LOVE LOVE LOVE!~!! True crime is my true passion! I will be buying a copy for the store! Thanks so much!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and WildBlue press for the digital copy of Death Sentence in exchange for my honest review.

This is a true crime story of a man named John List "a family annihilator" who murders his family and follows his life after he creates a new identity and evades authorities for decades.

I first became interested in this crime after hearing it featured on the podcast My Favorite Murder. The story is thoroughly researched and well written. Sharkey displays an interesting insight into List's character and personality, providing a chilling look at a sociopath's slanted thought processes and reasoning. List's arrogance and lack of remorse is truly staggering. While the majority of the book is very detailed, the end felt rushed and cut short. I recommend this book to any fans of true crime.

I loved this book! It took me a a little while to get into it but once I started I didn't put it down until it was finished. A definitely recommend read!

Murder, mayhem and a man that successfully outran the law for 18 years and had to live with his crime every day. This made for an interesting read.

John List is a difficult man to figure out. The things that motivated him to commit the heinous crimes he was responsible for hardly seem logical to someone that is not suffering from religious delusions and severe mental health issues, and yet, as a reader, I still longed to find some good in him somewhere, something that would make him less of a monster and easier to relate to on a human level. I never found it.

Joe Sharkey did a great job explaining the events that led up to the murders and the aftereffects of John List's decisions. This book paints a clear picture of a sociopath and what happened in his life years after he ran from the law. When you read this, you are able to get a deep feeling of what those who were close to him went through and it truly is chilling to think someone could be so cold and calculating.

This book kept me turning pages, hoping for some sort of redemption, but aware at the same time, that it would probably never happen. I felt sorry for the family members that were murdered, as well as those that survived and have to live each day with the haunting memory of what this man did.

I would definitely recommend this book to other true crime lovers and those interested in the John List case.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Death Sentence tells the story of a mild mannered accountant who killed his family for religious reasons. I enjoyed the book and thought how the author delved into the psyche of the killer was interesting. I enjoyed learning about his family of origin as well as getting a clear understanding of the personality of the parties involved. I also enjoyed learning more about the period that the book was set in as well as the earlier years that they murderer grew up in. It was heart-wrenching though to think about his family and how much potential his children had. I found myself wishing the killer had deserted his family but his skewed thought processing and the consequences of it is what led to the book being written to begin with. It made me angry that he could just go on with his life and start all over with no apparent qualms.

DEATH SENTENCE BY JOE SHARKEY

I am amazed AGAIN, how talented of a writer Joe Sharkey is and how captivated I was reading Death Sentence. Anne Rule used to be my favorite writer of true crime until a month ago I discovered Joe Sharkey on Net Galley. The first book I read by this author was " Above Suspicion" which is my favorite true crime book that I have ever read. This book "Death Sentence" has tied the score in it's ability to describe the psychological nuances of both of the victim's and the pathology of the murderer's character. There is absolutely no way that I believe there is an excuse for murder, taking the life of another. I am squeamish to watch on television anything sadistic or gratuitous violence. I cannot watch or read of torture or abuse of anybody. When television commercial's show advertisements of sending money to help rescue an abused cat or dog, I always contribute money to help rescue the abused. There is something about Joe Sharkey's writing that brings out the sympathy or empathy of caring about each and every person he describes in his well researched stories of humanity. With the exception of Charles Stuart, who premeditated the murder of his pregnant wife Carol. That was called " Deadly Greed" by Joe Sharkey. I didn't feel an ounce of empathy for Charles Stuart. Is it because I followed the story and believed in the deceit and lies that Stuart shocked all of my colleagues and myself? Was it because I worked and lived in Boston and gave birth in the same hospital where poor Carol Stuart was brought to dead? Was it because I cared about and was appalled that he fooled me for six weeks that he was also attacked? There is something and I cannot put my finger on it about Joe Sharkey's in depth characterizations of the victims and the murderer. In" Above Suspicion" I didn't want the bereft FBI agent to volunteer his confession.

As I am writing this review, I am beginning to think that Joe Sharkey writes about the perpetrator's of these murders with such acuity and if possible with humanity. His background as a writer includes working for The New York Times for nineteen years. He also served as an assistant editor of The Wall Street Journal. He is currently an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Arizona. He and his wife live in Tucson. I am a fan now, after reading three books from Net Galley and a kind publisher from Open Road Integrated Media. A very kind person from Open Road Publishing sent me an email reminding me to make sure I posted a review of my first experience of reading Joe Sharkey's "Above Suspicion." I wrote the person back with links to both Good Reads and Amazon of my review. I received a second email thanking me (the pleasure was all mine) with a telephone contact where I left a message telling how much I loved "Above Suspicion." I received a response email from this generous person from Open Road with direct links to "Deadly Greed" and "Death Sentence" plus some more books that are fiction from other authors. I am grateful for that person's kindness and generosity.

I don't want to admit it, but I found myself disappointed when the FBI caught the perpetrator's of the murder in "Above Suspicion" and the mass murderer in "Death Sentence." As I said I cannot watch movies or television where there is murder or mayhem. I couldn't read the popular "All the Pretty Girls." I couldn't read "Difficult Women" which received mostly five and four star reviews on Good Reads. My complaints were "Too dark, dismal, bleak, rot." In this book called "Death Sentence," I despised John E List for killing his mother, his wife, his daughter, and his two sons.'
Parts Two and Parts Three of the book describe a sweet, easy to get along with Robert P Clark, the new identity John List had reinvented for himself. The Bob Clark that is described never hurt a soul for the next eighteen years of his life living peacefully and cooperative with employers, friends, and his new wife. But, still there was something about him that was flat and emotionless. A few people could feel a vibe that something was off about sweet, loving Bob. The book describes his massacre of his family to be the second worse crime in New Jersey's history. Second, to the Charles Lindbergh kidnapping. But that couldn't be true because I remembered "The Iceman" who killed over one hundred people for the New York five mafioso crime families.
I highly recommend this book "Death Sentence" and "Above Suspicion" to readers who like true crime that is written tastefully if that word isn't an oxymoron.

Thank You to Net Galley, Joe Sharkey and Open Road Publishing for providing me with my copy for an honest and fair review.

In 1971, John List arrived at the Westfield N.J. police station to pick-up his wayward teen daughter for violating curfew, in the early morning hours wearing a formal business suit, (neighbors also observed him doing yard work in his suit/tie). This would be the only outward clue that there was something seriously wrong with John Emil List (1925-2008). In “Death Sentence” author Joe Starkey fully researched and interviewed scores of people affiliated with the case, providing a disturbing, shocking, and spine-chilling portrayal of one of the worst mass murderers in New Jersey’s state history.

John List could not have been a spiritual man, this would have required a heart and conscience he obviously didn’t have. Though very religious, he faithfully attended church services and read the Bible regularly. Always well dressed, neat, orderly, and polite he appeared so low key and ordinary that those who encountered him could barely remember him. However, List simmered with an internal uncontrollable rage and anger at the Vietnam protests, the rapidly changing times that led to open expression of free love--the “hippie culture” List perceived as immoral.
After List drove his daughter home from the police station he shouted at his wife and daughter that they were both “sluts”. Following this incident, List purchased a gun for “home protection”. There were several other things that caused List to unravel: his wife was mentally ill, he had lost his job, he was stealing money from his mother’s bank account being unable to maintain the standard of living at “Breeze Knoll”--the mansion he and his wife Helen had bought in 1965, when he was vice-president of a local bank.

After List committed his methodical atrocious carnage on November 09, 1971, he wrote confessional letters and left further instructions, cleaned the crime scene and himself up, prepared his dinner and washed the dishes after eating. Before leaving, he had stopped mail and newspaper delivery, turned the heat down, and left loud classical music playing on the intercom. The horrified police arrived at the crime scene 28 days later. By that time, List had relocated to Denver, Colorado and assumed his new life and name of Bob P. Clark, deducting several years off his age, working at first as a short order cook, pleased that his skills cooking for his family, had been beneficial to begin his new life. List remained at large for 18 years, until tips were reported to America’s Most Wanted and he was captured.

On April 12, 1990, List received 5 consecutive life terms for first degree murder, guaranteeing he would never be eligible for parole. Superior Court Judge William L. Wertheimer observed: “The name John Emil List will be eternally synonymous with concepts of selfishness, horror, and evil. John Emil List is without remorse and without honor. After 18 years, 5 months, 22 days, it is now time for the voices of Helen (1924-71), Alma, Patricia M. (1955-71), Frederick M. (1958-71), and John F. List (1956-71), to rise from the grave.” Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC (2017) for the purpose of review.

I was very anxious to read this book, and it was worth the time. It is a really good book - very well written with well-defined characters. It was obvious that a lot of research went into this book. I knew the basics of this crime, but not specifics. This book made the victims come alive, to always be remembered. My heart broke for these victims that only wanted love from their killer. I still remember the bust of John List that was presented on AMW. It gave me chills when List was arrested and the resemblance was so close. It is a great book. I highly recommend it.