Down To The Bone by Caitlin Rother (Book Review)

 

Book Review

Down To The Bone by Caitlin Rother

Publisher: Citadel Press

Publication Date: June 24, 2025

Format: Hardcover - 384 pages

               Kindle - 1.8 MB / 438 pages

               Nook - 2 MB / 368 pages

               Audible - 11 Hours 50 Minutes

ISBN: 978-0806542621

ASIN (Kindle):  B0C3WXVD7C

ASIN (Audible): B0FD8245BQ

BNID: 978-0806542645

Genre: True Crime

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description:

It was as if time had stopped for the Southern California family of four who mysteriously vanished without a trace.

On February 15, 2010, Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons were reported missing from their new home in San Diego County. They left eggs and fruit rotting on the counter. Their Dodge truck sat in the driveway. Their dogs were abandoned outside without food. But investigators found no blood, signs of a struggle, or clues to their whereabouts. Did the family take an unannounced vacation? Were they running away from personal problems? Or were they victims of foul play?

Nearly four years later, a motorcyclist found the McStays’ remains in and around two shallow graves, one hundred miles away in the Mojave Desert. Their skulls showed signs of blunt-force trauma, likely due to the sledgehammer buried with them. Authorities focused on Charles "Chase" Merritt, a close friend and subcontractor for Joseph’s company. Despite a lack of physical evidence, scenarios that defied logic, and numerous unanswered questions, prosecutors convinced a jury of Merritt’s guilt. After an emotional sentencing hearing, the judge imposed the death penalty. But did another possible suspect, who was ignored by investigators and ducked a subpoena to testify, get away with murder?

In this twisting, deeply researched true-crime mystery, New York Times bestselling investigative journalist Caitlin Rother hunts for answers to reveal the truth behind a heinous crime that became a nation’s obsession, with a controversial trial in its wake, and lingering questions of justice.

My Book Review:

In her latest novel, Down To The Bone, investigative journalist / author Caitlin Rother takes the reader behind the scenes of a riveting true crime for an in depth look at a highly publicized and traumatic murder case set in San Diego County, California.

On February 15, 2010, The McStay family (husband Joseph, wife Summer, and their sons Gianni and Joseph Jr) were reported missing by their family members. The family was last heard from on February 4th, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department began an investigation that provided no leads. Four years later on November 11, 2013, a motorcyclist found the remains of the McStay family in two shallow graves located on a trail in the Mojave Desert. What ensues is a murder case with a shoddy investigation by the San Diego Sheriff's Department and the San Bernadino County Sherriff's Department, who focused their attention solely on Joseph's friend and business associate, Charles "Chase" Merritt, and a trial that led to his death row conviction, even though the investigation and trial was fraught with a lack of physical evidence, misconduct, and a lot of unanswered questions, which showed obvious flaws in the criminal justice system.

Down To The Bone is a riveting true crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start, keeping them captivated as the author weaves a thoroughly intriguing and intricate recounting of a traumatic murder case and trial that was filled with unanswered questions, leaving an elusive quest for justice.

The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed and in depth look into the back stories and lives of each participant, and extensive research of the investigative and legal aspects of the case.

You can't help but get drawn into this complicated, fascinating, and multi-layered story, it is a gripping dark account of the traumatic murders of the McStay family. It is shocking and mind boggling that this murder case was fraught with so many flaws and misconduct within the criminal justice system. The author provides the reader with a thought-provoking tale of the heinous murders of the McStay family, that leaves a lot of questions of whether the quest for justice was really served. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this was one of the most disturbing true crime stories that I have ever read. It was mind boggling to follow the shoddy investigation and flawed trial. I really don't believe that justice was truly served, unfortunately I don't believe that we will ever find out the truth behind the tragic murders of the McStay family. 

Down To The Bone is a gripping and chilling account of a traumatic murder case that is a must read for all true crime fans.


RATING: 5 STARS 

About The Author

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. 

A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.

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Body Parts by Caitlin Rother (Book Review)

 

Body Parts by Caitlin Rother

Publisher: Kensington / Citadel Press

Publication Date: February 5, 2025 (1st Publication: March 1, 2009)

Format: Paperback - 384 pages

               Kindle - 7.6 MB / 384 pages

               Nook - 5 MB / 416 pages

               Audible - 12 Hours 21 Minutes

ISBN: 978-0806543918

ASIN (Kindle): B00FAHS2NU

ASIN (Audible): B08H9TC85X

BNID: 978-0786035120

Genre: True Crime

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description:

Now updated with shocking details about the identity of Wayne Adam Ford’s first victim – revealed 25 years after her death – the brand-new edition of a true crime classic from New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother delves into the disturbing mind and brutal crimes of the Humboldt County serial killer now on Death Row.

“I hurt some people.”

With these words, a tearful man hinted at a deadly crime, leading investigators to uncover a horrifying saga of abuse, tragedy, and serial murder . . .

When Wayne Adam Ford walked into the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office in November 1998 with a woman's body part in his jacket pocket, the 36-year-old truck driver wasn’t a suspect in any crime. After a lengthy investigation spanning four California counties and a sensational trial, he was convicted of the torture and murder of four women. His first victim, whom he dismembered, would remain unidentified for 25 years.

While serving honorably in the Marine Corps, Ford had learned life-saving techniques that gave him structure and purpose. But a severe head injury worsened pre-existing emotional problems, rendering him unable to suppress his dark sexual impulses. Knowing he would kill again; he enlisted his brother’s help to turn himself in.

Award-winning investigative journalist Caitlin Rother drew on previously sealed testimony and interviewed key players in the case, including Ford's brother and father, to write this intimate and psychologically resonant narrative. Extensively updated with the inside details of how Ford’s first victim was recently identified through DNA testing and forensic genealogy, this classic true crime story continues to haunt us.

My Book Review:

In her latest novel, Body Parts, investigative journalist / author Caitlin Rother takes the reader behind the scenes of a riveting true crime thriller for an in depth look at a highly publicized serial killer murder case set in Humboldt County, California.

In November 1998, Wayne Adam Ford turned himself into the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office with a woman's body part in his pocket, claiming that he's hurt some people and didn't want to do it anymore. What ensues is an extensive investigation spanning four California counties, a total of four female murder victims, and a trial that led to the torture and murder death row conviction of the Humboldt County Serial Killer, Wayne Adam Ford. 

Body Parts was first published on March 1, 2009, and now with an updated version published on February 25, 2025, author Caitlin Rother provides new developments to the case, the identification of victim number one via DNA testing and forensic genealogy twenty-five years after her murder.

Body Parts is a riveting true crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start, keeping them captivated as the author weaves a thoroughly intriguing and intricate recounting of a sadistic sexual serial killer murder case. 

The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed and in depth look into the back stories and lives of each participant; extensive research of the investigative and legal aspects of the case; and a photo insert.

You can't help but get drawn into this complicated, fascinating, and multi-layered story, it is a gripping dark account of the sadistic sexual serial killer murders wrought by Wayne Adam Ford. It is shocking and mind boggling that this sadistic sexual predator committed such heinous sexual torture and murders of four innocent victims. After an extensive and determined investigation and pursuit of justice for the four women's families, the reader follows a haunting tale of the senseless murders by a narcissistic man that eventually led up to his conviction and death penalty sentence.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this was one of the most disturbing true crime stories that I have ever read. I had no sympathy for this narcissistic serial killer, and I felt that turning himself in was solely because of his feelings of guilt and nothing more. 

Body Parts is a gripping and chilling account of a sexual serial killer murder case that is a must read for all true crime fans.


RATING: 5 STARS 

About The Author

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. 

A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.

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The Doctor, The Hitman, And The Motorcycle Gang by Annie McCormick (Book Review)

 

The Doctor, The Hitman, And The Motorcycle Gang by Annie McCormick

Publisher: Camino Books

Publication Date: March 17, 2020

Format: Paperback - 192 pages

               Audiobook - 8 Hours 36 Minutes

               Kindle - 5470 KB / 218 pages

               Nook - 3 MB

ISBN: 978-1680980295
ASIN (Audibook): B08WTPCW35

ASIN (Kindle): B0844Q276Q
BNID: 2940163002795

Genre: True Crime

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Book Description:

A prominent New Jersey doctor and members of a notorious outlaw motorcycle gang transform the doctor’s office into a drug ring pumping thousands of highly addictive opioid pain pills onto the streets in exchange for cash.  Everything was going smoothly until one person discovered their plan: the doctor’s wife.  When she threatened to divorce him, the doctor’s unholy alliance with his partners in crime turned deadly and the doctor hired a hitman to kill her. 

THE DOCTOR, THE HITMAN, AND THE MOTORCYCLE GANG: The True Story of One of New Jersey’s Most Notorious Murder for Hire Plots is the true story of the murder of April Kauffman, a beloved and vivacious local radio personality and veterans’ advocate who was found shot to death in the bedroom of her home in Linwood, the affluent town just outside Atlantic City, New Jersey, in May of 2012. In the months leading up to her death, she had uncovered a tangled web of deceit surrounding her husband. She feared he was trying to kill her and that he may harm her family.

Her daughter, Kim Pack, never doubted her stepfather Dr. James Kauffman was responsible somehow. Reporter Annie McCormick met Kim Pack on the first anniversary of Kim’s mother’s murder. Over the next five years, McCormick tracked the case even as few clues emerged. She continued to gather information, sorting through gossip, rumors and facts to uncover the doctor’s web of lies. Dr. Kauffman shunned the media and his stepdaughter, moving on with his life in the very same town. Meanwhile, investigators uncovered how the doctor worked with the outlaw motorcycle gang, the Pagans, to run a prescription pill mill out of his New Jersey Office. More illegal deeds would catch the attention of The FBI and DEA. The twists and turns of Dr. Kauffman’s lies and schemes would leave Kim Pack, her tight-knit New Jersey community, and even investigators shocked.

The murder case, which has received national attention, was the subject of a 20/20 episode on ABC in the spring of 2018. In THE DOCTOR, THE HITMAN, AND THE MOTORCYCLE GANG, McCormick details the twists and turns in the investigation that dragged on for years until investigators caught an unexpected break that sparked a string of arrests including the arrest of the doctor and several former members of The Pagans. Nearly six years later, authorities charged her husband, Dr. James Kauffman, with her murder. In 2018, a jury convicted a former leader of the Pagans Motorcycle Club with helping to carry out the murder. McCormick includes never before seen or heard details from the investigation through her years of covering the case and she documents the relentless search for justice by April’s family, friends, and her daughter.

Book Excerpt:

PROLOGUE                                                                                                When 35-year-old Kimberly Pack received the phone call from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office asking her and her husband to clear their schedules for the following Tuesday, January 9, 2018, she said, “We will be there.” But the mother of two young boys did not get overly excited, or for that matter, excited at all. When asked later exactly how she felt on the day she received this call, Kim answered: “Numb.” Kim had been down this road many times before, and she was not expecting much. It was now 2018, and she assumed this was just another meeting about her mother’s unsolved murder in 2012. A newly appointed Atlantic County Prosecutor named Damon Tyner had taken office in the spring of 2017, and one of the first people he called was Kimberly Pack. The new prosecutor promised to put new resources into the dormant investigation of the murder of her mother, April Kauffman, who was 47 at the time of her death. Tyner also promised to give frequent updates, and to share whatever information he could along the way. For the first time Kim felt that someone in a position of authority was on her side, really putting forth a major effort. Still, she felt cautiously optimistic at best, as false hopes had also become a normal part of her life. The mere fact that Prosecutor Tyner had reached out when he took office felt significant; for years, she’d received few updates and met resistance whenever she made an inquiry regarding the investigation. The very day of April’s murder it took detectives hours to tell Kim that they were investigating a homicide and that her mother had not died a natural death. Kim had already figured as much by the presence of the yellow crime scene tape and the news helicopters hovering above. When the day arrived for the meeting with the Prosecutor’s Office, Kim’s husband Randy had taken off work and was in the shower getting ready for their 1 p.m. meeting when the phone rang around 11 a.m. The location of the meeting had changed from the Prosecutor’s Office in Mays Landing to the FBI field office in Northfield. The couple was asked to come as soon as possible. Kim knew this was not just another meeting. When the Packs walked into the FBI’s second floor office, they were greeted by FBI Special Agent Dan Garrabrant. Garrabrant, a twenty-year veteran of the FBI, had promised Kim that he would find the person or persons responsible for her death and see to it that they were brought to justice, no matter who they were or how long it took.                                                                                                       That day had arrived. Garrabrant ushered Kim and Randy into a spacious conference room, where the team of people responsible for untangling one of the most notorious murderfor-hire plots in New Jersey history stood. Detective Jim Scoppa from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, flanked by Chief Assistant Prosecutor Seth Levy and First Assistant Prosecutor Cary Shill, stood next to the team’s new leader, Prosecutor Damon Tyner. Tyner placed a hand on Kim’s shoulder, looked her in the eye and said softly, “We got ’em, we got all of them.” Every person in the room then proceeded to hug Kim, who was overcome with emotion, and shake hands with Randy, before sitting them down and sharing some of the gruesome details. Dr. James Kauffman, Kim’s stepfather, and the man she had long suspected of killing her mother, had been arrested and charged with murder. In an unforeseen twist, investigators had found that Jim, the fidgety, nervous, physically unprepossessing doctor, was heavily involved with an outlaw South Jersey biker gang in what prosecutors described as an elaborate and lucrative drug dealing scheme. Kim knew that leading up to her mother’s death, her mother had uncovered some of the truth about some of Jim’s dirty deals and his labyrinth of lies. Prosecutors say that when she found out and threatened to expose the illicit pill mill he was running out of his medical office, a contract on her life was set in motion. The months following the meeting at the FBI office in Northfield would begin what Kim hoped would be the final chapter of her years-long journey in fighting for and ultimately finding justice for her mother. But the case was far from over, and was still to bring many new and disturbing details to light. The tangled web involving the doctor, the hitman, and the motorcycle gang was about to unravel.

My Book Review: 

In The Doctor, The Hitman, And The Motorcycle Gang, 6ABC Action News reporter / author Annie McCormick takes the reader behind the scenes of a riveting true crime story for an in depth look at a highly publicized murder case set in Atlantic County, New Jersey.

On May 10, 2012, forty-seven year old local NJ radio personality and veterans advocate April Kauffman was found dead on the floor of her bedroom by her handyman, Billy Gonzalez. What ensues is an intricate and multi-layered story of April's death, the role that her husband Dr. James Kauffman, a prominent local Endocrinologist, and the local county chapter of the Pagans Motorcycle Gang had in her murder, the lengthy investigative process by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and the FBI, and the relentless determination of her daughter Kim Pack to ensure that justice is served for the murder of her mother.

The Doctor, The Hitman, And The Motorcycle Gang is a riveting story that easily draws the reader in from the start, keeping them captivated as the author weaves a thoroughly intriguing and intricate recounting of a highly publicized true crime case. I grew up in Atlantic County and remember hearing about the tragic murder of April Kauffman, and watching this case profiled on ABC's 20/20 investigative / mystery show, so when I saw that the author wrote an in depth true crime novel based on this case, it peaked my interest and I knew that I had to read it.

You can't help but get drawn into this complicated, fascinating, and multi-layered story, it is a gripping account into the tragic murder of April Kauffman, and how her doctor husband's illegal dealings with the Pagans Motorcycle Gang led to her murder, when their ten year acrimonious marriage soured and she wanted a divorce. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed and in depth look into the back stories and lives of each participant; an extensive research of the lengthy investigative and legal process (the case sat dormant until Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner was sworn into office on March 15, 2017) by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and the FBI.  

After an extensive and determined investigation into this case, the reader follows the author's thorough and very detailed accounting of a haunting tale of one woman's tragic and senseless death, and the determined pursuit of justice by her daughter and law enforcement that took six years to come to a culmination.

As I read this riveting account, I couldn't help but feel the frustration that April's daughter Kim went through to bring her mother's killers to justice. From the background into April and Jim's marriage, to Jim's narcissistic behavior, lies, and illegal drug schemes with the Pagans Motorycle Gang that led to their role in the murder for hire hit job on his wife, to the very long investigative process, the transcripts of wire tapped conversations between the suspects, and the trial transcript, the surprising twists and turns of this story will leave the reader simply stunned by the tragic and senseless death that befell April Kauffman. 

The Doctor, The Hitman, And The Motorcycle Gang is a gripping and haunting account of the tragic death of local NJ radio personality April Kauffman that is a must read for all true crime fans.


RATING: 5 STARS 

About The Author

Annie McCormick is an award-winning journalist based in Philadelphia, PA. Since 2012, Annie has worked as a general assignment reporter for ABC affiliate 6ABC Action News. She has extensively covered crime in the Philadelphia region for close to a decade. 

Annie began her career in journalism as a photo intern in The White House during The Clinton Administration. During her Senior year at Muhlenberg College she interned for The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, PA. After graduation in 2001, she worked as freelance photojournalist for newspapers and wire services in the tri-state area including The New York Times, the Associated Press, The Philadelphia Daily News, US Weekly and Star magazines, among others. 

Annie’s television news career took her across the country, she is currently a reporter at The ABC owned and operated television station WPVI-TV in Philadelphia. 

Annie won several Associated Press awards and was Emmy nominated in both New Mexico and Pennsylvania for stories about the paranormal and crime. 

She graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA with a major in Communications and minor in Music. She is a South Jersey native and a graduate of Moorestown High School in Moorestown, NJ. 

The Doctor, The Hitman and The Motorcycle Gang is Annie's first true crime book.

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Death On Ocean Boulevard by Caitlin Rother (Book Review)

Book Review

Death On Ocean Boulevard by Caitlin Rother

Publisher: Citadel Press

Publication Date: April 27, 2021

Format: Paperback - 368 pages

               Audiobook: 12 Hours 11 Minutes

               Kindle: 2180 KB

               Nook: 2 MB

ISBN: 978-0806540894
ASIN (Audiobook): B08Y6317W3

ASIN (Kindle): B08F2W7V49
BNID: 978-0806540900
Genre: True Crime

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description:

Bestselling author Caitlin Rother explores the mysterious death of 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau, who was found hanging from a second-story balcony of her multimillionaire boyfriend's San Diego mansion in 2011. She was naked and gagged, with her ankles tied and hands bound behind her. On the door to her bedroom investigators found a hand-written message: "SHE SAVED HIM, CAN YOU SAVE HER." The death was deemed a suicide, but Rother reveals there's more to the story...

"I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house."

The call came on the morning of July 13, 2011, from the historic Spreckels Mansion, a lavish beachfront property in Coronado, California, owned by pharmaceutical tycoon and multimillionaire Jonah Shacknai. When authorities arrived, they found the naked body of Jonah's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, gagged, her ankles tied and her wrists bound behind her. Jonah's brother, Adam, claimed to have found Rebecca hanging by a rope from the second-floor balcony. On a bedroom door in black paint were the cryptic words: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER.

Was this scrawled message a suicide note or a killer's taunt? Rebecca's death came two days after Jonah's six-year-old son, Max, took a devastating fall while in Rebecca's care. Authorities deemed Rebecca's death a suicide resulting from her guilt. But who would stage either a suicide or a murder in such a bizarre, elaborate way?

Award-winning investigative journalist Caitlin Rother weaves stunning new details into a personal yet objective examination of the sensational case. She explores its many layers-including the civil suit in which a jury found Adam Shacknai responsible for Rebecca's death, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department bombshell decision to reconfirm its original findings. As compelling as it is troubling, this controversial real-life mystery is a classic American tragedy that evokes the same haunting fascination as the JonBenet Ramsey and O.J. Simpson cases. 

Book Trailer:

My Book Review:

In her latest novel, Death On Ocean Boulevard, investigative journalist / author Caitlin Rother takes the reader behind the scenes of a riveting true crime story for an in depth look at a highly publicized mystery death case set in picturesque Coronado, California.

On July 13, 2011, thirty-two year old Rebecca Zahau's naked body was found bound, gagged, and hanging from the second-story balcony of her multimillionaire boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai's San Diego mansion by his brother, Adam Shacknai. What ensues is an intricate and multi-layered story of Rebecca's mysterious death, an inept investigative process, and the ongoing suicide-murder debate that continues to befuddle the public for the past ten years since her death. 

Death On Ocean Boulevard is a riveting story that easily draws the reader in from the start, keeping them captivated as the author weaves a thoroughly intriguing and intricate recounting of a highly publicized true crime case. I remember seeing this case profiled on the NBC Dateline investigative / mystery show, so when I saw that the author was writing an in depth true crime novel based on this case, it peaked my interest and I knew that I had to read it.

You can't help but get drawn into this complicated, fascinating, and multi-layered story, it is a gripping account into the mysterious death of Rebecca Zahau, and whether her death was a suicide or a murder. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed and in depth look into the back stories and lives of each participant; an extensive research of the shoddy investigative, legal and financial aspects of the case. 

After an extensive and determined investigation into this case, the reader follows the author's accounting of a haunting tale of one woman's tragic and senseless death, and the ongoing pursuit of her family to change the cause of death from suicide to undetermined, with the hope to reopen the investigation focused on a criminal case. In addition, the reader is also provided with information of Jonah Shacknai's six year old son Max's tragic accidental death while under the care of Rebecca two days before Rebecca's death, and the speculation that both deaths are either a coincidence or could be connected. 

The author provides an impartial account of the mysterious death, while leaving it up to the reader to form their own opinion on whether Rebecca's death was a suicide or a murder. After reading both sides of the suicide-murder debate, I found myself waffling back and forth on this debate, and I fear that this conundrum will never be resolved. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I loved the author's vivid description of Coronado's history, and the landmarks on this picturesque peninsula locale along the San Diego Bay. 

Death On Ocean Boulevard is a gripping and haunting account of a tragic and mysterious death that is a must read for all true crime fans.


RATING: 5 STARS 

About The Author

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. 

A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.

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Tortured With Love by JT Hunter (VBT: Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Tortured With Love by author JT Hunter!

Book Review

Tortured With Love by JT Hunter

Publisher: JT Hunter

Publication Date: May 15, 2020

Format: Paperback - 238 pages

               Kindle - 968 KB

               Audio Book - 5 Hours 56 Minutes

               Nook - 671 KB

ISBN: 978-0578720289

ASIN (eBook): B088P5N59D

ASIN (AudioBook): B08G81L5BP

BNID: 978-0578720272
Genre: True Crime

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Book Description:

What is the price of passion? What is the power of love?

Meet Martha Beck, a young nurse dedicated to healing others, until her own hurting heart lured her down a darker path. Loneliness led her to Raymond Fernandez, but love led her all the way to the electric chair.

This is the tragic story of the Lonely Heart Killers.

Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck, the Lonely Heart Killers

Book Excerpt:

ONE

On an otherwise mundane March day, a peculiar piece of paper arrived in Martha Beck’s office mailbox. It came with the usual medical correspondence and junk mail, giving no indication of its importance. Yet, this one particular envelope would change Martha’s life forever.

The envelope arrived on a cool afternoon, the temperature hovering just below 60, the highest it had climbed all day in the Pensacola area of the Florida Panhandle. But Martha was not in the mood to enjoy the weather. She was still down in the dumps about her recently finalized divorce from Alfred Beck, a Pensacola bus driver who had married her when she was six months pregnant with another man’s child. Although she had been separated from Alfred since May 1945, nearly two years earlier, the formal entry of their divorce had the nearly 27-year-old Martha feeling like an old maid doomed to live out the rest of her life alone.

Martha was not unique in that respect in post-World War II America. With well over a million more women than men, the United States population of the mid and late 1940’s left many lonely women in its wake.
A visit from Elizabeth Swanson, one of the nurses she supervised at the Crippled Children’s Home, temporarily distracted Martha from feeling sorry for herself. She considered Elizabeth her closest friend. When Elizabeth knocked on her office door, Martha had just started going through the mail. As the two engaged in the latest gossip and friendly chit-chat, Martha resumed sorting through the assortment of envelopes. The first was an advertisement from a Jacksonville company selling medical equipment. She quickly flipped past it as well as a few other pieces of junk mail until a mysterious envelope caught her eye. It was made of thin, pale-brown paper with the name, Mrs. Martha Jule Beck, typed prominently on the front.

“What’s this?” she asked, the question directed more to herself than her friend.

“What is what?” Elizabeth replied, sipping from a mug of coffee.

“This . . . this odd envelope,” Martha said, holding it up to show her.

“Beat’s me,” Elizabeth remarked coyly. “I wonder who sent you that.”

“I’m sure I don’t know,” Martha remarked, her curiosity now piqued. She turned the envelope over to inspect it further, and seeing nothing hinting at its contents, opened it to find a thin, paper pamphlet inside. It was a promotional mailing and application for the Standard Correspondence Club, one of many “lonely hearts clubs” operating across the country. The return address gave Standard’s location as Grave Lake, Illinois.

LONELY?, the pamphlet asked in large, bold letters, Let us help you find that certain someone. Join old reliable Club, 50 years of dependable, confidential service. Correspondents most everywhere seeking congenial mates, proven results. Interesting photos, descriptions FREE. There were several pictures of women spaced throughout the page, each next to a testimonial about a happy marriage brought about by contacts made through the club.

“Now why on earth would they send this to me?” Martha wondered aloud, taking a little offense that such a “lovelorn club” would be contacting her.

Elizabeth’s coyness now morphed into a broad grin that spread across her face.

“Now why on earth would they send this to me?” Martha wondered aloud, “I have a confession to make,” Elizabeth said as she started giggling. “I wrote the club and asked them to send you information and an application.”

Martha studied her friend’s face, deciding whether she was serious.

“Whatever for?” she asked in a tone matching the astonishment in her eyes.

Still giggling, Elizabeth moved to a chair closer to Martha and sat down beside her.

“I originally did it as a joke,” she explained, “but the more I thought about it, the more I decided that you should give it a try. Three of my daughters are writing to me that they have met men through this correspondence club, and this is the very same club that I met my husband through thirty years ago. And after all, what do you have to lose?”

Martha rolled her eyes.

“I may be a little lonely,” she acknowledged, “but I’m not THAT desperate.”

She glared with some annoyance at Elizabeth. “I swear, sometimes I really wonder what’s going on in that head of yours.”

Martha tossed the pamphlet onto a pile of papers stacked on the side of her desk and made no more mention of it for the rest of their time together. But the seeds of intrigue had already been planted in her mind.

Later, after Elizabeth had left, Martha retrieved the discarded pamphlet and read it more closely. Part of the pamphlet contained a form asking her to fill out information about herself and write a letter detailing what kind of men she would like to meet. Sitting down at her desk, she carefully completed the form and took her time crafting the letter, being sure to mention how people often commented that she was witty, vivacious, and oozed personality. She also emphasized that she was a trained nurse with her own pleasant apartment. When she was satisfied with what she had written, Martha carefully folded the papers, enclosed $5.00 for the required membership fee, and licked the envelope to seal it. That evening, she dropped it in a mailbox on her way home from work.

*****

Years later, when asked whether she had experienced any misgivings about joining a lonely hearts club, Martha candidly replied, “Yes, as soon as I’d put the letter in the mailbox, I began thinking I’d made a mistake.”

Questioned about what kind of man she hoped to meet through the club, Martha took a little more time before answering.

“Well, I don’t know,” she confessed. “I guess I hadn’t thought about it much.

But I sure didn’t think I’d ever meet anyone like Ray.”

***
Excerpt from Tortured With Love by J.T. Hunter. Copyright 2020 by J.T. Hunter. Reproduced with permission from J.T. Hunter. All rights reserved.

My Book Review:

In Tortured With Love, author JT Hunter takes the reader behind the scenes of a riveting true crime thriller for an in depth look at the tragic story of the serial killers called the Lonely Heart Killers.

Martha Beck met Raymond Fernandez through a correspondence club called the "Lonely Hearts Club." Raymond used the club to meet and scam lonely women like Martha of their savings. Martha falls in love with Raymond, who has a powerful influence over her, and she pledges her loyalty and devotion, and will do anything for him.

From 1947-1949, their spree of scamming lonely women takes a sadistic turn towards murder, until they are caught and put on trial for first degree murder, and ultimately given the death sentence, and electrocuted on March 8, 1951 in Sing Sing Prison in New York.

The media dubbed this infamous serial killer couple the Lonely Hearts Killers, and they made Time Magazine's list of Top Ten Crime Duos In US History, coming in number 4 behind (1) Bonnie and Clyde, (2) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and (3) Frank and Jesse James.

Tortured With Love is a riveting story that easily draws the reader in from the start, keeping them captivated as the author weaves a thoroughly intriguing and intricate recounting of serial killers Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez's horrific scam and murder spree, and highly publicized murder case.

The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed and in depth look into the back stories and lives of the serial killers and their victims. The author utilized his extensive experience as a criminal attorney and college professor to provide a thorough recounting of this heinous case with a critical eye towards the research of the serial killers' backgrounds, and the investigative and legal processes of the case; including a very detailed timeline of their crime spree throughout the book.

You can't help but get drawn into this complicated, fascinating, and multi-layered story, it is a gripping dark account of a truly horrific serial killing spree, and the mind boggling investigative and legal path that the justice system took to render justice for the unsuspecting victims.

Tortured With Love is a gripping and chilling true crime account of the Lonely Heart Killers that is a must read for all true crime fans.


RATING: 5 STARS 

About The Author

JT Hunter is a true crime writer with over fifteen years of experience as a lawyer, including criminal law and appeals. He also has significant training in criminal investigation techniques. He enjoys being a college professor teaching fiction and nonfiction to his creative writing students.

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