Sex, drugs, and murder - What else could you possibly want out of a true crime story?

I really enjoyed Guilty Creatures. It was interesting that the story unfolded like a play, with the various acts, but I also felt like it had a very “Netflix murder documentary” vibe, which is right up my alley. Mikita Brottman did a good job of describing how the story unfolded and I had no trouble picturing how they THOUGHT the murder played out, as well as the way it actually did. Just goes to show you that those who claim to devote themselves to the Lord may not be as righteous and holy as they make themselves seem…

Many thanks to Atria Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book to read, I enjoyed it and I would rate it a solid 3/5 stars.

How can a suburban father and husband commit murder and live with himself? If this question intrigues you, so will "Guilty Creatures." I had heard only a little about this case -- it's been on Dateline and other true crime shows. Brottman's coverage delves deep into the psyche of the main perpetrator, and reveals how the murder -- instead of making his big dreams come true -- destroyed his life. Recommended for any true crime afficionado interested in the pyschology behind making the decision to end another person's life -- in this case, a best friend.

Despite being a pretty active true crime junkie, I had not heard of the case that brought about the book. And I'm honestly glad I got to enjoy the writing without anticipating the turns and twists. Brottman is a wonderful writer, her background in literature makes for excellent stage setting, and keeps the story going. This case (the disappearance of Mike Williams while on a hunting trip on Lake Seminole) is not necessarily a whodunnit, nor a howdunnit, but this allows Brottman to bring us inside two troubled marriages, to examine closely how competing societal claims and norms can, in the right person, bring about truly awful consequences.

I generally prefer my true crime to have a little bit more of the clue gathering, procedural elements, and there were a few times I had to check to see if the author had made the weird decision to write about herself in the third person (but no, the reporter is a separate person). However, it is sometimes lovely to trade the detective story for the domestic thriller, and this book delivers on that front thouroughly.

True Crime is one of my favorite genres to read and I've read hundreds. I don't recall this story so I was excited about reading it. It was very well researched but the way it's written just didn't work for me. It reads more like an article rather than a book. It seems that the author just compiled information from many different sources and compiled them into book form. It also lacked pictures which is almost a requirement for any great True Crime book. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Two couples in Florida make up a close knit quartet of best friends, until one husband vanishes while out duck hunting, sparking a long running mystery that will remain unsolved for more than a decade.

In the annals of true crime, murder as the solution to an affair is a common occurrence, mundane even when stacked up the ranks of serial killers and mass murderers who generally get top billing. But even a 'mundane' crime is a story in itself, and the people they victimize deserve just as much attention as those that generally grab headlines. In this book, Brottman works to bring that well-deserved attention to the murder of Mike Williams.

This is a quick read, but an engrossing one. Brottman does a good job bringing the socially stifling world of the subjects to life, grounding us in their lives and the path to Mike's murder. She treats everyone with an even hand, making it easy to visualize them as they are - that is, the kind of people that we all know. By not 'othering' the murderers, the case only seems more immediate and tragic.

What's really astonishing about the case though is the aftermath. It was fascinating to see Brian and Denise continue to carry on with their lives as they slowly splinter under the weight of their consciences. I also liked that there was just enough supporting information to contextualize what happens between the pair and how they are treated in the media and by their community without pulling focus away from the story itself.

Well written but so very difficult to read. I am sure there are many who will appreciate this book more than I did.

Thank you so much to the publisher, NetGalley, and the Author for opportunity to read this ARC. Review to follow!

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
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From the critically acclaimed author of the “enthralling” (San Francisco Book Review) An Unexplained Death, a breathless true crime tale of sex, religion, and murder in the deep South.

Mike and Denise Williams had a tight-knit, seemingly unbreakable bond with childhood friends, Brian and Kathy Winchester. The two couples were devout, hardworking Baptists who lived perfect, quintessentially Southern lives. Their friendship seemed ironclad. That is, until December 16, 2000, when Denise’s husband Mike disappeared while duck hunting on Lake Seminole.

After Mike's body was never found, everyone assumed that he had drowned in a tragic accident, his body eaten by alligators. But things took an unexpected turn when, within five years of Mike’s disappearance, Brian Winchester divorced his wife and married Denise. Their surprising romance set tongues talking. People began wondering how long they had been a couple, and whether they had anything to do with Mike’s death. It took another twelve years for the truth to come out—and when it did, it was unimaginable.

Now, the full, shocking story is revealed by Mikita Brottman, acclaimed true crime writer and “one of today’s finest practitioners of nonfiction” (The New York Times Book Review). Through tenacious research and clear-eyed prose, she probes the psychology of a couple who killed and explores how it feels to live for eighteen years with murder on the soul.

A fascinating page-turner of modern noir, Guilty Creatures is destined to become an instant true crime classic.

I love me some true crime… as long as it is not a podcast…I have no use for podcasts as they are too much like talk radio. I had never even heard of this couple before and their true-life story was fascinating to read. Highly recommended, especially to book clubs who would inhale this and talk for hours about this deep and darkly twisted couple.

#shortbutsweetreviews

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read true crime before - I am normally a documentary type of girl - so this book was the first of that style that I have read. It did not disappoint! The storyline is developed with the backstory of the crime, the suspects, and the families and goes on to talk about how the crime is solved and everything that happens in between and afterwards. I had never heard of this crime before I read the synopsis of this book and I am now going to find all the documentaries and episodes on this case that I can to see it physically instead of in my own brain. It is well written and keeps you wanting to know more about the case.

This book may have turned me to a new genre and I again thank Netgalley and the publisher for opening me up to that.

"Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida" by Mikita Brottman is a true crime tale that unfolds in the deep South, exploring the intertwined themes of sex, religion, and murder.

The narrative revolves around two seemingly unbreakable couples, Mike and Denise Williams, and their childhood friends, Brian and Kathy Winchester. Devout and hardworking Baptists, they led perfect Southern lives. However, on December 16, 2000, the tight-knit community was shaken when Mike Williams disappeared while duck hunting on Lake Seminole.

Initially assumed to be a tragic accident with the presumption of drowning, the case takes an unexpected turn within five years of Mike's disappearance. Brian Winchester, who was married to Kathy, divorces her and marries Denise Williams. The sudden romance raises suspicions, leading people to question the circumstances surrounding Mike's death.

The shocking truth takes twelve years to surface, and Mikita Brottman, an acclaimed true crime writer, unveils the full story. Through meticulous research and clear prose, Brottman delves into the psychology of a couple involved in murder, exploring the complexities of living for eighteen years with the burden of guilt.

"Guilty Creatures" is described as a fascinating page-turner of modern noir and is expected to become an instant true crime classic.

Guilty Creatures is a true story of love, death, and confessions.

In a small Southern town that is essentially a Baptist community, a married man and woman fall in love.

The woman's husband disappears and it is thought that he drowned. Before long the man divorces his wife and marries the woman.

The marriage is not successful and 20 years after the initial disappearance of her husband, and her new husband confesses that he killed him with the help of his now-wife.

The book sizzles and is sensational enough to hold my attention but not so much that it is over the top.

I recommend this book