John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster by Sam Amirante

Book:  John Wayne Gacy:  Defending a Monster 

Author:  Sam Amirante and Danny Broderick

Grade:  C+ 

Recommended To:  Lawyers,  People who are full of themselves. 

I'm an attorney, so I occasionally (and I do mean very occasionally) like to read books about other lawyers and the work that they do.  So, I picked up this book at the library.  Free.

The book was average.  I expected the book to be more about John Wayne Gacy than about the attorney, but I suppose I should have read the title more clearly because it says : The true story of the lawyer who defended one of the most evil serial killers in history.  Okay, obviously I was just distracted by the huge print and I should have known that this wasn't going to be about Gacy's character.  But, that's what I wanted, so this book got a C+.  (I told you, its subjective...)

Also, this attorney is super full of himself.  Evidently he went on to become a judge in Cook County, which is pretty admirable.  But did he have to reprint his entire 10 hour closing argument in the book?  It's not like this is Barack Obama talking and the argument is quote worthy, it was just a very very long closing argument that I didn't want to read in full.  Sam Amirante is admirable because he truly believes that every single person is entitled to a defense.  I appreciate that and I appreciate that he was able to provide a defense even to this totally creepy, Chicago based killer.

I also liked that this book is based in Chicago.  WGN, the best new station in the universe, had a story just a few years back about how the police were still searching for bodies under Gacy's house.  That's crazy close to where I live (okay, not that close, but still crazy)!   So, the fact that this still has repercussions today is amazing and interesting.

I recommend this book to my attorney friends and anyone with a fascination in serial killers.

Happy Reading!

Fully Loaded Thrillers by Blake Crouch

Book:  Fully Loaded Thrillers. 


Author:  Blake Crouch 


Grade:  B


Recommended To:  Short story fans and horror/mystery fans. 


This was a collection of ten deliciously creepy short stories.  Some were so short that they were about a page long and the description before the book was at least triple the story itself.

I had never read anything by Blake Crouch before I picked up this book as an Amazon Daily Deal.  Crouch is a good author. He creates suspense with scenes and descriptions, which in this reviewer's opinion is the proper way to write good books.  Let me warn you, some of these stories were so creepy that I found myself thinking about them for days afterward.

For example, in one story a husband and wife get a pocket dial telephone call where they hear someone killing another person.   The story twists and turns and ends up with a very shocking ending.  It was deliciously and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Without giving too much away, there's also a very compelling story about a serial killer hitchhiker and serial killer ride-giver who meet.  The result is horrifying and definitely keeps you guessing.

I liked this book.  I liked being a little creeped out by the stories and the characters.  I also liked that these stories were so short, I could nearly get through one on my train ride to the city.

I definitely recommend this book to people looking for something well written and off the beaten path.

Happy Reading!

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Book:  Full Dark, No Stars 

Author:  Stephen King 

Grade:  A- 

Recommended To:  All SK fans, plus everyone else. 

I love Stephen King.  I've read nearly everything that he's ever written with the exception of that crazy Dark Tower series that took too long to come out.  I even ordered one of his banned books from the UK just so I could have it in my collection.  (It is called Rage, and it isn't exactly banned, just not printed anymore because it is about a school shooting that has perverse similarities to Columbine, but was released prior to the shooting.)

SK is at his peak when he writes about people in everyday situations that become hairy.   For a bit, he dabbled in psychological horror (Duma Key, Lisey's Story, Dreamcatcher) which I found unappealing and difficult to grasp.  Now it seems that it is back to basics and King is doing what he does best.  This happened with his 2010 book Under the Dome and he did it again with Full Dark, No Stars.  

This is a book of 4 short stories that are on-the-edge-of-your-seat horror.  In one, a husband and son kill the wife and their lives unravel into crime and a schizophrenic break.  In another, the hardest to read in my opinion, a female writer is raped and left for dead, but then seeks revenge.  He ends the book with a story about a wife who discovers that her husband is a serial killer.   I recommend that these stories be digested slowly, one at a time, otherwise it is nearly overwhelming.

King is excellent at assaulting you with situations that could perversely happen in your own life and leaving you thinking about these stories for days and weeks to come.  I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a Stephen King fan or to anyone who wants a creep-tastic evening.

I don't have much negative to say about this work, and I would probably have give it an A if those weren't so hard to come by.  Pick up this book - it will not disappoint.

Happy (or horror?) Reading