Esther: Her Murder Haunts a Small Town in Oklahoma

by Leonard Sanders

Beyond the grisly details of a case that horrified and galvanized a community previously innocent of senseless violence, Sanders renders in a gripping narrative the investigative, legal, and emotional processes that were spurred by this crime--the first murder in the little town's long history.

Genres: True Crime

294 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1994

About the author

Working name of US writer Leonard M Sanders Jr (1929-2005) US author who also published as by Dan Thomas, under which name he wrote The Seed (1968), an sf novel in which a Computer explains the meaning of life to one of its engineers. The later Hamlet Group sequence of very Near Future thrillers, comprising The Hamlet Warning (1976) and The Hamlet Ultimatum (1979), following America's attempts to prevent terrorists known as The Hamlet Group from detonating an atomic device in Santo Domingo [JC]

Reviews

[Josephine Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set in Granite, a small town in western Oklahoma. Esther Steels was a retired school teacher, widowed, seventy-three years old, very popular, a lover of life. An Audubon member, she took people, adults and school kids on bird watching expeditions. She loved the arts, nature and though she was retired, she worked harder at retirement than when working. She was a good teacher, involved with students, never had children, so she treated students like her own kids. The night she was murdered, she had planned to go to a symphony concert in Oklahoma City, but felt she needed to be at a revival at her church. This was on an April night in 1987.

This book is about the death of a retired school teacher, was well written about searching for the killer or killers, very detailed about all those who were involved in searching for the murderer, lawyers and lawmen. There was a doctor who gave the deceased body an examination, the wounds of how Esther was murdered. What was used to kill her? A knife, stab wounds, a pillow to smother her. Nothing in the house was moved, it was all left as is for those to see who could have been in the home and left their mark.

There was a profile sent to those working on the crime. Southerland and Goss who had already had an idea of who commited the crime. The book goes well into the personalities of those who were involved in everything, killers and those who worked to catch evil doers.

The case goes to trial, very interesting and exciting.

The book was well written, but sad.

[Gail Hedlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in a rural county full of small towns, this made me nod my head a great deal. The things you know. The things you can prove. May be 2 separate & completely different animals...not even of the same species.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esther: Her Murder Haunts a Small Town in Oklahoma by Leonard Sanders was originally published in 1994. My hardcover copy has 294 pages. This is a competent account of a1987 murder in a small town in Oklahoma. It covers the investigation, eventual apprehension of two suspects, and the trial. The larger picture shows the loss of the illusion that the small Oklahoma town was a safe, innocent place to live and questions who, of the two, actually is responsible for the murder and rape of Esther Steele. Rating: 3.5
http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

[Skyqueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will have you thinking, and guessing, and trying to come to some conclusion long after you have finished. I just wish Mr. Sanders was still alive so I could speak with him about his personal belief since he lived right here. Alas, maybe I can find some update. Sanders was also a Fort Worth historian and included other Oklahoma and Indian Territory history in the telling of Ester's unnecessary demise. Would have liked more pictures and a map though I was quite familiar with the area and small, country town life.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good read, talking about the unprecedented murder of a retired schoolteacher in Granite, Oklahoma and the effects that had on the police, friends and neighbors and the small town where they lived generally. Note to copyeditor: "reflexly" is not a word.