This book is about Ed and Lorraine Warren, two of the biggest names in the paranormal field. I have a lot of respect for the work that they have done, and thought this book would be amazing. The subtitle grabbed me, as it promised the inside behind the scenes inspiration for the Annabelle and Conjuring movies, which I love. It did include those things, but it was not nearly as captivating as I had hoped. While it did include a lot of interview-type quotes from both Mr. and Mrs. Warren, the book itself was boring as all get out. I do not recommend this book at all. 

 This book covers the murder of Dr. Darryl Sutorius, a prominent heart surgeon in the Cincinnati area. Dr. Sutorius was found dead by his wife in the basement of their home. Investigators were initially unsure of the cause of death, as it appeared to be a self inflicted gunshot wound at first glance. As the investigation unfolded, they discovered that his wife had been using the name Dante, though her real name was Della Faye, and that she had purchased the gun that killed her husband. Gunshot residue tests also concluded that she is the one who had fired the gun. Interestingly, the more they uncovered about her, the crazier the story gets. I won't spoil the book for anyone who wants to read it, but I will say that she was a SHADY character that lied every time she took a breath.

This case was featured on an episode of Forensic Files, and I got this book when I realized it was mentioned in the episode. If you are a Forensic Files fan, you should make sure you pick up the books that are mentioned. It really gives a deeper dive into the cases mentioned. I have to admit that I am not a super big fan of Aphrodite Jones, however this book was decent. The research was done quite well, and really added a lot to what I learned from the show. I thought that this woman was a sketchy one when I watched the show, but this book goes into far greater detail about her lies and shenanagins than the show did. It wasn't a very long book either, so if you are looking for something in the 300-ish page range, here you go. I also suggest always looking up the people that you read about in true crime books for updates on their current incarceration/parole status, because a lot of these cases are pretty old. Sometimes you learn some interesting things after the fact. 

 This book was included in the Audible Plus catalog, which I loved. I did not really care for the narration of this book, however, and would have enjoyed it more with a different narrator. The actual content of the book was a very neat perspective of life between World War I and World War II in Germany. I really enjoyed reading something from this perspective. It gave a clear idea of what the climate was like in and around Nazi territories. 

 This book was written by one of the lawyers on the defense team of Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer. The behind the scenes look at the defense portion of the court case was interesting, and a different perspective than I have read or listened to on podcasts about this case. The back of the book had a blurb to the effect of "once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down." I did not find that to be the case. It wasn't hardly that page turning for me personally. 

 I found this book on Audible Plus, so I gave it a listen. I had just recently watched a documentary on Netflix about the murder of a nun and the abuse of girls by Catholic priests in a school. I also remember all of the headlines over the years about abuse in the church, and I thought this book would be interesting, and also tragic. It is so disgusting how people take advantage of other people, especially children. This book covered the death of a thirteen year old boy, Danny Croteau, and the strong likelihood that one particular priest was the culprit in his death. It is just horrible how people that should be trusted are miscreants. This was a decent book. 

 Dr. Marcel Petiot was a real piece of work. He was born in France in 1897. Once he hit his preteen years, around age 11, he propositioned a classmate for sex. He also got into some trouble for shooting off his father's weapon, as well as robbing a mail box. He underwent a psychiatric evaluation, where it was determined that he had a mental illness. His struggle with mental illness became worse after serving in World War I, as was the case for many people. Despite the fact that he was clearly struggling, he was sent back to the front, even after he was arrested for stealing from the hospitals in which he stayed. All of this did not prevent him from becoming a medical doctor. He completed medical school in eight months, partly thanks to a program for the education of veterans. By the time he had made it to medical school, he had been documented as having various mental health struggles, various criminal activities, and was addicted to narcotics. Simultaneously, his medical practices were called into question. He was not seen as a very adept doctor, plus he was performing illegal abortions and passing out narcotics left and right. Somehow, people thought it was a great idea to elect him to public office, where he stole money and electricity. There was a host of other wild things outlined in this book that just should have been red flags to literally everyone, but apparently were not. (Also, he looked like an absolute creep.)

In 1944, several citizens reported heavy black smoke coming from the chimney of a home, as well as a foul smell. Police and firemen arrived and entered the building. Once inside, they determined the source of the smoke and smell were bodies being burned in the furnace. (For some reason, it never occurred to me that people, including actual government officials, had to simply overlook all of this weird stuff because they were under Nazi occupation. I am unsure if I thought people just decided to not be weirdos and murderers whilst in the middle of a global war, or if it just never occurred to me that regular government activities would be hindered because of the Nazis and Gestapo buildings. How stupid of me, being a World War II major, to not have ever thought of that.) The whole case after the discovery of the bodies was wild, but I won't spoil it here.

This was a really interesting criminal case, and Dr. Marcel Petiot was a creepy person. This story was told in a way that was very engaging. Despite the fact that it is historical nonfiction, it was really a page turner. A lot of people drag nonfiction for being boring, but they aren't reading the right kinds of nonfiction. This was a true crime book and a World War II book all in one, which is ideal for me. I am glad that I found this book at the store and picked it up. It was really worth it. This was my last planned read for the month of December, because I am way ahead of schedule. I can't wait to get started on a plan for meeting my reading challenge in 2023. I have to get planning. 

 I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of books by Erik Larson, that flipped back and forth between two different stories that were linked due to location and circumstances. I remember watching an episode of The Crown on Netflix that focused on the smog, and I meant to look into that more and never did. I learned a lot about the cause behind that and the consequences. I didn't realize it was such a huge ordeal, so I certainly learned a lot about that. I had also never heard of this weirdo that was killing folks, and I do enjoy a true crime. I also especially liked that I got this during the two for one credit sale on Audible. 

 This book is about Charles Cullen, a nurse who had a thing for killing patients. I was so excited to find this book at the used bookstore, because I had recently watched a series on television about nurses who kill. I ordered a couple, and then just randomly found this one. I wasn't bored by this book at all, and I thought it was pretty factual based on the things I learned from the show I watched. I agree with several other reviews that I read... the descriptions of his complexion were incessant and drove me nearly insane. 

 JonBenet Ramsay was a six year old girl who went missing in Boulder, Colorado on Christmas 1996. Her mother came downstairs to find a long ransom note requesting 118,000 (weirdly, the same amount that the father had gotten as a bonus check from work). JonBenet was reported missing. Police came to the house and "searched" it, yet her body was found in the basement that had had "searched" about seven hours after she was reported missing. She had a broken skull, and was strangled. DNA evidence was recovered from the body. (The parents were excluded.) The police handling of the case left a lot to be desired, in my opinion. The police said that the parents were uncooperative. The mother was so distraught she couldn't even walk (as I am sure I would be if my daughter was murdered and dead in my house), and they would have gotten absolutely zero useful information out of her if they had drug her down to the police station five seconds after carting the body out of the home. They also retained counsel, as anyone facing any type of investigation should. Average people are not law experts or experts on their rights, and parents are always treated poorly as they are immediately the suspects. (A lot of the time, it is a parent or caregiver.) Another theory is that the brother did it and the parents covered up for him. I think that is quite ridiculous. (I know there are cases of kids killing kids, but I do not believe this to be the case here.) There was other evidence found that pointed to someone outside the home as the killer, and I personally believe it was a friend of the family or coworker, but I can do nothing other than speculate like everyone else.

The media and internet was not as largely popular during 1996, but the amount of coverage this case had in the news and mainstream media was astronomical. The family and their coworkers and friends were essentially stalked by the media. People made up all kinds of things. Imagine going to get groceries anywhere in the country and seeing your dead child and weird headlines all over those supermarket tabloids. It is really disgusting. I cannot imagine having to endure that from 1996 to 2022, as I write this. Not long ago, I was in the store and saw JonBenet's photo on the cover of one of those magazines. The fact of the matter is, her mother has died never knowing what happened to her daughter. Her brother has had speculation and nonsense to deal with since her murder, in addition to losing his sibling. The father is still actively trying to find out how to have the DNA evidence further tested, because the police won't send it to an outside lab. I found this book at the local library, so I picked it up to read during the summer reading program. I was recommended this book by someone who also told me that John Ramsay was releasing a new book soon about his continued efforts to seek justice for JonBenet, who has absolutely not been given any justice AT ALL. All the advances in technology and forensics that could be used on this case should be applied. The book itself was interesting to read, as it offered the perspectives of both parents shortly after the murders. It is pretty out of date, as there have been other issues pertaining to this case that have come about over the years, but it gave her parents a voice at the time. I would recommend it if you are interested in this case. 

 Working in a mine has to be one of the hardest jobs out there. You are miles below ground, which is terrifying to think about. There are tons and tons of earth bearing down on you. How could one not constantly think about being buried alive? What if there is an explosion of gasses underneath the surface? What if rain or earth movements have degraded the integrity of the earth? What if you just get into some gas and suffocate? It is deep, down, and dark. I would have had a panic attack and a nervous breakdown if I was one of those men trapped down in that mine. I cannot imagine what lasting psychological trauma they have to deal with after such an ordeal.