middle of the murder that shook America in 1906. I wanted to offer an intimate look behind the scenes, as it were, into the events leading up to the grisly murder, the aftershock, the trial preparation, etc from the inside, using as much of Evelyn's own memories and words as possible which has not been done (I also took it upon myself to sift through her own self-mythologizing at crucial points in her life.)

Q. Did you find anything new or surprising while researching the case?

I discovered the reasons why Evelyn was willing to stand by a clearly demented Harry Thaw in spite of the fact that she said White was the only man she ever loved; I discovered why Harry's mother, the indomitable Mother Thaw, was so hell-bent on defending her son and the psychological reasons behind her own love-hate relationship with alienists and the insanity defense.

I also offer my speculation on Thaw's latent homosexuality and the issue of premeditation in his murder of White as well as other issues (such as Evelyn's son, whose paternity Thaw always denied).

A number of the photos are either previously unpublished or have not been seen in 100+ years. I think the ultimate appeal of this infamous puzzle is its astonishing ongoing relevance to American culture and larger cross-cultural issues that expose the currencies of power that run the world -- money, sex, power, class, beauty, youth-- it is, in my opinion, the first modern trial -- including the spin-doctoring, the insanity issues, issues of jury selection, disbarment, brainstorms, corruption among the rich and powerful, etc. It really exposed for the first time to the public the dark side of the American dream on all levels -- and destroyed the Victorian notion of the Unwritten Law, no matter how much Thaw's lawyer tried to push the idea of a Dementia Americana.

For more on the book and case, see American Eve and a recent news article, New book from university professor, a headline that belies the contents of the book.

CLEWS and the Progressive Gregg Olsen Interview

The fiction muse has seduced true crime master Gregg Olsen.

Is there any solace to be found?

One of  our favorite genre's living legends has transitioned to thriller fiction. But, before we despair, that fiction draws on his vast experience as a true crime writer - sometimes quite directly. As he reveals in the CLEWS snippet of a round-robin "progressive" interview, he's a Belle Gunness enthusiast.

Gregg's second fiction title, A Cold Dark Place (Amazon; B&N), came out on April 1. Publishers Weekly had nothing but praise for the book, calling it intricately layered and taut. Well-known reviewer Harriet Klausner calls it fabulous. Olsen is the only living author I can think of to successfully leap the chasm between crime fact and crime fiction.

Several blogs are participating in today's progressive interview by chatting up the ambidextrous author. Here's the question I submitted, and his answer.

CLEWS: I happen to think you highly qualified to accurately render criminal personalities in your fiction (which in my opinion is not usually the case with most fiction writers; you've done your homework). Which (if any) true cases inspired some of the characters in your fiction? (Did we detect a hint of Belle Gunness in one of your tales?)

Gregg Olsen: Very much influenced by the Gunness case in A WICKED SNOW. In fact, I had considered writing a true crime book on Belle and her exploits, but the bottom kind of fell out of the TC market (thankfully, that's no longer the case).

I dragged my wife and kids to La Porte, Indiana to see the Belle archives one freezing winter's day quite a few years back. I love the idea of her story and her legend. Did she or didn't she get away with the slaughter of her suitors? Was that woman in Riverside, Calif., so many years later, really Belle?

That was the inspiration, quite obviously, for the Claire Logan character in A WICKED SNOW. In the book that I just finished, A HEART OF ICE, I was inspired by the cases of the Peterson boys - Drew and Scott.

I think that my true crime experience gives me a bit of a leg up in making sure that things really ring true. Because, well, I know how true rings.

I know that Belle has been written about many, many times (The Lady Bluebeard, for example), but I still think she'd be ripe for another look, don't you think?

CLEWS: Belle Lives! Sooner or later, somebody will write another book about her. Who knows - DNA may someday write a coda for the Belle Gunness case. Then it will have a final chapter that thoroughly spoils the mysterious ending!

Want to keep reading the Gregg Olsen interview, replete with eye-rolling and egg-laying? You'll have to hop over to Rick Reed's website.

Rick asks: What makes you think you can write fiction, Mr. Smarty-Pants-True-Crime author?

Gregg's reply: Well, Mr.-Shirt-Off-On-His-Profile-Page....

Read the rest here.

CLEWS Interviews True Crime Author M. William Phelps

Today is the day M. William Phelps' latest true crime story hits the bookshelves. Phelps is a high-profile author from Connecticut who has been writing murder tales for years now.

This new book, If Looks Could Kill [Amazon; B&N], tells the story of Ohio's Cynthia George, a woman who came under suspicion when one of her lovers murdered the other lover - a "did she or didn't she" story. With a hundred interviews and thousands of hours of persistent investigation, the author comes to some definite conclusions.

Phelps counts among his fans Vincent Bugliosi, true crime maven John Waters, and legions of fans at CrimeRant. Indeed Bugliosi calls his latest book "compelling and gripping" and refers to Phelps as "one of America's finest true crime writers."

He has a knack for infusing his stories with tension from page one. He is also broadly read in true crime and our tastes overlap; like me, he is a great admirer of the late Jack Olsen.

Given his vast experience in my favorite genre, his strong opinions, and the fearless way he expresses them, I was delighted to have a chance to put a few questions to him as his sixth full-length true crime book becomes available. Here's our Q&A.

Q. Can you remember the first true crime book you ever read?

I would say, without question, SERPENTINE, by Thomas Thompson. [Note from Laura: the book is about Asian serial killer Charles Sobhraj.] But that book didn’t have the same impact on me as BLIND FAITH by Joe McGinniss did years later. The McGinniss book was the first time I read commercial true crime and thought, Now, this is something I can do—never realizing for one moment how hard it was to make the prose appear effortless, like McGinniss does. But SERPENTINE was the first.

Q. What's your all-time favorite book?

My favorite true crime book is definitely SALT OF THE EARTH by Jack Olsen. Because of its simplicity and attention to the detail of average American life, the book shows how a white picket fence family can be rocked by tragedy, yet in the end dredge up a bit of redemption out of the situation, which every true crime book should strive for.

Q. Who are the best true crime writers of all time?

I’d say McGinniss and Olsen are two of the best, although Joe’s latest doesn’t touch the talent he has in those typing fingertips of his. Jack Olsen was the best, no doubt about it. He had a way of telling a story unlike most other true crime authors.

The critics and, obviously, readers, love Ann Rule, but I’m not convinced she is up there near Olsen and McGinniss, or ever was. In her day (SMALL SACRIFICES), Ann was writing a different type of true crime book that added so much to the genre. Today, I’m not so sure she is still doing that. I really wish she would break out of the husband-wife-murder mold and consider other types of cases.

The challenge is to write a different book every time. I’ve been working on my tenth true crime book lately. I try to write them differently each time. I don’t want to get into a cookie-cutter pattern of churning out true crime books. I spend a lot of time interviewing people, doing loads of research and putting in countless hours studying documents. The book—the way it is written, rather—should reflect that tenacious work ethic.

When I work on a true crime book, my schedule includes 14-16 hour days and nights. This is why it might seem like I write fast. But in truth, I put a year’s worth of work into six months. I need to do that. I need to stay wrapped up in the story, so I can focus on the storytelling aspect of the writing as much as I do the journalism.

Q. After writing so many books, what do you consider true crime's greatest challenges?

Finding good cases that haven’t been ruined by the quickie true crime authors is one of the hardest parts of the job today. What I mean is, an interesting case will come up and two or three true crime authors will run to it and pump out a book before the case has a chance to define itself.

Also, the true crime media over-exposes cases to the point where readers are turned off because they’ve seen so many different cable and network news magazine shows about it. This is frustrating and discouraging. Natalee Holloway, for example, is one of those true crime cases of the century. Yet, so much has been said about it already, people don’t care anymore.

As far as readers, the current state of the true crime business is good. Steady. Readers want good books. If you deliver, they will show up.

As far as books, well, I have been pretty open about my feelings regarding the trash that is passed off as true crime today. I’m tired of it, to be honest. There’s way too much baggage in the genre. Too many people today think they’re true crime authors. They have no idea what it takes.

Scouring the Internet for newspaper articles and blogs and MySpace accounts is not considered research for a true crime (or any type of) book, and shouldn’t even be part of a journalist’s day when working. We need to get back to the era when people picked up the phone and called sources. Visited the crime scenes. Studied documents with a knack for finding things others missed.

Finally, I’ll say this: Just because you’ve been involved in a case—on any level—it doesn’t mean you’re qualified to write a book about it. I try to stay focused, however, on what I do, not what others around me are trying to do. Readers appreciate the thoroughly researched books I write, so I’ll keep writing them.

Q. What were the particular challenges to telling the story behind this complicated case of Cynthia George?

The challenge was to keep up with all the twists and turns and try to stay on a deadline. There were so many “breaking news” moments at the end of this case that it was difficult to juggle as I started to prepared to sign off on the book. I managed to get in every development, however, which was a shock to me.

The other difficulty was getting people from Cynthia George’s camp to come forward and talk. None wanted to. I finally used several anonymous sources to get in some information about Cynthia that I wanted to include.

I was able to gain access to hundreds and hundreds of pages of documents that were never made public, which offered me an insight into this case that changed the end result. The killer doesn’t even show up for 200 pages or so. Moreover, I wanted to focus on the law enforcement end of this more than I had in any other book. The cops took such a hit in the media about this case. As you’ll see in the book, the Akron Police Department, despite some infighting and politics, are one of the finest investigating forces in the country.

The thing about this is, you have to keep pushing forward, no matter how many road blocks are put up in front of you, or how many anonymous e-mails and strange messages you get about a case while you’re working on it.

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CLEWS Interviews Author Ron Chepesiuk

The 2007 hit film American Gangster, starring Denzel Washington as a brutal Harlem drug dealer, was billed as a true crime saga that lauded heroin boss Frank Lucas's "ability to stick it to The Man," in the words of just one glowing review.

Let' s call him the Jesse James of the Ghetto. It explains the appeal - and the need and desire for heavy fictionalizing. BASED ON A TRUE STORY, the film trumpets from the get-go. But according to one man in the know, virtually all of the film is wildly imaginative. In case you didn't know it already, Hollywood is high.

CLEWS had a chance to chat up author Ron Chepesiuk, who has made the study of black gangsters his life's work, authoring several books in the theme. British publisher Milo Books published his story of Frank Lucas as American Gangster. I asked Mr. Chepesiuk if he would be kind enough to say what he thought of the film given his knowledge of the subject, and he gave me an earful. Here is our Q&A.

Q. How much did the fictionalized account stray from the truth about Frank Lucas?

A. Hollywood tries to get away with saying that the movie is "based on a true story." In this case little of the Lucas story as it appeared in Mark Jacobson's 2000 New York magazine article, which served as the basis for "American Gangster," is true.

Lucas did not pioneer the Asian connection. He did not go to the Golden Triangle and negotiate with a Chinese warlord for his heroin supply. There was no such thing as a Cadaver Connection. La Cosa Nostra did not come to him for their dope. Richie Roberts was not responsible for putting Lucas in jail. Lucas is not articulate and suave as played by Denzel Washington.

Lucas confided to one of my sources that only about 20 percent of American Gangster is true. I think that is a generous assessment.

Q: How do you think the fictionalizing altered one's final opinion on the man?

A: The opinion of Lucas is altering dramatically as more journalists take a look at his story. We must separate the movie from the man and treat the movie like the Godfather movie, which made no pretense at being a true story.

Unfortunately, the American Gangster movie distorts the fascinating gangster history of 1970s New York when the black gangster started to emerge from under La Cosa Nostra's shadow. It will be up to writers like myself who are interested in documenting that period to set the record straight.

Q. Do you remember the first true crime book you ever read? And what would you say was the best you ever read?

I'm old enough to say that the first true crime book I read was the daddy --In Cold Blood-- and I just finished today one of the most powerful books I´ve ever read in any genre-- John Grisham´s first non-fiction book, An Innocent Man. Anybody who still believes in the death penalty after reading that book has to be medicated.

For more -

Google Movies page for American Gangster

Milo Books: American Gangster

CLEWS Interviews True Crime Author Pennie Morehead

I suppose we could call her Mrs. Green River. Yes - that Green River.

A new book by author Pennie Morehead tells the story of Judith Ridgway, the unsuspecting wife of long-time serial killer Gary Ridgway, and it was written with Judith's cooperation.

It is a voice we do not hear often - the families of victims are heard, their losses known to us. But the families of serial killers do not often share their stories, though they fascinate those who struggle to understand men addicted to murder. Lionel Dahmer shared the intense story of raising his son Jeffrey Dahmer in A Father's Story, a book I read years ago and can still remember in detail. Are there other books in this line, I wonder? It's not a wonder if there's not. Some families whose names become notorious have been known to change them.

Now, though, Mrs. Ridgway - who was never implicated in her husband's crimes, so she was as horrified as anyone could have been when he confessed - has let her story become public. Fascinated by the idea, I had a chance to ask a few questions of the author of the biography, Pennie Morehead, and she was kind enough to respond. (Photo: Judith (left) with the author.)

How did you meet Mrs. Ridgway?

I had the rare opportunity to meet Mrs. Ridgway through mutual friends--that is, a couple I knew had been intimate friends with Gary and Judith Ridgway, but I wasn't aware of the connection until after he was arrested in 2001. I was only one friendship link away from the Green River Killer! Further frightening to discover, the killer lived only 3 miles from my home.

Why did she agree to tell her story to you if she was in hiding and refusing interviews with all media?

I believe Judith Ridgway felt some initial trust with me because of the mutual friends, and that helped in the beginning. But, after we met and she looked into my eyes, I saw a pain I had never seen in a woman's eyes. It was haunting. I knew that I needed to help her somehow. I couldn't stop thinking about her after that first meeting. I was highly skeptical that a woman could have been married to the nation's most prolific serial killer for 14 years and not know he was out killing!

Curiosity sent me back to ask her more questions. Each time we met, she sobbed, barely pushing out a few words. Over the next 2 years, we formed a friendship. She told me her story and I ultimately got her permission to put it in a book. How many opportunities have we had to view serial killers through the yes of loving wives? I couldn't think of any, so I knew that I had an extremely rare opportunity in my lap.

What did you learn about the killer and couple?

I learned that Judith Ridgway did not know that her husband was a serial killer--a stunning fact. In my book, Green River Serial Killer--Biography of an Unsuspecting Wife, I offered a broader view of Judith, including her childhood and first marriage, so that readers could understand why Gary Ridgway was the best thing in her life and how she fell so deeply in love with him.

The book offers intimate details of their courtship and marriage, photos never seen by the public, handwritten letters that Gary wrote to Judith from jail, and my professional analysis of Gary's handwriting (I am also a certified graphologist).

Gary Ridgway managed his double life with ease. With Judith, they raised Poodles, worked in their yard, went bicycling and camping, and had a very active sex life. Away from Judith, Gary Ridgway paid prostitutes for sex. When the urge hit, he strangled some prostitutes and took his money back.

For more than 20 years, Gary Ridgway baffled the police. In the end, he confessed to killing 48 women, but alluded that it was probably in the 100's.

Do you read true crime?

While I enjoy reading true crime, I find myself reading from nearly all genres. I have a high level of curiosity about so many subjects, and I think that curiosity takes me into all areas of the bookstores and libraries. Reading about real people and their real experiences has always been exciting to me. And, naturally, true crime fits into that 'real people' category.

Who are your favorite authors?

I really can't name a few favorite authors because I'm constantly seeking new material and new authors to read. I must admit, I quickly become bored with one author's work and feel restless to find something new. I live in the Seattle area, so, of course, I've read all of Ann Rule's true crime works.

What was the first true crime book I read?

Well, it wasn't in the true crime genre, but when I was in 7th grade, I read Edgar Allan Poe's Tell-Tale Heart. Reading about the bloody details the main character committed and getting a real sense of his overwhelming guilt...it was the first time my mind absorbed the concept of true crime.

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For more, visit Pennie's website, www.penniemorehead.com.

CLEWS Interviews True Crime Author John Leake

Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer is the North American title of first time author John Leake’s foray into the true crime genre. The same book will be The Vienna Woods Killer in the UK. CLEWS got a sneak peek at the book (now available for preorder, on sale Nov. 17). I was impressed, and I’m certain the book will get a lot of attention. This is a dense and complicated story of a baffling serial killer. The book reached uncommon depths of research. The author, an American educated in history and philosophy who has lived in Vienna for years, told the story well.

Jack Unterweger had so many extraordinary facets to his personality that it is hard to even know where to begin. He was, for one thing, a serial sex killer. And he was a journalist who covered his own murders. As the press copy for the book explains, Unterweger was "a murderer, writer and cause célèbre of the Viennese intellectual elite in the ‘80s.... Drawing from Unterweger’s diaries and letters, court records, police documents and countless interviews with those most closely connected to the case, Leake offers unparalleled insight into one of the only international serial killers ever documented.”

Jack Unterweger murdered women from California to Austria – when he wasn’t busy simply seducing every female who came within hailing distance. The record of his conquests short of murder is in and of itself incredible. Unterweger seemed to have a mesmerist’s ability to get a woman to do literally whatever he wanted.

Recently CLEWS had a chance to talk to the author of this fascinating new book; we got to chatting about psychopaths and the women who love them and about our favorite literary genre. Here is the Q&A.

Q. After studying this man Jack Unterweger so intently, why do you think women were drawn to him like moths to fire?

I am hoping that the book will generate a discussion about why women (at least some women) find guys like Jack so fascinating, so I was glad to see that your review focused on this point.

In doing my research, I tried very hard to avoid speculating about the psyche of Jack's girlfriends. Instead I probed them as deeply as I could with questions. Many of the women told me that Jack was "exciting," "fascinating," and "funny." Sometimes he was boldly assertive, macho, and sexually aggressive; other times he acted like a "wounded little boy in need of maternal protection."

When the police searched his apartment, they found a letter written by one girlfriend who proclaimed: "The whore in every woman and the mother in every woman is awakened by Jack."

Another girlfriend wrote him a poem titled "Sleeping with a Murderer" in which she described the fascination, the fear, and the feeling of doing something highly forbidden.

A couple of general observations from the perspective of a man:

1. Women are attracted to men who are confident, and like many narcissists, Jack presented himself with spectacular confidence.

2. Like other notable predatory psychopaths, he refined the art of studying people, trying to learn everything he could about them. He asked women about their lives and listened intently. They believed he was genuinely interested in them, when in fact he was looking for ways to seduce and exploit them.

3. Jack appealed to a deeply romantic streak in Western culture that perceives the artist and the outlaw to be exceptional, creative, high-spirited men who cannot be constrained by the norms of ordinary ("bourgeois" and "boring") society. We might be inclined to dismiss this idea as sophomoric. On the other hand, people with a wild streak do tend to be more entertaining than people who are reserved and straight-laced. As one woman told me, "I didn't want to hang out with a boring banker or lawyer."

Jack himself was a great admirer of the German actor Klaus Kinski, who was legendary for his extravagant and reckless behavior. Finally, Jack was a minor celebrity. Henry Kissinger once remarked that "power is the greatest aphrodisiac." It seems to me that celebrity is even more potent.

Q. Personally, I think some men work on a woman's brain the way video games work on boys. A man who completely understands women can turn them into puppets.

You know, the same is true the other way around. We men often find a loving, gentle, decent girl to be boring, and the selfish, unreasonable, bitch goddess to be captivating.

Also, I've often heard guys talk about how "the crazy ones are the wildest in bed." I'm afraid there may be some very primitive evolutionary biology at work. The assertive and aggressive are the people who stand out from the herd. I did a little web search yesterday and came up with this: An article on the new book Why Women Love Bad Boys. Notice the bit about "bad boys" being "exciting."

I suspect this is the key to the whole thing. Even a psychopathic killer is better than a bore.

Q. Do you remember the first true crime book you ever read?

The first true crime book I ever read was In Cold Blood. My mother gave me a copy when I was about fifteen and told me that I would never forget it. That I haven't forgotten it probably has more to do with the book's beautiful prose, narrative structure, and characterization than with the intrinsic drama of the actual events that Capote chronicled. I suppose it's as much novel as it is true crime.

Q. Who are your favorite authors in the genre?

Recently I enjoyed The Poet and the Murderer by Simon Worrall. I admired the research and discipline that Philip Sugden put into The Complete History of Jack the Ripper.

**

For more information about John Leake’s new book, see the website Entering Hades.

CLEWS Interviews True Crime Author Morley Swingle

A new book out this year by Jackson, Missouri prosecutor Morley Swingle is on my list of top ten true crime books of 2007 -- and I haven't even read it yet -- because anyone who can endure 120 jury trials, including 69 homicide cases, with his funny bone intact has an uncommon gift.

Add the fact that said author is steeped in the true crime genre, and the book, unseen, earns my utmost approbation. I must insist that my Clewsians purchase a copy; we can jointly fund his retirement so he can permanently take up the pen.

"When I first began my career as a prosecutor," Swingle says, "I started what I called my 'humor file.'  Every time something funny happened in one of my cases, I made a note about it and put it in the file." The result is Scoundrels to the Hoosegow: Perry Mason Moments and Entertaining Cases from the Files of a Prosecuting Attorney. No less a personage than Vincent Bugliosi called it "consistently fascinating" and "engrossing."

"My goal was to write a book that would make the reader laugh out loud," the author adds, "but at the end, he or she would have a better understanding about what it truly means to be a prosecuting attorney. I think of the finished product as a cross between Seinfeld and Law & Order, except that every story is true."

I recently had the chance to chat up this author, and he kindly replied; his saucy answers have me longing for Scoundrels. Enjoy!

How did you come up with the delicious title?

For a while my working title was Perry Mason Reruns and Other Prosecutorial Nightmares. Although catchy, it didn’t really describe the book. Scoundrels to the Hoosegow is a collection of true stories from cases I prosecuted. Each shows a bad guy getting brought to justice. Many times justice includes going to jail. I played around with synonyms for villains and jails until I came up with the combination of scoundrels and hoosegow. As soon as I said it aloud, I knew I’d come up with something Mark Twain would have enjoyed.

Is there any particular story in your book that has generated strong reaction in readers?

I have been surprised and pleased to discover that each person who raves to me how much he or she liked the book usually names a favorite story, and different stories have been #1 with somebody. Stories that have been listed as someone’s #1 include:

“The Case of the Dog on Death Row” – A man placed on probation for DWI is ordered to perform community service, which ends up being helping the vet euthanize dogs at the pound. The scoundrel concocts a plan to set free all the dogs one dark and stormy night.

“The Case of the Perry Mason Moment” – A woman hires a hit man to kill her husband but eventually learns how darn hard it is to find a reliable and discreet hit man these days. During her trial, I experienced my first true “Perry Mason Moment,” where the outcome of the case was nailed down by my cross-examination of a defense witness.

“The Case of the Far-Flung Firearm” – My 13-year-old daughter’s favorite. The only time I went with the police on the execution of a search warrant culminated by my throwing myself to the ground to avoid what I thought was a grenade.

“The Case of the Cross-Eyed Juror” – An involuntary manslaughter trial over a college hazing death produced my most bizarre moment in a courthouse.

“The Case of the Embarrassing Defense” – A 63-year-old lawyer and his wife decided to get a divorce. They went about it the All-American way. Each hired a private investigator to tail the other. Hers trumped his, big-time.

“The Case of the Forgetful Drunk” – A successful businessman traveled the 100 miles from Cape Girardeau to St. Louis to attend a Cardinals baseball game. His drunk driving offense on the way home has an extremely surprising twist.

Of all the true crime books you have read, which was the most memorable, emotionally satisfying reading experience?

Wow! You have a cruel streak to make me narrow it down to just one. Using your criteria of “memorable” and “emotionally satisfying,” I would say The Blooding by Joseph Wambaugh.

Memorable? I read it in 1990 and recall it vividly to this day. Emotionally satisfying? He takes the first case solved by DNA evidence and turns it into a mystery thriller. He writes so well that even his discussion of the science of DNA is fascinating. Also, it is terrific fun as an American prosecutor to watch those British police in action, unhampered by teeny little obstacles like the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution!

Who are your favorite authors? Favorite titles?

Now I get to list my runners up to the previous question. Small Town D.A. by Robert Traver is so good I have read it four times. This book, published in 1954, is the closest thing to my own Scoundrels.

In it, Robert Traver, the author of the novel Anatomy of a Murder, writes with humor and candor about his fourteen years as an elected prosecutor. I would have listed it as Number One except that the “memorable” requirement tripped me up. When I thought about it, I could not specifically recall the details of any of his stories. I just remembered that they were entertaining.

How I discovered this book might interest you. Back in the days before the internet I read Anatomy of a Murder by this Robert Traver guy. When I finished it, I told my wife: “The guy who wrote this book was undoubtedly a lawyer and was probably a prosecutor because he nailed what it is really like to try a murder case, even down to researching jury instructions.”

I went to the library and used Current Authors (remember when that was the best way to find out more about a writer?) to learn more about Robert Traver. Turns out, as you know, his real name was John D. Voelker, and he had served 14 years as a prosecutor in Michigan before becoming a Supreme Court judge. He wrote Anatomy of a Murder because he felt current fiction did not accurately portray murder trials.

Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O.J. Simpson Got Away With Murder by Vincent Bugliosi is a book I give to every young prosecutor who starts working at my office. It is a “how to” book about how NOT to prosecute a criminal case. Bugliosi lists and explains the terrible mistakes made by the prosecutors in the Simpson case, and accurately points out that most good prosecutors could have won the case with the evidence gathered by the L.A. police. He presents the closing argument he would have given in the case and makes us wish that a better trial lawyer would have been assigned the case for the prosecution.

Do you have a strong opinion on Mike Nifong?

He has done a true disservice to prosecutors across the country. He is the Mike Tyson of prosecutors – an ear-biter and a whining bully. One of the best things about being a prosecutor is the ethical duty to seek justice. A criminal defense lawyer or attorney in private practice is a hired gun for the client, bound to zealously represent them even when they are guilty.

A prosecutor, on the other hand, has different ethical rules. Your duty truly is to seek the truth. You are never saying something to a jury or judge that you do not believe. If you have a reasonable doubt about a defendant’s guilt, your ethical duty is to dismiss the case. You never want to go home thinking it is even remotely possible that an innocent person is in jail because of you. You try your cases in the courtroom and not the media. It is refreshing to always be wearing the white hat.

Nifong represents the sort of prosecutor who usually only appears in bad fiction or soap operas. He filed a case based upon skimpy evidence and stuck his head in the sand and pretended he was still seeking justice even after it became clear to everyone else that he was no longer really seeking the truth but was trying to preserve what was left of his ego and his popularity with the African-American voters in his district. He violated most ethical rules pertaining to prosecutors. I predict he will be disbarred, if he hasn’t been already.

...Nancy Grace?

I’ve read her book, Objection! She has probably found her niche where she is now. I doubt she was a formidable adversary as a prosecutor. Oops, I guess that nixes any chance I ever had of promoting Scoundrels on her show. That was a trick question! I was misquoted! Laura James promised we were off the record! Yeah, that’s the ticket!

Who is the best prosecutor to ever grace an American courtroom?

Vincent Bugliosi is the best prosecutor of my lifetime. In each of his books, the time he spends preparing for court is emphasized. Preparation is often the difference between an outstanding lawyer and a merely adequate lawyer.

Another truly outstanding prosecutor is Tom Dittmeier, the former U.S. Attorney in St. Louis, who still works for the office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. He has tried a huge number of jury trials and is among the best who ever lived. His lectures on cross-examination and closing argument, given for the nation’s prosecutors at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, would be hugely educational and entertaining for your true crime buffs.

Who are your personal heroes?

Abraham Lincoln. He sacrificed everything in his personal life to keep our country from falling apart. He is the greatest writer to ever serve as President. He had more wit and wisdom in his little finger than all of the Presidents since, put together.

Winston Churchill. His courage and leadership made a difference in the world. He is an inspiration to anyone who vows to stand up against evil, no matter the odds.

Vincent Bugliosi. He is the epitome of an outstanding prosecutor. He is an impressive writer, too, both of books and closing arguments.

Mark Twain. I love his sense of humor. I love his zest for life. I love his compassion for people in all walks of life.

What are we to make of the rash of DNA exonerations today?

I read Barry Scheck’s Actual Innocence. I was left wondering whether, as Paul Harvey would say, we should hear a segment about “the rest of the story” as to each of those cases. I wonder if some of his examples were exaggerations.

From my own experience with 69 homicide prosecutions and four killers placed on death row (one executed so far) I can tell you that a prosecutor in a death penalty case will make sure the defendant is guilty beyond ANY doubt, not just beyond a reasonable doubt. There is no way that any murderer I have ever prosecuted was not guilty. As a practical matter, it is hard enough to convict a guilty person, much less an innocent one. Why anyone thinks a prosecutor would want to do so is hard for me to understand. But then, along comes a guy like Mike Nifong to remind us that not all prosecutors are the same.

The photo on your office’s webpage [above]- what on earth were you doing there?

I was prosecuting a police officer named Steven Rios (married with child) for murdering his gay lover (a college boy he had arrested). The boy’s almost naked body was found lying in the grass near his apartment, with his throat slashed and bruises between his shoulder blades. The crime was unsolved for a couple of weeks, but limb hairs on the victim’s chest ended up matching to Rios’ DNA.

In the photo, I was having a man who teaches choke holds to police officers demonstrate the unilateral vascular neck restraint upon me. The medical examiner and I felt the bruises between the shoulder blades were consistent with this particular choke hold, which can render a person unconscious within 3 to 5 seconds.

The blood pattern indicated that the boy’s neck was cut after he was on the ground. We believe Rios grabbed the boy from behind as the boy was fleeing from him and choked him. Once he was unconscious, he cut his throat. During the demonstration, the instructor actually put me to the floor of the courtroom. As it was going on, I was a bit concerned that if I went unconscious it might make me lose my train of thought!

Are you planning to write more non-fiction in our favorite genre?

Yes. One of these days I am going to take one particular case and shoot for the same thing Robert Traver sought in Anatomy of a Murder. I want to show what it is really like to try a murder case. I did it in Scoundrels with “The Case of the Millionaire Murderer” and “The Case of the Homicidal Energizer Bunny” and “The Case of the Weeping Witness,” but the book I have in mind would go into more detail and read more like a mystery.

I have also considered approaching Tom Dittmeier and asking if I could write his biography. He has tried so many big cases it could serve as both an entertaining true crime book and a “how to” for prosecutors.

Finally, I am toying around with a sequel to Scoundrels, collecting funny, odd and entertaining cases from other prosecutors across the country. I’ve already got the title in mind. As clever as you are, you could undoubtedly figure it out if I gave you a few clues, so I won’t.

*****

For more Morley, see the publisher's website for Scoundrels and the official website for the Cape Girardeau County Prosecutor's office.

The Southeast Missourian also wrote up a nice article on the author:

The Scribe of Cape Girardeau

CLEWS Interviews True Crime Author Rita Shuler

After more than twenty years as a forensic photographer, Rita Y. Shuler turned her expertise and compassion for crime victims into two successful true crime books, Carolina Crimes: Case Files of a Forensic Photographer (History Press 2006) and Murder in the Midlands: Larry Gene Bell and the 28 Days that Shook South Carolina (History Press 2007). Both are about to go into second printings. The books are an extension of her life's work, focusing on the victims of violent crime, first with a camera, and now with a pen. "Physical evidence," Rita says, "is the only real truth.”

Although regional true crime is not often discussed as such, it comprises a huge bulk of true crime offerings today. Sometimes we forget how massive is the USA. If it weren't for authors like Rita Shuler, many crimes that had a strong impact on one locale would be entirely forgotten except by those to whom they most strongly mattered - the families and communities of crime victims.

But, as Rita says, sometimes it's the true crime author who winds up the victim.

(Photo credit: by Kim Kim Foster-Tobin, The State, Columbia, S.C.).

What prompted you to start writing true crime after your career in law enforcement? Truth is very important in life, and writing true crime is a way of writing the truth and most of all remembering the victims so they will never be forgotten.

What have been the most unforgettable moments you've had in writing two books of true crime? Researching, meeting and gaining more personal insight about the victims and their families and loved ones that are left behind. Also, remaining in contact with the victims and their families and having them share their personal feelings of the past and living with it everyday. Everyday they are still the victims. My work was all about the victims. Everything I did big or small with the evidence, I trusted that what I was doing would help give some comfort to the families and loved ones left behind. Also, meeting readers at my book signings. I love it when they share their memories of my stories and at times their own personal experiences living though a crime.

What have been the deepest insights you gained? The compassion and feelings of the concerned citizens and readers for the victims. The victim's rights seem to be put on the back burner when the rights of the offender is at hand.

Who are your favorite true crime authors? John Walsh, Ann Rule, Diane Fanning are just a few, but I admire all true crime authors that publish. Days, months and years of hard work go into writing true crime and getting published. It bothers me to hear reviewers trash authors... most of the time for their own hidden agendas and personal jealousies or weaknesses, making authors the victims.

Your favorite books in the genre? Tears of Rage and No Mercy, John Walsh, The Stranger Beside Me and Small Sacrifices, Ann Rule. I am now reading Into the Water, Diane Fanning and I'm loving it as it was a South Carolina case. Working on my books limited my time to read, but hopefully I can get back to more true crime reading since my books are completed.

Are you working on any more stories? Not at this time, but it's certainly possible in the future. I'm enjoying my personal appearances and book signings with Carolina Crimes and Murder in the Midlands right now, but I have many, many more stories that should not be forgotten.

For more about Rita and her stories, see her website.

The Toughest Stories: An Interview with Author Joanne Connors-Wade

I have to admit being a bit mystified sometimes by aspects of the true crime genre and the issues that true crime stories can raise for those of us who are parents. The world is indeed a scary place. How do we teach our children to be wary? Should we tell them to be afraid of strangers? Should we tell them tales of children to whom the worst happens?

I recently had a chance to chat with true crime author Joanne Connors-Wade. She was written two true crime books – No Tomorrows and A Thread of Evidence – about the kidnappings and murders of children. I wanted to understand this aspect of the true crime genre and what draws writers and readers to it. I wanted to know why she writes these stories and what she takes away from the experience. Here is our Q&A.

LJ: Ever since I had children of my own, I have found it harder and harder to cope with stories of children being brutally killed. What draws you to stories of children disappearing and being murdered?

JCW: The subject matter I selected to create "No Tomorrows" was a subject everyone across the U.S.A is plagued with. I refer to it as an 'epidemic' with no cure in sight. The perpetrators live among us and when they are apprehended an outbreak of disbelief inevitably follows. The monsters are nondescript, and seemingly live 'normal lives' within the smallest communities and prey on the innocent.

I selected six local cases (within Massachusetts) because I was familiar with the circumstances (although I had never met the victim's families personally). I felt if I were to write true and accurate stories of their horrific deaths, it was equally important to me that I include true and accurate accounts of their lives. This would require meeting and interviewing the families. This would enable me to relate the reader to the fact that these victims were real people and the impact their loss had on the families and the community. The initial contact to the families was a hurtle I thought would be the most difficult. It was a subject I'd had no previous experience with and had no idea what to expect.

After several e-mails and telephone conversations, I was able to meet them personally. I was pleasantly surprised I was well received and when the book was released, I provided a copy to each family. Their responses were of genuine appreciation and gratitude for the manner each victim was portrayed. Several members of the victims' families have attended book signings, some actually signing copies of "No Tomorrows" (a fine endorsement of approval) on their part.

LJ: Are you a mother, and have these stories affected the way you parent your own children?

JCW: I am a mother of three adult children and grandmother of four. The 'epidemic' frightens me and I am at a loss to find the prevention for such senseless, tragic and unhuman behavior of those who seek and find their next victim.

LJ: What do you think these stories should teach parents? Can we keep our kids safe without making them prisoners of our own fears?

JCW: We have to stop protecting our children from fear. Instead we should be encouraging fear. So many parents have said, "I want to make my child aware of the danger, but I don't want to frighten them." I understand the reasoning, but I disagree. It contradicts the very meaning.

Abduction/murder is the biggest fear one can imagine and the one fear that could save their life!. If a child is old enough to read, I say, let them read the newspaper reports of the missing child later discovered murdered. Let them understand the murderer turned out to be a family friend, relative, neighbor and yes, even the local priest or minister.

Sounds heartless, but are we doing the right thing by shielding our children from reality? Children will experience fear as they grow and learn. Fear of the dark, fear of the dentist, fear of abandonment resulting from divorce or death, fear of reprisal for an unsatisfactory report card, to name only a few of the 'normal fears' they will endure. So, why not instill fear of abduction/murder? Let them know that you, the parent cannot prevent it, only the well informed children have the power to keep themselves out of potentially vulnerable situations that would allow such an atrocious deed.

LJ: I can't imagine the personal difficulty an author would experience in drawing close to these cases and hearing the stories of heartbroken parents who have lost their children so horribly. How do you withstand this?

JCW: I have to admit, they have influenced me emotionally and continue to find their way into my thoughts almost daily. However, meeting the families and listening to them share their experiences with me has dramatically changed my perspective and caused me to re-prioritize my life.

After each occasion I've come away with a different point of view. The families, without exception are by far the most inspiring, courageous, and gracious individuals I've been fortunate to have met. The families all shared one common thought. They expressed the same desire, that being, "We don't want our children to ever be forgotten. Your book will be a permanent, lasting reminder and a tribute to them."

That, and that alone was my personal gratification for sustaining the emotional journey and getting the book to the public.

LJ: Will you write more true crime books?

JCW: I believe I am destined to continue. Presently, I'm concluding my first attempt at a fictional mystery entitled "The Manuscript" and expect it to be released early August. I think I decided to write a fictional murder mystery for the needed therapeutic effect. Once that one is 'wrapped up' I am considering a few cases as subjects in my next book, but I'll need a few months of 'R & R' before I take on another true crime book.

Thank you for your interest and I hope I've addressed your questions satisfactorily.

By the way, your choice to spell clue as 'clew' was quite profound. As I researched the 1954 murder I refer to, the headlines of the newspaper covering the story read: POLICE DISCOVER NEW CLEW

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For more, visit the author’s website: www.jconnorswade.com