Thank you to Viking and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I am unable to provide a full list of content warnings, as I was unable to finish reading this book. Some general content warnings: death, murder, violence.
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// Quick Review //
1/5 Stars
While the story of Phillip Boudreau is an interesting and tragic one, I found it hard to read this book and its vague telling of the events involved with Boudreau’s death/murder. I ended up not finishing this book due to its poor flow and storytelling.
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// Other Information // Publisher: Viking Page Count: 256 pages Release Date: August 11, 2020 Series: None Genre: Non-fiction, Adult, True crime, History
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// Review //
Never having heard of Phillip Boudreau, I was intrigued by the description of Blood in the Water, as it promised a unique telling of a previously unseen story.
As I started reading Blood in the Water, it became apparent that the majority of the book focuses on what happens in court rather than the events leading up to or causing Boudreau’s death. The book became rather vague early on, making it hard to get through.
I struggled to read more than 20% of Blood in the Water, as the book dragged on and became unbearable.
Thank you to Abrams Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
// Content warning: racism, sexual assault, murder, death, violence //
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// Quick Review // 5/5 Stars
I am horrified that I have never heard of this case previous to reading this book. Chris Joyner presents the death sentences of Clarence Henderson in a factual and straightforward manner that is not only educational but trustworthy.
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// Other Information // Publisher: Abrams Press Page Count: 352 pages Release Date: January 11, 2022 Series: None Genre: Non-fiction, True crime
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// Book Description (via Goodreads) // The story of Clarence Henderson, a Black sharecropper convicted and sentenced to death three times for a murder he didn’t commit
The Three Death Sentences of Clarence Henderson is the story of Clarence Henderson, a wrongfully accused Black sharecropper who was sentenced to die three different times for a murder he didn’t commit, and the prosecution desperate to pin the crime on him despite scant evidence. His first trial lasted only a day and featured a lackluster public defense. The book also tells the story of Homer Chase, a former World War II paratrooper and New England radical who was sent to the South by the Communist Party to recruit African Americans to the cause while offering them a chance at increased freedom. And it’s the story of Thurgood Marshall’s NAACP and their battle against not only entrenched racism but a Communist Party—despite facing nearly as much prejudice as those they were trying to help—intent on winning the hearts and minds of Black voters. The bitter battle between the two groups played out as the sides sparred over who would take the lead on Henderson’s defense, a period in which he spent years in prison away from a daughter he had never seen.
Through it all, The Three Death Sentences of Clarence Henderson is a portrait of a community, and a country, at a crossroads, trying to choose between the path it knows is right and the path of least resistance. The case pitted powerful forces—often those steering legal and journalistic institutions—attempting to use racism and Red-Scare tactics against a populace that by and large believed the case against Henderson was suspect at best. But ultimately, it’s a hopeful story about how even when things look dark, some small measure of justice can be achieved against all the odds, and actual progress is possible. It’s the rare book that is a timely read, yet still manages to shed an informative light on America’s past and future, as well as its present.
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// Review //
As I mentioned, before reading Chris Joyner’s book I had never heard of Clarence Henderson, let alone the death sentences that he acquired in a time of injustice.
The life of Clarence Henderson is not only a cruel one, but one marred by the racism and injustices prevalent at the time of Buddy Steven Jr.’s murder.
Chris Joyner has done a fantastic job of collecting even the tiniest details and presenting them in his book. When I searched up Clarence Henderson’s case, I found virtually no details whatsoever. The fact that Joyner has managed to gather and record a book of the utmost detail that is also factual is something I admire him for.
The Three Death Sentences of Clarence Henderson examines the murder of Buddy Stevens Jr. and how in a period where a black man stood no chance against a white one in court, Clarence Henderson was able to escape death.
I enjoy learning more about history and true crime cases; this book was a perfect mixture of both. I’m beyond glad that I had the opportunity to learn about this case, as it is so important to examine the past.
Surviving Dirty John is a novel of survival, in which Debra Newell bares her soul to the reader in order to share her side of the story. The abuse and trauma that she suffered at the hands of John Meehan is written precisely in a 324 page novel of fact.
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"We think we are immune to the horrific stories of bloodshed and extreme violence we see on television. We think evil visits only the person next door. We think that simply meeting another human being for a casual coffee date, or a dinner we hope could evolve into a relationship and maybe even love, is never going to turn around and serve as a catalyst for violence. And yet it happens every single day in this country."
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// Other Information // Publisher: BenBella Books Page Count: 324 pages Release Date: August 31, 2021 Series: None Genre: Non-fiction, True crime
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// Book Description (via Goodreads) // Now that articles, podcasts, newsmagazines, and miniseries have had their sensationalistic say, Debra Newell, the one woman who truly knows what it was like to survive “Dirty John” Meehan shares the full story—the reality—with the world for the first time.
Debra Newell is nothing if not a survivor. By the time she met John Michael Meehan online, she lived through a near-fatal childhood illness, an attempted rape in her 20s, the traumatic death of her sister at the hands of her brother-in-law, four failed marriages, and a litany of dating disasters. But despite those tragedies, she seemed to have it all: adoring children, a successful business, a fabulous penthouse apartment.
But there was something missing: the blinding, all-consuming love she first read about to occupy her time in her childhood sickbed. And she thought she found it with John Meehan.
More than a tabloid-ready true-crime expose, Debra’s story is one of trauma, denial, and deception. But it is also a relatable, inspirational, and hopeful story of forgiveness and, most of all, love. The lengths to which a woman will go to find—and keep—love; the boundaries children and parents cross to protect and save the people they love; the love one must find for oneself; and the ways the illusion of love can be used to manipulate and hurt.
Told in Debra’s words with the help of New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps, this book is filled with exclusive stories about Debra and her family, previously unpublished photos, and the unvarnished, unapologetic, and unbelievable reality of Surviving Dirty John.
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// Review // I can only begin this review with saying how stunned I am at the misinformation and dramatization of survivor's stories in the media. As Newell herself points out at multiple points in Surviving Dirty John, we as a society need to do better in supporting victims, rather than placing the blame of the victimizer's abusive behavior upon them. The epidemic of abuse (mainly upon women) in this country is unacceptable and is telling of how we react to those who cry out for help. Debra Newell writes:
"I was screaming out to law enforcement. Providing evidence. We all knew John was about to strike. Where and when was anybody's guess. He was planning to fulfill his need for revenge. The torching of my Jag was a direct warning. And he got away with it."
Also:
"Whenever a woman comes forward and talks about abuse and is judged, the tacit message she hears is: If you tell your story, your behavior and your past will be the lens through which your present circumstances are viewed - you will be judged harshly and humiliated."
I have to commend Debra Newell for how she has used her horrendous experience to fuel her determination to change this country for the benefit of abuse and assault survivors. We need to do better as a society.
I also give credit to Debra Newell for using her voice to spread information regarding coercive control. Previous to reading Surviving Dirty John, I felt I had a decent grapple on abuse and abusers. However, I had never even heard of coercive control. This ignorance to abuse had made me and many others vulnerable. Now, Debra's novel has shielded me.
Here is a quick definition of coercive control, thanks to Laura Richards, whose site I encourage you all to visit here:
"Coercive control is a strategic pattern of behavior designed to exploit, control, create dependency, and dominate. The victim's everyday existence is micromanaged and her space for action, as well as potential as a human being, is limited and controlled by the abuser.
If any of this rings true to you, please seek help from someone you trust.
I read Surviving Dirty John in one day; I could not put it down. I could not believe that someone could do something like this to another human being. The novel is a solid 5/5 Stars, and one of my favorite true crime books that I have read so far.
I'd like to finish this review with a badass quote from Debra Newell herself:
"My passion now is to expose and help brings about awareness of what I and others view as a worldwide epidemic affecting millions of people, many of whom do not even realize what is occurring in their lives until it's far too late. This is my fight. Getting people to understand coercive control and providing a safe way out for women trapped in abusive - even deadly - situations and relationships. Reaching these women is the silver lining within the horror my family and I endured and, thank God, lived through. Educating women about the warning signs of being controlled, as well as the dangers of online dating and what they should be looking out for, is my life's work."
I highly recommend reading this novel, even if you think you know the whole story. You don't, you really don't.
She Kills Me is a fast, yet excellent and informative read on not only the most depraved women in history, but also those whose actions were understable because of their strong morality. Featuring some of the most infamous women in history, She Kills Me briefly covers the stories of more than 40 and the circumstances that caused the actions of those described.
“People are very apt to believe that a woman can’t kill someone.”
// Other Information // Publisher: Abrams Image Page Count: 176 pages Release Date: September 28, 2021 Series: None
// Book Description (via Goodreads) // A powerful collection of stories about women who murdered—for revenge, for love, and even for pleasure—rife with historical details that will have any true crime junkie on the edge of their seat.
In every tragic story, men are expected to be the killers. There are countless studies and works of art made about male violence. However, when women are featured in stories about murder, they are rarely portrayed as predators. They’re the prey. This common dynamic is one of the reasons that women are so enthralled by female murderers. They do the things that women aren’t supposed to do and live the lives that women aren’t supposed to want: lives that are impulsive and angry and messy and inconvenient. Maybe we feel bad about loving them, but we eat it up just the same. Residing squarely in the middle of a Venn diagram of feminism and true crime, She Kills Me tells the story of 40 women who murdered out of necessity, fear, revenge, and even for pleasure.
// Review // Just a heads up, if you are thinking of reading this novel and expect an in depth investigation into each case, you might be slightly disappointed. While providing great information, the novel is very surface-level and doesn’t dive into anything past an overview.
Despite this, I was glad to see that I didn’t know every woman's story in this novel. Some I knew a little bit about, others I had never heard of. Some of the women talked about in the novel include: Elizabeth Bathory; Irma Grese; Lizzie Borden; Christine and Lea Papin; Susan Atkins; Grace O’ Malley; Zenobia; Mary I of England; Nadezhda Vasilyevna Popova; and Freddie Oversteegen. Though, as stated before, more than 40 women are featured in this novel.
Besides some of the gruesome details that come with practically any true crime novel, the author managed to lighten the mood with some humor at the expense of horrific people while remaining respectful of victims.
I definitely enjoyed learning about many of these women, but was slightly disappointed with the lack of depth in their stories. However, this brief overview of cases definitely piqued my interest and inspired me to research further.
Overall, She Kills Me is a solid 4/5 Stars and a well-rounded novel including various cases.
"The family that slays together does not stay together."