Guilty Creatures by Mikita Brottman

Why I Chose It: I enjoy true crime reads.

This was a solid true crime read. It portrayed facts in an engaging way without being overly dramatic. It was organized in a way that made sense: background, lead up, crime, aftermath, and police involvement/court recap.

I didn’t find that there was judgment or favoritism shown toward any one person. The author kept an even hand on descriptions, and stuck to the facts with minimal critical comments. Nothing was sensationalized, which I appreciated as I know true crime has to walk a line.

Fans of true crime stories that follow the entire case will enjoy this one.

Guilty Creatures, sex God and murder in Tallahassee Florida by Mikita Brottman, it is a true crime story about the murder of Jerry Michael Williams that was committed by his wife Denise Williams and best friend Brian Winchester.
On December 16, 2000 Mike Williams went duckhunting with his best friend Brian Winchester and although Brian would later deny going Michael would never come home to dispute his claim. After a huge financial windfall from the insurance a second marriage to Brian and lots of gossip Denise would maintain her innocence to what looks like the point of psychosis. She would even find religion and bring it to the incarcerated at the local prison it wouldn’t be until Denise separated from Brian and Brian not taking it well that would lead to their arrest. They always say truth is stranger than fiction and that is never more true than in the case of this story because despite everything that happened in the end what blew me away the most was that Denise and Kathy remained friends. Oh you don’t know who Kathy is well she’s Kathy Winchester the woman Brian left to be with Denise after Mike’s murder and although it would be years later it’s still is a shocking turn of events. There’s a lot more to this gossipey, twisty, small town murder story that had many OMG moments and totally had me gasping out loud. I really enjoyed the authors writing style in the fact that she didn’t overly describe everything in Florida and just painted a picture vividly enough so you know what you’re looking at and made it easy to follow the story. I also enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter from famous movies the Bible and other books and thought that was a nice touch. I felt so bad for Mike’s mom Sherald and the fact that Denise stopped her from seeing her granddaughter Ansley to me seemed to compound Sherald’s pain and proves even more what a sociopath Denise was.#AtriaBooks, #NetGalley, #MikitaBrotman, #GuiltyCreatures,

Mikita Brottman takes a close look at a Tallahassee, Florida, murder founded in misplaced faith, betrayal and greed.

In this true-crime story, two devout Baptist couples -- Mike and Denise Williams and Brian and Kathy Winchester -- have a long history together dating back to their childhoods. That is until Mike goes missing after an early-morning duck hunting trip. The general assumption is that he was eaten by alligators.

Brian and Kathy's marriage falls apart, and he soon marries the widowed Denise. Insurance money rolls in, and the new couple works hard to keep their place in their religious community and Florida city. Then two decades later, Brian confesses to murdering his former friend so he can marry his longtime affair partner. He implicates Denise as his co-conspirator.

Brottman leaves out nothing in replaying this crazy tale that took 18 years to bring to justice. It includes a failed kidnapping, financial failures, torrid romance and so much more. And for the accused? They claim their murderous action was God's will.

Thank you to Atria Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was first introduced to the psychoanalyst and true crime author Mikita Brotman when I read the fascinating literary true crime tale “Couple Found Slain” which examined the life of an inmate serving his sentence in a maximum security psychiatric hospital. In “Guilty Creatures,” Brotman recites the story of two couples: Mike and Denise Williams and Brian and Kathy Winchester who attended the same Christian high school in Tallahassee, Florida and were viewed in their Baptist community as hardworking, responsible young people from close-knit conservative families. After high school, the four friends all commuted to Florida State University and, after graduating, they remained at home settling into their careers and saving up to get married. Both couples married in 1994.

In 2001, Mike Williams disappeared while duck hunting at Lake Seminole. His boat and vehicle were recovered, but not his body. Initially, police assumed that the body had not surfaced due to “alligator involvement.” The police search was called off after 44-days. Mike’s mother, Cheryl, was indefatigable in her resolve to learn what had happened to her son, incurring the wrath of Mike’s widow, Denise, who prevented Cheryl from having any access to her granddaughter when Cheryl continued to speak with law enforcement.

Cheryl’s dogged pursuit, with the assistance of a reporter from a local newspaper who shared Cheryl’s suspicions, kept attention on the cold case. The Florida Division of Insurance Fraud launched an investigation after Denise received $1.8 million in insurance proceeds from three policies that Mike had purchased from Brian just months before his disappearance. The newspaper articles brought the case to the attention of psychics, unsolved mystery television shows and, with the birth of the internet, amateur detectives.

Kathy and Brian separated in 2003, and two years after Mike’s disappearance, Denise was starting to socialize again. She started a relationship with Brian (although they had had a seven year extramarital affair) which led members of the community to wonder if they were involved in Mike’s disappearance. Brian and Denise married in 2005 and tried to remain under the radar.

The most intriguing aspect of this sordid tale is how being classified as “persons of interest” impacted the 15 year relationship between Brian and Denise. The couple used their religion to rationalize their conduct, with Denise seemingly of the opinion that murder was more palatable than divorce. The public accusations and private guilt put a strain on the relationship that degraded into threats of violence and blackmail. Brian sought to repress his anxieties through alcohol and illicit sex. Denise acted in front of the couple’s church, counselors, friends and family members as if she were the innocent, abused victim of a narcissistic sociopath. “Brian realized the greatest threat to his safety wasn’t the law enforcement investigation . It was Denise.” Thank you Atria and Net Galley for an advance copy of this true crime story that uncovers the hypocrisy of this God-fearing couple and exposes the moral decay within them.

My quick take on GUILTY CREATURES: Fascinating case. Not-so-fascinating writing.

This true crime has all the hallmarks of a riveting read. We have ongoing adultery, a best friend’s vicious betrayal, and a murder that went unsolved for decades, all against the backdrop of a small Christian community.

Unfortunately, I found the writing dry, with the vibe more news article than engaging narrative. I didn't feel any emotional connection.

I expected something different with the “far-right, conservative” Christian connection. The two women at the heart of this story were very much independent and sexually free. They just happened to go to church, as well.

In the end, I didn't care about any of these people.

I had the ebook, but I mostly listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Leon Nixon, was fine, though like the writing, his narration was just a straightforward recitation of facts.

"Guilty Creature: Sex, God and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida" is the true crime case of missing person turned murdered person, Mike Williams. This was a quick and easy but engaging read, and the author does a great job of writing about this case without bias. The writing contains facts, but is entertaining and reads like fiction. Brottman tells the story through a journalistic lens but without being dry.

I began following the case when I listened to podcast episode about it right after there was a big break and have kept up with it ever since. As many podcast and TV episodes that I've listened to and watched, I still learned facts that I hadn't known. I found the first half of the book a little confusing and all over the place with all of the dates going back and forth, but the second half was great!

One thing I loved about this book is that it shows how guilt and religious pressure can eat away at people in different ways. After following this case for many years, I didn't realize how much living with the guilt affected the criminals.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria/One Signal Publishers for the eARC and the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Guilty Creatures by Mikita Brottman is about the murder of Mike Williams by his best friend, Brian Winchester. His best friend that was having an affair with Mike's wife. Brottman does a nice job with research on the story - the ties between the two families and the lack of evidence. And Brian's sketchy personality. He shows how a case takes a couple of people refusing to give up until justice is done.
One of the wildest things was that Denise and Brian thought murder was better than a divorce because of how it would make them look.

A well-written true crime story from Brottman.

Mike and Denise Williams had a very close friendship with Brian and Kathy Winchester. The two couples spent a lot of time together and their friendship seemed unshakeable. On December 16th Mike Williams went on a fishing trip and never came back. When no body was found it was assumed that Mike had drowned in a tragic accident. But when Brian divorces his wife and marries Denise rumors start to fly about their relationship. It's not until years later that the truth finally comes out.

This story was a rollercoaster and no matter how many true crime stories I read it is still shocking what people will do! Mikita does an amazing job covering this story and it was incredibly well written. I really enjoyed this book and I felt that it did a really good job of being informative and entertaining. I like that this story also went into how the media played into Brian and Denise's relationship as things progressed. Overall I think this is a great read for true crime lovers!

I'm not a true crime fan, and while I admit that the cover drew me into this story, the story itself kept me reading. This is the story of 2 couples in north Florida, friends since high school, who do everything together. One of the couple's husbands disappears while duck hunting, thought to be eaten by alligators in the lake. When the widow marries the other husband, the focus shifts to them. They continue to live their lives as if nothing happened, including an effort never to discuss the events anywhere. You know how it's going to go, but it's the unfolding of the details that made this a compelling story.

How far would you be willing to go for love?

Denise Williams and Brian Winchester were willing to go to the end for it, in a pact that had the potential to destroy them both if they were ever found out, by planning and then carrying out the murder of Denise’s husband (and Brian’s best friend), Mike Williams. They would’ve gotten away with all of it if Brian and Denise’s personal demons hadn’t gotten between them eventually.

Turns out keeping a guilty secret this big for over a decade turns you paranoid and depressed. Maybe you can even delude yourself into believing you had nothing to do with it. Either way, the truth has to come out sometime.

True-crime author Mikita Brottman did an impeccable job with the research, writing, and pacing of Guilty Creatures (which is a fabulous title). Everything about this book, from the cover to the last page, is bathed in soapy, lurid, southern venality. Bottman takes advantage of the schadenfreude humor the public loves to read in regards to anything Florida and combines it with the everlasting love of seeing the pious revealed as depraved. There’s almost nothing that sells better than sex combined with religion. You would think all of this would make Guilty Creatures read as shallow, but it reads as compassionate to the victim, his friends, and especially his family.

Where this book tends to fall short is in examination of how the Southern Baptist Church, the Protestant work ethic, the myth of the American Dream, and the notion of Keeping Up with the Jones’ all likely informed not only the life and marriage of Mike Williams, but also the psyche and crimes of Denise Williams and Brian Winchester. Bottman is a psychoanalyst and missed a golden opportunity to really dig into how being very white and very American had a great deal to do with the why of these crimes. I would’ve loved to hear more about that. Otherwise it’s a great true crime read.

I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Nonfiction/True Crime

A Florida true crime non fiction. Mike and Denise were close friends with fellow married couple, Brian and Kathy until Mike disappeared while duck hunting.

If you’re familiar with this true crime story and interested in it, I would suggest this book. I found the first half very thrilling and was hooked but the second half lost my interest. We already found out what happened to Mike, and the relationship and family drama just didn’t do it for me. The story gif too bogged down in details.

“This situation should not be taken lightly. Decadent sexual behavior, death threats, and threatening arson are not normal behavior.”

Guilty Creatures comes out 7/23.

This gripping true-crime read had me hooked from the beginning. This was informative, entertaining, and well-researched. Thanks Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida by Mikita Brottman is a recommended psychological examination of a true crime story.

Couples Brian and Kathy Winchester and Mike and Denise Williams all met while students at North Florida Christian High School. They all remained friends after high school and attended a Baptist church. On December 16, 2000, Denise’s husband Mike disappeared while duck hunting on Lake Seminole. His body was never found. Mike's mother never gave up hope that her son was still alive and the search for her son should continue. Denise had Mike declared deceased and collected $1 million in life insurance.

Then within five years of Mike’s disappearance, Brian divorced his wife and married Denise, which started rumors about their relationship. With ongoing pressure Mike’s mother put on the police and the help of a Tallahassee Democrat reporter the investigation reopened and gathered momentum. Denise later divorced Brian, but the two were forever connected by their secret. Brian snapped, kidnapped her, and upon his arrest and questioning the truth came out.

Brottman examines the psychological aspects of the couple and their soul crushing bond based on holding a terrible secret for eighteen years. This is a murder story with ties to religion and sex. The book is more a focus on Brian and Denise self deception concerning their guilt. The presentation of the material and information surrounding the case is interesting and written in a matter-of-fact manner rather than one that creates any suspense. I knew nothing about this case before reading this account. Thanks to Atria/One Signal for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

How crazy can true life get? Two seemingly tight knit devoted religious couples, close friends by all accounts. Then suddenly one husband goes missing. Everyone presumes that he is the unlucky victim of a horrible accident but then his best friend divorces his wife, only to marry the missing man’s wife. Was there a fiendish plot to get Mike out of the way in order to continue a torrid affair or are things not as they seem? Why didn’t they both just get divorced if they wanted to be together so much? Life is crazy, and true crime is often a reflection of how crazy life is. Very well researched and written.

“Guilty Creatures” tells the story of 2 couples who were high school sweethearts and seemed perfect for each other. After graduation and establishing themselves, both couple married and seemed to be leading idyllic lives. Until the day that one of the husbands disappeared while duck hunting. From this point, the author takes the reader on a ride that includes betrayal, sex and murder. This true crime story piqued my interest from the beginning and did not disappoint, I believe it was worth the read. (Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.)

I really enjoyed the writing in this book. I love true crime but at times they start to feel dry and like a slog to get through. This was written in an engaging and fast paced way that kept me wanting to read more.

A dive into the history of a town - Tallahassee, Florida - and the principal players in this atmospheric true crime investigation that unwraps the God-fearing exterior of a town and its people. It's a tangled web of friendship shot through with a secret affair, venality, luridness, sex, religion, insurance policies, a tenacious mother and more. Though the reader learns quickly who killed Mike Williams, the friendship between Mike and Denise Williams and Brian and Kathy Winchester, that dated back to elementary school, is explored in detail, how they were raised, what the community was like, the pressures of family and community and religion and psychology make for an interesting and mostly compelling book.

Thanks to One Signal/Atria and Netgalley for the arc.

This true crime book follows the plotted murder of Jerry “Mike” Williams. Mike, Denise, Brian Winchester and Kathy Thomas were all high school friends when they attended North Florida Christian School. Mike and Denise married after college, and Brian and Kathy married as well.

In 1997 Mike’s best friend Brian, and Mike’s wife, Denise began an affair. They knew that they wanted to be together, but since having a daughter, Denise did not want to be a single mother that shared custody with Mike. She also did not want to divorce as she was a women of faith. Brian sold insurance, and began to sell Mike more life insurance, so that Denise could collect on that as they plotted Mikes murder.

On December 16, 2000 Brian invited Mike out to go duck hunting in the early morning hours. They drove in Mikes Bronco and boat to Lake Seminole. There Brian told Mike to put on his waders and they proceeded to go out on the boat. Brian knew that he was going to push Mike into the cold water with the intent to have his waders and jacket on to fill with water and drowned him. Mike began to panic as the started to go under water, but he was able to grab onto a snag (fallen tree in the water) and started to pull himself up. Brian knew that he had to make sure Mike would never survive, so he circled the boat around and shot Mike. Brian then knew that he could not leave Mike in the water with a bullet wound, so he pulled him out of the water and placed him in the back of Brian's car.

There he went home and established his alibi with his wife Kathy (who was completely unaware of his doings). Brian then drove to a very rural road and buried Mike.

Denise pleaded to get a death certificate for her then, missing husband Mike so that she could collect the life insurance money of over a million dollars.

Brian and Denise married in 2005, but I think that the horrific actions of Brian weighted to heavy on him. The guilt of Mikes murder and the hurt he caused his son and ex-wife was to much.

In 2016 Brian was arrested on charges stemming from an incident where he allegedly kidnapped Denise after he filed for divorce. He received immunity for the murder of Mike, as Brian told the authorities everything. He also took them to where Mike was buried. Brian served 20 years in prison for the kidnapping charge.

In 2018 Denise Williams was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and accessory after the fact. She was is now serving life in prison.

When I find a true crime book that has all the elements of being a winner, I am set to get it and read. This had everything that a true crime book needs to keep the reader involved and guessing as to what happened and most of all why it happened.
Mike and Denise Williams have been friends with Brian and Kathy Winchester their entire lives. A tragic accident that occurred while Mike was duck hunting was the event that changed all their lives. Mike’s body was never found but people were certain he drowned, and his body was eaten by alligators.
But five years after Mikes death Brian divorced Kathy and married Denise the death of Mike and what happened took a turn no one in the community saw coming!
The book was one that will stay in my mind for a long time. All my true crime fans will really enjoy this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Mikita Brottman and Atria Books for the Arc of Guilty Creatures. This is my personal review.

This true crime work has a feel of a movie in which everything that happens seems to become more and more outrageous as the narrative progresses. The main figures are fairly well described and come to life as we picture them and their misdeeds in our minds. There’s an incredible amount of bad stuff going on in the relaying of a horrendous crime. First, there’s an alarming murder where a best friend sets up his buddy to kill him so he can have an unencumbered sex life with the murdered guy’s wife. Before the murder we learn of deceit, sexual insatiability, lying, cheating, drug use and absolutely no remorse. Instead, the couple incredibly turn to religion to justify their behavior. What’s even more remarkable is that the crime was unsolved for 17 years before a kidnapping breaks open all the secrets. Once the narrative moves to the courtroom, the on-the-witness stand confession of the murderer reads like a Cohen brothers’ movie script with a series of fumbled events similar to Fargo. The brief page count makes one believe much was left out but that is understandable with the crime held secret for so many years. Fans of true crime podcasts will love it.