I had read Death in California many years ago and remember it somewhat as an interesting book. So I did not re-read it but read (sort of ) Death in Canaan. Horrid. The author gave up actually writing a book, instead included the whole interview with the boy at the police station and then repeated most of the information again in including all the testimony at trial. Where was the writing? Where was the summation of what was going on? Or speculation as to what actually happened? I think the author was more impressed that she lived in the Canaan area at that time and knew the boy than she was in actually writing a book. because she kept inserting herself into the story (and annoyingly telling what she and her husband were doing at each particular moment). I totally skimmed the book and looked at the end to see what happened to the boy. Because of that poorly written book, I didn't read the third book included in this boxed set. But I gave it 2 stars overall instead of 1 because I do remember liking the first book.

I was excited to read this but it turned out to be my least favorite type of true crime: retellings that drag on and on. The stories start out strong and then, post-crime, get bogged down with red tape. If you're into reading about the minutiae of the legal system, you'll probably enjoy this more than I did.

I am unable to review these titles as they were lost when my kindle updated.

I liked the first two stories in this book better than the third, but still this was excellent overall, for anyone who enjoys true crime books. This one will take you a while to read, it's a rather long collection, but I was able to get lost in it pretty quickly. They are right when they say that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, and that is definitely the case with the first book in this set.

This collection kept me busy for an entire weekend and made me think about life as we know it and how one little action can change everything. I recommend this to anyone who likes true crime. It was fascinating and kept me guessing at the motives of the criminals and what they were thinking.

I liked it. Each of the books included have their own merits but the first two really captivated me.

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

What a deal for true crime junkies!!! Three books in one, and all of them fascinating!

The first story, A Death in California, is way more interesting than its generic title might suggest. More than thirty years ago, a beautiful Beverly Hills socialite named Hope Masters fell in love with Bill Ashlock, a handsome advertising executive in Los Angeles. She had been married an divorced twice, but she thought her life was finally turning around – and then this bizarro story: she and Bill went to her family’s ranch in Central California, and were joined by a new acquaintance of Bill’s for a weekend getaway and supposedly a photo shoot. The next day, Hope wakes up with a gun in her mouth and her Bill dead in the next room. Then, after a weekend of rape and torture, Hope began to fall in love with Taylor Wright, the killer.

There is more family dysfunction than you can imagine, and I don’t think anyone will ever know what really happened…but this is another case set in Los Angeles, where you can definitely get all the justice money can buy.

The second book is A Death in Canaan. When eighteen-year-old Peter Reilly arrived home to find his mother naked on the floor with her throat slashed, he was immediately the prime suspect. local police made him their prime suspect. After eight hours of interrogation and a polygraph test, Peter confessed following many hours of harsh interrogation and a lie detector test. But the people in Canaan, CT couldn’t believe he did it, and they began a campaign to seek justice. It reminded me of Adnan Syed, where the police first decide on a suspect, then look for evidence (and, ideally, a confession) to point to that suspect as the killer, without looking anywhere else. Scary stuff.

Finally, in Love or Honor, a police officer named Chris Anastos, who was happily married and busily working on the NYPD’s anti-crime unit, was assigned to go undercover in order to investigate possible links between the Italian mob and a Greek criminal network in Queens. Anastos did this for five years, going back and forth between his comfortable home life and a criminal underground world of “wise guys, pimps, and thieves.” Then he fell in love with the daughter of a Long Island gangster…what could POSSIBLY go wrong?!?!

Excellently written, and sure to be enjoyed by fans of true crime. Five stars and thanks to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my review.

This is a set of three true crime books by Joan Barthel. Three very different books, with interesting stories beneath the headlines. A Death in California is the story of the kidnapping of Hope Masters and murder of her boyfriend, Bill Ashlock. It was interesting, but a bit complicated. Sometimes the author gave way too much detail and drug the story down a bit. Love and Honor is about a PA cop who went undercover in the mob and fell in love. The final book is A Death in Canaan, about the conviction of a teen in his mother's murder. This author really researched this story. I love this book and the passion that this town felt for Peter. Unfortunately, it looks like there will never be justice there. All three of these books are well written and very well researched. Sometimes the details are overloaded but it did not take away the rest of the quality. Very good reads all three.

For any true crime fan, this is gift. 3 full true crime stories that are very good. My favorite was "Death in California". You cannot go wrong with this bundle. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this collection.

I shouldn't have started reading Joan Barthel's excellent Deadly Obsessions just after dinner, because I literally fell asleep with it in my hands. I just couldn't put it down. This e-book, which I received from Netgalley in return for my honest review, is actually three of Barthel's books : Love or Honor, A Death in California, and A Death in Canaan. All are true crime stories. A Death is Canaan was the most gripping, in my opinion, because it recounts the unjust imprisonment of an 18-year-old boy--who seems younger than his physical age--after he's accused of his mother's murder. It's amazing to read about how his small town rallied behind him--and horrifying to learn how he was led to give a false confession. (I used to think no one would admit to a crime they didn't really do, but don't believe that anymore. Long interrogations, when suspects are isolated, exhausted and hungry or thirsty, do produce untrue "confessions.") Highly recommended.